iko nini bwana seed tisa SEPTEMBER 2010 imwe

A British teenager has been banned from America for life for sending Barack Obama an abusive email. Luke Angel was reprimanded by police on both sides of the Atlantic after firing off a drunken message to the White House calling the president a "p****". The FBI intercepted the message and contacted police in the UK who went to see the 17-year-old at his home in Silsoe, Bedfordshire. Luke, a college student, is now on a list of people who are banned from visiting the States. The teenager told the Bedfordshire On Sunday newspaper that he had sent the email after watching a TV programme about September 11. When asked about the ban, Luke said: "I don't really care. My parents aren't very happy about it. "The police who came round took my picture and told me I was banned from America forever." A Bedfordshire Police spokesman said: "The individual sent an email to the White House full of abusive and threatening language. "We were informed by the Metropolitan Police and went to see him. He said, 'Oh dear, it was me'." Officers will take no criminal action. Joanne Ferreira, of the US Department of Homeland Security, said there are about 60 reasons a person can be barred. She added: "We are prohibited from discussing specific cases."

Members of the Kenya Association of Stockbrokers and Investment Banks (Kasib) will participate in an investment expo in London to woo Kenyans in the Diaspora to invest at the Nairobi Stock Exchange. The Kenya Diaspora Investment Expo 2010, set to take place between October 1-3, seeks to expose investment opportunities across key sectors like construction, energy, and technology to the Diaspora The expo will also showcase opportunities in engineering, health, security, agriculture, tourism, education and legal services. Kasib Chairman, Michael Gichohi, said the association had been encouraged by the rise in the number of Kenyans interested in investing in the local markets, but had previously not had an avenue to market opportunities available. The expo comes as members of the East African Community edge closer after the operationalisation of the common market protocol in July. Kenyan stockbrokers and investment banks are spreading their wings in the region, opening up new branches in Uganda, Tanzania, and as far as Rwanda, in a bid to tap into the expanded market, and boosting bourses all around the EAC. The Kenya High Commission in London has organised the event in partnership with Kenya Overseas Business Alliance, Kenya Investment Authority and Brand Kenya Board. The expo would bring together investors in the Diaspora, Kenyan business community, Government departments, and financial institutions. - The Standard. - CLICK HERE FOR MOR

Lovers and spouses are innumerable in this world.... BUT how many of them are true? How many are sincere in their love? How many mean what they say? How many will pack their bag s and leave once their love’s leg is amputees? Once their love has a stroke and is paralyzed? Once their love’s face has been distorted in a sudden accident? How many? HOW MANY? Alas. ....... Very few.... very few can look past the ugly outer cover and reach into the inner heart and still love it.... You may fall for the beauty and figure of someone, but in the long run, its ONLY the person’s character and faith that counts... One such beautiful example....

At least three Palestinians have been killed by tank fire near the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip, reports say. Medical staff and witnesses said Israel fired shots across the border near the town of Beit Hanoun in Gaza. One report said the two of those killed were a 91-year-old man and his 33-year-old grandson. Militants in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip earlier fired a rocket into Israel but no casualties or damage were reported. Adham Abu Salima, a spokesman for medical services in Gaza, told AFP news agency that the 91-year-old victim had been a caretaker at a farm. His grandson died shortly afterwards from his wounds, he said. The identity of the third victim was not yet clear. Israeli army radio described the people killed as "terrorists" and said that at least one of them was armed. The BBC's Jon Donnison in Ramallah says there has been an increase in rocket fire from Gaza in the past week, although it is nearly always ineffectual. One Thai farm worker in Israel has been killed by rocket fire from Gaza in the past 18 months while scores of Palestinians in Gaza have been killed over the same period. The increase in rocket fire comes as the US is trying to relaunch peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Hamas is rejecting those talks.

Immigration authorities are showing mercy toward certain foreign nationals in deportation proceedings, the first indication ICE's tough posture may be easing. In a new and more lenient policy, the head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has instructed the agency's legal office to stop the deportation proceedings of foreign nationals who may now be eligible for a green card. South Florida immigration attorneys and activists said the move is the first solid evidence of more tolerance by ICE toward some foreign nationals facing removal to their homelands. Affected are possibly tens of thousands who are married or related to a U.S. citizen or a legal resident who has filed a petition for them. The immigrants who will benefit must also not have a criminal conviction. In unveiling the change, ICE assistant secretary John Morton said the agency will soon drop deportation proceedings against those now eligible under the new guidelines. ``Where there is an underlying application or petition and ICE determines . . . that a non-detained individual appears eligible for relief from removal, [its attorneys] should promptly move to dismiss proceedings,'' Morton wrote in an Aug. 20 memo to the agency's principal legal advisor and the head of enforcement and removal operations.

``Good for John Morton and ICE,'' said Cheryl Little, executive director of Miami-based Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center (FIAC), who obtained the memo and gave a copy to El Nuevo Herald. ``This is the kind of reform we need. Targeting those who intend to do harm while expediting the cases of law-abiding immigrants is the best use of ICE's precious resources and will save taxpayers money.'' Richard Rocha, ICE deputy press secretary in Washington, reiterated his agency's policy of focusing first on removing foreign nationals who have criminal convictions. ``This administration is committed to smart, effective immigration reform, prioritizing the arrest and removal of criminal aliens and those who pose a danger to national security,'' said Rocha in a statement. ``In 2010 to date, ICE has removed more than 150,000 convicted criminals -- a record number.'' Little's office said one of its clients, identified only as Josianne, may benefit from the Morton memo. Josianne and her youngest daughter, both Haitian, are now in deportation proceedings despite petitions filed by Josianne's U.S. citizen husband. The proceedings have been postponed because of delays in processing the petitions. The Morton memo will allow FIAC to ask the immigration judge to dismiss the case.

Prior to the memo, foreign nationals in deportation proceedings likely would have been deported even if they had pending relative petitions. In 2007, for example, a case that deeply upset the Haitian community in Miami involved the deportation of a Haitian woman married to a U.S. citizen. Marie Thelusma was picked up in her Miami Gardens home and deported to her native country just before she was to appear at an interview at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services where her residence petition might have been granted, said her attorney, Candace Jean. After her arrest, chronicled in columns by then Miami Herald columnist Ana Menendez, USCIS sent a form letter canceling the appointment and expressing regrets for ``any inconvenience this may cause.'' Jean said she planned to review the Morton memo, but doubted it could help her client because generally new policies are not retroactive. But she said had the memo been in place in 2007, it could have spared her client and many foreign nationals in similar circumstances from being separated from families. ``It would have saved many spouses from losing a spouse and, sadly, many children from losing a parent,'' Jean said. – Miami-Dade

OVERHEARD BY MR. SEED: "Let me be honest with you Mr. Seed, I have never been taken a better photographer than this you have taken me." - Nduati, London

Sitka’s very own Dr. Richard Kraft during one of his routine oral examinations. The photo was taken at the entrance to Katlian Bay at the end of the road in Sitka . The whale is coming up to scoop up a mouthful of herring (the small fish seen at the surface around the kayak). The kayaker is a local Sitka Dentist. I haven’t talked to him yet, but haven’t heard of any injuries out of the experience. "Yep, that is me in the picture. Yep that is a whale that was just around the corner from the ferry terminal. 'Paddle really fast' is the only thing I could think of at the time... Also thinking that I don't look like a herring, don't smell like a herring but with the same herring instinct of "get the hell out of the way of that big mouth!!" Still living to tell yet another story...Story and photo sent by a friend of Mr. Seed Pouline Kariuki, a Kenyan from Ndenderu living in Alaska.

Counterfeit goods worth more almost £4 million were seized by UK Border Agency officers based at Heathrow airport in the last 3 months alone, it was revealed today. Among the significant seizures were 1,300 fake iPhones, 50 bogus iPads, 2,500 pieces of counterfeit designer jewellery worth over £500,000 and batches of labels which were destined to be stitched on to fake products to make them look genuine. They have also stopped over 180,000 counterfeit and unlicensed Viagra tablets from hitting the UK black market. These alone are worth £1.1 million and contain unknown, potentially harmful chemicals which are unlikely to have the desired effect. UK Border Agency officers operate 24 hours a day at ports, airports and mail sorting centres to prevent counterfeit goods hitting the UK's streets, where they can be bought by unsuspecting members of the public. As well as attempting to avoid duty and VAT, unscrupulous importers also put consumers at risk from potentially dangerous, unregulated products. Assistant director Grant Miller from the UK Border Agency's international trade division at Heathrow, said:

'Some of the smuggling techniques used here are quite sophisticated, but it's our job to stay one step ahead. 'We have to stop the trade in counterfeit goods to protect the public purse and protect consumers from potentially dangerous goods. We've seen cases of hair straighteners and other electrical goods literally blowing up in people's hands. 'We work very closely with key manufacturers and trade organisations to identify illegally produced imitation products, and prevent them from reaching UK high streets.'

After suspected counterfeit goods are detained by the UK Border Agency, officers approach the rights holders to verify that the products are fakes. The company then decides whether or not to bring a private prosecution against the importer. After this process is complete, the goods can be destroyed. Brodie Clarke, head of border force for the UK Border Agency, said:

'These results make it abundantly clear just how seriously we take the smuggling of counterfeit goods. Our officers work tirelessly to detect and detain smuggled goods, disrupting an illegal trade which cheats British taxpayers and undercuts honest businesses.

'Smugglers are only out to make a profit. The goods are often dangerous and the proceeds can be used to fuel serious organised crime.
'Many people enjoy finding a bargain - and that is even more true during an economic downturn - but the UK Border Agency's message to the public is straightforward: quite simply, if something appears to be too good to be true, it probably is.'

Last year Heathrow-based UK Border Agency officers were given an award by the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, a world-wide trade association, for their work in combating black-market fakes.

Mr. & Mrs. Ayub Wainaina arrived in the UK for than 15 years with their three children. They settle in Enfield Ireland in North London. Working hard to push on with life, the couple had dream, a dream to help the unknown in Kenya. This is a response to the call of God in their lives to minister to the needs of orphaned, the neglected, rejected and abandoned babies and children. Ayub and Irene Wainaina are the founders of St. Ann Baby and Children’s home in Nakuru, Kenya. They are relocating to Nakuru to expand their vision. A visit to their home by the Seeds while they were in Kenya last July the couple explained their vision to expand the home. They also needs your support financially and in prayers. They have hire a house in Nakuru for Kshs. 30,000 per month where they live with these children. They monthly budge is KShs. 150,000 per month.

Since the year 2001 when God spoke to us, we have been saving up some money for this work and we are happy to announce that finally what was spoken and reconfirmed by many prophets of God has finally been manifested. God has made our calling and election sure. St Ann baby and children’s home started on the 2nd of April 2007 with three newborn babies named Kuria, Alice and Frasiah has now 21 children. The home is registered in Kenya as a trust and also as a children’s home. Currently we have a total of sixteen babies (16 babies of between one and seven months) and a dedicated, loving and God fearing employed staff team of seven plus occasional volunteers. - CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Ms Maureen Nduta Kamau demonstrates how her fiancé, Alex Mwaura (inset), was shot by gangsters on Friday night. She was speaking at the Nairobi Hospital where she was admitted after the shooting incident. The two were set to wed on Saturday 11th September, 2010.

But rather than the joys of honeymoon, 27-year-old Alex Mwaura is lying at Kenyatta University mortuary and his fiancée Maureen Nduta at the Nairobi Hospital after fate conspired to cut short their love, forever. The two had dated for three years and all had been set for the nuptials on Saturday. But, as fate would have it, the groom would never live to say “I do”, to his fiancée, with a seven-month pregnancy. On Friday evening at around 7.30 p.m., Alex left his parents’ home in Kugeria-Thindigua in Kiambu with the bride-to-be. He was to drive Ms Nduta to her parents’ home in Ruthimiti-Thogoto, where she was to be picked up the next morning for their wedding ceremony. In the car were his elder sister Naomi, his fiancée’s workmate and one of the bridesmaids and her sister. Little did he know that that would be his last journey this side of life and it would end right outside the home of his in-laws. According to an account narrated to the Sunday Nation by his family, four gunmen emerged from the dark at the gate to Maureen’s parents’ home, walked to the car and shot the groom, then walked away casually into a waiting car. He took a bullet through the head as he sat on the driver’s seat. After Alex was shot, relatives and neighbours decided to rush him to Kikuyu Mission Hospital. But, as fate would have it, the driver lost control of the car and the group landed in a ditch before they could reach Kikuyu Hospital and they had to change cars.

Alex was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. He died in the hands of his elder sister Naomi. Maureen, a daughter to Mr Wilson Kamau Wambugu and Mrs Lucy Njeri Kamau, was then rushed to Nairobi Hospital where she underwent several examinations including X-ray scans and her condition was later described by family members as stable and the baby safe. Back at their Kugeria home, Alex’s father, former Permanent Secretary Zachary Mwaura, and his family had been waiting for the big day in high spirits. He kept communicating with the vicar of ACK St Paul’s Church, the Rev Stephen Wainaina, on the next day’s programme oblivious of the tragic turn of events. It was at the church in Kirigiti, Kiambu, that the two – bride and groom – were to take a sacrament of marriage and start their life in holy matrimony. It was not until 11.40 p.m. that the Rev Wainaina learnt of the tragedy from Mr Mwaura. “He called me and said, Pastor, Alex is no more,” the cleric recalled to the Sunday Nation. At the church, all was set for the occasion. Workers and relatives had spent the whole of Friday decorating the church. A tent had been pitched outside to accommodate the expected overflow of guests who were expected to turn up for the ceremony. – Daily Nation.

Christian Conservative Leader Calls for No More Mosques in U.S.

In the wake of the uproar over the mosque to be built near "ground zero" in New York, a prominent, controversial social conservative is calling for the prohibition of the construction of any mosques in the United States. "Permits should not be granted to build even one more mosque in the United States of America, let alone the monstrosity planned for Ground Zero," Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association wrote this week on the AFA website. "This is for one simple reason: each Islamic mosque is dedicated to the overthrow of the American government." Fischer is the AFA's director of Issue Analysis for Government and Public Policy. The AFA is a conservative Christian group that been in the news before for taking a number of extreme positions -- for instance, earlier this year Fischer called for Tilikum, the SeaWorld orca that thrashed its trainer to death, to be killed according to Biblical rules. In 2005, the AFA finally ended its boycott of Disney, which it kept of for nine years to protest the company's erosion of moral values.

In his 9/11 address at the Pentagon, President Obama asked Americans to honor the fallen by keeping alive the nation’s shared virtues and values. In a somber 9/11 ceremony at the Pentagon Saturday morning, President Obama urged Americans to honor the fallen by keeping alive the nation’s shared virtues and values. “The highest honor we can pay those we lost, indeed our greatest weapon in this ongoing war, is to do what our adversaries fear the most – to stay true to who we are, as Americans; to renew our sense of common purpose; to say that we define the character of our country, and we will not let the acts of some small band of murderers who slaughter the innocent and cower in caves distort who we are,” he said. Obama sounded a similar theme in his weekly radio/Internet address, in which he noted that September 11 has been designated a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith" (Gal.6:10 KJV).

Nairobi, Kenya, Sepmber 10 - President Mwai Kibaki was among hundreds of distinguished mourners who paid their last respects to the late Joseph Karume Njenga, son of prominent businessman and former Defense Minister Njenga Karume. The late Karume was laid to rest at his father’s farm in Kiambaa Constituency, Kiambu district. Addressing the mourners, President Kibaki urged Kenyans to forget the differences caused by campaigns for the new Constitution and unite in its implementation to move the country to the next level of development. President Kibaki said the new Constitution was good for the country as it ensured better management of public affairs and equity in distribution of resources. The President observed that the new Constitution besides laying the foundation of a stable and prosperous nation, promised a better country where the rights of all Kenyans are guaranteed and would also unlock the economic potential of the nation. On this regard, the Head of State exhorted Kenyans to believe in the living God and guard against being divided and misled by the many religious denominations in the country. Said President Kibaki, “Kenyans should learn to pray together despite belonging to different denominations”. The Head of State at the same time urged churches to shun divisiveness and work together in uniting Kenyans to build the dream Kenya under the new constitution. “Let us come together as one nation to give our country a new beginning under the new constitution,” President Kibaki said. Consoling the Karume family, President Kibaki said during his life, the late Joseph earned himself the reputation of being a sociable and a hard working person in the community and has left a legacy worth emulating by Kenyans.

He called on Kenyans to learn to assist one another and trust in God in everything they do during their lifetime, as nobody knows the day they would pass away. Assuring the late Joseph’s children of the necessary support to live decent lives, the President urged the Karume family to be grateful to God for the period they had spent with their beloved family member. Speaking during the occasion, Prime Minister Raila Odinga said the government was concerned that the road section where Joseph perished in an accident was a black spot where several other lives have been lost. Mr Odinga affirmed that the government will construct a duel carriageway on the section to guard against further loss of lives through accidents. “Already the contracting is in progress and work on the road will start soon,” the Prime Minister said. Mr Odinga praised the late Joseph’s father Mr Njenga Karume for writing his auto-biography and challenged other Kenyans to write books on their contribution to society. He paid tribute to the late Joseph for his exemplary service to his community and the nation. Others who addressed the mourners included Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Cooperatives Minister Joseph Nyaga and Kiambaa MP Stanley Githunguri. Among the dignitaries attending the funeral included several cabinet Ministers, current and former members of parliament and religious leaders. The late Joseph Karume died at the age of 55 years and is survived by three children. The Catholic Bishop of Nairobi the Rt Rev. David Kamau conducted the funeral service.

A whistle may have been blown for modern women to invest in diverse securities in droves. It was rare to meet women trading at the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) between the 9.30am to 3pm official hours. Today, they confidently stride into the main trading floor on Nairobi’s Kimathi Street to keep abreast of their investments. For starters, the NSE is the fourth largest stock exchange in terms of trading volumes and fifth in market capitalisation.Separately, registered real estate firms are unanimous that women are among their increased clients over the past five years. According to the players, most female clients in their mid 30s and above are buying apartments in upmarket areas. Take the case of Peninah Muthoni, 37, who lives in a three-bedroomed apartment in Kilimani, off Ngong Road. "I started by buying shares in Initial Public Offers before I became a regular trader at the NSE five years ago," Peninah says. According to the Masters in Business Administration graduate, she avoided permanent jobs arguing freelance jobs did the trick."I could consult for three firms at a go and put the money in the stock exchange before buying my apartment at Sh14 million," she says. Tysons Limited Marketing Assistant Dan Arum, says Muthoni is not alone in investing in residential real estate. "Women clients have bought homes in Kilimani, Riverside Drive and Westlands where prices range from Sh14 million to Sh18 million," Arum says. He says the women are, however, particular in the type of apartments, saying they insist to sample many before making a choice. "We understand them and are patient as they eventually pay in either cash or a mortgage arrangement with financiers," Arum says. For Natasha Mueni, 36, the NSE is her surest way of having a ‘side hustle’ (side job) without affecting her profession in Information Technology. "I can keep track of trading online and know whether to sell my shares or not," Natasha says. Fortunately, the law provides that single women can own property even after marriage unless they resolve to enjoin their spouses as joint owners. - The Sunday Standard.

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HOST PASTORS BOB & BETH KAMAU

The Trades Union Congress has claimed the UK is at risk of being "irreparably damaged" by government spending cuts which it says will hit the weakest. Ahead of its annual congress on Monday, the TUC argued British society was in great danger from the "reckless" policy of rapid deficit reduction. In a statement it said: "The deep cuts in public services are bound to have more impact on low income families." Both the Treasury and Number 10 declined to comment. The TUC's General Council argued women, disabled people and ethnic minority communities were likely to be amongst the hardest hit by government cuts. The coalition is trying to reduce a large spending deficit which hit a record £155bn in the 2009-2010 financial year. It will announce the results of its Comprehensive Spending Review, and give details of which government departments will need to cut their spending, and by how much. The TUC's statement continued: "The UK's society and economy are in great danger from a reckless policy of rapid deficit reduction. "Making hundreds of thousands of public servants redundant at any time would cause great stress. "But to do so when there is little chance of finding other work is callous." It concluded: "It is likely to do serious and long term damage to the fabric of the UK, as happened in the 1980s."

The Kenya High Commission, London in partnership with Kenya Overseas Business Alliance (KOBA) invites you to the KENYA DIASPORA INVESTMENT EXPO 2010 to be held at the Cumberland Hotel, London from 1st-3rd October 2010.

Over 30 exhibitors, mainly from Kenya and the UK, and distinguished speakers are expected to attend the EXPO. This year's event is sponsored by both private and Kenya government institutions, including Brand Kenya Board, Kenya Investment Authority, Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development, Housing Finance of Kenya, Kenya Vision 2030, Kenya Power & Lighting Corporation, SACOMA, FairICT, Afrika Investment Bank, Kings Developers, Thika Greens Developments Ltd, and Western Union among others.

There will be dinner for all the exhibitors, sponsors and invited guests sponsored by the Kenya Overseas Business Alliance (KOBA ) in conjunction with the London2gether Ltd who will be hosting the Kenyan Achievers Awards on Friday 1st October 2010 from 6 pm in the Thistle Hotel, Marble Arch, London.

Seminars and talks conducted by entrepreneurs, business people, government officials and other professionals will take place on the 2nd and 3rd day of the EXPO. The speakers will discuss issues ranging from investment opportunities in the new Kenya, Vision 2030 and challenges facing businesses and investors in the Kenyan market.

For further information, please contact:

Michael Mandu (Kenya High Commission) - Tel: +44 (0) 207 6362371 ext 202 or Shiru Mwangi (KOBA) - Tel: +44 7950231569
e-mail: events@koba-uk.com
website: http://www.koba-uk.com/kenya-expo-2010

The new constitution in Kenya has no provision for the provincial administration. Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang said Friday that the new constitution had two clear levels of government; national and devolved. A section of MPs are accusing the government of misleading Kenyans on the issue. Speaking separately, at a press conference at Parliament Buildings, the politicians say they will oppose plans by the government to restructure the Provincial administration terming it as unconstitutional. They said the new constitution has two clear levels of government; national and county as they questioned how the provincial administration will operate under the devolved government. The MPs led by Ikolomani legislator Bonny Khalwale said retaining the provincial administration would also be a waste of tax-payers money. They said the state should allow the constitution implementation committee to carry out its mandate without interference once it is put in place. Kajwang was reacting to an assertion by Internal Security minister George Saitoti that the officers will retain most of their core functions under the new constitutional dispensation. "What Saitoti and Kimemia proposed yesterday (Thursday) is not restructuring. It is actually a reinforcement of the provincial administration. In fact it is an enlargement of the powers of the provincial administration," said Kajwang. "The intention of creating counties was necessitated by the fact that the people felt oppressed by the central government as represented by the provincial administration. If there was anything popular that we heard wherever we went during campaigns was that there will be no chief and if there will be a chief he will be elected," Kajwang added.

Kajwang says there is no place for the provincial administration in the new constitution

He said the country was no longer in a campaign mood hence "we must be bold and tell our PCs, DCs and DOs they must pack up and go because that is the law and let nobody cheat them." The minister said if the provincial administration has to be restructured then it has to be done by parliament and if that is the case then they must be answerable to devolved government. "There's no way we can have two parallel governments one answerable to state house and another to the Governor. Therefore the only way we can restructure is by asking them to report to the devolved government," he said. Saitoti had said that most of the core functions of the provincial administration particularly the co-ordination of Government business in the field are still vested on the national government and would continue to be performed by the system of National Administration that comes out of the restructuring of the provincial administration envisaged in the sixth schedule. The minister enumerated a number of functions that the provincial administration was currently undertaking which are assigned to the National Government. These he said include; harmonization of National Government policies and functions at field level with those of the County Government, coordination and harmonization of National Development initiatives, coordination of national security, conflict resolution and management, coordination of security and disaster management. "The position of provincial administration in the new constitution is clearly articulated in the Sixth schedule Article 17 in which provided that within five years the system commonly known as provincial administration be restructured to accord and respect the devolved system of Government. Restructuring does not in any way imply scrapping or dissolving provincial administration," said Saitoti. However, Kajwang argues that Kenyans wanted to move from the central government to local government hence the executive authority is vested and exercised by County Executive in accordance with the new constitution. "Anybody who will interfere with the implementation or the spirit of this constitution must be ready for the real ‘mapambano '(opposition). This is not a joke and there's no shortcut to this thing," said Kajwang.

Mîtugo mîega nîyo siraha ya mûtumia wene. (Good character is the goodwill of good wife) - Wahome wa Maingi, Kenya musician

White Maize is now ready for a Mwanaka Fresh Farm in North London. They also grow Choumoellier (kale), RapeGreen, Mustard leaves, Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkins and Pumpkin leaves. You can buy the fresh white maize in their shop in Enfield situated at 619 Hertford Road, Enfield, London, EN3 6UP. Shop: 01992 765668, Mobile: 07708 572914 or 07859 813238 and Email: info@mwanakafreshfarmfoods.com Mwanaka Fresh Farm Foods is the brainchild of David Wilfred Mwanaka, an award winning writer and journalist. Born in Zimbabwe, David grew up eating white maize. When he came to Britain in the early 1990's David was surprised to know that white maize was not grown or even known about. He missed eating white maize so much that he thought of growing the crop himself. David then started carrying out trials, growing white maize. After six years, David was confident he could grow white maize commercially in Britain. From such simple beginnings, helped by his wife Brenda and their three children Jonathan, Ruth and Miriam, the family now successfully grows white maize on a farm just outside London. As from 2007 David came up with another new product in the UK. That is White Sweetcorn. White sweetcorn is so popular as an alternative to yellow sweetcorn. Children love it and would advise you to put it on your list of 5 a Day health eating. For that reason it quickly found its way into shelves. Call to order your fresh farm produce. They can deliver large orders to most cities in the UK. - MORE

US Marines have boarded and seized a vessel hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, navy officials say. A group of 24 marines swooped on the German-owned M/V Magellan Star and took control of the ship from nine pirates who had captured it on Wednesday. There were no casualties during the pre-dawn raid, the US Fifth Fleet said. The vessel has been returned to its 11-man crew, who are unhurt after they managed to seal themselves in a safe compartment when the pirates struck. The marines launched their assault from aboard the USS Dubuque, after the Turkish frigate TCG Gokceada responded to a distress call from the Magellan Star. Juergen Salamon Quadrant shipping company. The two military vessels are part of a multinational force set up in January 2009 to protect merchant ships from pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia and into the Gulf of Aden. It is the first time the US Marines have seized a pirated vessel off Somalia, according to Lt John Fage, of the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. He said the operation took about an hour and there were no injuries among the marines. "There were no shots fired," he said. Nine suspected pirates were taken into custody, Lt Fage added. Their fate has "yet to be determined" he said. In the past, captured pirates have often been released by Nato forces because holding and prosecuting them is not straightforward under international law. The hijack began on Wednesday when pirates boarded the 8,000-tonne container ship, which flies the flag of Antigua. But after searching the vessel for three hours, they were unable to locate the crew, according to the ship's German owners, Quadrant. The pirates then phoned the shipping company in Hamburg to ask where the crew were hidden. "They were told the crew was on holiday," said spokesman Juergen Salamon. "They then asked how to switch the engines back on, but were told they were broken." The 11-man crew, comprising two Russians, two Poles, and seven Filipinos, spent the time hidden away in a small, cramped safe room whose entrance was not immediately obvious, Mr Salamon said

A Chinese man is hoping to set a new Guinness World Record for swimming the furthest with all four limbs tied up. Sun Yongding has been practising his stunt in the Qinghuai River in Nanjing, eastern China's Jiangsu Province. A helpful friend ties up the 47-year-old's arms and legs before he throws himself into the river and starts swimming. He is able to cover a distance of around 500 metres in ten minutes and his record is swimming 1.8km (1.1 miles). 'When I was young a lot of my pals were trying to swim in creative ways and I thought of swimming with four limbs tied up then,' he says. Sun started to take the idea seriously from 2001 and, to start with, practised swimming using only his arms or only his legs. He then gradually learnt to swim with both arms.

At least eight people have been killed in a car bomb attack and gun battle at Somalia's main airport in Mogadishu, officials say. Insurgents opened fire on African Union peacekeepers after the initial explosion, airport officials said. Unconfirmed reports say AU soldiers and insurgents were killed in the battle. The hard-line Islamist group al-Shabab, which is fighting the government for control of the country, has reportedly said it carried out the attack. The government confirmed that two AU soldiers and three civilians were among the dead. Minister of Information Abdirahman Omar Osman said in a statement that al-Shabab had ignored pleas to allow people to celebrate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in peace. "They have deliberately triggered violence across the city, killing and injuring civilians and soldiers alike," he said. The vehicle exploded, and shortly afterwards insurgents arrived in another vehicle and began shooting. It is still unclear how many people died in the attack. The government confirmed that insurgents had killed five people. But witnesses and other officials put the death toll higher. Residents ran for cover when they heard the blasts In addition, a number of insurgents were killed in the gun battle, and it appears that more than one suicide attacker died. Mogadishu's airport, of huge strategic importance, is one of the few parts of the capital controlled by forces from the AU and the government. Mohammed Abdi, a local shopkeeper, told Reuters news agency that he had witnessed two explosions at the airport's heavily fortified main entrance. "The car powerfully rammed an Amisom [African Union Mission in Somalia] troops' post at the airport's gate," he said. He said he had seen eight bodies, including several AU soldiers. In recent weeks, al-Shabab has stepped up the intensity of its insurgency against government forces and AU peacekeepers. On Wednesday, 11 people were killed in clashes between al-Shabab fighters and Somali troops. In the worst single attack, gunmen from the Islamist group stormed a hotel last month and killed at least 32 people, including four MPs. The government had said that it expected a surge in rebel activity as Ramadan drew to a close. Al-Shabab is fighting to overthrow the government and install its own radical interpretation of Islamic law. Al-Shabab and other Islamist rebels control large parts of the country, while the government holds only small parts of Mogadishu.

As many as 40,000 front-line police jobs will be at risk in England and Wales if expected budget cuts of 25% go ahead, the Police Federation has said. The Police Federation is warning that cuts on this scale could lead to an increase in crime. Policing and Criminal Justice Minister Nick Herbert has called on them to avoid scaremongering. But the union said such a staffing reduction would make policing as it is now "unsustainable". The cut to the police budget in England and Wales is generally expected to total 25% - in line with other government cutbacks - but the exact level will not be known until the current spending review is published in October. Two weeks ago the Scottish Police Federation predicted that budget cuts north of the border would lead to a loss of 2,800 posts. Mr Herbert told the BBC that the Police Federation was simply speculating at this stage.

People with a firm handshake and a speedy walk are more likely to live longer, according to research. Simple physical acts such as gripping, walking, rising from a chair and balancing on one leg may predict how long a person will live, scientists from the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) said. Researchers analysed the findings from 33 studies worldwide involving 50,000 men and women who were followed for up to 43 years. In the 14 studies that looked at grip strength, those with the weakest grip were more likely to die earlier than those with the strongest grip. When it came to walking speed, results from five studies showed the slowest walkers were almost three times more likely to die earlier than those who were the fastest. Although most of the studies were carried out among older people, the scientists said the link between grip strength and life expectancy was also true for younger adults. Lead author Dr Rachel Cooper, from the MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, said: “Simple non-invasive assessment measures like these, that are linked to current and future health, could help doctors identify those most vulnerable to poor health in later life and who may benefit from early intervention to keep them active for longer. The findings are published in the British Medical Journal today.

Nairobi, Friday 10th September, 2010. The Cabinet Thursday approved a bill on the vetting of Judges and Magistrates. The Bill proposes the appointment of a nine-member board to undertake the vetting process. The procedure for appointment to the board is as follows:

- The Public Service Commission will advertise the positions and thereafter shortlist candidates.

- The PSC shall forward the shortlisted candidates to the President who will in consultation with the Prime Minister nominate nine names for consideration by parliament.

- Parliament will then vet the names and forward the vetted list for appointment by the President.

The meeting that was chaired by President Mwai Kibaki at State House, also made the several decisions that will impact positively on the City of Nairobi and other municipalities. Cabinet approved the partnership between the central government, local authorities, and the private under public private partnerships (PPP's) in the areas of solid waste management and disposal in urban centers, the development of multi-storey parking facilities, and the provision of affordable housing through the re-development of old local authority housing estates. The improved management of solid wastes in environmentally sound manner under PPPs will create opportunities for employment and energy co-generation. The development of multi-storey parking facilities will ease parking pressure and congestion in the central business districts. The redevelopment of old local authority housing estates will provide more affordable housing units for sale and rental in prime areas of our cities and towns, while safeguarding the rights of existing tenants. The Cabinet also passed a number of ratifications on international conventions covering areas such as Customs Procedures, Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, and Protection of Cultural Property in Conflict Situations. It also ratified the establishment of the East African Health Research Commission.

Golf-course workers were surprised to find a 4x4 stuck in a bunker on the fifth green when they arrived one morning - with the passengers allegedly wearing full pirate outfits. Workers at the Royal North Devon Golf Club in Westward Ho! were amazed to find the Land Rover Defender on a weekend morning.

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Proverbs 4:20-22

20 My child, pay attention to what I say.
      Listen carefully to my words.
21 Don’t lose sight of them.
      Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
22 for they bring life to those who find them,
      and healing to their whole body.

Meet Wairimu a girl now living in Ian Castleman Orphanage in Nakuru, Kenya. The girl is known to have been raised by baboons for 6 years in Lake Nakuru Game Park where she was discovered by some women fetching firewood. They informed the authority and after a follow-up it was discovered she was a human. She has been taken to several hospitals but now residing at Elburgon Orphans home in Nakuru sponsored by an Australian, Mr. Ian. Now 9 years old and developing some human character traits. Happy in her new environment where she has been for the last 2 years. A visit by Mr. Seed at the home noticed that the girl behaves like a baboons, cannot talk but makes some noise like an animal and she keeps on climbing everything near her including walls. Ian has had a dream most of his life; that dream was to go to Africa. Ian didn’t just want to go to Africa for a holiday or Safari (although perhaps that was initially a small part of it), but he wanted to live there and work there, helping disadvantage children to have a future and to help them discover that God loves them too. In February 2002, Ian seized his dream opportunity to travel to Africa, practicing as a medical missionary and working for an already established orphanage. He spent less than a year doing that, before deciding he needed to do more. Much more! He decided to go out on his own with nothing but God to guide him. He needs your help or if you would like to help Wairimu or any other child in this orphan's home, you can contact Ian on 0722223388 or dealthybread@yahoo.com.au or icok.orphanagekenya@gmail.com and website www.kenyaexperience.org or www.dealthybread.org.au

Some Properties for sale in Kenya being sold by Housing Finance - CLICK HERE FOR MORE

The UK government is planning to reduce the annual welfare bill by a further £4bn, Chancellor George Osborne has said. He will give details of the savings, which follow an £11bn cut made in June, in October's spending review. The Treasury says the targets for the reductions are still being discussed. But Mr Osborne told BBC political editor Nick Robinson that those making a "lifestyle choice to just sit on out-of-work benefits" would be affected. He described the welfare budget as "completely out of control". Labour said the plans would hit the poorest in society, including pensioners and disabled people, rather than the "work-shy". The combined £4bn and £11bn cuts represent about 6% of total spending on welfare. Discussions are continuing in Whitehall about whether it is possible to limit pensioner benefits - such as the winter fuel allowance, bus pass and free TV licence - without breaking Prime Minister David Cameron's election promise that he would preserve them. The Conservatives have described as "lies" Labour's warnings those benefits would be scrapped. The Treasury is currently holding meetings with individual ministers ahead of the October's spending review, likely to be the toughest in a generation. Mr Osborne said: "There are five million people living on permanent out-of-work benefits. That is a tragedy for them and fiscally unsustainable for us as a country - we can't afford it any more. "Of course, people who are disabled, people who are vulnerable, people who need protection will get our protection, and more. "But people who think it's a lifestyle choice to just sit on out-of-work benefits - that lifestyle choice is going to come to an end. The money won't be there." For Labour, shadow work and pensions secretary Yvette Cooper said: "We don't know how the cuts are going to fall. But the reality is that the £11bn of benefit cuts they've already announced are hitting the poorest, such as pensioners and the disabled, hardest - not the work-shy. "We really need to see the detail of these £4bn of cuts, not just listen to the rhetoric." Most government departments have been told to prepare packages of cuts worth between 25% and 40% for the spending review, which will be outlined on 20 October. Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said there were "difficult decisions" ahead, but the savings would begin in April 2011 and be "spread evenly" over the next four years - equivalent to an annual 6% budget reduction. Commissioned research suggests industrial areas in the North East and Midlands are least resilient to such changes. Middlesbrough is ranked as the most vulnerable to cuts, followed by Mansfield in Nottinghamshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

A visit by two young Kenyans in Mr. Seed's house in London took them by surprise. Jason Thuku (left) and his brother Jude could not hide their joy when they found something they have never seen before in Mr. Seed's house - Maasai's weapons including the spear, the sword, the whisk, the rungu, the shield and the guard among others items. "We are Maasais Mr. Seed, I can now kill a lion." Jude explained to Mr. Seed as he took this photo. The items are some of the presents given to Mr. Seed by a group of of Maasai elders several years ago after helping them complete their project.

A Kenyan has passed away in the UK. The late Kimanthi, 23, was found hanging himself in a friends house in Wakington, near Hull. The late Kimanthi was a student at a Newcastle University. More later.

A new Deputy High Commissioner has arrived in UK. He is Dr. Joe Sang. Dr. Sang is a former UK resident and a former director of Social Services in Wiltshire, UK. He is replacing Addison Chebukaka who going to South Korea as a deputy in the embassy. An internal farewell party has been organised by the mission on Friday 10th September, 2010. Several diplomats are leaving the mission. Among them is Miss Diana Kiambuthi who is going back to Nairobi and the Finance Attaché Mr. Odiek who is living in a few weeks time. Education department has been closed and the Education Attaché Mrs. Salome Gichure is now back to Nairobi. More later.

"Go and work hard, compete with Kenyans. You are the image of our country." - President Museveni, addressing diplomats, in Uganda.

The UK Border Agency has today announced proposals to increase immigration and nationality application fees for all those applying to visit, study, work or stay in the UK from autumn 2010. In line with broader announcements about reductions to public spending, the agency has considered how best to meet budgetary pressures, and the proposals for in-year fees increase will help to offset some of these pressures (alongside efficiency savings). Regulations to set application fees at or below the cost of processing are subject to the negative parliamentary procedure, and these fees will increase from 1 October 2010. Where a fee is charged that is set above the cost of processing, the regulations are subject to the affirmative parliamentary process; these fees are due to come into effect in November, subject to parliamentary timetabling. The date when the increased fees will come into effect will be published on this website nearer the time. The UK Border Agency believes that the proposals to increase fees continue to strike the right balance between maintaining secure and effective border controls and ensuring that our fees structure does not inhibit the UK's ability to attract migrants and visitors who make a valued contribution. This will help to support the immigration system, maintain public confidence and ensure that migration is managed for the benefit of the UK. Details of the proposed fees are set out in a written ministerial statement by Immigration Minister Damian Green. You can find the statement, and assessments of the new fees' likely impact, in our Fees for our services section. - CLICK HERE FOR THE FEES CHARGES

A memorial Prayer for Jaduong Alois Nyamam who is Mrs. Perez Ochieng father who died in Kenya last week will be held on Saturday 11th September 2010 from 5pm to 8pm at

Nearest tube station is Woodford on Central Line, then take bus no. 275 to Woodford Bridge, just immediately after the underpass Ashton Playing fields will be on the left.

Ebenezer Gospel Centre invites you all to join them for their ongoing 21 days of prayer and fasting

which will be marked by guest preachers for those three weeks every Sunday service.

Don't miss out this great moment of God's visitation. You are all welcome and may God bless you all.

The Bank of England has kept UK interest rates on hold at a record low of 0.5% for the 18th consecutive month. The Monetary Policy Committee's (MPC) decision had been expected, but calls have been growing for an increase in rates to curb inflation. CPI inflation was 3.1% in July, above the Bank of England's 2% target rate. And minutes from last month's MPC meeting showed that one member, Andrew Sentance, had voted for a rate rise for the third month in a row. The Bank has left rates unchanged at the historic low of 0.5% since March 2009. The MPC also announced it was continuing with the Bank's £200bn quantitative easing (QE) regime, and some believe the programme is about to be expanded. "The Bank of England has held fire for another month, but we think the quantitative easing gun is about to be reloaded and the order to shoot given," said IoD chief economist Graeme Leach. "Whilst above target inflation has stopped the MPC pulling the trigger on a further extension in QE this month, the economic threat from weak money supply growth looms ever larger." The latest rate decision comes a day after forecasters at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research predicted that the Bank would keep interest rates at 0.5% until mid-2011 at the earliest

"I want to be remembered as the girl who always smiles, even when her heart is broken...and the one who could always brighten up your day, even if she couldn't brighten her own." - Mwihaki, London.

The ArcelorMittal Orbit is a 115 metres (377 ft) high observation tower planned for the Olympic Park in Stratford, London. The steel sculpture will be Britain's largest piece of public art, and is intended to be a permanent, lasting legacy of London's hosting of the 2012 Summer Olympics, assisting in the post-Olympics regeneration of the Stratford area. Sited between the Olympic Stadium and the Aquatics Centre, it will allow visitors to view the whole Olympic Park from two observation platforms. Orbit was designed by Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond. Announced on 31 March 2010, the tower is expected to be completed by December 2011 at the latest. The project came about after Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell decided in 2008 that the Olympic Park needed "something extra". Designers were asked for ideas for an "Olympic tower" of at least 100 metres (330 ft), and Orbit was the unanimous choice from various proposals considered by a nine person advisory panel. The project is expected to cost £19.1m, with £16m of that coming from the involvement of Britain's richest man, the steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, chairman of the ArcelorMittal steel company, with the balance of £3.1m coming from the London Development Agency. The official name of the sculpture, 'ArcelorMittal Orbit', combines the name of Mittal's company, as chief sponsor, with Orbit, the original working title of Kapoor and Balmond's design. Both Kapoor and Balmond believe Orbit represents a radical advance in the architectural field of combining sculpture and structural engineering, and believe that it combines both stability and instability in a work that visitors can engage with and experience, via an incorporated spiral walkway. The structure has been both praised and criticised for its bold design, while it has also been criticised as a vanity project, of questionable lasting use or merit as a public art project.

In Saudi Arabia, many Asian and/or African maids work in terrible conditions. Their most fundamental rights are violated: they are held against their will, humiliated, sometimes even tortured. A young Kenyan woman, who has fled her Saudi employers and is now in hiding, told us her story. The account of a Sri Lankan maid who was tortured by her Saudi employers is far from being an isolated case. Some 1.5 million foreigners work as housemaids in Saudi Arabia. According to the Damman police spokesman, 20,000 of them fled the homes where they were employed after being mistreated. “I live in fear of being found by my employers” Christine is a 26-year-old woman from Kenya. She has been living in hiding in Saudia Arabia for the past six months since fleeing her employers, who held her against her will. She was stripped of her passport and cannot return home. She is currently living with our Observer, Mohamed, who, alerted to a plight, has decided to try to help her.

I arrived in Saudi Arabia in 2009 at Jeddah’s international airport. I had obtained my work visa at the Saudi embassy in Nairobi, where I was promised a job as an children’s English teacher. I arrived here with seven other women, all in the same situation as I was. My “sponsor” came to pick me up at the airport. I found the fact that he was accompanied by his wife and mother-in-law reassuring. They told me that, for the time being, I would be teaching English to their own children. But I quickly realised that I had been tricked. Instead of taking me to their home, we went to the home of friends of theirs where several Kenyans were already working as maids. There, they removed my passport and my cell phone (with the all of my contact numbers in it), saying they would be returned the day I went back home. Then I was sent to work in the mother-in-law’s home. There, I met another Kenyan woman who had been working as a maid for two months. She warned my of what lay ahead. One month later, I was sent back to my main employer’s home. There began a truly horrible period that lasted around four months. I slept in a tiny, cramped room with a thin, hard mattress on the floor. I had to ask for permission to eat. I worked like crazy, doing all of the housework, from ten in the morning to five or six the next morning non-stop. “I wasn’t allowed to make a single phone call for two months”

I wasn’t allowed to call home for two months. When I finally did, I learned that my father was very ill and had been hospitalised. I asked my employer – to whom I’m not supposed to be allowed to talk to – if he could pay me my salary so that I could return home to see my father. I hadn’t been paid anything so far – my monthly salary was supposed to be of 800 rials [around 160 euros], which is next to nothing here, you can barely afford even the lowest of rents. But he and his wife refused, going so far as to tell me that, even if my father did pass away, it wouldn’t be too serious! That’s when I understood that my only chance would be to run away. Once out of the house, I took a taxi that brought me to the Guinean consulate (the driver understood Guinea instead of Kenya, but anyways there is no Kenyan consulate in Jeddah). I had a lot of trouble getting officials there to understand what was going, given that I only speak English. I finally ended up waiting for two months in the consulate’s courtyard. Finally, I met Mohamed. He took care of me and put an end to the worst of my troubles. But it’s still not over, because I haven’t retrieved my passport yet so I can’t leave the country. I live in the fear of being found by my former employers.” “I think it’s disgraceful that the Kenyan embassy isn’t doing anything about this situation”

Mohamed, 27, was born in Africa but lives in Saudi Arabia. He teaches foreign languages at a school in Jeddah. I discovered that situations like this existed after meeting Christine. It’s absolutely scandalous. I know at least 25 women that are in the same situation as she is: with no money, no papers, with no way of ever going home. Some end up turning towards prostitution, others manage to find a new job after running away from their first employers. I think it’s disgraceful that the Kenyan embassy isn’t doing anything to stop this from happening. I’m aware that I’m running a risk by openly criticising these practices, which are frequent here. I didn’t even contact Christine’s former employers to get her passport back, because they’re powerful and well-connected people. But I’m determined to fight for these women’s rights, nothing will discourage me. I’ve already created a Facebook page to raise awareness to the problem.” - Source: http://observers.france24.com/en/conten … s-not-paid

A medical charity in UK says it has documented for the first time the effects of immigration detention on children facing removal from the UK. Medical Justice, which sends doctors into removal centres, looked at 141 cases over six years. More than 70 children were reported to be suffering psychological harmed. Six girls, including an eight-year-old, had suicidal thoughts. The government says it plans to end child detention as soon as possible. Medical Justice has volunteer doctors, lawyers and caseworkers who examine the cases of about 1,000 detainees every year. In its report, it reviewed a sample of cases between 2004 and this year in which clinicians had documented medical evidence of children who had been harmed by detention. In approximately half of the 74 cases where children were reported to be suffering some form of psychological harm, the charity had been able to gain or conduct further assessments. In all of those cases, concerns supported the initial reports. Children were found to be suffering from bed wetting, refusing to eat and exhibiting signs of regressions in their normal development. Of the six girls who had suicidal tendencies, three had gone on to attempt to kill themselves, said the charity. The charity said that 92 of the children had reported physical health problems which had been exacerbated or caused by their detention. Some children were found to be coughing up blood and one child was reported to have begun suffering fits after he was detained. Others suffered swelling and asthma attacks Medical Justice said that independent clinicians had been able to examine 55 of the children and confirm the initial diagnoses. In six cases, doctors reported to the charity that children had not been adequately investigated or treated for sickle cell disease.

Almost 50 of the children were recorded as having witnessed violence during attempts to remove their families, typically clashes between their parents and security officers. Thirteen of the children were reported to have been injured. Jon Burnett, author of the report, said the government should accelerate its plans to end the detention of children, making good on the pledge in coalition agreement. "The dossier of evidence we are publishing brings to light the extent to which detaining children cases harm, suffering, and anguish," he said. But the Home Office has already missed a deadline to review the current system and publish proposals for a "new family removals process". Ministers say that during this "transitional period" families will not be detained "unless there has been significant effort to secure voluntary departure and an attempt to enforce return without the use of detention". The former Labour government faced a long campaign from doctors, charities and child welfare experts against its policy of allowing immigration officers to hold families with children prior to deportation from the country. Two of the harshest critics of the family units were the recently retired prisons watchdog, Dame Anne Owers, and the former Children's Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green. The commissioner told the Guardian he had been "appalled" by the "litany of human misery", describing children as deeply traumatised children by being locked up.

“One of my sons is married to a Dutch, another to an American and the third one to a Chinese, while my two daughters are married to a Kikuyu and a Mkamba. My grandchildren are basically ‘tribeless’ since they can only speak English and a bit of Kiswahili,” says Mr Keen. The peculiarity of the Keen Clan concretises the emergence of de-ethnicised Kenyans — Kenyans who have no particular ethnic affiliation by blood, choice or socialisation. (If the word ‘tribe’ didn’t carry with it the negative connotation of backwardness, the term would have been ‘de-tribalised’). It is this de-ethnicised demographic that Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya did not capture when he released the national census figures, complete with the numerical strengths of Kenya’s 42 ethnic communities, last week. – Daily Nation.

Nairobi, Thursday 9th September, 2010. Presidential Escort Commandant Benson Kibui Githinji is among top police officers who have been transferred in sweeping changes announced by police commissioner Mathew Iteere affecting 143 senior officers across the country. Githinji has been appointed PPO Western province taking over from Kingori Mwangi who will be based at the police headquarters as the Deputy Director police reforms. A statement by the Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe on behalf of Commissioner of Police Matthew Iteere, Wednesday directed the officers to report to their new stations by 17th of this month. The police boss said a comprehensive reorganization will be made once the County's are operationalized in conformity with the new constitution. In other changes, Nairobi Criminal Investigations Department -CID- boss John Mwachai has been appointed CID deputy director while James Aggrey Adoli is the new North Eastern police boss. He was until his new appointment the officer in charge of complaints at the CID headquarters. Maurice Amatta, who was the commandant, CID training school will now oversee forensic investigations at Mazingira House. Patrick Obimo is the new commandant of the KPC moving from the Interpol office, Nairobi. The reshuffle comes in the wake of proposals to reform the Kenya police force in line with the provisions of the new constitution.

Iteere said comprehensive reorganization will be made once the County’s are operationalized

Cheap Calls to Kenya for £0.051 or £0.062 on mobile

Make very cheap international calls directly from your mobile or landline phone Make very cheap international calls directly from your mobile or landline phone (see below). - CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION

Recent Rebtel research has revealed pleasing figures for the communications company in that their important Kenyan call market has increased in traffic by 1025 percent in just twelve months from June 2009 to June 2010.

A significant proportion of this increase has come in the United States where Rebtel has made real progress in accessing a large American market of exiled Kenyans who need to call home on a regular basis. Now Rebtel operational controlled Mikael Rosengren, has stated that he hopes the company can continue this expansion beyond the confines of North America.

“Most of the calls to Kenya are made from the US, but we are looking into how to reach the 130,000+ Kenyans living in the UK” stated Rosengren upon the announcement of the impressive results.

The impressive improvement in Rebtel’s market share over the past 12 months has seemingly been identified in further research carried out by the company into its Kenyan call base, which showed some expected and some surprising results and allowed the company to take effective measures to attract back any customers it has lost and to keep those it has.

Over three-quarters of Rebtel customers who regularly CALL KENYA and are registered for the service have continued to use it, but of the 23.7 percent who don’t, 65.2 percent of those people stated that high call rates were the reason they stopped using the service. Rebtel moved swiftly to react to this information by dropping call charges to Kenya by a staggering 30 percent in recent weeks.

Of the 76.3 percent who continue to use the service, it was somewhat surprising to discover that ease of use of the Rebtel service was the primary consideration for those calling Kenya (46.2% percent), rather than call rates (29.9 percent). Indeed, when viewed overall, call rates ranked third as the most important consideration behind the quality of the phone call, with 47 percent of users ranking the call rate as the third most important consideration overall.

The survey also revealed that Rebtel’s growth is being helped by very favourable word-of-mouth and online conditions. 94.7 percent of users questioned stated that they would recommend Rebtel to others, while 38 percent of their current users were recommended the Rebtel service by a friend. With nearly 70 percent of users stating that they would pass on a recommendation via email, 66.1 percent stating in person and 38.2 percent using the ever-increasing presence of social network sites, this translates into a fantastic, and cheap, market saturation for Rebtel.

Given that 61.9 percent of its users were recommended the site by a friend, it is hard to put a monetary value on that level of customer satisfaction and recommendation, suffice to say that the evidence is bore out in the growth the company have sustained over the past twelve months.

Indeed, it makes the decision to focus on providing a quality service to Kenya, that is primarily, reliable, of excellent quality and easy to use, rather than focusing on getting the cheapest deal possible, has been a superb strategic ploy by Rebtel’s bosses.

And few would bet against the company making serious inroads into the UK and European market very soon. - CLICK HERE FOR MORE

The couple lives in the UK. They did their wedding in Kenya last month with their picture on the cake. Who are they? Full story and photos coming soon.

The government has gazetted Saturday 11 of this month as a public holiday to celebrate Idd ul Fitr which marks the end of Ramadhan for Muslims. In a statement, government spokesman Alfred Mutua said Friday and Monday will remain normal working days. Ramadhan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is considered one of the holiest months of the year. The holy season begins with the sighting of the crescent moon on the evening following the new moon and lasts 29 or 30 days, depending on the lunar cycle. According to the Koran, Muslims are required to start the fast only after sighting the new moon. Fasting is meant to teach Muslim patience, humility and spirituality. Idd-ul-Fitr marks the end of the month of fasting and is marked by feasting and celebrating. Muslims across the world celebrate Idd ul Fitr to mark the end of a whole month of fasting, which is one of the pillars of Islam.

A new study suggests high doses of B vitamins may halve the rate of brain shrinkage in older people experiencing some of the warning signs of Alzheimer's disease. Brain shrinkage is one of the symptoms of mild cognitive impairment, which often leads to dementia. Researchers say this could be the first step towards finding a way to delay the onset of Alzheimer's. Experts said the findings were important but more research was needed. The study, published in the journal Public Library of Science One, looked at 168 elderly people experiencing levels of mental decline known as mild cognitive impairment.

Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs fined £20m by UK's FSA

Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs has been fined £20m ($31m) by the UK City regulator, the Financial Services Authority, the BBC has learned.The fine is for failing to tell the FSA it was under investigation for fraud by the US financial watchdog this summer.

The £20m is one of the heaviest fines ever imposed by the FSA, said the BBC's business editor Robert Peston. Both the FSA and Goldman Sachs declined to comment on the fine. Goldman agreed to pay the US fine to settle civil fraud charges of misleading investors. The charges concerned the bank's marketing of complex mortgage investments, just as the US housing market faltered. The FSA said Goldman also did not tell them that Fabrice Tourre, the trader who helped to create these mortgage derivatives, was under investigation. This it said was particularly relevant as Mr Tourre moved from the US to London, and therefore came under the auspices of the UK regulator. Goldman has admitted that it made a mistake, our correspondent added.

In April, the SEC charged Goldman with failing to disclose "vital information" that one of its clients, Paulson & Co, helped to choose which securities were packaged into a mortgage portfolio that was then sold to investors in 2007. It claimed Goldman did not disclose that Paulson, one of the world's largest hedge funds, had bet that the value of the securities would fall. The SEC alleged that investors in the mortgage securities, packaged into a vehicle called Abacus, lost more than $1bn (£646m) in the US housing market collapse. In paying the SEC fine, Goldman did not admit legal wrongdoing but acknowledged that its marketing material for Abacus contained "incomplete information". Many commentators felt at the time that the bank got off lightly. The bank made a profit of $3.5bn in the first three months of this year, but saw its profits slump to $613m between April and June. This was due to a drop in trading revenues, the $550m fine and a $600m hit from the bonus tax in the UK. Despite the fall in profits and the fraud charges, Goldman Sachs is still considered by many to be world's preeminent investment bank.

Google has sped up its internet search engine by launching a new product, Google Instant, that displays results as soon as users type in queries. "This is search at the speed of thought. It represents a quantum leap in search," the company said. Google Instant goes live in the next week and on mobile devices by autumn. It will be rolled out in US on Wednesday and in the UK, Spain, Germany, France and Russia during the coming week.

In a demo event held at San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art, Marissa Mayer, Google's vice-president of search products and user experience, typed in "sfm" into the search box to demonstrate the new service. In another demo, when the letter "w" was entered, a list of links offering the "weather" appeared along with images showing the temperature. "We've actually predicting what query you are likely to do and we're giving you results for that," said Ms Mayer. Google estimates that the typical user spends nine seconds entering a query and 15 seconds looking for answers. The company says Google Instant could shave between two and five seconds off a typical web search. "Google is betting all they have that speed is everything," Harry McCracken of technology blog Technologizer.com told the BBC. "Saving one or two seconds isn't that big of a deal. One of my instant thoughts is that I am going to see results I don't want because until I type enough that it knows what I want, it is going to show me links I am not interested in." Technology commentator Robert Scoble said that the new feature would present a real challenge to Microsoft and its search engine Bing, which has been slowly chipping away at Google's lead in the search market. "Playing with it, it dramatically changes the way I do searches. I think it is a pretty major leap forward but this means that Bing becomes far less interesting and they now have to step up," said Mr Scoble.

Shoppers turning to card payments

The number of cash machines in the UK has fallen and withdrawals have dropped as shoppers turn to cards, figures show. As retail stores closed, the number of ATMs fell by 440 between April and June compared with the previous three months, the Payments Council said. Withdrawals from cash machines fell by £1.6bn compared with a year ago, a dip of 3.2%. Cheque usage also slumped as people used debit cards for daily purchases. "We use cash less where there is an easy alternative, but we are years away from cash falling out of fashion," said spokeswoman Sandra Quinn. The figures also reveal the effect of the ash cloud disruption on card bookings of air flights. Card spending on airline tickets fell by 13% in the second three months of the year, compared with the same period a year earlier. Revenues dropped by 18% in the first half of the year in airport shops. Meanwhile, spending rose on rail (8%), bus (14%), and sea transport (16%) in the first six months of the year compared with the first half of 2009.

Over 1,400 Kenyan Muslim youths are headed for the Gulf State of Saudi Arabia to take up jobs at the magnificent Makkah Clock Royal Tower, world’s largest hotel. Speaking to The Standard at the Moi International Airport, Mombasa, Wednesday, Managing Director of Omfa Limited, local recruiting agency firm, Sheikh Farjalah Shedau Ahmed said the youth secured employment, and signed work contracts with relevant Government authorities, like the Ministry of Labour, Gender and Youth Affairs and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). He spoke while bidding farewell to 21 youths who flew out to Saudi Arabia via Nairobi to take up jobs at the landmark establishment. Others will follow in groups of 50, with the last batch expected to leave by December. Mr Salim Ghalgani of Zubda Trust, said the deal to secure the Kenyan youths jobs in the Holy city of Mecca was a welcome relief to the many jobless youngsters. "We are delighted at the fact that the jobs being granted are in the hospitality industry, with a reputable global company known for excellence," Ghalgani said. The Kenyan youths will become butlers, technicians, waiters, security guards and receptionists in the hotel, which is managed by the Fairmont Hotels and Resorts Group. - The Standard.

Nairobi, Wednesday 8th September, 2010. The Grand Coalition Government remains united and focused in the smooth implementation of the new constitution, President Kibaki has assured. Speaking Wednesday at his Harambee House when he met the board of the U.S. based National Democratic Institute (NDI), the President said the Grand Coalition had prioritized the passage of new laws to anchor the new constitution. "We are working well as a Government and are mobilizing members of parliament to urgently pass the new laws, because we are fully aware that Kenyans have great expectations on the new constitution that they overwhelmingly voted for," said the President. The President noted that the constitution offered the country a great chance at entrenching far reaching reforms, and there was need to continue educating the public on their role and that of the government under the new structures in the new constitution. "It is especially critical that we define clearly the relation between the three arms of government, now that the executive, legislature and judiciary will enjoy unprecedented levels of independence," said the President. President Kibaki thanked the NDI for its offer to help Kenya in the implementation stages of the new constitution.

"Kenyans have a good constitution. However we will also be happy to borrow best practices from various countries, as we embark on passing the legislation needed to support the constitution," remarked the President. The Head of State thanked NDI for hosting its Annual General meeting in Kenya at a time of the institutes 25th Anniversary, saying it was a great honour for the country, coming soon after the promulgation of the new constitution. The NDI Chairperson, Ms Madeline Albright, congratulated the Kenyan people for the passage and promulgation of the new constitution and pledged her Institutes support in the implementation stages. She encouraged the Kenyan people to continue exhibiting the positive spirit that was evident on the promulgation day as the country embraces the new constitution. "The Kenyan people should continue taking an interest in the implementation of the constitution, in order to protect the public sense of ownership of the constitution. We stand ready to support the people of Kenya in this journey of reform," said the former U.S. Secretary of State. Speaking during the meeting Vice President Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, who is also the Leader of Government Business, assured that Parliament was readying itself for the passage of legislation that would significantly transform the country. "We know what needs to be done. We are aware of the great expectations of the Kenyan people. I believe that our parliament is equal to the task of engaging in some of the most intense legislative agenda in our country's history," said the Vice President. Others who attended the meeting were former U.S. senator and majority leader and Vice Chairman of NDI Thomas Daschle and the institute's board of directors, Ministers George Saitoti, Moses Wetangula and Mutula Kilonzo.

A group of central bankers and regulators from around the world agreed on the new capital requirements for banks, however the industry will have to wait until after a further meeting at the weekend to hear the final proposals. On Sunday, the Group of Governors and Heads of Supervision, the oversight body for the Basel Committee, will meet to give their assent to the rules, which means markets will have to wait until Monday to give their verdict on the new capital requirements for banks. This prospect of more uncertainty, with speculation growing that the new capital ratios required will be higher than originally expected, made for a volatile day of trading, with the STOXX indices of European bank shares falling 1.5pc, while gold prices rose on fears over the health of the region's banking system. Current expectations are for a doubling in core Tier 1 capital ratios from 2pc to 4pc, while the minimum Tier 1 capital requirement could also double to 8pc. Reports in the German press suggest the requirements for banks could be even higher, with Die Zeit saying that a Tier 1 ratio of 9pc was possible, as regulators look to ensure that the financial industry maintains adequate buffers against potential future losses. Implementation of the rules is expected to be allowed over several years to prevent the glut of new bond deals that would crowd the market if banks were forced to raise new money all at the same time. Even so, bond markets are gearing up for a large bout of new issuance as banks looks to refinance their existing debt. While for larger and stronger banks this is of little concern, for smaller firms that must sell new bonds this year the effect could be dramatic as investors become more choosy amid a slew of new issues. In particular, the cost of selling new bonds to banks is likely to rise across the board as proposals to ensure that bond holders bear more of the cost of future failures look increasingly certain to be imposed, meaning that even senior debt owners will be expected to take a haircut on the value of their holdings. Analysts said much of the impact will hinge on what quality capital banks will be expected to hold in their conservation and "countercyclical" capital buffers that will sit on top of minimum core levels. The newspaper leak signalled that the new capital rules would take effect in 2013, sooner than the market was expecting. The Group of 20 leading countries that had called on Basel to come up with tougher standards, agreed earlier this year that its original end of 2012 deadline should include wiggle room for countries to have more time to comply. Sticking to 2013 would signal a tough stance by regulators after the Basel Committee came in for criticism in July when it diluted other elements of Basel III by delaying a new leverage ratio and some of the tougher liquidity rules. European bankers meet in Frankfurt this week to discuss their response to the tougher regulation now looming. The Basel Committee's oversight body is due to sign off on the finalised package next Sunday paving the way for the G20 summit of leaders in November to give their seal of approval.

A Kenyan Gospel Singer Mrs. Njogu (left) caught in Nakuru during the Nakuru widow house opening ceremony on 17th July, 2010

when the Seeds family was handing over the house to her. On right is Mr. Seed's sister presenting a number at the ceremony

A Kenyan student has passed away in USA. The late Eric Kihika Njunuri, 19, passed away on Friday 3rd September 2010 through a gunshot wound in San Antonio, Texas, USA. He was a student at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He was the youngest son of Mr. Sam Njunuri and Rosemary Kihika Njunuri of Houston, Texas. In keeping with our African tradition friends and relatives have organized a memorial/prayer/fundraising (Harambee) at 7pm, Saturday September 11, 2010 at Swiss Royale, 9651 Bissonet St, Houston TX 77099. Friends and relatives are holding prayer meetings daily at his parents home, 15430 Cabildo Dr. Houston, TX 77083. For those who would like to make contributions towards the funeral expenses, you can do so at: Account Information: Bank Name: Chase Bank, Account Name: Sam Njunuri Routing Number: 1119937764, Account Number: 4401117927, For Information Contact: Amos Mwangi (281) 236-7986 Peter Kwatenge (832) 661-9216, Joe Mbugua (281) 814-6724 Francis Mathenge (832) 754-4668, Doug Gichena (832) 266-7725 Protus Kokro (713) 505-5428, Lucy Simiyu (713) 829-7855 Miriam Macharia (832) 887-6076, Lilian Kwatenge (713) 248-6364 Kenneth Karanja (713) 319-8845, Jeremy Akatsa (281) 687-1332 Charity Maina (832) 656-6920, Irene Kariithi (832) 880-0074 Cecilia Wanjiru (510) 396-7175 and Ruth Githumbi (832) 283-7928 Juliet Karu (832) 964-4334.

The late Eric Kihika Njunuri 19 year old Kenyan student who died from gunshot wound

UK current economic plight is even worse than in the aftermath of the 1980s recession. People are facing tougher conditions than when the latest recession began in 2008, but data from the last 30 years shows that times have not been harder since at least 1982. In a day of special coverage, Sky News presenter Dermot Murnaghan is travelling the length of Britain to see how the nation is coping. From Scotland to the South West, a series of special reports by Sky correspondents offers a snapshot of how Britain is adjusting to an age of increasing austerity. In Scotland, James Matthews speaks to workers at the Johnnie Walker whisky plant, where 750 jobs are being axed. The North East already knows a thing or two about living in austerity having recovered from the 1980s recession - but is it prepared for the coming lean years?

GREAT GOSPEL CRUSADES AND REVIVAL MEETINGS
WITH TALENTS REVIVAL CHURCHES INT
AT TALENTS CHURCH ELBURGON

DATE : 10TH ---12TH SEPTEMBER (Friday----Sunday )
VENUE : ELBURGON TOWN
CRUSADES: 3PM--------6PM daily

REVIVALS : 7PM--------10PM at Talents Church daily
Ministers, Ev Leteyan, Bishop K Muya and many more powerful ministers of the gospel.

ARTISTS Ben Githae, Allan Aaron , Gerald Macharia (jc anapamba)
Obed Karanja, and Muraya witu.

A man who used suction cups to scale a 58-storey skyscraper unfurled the American flag when he reached the top - and promptly got himself arrested. The man who climbed San Francisco's Millennium Towe is veteran Dan Goodwin, police told local press. The 54-year-old American's other climbing credits include Chicago's Sears Tower. In his latest climb he used suction cups but no ropes to scale the 645-foot (197-metre) residential building overlooking San Francisco Bay. He ignored orders to stop climbing and was too quick for firefighters to catch him. He reached the top about three hours after he began.

Social housing firm Connaught, which employs 10,000 people, has gone into administration after failing to raise extra funding from lenders. The FTSE 250-listed company announced it was in the process of appointing KPMG as administrators after it earlier suspended trading of its shares. Connaught said talks with lenders and investors on additional financial support had "failed to reach a satisfactory conclusion". In a statement the firm continued: "Following extensive discussions with the group's secured lenders, it is now clear that sufficient support would not be extended to the group as a whole to enable it to continue trading as a going concern. "As a consequence, the board is saddened to announce that it is in the process of appointing partners from KPMG as administrators of Connaught plc and its subsidiary, Connaught Partnerships Limited, which comprises its Social Housing Division." The company's other main subsidiaries, Connaught Compliance, National Britannia Holdings, Fountains and Connaught Environmental, are not being placed into administration. The news comes on the day that Sky News begins a series of Hard Times reports revealing how the current economic plight is worse than in the aftermath of the 1980s recession. The Exeter-based repair and maintenance specialist has been in turmoil since it warned in June that Government spending cuts could blow a £200m hole in revenues. The firm has around 180 multimillion-pound social housing contracts in the UK. Royal Bank of Scotland recently provided Connaught with a further £15m in an attempt to keep the group going, it has been reported. Sir Roy Gardner, who recently became chairman of the company, had also attempted to put together a rescue plan with the help of several new directors. Until their suspension, the company's shares had fallen by more than 90%. The fall came after the warning in June that it had identified 31 projects where spending will be delayed as a result of austerity measures. Founder Mark Tincknell left the company earlier this year on health grounds.

The veggie lookalike was dug up by grandfather Clive Williams, who was stunned by its resemblance to the space ranger star of the Toy Story animated films. ‘My wife, Jane, had asked for some carrots from the garden, so I pulled a few out from the soil,’ said the 68-year-old, from Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. ‘When I saw this strange vegetable, the resemblance to Buzz Lightyear hit me straight away and I just thought, “My gosh”. ‘I’ve never seen any of the Toy Story films but it was uncanny – it dawned on me immediately. I ran inside and said to the grandchildren, “I’ve got a competition – who can guess which Disney character this is?” Immediately, they all shouted, “Buzz Lightyear!”.

A 72-year-old man from Wellingborough has appeared in court charged with attempting to smuggle heroin into the UK through Heathrow airport. UK Border Agency officers arrested David Pryor after he arrived on a flight from Tanzania on Sunday 5 September. Following a search, around 6kgs of the drug were found in a dark green suitcase. Officers examined 3 baskets, which were inside the luggage, and found heroin concealed within the wicker. In total, the drugs had an estimated street value of around £270,000. Pryor, of Priory Road, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, was later charged with attempting to import a class a drug. He appeared before Uxbridge magistrates on Monday 6 September where he was remanded in custody. He is due to appear in court again on 14 September. Paul Stephenson, deputy director for the UK Border Agency at Heathrow airport, said:

'Our officers are on constant alert to keep drugs, firearms and other banned substances out of the UK. Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to drug smuggling should call our hotline on 0800 59 5000.'

The rainfall distribution for the next quarter of the year is expected to be poor over most places in Kenya with the arid and semi arid areas receiving levels below average. The season is likely to be associated with an evolving dry spell that is currently classified as moderate but deemed to strengthen over time. Speaking in Nairobi Tuesday, the Director of Meteorological Service Dr.Joseph Mukhabana said that only Nyanza, Western and some parts of the Rift Valley are likely to receive normal rainfall that are likely to start on the first week of October and cease during the last week of December. On the other hand North Eastern province, Coast and parts of Eastern Province are expected to receive highly depressed rainfall while Mandera, Wajir and Garissa are to remain dry. Some parts of Eastern such as Makindu and Machakos are likely to receive below normal rainfall. This is will be extended to Lamu and Taveta in Coast Province. Most parts of Central Province such as Thika, Karatina and Nyahururu are likely to receive near normal rainfall but with a tendency of decreasing rainfall. "The poor distribution will highly interfere with agricultural activities, we therefore advise the farmers to liaise with the ministry of agriculture to make the best use of the rains" said Mukhabana. He also called upon the disaster management sector under the ministry of state for special programmes to be on the look out for human wildlife conflicts over limited water resources. Mukhabana also warned on the possibility of lightning strikes in the western districts like Gusii Kisumu Kakamega and Mt Elgon areas.

$C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Dallasco Logo.PNG$ 713 Romford Road, Manor Park, London, E12 5AW

London may have had the Sky Ride, but Philadelphia went one step better - or, at least, nakeder - as hundreds of nude cyclists rode through the city on Sunday 5th September, 2010. The throngs of naked and partially-naked cyclists took to the streets for the second annual Philly Naked Bike Ride in an effort to promote bicycling awareness and cleaner air. And certainly, it's hard not to be aware of bicycling when hundreds of naked cyclists are bearing down on you. Some of the riders went completely naked, while others covered up slightly with underwear, swimming costumes or elaborate body paint. The cyclists rode over a pre-planned route of several miles through the city at dusk on Sunday evening. This was the second year that the Philly Naked Bike Ride took place, and similar events have taken place in over 70 other cities around the world since 2004.

Thousands of town hall staff in UK could be asked to work for free in a bid to save jobs. Bosses are considering asking 11,000 employees to work an extra hour a week for nothing. They estimate a 36-hour week for 35 hours’ money would save £4.4million a year and save some council jobs in Salford, Greater Manchester. Based on an average salary of £15,000, it is estimated staff would lose about £27 a month. A report for Salford City Council says: “Compared to redundancy this could be an attractive option.” But Dave Prentis, head of public service union Unison, said: “Staff are already putting in unpaid hours and facing a pay freeze that could stretch on for three years. This is another blow to a workforce on its knees.”

A Kenyan has passed away in Sweden. The late Mary Aloo Kamande passed away on Saturday 4th September, 2010. Her husband Mr. Peter Kamande Manyeki lives in Harlow, Essex, UK. She was mother to Edith, Victor (Kenya), Linda (UK), Sylvia and Tom (Sweden) and the the late Sally. She passed away while undergoing treatment in Sweden. The burial ceremony is scheduled to place in Kamahuha Location, Maragua, Kenya later. Family and friends are meeting for prayers and arrangements daily at 76 Coalport Close, Harlow, Essex, CM17 9QS as from 7.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. Those wishing to help can do so through Barclays Bank, Account No. 60010197, Sort Code 207463 and Account name is Sylvia M. Kamande. For more information please contact GILBERT KIRERA ON 07576721146 OR PETER MARTINS ON 07500046148.

The late Mary Aloo Kamande who passed away on Saturday in Sweden while undergoing treatment

Immigration Minister Damian Green will confirm this evening that the government is to look at all immigration routes into the UK and set new rules. In a speech to the Royal Commonwealth Society, the minister will say that, on its own, an annual limit on workers from outside the European Union is not enough to reduce net migration levels to tens of thousands per year. He will explain that the current points-based system for immigration is not yet properly controlling the numbers of people coming into the UK, and that an effective system needs to be found. Forthcoming reviews will therefore:

The minister will also discuss a new research report published today by the Home Office. 'The migrant journey' is based on analysis of all the people who came to the UK in 2004 (except those making short-term visits). The largest group of visas were found to be for students - and, of the 186,000 students granted visas in 2004, more than 20 per cent were still in the UK 5 years later. The number of foreign students in the UK is rising: in the year to June 2010, more than 320,000 visas were issued to students and their dependants visiting for more than 6 months. The minister believes these levels are unsustainable, and will say that this will be looked at as a priority. Alongside this, the government will also look at work routes that lead to citizenship. In 2004, more than 105,000 migrants were granted visas in one of these work routes - and the report shows that 40 per cent of them group were still in the UK in 2009.

It was Young Adults Week (Excel Youth) at CCBC Swahili Service Church on Sunday 4th September, 2010 when they took to the floor with their dance. Pastors in the church (left photo) could not hide their joy as they tried to catch with the beat. The church has become a popular place of worship for many especially visiting Kenyans as they catch up with the Kiswahili. The service starts at 9.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. every Sunday at Greatfield Hall, King Edward Road, Barking. For more information please contact 07958041745.

Church of England vicar jailed over sham marriages

A Church of England vicar was today among 3 men jailed for staging hundreds of sham marriages in East Sussex. Reverend Alex Brown was found guilty of conspiring to facilitate breaches in immigration law in July alongside 2 other men, Ukrainian national Vladymyr Buchak and lawyer Michael Adelasoye, following an 8 week trial. Brown had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of carrying out marriage ceremonies without banns of matrimony being published. Today Judge Richard Hayward sentenced the 3 to 4 years each. Brown also received 5 months for failing to publish banns, while Buchak was given 9 months for possessing a false identity document. These sentences are to run concurrently. The jail terms were handed down as we begin a month-long crackdown on organised criminal networks exploiting the immigration system. An investigation by our South East immigration crime team found that the trio were involved in up to 360 sham marriages at the Church of St Peter and St Paul in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, between 2005 and 2009. Reverend Brown officiated at all the ceremonies. It is believed to be the largest sham marriage scam ever uncovered in Britain. Speaking after the sentencing, Andy Cummins, in charge of the immigration crime team investigations in the South East, said:

'These 3 men were involved in the biggest criminal conspiracy of its type ever seen in Britain. These sentences show just how seriously the courts take these kinds of offences. 'Reverend Brown knowingly abused the trust put in him by the church, his congregation and his community. His role was crucial in this scam. His co-conspirators took advantage of and exploited the desperation of others for their own ends. 'As this case shows, illegal immigration can be big business. We are committed to tackling the criminal groups behind it, putting the ringleaders before the courts, and, ultimately, behind bars.'

The 3 were convicted on 29 July. During their trial at Lewes Crown Court, the jury was told how the vast majority of marriages carried out at St Peter's Church, during the time that Reverend Brown was there, were organised with the aim of assisting applications for residency in the UK. Many of the weddings involved Eastern Europeans, sourced by Buchak through his work, marrying West Africans, whom Adelasoye represented at his legal practice. In some cases ceremonies were cancelled at short notice, only for the same person to return again with a different partner to 'marry' just days later. Damian Green, Minister for Immigration, said:

'Illegal immigration is big business. At home and abroad, we are tackling highly organised crime groups who make their living by trying to exploit the immigration system and breach our border security. 'Some of these hide people in lorries in an attempt to cross our borders illegally; some provide them with fake identity documents; others set up bogus colleges or arrange sham marriages. Worst of all - some force women and children to work against their will in the sex industry. 'This month, the UK Border Agency is carrying out an intense period of activity to go after these organised crime groups to put the ringleaders before the courts and shut off the supply of illegal immigrants at its source.'

Mrs. Hannah Wanjiru Kahara (blue in the middle) is in London. Mrs. Kahara who comes from Githunguri, Kiambu is in London visiting her children. She is the mother to Simon Kamau Kahara, Mr. Joseph Nduati Kahara and Shiru Kahara among others. She attended CCBC Swahili Service Church on Sunday 5th September, 2010 where we took her this photo with her family. Her contact in UK is 07727111720 or 07862953080.

He vanished from her life 41 years ago, when she was just a few months old. But when nurse Wanda Rodriguez walked in to a cancer patient's room last week and saw his face, she knew. In an astonishing twist of fate, the New York woman's father, Victor Peraza, was looking back at her. 'He looks right at me and I realise: He looks like me and I look like him,' she told American media. Ms Rodriguez, an assistant head nurse at the Calvary Hospital, was consulting with a doctor over the admission of a new terminal cancer patient. Then she heard the patient's name - and she froze. 'I said to myself, "Oh my God!",' she told the New York Post. It was her father's name - but could it be him? Her mother had always said she looked like her father. So Ms Rodriguez took a chance. 'I needed to go to his room. I had to see him,' she said. 'I was really shaking. I said, "Hi, how are you? Are you comfortable?"' Then, she told American reporters, she asked if he had any children. 'Yes, I do, but my kids are grown,' he replied. 'I have an older daughter Gina and a younger daughter Wanda.' Ms Rodriguez put her head in her hands and started to cry. She rushed from the room. 'I thought I was going to faint,' she said. But, fighting for control, she walked back in and told her father that she was his daughter. 'I know,' Mr Peraza replied. Ms Rodriguez's mother married Mr Peraza when they were high school sweethearts in the New York borough of the Bronx. She had no idea that he was still in the city and had moved to Queens as a bank employee. She confirmed what both father and daughter already believed. Hospital officials said the pair had been incredibly lucky. There are seven other units at Cavalry, and had Mr Peraza been admitted to any of them, they never would have met. Now Mr Peraza has met three of his five grandchildren and been reunited with her mother. Though he had to be shifted to another unit because of the family conflict, Ms Rodriguez is still seeing him before and after her shifts. She often sits with him even if he is asleep. 'He keeps begging me for forgiveness and says, "I wasn't a good father,"' she told reporters. 'I tell him, the past is in the past. You can't change the past. I love you.' Her father is dying - but she is hoping he will reach his 61st birthday next week. 'He's at peace,' she said. 'He said, "Wanda, I've met you. I'm OK. I'm ready to die.'

Nairobi, Monday 6th September, 2010. The wife of Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Archbishop Dr Eliud Wabukhala has died. Caren Nakhumicha Wabukala passed on suddenly after falling down the staircase at their Nairobi home on Sunday night. Close relatives said she lost consciousness immediately after the fall and efforts to revive her were futile. Canon Rosemary Mbogo, the Provincial Secretary later said in a statement that Mrs Wabukhala was rushed to the Nairobi Hospital where she was pronounced dead after brief examination. “This was happening as the Archbishop checked in at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on his way to London for a Global South meeting scheduled to begin today (Monday). However, we managed to communicate to him before he boarded and was able to view her body at the Nairobi Hospital before movement to the Lee Funeral Home,” said Canon Mbogo. In his condolence message, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka described Mrs Wabukhala as a supportive wife to her husband and a dear mother not only to her immediate family but the entire ACK fraternity. “Mrs Wabukhala will be remembered as a strong pillar in the Anglican Church. She had stood firmly in her Christian faith and contributed immensely to the spread of the work of God,” said the VP. Prime Minister Raila Odinga also sent a condolence message saying; “I had a chance to talk to the Archbishop briefly this morning and the circumstances leading to the death, as he discussed with me, sound shocking and painful indeed,” he said in a statement. “I also convey condolences to members of the Anglican Church where Caren served with dedication and to the community of Christians at large.” Canon Mbogo said the Archbishop has expressed desire to have a memorial service on Thursday at 2pm at the All Saints’ Cathedral, Nairobi. “The body will be laid to rest on Saturday September 11 at Kibeu Village, Butonge Location in Bungoma District/Diocese.”

Mrs. Eva Wangui Maina of Sudbury, Wembley, Westland has lost her father Peter Nduthi Waweru in Kenya on Sunday 5th September, 2010. The late Waweru comes from Gatitu, Tetu, Nyeri, Kenya. For more information please contact Eva on 07946125059.

A Kenyan lady passed away in Sweden on Saturday 4th September, 2010. More information later.

Ms Rachel Njeri a gospel singer from UK currently touring USA on Sunday 29th was guest singer at the launching of Lucy Mugambi's album in Boston, USA. The launching took place at St. Stephens Church, Boston. Seen above is Rachel performing at the ceremony. Her contact in USA is 2147789297 and the email is rachel728@hotmail.co.uk

Make New Friends

Reach out. Don’t be afraid. Establish new contacts. The worst thing that may happen to you is to be rejected. Well, if that’s

the case, move on. The reward of having true, long-lasting friendship is worth all the potential rejection.

London, Monday 6th September, 2010. A Christian was arrested and treated like a 'common criminal' after saying that he thought homosexuality was a sin. Street preacher Dale Mcalpine was held in a cell for seven hours and charged with a public order offence after telling a gay police community support officer that homosexuals were going against the will of God. But yesterday the 42-year- old said he would fight to have the charge - usually used to tackle rioters or football hooligans - dismissed. Mr Mcalpine was talking to shoppers and handing out leaflets when he was allegedly warned he was committing an offence by PCSO Sam Adams - who introduced himself as his force's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender liaison officer. When he continued preaching, Mr Mcalpine was arrested while debating his views with a passer-by. 'I think justice will be served and this will be found to be a ridiculous charge,' he said. Mr Mcalpine is just the latest preacher prosecuted for speaking out against homosexuality, and his arrest comes days after a top judge was criticised for ruling that Christian beliefs are not entitled to special protection by the courts. It also follows an attack by veteran gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell who branded such police actions 'heavy-handed' and an attack on free speech. Mr Mcalpine, who works in the energy industry, was helping a full-time preacher in the centre of his home town of Workington, Cumbria, when the confrontation took place last month. Yesterday he told how he was speaking to a woman about behaviour that he believed the Bible regarded as sinful, including blasphemy, adultery, drunkenness and homosexuality, while being watched by two PCSOs. After she walked away, he claimed one - Mr Adams - approached to warn him they had received complaints and that if he made any racist or homophobic comments he would be arrested.

'I told him homosexuality is a sin, and he told me "I am a homosexual, I find that offensive, and I'm also the liaison officer for the bisexual-lesbian-gay-transsexual community",' he said yesterday. 'I told him it was still a sin.' Mr Adams last year represented Cumbria Police at the Gay Pride march in Manchester. On the social networking site MySpace, he describes his orientation as gay and his religion as atheist. After the warning, Mr Mcalpine took over preaching for 20 minutes, although he claims he did not cover homosexuality. But while he talked to a passer-by the PCSO radioed for assistance and he was arrested by uniformed officers. He was taken to a police station, had his pockets emptied and his mobile phone taken along with his belt and shoes, and was kept in the cells for seven hours where he sang hymns to keep his spirits up. 'They treated me like a common criminal,' he said. He was later charged with using abusive or insulting words or behaviour contrary to the Public Order Act 1986 and released on bail, appearing before magistrates in the town last week. The self-proclaimed born-again Christian, who is single, insists he has a right to express his views. 'It's not just my right I'm fighting for, it's everyone's',' he said. 'We're going down the route of a police state. Some people in the homosexual community may not like me after this. But it would be very intolerant of them to not allow me to have my say.' Mr Mcalpine is being backed by the Christian Institute, which supported Christian hoteliers Ben and Sharon Vogelenzang after they were charged under the same Act. A white British convert to Islam complained they had insulted her religion during a heated discussion, but they were cleared in what was hailed a victory for free speech. Yesterday an Institute spokesman said: 'This case should be thrown out at the earliest opportunity. The police aren't doing enough to protect free speech - no member of the public made a complaint, it was the PCSO who took exception.' Last week in the Appeal Court Lord Justice Laws dismissed pleas from campaigners to give Christians special rights. The senior judge said Britain would become a religious dictatorship if the views of one faith were given priority over others in legal matters as he dismissed a case brought by a Christian marriage counsellor who refused to counsel gay couples.

A Kenyan gospel singer in London has produced an album. Ms Mary Mutungi new album is entitled "Umetamalaki" is produced in Kiswahili and has eight trucks. She is a member of CCBC Swahili Service in Barking, London. A nice soft voice in CD not in Video. Good for your car going to work or to school. You can get your copy through Tel: 07960695386 or shirumzuri@hotmail.co.uk

Place of Worship: Victoria Road Congregational Church, Northampton Cyril Street NN1 5ED. Cyril Street can be approached from Billing Road Next to Northampton General Hospital A&E dept. The Church is between Victoria Road and Cyril Street and the entrance is on Cyril Street, Off Billing Road.

You are welcome to worship with us every Sunday, it is for Freedom that Christ died for us all.

She is the Director / Founder of New Hope Children’s Centre, situated in Uplands, Kenya. Currently, the home reaches over 200 children, 140 residing in the orphanage, while the rest live with their guardians. Anne together with her husband Tiras reside in the orphanage. Mrs. Chege arrived in London on Friday 20th August, 2010.

1. GRANDMOTHERS VILLAGE. We are now constructing a second village, and expect it to be ready by the end of next month-----photos below. A friend from here in the UK purchased 1.25 acres land, where we allocated 12 families. Like in the previous occasion, we collected people from the roadside and along railway reserve.

2. UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. Our 6 students from Kampala Inter Uni completed, although the actual graduation will take place in Nov 2010. We had 4 who completed last year, and am happy to report that all of them are now employed, PRAISE GOD. Right now, we have another 6, at Nairobi Uni, Kenyatta Uni and Kampala. Another boy, ANDREW has been admitted at Nairobi University study Law----he will be reporting in Sept 2010.

3. COMMUNITY SUNDAY SCHOOL. We started gathering kids from the local community, to attend Sunday School at New Hope. Currently, about 100 kids come, and we do offer them lunch, later. Our aim is to teach them the Word of God, that they may know Him and grow in His Love.

4. COMMUNITY FELLOWSHIP. We started Inter-denominational weekly prayers at New Hope. Attendance is 50-60 neighbours. Our aim is to Honour and Worship the ALMIGHTY GOD, at New Hope and beyond.

5. COMPUTER BLOCK AND LIBRARY. Constructed by a Church in the UK. Now looking for donation of computers and books.

6. ANIMAL FARM. To add to our cows, we now have 2 Fish Ponds with lots of fish, rabbits, pigs, sheep. All these are for food at New Hope.

1 CHILD SPONSORSHIP. We have the following who need your help, to enable them procced / start their higher education

- EORGE MBURU. He finished KCSE in 2008. He have been admitted at Kijabe School of Nursing, start in Sept 2010. He may not join, unless somebody helps.

- FELISTAS WANJIRU. A second year student at Makerere University, Uganda. She has missed funds to continue. Currently out of school because of school fees.

- TIRAS KIMANI----did KCSE in 2008, but missed funds to join University. He wants to join and enrol to study Law.

- NATHAN K MBURU----did KCSE in 2008, also missed funds to join Uni. He wants to enrol and study Law.

- ANDREW KAHURA---( photo to follow ). Andrew scored A- in 2008, and has been admitted to study Law at the University of Nairobi.

Anyone wishing to assist, even partially may get in touch with me, through tel 0794 7883505, or email newhopechildren@mail.com . I will avail further details that you may require.

2. REGULAR SUPPORT. You may fill in Standing Order / Direct Debit to our account here in the UK, even £1 per month will accomplish alot at New Hope. Contact me for details please OR CLICK HERE FOR THE STANDING ORDER FORM

I invite you all for a fundraising in East London, on Sunday, October 3rd 2010 at IWRM Church Hall, 500 High Street North, Manor Park, London E12 6QN as from 3.00 p.m.

Am currently looking for GUESTS-----kindly agree to be one, and get in touch. You don’t have to worry-----the Lord will provide.

I wish THANK everyone who have supported in the the past, in whatever way. The journey has been long and tough, but you walked with us every step on the way. May God richly bless you.

All the above is to THE PRAISE, GLORY, HONOUR of the Almighty God, both now and forever more. AMEN.

MRS. CHEGE WILL PROCEED TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. MORE INFORMATION LATER.

The UK is "no longer a soft touch" and must become better at deporting illegal immigrants, Damian Green has pledged. The immigration minister said there were "many failures in the asylum system" which needed tackling. He was speaking at the opening of Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre, near Heathrow Airport. Meanwhile, it has emerged that 17,473 appeals against immigration decisions were won last year without a Home Office worker at the hearings. Mr Green said: "In the past, Britain's not been good at removing people who aren't meant to be here. He added: "Britain is open for business but Britain has been too often a soft touch for illegal immigration. "Britain is no longer a soft touch. Those who have no right to be here need to be removed." The centre is the largest of its kind in Europe, with the capacity to hold as many as 615 people.m It was rebuilt after two wings of the centre were burned down during riots by detainees in November 2006. They lit fires and ruined some of the detention cells as they protested about their living conditions. Some used sheets and other material to spell out the words "Help" and "SOS" for the benefit of television crews flying overhead. Mr Green said the centre would house some of the UK Borders Agency's "most challenging" detainees, including foreign criminals who had been released from jail and were waiting to be deported. Mr Green said doubling the size of the centre would ensure "a safer regime" was run this time. He said: "It's more secure, it's built to higher standards and the fact of it being more secure means you can run a regime inside the detention centre that will allow tensions to be kept at a low level so you're less likely to see the scenes we saw in 2006. "No-one wants to see a repeat of the fire we had in 2006 when clearly things had gone badly wrong. "The many failures in the asylum system will be tackled vigorously." His comments come after a parliamentary written answer revealed that more than 17,000 appeals against immigration decisions were won in 2009 without a Home Office representative. In all, 36% of appeals in 2009 were not attended by a representative, compared with 24% in 2008. The volume of appeals peaked at more than 188,000 in 2008/9. But the introduction of an administrative review process for some visa application casework cut this to about 160,000 the following year. Earlier Mr Green said: "Our appeal process is designed so that many appeals should be, and are, determined on the documentary evidence without a need for representation." He added: "I made clear, when I launched the Asylum Improvement Project, the government is committed to improving the immigration system so we target our resources more effectively - including in court. "As part of this, we must focus our resources on defending the right cases in court. This is why we represent in over 90% of asylum, bail, deportations and high harm cases and why team managers carefully scrutinise and identify suitable cases to proceed without representation."

Caught at the celebrations of the promulgation of the new Kenya Constitution is Jacob Omondi (third left)

with his friends and on right is Muthoni wa Labani well known as Mama Carol with her daughter Virginia

HARMONDSWORTH IMMIGRATION REMOVAL CENTRE

The number of foreign students let into the UK is "unsustainable", Immigration Minister Damian Green is to say. In a speech on Monday, he will question whether Britain is attracting the brightest and best students - with only half the visas for university courses. Mr Green's comments come as Home Office research suggests one-fifth of students were still in the UK five years after being granted visas. The Home Office study tracked non-EU migrants who came to the UK in 2004. The largest group - some 185,000 people - were students, and 21% per cent were still in the country five years later. BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw says this, together with an increasing number of new overseas students, has led Mr Green to make reform of the student immigration route a priority. Ministers also intend to examine work visas as two-fifths of people in this group remained in the UK after five years. Mr Green said: "We can't assume that everyone coming here has skills the UK workforce cannot offer." It will be the minister's first major speech on immigration since the formation of the coalition government. Office for National Statistics figures released last month showed net migration to the UK increased by 33,000 to 196,000 in 2009. The number of visas issued to students went up by 35% to 362,015. Mr Green said the figures were proof the coalition government had inherited an immigration system "largely out of control". "What these figures tell me is that we also need to look at all the other routes [aside from employment] by which people come into this country, maybe for education, for family reunion reasons and also, in particular, routes that lead to permanent settlement," he said.

Lydiah Gathoni Mungai (third left) is in London. Mrs. Mungai is in London visiting her relatives all the way from Gathige, Kagundu-ini, Maragua (Murang'a). She is the mother to Mr. Macharia husband to Mrs. Rose Muigai a Kenyan solicitor in London (far left). The family resides at Feltham, West London with Elena Wambui Mwangi (far right) who's dream is to have a photo with Mr. Seed and his wife then fixed at Ikoni Bwana Seed section. We have no problem making people's dreams come true as the photo will appear soon. Mrs. Lydiah Gathoni Mungai contact in UK is 07503284189.

Former Mungiki sect leader parts ways with Wanjiru

The former leader of the Mungiki sect Maina Njenga has taken a top position in a little known church after parting ways with former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru’s Jesus Is Alive Ministries (JIAM). Ms Wanjiru had played a crucial role in converting Mr Maina to Christianity, baptizing him John and convinced him to be “born again” shortly after he was released from prison last year. But Mr Maina announced on Sunday that he had formally left the JIAM ministry and joined the little known Amazing Grace International Ministries headed by Rev Dr Grace Kariuki. The former Mungiki sect leader explained he had fallen out with Bishop Wanjiru over her support of the “No” divide during the referendum campaigns. “The church took an unpopular position during those campaigns. Their leaders said they were following God’s voice to oppose the constitution and I had to run,” he told his supporters. He said he could not have opposed the new constitution because it opened up opportunities for the youth in leadership and the economy. The former sect leader spoke at a meeting attended by his new bishop to welcome former sect members at Ihage-ini Primary School in Tetu, Nyeri. According to Bishop Kariuki, former Mungiki adherents formed the bulk of the church membership and Mr Maina has been designated the church’s Ambassador for Peace. During the meeting organised by the Central Provincial Peace Forum, 1500 former sect members were formally welcomed back into the society in a ceremony presided over by Nakuru based Prophet David Edward Owour of the Ministry of Repentance and Holiness. - Daily Nation

More than 10 million people in UK may have paid too much income tax and will be owed money by the Government due to errors in the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) tax code system. Many more workers and pensioners could also find themselves overpaying this year because of errors in the HM Revenue and Customs tax code system. HMRC admitted last week that 4.3 million people were in line for tax rebates because they overpaid a total of £1.8 billion in tax between 2008 and April this year. A further 1.4 million face demands for repayment because they paid too little. The tax body said the situation was a natural consequence of the Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) system, where pay and taxes are reconciled at the end of every year. But the full scale of the problem is laid bare today. HMRC records show that in addition to the 4.3 million cases it admitted to last week, “legacy” errors may have resulted in another 5.8 million people overpaying income tax before March 2008. They may now have to wait for rebates from the Government for up to four years. The disclosure of the full scale of the problem follows the introduction last year of a new HMRC computer, which is thought to be better able to spot the discrepancies that led to under and overpayments. Experts said the problem of overpaid and underpaid tax was growing as PAYE failed to reflect the modern workplace and its frequent changes of job, pay and benefits and accompanying changes in people’s tax codes. The recession is likely to make the problem worse. Coalition ministers will argue that the errors were caused by the over-complicated system that grew up under Labour. A Treasury source said: “We inherited an absolute shambles from Labour and we are acting to get a grip on it as soon as possible.” The first letters from HMRC to those facing repayments for 2008-10 will arrive tomorrow, with everyone affected due to be informed by Christmas. Tax offices are expected to be deluged with phone calls and emails from worried taxpayers today, but HMRC has made no special provision, since it considers the mistakes to be “normal”. HMRC last night insisted that no more underpayments or overpayments will emerge for the years 2008-10. But flaws in millions of tax records before that period meant millions more people ended up paying more than their fair share of tax. Tax officials have identified another £3 billion in overpaid tax from the years before 2008-10. HMRC said it hoped to repay at least some of that money over the next four years, although some of the overpayments are likely to be written off and pocketed by the Government.

According to HMRC records, it has 18.2 million “open” cases of incorrect tax payments pre-dating March 2008. Internal HMRC analysis suggests around 7.7 million people had under or overpaid tax. Historically, overpayers outnumber underpayers by around three to one because the tax system errs on the side of taking too much money and letting people claim back any excesses. HMRC’s stockpile of open cases is believed to include around 5.8 million people who paid too much tax. In June, HMRC resumed work on a project to deal with “legacy” cases. There is a six-year legal time limit on old tax cases, but HMRC is expecting to have cleared 1.2 million of its old cases by March 2011. Although some discrepancies have always occurred under PAYE, the scale of the problem has grown significantly in recent years. In 2005, an independent audit put the “legacy” total of overpaid tax at £1.6billion. The latest announcement of repayments has drawn attention to the new HMRC computer network being used to run the PAYE system. HMRC said the network, upgraded at a cost of almost £400 million, was more powerful than its predecessors. The new system was used in January to generate tax codes for the 2010-11 tax year. HMRC expected it to generate about 13 million new tax codes, but it actually produced almost 26 million, many of them incorrect. Tax officials estimated in January that the system had issued 3.2 million dubious tax codes to 2.3 million people. A second review of tax codes in June identified another two million tax records “at risk” and in need of reassessment. HMRC said that the erroneous tax codes had “nearly all” been dealt with but accountants said the errors in the PAYE system would go on growing. When someone moves jobs, receives new employment benefits or retires, a new tax code should be issued. George Bull, head of tax at accountants Baker Tilly, said: “PAYE worked when people had employers for life, but the workforce is now much more mobile and the PAYE computer system cannot cope.” Mike Warburton, of Grant Thornton, said: “We have a system for collecting the lion’s share of income tax which is simply outdated.” The Government is reviewing the whole PAYE system, but HMRC said corrections to tax bills were “a normal part of the PAYE cycle”. A spokesman added: “The vast majority of the 40 million people who pay through PAYE deductions are correctly taxed but because circumstances change during the year there will always be a minority who have paid either too much or too little.”

"Success is not measured by what you accomplish but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds”

Kenyan man stabs brother 15 times

A man stabbed two of his elder brothers to death in a Kenyan suburb on Sunday morning. The 26-year-old man said to be a habitual bhang smoker and peddler first attacked one of the brothers at a roadside food kiosk at Wangige shopping centre, on the outskirts of the capital Nairobi. He then went and broke into a house where his eldest brother was sleeping about 300 meters away and stabbed him 15 times before he fled to a local pub about half a kilometer away where he is reported to have bragged to bartenders that "I have killed two people and they are my brothers." The shocking incident occurred at Kanyariri village in Wangige, 22 kilometers from the city. "I am his uncle and I live just next here, I heard screams of his elder brother and when I rushed to check, I found him bleeding from the stomach and neck, he had been stabbed many times and could not survive," Peter Gitahi told Capital News at the scene. "He (victim) was speaking when I arrived here at about 3am and he was even able to tell us he had been attacked by his younger brother," he added and identified the deceased as a 46-year-old former truck driver. He said the victim was helpless having remained bedridden for nearly two years with partial paralysis. In the first incident, the suspect reportedly knocked on the door of a food kiosk his other brother was operating and attacked him with a knife immediately he let him in. "When he knocked the door, he clearly identified him and even said he was waking his brother up so that they could bake mandazis for the day but when he opened he confronted him and stabbed him severally," a neighbour who only identified himself as Ng'ang'a said. When the Capital News crew arrived at the scene on Sunday morning, bodies of the two were still lying there, one of them on a bed and another sprawled on the ground in a pool of blood with visible multiple stab wounds. The suspect's uncle said when they went to report the matter at Kikuyu police station, a driver of the vehicle they were using told them the suspect was at a pub in the shopping centre where he was asking to be escorted to the police station. "We were writing the report in the Occurrence Book at about 4am when the driver who had taken us there came and told us the suspect was at the pub, and that is when policemen went there and found him narrating to patrons and bartenders that he had killed two of his brothers.

He appeared unshaken because he even volunteered to show the police where he had buried the killer weapon," Mr Gitahi narrated. "And for sure when we went there with him and the police he showed us the knife. He also admitted that he was responsible for the killing of the two men before he was escorted to the cells," the suspect's uncle added. Area Assistant chief Peter Njoroge told Capital News the suspect was a wanted man, having jumped bail last Monday when he was required to appear at the Kikuyu Law courts for a drug-related case. "This man who has killed two of his brothers here was a wanted man, he failed to appear in court on Monday and a warrant for his arrest was issued. We were looking for him," Mr Njoroge of Kanyariri sub-location said. He said the suspect had been arrested in May and charged for being in possession of some 200 rolls of bhang but was granted a bond of Sh10,000 to appear in court on Monday. "And this is not the first case… he has been in and out of the police cells on bhang-related charges. He smokes and sells bhang in this village. He is a very troublesome man and everybody here knows that," he added. According to the chief, the man had confessed to them that he had wanted to kill one of his sisters who ironically is the one who posted bail for him in court. "That is what he has told us. In fact, even the sister has said he knocked her door severally but she did not open for him," he said. The suspect was still being detained at the Kikuyu police station on Sunday afternoon. Shocked villagers of Kanyariri village woke up to a rude shock of the murders and many shelved plans to attend church to follow the unfolding events. "I could be in church now, but after hearing all these sad news, I can't even go, I am still shocked at what this man has done. It is hard to believe this has happened in our village," Margret Wanjiru, a food vendor in the area told Capital News. For some like Chris Kimani, a matatu conductor in the centre it was business as usual. "He should thank his God we did not find him here, we could have lynched him. How can he kill his brothers just like that," he said as he went about his business at the bus stop in Wangige shopping centre. - FOR WITH VIDEO

My living hell in the dungeon: Chained and beaten 200 times a week, the horrific

ordeal of Natascha Kampusch, the girl snatched by a stranger and held for eight years

For more than eight years she was held captive in an underground dungeon, at the mercy of a deranged kidnapper who called her 'my slave'. Today, for the first time, kidnap victim Natascha Kampusch reveals the horror of her ordeal in full, from the moment she was snatched from the street as a ten-year-old. In her compelling autobiography - serialised exclusively in the Daily Mail from today - Miss Kampusch describes how she was:

Miss Kampusch's ordeal shocked the world after her escape from her Austrian basement dungeon in August 2006, when she was 18. She had disappeared on her way to school eight years earlier, in March 1998. Her captor, Wolfgang Priklopil, bundled her into a van and kept her in a tiny cellar beneath the garage at his family home. In one chilling episode, Miss Kampusch described how she discovered the full extent of her captivity. Trapped for six months in her windowless prison, which was equipped with only a pallet bed, toilet and sink, she begged to be allowed above ground for a bath. She said: ‘He ordered me to follow him. That’s when I discovered that the door to “upstairs” was a monster made of reinforced concrete. ‘I can hardly put into words what I felt when I saw that door. I’d been encased in concrete. Hermetically sealed.’ - CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY

Nairobi, Saturday 4th September, 2010. A children rights group CRADLE Friday rescued 15 children under the age of ten from a human trafficking syndicate. The children including two mothers were rescued at the Kenya railway hideout. The children are believed to be from the Democratic Republic of Congo. They were allegedly lured into the country by an influential businessman, raising questions on the country's alertness at its border point. According to one of victims, they were paid by a rich Congo businessman who took advantage of their poverty to promise heaven in Kenya telling them they would be made rich at the UN offices in Kenya. Their journey kicked off four days ago. The used bodaboda to Burundi border, from where they boarded a bus to Tanzania border. The group surprisingly did not raise any suspicion in the entire journey that was facilitated by the businessman identified as Hussein. Upon reaching the Kenyan border a group of boys believed to be part of a human trafficking cartel aided their entry into the country again raising questions on the security at the border. Thereafter they boarded another bus to Nairobi. They were then dumped at the Kenya railways grounds, and on getting wind of this events, a local NGO that protects children from exploitation rescued them taking them to the central police. The group is at the police station to help with investigation. This incident comes in the wake of delays by the President to assent to the counter trafficking bill passed by parliament seeking to impose stiffer penalties on those found trafficking persons. Parliament in July passed legislation prescribing tough sanctions to curb human trafficking. Those convicted of the illegal trade in people through trickery and violence will be jailed for 30 years or fined not less than Sh30 million. And those found guilty of trafficking in children will be jailed for life. Initially, the Bill had stipulated a jail term of 15 years or a fine of not less than Sh5 million. Financiers and those who abet the illegal trade will face a 30-year jail term or a fine of not less than Sh30 million. Immigration officials who collude with criminals to facilitate entry or exit from the country at international or local airports, borders or seaports, would face similar punishment.

A bull charges men into the sea during the traditional bulls celebration in Denia, Spain.

X FACTOR judge Cheryl Cole was “incredibly relieved” after being granted a quickie divorce from cheating husband Ashley at the High Court on Friday 3rd September, 2010 – in a hearing that lasted less than one minute. And the singer and television host was delighted that she gets to keep the couple’s two dogs, Buster and Coco. The court clerk read out a list of 29 separating couples, beginning with ‘Cole v Cole’, before District Judge Christopher Simmonds granted the decree nisi. This is the first stage in dissolving the pair’s shattered four-year marriage – after a six-week cooling-off period, a decree absolute can be granted, ending the union finally. Court documents revealed footballer Ashley, 29, admitted his “unreasonable behaviour” was the reason for the split. Cheryl, 27, who is rehearsing in Los Angeles, said: “Thank God the nightmare is over.” A friend added: “It’s a huge weight off her shoulders and now she can get on with her life. Cheryl is incredibly relieved.

Christine Chambay Muchiri is a candidate for election in Sweden taking place on 19th. September 2010. She is the No 2 Center party's candidate for Greater Stockholm's county council where she has been a councillor since 2006 and now a candidate No 1 in Botkyrka municipality. For more informatin contact bramunde@yahoo.com

Two people have been killed following a mid-air crash between two light aircraft on the Isle of Wight, police have said. Both victims were from the same aircraft, Hampshire Police said. The aircraft collided at Havenstreet at about 5pm on Saturday afternoon. The second plane - also carrying two passengers - was damaged in the collision but managed to make its way safely to Benbridge airport. The crash happened as 19 planes were taking part in this weekend's Schneider Trophy races at Bembridge Airport although it was not immediately clear whether the planes were involved in the event. The Schneider Trophy includes light and vintage aircraft and has been held on the island for several years. The plane carrying the two people who died came down in a wooded area. Police have asked anyone who comes across any of the wreckage to take it to Newport Police Station on the island. Hampshire Police said in a statement: "Police are at the scene of a fatal light aircraft collision at Havenstreet on the Isle of Wight. "Police received the call from a member of the public this evening at 5.08pm to report two light aircraft in collision over the island. "One of these aircraft, containing two people, suffered damage and made its way safely to Bembridge airport. "The other aircraft, also containing two people, came down in a remote wooded area in the Havenstreet area. "Both occupants of this second aircraft have now been confirmed dead."

Two Skunk are not overpowered by a beehive. "Therege" is a small mammal, about the size of pole-cat common in Kikuyu land. It is fond of honey.

Joseph Karume Njenga, the eldest son of prominent Kenyan politician Njenga Karume, was killed in a road accident early Saturday 4th September, 2010 morning. Police said Mr Njenga's saloon car rammed into a trailer on the Nakuru - Molo road at midnight. "He died on the spot," said Molo police boss Achesa Litabalia. "A female passenger who was accompanying him was thrown out of the vehicle on impact and is admitted to the Rift Valley general hospital with fatal internal injuries." The body was taken to the war memorial hospital mortuary for a postmortem. The OCPD said: "The car must have been speeding since the speedometer mark stopped at 140kmph." The driver of the trailer George Guchu said he tried to avoid the accident but was not successful. "I saw the small vehicle meandering on the highway and swerved to avoid a head on collision but it plunged into the side of my trailer," he explained. President Mwai Kibaki has sent his condolences to family and friends and said he had learnt with great shock and sorrow of the death of Mr Njenga. Until his death, Mr Njenga was a successful businessman in Nairobi and a farmer in Molo. "The passing on of the late Njenga is a big loss not only to his family, relatives and close friends but also to the nation which he served diligently," said the statement. President Kibaki described the late Njenga as a hard working and determined farmer and businessman. "I pray to God to give the family strength and fortitude at this moment of mourning," he said. - CapitalFM

While in South Africa last month, Miss Margaret Njiiri toured an animal park where she joked with a giraffe. "Greetings from my country Kenya. In my country, you have to shake my hand to pass on the greetings." She was taken on tour by Kenyan Tour Operator in South Africa Mr. Samuel Karari Rugo (right photos) with Fredrick Rukungu. For more information please contact: Nguyo Safaris, No 2 The Vines Mimosa Road, Primrose Johannesburg South Africa 1401. Tel: South Africa +2773 814 3663, Tel: (Kenya) +254 727 341 426, Fax +2711 252 7708, Website www.nguyosafaris.co.za - rugosam@mweb.co.za, Email info@nguyosafaris.co.za

Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Gatheca Njoroge and his wife Mrs. Keziah Wangui Gatheca had their memories refreshed in London on Friday 3rd September, 2010 when they visited Madame Tussauds at Baker Street. They took time to have a photo with Prince Charles who once visited their farm in Thakwa, Githunguri, Kenya in 1987. Mzee Getheca was quick to ask: "No nyone muru wa Beth gwake mucii." His contacts in UK is 07951460605 and in Kenya 0733796881.

Nearly six million people in the UK have paid the wrong amount of tax. About £2bn was underpaid via the Pay as You Earn (PAYE) system in the past two years, with about 1.4 million people owing an average of £1,500 each. But £1.8bn has also been overpaid and some 4.3 million people will get a rebate because they have paid too much. A new computer system has allowed more discrepancies to be identified, but HM Revenue and Customs said the "vast majority" of tax bills were correct. The number of people affected by over or underpayments is also higher than usual because HMRC is currently reconciling two years of PAYE contributions at the same time, rather than just one. The new computer system was introduced by HMRC in 2009 to cope with changing working patterns. In the past, when most employees would stay with a single company for life, it was easier for information on required contributions to be kept up-to-date. But a new era in which individuals hold a succession of jobs and often receive taxable benefits like company cars meant the system had to be overhauled. Millions of letters will be sent to taxpayers across the UK informing them of errors in their contributions. The first 45,000 are expected to arrive on Tuesday, with 30,000 informing recipients they are due a rebate of on average £418. The remaining 15,000 letters will tell taxpayers they have underpaid and will have their tax code altered next year to recoup the money. It is thought that some individuals may face both underpayments and overpayments, which could cancel each another out. Discrepancies arise when the amounts deducted in tax and National Insurance by employers using the PAYE system do not match the information held on HMRC records. This most often occurs when individuals change jobs, have more than one job at the same time, or because employers are using the wrong tax code. In some cases officials say they will consider writing off demands for additional money if taxpayers can demonstrate they provided all the information necessary to calculate their tax correctly.

An overnight curfew has been imposed in Christchurch, New Zealand, following a powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake. Police said the curfew was intended to protect people from falling debris, as the quake caused significant damage. The mayor of the city, Bob Parker, described the scale of the damage as immense, and a state of emergency has been declared. There have been strong aftershocks, and weather forecasters say gale force winds are expected within 24 hours. The quake caused considerable infrastructure damage, but local officials say power has been largely restored and tankers will supply water. There are thousands of earthquakes in New Zealand every year, but very few do any damage. The earthquake struck off New Zealand's South Island, the US Geological Survey has said, in the early hours of the morning when most people were asleep. The epicentre was 44km (27 miles) west of Christchurch, at a depth of about 5km, the USGS said. Two men were seriously injured by falling masonry and glass, but there have been no reports of fatalities. "The damages are incredibly frightening. The only thing you can say it's a miracle that no-one lost their life," Prime Minister John Key told TV NZ. Many homeowners faced a cold winter's night and leaking or damaged homes. Hours after the quake, one building in the Christchurch city centre burst into flames, following a suspected gas leak. Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said the "sharp, vicious earthquake" had caused significant damage in parts of the city.

London, Friday 3rd September, 2010. Economists are divided over the future direction of the housing market as Nationwide said prices fell for the second consecutive month during August. The group reported a 0.9% slide during the month, leaving the average home costing £169,347. The latest drop follows a fall of 0.5% in July, and is the first time that house prices have dropped for two months in a row since February 2009, according to the Nationwide index. The annual rate of change also weakened for the fourth consecutive month to stand at 3.9%, the lowest year-on-year rise since November last year. The gloomy figures come just days after economists warned the housing market could be heading for a double dip. Figures from the Bank of England released earlier this week showed only 48,722 mortgages were approved for house purchase during July, a level that economists consider to be consistent with house price falls. The data prompted predictions that property prices could end the year around 5% lower than they started it, with some economists saying they expected prices to have lost 25% of their value by the end of 2012. But Martin Gahbauer, Nationwide's chief economist, said the recent declines in prices were "not an unhealthy development", as the recovery in the housing market had got ahead of improvements in the wider economy. He added that with little sign of distressed selling, the current period of price declines was likely to remain "relatively modest". Richard Hatch, head of residential at property consultancy Carter Jonas, agreed.

TrippleEM is a new Kenyan Food Joint Operating from Roman Way 93 Tomlinson Avenue Luton LU4 0QL. We are open every Saturday from 6pm to 3am and Sunday (family day) from 2pm till late. We specialize in Nyama Choma, Fish, Mukimo, Ugali, Kachumbari and in addition; kids menu.

Home Delivery available on request.

Get down to some fantastic local Kenya music, Old & New Skool as you quench your thirst with a cold TUSKER.

For more information contact Joe 07960609644 or Tash 07946303093

Dont hear about it. Be about it. Have A Rib As You Dance To The Beat!!

Home Access is a government drive that helps low-income families who currently lack access to a computer and/or internet to get online at home to support learning. The programme is aimed at those that need it most. If you are a low-income family in receipt of certain benefits you could qualify for a Home Access package with Assistive Technology. Read .....

A Nairobi Court has refused to be dragged into the real estate tycoon Gerishon Kirima family affairs and has advised them to agree among themselves

Caught the promulgation of the New Kenyan Constitution celebrations in London on Friday 27th August, 2010 is on right Mrs. Anne Chege of

New Hope Orphan's Home in Kenya posing with Councillor Elizabeth Kangethe and on right is Mrs. Owino, wife of Dr. Owino, London - MORE PHOTOS

A Kenyan has passed away in North Carolina, USA. The late Adam Mathenge Wang‘ombe passed away in Charlotte, North Carolina on Monday August 30th, 2010 after suffering heart ailment. He is survived by his wife Joan Wairimu, his children Clara ‘Shishi’ Githinji, Dominic Wang’ombe and Zellah Njoki Warui, Sons-in-law Jimmy Gacoka and Brian Warui, Grand-children Nelson Kagika, Ryan Warui, and Kendra Warui. He was son of Jason Wangombe Gaituri and Mary Wangeci Wangombe. Brother to Joram Ndungu, Elijah Comba, Late Daniel Thiga, Late Henderson Munene, Martha Wangui, Zipporah Wakarima, Bethwell Kaniaru, James Gitonga and late Charles Wangai. Family and friends are meeting daily at their home located at 13142 Erwin Road, Charlotte, NC 28273 from 7.00pm for prayers and support. A memorial service is planned for Sunday September 5th, 2010 at 2.30pm at Richmond Funeral Home located at 6701 Beatties Ford Road., Charlotte, NC 28216. A funeral fund account has been established at Bank of America to accept donations to help cover funeral expenses. Account details are:- Account No. 237021419113, Routing No. 053000196. Contact Information:- Patrick 704-502-4649 , Clara 980-219-8005, Dominic 574-302-4201, Njoki 704-840-9274 , Brian 303-656-5554.

The International Criminal Court has begun investigating 800 cases linked to the 2008 post-election violence. The court’s Registrar Silvana Arbia said the ICC had identified 396 cases, 76 applications by communities and 320 requests filed by individuals. "We have received all those appeals of which we are laying ground for thorough investigation. In all cases, all rules of natural justice will apply to the letter," she said on Thursday 2nd September, 2010l. Describing the Kenyan case as unique, Ms Arbia said it is important for the international community to learn from the experience on the need to respect human rights and life. She said as part of the investigation, sound protection measures would be put in place for witnesses. "I am here to ensure all is well as we carry on with our investigation. I am around to ensure security of all our witnesses is guaranteed as well as of their families and friends," she said. Speaking to journalists in Nairobi yesterday, Arbia said the ICC would consider paying legal fees for lawyers representing victims and witnesses. "We will assess each case and if we will feel a certain suspect deserves a lawyer, then we will pay. We will also pay all travel expenses of suspects’ family members in case they decide to come to The Hague to visit their relatives whom the court might decide to hold," she said. Arbia said some key witnesses were under the protection of the ICC where they will remain until the Kenyan case is completed. The registrar, who arrived here on Tuesday, said she would also use her stay to determine whether there is sufficient support from the relevant Government departments. "We must be sure that our staff in the country will have free movement without any frustrations. So far, I have been assured of Government support and we are looking at other logistics," she added. She said she expected only factual evidence from witnesses. " It will be dangerous for anybody to give us misinformation," she said. On the recent visit of Sudan President Omar al-Bashir, the ICC registrar said that was a matter for the UN Security Council to investigate and act upon. The ICC is investigating post-election violence cases in which 1,300 people lost their lives, while another 350,000 were displaced. What the ICC registry does

• Provides administrative and operational support to the chambers and the prosecutor

• Supports the registrar’s activities in relation to defence, victims, communication and security matters

PITTSBURGH (AP)—The long, flowing black hair that tumbles out of NFL star Troy Polamalu’s (notes) helmet and down his back has been insured for $1 million by Head and Shoulders, the shampoo brand that is endorsed by the Pittsburgh Steelers player. The insurance was obtained through Lloyd’s of London, which did not reveal what must be done to Polamalu’s hair for anyone to collect on the policy. At nearly three-feet long, Polamalu’s hair has been targeted by an opposing NFL player at least once—the Chiefs’ Larry Johnson (notes) tackled Polamalu by the hair during a 49-yard interception return in a 2006 game. Polamalu, a five-time Pro Bowl player, wears his hair long as a tribute to his Samoan heritage.

We regret to announce the death of Jaduong Alois Nyamam of Uholo, Ugenya, Siaya District, Jaduong Alois died yesterday after a short illness he was aged 65.

Jaduong Alois was the husband to Helen Apondi and father to Wycliffe Nyamam and Mrs. Perez Ochieng of SACOMA.

Family, friends and well wishers are meeting daily for prayers from 7pm to 10pm at 26 Neville Road, Ilford, Essex, IG6 2LN.

A memorial Prayer will be held on Saturday 11th September 2010 from 5pm to 10pm at the same venue.

For more information please contact Perez Ochieng on 07764 961 489 or Sam Ochieng 0795 6408 655.

A Kenyan woman who did most of the legwork in an international scam that targeted $3.34 million from several state governments, including West Virginia, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to three years in prison. In December, Angella Chegge-Kraszeski, 34, of Raleigh, N.C., pleaded guilty to money laundering as part of a scheme that rerouted a $919,916 payment from West Virginia intended for a legitimate vendor in March 2009. With the help of five other Kenyan nationals living in Minnesota, Chegge-Kraszeski wired more than $772,000 to bank accounts in Kenya. Authorities caught on to the scam before other money could be diverted to offshore accounts. Following instructions from as-yet unidentified handlers in Kenya, Chegge-Kraszeski set up dummy corporations and bank accounts with names very similar to real vendors for state governments. She then mailed paperwork supplied by her handlers to the governments, asking them to stop sending checks to the real vendors, and make electronic deposits directly into the fake bank accounts. "It is fair to say that you were the face of the conspiracy in the United States, at least so far as it was successful," U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. told her.

Chegge-Kraszeski had faced a prison term more than twice as long for her role in the scheme, but Copenhaver took her cooperation with investigators into consideration. Without information provided by Chegge-Kraszeski, her five co-conspirators in Minnesota could not have been prosecuted, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Robinson. The ringleaders in Kenya put Chegge-Kraszeski in touch with Robert Otiso, 36, of Elk River, Minn., whom she only knew as "Robe," after banks in North Carolina wouldn't let her open dummy accounts with only a fake South African passport under the name Christina Ann Clay. Otiso recruited Michael "Mikie" Ochenge, 33, of Lakeville, Minn., who in turn recruited Paramena Shikenda, who knew someone who worked at a local bank, which would make it easier to set up the accounts and wire money to Kenya without attracting suspicion. Ochenge also involved Collins K. Masese, 21, of St. Paul, Minn., and Albert E. Gunga, 31, of Chanhassen, Minn., to help him launder $70,000 in cashiers checks that represented payment for his involvement. Within the last two weeks, Copenhaver has sentenced Otiso, Shikanda and Ochenge to 72, 46 and 48 months in prison, respectively. Masese and Gunga received short sentences, which they have effectively served with the time they have already spent in custody. All of the defendants, including Chegge-Kraszeski, face likely deportation once they have served their prison terms. Chegge-Kraszeski's attorney, U.S. Public Defender Mary Lou Newberger, said that her client's most lasting punishment will be the effect of her deportation on her family. A Kenyan woman who did most of the legwork in an international scam that targeted $3.34 million from several state governments, including West Virginia, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to three years in prison. In December, Angella Chegge-Kraszeski, 34, of Raleigh, N.C., pleaded guilty to money laundering as part of a scheme that rerouted a $919,916 payment from West Virginia intended for a legitimate vendor in March 2009.

With the help of five other Kenyan nationals living in Minnesota, Chegge-Kraszeski wired more than $772,000 to bank accounts in Kenya. Authorities caught on to the scam before other money could be diverted to offshore accounts. Following instructions from as-yet unidentified handlers in Kenya, Chegge-Kraszeski set up dummy corporations and bank accounts with names very similar to real vendors for state governments. She then mailed paperwork supplied by her handlers to the governments, asking them to stop sending checks to the real vendors, and make electronic deposits directly into the fake bank accounts. "It is fair to say that you were the face of the conspiracy in the United States, at least so far as it was successful," U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. told her. Chegge-Kraszeski had faced a prison term more than twice as long for her role in the scheme, but Copenhaver took her cooperation with investigators into consideration. Without information provided by Chegge-Kraszeski, her five co-conspirators in Minnesota could not have been prosecuted, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Robinson. The ringleaders in Kenya put Chegge-Kraszeski in touch with Robert Otiso, 36, of Elk River, Minn., whom she only knew as "Robe," after banks in North Carolina wouldn't let her open dummy accounts with only a fake South African passport under the name Christina Ann Clay. Otiso recruited Michael "Mikie" Ochenge, 33, of Lakeville, Minn., who in turn recruited Paramena Shikenda, who knew someone who worked at a local bank, which would make it easier to set up the accounts and wire money to Kenya without attracting suspicion. Ochenge also involved Collins K. Masese, 21, of St. Paul, Minn., and Albert E. Gunga, 31, of Chanhassen, Minn., to help him launder $70,000 in cashiers checks that represented payment for his involvement. Within the last two weeks, Copenhaver has sentenced Otiso, Shikanda and Ochenge to 72, 46 and 48 months in prison, respectively. Masese and Gunga received short sentences, which they have effectively served with the time they have already spent in custody. All of the defendants, including Chegge-Kraszeski, face likely deportation once they have served their prison terms.

Chegge-Kraszeski's attorney, U.S. Public Defender Mary Lou Newberger, said that her client's most lasting punishment will be the effect of her deportation on her family. Her 15-year-old son had been approved for a visa, which has since been revoked, and her husband will remain in North Carolina. "In a very practical sense, it means the end of her marriage. These are very real consequences," she said. In a brief statement to the court, Chegge-Kraszeski wept as she apologized to the court and to the state of West Virginia. "This was my first time ever being in West Virginia, and these are the circumstances," she said. "I have brought so much shame, so much shame." Chegge-Kraszeski has been in custody since May 2009, leaving roughly 20 months left on her sentence. The convictions represented a multi-agency effort that included investigators from the U.S. Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations. "Today represents justice for our state's taxpayers. Money taken from the public treasury is money not available for schools, roads, or senior services. That's why this case is one of my top priorities," U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said in a prepared statement. "This defendant's sentencing represents a major milestone in the case. But we are not finished. We will continue to pursue more of the criminals who helped defraud the state." Other officials praised the joint effort. "As demonstrated in this case, joint law enforcement is vital to thoroughly investigating fraud schemes in multiple jurisdictions," added W.B. Fluharty, Supervisory Postal Inspector for West Virginia. "The United States Postal Inspection Service is committed to continued collaboration between our federal and state partners to vigorously investigate these crimes." "Sadly, the honest taxpayer is harmed when fraud such as this is committed," said Timothy Marsh, of the IRS's criminal division, Pittsburgh Field Office. "The prosecution of these subjects should serve as a strong warning that tough punishment awaits someone who may decide to embark on a similar fraudulent journey. I commend the investigative team for bringing this investigation to a successful completion." Reach Andrew Clevenger at acleven...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1723.

Alexei Kudrin, Russia’s finance minister, has rather bizarrely urged Russians to drink and smoke more - to help the government's cash flow.

At least two people were shot dead and several others injured on Wednesday in Nakuru town when tenants resisting eviction from council houses clashed with police. The over 2,000 tenants of Nakuru's flamingo estate engaged police in running battles after they refused to vacate the houses belonging to the Nakuru municipal council over non-payment of rent arrears amounting to Sh175 million. The protests turned violent when council askaris backed by a contingent of Regular Police from the Bondeni Police Station tried to forcibly evict tenants, attracting the attention of an irate mob. Those injured are admitted at the Rift Valley Provincial hospital in critical condition. Two women were shot by stray bullets while another was shot in the chest.. The mob also set on fire a vehicle belonging to the Municipal Council of Nakuru, and hurled stones at the policemen, injuring six of them. One of the administration police officers is fighting for his life at the War-Memorial Hospital after he was allegedly run-over by a vehicle when he fell off a speeding lorry belonging to the police. The tenants were joined by hundreds of angry youth who barricaded various roads. The combined security forces had to call for reinforcement from the neighboring Njoro and Molo districts to quell the protests. The irate mob stormed the NCCK Jumuia guest house located along KANU street and made away with valuables before smashing windows. Nakuru Mayor John Kitilit condemned the incident claiming that the youths who confronted the council askaris were hired by politicians to tarnish the name of the council. He confirmed that one civic leader from the council was arrested for inciting the residents and vowed to continue with the evictions.

President Mwai Kibaki has assured Kenyans in the diaspora that the recently promulgated new constitution will enable them enjoy the rights and privileges provided both in their country of birth and their respective countries of residence through the dual citizenship provision. Speaking Wednesday when he met Kenyans resident in Swaziland at his Royal Villa presidential suite, President Kibaki emphasized that the new constitution will open up many opportunities that Kenyans both in the country and in the diaspora have never had before. In this regard, President Kibaki urged the Kenyans resident in Swaziland and in other countries to play their part effectively in developing their motherland, especially now that dual citizenship is allowed by the new constitution. "Dual citizenship is good because it will enable Kenyans in the diaspora to enjoy the benefits of their country of residence while at the same time make their contribution in the development of their country of birth," President Kibaki said. On temporary vehicle importation bottlenecks at the Kenyan inland ports of entry, President Kibaki assured Kenyans resident in Swaziland that his Government, through the Ministry of Trade, would address individual cases on their merit. The President pointed out that while it was the Government's policy to facilitate easy movement of Kenyans and their goods within the COMESA and the East African Community regions, the move should not be left to abuse as doing so would deny the Government the much needed revenue. "We do not want small issues to hinder our people from enjoying the benefits of regional integration but at the same time we have to ensure that unscrupulous people do not abuse those privileges," President Kibaki said.

On identity cards issuance to Kenyans resident in Swaziland and South Africa, the Kenyan High Commissioner to South Africa, who is also accredited to Swaziland, Amb. Tom Amolo said his office has forwarded a request to the Ministry of State for Immigration and Registration of Persons to facilitate the issuance of identity cards to Kenyans who come of age in South Africa and neighbouring southern countries without having to travel all the way back home for the same services. In this connection, Amb. Amolo said the issue of Kenya national identity cards issuance at the Kenyan High Commission in South Africa to Kenyans living in countries served by his office would be addressed, as the same was done in 1995. Speaking during the meeting, Kenyans resident in Swaziland, through their chairman Mr. Haroun Wambua, commended President Kibaki and all Kenyans for the historic promulgation of the new constitution. Mr. Wambua noted that the benefits enshrined in the new constitution will impart positively on all Kenyans regardless of their country of residence. The meeting was also attended by the newly appointed Trade Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere who assured the Kenyan business community in the diaspora that his ministry will work towards creating a conducive environment for doing business to enable them extend their business activities to their motherland. Meanwhile, President Kibaki Tuesday night joined other COMESA Heads of State and Government attending the 14th COMESA summit at a colourful state banquet hosted in their honour by King Mswati III at the Royal Swazi Hotel in Ezulwini, Swaziland.

Mrs. Perez Oching wife of Mr. Sam Ochieng of SACOMA, London has lost his father back in Kenya. For more information please contact 07956408655or 07764961489. More information later.

The Kenyan real estate tycoon Gerishon Kirima is recovering well in a hospital outside London. According to sources his health and memory is recovering quickly. More information and photo later.

Evangelist Ann Kamau is in London. This time as Rev. Ann Kamau. She will be holding several conferences in UK before going back to Kenya. The meeting are scheduled as follows:

Church London from 10 am to 4.00 p.m. ( Bricksfield Christian Centre Welfare Road

Coventry from 11 am to 1 pm (English service) then 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. (Kikuyu service)

Two sons of real estate tycoon Gerishon Kirima want a case filed by their step-mother dismissed, saying she no longer had the power to challenge the management of the estate. In an application filed in court on Tuesday, sons Wanjau and Steve Kirima argue that the power of attorney given to Mrs Teresia Wairimu Kirima by their father had since been revoked. “As such, she does not have locus standi to institute any proceedings challenging the management of Kirima and Sons,” reads part of the application. Their lawyer, Mr Roger Sagana, said the revocation of the power of attorney was made on August 21. The two sons want a case their step-mother has filed dismissed, arguing that she has no property rights to the estate and her plans to restrain any partner from exercising proprietary rights was misconceived. Mrs Kirima moved to court under a certificate of urgency claiming she had been barred from accessing her husband at Nairobi Hospital. On Tuesday, Lady Justice Roseline Wendoh said the hospital and two doctors who had been sued in the case do not need to file their replies because Mr Kirima was no longer admitted to the hospital. Mrs Kirima had sued doctors Frank Njenga and David Oluoch. In the application, Mrs Kirima wants her two step-sons barred from running or interfering with their father’s businesses. In her affidavit, she accuses Water minister Charity Ngilu of assisting her step-children to sneak out her husband from his Kitisuru home on August 8. She says Mr Kirima was sneaked out soon after Mrs Ngilu and former Maendeleo Ya Wanawake chairperson Jane Kiano visited the home and met the whole family. The case could not proceed on Tuesday after the court was told that Mrs Kirima’s lawyer was ill. The case will be heard on September 2. – Daily Nation.

Some Properties for sale in Kenya being sold by Housing Finance - CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Ann Chege will be at St. Lawrence Church of England in Bellgreen, this Sunday from 10.30am in the morning at the invitation of Rev & Mrs Mike Cleveland. The Address is 142 OLD CHURCH ROAD, COVENRTY, CV6 7ED. On the following week Saturday 11th Sept, Mrs Ann Chege will meet the Kenyans in Coventry at the same venue (Church Hall) at 3pm. Everyone is therefore requested to avail themselves so that we can support the work of this humble servant. For more information please call, Baba Sharon on 07961624483 or Mrs. Chege on 07947883505.

South Africa’s largest mobile phone operator Vodacom has teamed up with Nedbank to unveil an M-Pesa mobile-based cash transfer service, similar to the successful on operating in Kenya. The service was developed by Britain’s Vodafone, the majority shareholder in Vodacom, and part owner of Kenya’s Safaricom. The product - available in Tanzania and Afghanistan - allows users to transfer money from person to person using a mobile phone. It will initially allow users without access to bank accounts to transfer money using handsets and eventually pay bills and buy goods. Vodacom plans to replicate M-Pesa’s success in Kenya to the continent’s richest country in a move targeting about 13 million unbanked South Africans. In Kenya, M-Pesa as a value added service has helped Safaricom to increase its market share from about 60 per cent three years ago to over 80 per cent. Mr Mark Taylor, the newly appointed MD of Vodacom Payment Services, the company that houses M-Pesa offering hopes to emulate those market share gains in SA. “There are other cellphone banking products and money transfer services out there, but there quite simply is nothing like M-PESA. ‘‘The beauty of this service is the ease and speed with which people can send money to each other anywhere in the country,” said Mr Pieter Uys, Vodacom Group CEO in a statement. Vodacom’s commercial director Romeo Kumalo says the telecom’s target is to sign up 10 million customers within three years. “If we get to 10 million users, that gives us more than 50 per cent of our subscriber base,” says Mr Taylor. “Then we will start to build enough traction that people will churn to us.” In Kenya and Tanzania M-Pesa has been extended to allow customers to pay for school fees, insurance premiums and to put money into savings accounts. “In South Africa, cell phone penetration is extremely high, and yet it is estimated that more than 13 million economically active South Africans do not have a bank account,” said Mr Mike Brown, Nedbanks’ chief executive. Customers there can also receive payments such as salaries and dividends. In July alone, about 1.7 million new M-Pesa subscriptions in Kenya were recorded. According to the latest figures from Safaricom, the number of clients on M-Pesa has grown by 61 per cent from 7.38 million as of July 2010 to 11.89 million the same period last year. Up to the end of last month, the service had transferred Sh525.84 billion since its inception in 2007 and the monthly average of money moved through the system has increased by 30 per cent. – Daily Nation.

During her tour in South Africa, Margaret Njiiri toured a park full elephant sculptures. The park is full of surprises

including smokes coming of out of the ground and different lightings as the photo above displays

The CCK stated: "Upon analysis of the messages, the Commission has established the warnings are a hoax generated by unscrupulous people bent on causing fear and despondency among members of the public. The listed numbers are non-existent as mobile, fixed or international calls," the regulator said in a statement. "In addition, the alleged haemorrhage due to high frequency has no technical basis whatsoever. The Commission therefore, wishes to urge the public to ignore these messages and go about their business without any fear. The public is also advised to avoid fuelling the fear by transmitting the said messages to friends and family members either through SMS or email forwarding. " The Commission said it is already in contact with law enforcement agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of the crime are brought to book. "We further wish to warn the originators of these messages that they are in breach of the law (i.e. Section 29 of the Kenya Communications Act, 1998)." On its part one of Kenya's leading telecoms operator Safaricom reassured its subscribers in the wake of the widespread rumours asking them not to receive calls from certain numbers. Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph said: "This is a hoax and not technically possible. It is a popular urban myth that has been perpetuated, especially in some Asian markets. We wish to reassure our customers and all users of mobile phones in the Kenyan market to ignore these rumours and continue enjoying our services. It is unfortunate that some people are perpetuating this rumour, causing fear and stopping many from the convenience of enjoying our services." "We provide our services on frequencies that are safe for humans. As for colour displays, these are dependent on handset design. Colour displays cannot be altered, unless special software is installed onto the device, the most popular one being Colour SMS software, a freeware readily available off the internet," Mr Joseph added. Internet searches show that a similar hoax first appeared in Nigeria six years ago.

The UK government said on Tuesday 31st August, 2010 that it would start tracking down and repossessing illegally acquired assets that are kept in the United Kingdom. Mr Macaire who was speaking after a meeting with the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission (KACC) Director Patrick Lumumba argued that the measure would go a long way towards mitigating corruption in Kenya. He also maintained that Britain was still keen on seeing those behind the Free Primary School Education scandal brought to book. “That’s an area in which we’ve had success in other countries but sadly not yet in Kenya. It is an area where we have managed to do quite a lot in recent years and have put in a lot of resources but we want to see that move forward with regards to Kenya so that we can really act on asset seizure,” he said. He further said that Britain would also continue denying visas to Kenyans who had been convicted or suspected of unlawful acts. “We will continue giving the people of this country our support in fighting corruption and that includes excluding from the UK people associated with high level corruption,” he said. Dr Lumumba said that the KACC had already engaged the office of serious frauds in the UK which had agreed to assist Kenya in fighting graft. “And corruption involves taking monies that have been wrongly acquired and keeping them in foreign accounts. One of the countries of choice is the UK which has also promised to work with us and they are already working with us to deal with some of the ongoing cases,” he said. He further noted that the new constitution would assist in fighting corruption as it put in places appropriate checks and balances. “This organisation (KACC) can only become stronger and other support organizations such as the Judiciary, the Office of the Attorney General and that of the Director of Public Prosecutions will also be useful as we move forward,” he said. He also announced that the anti graft body was finalizing its findings on the education sector scandal and would soon make an announcement to that effect. “Investigations are going on and they are at a very advanced stage. But we still don’t want to engage in drama where you take people to court because there is political pressure. I think there is wisdom in ensuring that you have credible evidence and that is a case that is receiving the highest priority,” he said. Although he declined to give a time line within which the findings would be announced, Dr Lumumba said the matter was being handled with urgency. “It is always dangerous to bind oneself with specific time frames. It is unwise to do so but we will deal with it with speed,” he said. - CapitalFM

Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Gatheca Njoroge and his wife Mrs. Keziah Wangui Gatheca are in London. The couple arrived in London a week ago to visit their relatives in UK. Mr. Gatheca is a prominent businessman and a farmer from Thakwa, Githunguri, Kiambu. They are parents to Mr. & Mrs. Harun Njoroge Gatheca of Swindon and uncle to Wairia's family including Maji Wairia's among others. In 1987, Prince Charles and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher visited their farm in Thakwa to see his tea plantation. His contacts in UK is 07951460605 and in Kenya 0733796881.

Inspired by real-life events, I Am Slave is the extraordinary story of one woman's fight for freedom from modern-day slavery, starring Wunmi Mosaku. - A NICE FILM - CLICK HERE

The country's population increase by 10 million people since the last one in 1999 literally implies that one million Kenyans are born every year. Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya is now apprehensive at this population explosion with its adverse effects on government spending, infrastructure, health, education, environment and social economic sectors. For a country that boats some 582 646 square metres, the increase in population is worrying and as the minister says the government will re-initiate the family planning programmes aimed at putting the growth in check. The census carried out in August last year saw the government spend some 8.4 billion shillings but it was frought with irregularities that have sen results from some eight districts nullified. These include Lagdera, Wajir East, Mandera Central, Mandera East, Mandera West, Turkana Central, Turkana North and Turkana South.

A daughter’s determination to help her mother get the best medical attention turned tragic when the mother died in flight from Nairobi to U.S. Martha Okuku had travelled to Kenya in July to visit with the mother who was not feeling well. - Diasporamessenger

President Mwai Kibaki is in Ezulwini, Swaziland to attend the 14th COMESA summit of Heads of State and Government. The plane carrying President Kibaki and his entourage touched down at Matsapha International airport shortly before 4.00 p.m. local time on Monday and he was warmly received by senior Swazi Government officials led by Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini and the Kenyan High Commissioner to South Africa Tom Amolo who is also accredited to the Kingdom of Swaziland. The Kenyan delegation to the 14 COMESA summit include Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula and his Trade counterpart Chirau Ali Makwere, and the Kenyan High Commissioner to Zambia who is also the Permanent Representative to COMESA Amb. Dr. Kipyego Cheluget. The summit whose theme is 'Harnessing Science and Technology for Development', officially opens Tuesday and will examine developments on the regional integration agenda, including progress towards full implementation of the Comesa Customs Union. This year's COMESA summit will also examine the tripartite cooperation between Comesa-East African Community-Southern African Development Community, and how the region can enhance the use of science and technology for the benefit of its people. During the Summit, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is expected to hand over the chairmanship of COMESA to His Majesty King Mswati III. COMESA, whose current membership stands at 19 countries with a combined population of over 400 million people, has an annual import bill of US$ 32 billion against an export bill of US$82 billion. To spur growth, COMESA's strategy is economic prosperity through regional integration.

OVERHEARD BY MR. SEED: "The first step in making life-changing decisions, even the most personal and emotional ones, without regret is research." - T.D. Jakes, American Preacher

Foreign diplomats abusing immunity to keep domestic slaves in Britain

Foreign diplomats are abusing their immunity from prosecution to keep domestic workers as slaves in Britain, an investigation has found. The workers, most of whom come from poor countries in Africa and Asia, are forced to work for up to 20 hours a day for as little as 10p an hour. Their employers routinely confiscate their passports so they cannot run away, make them sleep on the floor and ban them from leaving the house, the investigation disclosed. Police said that they are often unable to investigate foreign diplomats, or members of often extensive royal families, who are mistreating their household staff because they have immunity from prosecution and the workers they bring to the country have no protection under British law. However, the problem is not confined to the diplomatic community, with wealthy foreign families and some British citizens keeping workers in slavery, the investigation for Channel 4’s Dispatches programme found. Children as young as 11 are among those being forced to work long hours for little pay, and the Metropolitan Police are so concerned about the disturbing trend that they have set up a special crime unit to target forced labour. Detective Chief Superintendent Richard Martin, who heads the unit, told the programme: “Some of the experiences of victims are literally being chained to the kitchen sink, working 20 hours a day, 7 days a week for little or no pay. “We’ve had people who were only allowed to eat the scraps off the kitchen table once the children were finished, so they weren’t even fed properly. And around all that you have people being assaulted and abused by the families they are in. We’ve had women who are being raped.” He added that a number of ongoing cases involved suspects with diplomatic immunity. Around 15,000 domestic workers are brought to Britain by foreign families every year, and hundreds later run away after being mistreated.

Kalayaan, a charity based in west London, helps around 350 migrant workers who have been forced into slavery each year. Around 20 per cent of them report having been physically assaulted by their employers. A spokeswoman for the charity said: “We’ve had cases of people being burned with irons by their employers, being threatened with knives, having boiling water thrown at them. “And two thirds of domestic workers report that they have been psychologically abused, which means they have been threatened, they’ve been humiliated, they’ve been shouted at constantly. Called dog, donkey, stupid, illiterate. Being constantly criticised and humiliated is deeply traumatising for people. One former slave from West Africa, identified as Patience, said she was kept captive by a British solicitor who was a member of the law society and a specialist adviser to a number of London charities. She claimed she had been made to work 120 hours a week for three years and was regularly beaten. “I was not allowed to go out. I was not allowed to make friends. I was not allowed to do things without permission. I didn’t have anyone to talk to,” she said. “She would pinch me, she would slap me, should would do anything. Just name it. She beat me from upstairs to downstairs. It was just too much for me to bear.” Patience escaped after a neighbour who spoke to her over the garden fence agreed to help her run away. She has since won an employment tribunal against her former employer who has also been convicted of assault. Another former slave, identified as Josh, said he was put to work in a family house after arriving in Britain from Africa at the age of 11. “When I got to this country that was when I realised the definition of pain,” he said. “Years of getting up in the morning, doing hard chores, being locked away. It’s a form of stress release to them to take out all their anger on you.” Another woman, identified as Khalir, said the powerful foreign diplomat who employed her as a nanny threatened to harm her family back home if she went to the authorities about the abuse she suffered. Det Chief Supt Richard Martin confirmed: “We have a number of investigations ongoing and some of them involve people with diplomatic immunity.” Britain’s Secret Slaves was aired on Monday 30th August, 2010 at 7.30pm on Channel 4 in UK.

"Spoken forgiving, no matter how heartfelt, works best when we do not demand the response we want. I mean that when we tell people we forgive them, we must leave them free to respond to our good news however they are inclined. If the response is not what we hoped for, we can go home and enjoy our own healing in private." - Lewis B. Smedes - The Art of Forgiving: When You Need To Forgive And Don't Know How

Two of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation comedians have scooped a trip to Sweden to represent Africa in this year's Stockholm International Comedy Festival between 2nd and 4th September. Mr. Peter Sangale, popularly known as 'Olexander Josphat' and Mr. Matayo Keya Msagani aka 'Makoha' of Vioja Mahakamani programme will join 98 other comedians from around the world. The comedians left for Sweden Tuesday morning aboard a Kenya airways flight which agreed to upgrade their tickets from economy to business class as an honor for the two who are the only ones representing Africa in the event. On 2nd September the two comedians will work with Dustin Chafin from the United States and André Jerman from Norway on the same evening at Norra Brunn at 21.00 hrs. On 3rd September, the Kenyans will work with Babben and Shazia Mirza from the United Kingdom at 22.00 hrs at Södra teatern. On 4th September, the Kenyans will work with Dustin Chafin, Ismo Leikola from Finland, Ruperto Vanderpo (USA) and Colin Kane (USA) at Södra teatern. The following is the specific schedule of the performances:

Poached fish will be firmer and whiter if you add lemon juice to the cooking liquid

It was quite an interesting night on August 30 for Channel 4, with two programmes connected by the same theme of modern day slavery in Britain: one a documentary and the other a TV movie baring Mark Kermode’s favourite tagline, "inspired by real events". In a perfect world Dispatches: Britain's Secret Slaves and I Am Slave would bring about a change in some of the ridiculous laws in Britain but will hopefully at least spark a bit of debate. Chances are both won’t get the audience they deserve, considering they were shown on a Bank Holiday and it’s not the usual Bond fare people want but they are excellent representations of how great television can tackle important issues. Usually I try to inject a bit of humour, or attempted anyway, into some of these reviews but given the serious of the subjects it would just be stupid and inappropriate.

The early 17th century saw the first moral panic in English history about the social impact of drunkenness, and Mark Whitaker begins his narrative history series on the politics of alcohol with King James I’s campaign against it. At a time of rapid social change, with increasing religious division and political tension, the ruling classes came to see the ale-houses used by the poor as deeply threatening. In the first three years of his reign James passed Acts against the spread of ale-houses and against "the loathsome sin of drunkenness". But the state had no police force, so it depended on the pulpit to put the fear of God into the country’s drinkers. "It is no one sin, but all sins" became the message; the drunkard was someone "wholly at Satan’s command." But drink was a central and celebrated part of daily life. Ale was regarded by the poor as vital to their diet, and drinking it was portrayed as a patriotic duty, while the rituals of social and family life for the wealthy were washed down with French or Portuguese wine. Royal celebrations at the Palace of Whitehall were also notoriously drunken affairs. Actors read extracts from sermons, memoirs and pamphlets.

2. The Gin Act of 1736
‘Madam Geneva’, she was called: the provider of ‘Dutch Courage’. Mark Whitaker explores the Gin Craze of mid-18th century England. William Hogarth’s "Gin Lane" of 1751 is perhaps the best-known piece of propagandist art ever produced in England. It portrays the ravages of the gin addiction that for twenty-five years had dominated the life of the London poor. Gin had first been introduced into the country by William III, and the landed classes soon became rich producing the grain from which it was distilled; and governments depended on taxing it. But by the end of the 1720s people started to recognise the social damage it was causing. Nothing like it had been seen before. The best writers of the day took up the issue. Daniel Defoe wrote against "the abuse of that nauseous liquor among our lower sort" and argued that it was undermining England’s economic power. Henry Fielding called gin a "diabolical liquor" and wanted it banned completely. Walpole’s government passed a series of Gin Acts, the most draconian being that of 1736. The liquor trade went underground and Government informers roamed the streets. When serious riots broke out in Spitalfields in August 1736 Walpole explained them as the people’s desperation at "the approaching expiration of their darling vice." But the government was forced to back down. Actors read extracts from Defoe and Fielding, from Walpole’s letters and from parliamentary debates.

3.The Beer Act of 1830
Continuing his narrative history series on the ways in which the British state has dealt with the ‘Drink Question’, Mark Whitaker looks at the 1830 Beer Act – when parliament made the seemingly bizarre decision that the best way to decrease public drunkenness was to make access to alcohol easier. Why? It was believed that a recent upsurge in the consumption of spirits was a consequence of the quality of beer being so low; and this was because a handful of major brewers owned the pubs and controlled what they sold. The Times called this arrangement "an odious monopoly", and the phrase stuck. In 1830 an MP went as far as to call it "more oppressive to the lower orders than any other that has ever been imposed upon them." Free Trade was the solution of the day. The 1830 Beer Act made it possible for anybody who could come up with a payment of two guineas to get a license to sell beer in their own home. Over the next six months 25,000 licenses were taken out, and almost overnight a new landscape of drinking had been created in England. But within four years a Select Committee on drunkenness was meeting, and it began to be argued that the last thing an industrialising country needed was a drunk work force. For the first time there was serious public discussion as to what the social causes of excessive drinking might be, and people started talking about mass education as the key to change. Actors read from parliamentary debates, and from journals and newspapers.

4. Temperance and the 1872 Licensing Act
We join presenter Mark Whitaker in the ideal industrial community of Saltaire, near Bradford. Developed between 1850 and 1870, it was planned as an environment in which workers would be diligent, healthy and happy – because they would have no access to alcohol. At the heart of the village was the Saltaire Club and Institute that was set up "to supply the advantages of a public-house, but without the evils." Temperance developed from the 1830s as a movement of the skilled working classes, and in 1853 became organised as a formidable political pressure group – the UK Alliance. It argued for teetotalism, and for the right of ratepayers to ban the liquor trade in their own town. It had formidable parliamentary support. But it was hated by writers such as Charles Dickens, who ridiculed the idea that prohibition would create a more sober nation. The Times dismissed teetotallers as "intolerant brooding theorists". The issue came to a head in 1871-2. There was a General Election and Gladstone’s Liberals were trying to pass a new Licensing Bill. The campaign was marred by violent confrontations between those who wanted more or less freedom to drink. Gladstone himself hoped to create a more continental drinking culture and reduced the duty on French wine. But he couldn’t win. When he lost the next Election in 1874 he complained that he’d been "borne down in a torrent of gin and beer." Actors read from temperance literature, from Dickens and from newspaper reports.

5. Political Thinkers and the Drink Question
Mark Whitaker shows how the ‘Drink Question’ was of central importance for both of England’s most original and influential political thinkers of the 19th century – John Stuart Mill and TH Green. For both of them it raised the question of how far the state could be justified in interfering in the lives of individuals. The debate had started in the letters page of the Times in 1856, in a high-level exchange between the Tory MP Lord Stanley and Samuel Pope, Secretary of the temperance movement the UK Alliance. The latter argued that his rights as a citizen were "invaded" by the behaviour of heavy drinkers; the former that no Englishman would agree to be "coerced for his own benefit". Mill picked up the topic in his essay On Liberty, published in 1859. Mill was mid-Victorian England’s most influential public intellectual, and his books were best-sellers even though his ideas were radical. He insisted that "drunkenness is not a fit subject for legislative purposes", and feared that the weight of public opinion would crush individualism. TH Green was an academic philosopher at Oxford, and was deeply involved in the temperance movement during the 1870s. He believed that individual freedom lay in pursuing the common good and that mass drunkenness made this impossible in England. He thought that "moderate drinkers" had to sacrifice their pleasure for the sake of society as a whole. Actors read extracts from their work.

6. ‘Habitual Drunkards’ and the Asylum
Mark Whitaker focuses on a new sort of panic that swept the nation at the very end of the 19th century – a panic about the number of ‘habitual drunkards’ in the country and the impact they were having. This was the time of pioneering social research by the likes of Booth and Rowntree, and also of a new belief in the ability of government to intervene to change social conditions. Allied to this was a growing medical confidence that addiction to alcohol was a disease that could be isolated and treated – and a new term was invented, ‘inebriety’. Public and political opinion on the matter was hugely influenced by the publication by the Daily Telegraph in 1891 of a long series of letters giving first-hand accounts of alcohol addiction. They were revelatory, and the paper called them a "sad mirror of the National Sin". There was particular concern over the extent of female drunkenness, and this fed into fears about a deterioration of the ‘national stock’. A leading medical figure argued that "the wide-spread prevalence of alcoholism among women, especially during the reproductive period of life, is one of the important factors making for racial decay". Such fears came to a head when many young men proved insufficiently healthy to fight in the Boer War. In 1898 Parliament passed an Inebriates Act that required local authorities to set up special ‘reformatories’ as an alternative to prison for those arrested time after time for being drunk and disorderly. Courts could sentence people to them for up to three years. The shift was from condemnation to cure: but the reformatories couldn’t survive after the outbreak of war in 1914.

7. The Central Control Board of 1915
"Drink is doing us more damage in the War than all the German submarines put together", insisted Lloyd George in February 1915. Continuing his history series on how British governments have approached the ‘Drink Question’, Mark Whitaker looks at the years of the First World War, when everything was determined by the needs of ‘national efficiency’. After a few months of war it became clear that Britain needed to make more munitions – and fast. But output was slowed down by the workers’ drinking habits. "We are fighting German, Austrians and Drink", said Lloyd George as he embarked on a plan for the government to buy up the country’s whole liquor trade. But the Cabinet balked at the price. Instead a Central Control Board (CCB) was set up in 1915 with the power to take over the trade in areas of particular sensitivity to the war effort. The largest of these was Gretna-Carlisle, where a new national munitions factory was built. The number of licences was drastically reduced: the beer was weakened: the sale of spirits limited: and pubs encouraged to provide food as well as drink. Newspapers called it "the largest social experiment of our time". A Carlisle vicar called state control "the dawning of a new era". It worked too. Convictions for drunkenness in CCB-controlled areas declined dramatically, and many began to think that nationalisation might finally be the solution to the ‘Drink Question’.

8. Improving the Pub
It seemed possible during the 1920s that the ‘Drink Question’ that had bedevilled British governments for so long might finally be about to be consigned to the past. The fall in consumption – which had started during the First World War – continued throughout the decade, and political attention focused on why. This was when the Labour Party formed its first governments, and there were powerful socialist voices arguing for a full nationalisation of the drinks industry. This could be a route to weaning the working classes away from a product that was "a powerful weapon in the hands of the exploiters". George Bernard Shaw called liquor "a chloroform that allows the poor to endure the painful operation of living". But while governments chose to sit on the fence during the 1920s, the brewing industry got busy. Led by people like Ernest Nevile, the head of Whitbread’s, they set about designing and building a new type of pub – one that would attract a new middle class clientele. "The presence in public houses of people who will not tolerate insobriety makes excess unfashionable". What were called ‘improved pubs’ – huge buildings with bars, restaurants, ball rooms, bowling greens and even tennis courts – sprung up in the new suburbs. When Nevile said "if I can cure drunkenness in the country in my time, that will satisfy me" he was talking business, not morality. The programme also looks at the first attempts at a sociology of the pub, and what people wanted from it.

9. The Doctors Take Over
A Ministry of Health Report in 1956 referred to heavy drinking as something that had been an issue in Britain "at times in the 18th and 19th century". In 1961 the Home Secretary RA Butler confidently told the Commons that "public drunkenness is not a problem". But such denial couldn’t last long. As part of his series on the politics of alcohol in Britain, Mark Whitaker focuses on the decision by government in 1962 to build specialist alcoholic treatment units around the country. It was called "the first official recognition of alcoholism as an illness which should be the responsibility of doctors", and was an acknowledgement that drinking was on the increase. This period saw the first specific warnings about teenage drinking. But controversies followed. Several Regional Hospital Boards were reluctant to invest in the new units; research suggested that in-patient treatment was not necessarily the most effective; and the strategy was attacked for being of limited value to those most in need of help – the unemployed meths drinkers of ‘Skid Rows’ in the major cities. This was when the pioneering psychiatrist Griffith Edwards first proposed his methods for tackling drunkenness as a public health issue, based on its being recognised as a community-wide problem. Edwards contributes to the programme, while actors read documents from the 1960s.

10. The ‘Drink Question’: Past and Present
In the last decade or so Britain has experienced renewed social and political panic over the consequences of excessive drinking, and the concept of ‘alcohol related harms’ has entered the language. A coherent policy community has developed, and research has multiplied, around questions of alcohol control. But governments have seemingly been reluctant to listen. Mark Whitaker concludes his look at the politics of alcohol since the 17th century by examining New Labour’s Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy of 2004, and related relaxation of the licensing system. Whitaker interviews the historians whose work has informed his own research, and asks them how they think the past can or should inform present policy. He talks to James Nicholls, Virginia Berridge, John Greenaway and Betsy Thom. They address questions about why the ‘Drink Question’ has been defined differently at different times; why the liquor industry has been so politically powerful; why the temperance movement lasted so long but seemingly achieved so little; and why alcoholism and drunkenness have posed distinct policy challenges. Above all, they reflect on the complexity of alcohol as a commodity, and on why legislating about it has been, and remains, remarkably difficult.

The population of Kenya has hit 38.6 million according to the much awaited results of the Population and Housing Census conducted in August last year. This compares with about 30 million Kenyans in 1999, when the last census was carried out. Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya has released the ethnic tally that places Kikuyu as the most populous tribe.

1. Kikuyu 6,622,576
2. Luhya 5,338,666
3. Kalenjin 4,967,328
4. Luo 4,044,440
5. Kamba 3,893,157
6. Kenyan Somali (nullified awaiting recount) 2,385,572
7. Kisii 2,205,669
8. Mijikenda 1,960,574
9. Meru 1,658,108
10. Turkana (also to be recounted) 988,592
11. Maasai 841,622
12. Teso 338,833

Mr Oparanya said the least populous tribes are:

Embu 324,092
Taita 273,519
Kuria 560,401
Samburu 237,179
Tharaka 175,905
Mbeere 168,155
Borana 161,399
Suba 139,271
Swahili 110,614
Gabra 89,519
Orma 66,275
Rendille 60,437

In terms of religion the Minister gave a breakdown as: “The Catholics 9,010,684 Protestants; 18,307,466, Other Christians that do not fall under the above 4,559,584. Muslims are 4,304,798, the Hindu 53,393, traditionalists 635,352. Other religions not falling under those are 557,450 and there are people who do not belong to any religion but believe in God they were 922,128. Those who said they do not know where they belong were 61,233.”

The rate of HIV infection has been on a steady increase over the last five years in Central Province. Infection rate stands at 4.7 per cent of the population, up from 3.7 per cent five years ago. This bucks the national trend where the infection rate has been falling annually. Lack of condoms in public hospitals was one of the causes of the increase, according to Ms Fidelis Ndung’u, the Central regional population coordinator. In Nyeri district, for instance, most government health facilities had run out of condoms. Speaking in Nyahururu at a population workshop, Ms Ndung’u said the shortage had been caused by delays in procurement and delivery. Vernacular radio stations were also named as a major barriers to family planning and use of protection during intercourse. The stations were accused of encouraging women to give birth “for political reasons”. The workshop cited a popular song by musician Epha Maina titled Kangi kamwe (Kikuyu for one more) which urges women to give birth to save the community from extinction in the wake of illicit brews consuming men. Ms Ndung’u said the song reflects sentiments spread by religious leaders and politicians in the area that men were being rendered impotent by the brews. However, the province leads nationally in contraception uptake, at 67 per cent. The birth rate is the lowest in the country — at 3.4 per cent — while North Eastern has the highest, 5.9 per cent. Western and Nyanza provinces recorded 5.6 per cent and 5.4 per cent respectively. Rift Valley is fourth at 4.7, followed by Eastern at 4.4 per cent and Coast at 4.8 per cent. Ms Ndung’u said her office was educating opinion leaders on the role of family planning in national development. The project will also promote male involvement in family planning. Past campaigns have largely targeted women. – Daily Nation.

Kenyan man kills lover for forcing marriage
Strangles her then dumps body in drain

A Kenyan national confessed to killing his lover, 26-year-old Wang J, a Chinese, because she was forcing him to marry her. “I told her that as a Christian, I cannot have two wives, and besides my wife now lives here with me,” the man said in his confession, “Then, she got angry and threatened to inform the police that I had sex with her, so I lost my temper and strangled her for seven minutes until she collapsed. But, I didn’t want to kill her.” According to media reports on Sunday, the Dubai Police arrested the Kenyan, an administrative manager at Emirates airline, after the Chinese woman’s friend reported her missing. The friend told the police that Wang had told her she was going to meet a Kenyan friend. During his interrogation, the Kenyan man told the police that he had met the woman at around 10pm and they had dinner at a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet at a gas station on the Dubai-Al Ain Road. He claimed that she left him to go for a business meeting. He said that the next day when he went to her office to give her some stuff she had left in his car, he could not find her. On the third day when he called her, her mobile was switched off. The police officials then asked the suspect to bring his car in. They noticed that the Kenyan man looked worried when he came to the police station with the car. He later confessed to his crime. He added that after strangling her, he drove to an area near Al Maktoum airport in Jebel Ali. There he put the body into a drain and drove away.

Caught at the Celebrations of the Promulgation of the New Kenya Constitution celebrations in London on Friday 27th August, 2010 is on the left photo Mr. MacMillan, Mr. Gabriel Rwamba and her daughter Miss Rwamba a student at a Birmingham University, UK. On right is Mr. Tito Kagoce, Customer Account Manager with Nationwide Bank in Surrey posing with Mr. & Mrs. Ndungu of Cambridge, UK. - CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE PHOTOS

Somali navy chief: World's worst job?

If you think you face an uphill challenge at work today, spare a thought for Farah Ahmed Omar, the man in charge of Somalia's navy. He has neither boats nor equipment and admits he has not been to sea for 23 years. The interim government does not control much of the 3,000-km (1,860-mile) Somali coastline and then there is the headache of plentiful pirates. Mr Omar said he was first put in charge of the navy in 1982, but speaking to the BBC by phone from the capital, Mogadishu, he did not sound too daunted by the task ahead. "Today there is a big piracy problem and we are ashamed. But we think they [the pirates] don't have sophisticated equipment as they just have fishing boats and small arms which are easy to get in Somalia," he said. Somalia's navy chief said 500 new recruits had recently joined after adverts were aired through radio stations and the men would be paid $60 (£36) per month. Presumably the training will be classroom-based, given the situation at sea. The country has been without an effective central government for the best part of two decades, since the ousting of Siad Barre. And this power vacuum has allowed the pirates to flourish as they demand multimillion dollar ransoms from passing ships. More than 20 international vessels - operating under US, EU and Nato commands - patrol the seas off Somalia in an attempt to protect the vital shipping route. The interim government seems to think it could do a better job, provided it was given a helping hand. Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke said on a recent trip to Nairobi: "If 5% of the money being spent on the warships guarding those waters could be spent on building a security force that deals with the piracy, this could be much more effective because these guys have bases on the land and the best way to deal with them is to deny them a safe haven there." It is widely accepted that patrols at sea are not enough and the key to ending piracy is on land by targeting the pirates' bases. The prime minister appeared to be ignoring the fact that government troops are far from welcome at those bases, such as Harardhere, to the north of Mogadishu. Another notorious pirates' lair, Eyl, is in Puntland, which has broken away from Somalia altogether.

Are you a student and your application was refused because you were not sponsored by your parents, government or International company. There is development in case law for the benefits of students whose applications were refused because they had been sponsored by their relatives or friends.

The draconian rules under the Point Based System for Sponsorship were introduced in 2009 restricting sponsorship to parents, governments or international companies. Husband and wives or brother and sisters were not allowed to act as Sponsors under the rules. The rules have been successfully challenged in court hence the changes.

The same applies to students whose applications were refused because they had less than £800 for three months in their accounts. Some applications have been refused because of having 'a penny' less that is £799.99

If you are a student or your friends are having difficulties renewing their visas, then seek legal advice as soon as possible because there is a deadline for reconsideration of the cases by the Home Office following the Courts decision.

More details contact Martyns & Rose Solicitors on 0208 538 1397, 07931 116 124

Notting Hill Carnival 2010 drawing to a sunny close

Notting Hill Carnival is drawing to a close - with revellers enjoying a late spell of sunshine. The clouds and rain that marred Sunday's event were banished, to the delight of crowds. Police made a total of 207 arrests for a variety of offences over the two days of the carnival, and British Transport Police arrested another 34. The incidents included two stabbings, but police said overall the festival went "smoothly and to plan". A Met Police spokesman said: "People seem to have heeded the warnings to come to carnival to have fun, but not to cause trouble." The arrests included 37 for possession of cannabis, 18 for possession of Class A drugs, and 26 for public order offences. Four men were arrested in Bayswater Road, on the edge of the carnival area, after officers found a firearm in their car. The Met said there were no gun incidents during the carnival's first day. The two stabbings resulted in minor injuries. One person was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm. Police in Luton seized three kilograms of cannabis from two cars stopped on the way to the carnival.

A son of former assistant minister Gerishon Kirima on Sunday directed tenants to pay rent to a new account. The notice was circulated to tenants in Highridge and Embakasi estates, asking them to pay rent and fees at the offices of Kirima & Sons on Moktar Daddah Street, Nairobi. Agents dropping the letters were escorted by police officers from door-to-door. Said the notice: “This is to inform the general public and all tenants and occupants of the properties owned by Kirima & Sons that with effect from the date of this notice all rents, fees and other payments shall be paid at the said offices. “Kirima & Sons had not authorised any persons whosoever to collect any rents or such payments on its behalf.” Mr John Kirima, who has gone to court seeking 20 per cent management rights of his father’s vast estate, told the tenants any payment made elsewhere shall not be recognised. But Ms Alice Kirima, daughter of Mr Kirima’s third wife Teresia Wairimu, said the notice was illegal as it was not printed on the letterhead of Kirima & Sons, neither was it signed by their ailing father “At first, these people (sons and daughters of the first and second wives) said their concern was the health of their father. A few days later, it has turned to property,” she said outside Amani plaza in Highridge. She added: “Mr John Kirima did not have the right to call himself a partner because the Commercial Court had not yet made a ruling on the request.” The case where John wants to be enjoined in the management of the firm will be heard on September 8. On Sunday, Alice denied reports Mr Kirima had returned from London where he was taken for specialised treatment. Last week, some of Mr Kirima’s children produced a videotape where the tycoon revoked the power of attorney he had given to members of his family. The family has been fighting over control of the Kirima estate, estimated at more than Sh750 million.

Audio slideshow: Niger's double disaster

An existing, long-term food crisis in the landlocked West African country, has now been compounded by devastating floods - which saw the River Niger rise to its highest level for more than 80 years. The UK aid agency, Oxfam, says half the population - nearly eight million people - were already facing hunger because of failed harvests. Now, heavy rains earlier in August and the resulting floods have left more than 100,000 people homeless, according to the United Nations. - VIDEO

One year after the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics conducted the nationwide census exercise, the government will on Tuesday 31st August, 2010 unveil the eagerly awaited comprehensive results. Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya will lead the ceremony to release the results at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre. Director of population and social statistics Collins Opiyo said 8.4 Billion shillings was spent during the exercise, saying the release is timely since Kenya has just had a new constitution. Opiyo further called on those who participated in the exercise and have not been paid their dues to ensure they give the correct details so that they can be remunerated. The enumeration was done on the night of August 24, last year, followed by intensive data processing, editing, evaluating and analysing of the results. Other development partners who will be present at the occasion include the United States Agency for International Development, Swedish International Development Co-operation, the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Population Fund. The government has severally delayed to publish the results due to what it termed "complexities in data analysis". Census was first held in Kenya in 1948, when the country was still a Colony administrated by the British. Since 1969 census has been taken every ten years. According to the last census conducted in 1999, there were about 30 million Kenyans. This number is however expected to rise to about 40 million.

UN could sanction Kenya over Bashir

Kenya may face economic and travel sanctions after the International Criminal Court (ICC) reported the country to the United Nations Security Council for inviting and failing to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir who is wanted by the court. International Centre for Transitional Justice Head Njonjo Mue told Capital News on Monday that asking ICC member countries to sanction governments that violate international codes is the major step that the UN takes in similar cases. “I am not saying they will impose sanctions on Kenya, but when UN resolutions are not followed, sanctions would be more extreme reactions,” he said. Mr Mue also said it was unclear what action or when the UN would react since Kenya was not the first member country of the ICC that Mr Bashir had visited. President Bashir has been in Chad and Uganda which are all ICC member states but no action has been taken against the two countries after they failed to arrest him.

Hurricane Earl gaining strength in eastern Caribbean

A storm moving through the eastern Caribbean has strengthened to a Category Three hurricane, prompting warnings for several islands. Hurricane Earl is generating sustained winds of 195km/h (120mph). Forecasters say Earl is now a major hurricane, as it approaches the Leeward Islands, which include the British Virgin Islands. Strong winds and heavy rains are already lashing the islands, east of Puerto Rico in the northern Caribbean. A new hurricane warning has now been issued for the Puerto Rican islands of Culebra and Vieques, said the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC). Hurricane warnings are already in effect in Anguilla, St Martin and St Barthelemy, St Maarten, Saba, St Eustatius, the British Virgin Islands and the US Virgin Islands. Hurricane warnings are in place for Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat, St Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, Saint Martin, Saint Barthelemy, St Maarten, Saba, St Eustatius, the British Virgin Islands and the US Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico is also on hurricane alert. The hurricane warning for Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis has been downgraded to a tropical storm warning. The Turks and Caicos islands are on alert. People in the area are making preparations ahead of the storm, stocking up on food, water and other essential supplies, as well as trying to protect property. "We really don't want any loss of life, whether by persons who are careless or by security or emergency persons trying to rescue people," Carl Herbert, head of the St Kitts and Nevis local emergency management agency, is quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency. "We haven't been hit for quite a few years, but you may never know - this might be the time," said Ashley Benta, from the Antiguan town of Gray's Farm. Earl is currently about 150km (95 miles) east-northeast of St Thomas and is moving at about 24 km/h, with sustained winds of up to 195 km/h, said the NHC advisory.

Three people have appeared in court following the discovery of more than 100 identity documents at 2 addresses in north-west London. Officers from the UK Border Agency's London immigration crime team carried out raids on properties in Keswick Gardens, Wembley, and St Paul's Avenue, Willesden Green, on Friday 20 August. The operation followed the discovery of 2 packages of suspected stolen Lithuanian passports by UK Border Agency officers working at the Mount Pleasant postal sorting office in London. Dozens of official documents including passports, driving licences and identity cards were seized during searches. At the address in Keswick Gardens, 2 people were arrested: Vasily Kovbas, a 35-year-old Ukrainian man, and Ewa Marfijana, a 40-year-old Ukrainian woman. At the address in St Paul's Avenue, Vladimir Kurlovich - a 39-year-old naturalised British citizen - was arrested. All 3 suspects were later charged with offences under the Identity Cards Act, and appeared before Hendon Magistrates on Saturday 21 August. They were remanded in custody, and are due to appear before Harrow Crown Court on 22 October. Detective Superintendent Chris Foster from the London immigration crime team said:

'Organised immigration crime - like drug smuggling - is big business. Gangs are frequently highly organised and use sophisticated methods to evade detection.

'That is why the UK Border Agency now has hundreds of police and immigration officers working night and day to disrupt these criminal gangs.'

The operation was part of planned nationwide action by the UK Border Agency to tackle organised immigration crime, illegal working, sham marriages, and bogus colleges.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga with former Attorney General Charles Njonjo (right) at the Kinoo PCEA church August 29,2010.

Five foreign nationals were arrested in Tilbury on 25 August following a UK Border Agency operation at a church where a suspected sham marriage was due to take place. Officers from a specialist immigration crime team stopped the wedding at St John's Church, Dock Road, Tilbury as it was about to start at 12:00. The Nigerian groom and Dutch bride were put in handcuffs at the altar, while two witnesses - a Nigerian man and woman - were also arrested inside the church. Another Nigerian man, believed to be the wedding 'fixer', tried to escape by scaling a 6ft fence but was apprehended by officers from Essex Police. All 5 were arrested on suspicion of assisting a breach of immigration laws, and were taken to Grays police station. The Reverend of St John's was involved in the planning of the operation and fully supportive of action taken by the UK Border Agency. UK Border Agency assistant director Sam Bullimore said:

'We will not tolerate immigration abuse, and our immigration crime teams are cracking down on sham marriages all over the country.

'If we uncover marriages that are not genuine, we will challenge them and prosecute where appropriate. Our main aim is to identify the organisers who profit from and fuel the demand for sham marriages, and destroy their criminal business.

'We do not expect vicars or registrars to be experts in immigration law or spotting forged documents - that's our job. But if they have any suspicions about whether a relationship is genuine, we would urge them to get in touch with us.'

'Sham weddings are big business with the organisers charging £10,000 or more to arrange ceremonies and to pay "brides" and "witnesses". The UK Border Agency and Essex Police are working closely to crack down on the criminals involved in these activities.'

The month of August is important for parents with children in school at all levels in the United Kingdom. It’s the month A level results are released determining who joins what university for degrees and diplomas. It’s the month GCSE results are released, deciding what college or training pupils join and this has a pivotal effect on their access to opportunities in the future.

Recent media reports about the high number of students who will miss university has reignited the debate on whether university is the magic bullet which opens doors to a bright career and consequently financial and economic prosperity.

Sadly there still exist a disproportionately high number of Kenyan parents in Britain who still don’t understand how the education system works. Many parents remain unsure what exactly is a well performing student or a deteriorating one. In Kenya it was simple since most schools ranked their pupils by ability and so long as your child was position 20 and below, you could be assured that success awaited your child. The story in England is different.

This article will attempt to explain under four headings what parents with school children in England should know and do.

The years to watch are year 2 and year 6 because though formal tests (SATS) have been abolished, attainment at these two years is crucial especially at year 6-as the child prepares to join secondary school. Parents should ensure the child has ideally a level 5 in Maths, English and Science at year 6. The exceptionally bright pupils (usually 1% of all pupils nationally) may achieve a level 6 by the end of year 6-and this may indicate a gifted and talented child. Parents will be pleased by the many free online learning resources they could use to support their children at home including interactive games which children can enjoy as they learn such as the BBC’s Bite size.

The secondary level is divided into two: Key Stage 3 for children in years 7, 8 and 9 and the GCSE (years 10 and 11). In Years 7 - 9, pupils follow a broad curriculum which includes: Mathematics, English, Science, Religious Education, Citizenship, Geography, History, Languages, Technology, Music, Art, Drama and Physical Education. Information Technology is an integral part of the curriculum and is taught both as a separate subject and across all subject areas.

These three years shape and develop a pupil’s interest in the subjects which the child has the greatest ability and interest in and wishes to concentrate on and sit exams for at GCSE. Most schools inform parents when it is time to select subjects at year 9 and parents should be involved and assist their children in making these choices. Parents should dissuade their children from making choices based on what a child’s friends have chosen.

Key stage 3 shouldn’t be too early to explore what your child wishes to be in future, and as much as possible make the subject choices which reinforce that aspiration. It’s regrettable that many children aspiring for science, medical and engineering careers perform rather abysmally in maths and science in earlier years, unaware of the importance of these subjects to their aspirations. By the end of year 9 parents should ensure their child has a good level in the core subjects of Mathematics, English and Science and do well generally in the other subjects so the child is ready to join Year 10 and start preparation for the all important GCSE exams which they sit for in year 11. Depending on a child’s ability, schools allow some pupils to sit some of the GCSE exams as early as in year 9. Schools will usually inform a parent if their child has been selected to sit for the GCSEs exam early. Selection to sit for GCSEs early indicates a potentially able child.

Parents with Children in Upper Secondary: Years 10 & 11. (Also called Key Stage 4).

At this stage all pupils study English, Mathematics, Science, Technology, Religious Education, and Modern Languages e.g. French. Pupils can choose additional subjects (chosen in year 9) such as: History, Geography, Music, Art, Information Technology, Drama, Media, Physical Education, Business Studies, and ICT. The pupils sit GCSE exams at Year 11.

A child who completes and passes GCSE with at least 5 grades A-C including in Mathematics, English and Science has an expanded opportunity of progressing to college and university as well as what they study while there. Admission to study for A levels requires a minimum of 5 GCSEs with at least grades A-C. Failing the GCSE exam will almost automatically exclude a pupil from the highly paying and careers such as Medicine, Engineering, Law, Pharmacy, Journalism, Accountancy, Computer Science, etc. This is because these careers favour academic students who tend to do well in Maths, English and Science. It’s generally agreed that high achievement in these three subjects indicate a pupil capable of training in almost any profession.

At this level pupils can choose either A -levels which are for the academically inclined students (those most suited and most capable of studying for and sitting exams. Assessment at A level is largely through written exams. A level subjects include: Art, Accounting, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Computing, Design, Technology, Drama, English, Economics, French, Geography, German, Government and Politics, History, IT, Mathematics, Media Studies, Music, Music Technology, Physical Education, Physics, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology, Critical Thinking ,General Studies Spanish and Textiles etc.

Those less academically able or poor at sitting written exams choose to do vocational courses where assessments are through coursework and NOT written exams. A levels and vocational courses typically last two years, after which the students apply to join university, direct employment or other forms of training including apprenticeships (on the job training).

For students who do exceptionally well at GCSE and hoping to join top UK universities, its important that they choose and study for A levels and very importantly choose to study traditional subjects such as Mathematics, English, Sciences, history, geography, economics etc at A-level. The top UK universities have a canny preference for these traditional subjects. UK Universities are not the same; some are good in some degree courses and not others.

Parents must not be deceived by the promise of free education. They should where possible offer additional support themselves at home and where necessary enrol their children for additional tuition in Maths, English and Science. Research evidence has shown that immigrant children who study for and excel in the old traditional subjects/courses make faster progress in their adopted countries; succeeding socially and economically. It is the secret Asians, Chinese and Jews realised long ago and this could explain their success in education and clear dominance in the top professional cadres in the UK and elsewhere in the world where top skills are needed from the NHS, Pharmacies, Accountancy and Finance etc. Kenyans can follow a similar path as education remains the shortest path to success in the UK and elsewhere.

We don’t suggest that all Kenyan children in the UK have to follow medical, law, engineering or Accounting careers. However parents should do their part to encourage and support their children to aspire and achieve. Clearly if we do our part, our God will complete the good work.

For more information, contact Pastor Wangaruro, Alex or any other Kenyan teachers in the UK.

Pastor Wangaruro and Alex are the joint authors of a book, “Understanding the British System of Education”. For a copy of the book, contact (familyrebuild@yahoo.co.uk).

Family Rebuild also hosts seminars on education from time to time in various UK locations where your questions on education can be answered.

Alex Kamau teaches at a college in London. He was previously a visiting lecturer at the University Of East London. akkamotho@yahoo.co.uk.

Pastor Peter Wangaruro is a teacher in a London school and director of Family Rebuild - a ministry aimed at helping and supporting families.

As Kenyans in Kenya celebrated the ceremony for the promulgation of the New Kenya Constitution in Kenya, Kenyans in the UK were also lead by the Kenya High Commissioner in the UK, H.E. Ephraim Ngare to celebrate the occasion on Friday 27th August, 2010. There celebrations took place at Hotel Holiday Inn, Regent Park in Central London. The ceremony was attended by a large number of Kenyans from all walks of live even with the short notice given for the ceremony. The ceremony started with foods and drinks, speeches mainly by the Kenya High Commissioner who was accompanied by his wife Mrs. Jane Ngare and the ceremony was crowed by dance which went on to the late hours of Friday evening. Notably was the orderly of the Kenyans at the venue especially with the beer free for all. No incidents and every behaved well explaining that with the new constitution things should be orderly.

Everyone listened carefully to the High Commissioner speech but interrupting with shouts of joys whenever he read a paragraph they agree with especially the Dual Citizens, women's right and above all that the MPs will from now be paying tax. The High Commissioner explained in his speech: "I want to begin by saluting all Kenyans living and working here in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland on this historic occasion when we are celebrating the inauguration of the new Kenya Constitution. Fellow Kenyans, you should all be very proud as Kenyans to note that the New Constitution inaugurated in Nairobi today, has replaced the old constitution which was negotiated in Lancaster House, here in London in 1963. The New Constitution is also truly indigenous in that it was drafted in Kenya by Kenyans and for Kenyans and therefore having the authentic ownership of Kenyans. Indeed, the new constitution is about our great nation of Kenya, our People, our hopes, and aspirations. In this respect, we the Kenyan diaspora here in the UK joins hands with other Kenyans to celebrate as we embark on the process of national renewal under the new constitution." the High Commissioner explained. FULL SPEECH COMING SOON.

Kenyans in the diaspora who had abandoned their citizenship have regained their citizenship following the coming into force of the country's new Constitution. At the same time, it is now not mandatory that foreigners married to Kenyans lose their citizenship if the marriage ceases to exist. Children born to a Kenyan citizen – either mother or father – outside the country are recognised by the Constitution as citizens. This also applies to those who may have been born outside the country before August 27 even if their parents had dumped their Kenyan citizenship. Kenyans who may have adopted a foreign child or children may seek application of citizenship for them. Other sections that have become law immediately include the requirement that if a state of emergency is declared by the President, it can only last for 14 days unless it is extended by the National Assembly through a two-thirds majority vote and three-quarters for any subsequent extension. A State of emergency may be challenged in the Supreme Court. From Friday 27th August, 2010, every Kenyan including MPs who have fought taxation of their salaries, will be required to pay tax. Kenya will no longer be divided into eight provinces but rather the boundaries of the 47 counties.

The house construction now remains roofing and plastering and this will make a difference to Mrs. Lucy Wanjiru Maina (right) - a mother of six

It all started in a fellowship in London several years ago. A visiting preacher from Nakuru, Kenya was preaching in a Kenyan family house in London where they had lost their parent in Kenya. As the preacher was preaching she narrated the meaning of the word "poverty". "You people, you don't know what poverty is. When I talk about poverty you might not exactly understand but I can narrate what poverty is all about with an example of a widowed lady who was left by the husband with 6 children. The children do not go to school and the family is like nomads. They have been evicted from their rented houses for more than 9 times. They rent house, at the end of the month they cannot afford to pay the rent hence they are evicted. You are evicted until you don't know which estate you belong." the preacher explained. After the fellowship Pastor Jane Njiiri, the wife of Mr. Seed, enquired from the preacher about the woman and her where abouts. She contacted the lady and immediately she started to educate her children. It has been all along the desire of Pastor Njiiri and her family to build a home for this poor widow to make a difference in her life. Whenever Mr. Seed's family are in Kenya they always contact the lady who always join them in their family tour and she has become like a part of their family.

If you would like to help her in any way please contact her through Mrs. Lucy Wanjiru Maina on 0727307672 - FULL STORY

You can donate whatever you like AND the Seeds family will buy whatever will not be donated.

(10) KPLC Power connection from main (KShs. 42,000) we have done all the wiring)

Whatever someone is touched to donate is highly welcomed. The Bible says in Proverbs 19: 17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

Kesom Freight International Limited are pleased to announce the opening of their OWN office in Bristol.

This office can offer a full Freight forwarding service, including Imports, Exports by air & sea worldwide plus receiving & handling of cargo for our KENYAN consolidation service