Security ofcers and members of the public at the

scene where two mass graves were discovered at

Empakasi area in Athi River, Machakos County
yesterday. [PHOTO: PETERSON GITHAIGA/STANDARD]
STANDARD
THE
on Sunday Kenyas Bold Newspaper.
No. 434
May 18, 2014
www.standardmedia.co.ke
KSh60/00 TSh1,500/00 USh2,700/00
Hyena unearths four
bodies in secret graves
TERROR: AIRLINES MOVE
CREW TO ZANZIBAR
Tourist companies cancel ights
to Mombasa until October, P.3
Debate on possible outcomes
deepens divisions in camps, P.31
DEGREE: SPOTLIGHT STILL
ON JOHO OVER PAPERS
By STANDARD TEAM
The wave of impeachments blow-
ing across the country against gover-
nors has not spared the county boss-
es in Coast region.
From Taita Taveta to Lamu, the
governors have had to come up with
strategic ways of containing their re-
spective County Ward Representa-
tives, popularly known as Members
of County Assembly (MCAs).
But in Mombasa and Kili coun-
ties, where Governors Hassan Joho
and Amason Kingi respectively have
managed to exercise a comfortable
level of control over their MCAs, they
have to deal with other political pres-
sures that threaten their stay in of-
ce.
Hussein Dado Amason Kingi John Mruttu Issa Timamy
>> story on page 32
Herder attracted to
Hyena carrying a
peculiar bone
Followed the animal and
stench, which led him to
two secret mass graves
Frightened residents
and police ofcers point
ngers at Mungiki
County commissioner
says killings linked to
EAPCs land tussle
MCAs keep Coast governors on their toes
STORY PAGES 4 & 5
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY Page 2
NEWS
This is how NSSF
will manage your
Sh30b pension
Secure retirement: With new contributions taking effect in June, frm assures of prudence use of the huge amount
How the new
rates affect you
Those without NSSF card will be
barred from employment
Workers earning Sh3,000 will pay
discounted rate of Sh360 and their
employers the same
Those earning Sh10,000 to pay
Sh360 monthly too
Those earning Sh18,000 and above
to pay Sh1,080 monthly while their
employer will pay the same
Workers earning a million and
above to pay Sh1,080 too
Companies will not transact busi-
ness without Certifcate of Compli-
ance
From June 1,
when the changes
to minimum
contributions are
effected, employers
and contributors
will have an option
of opting out of
the NSSF scheme
Edward Odundo, RBA CEO
By DANIEL WESANGULA
The National Social Security
Fund (NSSF) has been in cross hairs
recently past over implementation
of a proposed increment of contri-
butions by workers from a minimum
Sh200 to Sh1,080. With this, the fund
targets to collect at least Sh30 billion
every year, translating to Sh2.5 bil-
lion every month.
With the new contributions
passed into law, what exactly does
the fund plan to do with this money,
particularly in light of its history with
mismanagement and misappropria-
tion? Although public condence
over NSSFs ability to manage the co-
lossal sums is minimal, the fund be-
lieves it has turned the corner.
We do accept we had integrity
issues in the past, but governance is-
sues have already been dealt with.
The current Act and the Retirement
Benet Authority Act will ensure that
loopholes in the management of the
fund no longer exist, Richard Lan-
gat, the NSSF CEO told The Standard
on Sunday.
To date thousands still ock the
company headquarters daily chas-
ing after their cheques or those of
departed relatives.
Langat says with new systems,
NSSF trustees will no longer have di-
rect access to pensioners monies.
New systems
However, critics, without faulting
the idea behind the increased rates,
query the readiness of the fund in
handling this rise in collection.
We cannot fault the nobility of
the idea. What we have a problem
with are the institutional inefcien-
cies within the organisation. For in-
stance, for a rm purporting to have
Kenyas best interests at heart, why is
it that the last audited books from
NSSF date back to 2011, asks Wil-
liam Maara, the Association of Re-
tirement Benets Schemes Secretary
General.
Their accounts, which are pub-
lic documents, cannot be ac-
cessed.
But what will a bigger and richer
NSSF do with the 2.5 billion month-
ly reserves? Will service delivery at
their claims ofce be faster in light
of numerous complaints by pen-
sioners over delays and untraceable
pensions?
We have installed new systems
to spend less time dealing with dis-
bursements. By September, it will be
fully operational. These are some of
the things we have put in place to
seal these loopholes, Langat says.
But Maara says that even if the
loopholes are sealed, a lot more will
have to be done.
Before enactment of the Bill into
law, Langat says there were wide
consultations with employers, gov-
ernment and trade unions; a posi-
tion that Knut Secretary General Wil-
son Sossion denies.
More deductions
We were never involved in the
drafting of the Bill. From our point of
view, it has many technical loop-
holes and teachers will not contrib-
ute unless we go through a collective
bargaining process, says Sossion.
He says teachers have a pension
scheme and there is no need for an-
other that will subject them to more
deductions from their pay slips.
If they deduct it from our pay
slips then that will be seen as an af-
front and will be an invitation for un-
rest from us, he says.
The Central Organisation of
Trade Unions (Cotu), through an af-
liate member, on Friday lent their
dissenting voice to the contributions
debate.
It is ridiculous that at a time
when the NSSF is under investiga-
tion from various government inves-
tigating agents, the Cabinet Secre-
tary Ministry of Labour, Social
Security and Services is busy push-
ing for workers to start contributing
under the new scheme. We are deter-
mined to go extra mile in ensuring
none of our members hard earned
cash goes to a fund riddled with
massive theft and corruption, read
a statement from the Kenya Union of
Domestic Hotels, Education Institu-
tions and Hospital Workers.
Late last year, Matungu MP David
Were tabled an amended NSSF Bill
on the oor of the National Assem-
bly. From his position as chair of the
House committee on Labour and So-
cial Welfare, he says the increased
contributions are a welcome thing
for the majority of Kenyans.
The Act was something whose
time had comethe issues raised
are valid and we cannot completely
rule out corruption but we must
start somewhere. If the law is fol-
lowed to the letter, then it will be a
good thing, Were says.
Statistics from the Retirement
Benet Authority show there are at
least 1,217 retirement schemes in
Kenya in a sector worth Sh522.6 bil-
lion as at June 2012. Of this, only
Sh110.9 billion is held by the NSSF,
while the remaining Sh412 billion is
held by occupational schemes run
by fund managers.
Optional contribution
If the government-supported
fund meets its annual projections, it
will, in a few years, be among the
biggest players in the pensions ser-
vices sector. What does this mean to
other pension funds in the country?
There will be little effect to the
existing pension schemes. As the
regulator in the industry we have ne-
gotiated an opt-out agreement with
all parties involved. From June 1,
when the changes to minimum con-
tributions are effected, employers
and contributors will have an option
of opting out of the NSSF scheme,
Retirement Benets Authority CEO
Edward Odundo said.
Odundo says Kenyans will only
pay for the rst month after which
their contributions will continue to
be remitted to their schemes of
choice. It is only those with no retire-
ment scheme who will be obligated
to contribute to NSSF.
If the overall idea was to make
Kenyans save for a retirement fund,
then the government should have
made it mandatory for employers
and employees to contribute to a
pension scheme of their choice and
not force NSSF down the throats of
Kenyans, Maara says.
He argues there are private
schemes with bigger returns on in-
vestment compared to NSSF. Their
investments earn an average of ve
per cent which is even below the rate
of ination. Of what gain will this be
to the pensioner, he argues.
NSSF however say their fund,
through different platforms, returns
an average of 24 per cent.
We no longer even handle the
money. All contributions from mem-
bers go to professional fund manag-
ers who invest this money in real es-
tate, hedge funds and other sectors.
This will enable us get more returns
for our members, Langat says.
The debate on the technicalities
of the increment and the funds du-
bious past make little sense to pen-
sioners trying to cash their benets.
The latest being the controversial
Tassia Estate housing project which
allegedly had a awed tendering
process.
Special mortgage
The project was the subject of
controversy after Cotu chair Francis
Atwoli blew the whistle alleging that
the insurer would lose billions of
shillings if it was given a go ahead.
NSSF insists things will get better.
A pension scheme for those in the
diaspora is running, and it says ne-
gotiations are ongoing on the possi-
bility of having a special mortgage
facility for the majority of its mem-
bers on the minimum contribution
scale.
We ask Kenyans to give us time.
NSSF has the ability to transform
their retirement, Langat adds.
TOP: The NSSF headquarters in Nairobis Community area. ABOVE: NSSFs CEO
Richard Langat. [PHOTOS: FILE/STANDARD]
NEWS
Page 3 May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
By CYRUS OMBATI
The US ambassador to Kenya has re-
quested additional Kenyan and Ameri-
can security personnel and is reducing
the size of the embassy staff because
of an increase in terrorist threats in Ke-
nya. The Associated Press (AP) said the
ambassador made the requests in a let-
ter sent to embassy employees Friday.
Ambassador Robert Godec said ad-
ditional police are already patrolling
around the embassy and that more as-
sets will arrive from Washington next
week. The embassy warned Americans
last week that it was taking new secu-
rity steps because of recent threat in-
formation. Apart from the US, Britain,
France and Australia have also warned
of terror threats in Nairobi and Momba-
sa. Militants from Al-Shabaab in Soma-
lia are blamed for an increasing num-
ber of attacks in Kenya but some of the
them have been blamed on homegrown
terrorism. Al-Qaeda bombed the US Em-
bassy in Kenya in 1998, killing more
than 200 people.
Unfortunately, the security situa-
tion in Kenya, especially in Nairobi and
Mombasa, continues to worsen. Since
the tragic events of Westgate in Sep-
tember 2013, the number of attacks,
threats, and warnings is deeply con-
cerning, Mr Godec said, referring to
the assault on Westgate Mall by four
Al-Shabaab gunmen that killed at least
67 people. Since the Westgate attack,
there have been 12 explosions in Nairobi
killing more than 20 people, Godecs let-
ter said. The latest are the twin impro-
vised explosive devices that exploded
in Gikomba market, Nairobi on Friday,
killing at least 10 people and wounding
more than 70. According to AP, the US
Embassy in Nairobi, which was relocat-
ed after the 1998 attack, sits far off the
road and is surrounded by thick walls.
Armed marines have recently begun pa-
trolling the grounds wearing bulletproof
vests and helmets.
An article published in the AP, Scott
Gration, a former US ambassador to Ke-
nya, in an interview on Friday, embas-
sies are a magnet for people that have
ideological tendencies, and that they
are a target whether a security warning
has recently been posted or not.
Kenya has experienced an increase
of attacks since it sent its troops to So-
malia to combat Alshabaab in 2011.
US envoy asks for extra security
By KIPCHUMBA KEMEI
AND DANIEL WESANGULA
In 30 dark days, Kenyans have
woken up to news of death and de-
struction perpetuated by terrorists
who continue to spread fear amongst
citizens and non-citizens in equal
measure to disastrous effects.
On the night of April 23, four peo-
ple including two police ofcers were
killed in a car explosion.
On May 3, three people died when
suspected terrorists blew up a bus in
Mombasa. The following day, two
people were killed in explosions in-
side two buses on Thika Road.
And on Friday, 10 people were
killed in Gikomba Market, Nairobi
following twin explosions. Following
the twin bombings in Nairobi on Fri-
day, President Uhuru Kenyatta has
now called on all 40 million Kenyans
to unite in protecting the country.
Kenya has endured perhaps one
of the bloodiest periods over the last
30 days; a period in which 20 people
were killed and hundreds injured in
separate terror attacks.
The state of insecurity has created
panic among Kenyans across the
country as foreigners on holiday in
Mombasa heeded travel advisories
from their countries and returned
home. Yesterday, Uhuru pleaded
with all citizens to take responsibility
of their security: Because we cannot
be 100 per cent secure unless they
are fully involved.
In Mombasa the eeing of foreign
tourists is arguably the largest evacu-
ation of foreign nationals from the
country since the 1960s when British
nationals left en masse fearing repri-
sals from the black population who
had won independence from British
rule. Critics have accused the secu-
rity machinery of doing everything
apart from its job in respect to stem-
ming the rising tide of attacks that
are threatening to sow seeds of dis-
cord between communities.
Near credible threat
Speaking at Kamukuywa in Bun-
goma before the President made his
address, Kakamega Senator Bonny
Khalwale asked the President to sack
all security chiefs whom he blamed
for sleeping on the job.
The Government sacked ofcers
after people died because of con-
suming (adulterated) alcohol and yet
police bosses David Kimaiyo and
Ndegwa Muhoro and National Intel-
ligence Service (NIS) Director Mi-
chael Gichangi are still in ofce, said
Khalwale. After every attack, Govern-
ment has embarked on large-scale
operations in an attempt to weed out
the terrorists from the local popula-
tion. Critics of this approach have
pointed out that the problem is that
the operations appear to be targeted
towards Somali and Muslim popula-
tions. The latest was the much-criti-
cised Operation Usalama Watch,
which targeted aliens living in Nairo-
bis Eastleigh area.
The NIS has been accused, at best,
of sleeping on the job and at worst
serving partisan political interests, ac-
cording to lawyer Ahmednasssir Ab-
dulahi.
This week the Government en-
tered into a deal worth Sh15 billion
with Safaricom Company to set up a
security communication and surveil-
lance project to combat run-away
crime.
And in Mombasa, by Saturday
morning, more than 400 Britons and
scores of other European and Ameri-
can nationals had been evacuated
from Kenya. For the rst time in its 51-
year history, Kenya is grappling with
challenges, choices and decisions that
no previous administration or genera-
tion has had to confront.
According to diplomatic sources
the evacuations were informed by se-
rious security concerns following a
near credible terror threat.
The sources also say that accord-
ing to their intelligence, there has
been credible chatter intercepted that
points to the planning of a major ter-
ror attack in the coastal city of Mom-
basa. President Kenyatta has denied
knowledge of any such intelligence re-
ports.
The denial however has done little
to calm the nerves of tourists as for-
eign missions and tour rms evacuat-
ed their clients and citizens en masse.
Tour companies Thomson and First
Choice said they cancelled ights to
the coastal resort city until October.
The BBC also reported that another
travel company, Kuoni, said it was not
offering holidays to the Kenyan coast
for the time being.
Part of the advisory by the British
Foreign and Commonwealth Ofce
warned against any travel, all but es-
sential travel to areas within 60km of
the Kenya-Somalia border, Kiwayu
and coastal areas north of Pate Island,
Garissa District, Eastleigh area of Nai-
robi, low-income areas of Nairobi, in-
cluding all township or slum areas,
Mombasa island and within ve kilo-
meters of the Coast from Mtwapa
creek in the north down to and includ-
ing Tiwi in the south.
Twenty-four hours after the evacu-
ations began, Nairobis busy Gikomba
market was hit by simultaneous blasts
that claimed at least 10 lives.
As a result bookings have been
cancelled and a regional telecommu-
nications conference that was sched-
ule to take place in Nairobi has also
been pushed to a later date. We are
sorry to announce that East Africa
Com, due to take place in Nairobi next
week, is to be postponed.
In light of recent security concerns
and of todays (Friday) bombings in
the city we have decided we cannot go
ahead with the event as planned. Al-
though we have held many events in
the great business hub that is Nairobi,
we have to put our delegates, our cus-
tomers and our teams safety and se-
curity rst, read part of a statement
from the event organisers.
Disaster: News of death and destruction perpetuated by terrorists has been rife
Tourists relax at the poolside of Reef Hotel located in the North Coast. [PHOTO:
GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD]
Kenyans come face to face with
reality of terrorism, destruction
By PHILIP MWAKIO
After the evacuation of mainly
British tourists from hotels on the
Kenyan coast, airlines are now relo-
cating crew to Zanzibar due to fear of
terrorist, The Standard on Sunday
has established from aviation sourc-
es. Airline crew, who are normally on
crew exchange list, were taken to
Zanzibar after the evacuation of the
British tourists on Thursday and Fri-
day and will be there till October.
By close of business yesterday,
airport sources conrmed that close
to 500 tourists whose holiday stay
had been cut short after the UK start-
ed evacuating their nationals had
checked out of Coast hotels and
made the impromptu journey back
home. Holidaymakers with Thomson
and First Choice were told their
dream long-haul trips were being cut
short and that they should pack and
prepare to travel to the airport in
convoys of coaches under armed
guard. Both companies said they
were cancelling ights to Mombasa
until at least October.
Britain warned on Wednesday
that tourists should not travel to
Mombasa city or to popular beaches
to its north because of the threat of
terrorism, and those already there
should leave immediately.
A tour operator with clients who
had been booked in a hotel outside
the designated danger zone as per
the UK advisory and who did not
wish to be identied said his clients
protested at the move to force them
to return back home.
They were staying at a hotel out-
side of the Foreign Ofces new alert
zone, on Diani beach, yet they, too
were ordered to leave, he said.
United Nations World Tourism
Organisation Africa Regional Vice
President and Utalii College Princi-
pal, Dr Kenneth Ombongi said that
the challenges arising from acts of
terrorism require concerted efforts to
ght it and not behaving in a manner
that accelerates it by causing fear and
panic. Issuance of such travel advi-
sories to destination Kenya only
plays to the whims of bad elements
in society whose aim is to spread fear
and panic among otherwise peace-
loving people who have chosen to
holiday in our beautiful destination,
Dr Ombongi said. Safari and wildlife
areas are not affected by the new ad-
visories, but coastal tourism is a
mainstay and many tour operators
said they feared a collapse in book-
ings following the warnings.
Kenya Wildlife Service Director
incharge of community empower-
ment and Devolution, Benjamin Ka-
vu said separately that all the desig-
nated parks and game reserves are
secure for tourists and visitors alike
to visit and sample. Former Garsen
MP and Kenya Ports Authority chair-
man, Danson Mungatana termed is-
suance of travel advisories by Britain
as an ecocomic warfare being be-
cause of Kenyas decision to do busi-
ness with the East.
More airlines
relocate crew to
Zanzibar due to
fear of terrorists
30 dark days
On the night of April 23, four people
including two police ofcers were
killed in a car explosion. On May 3,
three people died when suspected
terrorists blew up a bus in Mombasa.
The following day, two people were
killed in explosions inside two buses
on Thika Road. And on Friday, 10
people were killed in Gikomba Market,
Nairobi following twin explosions.
Kenya has endured perhaps one of
the bloodiest periods over the last
30 days; a period in which 20 people
were killed and hundreds injured in
separate terror attacks.
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May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY Page 4
NEWS FEATURE
It is unfortunate that
people are slaughtering
each other like animals.
This area has been very
peaceful for many years
Daniel Konchori, Community elder
By DANIEL WESANGULA
and PETERSON GITHAIGA

At least four dead bodies were
recovered in mass grave at a dis-
used quarry three kilometres off
the Nairobi-Namanga highway
on the border of Machakos and
Kajiado County yesterday.
An old man found the bodies,
basically bits and pieces of esh
and severed heads, after he fol-
lowed a hyena and a strong
stench of rotting esh. There
were fresh indications that more
bodies could be found as the
search continues.
On a routine herding in Em-
pakasi area, Simon Soiyale was
attracted to a hyena that seemed
to have something peculiar be-
tween its jaws. On closer inspec-
tion, he noticed that the eshy
bone between the scavengers
jaws resembled something hu-
man.
Around it were smaller bones
that resembled human ngers.
Then a stench of rotting esh
hit me and I decided to follow the
hyena, Mzee Soiyale told The
Standard on Sunday.
What he discovered resem-
bled a scene straight off a horror
movie set. Two mass graves 10
metres apart lay at the bottom of
a 10-foot quarry. In one mass
grave, four human skulls could
be seen protruding from a large
boulder the size of half a sack of
potatoes. The boulder was like
the centerpiece of a macabre
painting, surrounded by the
peeping skulls.
Putrid smell
The tops of the skulls were
eshless and pink, smoothened
by the vagaries of nature, pink
from the esh that coated them
not so long ago and the endless
gnawing form the wild animals
and attrition.
Threads of esh and cloth al-
so protruded from under the
large boulder.
All around, lone bones littered
the site with stray dogs prancing
around attracted by the putrid
smell from the decomposing
bodies.
The sunken quarry had
mounds of soil all around, a per-
fect place to dispose bodies. Were
it to rain, silt would provide the
perfect cover and bury with it a
heinous crime that residents as-
sociate with what has become
the elephant in the room among
Kitengela residents. Frightening-
Horror killings: Grave discovered by a herdsman near Athi River is in an area believed to be a dumping site for people
Hyena unearths four bodies
Is Mungiki
making a
comeback?
Police offcers who spoke on con-
dition of anonymity pointed a fn-
ger at the outlawed sect.
Others said csome of their
colleagues,some in senior posi-
tions, are paid to look the other
way by the sect leader. Others said
the Government is unwilling to
deal the Mungiki a fnal blow
Residents at the scene of crime
talked of the silent terror slowly
spreading in the area as a result of
the dreaded Mungiki sect
They are among us. Some of
those here know the people bur-
ied in these graves., said a boda
boda rider.
A Mungiki splinter group opposed
to Maina Njengas tenure and led
by his brother, is said to have been
behind the killing of two people
said to have shown interest in buy-
ing a piece of land belonging to the
East African Portland Cement Com-
pany May 4 attacks
killings were most likely linked to
the selling off of East Africa Port-
land Cements land by unscrupu-
lous dealers to gullible buyers.
Some of these dealers are thought
to be afliated to Mungiki.
On Sunday May 4, two people
were brutally attacked after at-
tending a service in Good Hope
Church at Kitengela. The two are
said to have been among a group
of people who had gone to East
African Portland Cement Com-
panys land bordering Kitengela
and Athi River. After attending
the church service, the group
marched to the area where they
engaged in a ght with people
said to be their rivals. The clash
left two people dead.
The next morning, a gang of
about 60 people with pangas,
clubs and metal bars, alleged to
be on a revenge mission, went
door-to-door looking for people
they claimed were involved in the
killing of their friends. Four peo-
ple, who are said to be behind the
killing on May 4, were attacked.
Thorough probe
A Mungiki splinter group op-
posed to Maina Njengas tenure
and led by his brother, is said to
have been behind the May 4 at-
tacks.
It is only last week when one
group of the brokers came to my
ofce and claimed that their ri-
vals were targeting them for elim-
ination this is most likely relat-
to deal the Mungiki a nal blow.
As the clouds gathered over
Empakassi, and dogs continued
to hopefully wander around the
graves, one truth remained cer-
tain among the residents
Mungiki is with us.
But the county administra-
tion added a twist to the plot.
Kajiado County Commission-
er Laban Kobia explained that the
Some of the skulls found at two mass graves discovered at Empakasi
area in Athi River, Machakos County, yesterday. [PHOTO: PETERSON
GITHAIGA/STANDARD]
ly, residents say this is not the rst
incident.
Just a few metres from here
other bodies were dumped, Soi-
yale says. He made the gruesome
discovery on Friday evening and
alerted the police.
As dawn broke in Empakasi on
Saturday and the serenity of the
undulating windy plains shattered
by the news of the discovery, resi-
dents huddled in groups, talking in
low tones about the fate that befell
the buried.
Even as the police cordoned off
the area almost 12 hours after the
report was made, residents talked
of the silent terror slowly spread-
ing in the area as a result of the
dreaded Mungiki sect.
Missing persons
They are among us. Some of
those here know the people buried
in these graves. . and these are just
a few people. If you were to scour
this area, you will discover more,
Alex Kinuthia, a boda boda rider,
told The Standard on Sunday.
Among those present was a 38-
year-old man in search of his
younger brother who has been
missing since last Sunday. He told
The Standard on Sunday that the
last time he made contact with his
brother, he was on his way to a
church service at Maina Njengas
Hope International Church.
The missing young man of 25
never returned home. His house
in Nairobis Mbotela estate re-
mains unoccupied and his laun-
dry business unattended. Ken-
nedy, he only gave his rst name
for fear of his security, had been
referred to the graves by the area
OCPD on Saturday morning af-
ter enquiring about the where-
abouts of his younger brother for
the umpteenth time.
As he talked of his missing
sibling, the ever-present linger-
ing tear on his left eye betrayed
his braveness. After a closer look
at the skulls, he couldnt hold
back any more and the lone tear
ran down his left cheek and onto
his chest staining his dusty black
shirt.
The thought of his kid broth-
er being among the dead too
much to bear.
The quarry is on community
land that has changed hands
twice. From being communal
land, to government land and
back to being classied as com-
munal land.
Brutal attacks
Police ofcers who spoke on
condition of anonymity pointed
a nger at the outlawed sect,
claiming that some of their col-
leagues, others in senior posi-
tions, are paid to look the other
way by the sect leader. Others
said the Government is unwilling
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY Page 5
NEWS FEATURE
from mass grave
killed around the cosmopolitan town that borders Machakos and Kajiado counties
could be a dumping ground for
bodies.
It is unfortunate that people
are slaughtering each other like
animals. This area has been very
peaceful for many years but since
they came to Kitengela, it has be-
come a hell. These people and
their church need to be dealt with
once and for all, area elder Dan-
iel Kanchori said.
For him, and several others,
only one group of people can be
blamed.
At 6pm yesterday, ve hours
after the crime scene had been
cordoned off, the County Com-
missioner ordered the gathered
crowd to disperse. After the po-
lice assured residents that all was
under control, they nally walked
away murmuring.
MASS GRAVES DISCOVERED
2
NUMBER ON REVENGE MISSION
60
ed but we will do a thorough
investigations, said Kobia.
He said his ofce had received
several missing person com-
plaints by Kitengela residents.
He, however, asked any resi-
dent with any information relat-
ed to the killings to offer it to the
police.
Under control
Even as the government of-
cial waited for an exhumation or-
der to be issued, one young man
at the scene said there were more
graves in the government land,
but the young man was reluctant
to volunteer more information.
Two mutilated bodies have
been found metres from the
scene over the past month, fur-
ther fueling fears that the area
Some out of anger of suffering
another night of not knowing
where their loved ones are. Oth-
ers out of the fear that is slowly
growing amongst them. While
many more as a result of both an-
ger and fear.
Additional reporting by Jacob
Ngetich
NOTICE TO ALL UNIVERSITY LOAN BENEFICIARIES!
Pursuant to HELB ACT 1995, SECTION 15 (1) and (2)
a penalty of Kshs.5,000/= has been levied for each
month or part of the month that has remained
unpaid since maturity of the loan. Accounts that
are currently not active regardless of previous
partial payments also attract the penalty.
This is to notify all University Loan beneciaries that;
1. The Board shall waive up to a maximum 80% of the penalties for
any individual loanee who will pay his/her outstanding loan in lump
sum.
2. The waiver shall run until 30th May 2014.
3. The waiver is aimed at giving loan beneciaries an opportunity to
pay any outstanding loan balances due to the Board so that they are
compliant to the various State laws and regulations.
4. For further information on loan repayment visit our website www.
helb.co.ke or email us at recovery@helb.co.ke
5. The Board wishes to request the beneciaries to take advantage of
the waiver period
80%
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WAIVER!
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DEADLINE: 30
TH
MAY 2014
Take the Opportunity NOW!!!
To achieve Vision 2030 HELP HELB to recover past loans
Please ensure all payment
slips are scanned and
forwarded to recovery@helb.
co.ke for processing of your
clearance certicate. Always
include your National ID.NO.
for all transactions
Remains
believed to be of
a human at one of
the mass graves
discovered near
Athi River yester-
day. INSET: A police
ofcer at the scene.
[PHOTO: PETERSON
GITHAIGA/
STANDARD]
Page 6 May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
By PHILIP MUASYA
pmuasya@standardmedia.co.ke

Syunzi Mathembe chose a curi-
ous day to return to her matrimonial
home in Kaloo Village, Kitui county
last week. She arrived at the home
she had deserted three years earlier
less than a week after The Standard
on Sunday had published a harrow-
ing story about Mwendes brutal de-
lement by Syunzis lover Peter Nzu-
ki Mbuvi who then in concert with
Syunzi locked up Mwende (not her
real name) in a room for three weeks
to hide their shame.
On the day that Syunzi arrived at
Kaloo Village last week, other well-
wishers had come to help Mwende
get medical attention because her
brutal sexual assault on September
13, 2011 had left her partially paraly-
sed and in crutches.
Last week, Syunzi confessed to
her lovers crime for the rst time
she said Nzuka had indeed sexually
assaulted her daughter when she was
11, and now lives in Garissa after his
acquittal which was made possible
when his lover and co-conspirator
destroyed crucial evidence that may
have landed him behind bars for the
rest of his life.
But in a strange twist last week,
Syunzi, probably gnawed by her guilt,
appeared eager to make amends
as she leaned on a rickety granary
and carefully scanned the faces of
visitors, possibly looking for signs of
hostility.
Can I be allowed to accompany
her to hospital, I can help in cleaning
her and washing her clothes, Syunzi
offered.
I looked her straight in the eye,
and she seemed to read my mind,
I am not as bad as people claim,
Syunzi lamely offered.
A neighbour who had overheard
her request confronted her, and
called her an evil woman. Syunzis
husband Zakayo Muthemba, the
man she jilted, suddenly became
aware of her presence and lost his
temper he had to be held back by
area chief Samuel Maithya.
Mwingi Red Cross team Husna Lukoye (left) and Priscilla Musai with Mwende at her
Kaloo village home in Kitui County when they went to pick her for specialised
treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital. RIGHT: Syunzi Mathembe, mother
to Mwende resurfaced on Monday. [PHOTOS: PHILIP MUASYA/STANDARD]
NEWS FEATURE
Mother to defled girl returns, says, I am
Making amends? Mother to Mwende offered to accompany her daughter to hospital, saying she could help in cleaning her and washing her clothes
By PHILIP MUASYA
Well-wishers have been beating the
path to Mwendes doors to come to her
assistance following the story of her har-
rowing rape ordeal in last weeks The Stan-
dard on Sunday. They include Cabinet
Secretary Charity Ngilu, Senator Naisula
Lesuuda, former Vice President Kalonzo
Musyoka and the Red Cross.
This is terribleterrible, the perpe-
trators must be brought to justice, said
Kalonzo after meeting Mwende at Mwingi
Red Cross ofce. No wonder she wants to
be a policewoman; so she can deal with
such brutalities, he observed.
Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu
sent her team to evacuate Mwende for
treatment only to nd that the Red Cross
had beaten her to it, while Senator Naisula
Lesuuda telephoned those who are look-
ing after her and offered to help.
By the time these groups had moved to
intervene, the Red Cross team had already
arrived at Kaloo Village.
Following The Standard on Sunday ar-
ticle on her ordeal, Kenya Red Cross Sec-
retary General Abbas Gullet instructed his
Mwingi team to pick Mwende as their rst
assignment on Monday morning.
The Red Cross had already booked
a specialist doctor at Kenyatta National
Hospital waiting on standby to receive
Mwende for comprehensive medical tests
and treatment. The team endured a three-
kilometre hilly trek through bush path-
ways to get to Mwendes home.
Also in this team were Endui Chief
Samuel Maithya and Mwingi Business
Community and Professionals Forum co-
ordinator Campbell Munyambu.
On learning that they had visitors,
Mwende, weak and wobbly, emerged
from her fathers hut, unaware she was
the cause of the commotion.
Her father, Zakayo Muthemba, who
had been taking care of the girl after his
wife eloped with her deler three years
ago, joined Mwende.
The Red Cross team of Husna Lu-
koye and Priscilla Musai washed her and
changed her clothes in readiness for the
journey to Nairobi. Mathembe and the
girls grandmother Mbisu Mengi were
overwhelmed. I feel like a heavy load has
been lifted off my shoulders. I pray that
she gets well and goes back to school,
Muthemba said.
Mwendes horric story in the The
Standard on Sunday triggered an ava-
lanche of tweets. Nerisa Kiruki-Karicho
wrote: The story on Mwende is too trau-
matising. How can it be? Please let me
know how I can contribute towards her
treatment. Im hurting, especially now
that my daughter is 15. I cant imagine
someone doing that to her.
And Tilomai Ponder Blyth wrote, I
read the sad story of Mwendes ordeal
and I wish to help. I live in Nairobi, run a
US-based NGO and work with local NGOs
here who focus on girl-child empower-
ment. I wont rest until I see how this de-
serving girl can be helped. Help me get
in touch with Mwende so I can begin the
process of assisting her.
Jane Kimani noted: Your story about
Mwende is a sad one. She is a wounded
girl and needs urgent help.
Zabibu Centre, which caters for desti-
tute and abused children, offered to pay
for Mwendes education, accommodation
and counselling. She will also benet
from therapy and a loving Zabibu frater-
nity, they wrote.
ed Syunzi that her where-
abouts were established.
Chief Maithya, then
summoned his ofcers and
rushed the girl then only
11 to Mwingi District Hos-
pital where doctors noted severe
injuries inicted through sexual
assault.
The hospital, however, could
not adequately handle the case
so she was referred to Embu
Provincial General Hospital for
specialised treatment. But due
to lack of funds, Mwende was
discharged and sent home.
Nzuki was later arrested
and arraigned in the Mwingi
law court where he denied
the charge of sexual assault.
It was possibly then that Syunzi
realised her game was up and melt-
ed away.
To the villagers of Kaloo, Syunzis
transgressions were plain she had
conspired with her lover who sexu-
ally assaulted her daughter, an ac-
count Mwende painfully narrated to
us a week earlier.
Medical documents
He stepped on my thigh hard
and I felt my bone crack, Mwende
had told The Standard on Sunday.
Mwende remained locked up for
three weeks before anyone got wind
of her tribulations as her mother and
lover went on with their business
without a care in the world.
It was when Mwendes paternal
grandmother Mbisu Mengi confront-
Girls plight attracts droves of well wishers
He was remanded at Waita Prison
for two years as the case progressed,
says Maithya.
Mwendes father Zakayo Muth-
emba, who had now returned home
from Kangundo in Machakos Coun-
ty where he worked as a farmhand,
says his wife set all the medical
documents concerning their daugh-
ters case on re and with it some of
the evidence that may have led to a
conviction. This left presiding mag-
istrate magistrate H.M. Nyaberi with
little option but to terminate the case
against Nzuki, Muthemba said.
Now the Director of Public Pros-
ecutions, Keriako Tobiko, has called
for Nzukis re-arrest.
At her hospital bed at Kenyatta
National Hospitals private wing
where Mwende is undergoing treat-
ment for the deep lesions that
still ooze pus, the convalescent
is thinking about a future that
involves bringing justice to
victims she says she wants
to be a police ofcer. As she
ponders her fate, Nzuka, the
man whose bestial act has
left her badly scarred, is still
roaming the streets of Ga-
rissa town freely, his dark
deeds hidden from those
who interact with him.
Page 7
By PAMELA CHEPKEMEI

Director of Public Pros-
ecutions Keriako Tobiko has
ordered police to arrest and
charge in court a man alleged
to have sexually assaulted a
minor in Mwingi County three
years ago.
The DPP said in a press re-
lease that Peter Nzuki Mbuvi
would be charged for causing
grievous harm to the girl who
is now ailing and is walking
with the aid of crutches.
While acquitting the ac-
cused, the trial magistrate
emphasised the fact that the
accused person was never
charged with the offence of
grievous harm, said Tobiko.
Mbuvi is also not off the
hook over the sexual assault
charges because the DPP has
appealed against his acquittal.
Charge of conspiracy
The medical doctor who
testied against Mbuvi told the
court the victim had sustained
a fracture of the neck and left
thigh, an injury, which he clas-
sied as grievous harm.
The victim testied that
Mbuvi inicted this injury on
her in the course of the sexual
assault.
The DPP has also appealed
to the High Court against
the acquittal of the suspect
by a resident magistrate in
Mwingi.
The mother of the girl,
who is reported to have disap-
peared with the suspect, will
also be investigated separately
to establish if there is evidence
on a charge of conspiracy to
defeat justice. The ODPP will
also seek to establish if she can
be charged for the offence of
cruelty and neglect of a child
contrary to Section 127 of the
Children Act.
Tobiko added that after pe-
rusing the police le and the
court proceedings, he found
that there was sufcient evi-
dence to sustain the sexual as-
sault charges against Mbuvi.
Accordingly, I have direct-
ed the head of our Machakos
County Ofce to immediately
seek an extension of time and
to appeal against the decision
of the trial magistrate at the
High Court in Machakos, said
the DPP.
The DPP intervened fol-
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
NEWS FEATURE
Making amends? Mother to Mwende offered to accompany her daughter to hospital, saying she could help in cleaning her and washing her clothes
While
acquitting the
accused, the
trial magistrate
emphasised the
fact that the
accused person
was never charged
with the offence
of grievous harm.
Director of Public
Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko
Heres what Tobiko
has ordered done
lowing a report in last weeks The Stan-
dard on Sunday newspaper detailing the
suffering the girl in undergoing.
The investigations conducted by Of-
ce of the DPP (ODPP) further revealed
that Mbuvi was tried for delement and
an alternative charge of committing an
indecent act with a child.
He was acquitted by the magistrate H
M Nyaberi and set free on grounds that
there were glaring contradictions in the
evidence adduced by the prosecution
and that the prosecution had failed to
prove the charges beyond any shadow
of doubt.
During the trial the victims mother,
and the area chief testied.
The doctor, however, produced a P3
form stating that the girls hymen was
intact. The victim told The Standard on
Sunday during the interview that she was
sexually assaulted on September 13, 2011.
She was then a Class Three pupil aged 11.
Her mother and the suspect kept her
indoors despite the injuries she suffered
until relatives and the area chief inter-
vened.
Former Vice President
Kalonzo Musyoka
chats with Mwende at
Mwingi Red Cross
ofces before she was
driven to hospital.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Kenya Mambo Poa!
25
th
June to
6
th
July, 2014
WASHINGTON DC
Turn plastic trash into treasure
and win big!
1. Create something functional, beautiful and unique using
plastic bottles or paper bags
2. Take a photo of it and submit it online alongside a brief
description
Categories: Fashion, Architecture, Art & Craft, Music & Dance.
Winning designs will be chosen through public voting.
Sindikiza your school /college to take part
in this exciting opportunity
For more information visit www.kenyamambopoa.com
Principal Secretary
Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts
P.O. Box 49849-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
For more information
Kenya Mambo Poa @KenyaMamboPoa
Website: www.kenyamambopoa.com
E-Mail: info@kenyamambopoa.com
not as bad
NEWS
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY Page 8
By GRACE WEKESA
and DANIEL PSIRMOI
President Uhuru Kenyatta clashed
with Kakamega Senator Bonny Khal-
wale over the creation of a new na-
tional administration structure.
The new structure will see County
Commissioners wield more power on
security, education, registration of
persons among others.
The President, who was yesterday
visiting Bungoma County for the rst
time since being elected, told the
bull ghter to let the Jubilee govern-
ment implement its mandate to the
full. President Uhuru, who was at-
tending a thanksgiving fete for Gov-
ernor Kenneth Lusaka, presided over
by Anglican Archbishop Eliud Wabu-
kala, promised goodies, wooing Bun-
goma County to support his govern-
ment.
The Constitution granted duties
to both the national government and
county government, our mandate is
to ensure duties granted to the na-
tional and county government are
delivered, said President Uhuru. He
continued, We want to reorganise
the national administration to
strengthen it so that we can deliver.
Serve public
Khalwale had earlier sparked off
debate, telling President Uhuru to his
face that the Provincial Administra-
tion, as it is, was unconstitutional.
But the President said the county
government has created their own
structures that include ward, sub-
county and village administrators to
assist the county government.
Similarly, he said the strengthen-
ing of the county commissioners was
to assist the national government ef-
fectively serve the public.
Khalwale, who was invited to
speak by Senator Moses Wetangula,
told the President that in a recent rul-
ing, the Judiciary had declared the
appointment of county commission-
ers unconstitutional.
Mr President, when Kijana Wa-
malwa, Raila Odinga, James Orengo,
Masinde Muliro, Martin Shikuku and
Kenneth Matiba fought for the Con-
stitution, the relationship between
the members of the public and then
provincial administration was a
frosty challenge, Khalwale said.
You said you granted the Provin-
cial Administration more powers. I
beg you Mr President to rethink the
matter. The Judiciary considers the
position of the county commission-
ers unconstitutional, you need to
subject your new system to consider-
ation. Debate in the Senate and the
National Assembly would review and
interrogate in order to determine if
the new provincial administration
If you want to
capture votes here,
revive panpaper,
construct tea factory
in Mt Elgon... You
will be safe Bifwoli
Wakoli, Tormer Bumula MP
Debate in the
Senate and the
National Assembly
would review
and interrogate to
determine.... Bonny
Khalwale, Kakamega Senator
Agenda: President says the move aims to improve service delivery
accords with the Constitution.
But the President in response said
his new structure was created to al-
low harmonious relationship be-
tween the national and county gov-
ernment.
He told Khalwale off saying it was
his turn to run the government and
that he (Khalwale) should pray that
after the next four years, he would try
his luck at the ballot.
The other time I had all the time
to talk. But now my government ni
ya kusema na kutenda. It is now your
time to speak but it is my time to
work, President Uhuru said.
But both Khalwale and Wetangula
opposed the new provincial admin-
istration structure saying it would
create parallel structures and confu-
sion and frustrate devolution.
The Constitution stipulates that
the chairman of the Security Com-
mittee in the county is the Governor,
if we go by the Constitution, we want
to see the governor chairing security
meetings, where the county commis-
sioner will participate and all the oth-
er elements of security that represent
the national government.
Because if we do not do that, we
are would end up with parallel struc-
tures, confusion and eventually in-
security will continue to be a threat,
said Wetangula. You should also
reign on your ofcers on the roads
who take bribes while Kenyans die on
road, he continued
But President Uhuru took the op-
portunity to warn rogue county com-
and the county government. I have
instructed county commissioners to
work with governors, I am asking
other leaders to join hands and work
with the new administrative struc-
tures to ensure citizens are safe, said
President Uhuru.
Former Bumula MP Bifwoli Wa-
koli on the other hand advised Pres-
ident Uhuru on how to capture Bun-
goma residents votes.
If you want to get votes in Bun-
goma Mr President, revive PanPaper,
construct a tea factory in Mt Elgon,
grant Kibabii college a charter and
you will be safe, Bifwoli said.
Advanced stage
Plans are at an advanced stage to
revive Panpaper. We have found an
investor and we will soon be coming
to reopen it. On Kibabii, we will meet
soon with the Governor and grant it
a charter before end of the year, he
said.
The President was accompanied
Cabinet Secretaries Michael Kamau
(Infrastructure), Judy Wakhungu (En-
vironment) Felix Koskei (Agriculture)
and Adan Mohamed (Industrialisa-
tion) Cabinet Secretaries.
He assured residents that cheap
sugar imports will be dealt with to
protect the sugar industry and asked
them to diversify into tea and dairy
farming. Amani leader Musalia Mu-
davadi was absent, saying he was at-
tending a funeral in Migori.
Also present were Uasin Governor
Jackson Mandago,MPs John Serut,
Suleiman Murunga (Kimilili), Simiyu
Eseli (Tongaren), Wafula Wamuny-
inyi (Kanduyi), Alfred Sambu (We-
buye East), Dan Wanyama (Webuye
West), Boniface Otsula (Bumula),
John Waluke (Sirisia), Emanuel Wan-
gwe (Navakholo), Dr. Reginalda
Wanyonyi, Benjamin Washiali
(Mumias East), Bunyasi Sakwa (Nam-
bale), Wafula Lazaro (Saboti).
missioners found harassing and creat-
ing confusion in the counties that their
days are numbered.
The new structures are for purpos-
es of creating harmonious relations
between the two governments. County
commissioners must work with the
county government. Those found ha-
rassing wananchi will be sacked, Pres-
ident Uhuru said.
Tough laws
Lusaka called on Khalwale to allow
them to work with the Government for
the sake of development saying.
We need to work together with
Senators to spur development. Divi-
sive politics will not help the people,.
On security, New ford Kenya party
leader Eugene Wamalwa who spoke on
behalf of former MPs challenged MPs
to push for the legislation and adop-
tion of tough laws that would not allow
terrorists to be bailed out easily.
Parliament has the power to
strengthen security by passing tough
laws with the current threat of terror-
ism. Consequently, Judiciary will not to
give bails to terrorist victims. If we
handle security matters in coordina-
tion, we shall win war against terror-
ists, Wamalwa observed.
Wetangula called for a major sur-
gery in the security system. We in the
opposition feel the pain of Kenyans dy-
ing unnecessary through terror at-
tacks.
The Government should under-
stand it cannot win the war against
terrorism with brute force and ineffec-
tive intelligence. Without security no
development will take place, Bungo-
ma senator advised.
President Uhuru said there is no
way the National government in Nai-
robi will be able to deal with issues of
insecurity at the grassroots if the mem-
bers of the public do not work closely
with national administration structure
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NO. OF COUNTIES
47
CSs IN ATTENDANCE
4
Uhuru, Khalwale face off
on county commissioners
President Uhuru
Kenyatta with Governor
Ken Lusaka in Bungoma,
yesterday. INSET: The
President with guests at
the event. [PHOTOS:
BENJAMIN SAKWA and PSCU]
Page 9 May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
NF\S 8 POIITICS
By ALEX KIPROTICH
and CHARLES NGENO
Deputy President William Rutos
silence over reported favouritism of
appointees backed by The National
Alliance party within the Jubilee Co-
alition is raising a storm within his
United Republican Party.
Leaders from the region have
challenged the DP to react to claims
that he has supported key decisions
that undermine the inuence of
those perceived to be aligned to
URP.
The latest round of acrimony was
triggered by the replacement of ca-
reer civil servant Kiplimo Rugut with
former State House Comptroller Nel-
son Githinji as the Director General
of the National Youth Service. Some
Rift Valley politicians have described
the move as a scheme to alienate civ-
il servants perceived to be enjoying
the backing of the URP wing of the
Jubilee government.
A source from the DPs ofce said
Ruto had not objected to Ruguts re-
deployment. The DP was consulted
and gave the green light on Ruguts
replacement. Let people not com-
plain over what was agreed on, said
the source.
Skewed appointments
Narok East MP Ken Kiloku at-
tempted to validate these claims and
said President Uhuru Kenyatta and
his Deputy must have agreed on the
changes before they were effected.
The President and his deputy
should be allowed to consult and giv-
en a free hand to make appoint-
ments. This country does not belong
to only two communities, said Kilo-
ku.
When contacted for comment,
the director of communications at
the DPs ofce, Emmanuel Talaam,
said: Appointments and transfers
are matters of administration in gov-
ernment. The Deputy President will
not be discussing them in public
now.
As he was responding to our que-
ries, the fallout over Ruguts replace-
ment and reassignment to the head
ofce for redeployment had already
began. Nandi Hills legislator Alfred
Keter has led other URP MPs in ex-
pressing their dissatisfaction over
what they term skewed government
appointments that largely favour
TNA in complete disregard to a pre-
election 50-50 power-sharing pact.
They want the DP to be alive to
the 50-50 power-sharing arrange-
ment when appointments are made.
We thought the DP was being short-
changed by TNA, but the turn of
events, and especially the fact that he
has remained silent even after Ru-
guts replacement, is cause for con-
cern. This coalition arrangement is
no longer 50-50, said Keter.
Other MPs joined the debate, with
Chepalungu legislator Paul Savimbi
Bii accusing TNA of arbitrarily replac-
ing senior civil servants from URP
zones with those from their party.
Bii insisted that their coalition
i4 kate appreve kagat's remeval'
Appointments: lRP MPs say TNA disregarding pre-poll agreement on sharing ol state jobs
partner was hogging all the key posi-
tions and undermining portfolio bal-
ance that would require them to
share out senior positions in govern-
ment equally.
So much has happened and our
partners in this coalition should
know that we are watching them, and
it is they who will regret these trans-
gressions, said Bii, who warned of
groups that were determined to un-
dermine the DPs growing clout.
Bomet East MP Bernard Bett
questioned why Rugut was trans-
ferred and said URP should be treat-
ed as an equal partner.
Potential fall-out
We demand to know why Rugut
was removed from ofce. We also
want to be told why he was told of his
changed status through a text mes-
sage. This is a very uncivil way of
treating people who have diligently
served this country, said Bett who
claimed he had written to Devolution
Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru to
seek a clarication.
With no public comment over his
replacement, some politicians have
advanced unsupported theories re-
garding Ruguts transfer.
The pre-election power-sharing
pact between TNA and URP
50-50
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Bomet Central MP Ronald Tonui
said reports that some groups were
determined to lay their hands on
funds allocated to the NYS must be
investigated, but more centrally, he
added, senior public appointments
should not be a preserve of only two
ethnic communities.
We want to be categorical that
appointments to senior government
positions should have the face of Ke-
nya. One community should not take
over 70 per cent of all government ap-
pointments, said Tonui.
However, it is Rutos silence that is
of concern to URP, said former Ron-
gai MP Luka Kigen, who added that
one wing of the coalition was deliber-
ately alienating the other.
Something is very wrong. But this
puzzle will only be answered when
the Deputy President claries the is-
sue, he said.
Last week, Kanu Secretary Gener-
al Nick Salat called for wider consul-
tations between the President and the
DP. It seems wider consultations are
not taking place between URP and
TNA, and this could be the reason
why one section is not too happy. If
this continues, these squabbles could
spill over to the voters, he said.
Mr Salat asked Ruto to address the
concerns expressed by his supporters
to stem a potential fall-out. This is not
the rst time the URP side of the Ju-
bilee coalition have raised the sharing
of power with TNA.
Last year, the DP sought to calm
growing disquiet by holding a series
of meetings in Rift Valley. He even
hosted delegations at his Uasin Gishu
home to appease the locals and
sought names of potential appointees
from the region to ll various posi-
tions in state corporations.
By HEZRON OCHIEL
and MAUREEN ODIWUOR
Police in Kisumu have netted
over 2,000 litres of illicit alcohol in a
house owned by an MP in the re-
gion.
The police also destroyed distill-
ing apparatus and arrested the care-
taker and manager of the house. The
MP is said to have rented out his
house to a tenant suspected to have
been distilling, packaging and sell-
ing spirits.
The police broke into the alleged
distiller after a tip-off from the pub-
lic. The tenant is said to have gone
into hiding a day after illicit brew
killed more than 90 people in ve
counties across the country.
Bottled in transparent plastic ma-
terial, the brew had a brand name of
Dry Gin, while the cartons in which
the brew was packaged bore a differ-
ent brand name of Scott Superior.
Fake labels
The alcohol, which had Kenya
Bureau of Standard (Kebs) labels,
were packed in boxes each contain-
ing 205ml of the content.
Dan Bole, who owns a mechanic
shop in the neighbourhood, said the
suspect has been operating in the ar-
ea for more than two years.
I have been seeing a lorry com-
ing daily to the house to load the
boxes, but I didnt bother. The house
was also frequented by about 10 la-
dies who I suspect were working for
the man, he said.
According to an ofcial from Ke-
bs, who requested for anonymity,
the labels were fake.
The police are blaming Kebs and
the Anti-Counterfeit Department for
sleeping on their jobs.
The bottles have all the required
labels. Even if I were to go to a bar for
a drink, I would easily buy the prod-
ucts. Kebs should do their job, said
Kisumu East Sub County Commis-
sioner Moses ole Tutui.
The police are also blaming the
caretaker of the house for allegedly
colluding with the suspect to com-
mit the crime.
Illicit distiller
found in
MPs house
President Uhuru Kenyatta talks to the
new Director of the National Youth
Service Nelson Githinji after he was
sworn-in at Harambee House, Nairobi.
INSET: Redeployed NYS Director Kiplimo
Rugut. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]
Page 10 May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
NEWS FEATURE
Condemnation: It is said Jubilees undoing has been its poor communication strategy that leaves the population second-guessing on its decisions. Sadly, without any information the public come to their own ethnic based conclusions
The way the Government is
running its affairs smacks of executive
hubris. It is saying it doesnt matter
what you say, we will have our way
John Githongo, anti-graft crusader
BY KIPCHUMBA SOME
ksome@standardmedia.co.ke
President Uhuru Kenyatta last week
led his Cabinet Secretaries in making di-
rectives, which skirted the lines of illegal-
ity and betrayed the governments impa-
tience with contrary public opinion.
The Government issued several direc-
tives, arguably with the best of intentions,
but the means of executing them smacked
of executive arrogance according to an
analyst. The President led the charge by
directing Treasury to pay Sh1.4 billion to
two rms involved in the Anglo Leasing
scandal against opposition from the gen-
eral public.
He also presided over the re-branding
of the old Provincial Administration in
which he paraded new county command-
ers with executive powers. Government
also committed itself to a security deal
worth Sh15 billion with Safaricom com-
pany, raising questions over due process
in public procurement.
A Cabinet Secretary replaced the di-
rector of the National Youth Service,
prompting complaints from a section of
the coalition government. Furthermore,
appointment of the new director sparked
debate in social media about Jubilees
promise to run a government that is rep-
resentative of the face of Kenya. Mean-
while another Cabinet Secretary lent his
support to an unpopular and illegal edict
issued by Inspector General of Police Da-
vid Kimaiyo.
The way the Government is running
its affairs smacks of executive hubris. It is
saying it doesnt matter what you say, we
will have our way, said anti-graft crusad-
er John Githongo. This so-what approach
to governance issues requiring political
consensus and proper communication, he
said, might lead to unnecessary antago-
nism. These announcements were preced-
ed by a surprise charm offensive of a me-
dia the Jubilee government has lampooned
since coming to ofce a year ago.
When the Treasury Cabinet Secretary
Henry Rotich declared the governments
intention to pay the Anglo Leasing rms,
there was outrage from both sides of the
political divide.
Common ground
Deputy President William Ruto then
stated in public that the money will only
be paid out to the shadowy companies af-
ter Parliaments approval. A meeting be-
tween the CS and Jubilee MPs to seek a
common ground on the matter ended up
in disarray after the URP lawmakers stri-
dently opposed the payments.
Perhaps sensing the unpopularity of
the move both in Parliament and in the
court of public opinion, President Uhuru
ordered Treasury to pay the money.
By so doing, the President committed
the country to paying billions of shillings,
which a few years ago, in his capacity as
the chairman of the parliamentary Public
Accounts Committee, he had recommend-
ed not to be paid.
In a statement sent to newsrooms,
Transparency International country Di-
rector Samuel Kimeu posed a question
that most Kenyans have been asking in re-
lation to the Anglo Leasing scam: Who,
Mr President, is being paid this money?
Executives
remarkable
directives that
have drawn
public outrage
It is not yet clear how the Presidents
directive was received by the URP
wing of the Jubilee coalition consid-
ering they had stridently opposed
the payments.
Former Cherangany MP Joshua
Kutuny, President Uhurus political
adviser said the decisions were made
in consultation between the Presi-
dent and his deputy. The structure
of government is such that the two
have to consult and come to an
agreement before making any deci-
sion. On this I think they are reading
from the same script, he said.
He said State House was alive to
negative sentiments emanating from
the public over some of the decisions
the Government has undertaken.
We know majority of Kenyans are
not happy about some of these deci-
sions, but in Anglo Leasing payment
case, the President also has an obli-
gation to respect decisions by other
institutions, he said.
The Presidents decision to ap-
point county commissioners as his
ears and eyes on the ground has
been termed as an attempt to
strengthen the old Provincial Admin-
istration whose powers were clipped
by the Constitution.
The chairman of the Council of
Governors Isaac Ruto, as well as
CORD alliance, said the move is
meant to whittle down the powers of
their ofces and derail devolution.
This Executive order by the Pres-
ident that strikes at the very core of
the central pillar of our Constitution
by purporting to restore, through the
back door, the imperial presidency
and Provincial Administration, is
sufcient ground for impeachment
and removal from ofce, said for-
mer Imenti Central MP Gitobu Iman-
yara
Text message
However, political activist, Ngun-
jiri Wambugu argued that any Presi-
dent was bound to retain elements
and features of the old Provincial Ad-
ministration. It is inconceivable
that any President would depend on
politicians whose loyalties shift to
tell him truthfully about what is hap-
pening on the ground, he said.
The civil society contends that
the President broke the law in mak-
ing the appointments, but Wambugu
said they should proceed to the
courts to seek a constitutional inter-
pretation of the Presidents move.
On Thursday last week, the Presi-
dent launched a Sh14.9 billion-secu-
rity surveillance project it had award-
ed without competitive tendering to
mobile phone service provider, Safa-
ricom. The project is part of the Gov-
ernments efforts to combat run-
away crime. It will include a system
of spy cameras (CCTV) linked to
computers, which will analyse faces
and other data to help identify and
track suspects.
But given the glacial speed at
which government procurement
process moves and the urgent need
for it, public condemnation of the
deal was understandably restrained.
Furthermore, the government reck-
oned that by single sourcing it has
saved the taxpayer Sh8 billion that it
would have paid a Chinese company
to install the system.
President Uhuru Kenyatta addresses a press conference on Anglo-Leasing
scandal at State House, Nairobi. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]
Page 11 May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
NEWS FEATURE
Condemnation: It is said Jubilees undoing has been its poor communication strategy that leaves the population second-guessing on its decisions. Sadly without any information, the public come to their own ethnic based conclusions
Lands Cabinet
Secretary Charity
Ngilu at registrar of
lands at Ardhi House.
Members of the public
were denied access
for ten days to
facilitate reforms at
the central registry.
[PHOTO: BEVERLYNE
MUSILI/STANDARD]
A motorist in Naivasha removes tints from his car following the directive
by Inspector General of police David Kimaiyo. The IG said the move is part
of war on terrorism . [PHOTO: ANTONY GITONGA/STANDARD]
Githinji who was the State House Comp-
troller during retired President Mwai
Kibakis last term.
Kenyans took to the Presidents ofcial
Facebook page to voice their concerns
that Rugut might have been replaced for
belonging to the wrong tribe. The com-
ments were pulled down after a while.
However, a URP insider intimated that
Ruguts replacement might have some-
thing to do with internal URP politics.
Those who appointed Rugut as pro-
vincial commissioner during Kibakis
time are the same people who are in
istry has the nal say on the issuance
of the title deeds to public and pri-
vate lands while NLC claims the
same responsibility.
Differences between the two of-
cials have also delayed the enact-
ment of new land rules and regula-
tions, the appointment of a
Commissioner of Lands and two
land registrars. In response to the
high number of road accidents,
Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael
Kamau ordered a night ban for all
public service vehicles late last year.
The ban, which the ministry says has
drastically reduced road carnage,
has had a negative effect for matatu
owners and small-scale traders.
Last year, Mining Cabinet Secre-
tary Najib Balala revoked prospec-
tive and mining licenses of 30 com-
panies saying the licenses had been
issued irregularly. He consequently
sacked the commissioner of mines
Moses Masibo. Labour Cabinet Sec-
retary Kazungu Kambi is in the spot-
light for suspending several projects
that had been awarded by the Na-
tional Social Security Fund.
Kambi said he suspend the proj-
ect given to China Jiangxi Company
to give the NSSF board of trustees
time to clear allegations of graft fac-
ing the project. Education Cabinet
Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi was on the
spot this year after the tender to sup-
ply laptops for primary school kids
was cancelled. The Public Procure-
ment Administrative Review Board
ruled that Olive Telecommunica-
tions Pvt Limited, that had clinched
the tender, did not win fairly.
Last year the Government also
tried to force through the migration
from analogue to digital television
broadcasting in total disregard of the
complaints by the public and local
media owners. In addition, the Gov-
ernment has proceeded full steam to
implement the Standard Gauge Rail-
way project despite the lingering
questions about its cost.
Noble as the intention of single sourc-
ing for the contract might be, the Govern-
ment by-passed the rules of procurement
and Githongo feared it might set a trend.
This week, Devolution and Co-ordina-
tion Cabinet Secretary Ann Waiguru re-
placed Kiplimo Rugut as the director of
the National Youth Service. What set so-
cial media alight was the allegation that
the former long-serving provincial ad-
ministrator was informed of his redeploy-
ment through a text message.
A section of URP MPs protested the re-
placement of Rugut with Dr Nelson
charge of security dockets, said the
insider who requested anonymity.
As far as I know, the top echelon
of URP knew beforehand that Rugut
was going to be replaced and they
supported it because of their own po-
litical interests, he continued.
Nonetheless, Wambugu said the
Jubilee administration has generally
paid scant attention to their election
promise to form a government that is
representative of the Kenyan face.
Jubilee started out very well in
terms of ethnic balancing when it an-
nounced the Cabinet. However, since
then I have sadly noted that this prin-
ciple has been abandoned altogether
and ethnic animosities remain as
high as ever, he said.
Profound effect
Inspector General of Police David
Kimaiyo issued a directive that all
public and private vehicles with tint-
ed windows be impounded immedi-
ately. He said the move was geared to-
wards combating terrorism.
However, The Trafc Act says that
law on tinted vehicles only applies to
public service vehicles. Rule 54 A (1)
of the Trafc (Amendment) Rules,
2009 states that: A person shall not
drive or operate a public service ve-
hicle that is lled with tinted windows
or tinted windscreen.
However, Kimaiyo with the sup-
port of ole Lenku maintain that this
law applies to every vehicle on the
road.
The Law Society of Kenya has
since offered free legal services to any
private motorist arrested on charges
of having tinted windows on their
cars. These were just part of many
other ministerial directives which
have had a profound effect on the way
Kenyans live their lives.
Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity
Ngilu recently ordered a freeze on is-
suance of title deeds following an on-
going turf war with the National
Lands Commission. She said her min-
Page 12
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
NEWS
Failure
by the
Warning: The law society has threatened to fle a suit against the AG, to be declared unsuitable to hold offce
AG furious as LSK
asks him to resign
over Anglo Leasing
said his conduct offends the code
of professional ethics. LSK had in-
sisted that Kenya lost the case be-
cause of negligence of the
AG and observed that last year,
his ofce took over the case un-
procedurally from a foreign law
rm that was representing the State.
As a result, the Solicitor General,
who is not registered to practice in
England and Wales, represented the
country before the London Court.
Effectively the Kenyan Govern-
ment did not have legal representa-
tion in the suit and the proceedings
are a nullity, said Mutua.
LSK also said that despite the
Grand Coalition Government di-
recting the AG to engage foreign
competent advocates in the suit,
Githu frustrated Government law-
yers by failing to issue instructions
and respond to their correspon-
dences.
But LSK also criticised the Lon-
don judge who issued the orders for
allowing Muturi, who is not regis-
tered to practice in the court, to ap-
pear, and noted that he was either
incompetent or compromised.
He entered judgment against
the Government of Kenya based on
hearsay and oral presentation with-
out documentary evidence on the
amounts agreed at the mediation,
they protested.
As a result, LSK intends to peti-
tion the British Government to in-
vestigate the entire proceedings
with a view to establish whether
there was conspiracy involving the
judicial ofcer.
LSK also said it was contracting
its counterparts, the Law Society of
England and Wales, to follow up on
the case. But as it announced the
punitive action against the top Gov-
ernment ofcials, LSK said it was
still pursuing the option of stop-
ping the payments.
Mutua said the LSK was reach-
ing out to Chief Justice Willy Mu-
tunga to allow the Court of Appeal
to hear their petition tomorrow and
possibly issue an order stopping the
payments. We are not sure wheth-
er the money has been paid or not.
We are worried that the appeal may
be rendered moot, he stated.
Mutua said the new Constitu-
tion did not allow Executive Orders
to Treasury for payments without
being sanctioned by Parliament.
Earlier, LSK had attempted to
stop the payments at the High Court
but Justice David Majanja threw the
burden to Parliament, arguing that
the matter was before the National
Assembly.
Justice Majanja said stopping
Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry
Rotich from making the payment
would amount to interfering with
MPs role in checking the govern-
ments nancial expenditure.
The LSK then led an appeal be-
fore the Court of Appeal for further
orders.
In the meantime the LSK has re-
quested that Mutunga sets up a
panel of three judges for purposes
of determining the matter and a
ruling on that application is expect-
ed on Friday, May 23. But on May
16, President Kenyatta authorised
the National Treasury to pay the
rms.
The President argued that it was
the only way the country could se-
cure the Euro bond, and noted that
not paying the debt would mean
cutting back on Government ex-
penditure and service delivery of
programmes for Kenyans.
But his action has also attracted
the wrath of the opposition alliance
CORD which has threatened to or-
ganise mass action protests to op-
pose the payments.
ONLINE
To comment on this
and other stories,
Go to www.standardmedia.co.ke
By FELIX OLICK
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK)
is now demanding the resignation
of Attorney General Githu Muigai
regarding the controversial Sh1.4
billion Anglo Leasing payments as
they unveiled fresh details of the sa-
ga.
The society has threatened to
le a suit against the AG, Solicitor
General Njee Muturi and Senior
Deputy Solicitor General Muthoni
Kimani to be declared unsuitable to
hold ofce.
LSK has also indicated that it will
be seeking to have the three sur-
charged for any monies paid to the
two Anglo Leasing-type rms, First
Mercantile Securities Corporation
and Universal Satspace.
But Prof Muigai reacted furious-
ly to the move, and termed the LSK
Council as highly unethical, unpro-
fessional and driven by petty and ir-
responsible politics in weighty na-
tional matters. The introduction of
petty and irresponsible politics in
weighty national matters is totally
unbecoming of the Council of the
Law Society of Kenya, Muigai said
in a statement sent to newsrooms.
Yesterday LSK chairman Eric
Mutua announced that they intend
to strike Prof Muigai from the Roll
of Senior Counsel terming him a
let-down to lawyers. This is fraud
and fraud all the way, declared the
LSK chairman after a hurriedly con-
vened council meeting.
The ofce of the Attorney Gen-
eral has acted in unconstitutional,
illegal and unprofessional manner
and has conspired with the Execu-
tive, In a strongly-worded state-
ment, the society also resolved that
it would ask the three Government
ofcials to show cause why a Certif-
icate of Dishonour by LSK should
not be issued against them.
LSK criticised Prof Muigai for
giving a misleading legal opinion to
President Uhuru Kenyatta and de-
claring that the Government had no
other legal option but to pay shad-
owy gures, yet an appeal option
was and is still available.
Failure by the Attorney General
to pursue an available appeal op-
tion was a dereliction of the Consti-
tution mandate under Article 156 to
protect and uphold the rule of law
and defend public interest, they
maintained.
However, the AG singled out Mu-
tua and President of the East Africa
Law Society, James Mwamu and
threatened to cite the society for
contempt, arguing that the matter
was before the Court of Appeal. In
the circumstances the conduct of
the council is highly unethical, un-
professional, irresponsible and ac-
tuated by malice.
Criminal offences
He said Mutua was himself un-
der investigation by the Director of
Public Prosecutions on the advice
of Kenya Police for alleged criminal
offences relating to the illegal and
unlawful sale of Malili ranch.
One would expect him, of all
people, to have respect for the due
process of law, Githu noted.
One can, therefore, only specu-
late as to the motive of this preten-
tious, pompous, self-righteous and
sanctimonious statement attribut-
ed to the chairman and a section of
his council.
He also hit out at Mwamu, who
is representing LSK in the suit, and
The society has threatened to le a
suit against the AG, Solicitor Gener-
al Njee Muturi and Deputy Solicitor
General Muthoni Kimani to be de-
clared unsuitable to hold ofce.
LSK has also indicated that it will
be seeking to have the three sur-
charged for any monies paid to the
two Anglo Leasing-type rms, First
Mercantile Securities Corporation
and Universal Satspace.
Prof Muigai has reacted furiously to
the move, and termed the LSK Coun-
cil as highly unethical, unprofes-
sional and driven by petty and irre-
sponsible politics in weighty nation-
al matters.
Unsuitable to
hold ofce?
Eric Mutua, (centre) Chairman Law
Society of Kenya (LSK) is anked by
Lilian Renee omondi, (right) Vice
chairman LSK and Aggrey Mwamu
(left) and other council members at
a press conference to address
action taken by LSK against
Attorney General Githu.
INSET: Justice David Majanja.
[PHOTOS: WILLIS AWANDU/FILE/STANDARD]

Attorney
General to
pursue an
available appeal
option was
dereliction of
the Constitution
mandate under
Article 156 to
protect and
uphold the
rule of law.
Attorney General Githu
Muigai.
Solicitor General Njee Muturi.
Senior Deputy Solicitor General
Muthoni Kimani.
Page 13 May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
NEWS
Devolution: Ex-President says there should be no
power wars between governors and county commissioners
By FRED KIBOR
Former President Daniel arap
Moi has lauded the governments
position to give more powers to
county commissioners in a move
aimed at representing the func-
tions of the national government at
the counties.
Moi said this would ensure
there is no gap in administration of
services to wananchi at the coun-
ties since the devolved units can-
not entirely render them.
Delivery of services to wanan-
chi is a must and there should be
no question why county commis-
sioners should receive more pow-
ers, said the former President.
Last week, President Uhuru Ke-
nyatta gave more powers to the
county commissioners saying they
would complement the governors
by discharging the duties of the na-
tional government that are yet to
be devolved to the counties.
The move angered the Council
of Governors, which accused the
national government of trying to
stie them. The governors say the
National Governments move will
kill devolution and duplicate jobs.
However, Moi said there should
be no struggle for power between
National Government ofcers and
those serving at the counties be-
cause this would jeopardise service
delivery and development.
There should also be co-oper-
ation among all elected leaders at
the counties because this would
ensure there is rapid develop-
ment, he said.
Moi at the same time told Mem-
bers of County Assemblies (MCAs)
to cease issuing impeachment
threats and concentrate on consol-
idating their efforts for purposes of
development.
While you were going round
seeking votes, was it among your
priorities to go remove another
leader in power after being elect-
ed? he asked.
The former President said the
obsession by MCAs to impeach
governors would retard develop-
ment in the country and called for
truce among all leaders.
The former Head of State said
most leaders were yet to fully un-
derstand their mandate as required
under the Constitution even after
being promulgated more than
three years ago.
He was speaking at Tambach
High School in Elgeyo Marakwet
County during a funds drive in aid
of the construction of a multipur-
pose hall. Moi taught at the school
in the 1950s.
He called on leaders to put
more emphasis on improving
learning facilities in the country.
Education is the key to trans-
forming society and leaders should
improve learning infrastructure
since the population is increasing
and demand for education is still
high, he said.
On insecurity, Moi said the gov-
ernment should revamp its securi-
ty strategies to ght the terrorism
threat.
During my tenure, I signed a
peace deal with Siad Barre of So-
malia and we had no insecurity is-
sue until recently and it is high
time the government should think
of other ways of dealing with crim-
inals, he said.
Moi was accompanied by the
National Treasury Cabinet Secre-
tary Henry Rotich, Commission on
Revenue Allocation (CRA) Micah
Cheserem, area governor Alex Tol-
gos and former ministers Nicholas
Biwott and Prof Margaret Kamar.

Delivery of
services to
wananchi
is a must
and there
should be
no question
why county
chiefs
should
receive
more
powers
Daniel arapMoi,
formerPresident
Moi: Commissioners
deserve more powers
Former President Daniel Arap Moi (second left) follows proceedings during a fundraiser at Tambach High
School in Elgeyo-Marakwet County yesterday. With him are Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich (far
left), former Cabinet Minister Nicholas Biwott and Governor Alex Tolgos. [PHOTO: PETER OCHIENG/STANDARD]
UNI VERSI TY OF NAI ROBI
KENYA SCI ENCE CAMPUS
(Formerly, Kenya Science Teachers College (KSTC))
Announces June and September 2014 intake for Full-Time/Bridging
UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI BRIDGING COURSES
COURSE MINIMUM ENTRY
REQUIREMENTS
DURATION FEES
REQUIREMENTS
EXAM
BODY
University
of Nairobi
Bridging
Course in
Mathematics,
Physics,
Chemistry
and Biology
Mean Grade: KCSE
C+
AND
A minimum of
C- (minus) in the
subject(s) to be
bridged.
3 Months full-time.
1. June Intake:
Begins on 3
rd

June 2014.
Deadline for
application-
23rd May
2014
2. October intake:
Mathematics Only.
Begins on 1
st

September 2014.
Deadline for
application -
22
nd
October
2014
a) Tuition fee
Kshs. 28,000/=
b) Registration fee
Kshs. 500/=
c) Application fee
Kshs. 2,000/=
d) Library fee
Kshs. 500/=
e) Laboratory fee
Kshs 7,500/= (Lab.
Based Courses only)
f) Caution money
Kshs 2,000/=
g) Student ID
Kshs 300/=
h) Medical fee
Kshs 1,000/=
i) Activity fee
Kshs 300/=
j) Computer Lab fees
Kshs 2,000/=
k) Examination fees
Kshs 1,000/=
UoN
Application procedure;
Application forms are obtainable from the office of the Associate Dean
(Science) Kenya Science Campus (KSC) or Principals Office, College
of Biological and Physical Sciences (CBPS) upon payment of a non-
refundable fee of Kshs. 2,000.00
All fees are payable at CBPS Account No. 2255222 Barclays Bank,
Westlands Branch.
Completed applications should be returned to the Associate Dean
(Science) KSC before the deadlines indicated for each intake.
For more details contact:
Associate Dean (Science)
Kenya Science Campus
University of Nairobi,
P.O. Box 30596 00100
Tel: 020-0202480720/665250
Fax 3872554
NAIROBI.
COURSES OFFERED
Page 14 May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
OPINION
W
ise leaders surround themselves with ex-
perts in various elds, including those
whose only responsibility is to keep them
properly informed on current affairs. Pres-
ident Uhuru Kenyatta has many experts
around him, so he is no doubt aware of all
the tragedies that have occurred across the
country over the last few weeks.
What is not clear is whether any of those surrounding
him have dared point out one glaring fact: Mr President,
your people are dropping like ies!
If Kenyans are not dying as a result of road accidents,
they are being blown up by terrorists in matatus while
minding their own business. If it is not terrorist grenades
coming after them, it is lethal concoctions and dangerous
alcoholic beverages claiming lives.
Now, the President is not responsible for what people
choose to imbibe, or even the particular public service
vehicle they board, but when everyone knows corruption is
at the heart of these national crises, it becomes his
business.
It was heartening to see decisive action taken against
Government ofcials following the latest tragedy involving
illicit brews. More than 50 ofcials were sacked and many
suspended on disciplinary grounds.
However, those whose heads rolled were small fry. The
big sh at whose table the buck stops continue to
enjoy the immunity that enables them carry on with their
corrupt activities. However, it is the double standards in
Government actions to redress criminal actions, ofcial
malfeasance and negligence that is bafing.
For instance, when terrorists struck at Westgate and
killed more than 70 people, not a single person was sent
home despite credible reports that the rescue operation
was incompetent and atrociously bungled.
And even when the road accidents became increasingly
horric, with higher death tolls each time, no one is red.
Even when the rate of crimes involving murder climbed to
record levels, still the people responsible for safeguarding
Kenyan lives remained untouched.
Then, curiously, when grown men and women
voluntarily visited drinking dens and drunk deadly liquor
like there was no tomorrow, suddenly, there was a urry of
sackings that, unfortunately, stopped short of addressing
the real issues. Much like treating malaria without eradicat-
ing the malaria-causing anopheles mosquito.
We must begin to develop a culture that holds ofcials
in public ofce to account for their actions; they must
account for their sins of commission or omission. Quite
often, we set up elaborate investigative units, Commissions
of Inquiry and roll out expensive ad hoc fact-nding
missions, but the results of these committees are seldom
implemented. All too often, these reports are shelved and
their recommended actions ignored. And when some
events warrant an investigation to the level of a Commis-
sion of Inquiry, such as the Westgate debacle, the Govern-
ment becomes defensive and refuses to launch investiga-
tions. President Kenyatta has been roundly criticised for
going back on his promise to set up a Commission of
Inquiry to investigate the Westgate attack; a pledge he
made in a public arena.
As long as the enforcement of accountability continues
to be at the whims of someone in authority; and as long as
there are no structured forums for holding wrongdoers to
account for their misdeeds, redemptive actions will
continue to be poorly dened and haphazard. Formal
inquiries go beyond establishing facts; they also help
develop critical early warning systems so that crises can be
avoided in the future. For the Government to effectively to
deal with problems that may casually seem to be insur-
mountableinsecurity, unemployment, corruption,
poverty, the list is endless the Government must gain the
condence of its citizens. The citizens must be convinced
that the Government will act in their best interest.
Otherwise, Kenyans may as well resign themselves to fate
to determine their destiny and brace themselves for
tougher times ahead. Therefore, Mr President, assemble all
the tools at your disposal and get the information you need
to turn the country back to the right path. In the mean-
time, sadly, our gradual slide to the abyss continues.
T
he threat of impeachment
of governors, real or per-
ceived, is not a threat to
devolution. It should not
create panic among devo-
lutionists, nor should it
scare governors.
Its a healthy evolution of the
exercise of checks and balances on
power and democracy that
underpin the essence of devolution.
The calls for a review of the legal
environment governing impeach-
ment are premature, and unneces-
sary at the moment.
The Constitution confers
immense powers on governors in
the administration of county affairs
and this is amplied in the County
Government Act. As the chief
executive ofcer, he is mandated to
provide leadership in the gover-
nance of the county.
His county executive is account-
able to him for the performance of
its functions and exercise of its pow-
ers. The Act also holds him account-
able for the management and use of
the countys resources.
However, power comes with
responsibilities. Hence, the
Constitution raises the bar on the
oath of this ofce and provides for
removal from ofce through
impeachment on a number of
grounds, including abuse of ofce,
gross misconduct, violation of the
Constitution or laws and conviction
for crimes under national or
international law. Its the peoples
representatives at grassroots that
initiate the process and impeach
him. The Senate then acts as a trial
jury to either acquit or convict.
While impeachment is a legal
process, recalling an MP is a
Mr President,
get the country
back on track
political one. In our previous
Westminster dispensation,
removal from ofce is through a
vote of no condence, a political
process less impartial than the
impeachment. Two-thirds of the
County Assembly must vote to
impeach a governor, and a
majority in the Senate must
uphold it.
Both Houses will be acting in
a quasi-judicial manner when
executing this mandate, with
governor having all the rights of
an accused in a court of law. In
the US, the Congress with all its
political impartiality, indicts,
tries and impeaches public
ofcials. When Senate sum-
moned governors in exercise of
their oversight mandate, the
latter went to court arguing that
they are accountable to the
county assemblies only. Yet,
when the latter acts in the
exercise of their powers we turn
around and accuse MCAs of mob
lynching or witch-hunting.
Neither the countys MCAs
nor the Senate elected from
across the country and diverse
political persuasions can act in
an impartial, irrational or obtuse
manner in proceedings that are
publicly held before their elector-
ate. Should we legislate on a
minimum threshold for the
grounds of impeachment?
Globally, the best practice is that
the threshold evolves through
precedents rather than law.
In the US, the Constitution
cites the grounds for impeach-
ment as treason, bribery or other
high crimes and misdemeanours.
The exact meaning of the term
high crimes and misdemeanours
has been the subject of debate,
and interpreted over the years to
include allegations of misconduct
peculiar to ofcials, such as
perjury of oath, abuse of authori-
ty, bribery, intimidation, misuse
of assets, failure to supervise,
dereliction of duty, conduct
unbecoming, cheating on income
tax, and refusal to obey a lawful
order. The rst impeachment
conviction in the US was Judge
John Pickering of New Hampshire
in 1807, on grounds of drunken-
ness and unlawful rulings.
Article 259 of our Constitution
demands we interpret it in a
manner that contributes to good
governance. In a nation where
probity of public ofcials is
awfully scarce, corruption and
embezzlement of public funds is
virtuous, and where abuse of
ofce and breach of law is not
uncommon, it would be foolhardy
to suggest that we dene what
constitutes abuse of ofce or
gross misconduct. Similarly,
attempts to ridicule MCAs for
impeachments ies in the face of
the constant barrage of plunder
and misuse of resources in the
counties in the Auditor Generals
reports and the media.
The Standard is printed and published by the proprietors, THE STANDARD
Newsdesk: 3222111
|
Fax: 213108
Email: editorial@standardmedia.co.ke
Managing Editor: Enoch Wambua
Registered at the G.P.O as a newspaper.
When Senate
summoned
governors
in exercise
of their
oversight
mandate, the
latter went to
court arguing
they are
accountable
to the county
assemblies
only
Impeachment of governors
is not a threat to devolution
Billow Kerrow
billow.kerrow@trojan.co.ke
The writer is a political economist
and Mandera Senator
Page 15
anti-graft czar John Githongo has
returned to haunt the country.
In Prof Muigais bizarre logic,
Kenya must pay the Anglo
Leasing cabals or risk bad credit,
and high rates for external
borrowing. Wow forgive me if I
didnt quite get that because it
ew over my head. The AG is
advising the Kenyan taxpayer to
pay illegal debts or be black-
balled by international banks?
In case you cant remember,
the Anglo Leasing scams were the
equivalent of modern highway
robbery. Fictitious and shady
characters colluded with Kenyan
government ofcials to eece the
country of hundreds of millions
of dollars. Non-existent, or murky
gures and companies contract-
ed with the State for sub-stan-
dard, or ctitious goods. It was a
scheme to raid the public purse
by appearing to procure legiti-
mate goods and services.
Mr Githongo, the anti-corrup-
tion czar under President Mwai
Kibaki, uncovered the entire
rotten mess. Under threat, he
took refuge in Britain. I know the
details because I was Mr
Githongos legal counsel. The
Public Accounts Committee, then
under opposition leader Uhuru
Kenyatta, spent several days with
Mr Githongo and me in London
taking testimony.
Anglo Leasing ghost has returned
to haunt Jubilee administration
Scammers of billion
shilling scandal live
in the shadows of
civilisation, extorting
the state and
intimidating it with
threats of retaliation
T
hey say theres a
sucker born of every
minute. Except in
this case the sucker
happens to be a Ke-
nyan taxpayer. Thats
what AG Githu Mui-
gais legal opinion advising that
the state pay the Anglo Leasing
bloodsuckers says. Its what the
Budget and Appropriations Com-
mittee chair Mutava Musyimi be-
lieves.
Fortunately, that wont y if
MP Kabando wa Kabando, and
his colleagues in Jubilee and
CORD, have their way. To my
absolute delight, the Mukurwe-
ini MP led Jubilee MPs in a lyrical
chant cant pay, wont pay. It
was refreshing to see the regimes
own MPs poke their bosses in the
eye. Its clear the ghost of former
The writer is Dean and SUNY
Distinguished Professor at SUNY
Buffalo Law School and Chair of
the KHRC.
OPINION
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
In a rare show of unity, MPs from
across the political divideTNA,
URP and CORD are saying no to
this corruption
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT
Makau Mutua
Twitter@makaumutua
Mr Kenyattas PAC report
returned an indictment of guilty
against the shady contractors and
their state co-conspirators. Some
of Mr Kibakis senior ministers
fell like g [mugumo] trees.
Shockingly, a number were
cleared and returned to the
inner sanctum of power. Thats
why the matter of legal culpabili-
ty stalled. With the passage of
time, the cartels have re-emerged
to claim their pound of esh.
I
n a rare show of unity,
MPs from across the
political divide are say-
ing nyet. TNA, URP,
and CORD MPs appear
united in jettisoning the
half-cooked plot of their
leaders to take the taxpayers to the
cleaners. This is why these manda-
rins were elected in the rst place
to put the country, the taxpayer,
and the national interests above
thieving cabals. Whats particularly
surprising to me is why Mr Musy-
imi, a man who knows the nefari-
ous nature of the Anglo Leasing
scams, can preside over a process
to legitimise such thefts. I can for-
give Majority Leader Aden Duale
for committing the same sin. Mr
Duale is a bloviator who is more
concerned with pleasing his boss-
es than doing his job.
But President Kenyatta needs
to recall his work on Anglo
Leasing when he chaired the PAC.
He impressed me then as a leader
who wanted to get to the bottom
of the matter, and prevent a
recurrence. In fact, he directly
told me in London that such
scams had a long history in
Kenya. He seemed genuine as he
vowed to end them and punish
those responsible. President
Kenyatta has repeatedly railed
against corruption since his
ascendance to the pinnacle of
power last year.
I am extremely disappointed
President Kenyatta has buckled
to the Anglo Leasing extortionists
and agreed to pay them taxpayer
money as ransom. The scammers
are like terrorists. They are beasts
that cant and mustnt be
rewarded.
Its clear that the Anglo
Leasing scammers live in the
shadows of civilisation. They
extort the state and intimidate it
with threats of retaliation. It
doesnt matter such threats are
done in courts or in the halls of
arbitration. Kenya shouldnt allow
a gun to be held to its head by
merchants of deception. Nor
should the AG give weak-kneed
legal advice, or fail to vigorously
contest bad-faith suits.
This is what I say. Instead of
giving taxpayer money away,
Kenya should sue the nefarious
authors of the scams. Expose
each and every one of them to
the sunlight. Let the public know
who did what, and was paid how
much by whom. The sunlight is
the most effective disinfectant.
Its clear to me the ghosts of
Githongo have returned with a
vengeance. My take is that its
coincidental that the ugly spectre
of Anglo Leasing is rearing its
head a year after Jubilee came to
power. Its precisely at a similar
historical period that the NARC
regime started to lose the plot.
Cartels reorganised and began to
reconsolidate.
I should know because thats
how they killed my push for a
truth commission. Jubilee must
realise that talk is cheap. Thats
why it must act to stop the public
thefts underway.
The writer holds a PhD in Organisa-
tional Leadership and is the Presid-
ing Bishop of Christ is the Answer
Ministries (CITAM)
discussions, with men and women
taking predictable stands. Polygamy is
an outdated cultural practice that has
no place in modern Kenya has been
the line taken by women both in and
outside Parliament. The men,
however, have argued that polygamy
is undeniably entrenched in our
Africanness and cannot be wished
away.
It is important to note though that
polygamy is not just an African
phenomenon as it has often been
portrayed. This is a widespread
practice across the globe that
manifests in various forms.
It was our rst culture shock in the
US when we attended a couples class
in a church during our stay there
many years ago. When the facilitator
asked each couple to introduce
themselves, the introductions went
something like this, My name is Jim,
and this is my wife Lyn. She has two
children, I have three. She is in her
third marriage, I am in the second. Be-
tween us we have two children... With
about 30 couples in the class, none of
the couples was in a rst marriage
except my wife and I. Yet we were all
in monogamous marriages!
King Solomon easily holds the
polygamy record 300 wives, 700
mpango wa kando!
The big question is why any man
in his right mind would need so many
women? But equally critical is why
any dignied woman would accept to
be the 2nd, 5th, or 299th wife; and yet
believe that she alone is and will
remain the beloved of her husband! It
is a proven fact that the male nature
seeks to conquer anything and
everything in its wake, seeking for
self-gratication. Whether it is the
pursuit of business, career, gadgets,
cars, property, oryes women;
there will be no stopping for most
men. Hence, when a man crosses the
bounds of marriage and takes in
another woman, whether as wife,
concubine, or prostitute; there is no
telling how far that man will go in
pursuit of his passions.
T
hus, whereas traditional
polygamy was an or-
ganised and dignied
affair mainly founded
on a social framework
based on ignorance of a
better way; at the centre of
todays polygamy is insatiable human
wickedness. A man driven by beastly
passions roams society seeking whom
he might devour. A woman with op-
portunistic desperation becomes the
easy prey. The two come into an unholy
union that has never led to living hap-
pily ever after. According to the Syno-
vate report, more Muslims (71 per cent)
than Christians (58 per cent) surveyed
wanted the rst wifes approval to be a
prerequisite.
This is interesting because while
generally Islam allows for polygamy,
Christianity does not. And yet more
Muslims than Christians voted for
seeking the existing wife or wives
consent.
It does indicate that even Muslims,
though practising polygamy, their
women are not necessarily in
approval. Indeed, in many countries,
including India, Iran, Iraq, Bangla-
desh, Algeria, Lebanon, Morocco,
Jordan, and Kuwait, women are
allowed to include a clause prohibit-
ing polygamy in marriage contracts.
Other countries, such as Iran and
Pakistan, require that a man gets
permission from his rst wife before
taking a second wife, and then show
the court proof of such consent.
In Malaysia, a man must get
permission from both his wife and
from the governmental religious
authority in order to take a second
wife.
What this tells us is that polygamy
is not the natural order of marriage.
When Jesus taught on divorce and
remarriage, even the disciples were
shocked at the strictness of His stand.
They enquired of Him why it was that
Moses had allowed men to divorce
their wives. Jesus answer was straight
and poignant, Moses permitted you
to divorce your wives because of the
hardness of your hearts. But in the
beginning, it was not so. It is
apparent that current laws legalising
polygamy are quite similar born
out of our hardness of heart. Other-
wise God never intended marriage to
be so.
Now that the practice has been
legalised for those who marry
under the customary law it
behooves all women who want to be
the sole queens to their husbands, to
choose carefully under what legal
regime they get married. You must
insist on either a Christian marriage if
you are one, or a civil marriage.
In both regimes, polygamy is
strictly forbidden and is an offence.
Here is a case where your choice can
have far reaching consequences. Girls,
choose wisely!
Polygamy, a matter of choice therefore choose wisely
T
wo recent events have
aroused fresh debate and
discussion on the matter
of polygamy. The recent
signing of the controversial
Marriage Bill into law by
the President, and the sub-
sequent release of the Synovate re-
search ndings on Kenyans views on
the same, have caused a new stir.
During debate in Parliament,
women MPs walked out in protest
after their male counterparts
cheekily deleted a clause that would
have given wives a say on whether
or not the husband could bring in a
subsequent wife.
The matter spilled into the
public arena, generating animated
David Oginde
doginde@gmail.com
scrutiny. Anything else is double
standards. A classic case of
preaching water and drinking wine.
Ultimately, those who oversight
must never forget that they are
watchdogs, not bloodhounds.
Their brief is to watch over the
public good. Not to hound to hell
those mandated to exercise
executive power.
It is against this backdrop that
we must focus attention on
impeachments in the counties. The
Embu and Kericho county assem-
blies have respectively voted to
impeach their governors. The rst
Kiambu county assembly speaker
and the Nairobi county executive
for Transport have also fallen on
this sword. MCAs have been
handed a legislative arsenal loaded
with a variety of oversight weapon-
ry. They include investigation,
caution, naming and shaming,
surcharge, censure and impeach-
ment. Of all these, impeachment is
the lethal missile.
You dont re unless you are
crystal clear you have located and
isolated the target. The right target.
The target whose culpability is
beyond doubt. When you press the
launch button, you know you will
cause maximum damage. And so
you dont take chances. It is not
childs play. Like the mythical Sword
of Damocles, this missiles most
potent force lies not in how often it
lands, but in the mere horror of the
threat of its landing.
I lead from the front in encour-
aging MCAs to place county
regimes under strict scrutiny.
I have personally championed
efforts to develop Accountability
Kenya, a nationwide joint initiative
for all actors in nancial account-
ability. Public Accounts Committees
in all 47 counties are part of
Accountability Kenya.
I have similarly been consistent
in rebuking any county government
showing the slightest signs of
devolving the bad manners of
national government, including
corruption, indolence and inertia.
And so my caution here must not be
mistaken for excusing impropriety.
I
say yes, let MCAs oversight
governors and their gov-
ernments; yes, let them de-
ploy any oversight weapon.
But this must be done in
good faith and with utmost
responsibilitythe ulti-
mate aim being to aid not to hobble
the progress of devolution. Im-
peachment or the threat of it must
not be used as a tool to threaten gov-
ernors or unduly inuence them to
bend to the whims of the county as-
sembly. And if the governor can be
impeached for misconduct, so can
an MCA be recalled by popular vote
for abuse of ofce and privilege. For
what is good for the gander, must
surely be good for the goose too!
Even Christ teaches in Mathew 7:12
that So whatever you wish that men
would do to you, do so to them; for
this is the law and the prophets.
While MCAs must be encour-
aged to be vigilant, their actions
must similarly be subjected to
public scrutiny. Let us not rush
headlong to set precedents that
could become seeds for damaging
discord and instability. Writing in
The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli
cautions: But men of little
prudence will do a thing for
immediate gain without recognising
the poison it bears for the future
the man who does not recognise ills
at their inception does not have
true wisdom
We are living in a time dened
by acute trust decit. Yet we must
also appreciate that no people have
ever developed as a result of
focusing on their weaknesses. Even
as county assemblies and county
governments check and balance
each other, they must also work as
partners in our very noble devolu-
tion project. As Yogi Bera warns,
you got to be careful if you dont
know where you are going, because
you might not get there!
Page 16
OPINION
adopts two levels of government.
National and the County govern-
ment. Each level of Government has
three arms. The Judiciary, the
Executive and Parliament.
The President, his Deputy and
Cabinet Secretaries comprise the
Executive of the national govern-
ment. At the county level it
comprises the Governor and
members of the County Executive
Committee.
Whereas the Senate and the
National Assembly constitute
Parliament for the national
government, at the county level this
role is placed on the County
Assembly. The Judiciary is shared by
both levels of Government.
Under Articles 145 and 150 of
the Constitution, any MP, with the
support of a third of all members of
the National Assembly, can move a
Motion for the impeachment of the
President or his deputy. The Motion
can be made on any or more of the
following grounds: (1) gross
violation of a provision of the
Constitution or any law; (2) gross
misconduct; or (3) if there is serious
reason for believing that the
President or his deputy have
committed a crime under national
or international law.
Once such a Motion receives the
support of two-thirds of all
members, notice of the resolution is
given to the Senate which will hear
the charges, sitting either as a house
or through a special committee. The
Senate will then take a vote, and if
two thirds of all Senators vote to
uphold any impeachment charge,
the President or his deputy will
cease to hold ofce.
The power of the County
Assembly to move a Motion to
impeach a governor is no different
from that exercised by the National
Assembly. It has the same constitu-
tional foundation. The procedure is
also the same.
Article 181 of the Constitution
provides that a county governor
may be removed on four grounds:
(1) gross violation of the Constitu-
tion or any other law; (2) where
there are serious grounds for
believing the governor has commit-
ted a crime under national or
international law; (3) abuse of ofce
or gross misconduct; (4) physical or
mental incapacity to perform his
functions. Under Section 33 of the
County Government Act any MCA
can, with the support of a third of
all members of the Assembly, move
a Motion to impeach the governor.
Such a Motion requires the support
of two thirds of the members.
Once passed, the resolution is
forwarded to the Senate, who may
constitute a committee to investi-
gate the matter, and take a vote. If
the majority of Senators vote to
uphold the charges, the governor
ceases to hold ofce.
At both the national and county
level, the Executive is answerable to
the national or county assemblies
through the impeachment process.
It is true that this power can be
abused by MCAs. But the law
provides a check for any such
abuses. Senators investigate the
charges themselves, afresh, and
take a vote on it by majority. If
Senate oversteps its limit the
Judiciary has the nal say.
Where circumstances call for it,
County Assemblies should not shy
away from removing any member of
the county Executive who is not up
to scratch.
Impeachment rmly grounded in law
D
id you know that
Members of Parlia-
ment can impeach
the President or his
deputy? They have the
same powers to check
the Executive at the
national level as the Members of the
County Assembly do at the county
level.
There is lack of appreciation of
the constitutional and legal
foundation for the necessity of
such powers. The word impeach-
ment derives from Latin roots
expressing the idea of becoming
caught or entrapped. It is a formal
process in which an ofcial is
accused of unlawful activity, the
outcome of which, may include the
removal of that ofcial from ofce.
The Constitution of Kenya
O
n any given day, we all inter-
act with and utilise manufac-
tured products. These prod-
ucts range from the cups that
we use for our breakfast to the
shoes that we put on as we
leave the house.
The big question is this where are
these products manufactured? Where do
they go through that transformation from
clumsy raw material to polished products?
Kenya is responsible for only seven per
cent of the products that circulate the East
African market. This means that Kenya only
gets a seven per cent share of the $11
billion East African market. The rest at
least 90 per cent goes to the foreign
exporters.
Although Kenyas manufacturing sector
took off in the 1940s, it has never contribut-
ed signicantly to the countrys bottom line.
This is why Vision 2030 calls on us to
develop robust, diversied and competitive
manufacturing that will be achieved by
focusing on three strategic thrusts: Local
production; regional market expansion; and
global market niche.
Local production will enable a multitude
of products to bear the words, Made in
Kenya Or even East Africa. Even in cases
where given products are not made in the
region, they should at least be assembled in
Kenya.
Regional market expansion of Kenyan
products will increase our share of seven per
cent to double digit levels. This should, how-
ever, be ve-way so that the other East
African countries can also sell an increasing
number of their own products to the East
African region.
If East Africa steps up its manufacturing,
it might just follow the footsteps of
countries like India, Germany and Japan. All
those quality products that are made in
Germany have made it to be the second
largest manufacturing exporter in the world,
behind China. It is no wonder that Germany
is Europes strongest economy.
Manufacturing has also been partly
responsible for the transformation of Indias
economy. Between 1950 and 2000, global
steel manufacture increased six-fold to over
1.2 billion metric tons.
Manufacturing is, therefore, an extreme-
ly vital component of economic growth.
However, for long term benets to be
realised, manufacturing must be infused
with sustainability. Kenya must embrace the
vibrant manufacturing that powered many
developed economies but shun the
unsustainable energy and practices that
powered them. Green manufacturing
ensures efcient energy usage, adequate
utilisation of local resources, replenishment
of raw materials, sufcient remuneration of
human resource and ultimately, vibrant
economic growth. We have a golden chance
to integrate green manufacturing into
various mega projects like the regional
railway line.
The writer is the founder and chairperson,
Green Africa Foundation and and runs a blog
on conservationwww.isaackalua.com
The writer is an advocate of the High
Court of Kenya
The writer is Budalangi MP and
Chair of Parliaments Public
Accounts Committee
County ward reps should be
watchdogs not bloodbounds
When green
manufacturing
boosts growth
A
s a legislator, and more
so as head of the Pub-
lic Accounts Commit-
tee (PAC), I intimately
appreciate the value
of accountability and
individual political re-
sponsibility in the conduct of pub-
lic affairs. Indeed accountability is
a constitutional tenet. And a moral
imperative. If you hold public ofce,
this must inhere in your very soul.
As spelt out in Article 73 of the Con-
stitution, authority assigned to
a State ofcer is a public trust to be
exercised in a manner thatbrings
honour to the nation and dignity
to the ofce, and promotes public
condence in the integrity of the of-
ce. Article 226 (5) further enacts
personal liability for nancial mis-
adventure.
Having also served as a Cabinet
minister only recently, I have had
the unique privilege of experienc-
ing accountability and political
responsibility from the dialectic
angles of the hunter and the
hunted. This unique cocktail of
experiences has taught me that
those who bear the mandate to
oversight others bear a divine duty.
A duty they must exercise with
utmost honour and responsibility.
In deploying the instruments of
oversight they must be as account-
able for their actions as those
whose deeds they bring under
The law provides
checks for abuse of the
impeachment process
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
SUNDAY HARDBALL
Isaac Kalua
kalua@greenafricafoundation.org
Kethi D Kilonzo
nclegal@gmail.com
Ababu Namwamba
namwambaa@gmail.com
Page 17
is typical of Jubilee mandarins:
Heady excitement with power
amid embarrassing upheaval in
almost all sectors of our body
politic. One hundred and eighty
eight petitions after a single
election is no mean achievement
for a body like the IEBC. It spells
utter disaster.
The more disturbing meeting
we had with the Commission as
the ODM leadership was when it
became clear that the IEBC had
been thoroughly inltrated by the
security apparatus of the state.
First, the original proposal had
been to set up the tallying centre
at the Kasarani Sports Complex.
Hassan, for reasons best known to
himself, agreed with the security
agents to move the venue to
Bomas of Kenya. It now turns out
that this was a venue convenient
for laying cables from the Kencall
ofces on Mombasa Road and
was also within reach from the
Catholic University. Kenyans now
know why all this arrangement
was made: it was to make the
IEBC an inside participant in the
rigging of the elections.
Second, the electronic registers
for identifying voters at the
polling stations could not possibly
have worked when they were
being given to the polling ofcers
hardly a day before the exercise
began. A good number of them
did not even have charged
batteries. Those which had could
not last for more than two hours
in polling stations with no
electricity supply. When Hassan
Why IEBC big wigs wont fool
anyone with their self praise
Despite the crisis facing
the polls body prior to
D-Day, the chair kept
re-assuring Kenyans
Constitution, which required the
reorganisation and restructuring
of the provincial administration to
be in harmony with and respect
the structure of decentralised
government within ve years after
the promulgation of the Constitu-
tion. The timing of the appoint-
ments was viewed as a move by
the Presidency and the national
government to undermine county
governments even before they
came into being.
The coordination of central
government policies and develop-
ment programmes at the local
level under the old order was the
mandate of the then Provincial
Administration which was a
department within the Ofce of
the President. Representatives of
the Executive at the regional levels
under the Provincial Administra-
tion system exercised upward
accountability and there was a
general feeling among citizens
that they all served at the pleasure
of the incumbent President and as
such did not exist to serve the
interests of the citizens.
The mandate of the Provincial
Administration included supervis-
ing other central government
County Commissioners will play critical role
STRAIGHT TALK
T
he IEBC ofcials are
reported to have re-
treated to the Coast to
review the 2013 elec-
tions, assess the per-
formance of the insti-
tution and come up
with a road map for the future. It
is as if Jicho Pevu never happened!
Kenyans are still curious to get an-
swers to the disturbing questions
the programme raised. The IEBC,
on the other hand, is proceeding
as if business is rolling on as usual.
I was quite convinced, well
before the elections were held in
March 2013, that the IEBC had
already set itself up deliberately to
fail Kenyans. One does not need
to refer to the meeting with
stakeholders to test the electronic
gadgets which was a total failure.
Even after that unfortunate
exhibition of lack of preparedness
and utter incompetence,
Chairman Isaack Hassan did not
show any anxiety about the
serious crisis they were in. He
gave exuberant press conferences
assuring Kenyans that everything
would be perfect in the end. He
has not changed one iota. His
utterances at the Mombasa retreat
T
he recent meeting by
President Uhuru Ke-
nyatta with County
Commissioners who
are part of the nation-
al governments ad-
ministrative structure
established by law to assist in the
coordination of national govern-
ment functions in the 47 counties
elicited sharp reactions from not
only the Council of Governors,
but also the Opposition. This may
be seen as the seemingly contin-
ued distrust that has in the recent
past characterised the relation-
ship between the national and
county governments.
Debate on the presence of
national government adminis-
trative institutions at the county
level gained momentum
following the appointment by
the then President Mwai Kibaki
of the 47 County Commission-
ers. The appointments by
President Kibaki were done
before the rst elections under
the new Constitution. This was
against the provisions of the
Anyang Nyongo
anyongo@yahoo.com
The writer is Kisumu County
Senator
OPINION
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
A good number of electronic registers
did not even have charged batteries
The writer is an assistant
programme ofcer, Institute of
Economic Affairs
was giving Kenyans assurances that
all would be well he obviously knew
who he was fooling: the Kenyan
voter. Convinced that he succeeded
in doing that he is now preparing for
the second round of deception in
2017. This will only happen if
Kenyans, like sleeping dogs, will
continue in their slumber as Hassan
and his ilk rig the next elections.
T
hird, the IEBC ofcials
had roamed the whole
world studying and wit-
nessing how voter regis-
tration, voting and vote
tallying is done elec-
tronically. It is not as if
they did not know what to do. They
did. But they chose not to apply what
they had learnt deliberately. Has-
san is therefore being very dishonest
to ponticate now that they are dis-
covering their shortcomings at the
retreat in Mombasa. He has always
known what deliberately went wrong
and why it went wrong.
Coming to the present: Kenyans
want all the IEBC records and
equipment kept intact. We know that
there is a scheme to borrow BVR
kits from the IEBC for purposes of
carrying out so called digital
transformation of government.
Apparently, notwithstanding the
constitutionally given indepen-
dence of the IEBC from day to day
government operations, the
Attorney General has opined that
the IEBC is at liberty to engage
with relevant entities under any
framework agreement that it so
wishes for the provision of any
sought equipment and technical
support.
The equipment being sought are
16,200 BVR Kits and their accesso-
ries, and 5,000 portable generators
and their accessories to be
delivered to the Ministry of
Information, Communication and
Technology for what is dabbed as a
digital registration exercise. The
drivers of this proposal are key
gures in the Jubilee government.
The truth be told, matters of
registration of persons are under-
taken by the ministry in charge of
immigration and registration of
persons. Truth be told again, 16,200
BVR kits, even if they were to be
regarded as the appropriate
equipment for registering persons,
would hardly be adequate to carry
out a successful national exercise.
In my humble submission, you do
not need BVR kits to digitalise
government.
You need a software which is
very different from the voter
registration one. The machine itself
is a secondary part in undertaking
this initiative. So why is the Deputy
President and his ilk after the
equipment? Obviously not for the
overtly stated intention but for
something covert that only the
government can tell us. Somebody
wants to get hold of the data in the
BVRs. Alternatively, by the time
they are returned to the IEBC they
will have been tted with some
contraption to transmit data to
some recipient somewhere. Your
guess is as good as mine.
What I know is that the IEBC
would be very foolish to lend its
equipment to any other entity.
Several pertinent issues would
thereby arise. First, what happens
to the data and information
already in those gadgets? How do
you safeguard their integrity?
Second, how sure are you that you
will get your equipment back and
how do you account for the
misuse of the gadgets by third
parties operating outside your
legal jurisdiction? I thought the
AG was a lawyer: did he really
think that the IEBC is any
ordinary organisation ready to do
business with other entities with
no reference to the special role
Kenyans have entrusted to them
under the Constitution?
The conclusion we have
arrived at is that the IEBC as
presently composed has betrayed
its mandate in a big way. It should
own up to the political crimes it
has committed against the
Kenyan people rather than seek to
reinvent itself through propagan-
da and poorly staged public
relations exercises. The Kenyan
voter is not amused.
ministries in the provinces and at
the district levels, coordinating
the implementation of the
ministrys programmes and
policies. With the new Constitu-
tion they will, however, execute
duties allocated under by the
Fourth Schedule.
T
he Fourth Schedule out-
lines the functions of
both the national and
county governments.
The Transition Author-
ity has been engaging
in the review and reas-
signing of functions, powers and
competencies between the national
and county governments. There are
some functions that are to be per-
formed concurrently by both the na-
tional and county governments.
Questions were, however,
bound to arise concerning the
structure of relations between the
two levels of government. First are
questions over which level of
government will have overall
responsibility for what functions.
The other area of conict is who
should be responsible for local
programmes being funded by the
central government.
County governments have
structures established by law
that enable the smooth running
of county departments and also
deliver on their mandate.
It may, however, not be easy
for Governors to effectively
coordinate delegated national
government functions such as
security and other inter-ministe-
rial duties.
This may particularly prove
difcult without a well-coordi-
nated structure such as the then
provincial administration and
now the structure as headed by
the County Commissioners.
A structure like the then
provincial administration
structure with the inter-ministe-
rial liaison experience can,
therefore, be very helpful in
supervising and coordinating
the delegation of service
provision functions to the
county government as a way of
countering resistance from the
central government bureaucrats.
The structure under the
County Commissioner is
important for the national
government for the purposes of
implementation and enforce-
ment of national government
policies that cut across county
boundaries, without compro-
mising the institutional integrity
of the County Government
under the leadership of the
Governor.
One of the National Govern-
ments mandates is the provi-
sion of security, including
national defence and the use of
national defence services; and
police services. Others include
prisons, courts, labour stan-
dards, education, sports,
national transport and commu-
nication and immigration.
The national government
also has the mandate of policy
formulation for various sectors,
including health, agriculture,
veterinary, energy and housing
among others.
It, therefore, follows that the
national government requires
institutions and administrative
structures that will enable it
deliver on its mandates.
Chrispine Oduor
Roughly one year down the
line after the new Government
was sworn in, we have more or
less gone through the honeymoon
and now is the time to roll up
our sleeves and work. Ordinary
Kenyans are focused, hardwork-
ing and very industrious a virtue
we should build on and grow this
nation.
The Government is moving in
the right direction. It is supporting
large-scale agriculture in the Tana
River Delta and has since launched
the Standard Gauge Railway
project. However, it also needs to
create an enabling environment
to facilitate the conversion of the
common citizenrys sweat into
wealth.
One of the biggest drivers of
wealth is creating a huge reposi-
tory of savings. Thankfully, the
growing economic phenomenon
of chamas has made Wanjiku not
only sensitised but put him miles
ahead in creation of wealth. Gov-
ernment institutions with huge
public savings need to break with
the odious past and make a clean
break for the right reasons, for us
to experience positive change.
It is most peoples dream to
break free from the shackles of
poverty. As a forward-looking
nation we must raise the people
above subsistence existence by
strongly supporting affordable
investments and production initia-
tives to lift them above the basics.
The Uhuruto Government
has commissioned thousands of
acres for food production that is a
vital and critical ingredient in the
stability equation. The next focus
should be shelter for all. This must
be tied with decongestion of main
cities through policy intervention.
The central Government needs
to devolve its ministerial functions
to different regions to create eco-
nomic hubs that will attract people
away from the choking cities. Last
but not least is provision of quality
and accessible health services.
Health insurance devoid of
corrupt schemes should be availed
to the common man at affordable
or pocket-friendly cost. As the new
Kenya is being reborn we must be
cognizant of the fact that estab-
lished cartels have been thriving
on chaos and thus will go to great
lengths to maintain the status quo
so as to keep on proting from the
articial mess.
Kill corruption and bury it,
those with malignant traces of
incorrigible corruption need to be
surgically isolated from the cause
until they reform or go down with
their self-inicted avarice.
The current state of insecurity
will fade out as the many of our
brothers and sisters masquerading
as terrorists out of poverty induced
indoctrination will regain hope
and purpose for life.
Let us also consider cutting
down on politicking for its own
sake and be benevolent managers
of the peoples resources.
There is no magic for xing our
problems: by just putting in place
the small things that matter, the
rest will fall in line with our collec-
tive focus.
We have a moral duty to be-
queath a better country to future
generations.
Kanyi Gioko, Via Email
Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, P.O. Box 30080 - 00100, Nairobi or e-mail letters@standardmedia.
co.ke. The views expressed on this page are not necessarily those of The Standard. The Editor reserves the right
to edit the letters. Correspondents should give their names and address as a sign of good faith.
Theres no reason to falter:
better days are coming
The new trafc rules enacted
in April seem to have been shoved
down the drain as soon as they
were enforced. And nowhere is
this more evident than the seat of
power in Nairobi.
Everyday, I use a matatu to
my workplace; everyday I witness
cases of matatu crew breaking the
law with reckless abandon.
Nearly all 14-seater matatus
plying the Nairobi central business
district-Mlolongo, Kitengela routes
carry excess passengers, some-
times as many as 20.
It is now a requirement for
passengers to crowd the aisle in
minibuses, as the drivers cruise
away off at speeds of more than
80km per hour.
And as if this is not enough,
matatu crew are full of abusive
language. Woe unto you if you dare
complain as you will be asked to
either shut-up or leave.
Question is, are rules in Kenya
there to be broken? Is our coun-
try slowly turning into a lawless
society? Will we ever have sanity
on our roads?
It is about time President
Kenyatta personally took charge
of the trafc situation. His Cabinet
Secretary simply cant.

Carol Mwendwa, Nairobi
Prepare for elections in good time
The ongoing Independent
Electoral and Boundaries Com-
missions (IEBC) self-appraisal
workshop in Mombasa is a step
in the right direction. Recently,
the IEBC has received a barrage of
criticism from the CORD fraternity
for allegedly mismanaging the 2013
General Election. Thankfully, it has
accepted its mistakes and admitted
it was ill-prepared for the election.
Article 88(4) of the Constitution
stipulates that IEBC is responsible
for conducting or supervising
referendums and elections to nay
elective body or ofce established
by the Constitution.
To the effect, IEBC is mandated
by the Constitution to carry contin-
uous registration of citizens as vot-
ers, regular revision of the voters
roll, voter education, the facilita-
tion of the observation, monitoring
and evaluation of elections.
While I commend the work-
shop, it is imperative for the com-
mission to commence its strategic
plan for the 2017 General Election.
During the last election, mil-
lions of Kenyans could not vote
due to lack of registration. In fact,
those in the diaspora and other
institutions could not vote due to
non-registration and time con-
strain.
It is high time the IEBC em-
barked on national registration
and other logistical preparations to
curtail a last minute rush. Other-
wise, many voters will be disen-
franchised and denied their right
to vote come 2017. Two wrongs do
not make a right.
Joseph Muthama, Thika
The decision by Divock Origi,
19, to represent Belgium at the
forthcoming FIFA World Cup in
Brazil is, although painful for many
Kenyan soccer fans, timely and
pragmatic for the young lad.
Some will protest and call Origi
names and term his decision be-
trayal of his motherland.
However, when his decision
is objectively analysed, then one
will realise that his football career
is on the right track and that they
too would have made the same
decision.
The sad truth is that our soccer
structures, administration and
management remain chaotic and
have been so for many years now.
We cannot blame Al-Shabaab
or lack of rain for not qualifying to
make it for the World Cup.
We commend Origi for his
brave decision to play for Belgium
and wish him all the best.
Belgium should organise a
friendly match with Harambee
Stars on their way to Brazil as a
sign of appreciating and thanking
Kenyans for beneting them with
a striker.
Enock Onsando, Mombasa
State should
not misuse
county offcers
Footballer
Origi has made
right decision
Words of wisdom
On this day...
Man
A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.
{Ayn Rand}
A successful man is one who can lay a rm foundation with the bricks others have thrown
at him.
{David Brinkley}
A womans mind is cleaner than a mans: She changes it more often.
{Oliver Herford}

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him
in his language, that goes to his heart.
{Nelson Mandela}
2013: 2013 In Rome, one hundred thousand
protestors rally against their new governments
austerity measures, and demand a new policy
focused on job creation
2011: The US intends to impose sanctions on
Bashar al-Assad, President of Syria, for alleged
human rights breaches during the 2011 Syrian
Uprising
2011: Queen Elizabeth II visits Irelands Croke
Park in Dublin, where the Bloody Sunday
massacre of 1920 occurred during the Irish War
of Independence
1994: Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip
1992: Supreme Court rules states could not
force mentally unstable criminal defendants to
take anti-psychotic drugs
1986: South African army occupies Botswana,
Zimbabwe and Zambia
1982: Unication Church founder Reverend Sun
Myung Moon convicted of tax evasion
1978: Italy legalises abortion
1977: A nightclub re in Cincinnati kills 164
1954: European Convention on Human Rights
goes into effect
1951: UN moves headquarters to New York City
1948: Saudi Arabia joins invasion of Israel
1944: Expulsion of more than 200,000 Tartars
from Crimea by Soviet Union begins, they are
accused of collaborating with the Germans
LETTERS
Page 18 May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
Traffc rules are
broken with
abandon
Stop impeaching
leaders carelessly
The power vested on members
of the country assemblies (MCAs)
to impeach a duly elected governor
should be clipped.
Removal of a governor should
be done by the people, of course
with the MCAs knowledge.
The growing trend of impeach-
ing governors with the slightest of
reasons is not good for develop-
ment and devolution, and could
lead to serious blackmailing and
compromising.
The Constitution should be
amended to allow full participation
of the electorate in the process of
removal of an elected leader.

Charles Siele, Kericho
The National Government has
created powerful positions for
County Commissioners, who have
since replaced the long running
provincial administration.
It is an open secret that the
latter was often used as a tool to
campaign for the re-election of the
Government in power.
When Kenyans participated in
the referendum to change the Con-
stitution, many wanted to do away
with the provincial administration,
which had since become a thorn in
the esh.
The provincial administration
that included Commissioners,
District Commissioners, District
Ofcers, Senior Chiefs, Chiefs and
Wazee wa Mtaa would earn from
the National Government but pose
as chief campaigners to restore
and reinstall the Government in
power.
As things stand, there will be 47
commissioners in the next election
handpicked by the president to
work as directed by the president.
It appears we are still stuck in
the same situation, and that the
more things change, the more they
remain the same.
Justin Karanga, Mombasa
Youth should
make use of funds
The Government has released
the much-awaited Uwezo Funds
about Sh5.3 billion to over 70
constituencies. This is a wake-up
call to the youth to apply for loans
and put their time, skills and talent
into good use. They are encour-
aged to start businesses, apply for
tenders in the counties and engage
in all form of production to ensure
development on both personal and
county level.
The innovative gurus in uni-
versities and colleges, now have a
chance to expand their technical
know how through this scheme for
future development.
This will boost self-employment
and indeed improve entrepreneur-
ship skills among the young.
Joel Onyango, Maseno University
Page 19
NEWS FEATURE
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
Here businesses have
to suffer, as prostitutes
rule streets day, night
By LEONARD KULEI
and JALLY KIHARA
A looming fall-out between proprietors
selling their wares in Nakuru streets and
prostitutes whose population is becoming
a nuisance may see the latter ejected from
what has been their blossoming business
territory for decades.
Their bodies, enhanced by silicon,
surgically developed posteriors and
extreme body enhancers earning them
that perfect curvaceous gure demand
ogles from men and even women.
With unmarked boundary demarca-
tion, the prostitutes line up along the busy
streets, winking at every stranger, perhaps
with the hope of winning their attention.
All of them, seemingly in their teens
are dressed in skimpy attire that reveals
plunging cleavages for all and sundry to
see.
The girls employ their wit to con
drunken men. That villager who has just
earned some good money from the his
land proceeds is a key target. Countryside
teachers who throng the town during end
month are also not spared from these
girls whims.
Embarrassing nightmare
They have impoverished many
primary school teachers who have taken
loans. Most of them come here to spend
the night, said James Kiragu, a bar
attendant at a popular joint.
Walking along Kenyatta Avenue during
the day may turn out to be the most
embarrassing nightmare for many. The
call girls openly ght for unsuspecting
strangers, obstructing business for
genuine proprietors who pay taxes to the
County Government.
According to Joseph Muchiri, a shoe
proprietor next to a popular drinking
joint, men are the worst affected as they
now keep off the street especially when
with their spouses and relatives.
Street girls here shamelessly call out
to my potential customers. I have warned
them to relocate, but I am the one who
has instead suffered the brunt. Lately, I
have been hardly receiving customers,
laments Muchiri.
Scholastica Mweni, a barber in one of
the buildings allegedly hired by the
twilight girls, says she hardly has any of
her clients returning, as they are sexually
harassed and stalked for their attention
whenever they visit her barber shop.I
may close business soon if the authorities
do not eject these women. They beg
every man for sexual favours. They are
also abusive and you cant argue with
them because they can really embarrass
you in public, says Ms Mweni.
Lately, the prostitutes who appear to
rule the town when darkness falls have
embarked on a worrying trend. They
hurl stones at vehicles of clients who
refuse to play to their sexual demands.
But what is astonishing about the
power and freedom enjoyed by these
prostitutes is the manner in which they
command loads of inuence among
police ofcers in Nakuru.
According to Simon Mwangi, a recent
victim of harassment, the girls elicit
immense respect from some police
ofcers, pointing to the fact that they are
in collusion. Mr Mwangi says he had
parked his vehicle on Kenyatta Avenue
and proceeded to an ATM one
evening when he was accosted by a
group of the twilight girls.
When he came out,
three women emerged
from nowhere and
began begging him
for sexual favours.
The girls turned
hostile when they
realised he was leaving
without a word, and that is when
they picked stones and hurled
them at his vehicle, breaking his
windscreen.
Surprisingly, after reporting the
matter to Central Police Station,
the three women thronged the
place and began conversing in a
knowing manner with the
ofcers on duty. He was
turned away by the police
and attention shifted to the
women, he says. These
ofcers need to be investi-
gated to ascertain whether
they collude with prostitutes
to rob and assault innocent
members of the public. I left
the police station feeling
dejected and ashamed. I need
to speak to the Nakuru police
boss on this, says Mwangi.
And indeed, investigations
conducted by The Standard
on Sunday reveal an
intricate blossoming
business between some
police ofcers and the
commercial sex workers in
an effort to protect the
women from constant
police harassment.
The secret business web
is a well-guarded secret
that according to some
prostitutes, is enough to
keep a compliant police
away from touching their
monthly salary for days.
Nancy, 23, whose
territory is the dingy
Problem: Proprietors say protection by police making the women to openly obstruct legal, tax-paying businesses
pubs opposite Oginga Odinga Street,
frequented by college students and village
folk, tells of her growing business empire
protected by some friendly cops. She
says they came up with the idea after
facing harassment by police and being
locked up in police cells several times.
According to her, no police ofcer in
Nakuru can dare arrest her
unless they are newly posted
there and are yet to be briefed
by senior colleagues. She
says each one of them
parts with
Sh1,000 a week,
money that is
collected by a
senior prostitute and delivered to the
collecting cop alongside the names of
specic territory members. Have you
seen them arresting anyone of us here?
That cannot happen, because we pay
them Sh1,000 a week and that is how we
survive here in town, reveals Chebet.
According to Elsie, a commercial sex
worker, after the compulsory payment
is settled, one is free to roam the
streets and pose at any corner of
the town, regardless of time of day.
Powers to recruit
Further investigations
indicate some prostitutes are
well-connected and thus are
used by some police ofcers to
withdraw money via M-Pesa
when a co-operative person is
arrested. The person is then
released before reaching the
police station. Some of us
here are agents of police who
conduct night patrols. They
(police) send us money when
they arrest someone at night
and we withdraw it for them.
This enhances safety of the ofcer
since money transfer is a delicate
transaction that can be traced, says
Anne Akinyi, a prostitute. The alleged
police cartel, as expressed by some of
the prostitutes is so established that
they use some of them as spies on criminals
on the run and on reporting some secret
media surveillance that might capture those
collecting bribes at night.
It is this alleged protection by the police
that has made the prostitutes grow bold
enough to openly obstruct businesses of gen-
uine taxpayers, who keep the economy of
Nakuru growing. I am here to display my
commodities. You people like talking badly
about prostitutes and you dont know what your
kids will end up being. If these people feel we
are obstructing their businesses, they can as
well leave this place. We also pay the authori-
ties, says Daisy Wanjiru, a seasoned prostitute.
Although she cannot table any ofcial
document to show that they pay to display their
commodities, Wanjiru points to the alleged
cartel of police ofcers who roam the street at
night looking for those who have not paid dues.
According to Maryanne Gathoni, who left
her home in Nyahururu and ventured into the
esh peddling business, sex workers in Nakuru
are organised to an extent of having a commit-
tee that lays down rules of the game.
The seven-member committee comprising
pioneers of prostitution are conferred with the
powers to recruit new members, set boundaries
to the various territories where members lie in
wait for customers and arbitrate customer-re-
lated disputes that may arise between sex
workers.
The committee also sets the fee for sexual
services to make sure charges remain uniform
across all the red-light districts. You are
required to make a choice on where to be
waiting for customers no invading other
peoples joints. You pay a certain amount of
recruitment fee to join. They also tell us how
much to charge customers, depending on the
time a man wants to enjoy your services,
Gathoni says.
The skimpily dressed lass appears a minor,
though she insists she is an adult. She, however,
refuses to show us her national identication
card. She says another girl who hails from her
village in Nyahururu introduced her to the
mostly night business.
Gathonis is a tale of a girl who has lived and
hardened in the dark streets by her sex work
and wits.
With the cost of living rising daily, pushing
virtually everyone to the wall, the silent war
between the prostitutes and the business
community in Nakuru remains unattended by
authorities and exposes one of the dire
inefciencies by both the police and the County
Government.
Sh1,000
Amount the police are said to
be given by the prostitutes
every week
Ofcers need to be inves-
tigated to ascertain whether
they collude with prostitutes to
rob and assault innocent mem-
bers of the public. Harassed man
Page 20 May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
NEWS
By PROTUS ONYANGO
and DENNIS ONYANGO
The Orange Democratic Movements
younger MPs from Nyanza have regrouped
and are preparing to take on the old guard
in move they say will re-energise the party.
They say they want to launch various de-
velopment initiatives in Nyanza then ulti-
mately challenge older politicians from the
region for party positions.
The rst step is simple, says Millie
Odhiambo, a member of the group and its
current chairperson.
We will donate money to develop our
constituencies even as we serve our constit-
uents, says Odhiambo. We are focused
and shouldnt be taken for granted, said the
Mbita MP.
Some of the young turks include Ken
Obura (Kisumu Central), George Oner (Ran-
gwe), Jared KOpiyo (Awendo), Silvanus Os-
ele (Kabondo Kasipul), Agostino Neto
(Ndhiwa), Millie Odhiambo (Mbita), Junet
Mohamed (Suna East), John Mbadi (Suba)
and David Ochieng (Ugenya).
Obura has declared he will vie for the
Secretary Generals position when the party
holds its next delegates conference. Al-
though the younger politicians from ODMs
Nyanza stronghold have been dismissed as
upstarts and accused of cozying up the Ju-
bilee government, its members say the par-
ty must do things differently if it wants par-
ty leader Raila Odinga to secure the
presidency in 2017.
Raila himself has once described the
group as lizards climbing trees hoping that
people will see them, but this was before a
rebellion against the partys old guard ex-
ploded at an abortive delegates conference
in February when violence broke.
The young turks say they have lined up
a series of monthly fundraisers the next
one will be held at John Mbadis Suba con-
stituency, said Odhiambo.
We want to rebrand ODM and make it
a formidable party. Right now it is like a
leaking house that should be repaired, said
Odhiambo. Kisumu Centrals Obura, wants
the party to develop a succession plan.
When I declared to run for the partys
Secretary General in the aborted national
elections, I was called names and forced to
abandon my quest, Obura said.
Party interests
We have the partys interest at heart
and that is why we want to re-invigorate it
with new ideas. We reafrm our support for
Raila in the 2017 election but we are not
happy with the way some of our old politi-
cians are carrying themselves, he said.
The Young Turks have accused some
Senators and MPs from the region of cash-
ing in on Railas popularity in Nyanza to
win favours from others but do nothing for
the party.
It is unfortunate some politicians such
as Senator Otieno Kajwang are involved in
weakening ODM by scaring away members
of the party. We are committed to ensuring
that we the presidency, said Neto.
Awendo MP Jared KOpiyo appealed to
politicians to weigh their words carefully
otherwise they would polarise the party
and weaken it well before 2017 General
election. There must always be freedom
of expression in any democratic society
but it is harmful for a member of this co-
alition to tell any member who has ex-
pressed an opinion to quit a party. Poli-
tics depends on numbers but the moment
a member ditches his or her political par-
ty, they go with their supporters and
weaken the party, Opiyo added.
Kajwang appears to have borne the
brunt of much of their criticism with Ka-
bondo Kasipul MP Silvanus Osele accus-
ing him of adding little value to the party.
Kajwang keeps harping on his experi-
ence but he was with Raila during 2007
and 2013 General election when victory
eluded him. When we say the truth, they
claim we were sent by the Jubilee Coali-
tion. Let them accept change, Osele
added.
Rangwes George Oner weighed in
ODM young turks
plot fresh onslaught
against old guard
By PROTUS ONYANGO
The Coalition for Reforms and
Democracy (CORD) is planning to
lead Kenyans in peaceful demon-
strations to protest corruption in
government.
CORD members were reacting to
information that President Uhuru
Kenyatta had authorised payment of
Sh1.4 billion to shadowy gures in
the Anglo-Leasing scandal.
Speaking to The Standard On
Sunday on the telephone, Machakos
Senator Johnstone Muthama said
CORD has resolved to hold peaceful
demonstrations to paralyse govern-
ment functions.
President Uhuru has shown
Kenyans that he is lenient on graft.
That is why he has given more pow-
ers to the county commissioners
to use them to return Kenya to the
dark ages of dictatorship, Muthama
said, yesterday.
He added: Uhuru said the gov-
ernment should not pay the money
in 2007, then he is now paying it
when he is President. This is corrup-
tion of the highest order.
Muthama said CORD has already
nalised plans to lead Kenyans to
the streets to save the country from
greedy leaders.
Kenyans fought hard for democ-
racy but the Jubilee coalition is tak-
ing us back. We are going to paral-
yse this government. We are for the
teargas and bullets but workers and
the general public are ready to show
that they are not happy with the gov-
ernment, Muthama said.
Speaking at a separate function,
CORD members further declared
that they would not recognise the
ofce of county commissioners re-
cently appointed by President Uh-
uru.
Speaking during the burial of
former Homa Bay County Assem-
bly member Boaz Odhiambo of Ki-
biri ward who was shot dead by un-
known gangsters last month, Siaya
Senator James Orengo and Orange
Democratic Movement (ODM) Mi-
nority Whip Jakoyo Midiwo led other
Cord MPs in condemning the Jubi-
lee coalition, claiming there were
several ills that needed to be cor-
rected.
Orengo said the appointment of
the county commissioners was con-
trary to the Constitution and a plot
to kill devolution.
We will not recognise the ofce
of the county commissioners be-
cause they were not legally appoint-
ed, Orengo claimed.
On the payments to the Anglo-
Leasing rms, Midiwo said they
would hold the Cabinet Secretary
for Finance, Henry Rotich, culpable.
Rotich will be personally held li-
able for the payment and not even
the government, he stated.
The Gem legislator said Presi-
dent Uhuru ought to have brought
the governors on board prior to the
appointment of the county commis-
sioners to avoid wrangles.
Orengo said the coalition is
weighing options of going to court
to seek legal redress. The Anglo-
leasing contracts were fraudulent
and making payments to such rms
amounts to nurturing corruption in
the country, lamented Orengo.
Other MPs present at the event
included Ken Obura (Kisumu Cen-
tral), Sylvance Osele (Kabondo
Kasipul), George Oner (Rangwe),
Agustino Netto(Ndhiwa), John Mba-
di (Gwasii) and Millie Odhiambo
(Mbita) also lashed out at the Jubilee
government over the rising wave of
insecurity.
CORD to lead demos against Anglo Leasing payout
Orengo (left)
warned that the
appointment of the
county commis-
sioners was con-
trary to the consti-
tution and a plot to
kill devolution.
and said Kajwang does not have a strong
development record, sentiments shared
by former Rangwe MP Martin Ogindo who
replaced the Homa Bay Senator as the
ODM branch chairman recently.
We are fed up with him and that is
why we have new party leaders to revamp
ODM in the region, said Ogindo.
However, Kajwang dismissed the group
and said they were Jubilee moles and
could not be trusted. They are accusing
me but they cant lead ODM better than
us. I will keep reminding them every time
they make mistakes because they are out
to wreck ODM, Kajwang said.
And speaking at Got Rateng Second-
ary School in Kabondo Kasipul Constitu-
ency, Odhiambo said their aim was to re-
store order in ODM. If your house is
leaking, you have to look for ways of ren-
ovating the roof. But it is unfortunate that
if you want to point out misconduct in the
party ,then some people want to oust you
over claimn you are serving interests of
other political parties, Millie said.
Additonal reporting by James Omoro
Orange cracks: Raila allies bear brunt of criticism with some accusing them of adding little value to party
Jakoyos plea
Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo, urged the Young
Turks to resolve party problems inter-
nally by using party organs rather than
the media.
Lets us solve our differences amicably
within the party because by discussing
them openly, we will be telling our prob-
lems to our enemies, Midiwo said.
We are focused
and should not be
taken for granted
Millie Odhiambo, Mbita MP
ODM leader
Raila Odinga
with party
supporters. A
section of MPs
are calling for
generational
change in
party
leadership.
[PHOTO: FILE/
STANDARD]
MORE ONLINE
standardmedia.co.ke
Were on Twitter @StandardKenya
and Facebook.com/StandardMedia
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY Page 21
NEWS
Maasai herders killing hyenas
By KIPCHUMBA KEMEI
Animal rights organisations are
puzzled following the ongoing killings
of hyenas in Masai Mara National Re-
serve.
Marauding Maasai are allegedly
smearing Furadan, a lethal pesticide
that has been banned by the Govern-
ment on carcasses, on claims that the
hyenas, of the Crocuta Crocuta spe-
cies, devoured their cows.
Consequently, it has rekindled
memories of about ve years ago
when warriors killed more than 100 li-
ons by spearing and poisoning in ar-
eas bordering Nairobi National Park
and in the Mara in revenge for the
death of their cows.
More than a dozen of hyenas have
died, bringing to the fore the extent lo-
cals can go to secure their investments
as a result of delayed compensation.
It also shows how they relate with
wildlife that annually injects about
Sh100 billion to the national economy
from tourism.
Even with the enactment of the
new Wildlife Management and Con-
servation laws that among other things
address the issue of human-wildlife
conict, the war still rages on. It also
calls for speedy compensation of vic-
tims.
Crocuta Crocuta, commonly found
in the sub Saharan Africa, are known
to be sentient and intelligent animals
that have ecological and scientic val-
ue.
Ecologically, they play a vital role in
the natural balance by maintaining
the number of animal herds and in
Claim: Aggrieved locals now turn to pesticides to finish unfriendly animals
Security to be stepped up in public markets
By RAWLINGS OTIENO
Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero
has expressed deep condolences to
victims and families of the multiple
blasts, which rocked the populous
Gikomba market last Friday.
The explosions left eight dead
and more than 70 others wounded.
In a statement yesterday, Dr Kidero
also directed the Nairobi County
Chief of Security Francis Munyambu
to intensify security and surveillance
in the more than 15 public markets
spread across the city to deter any
other terror threats.
Our markets serve thousands of
city residents.
These could be easy targets for
the mindless killers who are heel
bent on threatening our security, he
said. He also directed the Inspec-
torate Department and other secu-
rity agencies to en-
sure that persons and vehicles
entering or leaving public markets
and even public service vehicles are
screened thoroughly.
City Hall has taken security mea-
sures and particularly in all public
markets to ensure security prevails.
I would further like to inform all Ke-
nyans that the police is in coordina-
tion with other security agencies to
ensure Nairobi and the entire coun-
try remains safe, he said.
He also called on the public to be
extra vigilant and share information
of suspected persons via emergency
call lines 999/112 or report to the
nearest police station.
Kidero described those who died
in the Friday terror blasts as honest
and patriotic Kenyans who were bru-
tally and recklessly cut down by
agents of terror.
Species Scientist says results of the
stomach and tissue samples that were
last week taken to the University of
Nairobi laboratory for analysis will be
known soon.
He, however, said the pink colour
ingin the samples indicated possible
use of Furadan.
Conservationists are skeptical
about KWS commitment to appre-
hend those behind the killings claim-
ing the herdsmen have in the last de-
cade killed many wild animals without
action being taken. Arresting them
has been difcult because the area is
sprawling for effective policing. Apart
from the lions and hyenas, certain
species of animals like hunting dogs
are on the verge of extinction because
of the conict.
Only speedy compensation of vic-
tims can halt the killings, says Nick
Murero, chairman of Narok Wildlife
Forum.
By STANDARD REPORTER
Renowned Kenyan industrialist and
philanthropist Manu Chandaria has sent
a congratulatory message to newly elected
India PM Narendra Modi.
Dr Chandaria described him as a sim-
ple and visionary leader. Modi, the lead-
er of the opposition Hindu nationalist
Bharatiya Janata Party claimed a landslide
victory in the countrys general election
last week.
He succeeds outgoing PM Manmohan
Singh. Chandaria, who said he met Modi
a number of times in Ahmedabad, India,
and also in Kenya, said the PM-elect has
the capability to make India the worlds
third largest economy.
His ideas led to economic growth,
which impacted positively on Indians.
During his reign as Chief Minister, he
raised Gujarat to one of the topmost states
in India. If he could replicate the same de-
velopments to the entire nation, then In-
dia would become the third largest econo-
my in the world, states Chandaria.
Chandaria congratulates India PM
Manu Chandaria (right) with the Indian Prime Minister (Centre) and
Kenyas former Prime Minister Raila Odinga at a past event.
The explosions
left eight people
dead and more
than 70 others
wounded. [PHOTO:
FILE/STANDARD]
Clarifcation
We wish to clarify a wrong impression
created in a cartoon strip that appeared
in yesterdays MADD MADD WORLD
feature titled End of an Era Oluoch
Kanindo. Relatives and friends have
conrmed to The Standard on Sunday
that the popular artiste has neither
quit his music career nor stopped
music production. We take this early
opportunity to apologise to Kanindo, his
family, relatives and friends, and regret
any anguish or embarrassment the
error might have caused.
11 Congolese arrested
in Mungiki search
Police are holding more than 100 sus-
pects, among them 11 Congolese follow-
ing an operation launched to ush out
Mungiki suspects in Kitengela town.
This followed a tip-off that the suspects
were regrouping to attack residents.
Machakos County Police boss Gideon
Amalla says the suspects are being in-
terrogated before any action is taken.
The Congolese are to be moved to Kasa-
rani Stadium for further grilling and
possible deportation. At least seven
people have been killed in fresh land
clashes between Mungiki followers in
Kitengela and those in the Central Busi-
ness District. Elsewhere, gunmen be-
lieved to be Al-Shabaab militia attacked
Mandera and Tawala Police Stations and
a county boss last week, but no casual-
ties were reported. The gang is said to
have red several times at three local
police stations, forcing police to take
cover before escaping. Police say they
are yet to know the attackers. Man-
dera County Police Commander, Noah
Mwivanda said the militants grouped
themselves before striking.
Mandera is at the border of Somalia
and has in the last few days been under
siege from attackers.
Ethiopians on the
run to SA nabbed
Twenty-seven illegal Ethiopian immi-
grants were intercepted in Kambiti area
of Muranga South District. The public,
who had spotted men shifting vehicles
in Kambiti area along the Nyeri-Nairobi
highway, alerted ofcers. The suspects
were arrested along with two Kenyans
allegedly from Muranga and Meru
counties. Muranga South OCPD Charles
Koskei said the immigrants were locked
at Makuyu Police Station after they
all failed to produce valid travel docu-
ments. We got information that 14 men
were found shifting vehicles. Later we
heard that 15 others had boarded a ve-
hicle headed for Nairobi, he said.
Police sources said they are suspected
to be travelling to Ruiru before leaving
for South Africa and later to Europe.
Briefy
STAY WITH THE NEWS
Fo the latest updated,
SMS NEWS to 8040
SMS alerts charged at Sh2 each
preventing overgrazing in wildlife sanc-
tuaries. Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)
says the killings are a threat to other car-
nivores. KWS now suggests the local
community needs to be sensitised on
the hyenas importance in balancing the
ecology.
The killing bode ill for conservation
prospects. Awareness on the impor-
tance of hyenas should be raised before
other species like lions, cheetahs and
leopards fall victim, says Patrick Omon-
di, KWS Deputy Director in charge of
Species Conservation.
But herders have vowed to kill the
hyenas until they are driven to their des-
ignated areas, claiming that despite the
frequent attacks on their animals, com-
pensation has not been forthcoming.
Biting drought
Over the years we have continued
to lose animals yet we have not been
compensated. We cannot lose our herds
to the biting drought and to these beasts
as well, says Kantai Kibelekenya, a res-
ident who claims he has lost ve bulls.
Their revenge mission has also left
several black back jackals and vultures
that fed on the poisoned carcasses dead.
Omondi has warned that those respon-
sible will be arrested and charged ac-
cording the new laws governing the
management and conservation of wild-
life that came into force in January.
The new law spells out what should
happen in the event of human-wildlife
conict. Instead of pursuing legal
means, they have decided to take law in
their hands which attracts punitive pun-
ishments, says Omondi.
David Kimutai, KWS Masai Mara
Dead hyenas in Masai Mara Game Reserve. More than a dozen have been killed
recently through poisoning by Maasai herders in the ongoing human-wildlife conict.
[PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY Page 22
NEWS FEATURE
Has Supreme
Court just opened
foodgate to more
election petitions?
Pandoras box: Experts say court should have limited jurisdiction, clarifying grey areas of major public interest
While the
law allows a party
that has lost an
election to approach
another higher
court for appeal, the
parameters of doing
so must be clear,
certain and uniform
Eric Mutua, LSK chair
By OSCAR OBONYO
The Supreme Courts active in-
volvement in non-presidential elec-
tion petitions has stirred friction
with the lower courts and arguably
generated inconsistencies in rul-
ings.
Over the last six months, Kenyans
have witnessed rather confusing
back and forth movement of cases
between the High Courts, Court of
Appeal and the Supreme Court.
The resultant conicting rulings
have left most lawyers and their cli-
ents in legal haze.
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) chair-
man Eric Mutua observes that the
law has to be predictable for purpos-
es of smooth judicial execution and
to enable lawyers to advise their cli-
ents accordingly.
While the law allows a party that
has lost an election to approach an-
other higher court for appeal, the pa-
rameters of doing so must be clear,
certain and uniform, says the LSK
boss.
In Makueni County, for instance,
former Kibwezi MP Kalembe Ndile
won in a re-count of votes during his
petition but was compelled to face
off with his challenger in a by-elec-
tion. In Bonchari, Kisii County, how-
ever, John Oyioka was declared win-
ner by the High Court in similar
circumstances after a recount of
votes conrmed he had beaten the
incumbent, Zebedeo Opore.
Lawyers also single out rulings on
cases involving Mombasa County
Governor Hassan Joho and Othaya
MP, Mary Wambui, as the most ad-
dling ones. The election of the two
politicians was upheld on grounds of
a technicality, with respect to their
opponents delay in ling the peti-
tions.
The major source of confusion
regards the time frame within which
the petitions are supposed to have
been led. While the judges are in
agreement that this is supposed to
have been done within 28 days after
the polls it remains a point of con-
tention as to when the 28 days start
to run.
Does the count start immediately
after the returning ofcer declares a
winner or after the ofcial gazette-
ment of the results by the Indepen-
dent Electoral and Boundaries Com-
mission (IEBC)?
Small detail
The ruling on Joho and Wambui
was pegged on this technicality and
similarly the political careers of Nai-
robi County Governor Dr Evans Ki-
dero and his deputy Jonathan Mueke
could be hinged on this small de-
tail. Migori County Governor Okoth
Obado is also on queue over a relat-
ed technicality.
Various judges, in their rulings,
have interpreted the count of days
differently and in the process raised
even more confusion.
It has not helped the situation ei-
ther, considering that the Constitu-
tion and the Elections Act are in con-
ict over this matter. While the
Constitution bases its counting on
the day the election results are de-
clared by the returning ofcer, the
counting of the 28 days, according to
the Elections Act, begin only after
the gazettement of the results.
Reecting on the Wambui versus
Peter Kingara case, human rights
lawyer Harun Ndubi observes that
the latter was a victim of a technical-
ity, not out of choice, but because of
this existing disconnect on when
precisely counting of the 28 days
starts.
On this, the Supreme Court
seems to be speaking from both
sides of its mouth. Wambui herself
raised her objection late yet she was
allowed to le. Much as the Supreme
Court has the capacity and discre-
tion to extend time, there is need for
clear guidelines and consistency on
the same, reacts Ndubi.
In the Joho and Wambui cases,
the Supreme Court based its assess-
ment of ling days on the Constitu-
tion. If the Kidero versus Waititu is
also hinged on the ling technicality,
then lawyers polled by The Standard
on Sunday point out that this will be
an easy one for the Supreme Court
to execute.
In his dissenting ruling, Appeal
Judge Mohamed Warsame pointed
to, among other things, the fact that
there was a delay in ling the peti-
tion against Kidero. Relevant stat-
utes require that an appeal be led
30 days after a cases determination
by High Court. However, his coun-
terparts JB Kariuki and J Kiage, had
a different opinion on the matter.
But the President of the East Afri-
can Law Society (EALS) James Mwa-
mu regrets that decisions to judicial
cases of such a magnitude have been
reduced to a matter of technicali-
ties.
The guiding principle in all these
is that where the technicalities are in
conict with the substantive justice,
you must take the road of justice and
this is what our courts should be do-
ing, says Mwamu.
Silent war
The EALS boss attributes the x-
ation with technicalities to the Chief
Justice Dr Willy Mutunga-led Su-
preme Court ruling of disallowing
the 800-page afdavit evidence in
the presidential poll petition of Raila
Odinga versus Uhuru Kenyatta and
Others.
The Mutunga court may never
recover from this ruling, which they
attributed to lack of time. And be-
cause, as a senior court, they have
set a precedent, they must play to
the same script, argues Mwamu.
Meanwhile, Mutua points out
that there is a silent war between the
Supreme Court and the Court of Ap-
peal. The LSK boss claims that the
highest court established certain
benchmarks during the presidential
case, which the Courts of Appeal
consider very low.
These are the undercurrents un-
known to most Kenyans. In terms of
hierarchy, I am not disturbed that a
poll loser in the Court of Appeal
would proceed to the Supreme
Court, but the ping-pong is sending
disturbing signals, and more so the
highest court is not building case
study proles, reacts Mutua.
The lawyers say the Supreme
Court is supposed to have fairly lim-
ited jurisdiction, clarifying grey ar-
eas and touching only on issues that
are of major public interest. Mwa-
mu observes that litigants, through
their lawyers, have cleverly invaded
the Supreme Court under the guise
of these two factors, thereby result-
ing in the current ping-pong.
Ndubi introduces another twist
to the drama. Noting that the Elec-
tions Act requires the IEBC to gazette
the result, the lawyer observes that
what the electoral body did was to
gazette a list of winners.
This, he argues, does not capture
the gures of the winners, losers and
the different variables including
spoilt and rejected votes.
Since that has not been done to
date, any case led now should be
deemed to be within time since IEBC
is technically yet to gazette the poll
results, argues Ndubi.
However, this position only holds
water if the Elections Act applies, but
the Supreme Court has already elect-
ed to base its judgment in accor-
dance with the stipulation of the
Constitution.
Evans Kidero Mary Wambui Hassan Joho
Page 23 May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
By OSCAR OBONYO

President Uhuru Kenyatta
may not have done anything out
of the ordinary in demanding ac-
countability from the 47 County
Commissioners last Thursday.
But it is the manner in which he
delivered the message and exe-
cuted the same, that has become
the talking point.
While the County Commis-
sioners have been in charged
with coordinating national gov-
ernment operations, as well as
chairing security and intelligence
boards, the President opted to lit-
erally own the ofcers in question
by placing them under his direct
Week
Power struggle: Opposition and some experts term the Presidents move a violation of the Constitution and a
deliberate assault on devolution as governors threaten legal action if the national government doesnt reverse move
Uhuru in the eye of a storm over
powerful county commissioners
Review
Politics, Opinion, Analyses & Special Reports
on Sunday
STANDARD
THE
President Kenyatta with the powerful county commissioners in Nairobi on Thursday. They will be the national governments eye in the counties. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]
command. Referring to them as my
ofcers, Uhuru asked the commis-
sioners to serve as the extension of
his ofce across the country.
And he asked them to act as his
eyes and ears, even teasing that if
I am awake because of national du-
ty, I equally do not expect you to be
asleep.
While the President and senior
ofcials of his government consider
the development as restructuring of
his administration and civil service,
the Opposition as well as the Coun-
cil of Governors (CoG) view the lat-
est move as a plot to delegate extra
power to county commissioners
and further strangle devolution.
CoG Chairman, Isaac Ruto, terms
the Presidents move a violation
of the Constitution and a deliber-
ate assault on devolution. The
Bomet Governor threatened legal
action if the national government
does not reverse Uhurus deci-
sion.
We cannot support a chaotic
thinking that revives and rede-
nes the Provincial Administra-
tion. The governor is by law the
chief executive of counties and
we shall not allow a situation
where we have two CEOs in the
counties, he told The Standard
On Sunday.
In a statement to newsrooms,
Orange Democratic Movements
(ODM) acting party leader, An-
Disquiet in Ruto
backyard over
state jobs, p25
Bill on the way to clip
MCAs wings, p30
EXCLUSIVE
TODAY
>>Pg 24
Issac Ruto Anyang Nyongo
Moses Wetangula
yang Nyongo, described the
Presidents move as dangerous
and capable of escalating con-
stitutional crises and engender-
ing unnecessary political tension
in the country.
And speaking yesterday dur-
ing a thanksgiving for Bungoma
Governor, Kenneth Lusaka, Mi-
nority Leader in the Senate Mo-
ses Wetangula told the President
(who was the chief guest) to his
face to abandon his plot.
Parallel structures
We must support devolution
by recognising the governor as
the county CEO. Anything to the
contrary will create confusion
and parallel administrative struc-
tures and that will only allow in-
security to thrive, said Wetangu-
la, co-principal of the Coalition
for Reforms and Democracy
(CORD).
Protests over the county com-
missioners are not new. Two
years after the promulgation of
the new Constitution, former
President Mwai Kibaki, through
Gazette Notice Number 6604,
appointed 47 county commis-
sioners and posted them to vari-
ous stations on May 11th, 2012.
The decision immediately
drew the ire of his co-principal,
former Prime Minister Raila
Odinga and members of his Or-
ange party. The matter snow-
We cannot
support a
chaotic thinking
that revives
and redefnes
the Provincial
Administration
Isaac Ruto, Chairman
of Governors Council
balled into two court cases insti-
tuted against the Attorney
General and Minister for Inter-
nal Security and Provincial Ad-
ministration challenging the
constitutionality and legal basis
of the said appointments.
Judge Mumbi Ngugi accord-
ingly ruled that the President
had no power to appoint or de-
ploy County Commissioners
and that the purported deploy-
ment of was therefore unconsti-
tutional, null and void. Judges
of Appeal, Martha Koome, A
Makhandia and S Gatembu,
however overturned this deci-
sion on June 14th last year, fol-
lowing a petition led by the
Minister for Internal Security
Page 24 May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
New administration: The current arrangement of county commissioners may well be reformed in
the governments opinion, but Opposition politicians as well as a number of Kenyans have reservations about it
INSIDE TODAY
Anxiety
over Joho
degree saga
Week in Review, P.31
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23
and the Provincial Administration
through a private rm of Kinoti &
Kibe Company Advocates.
There are two curious factors
about this case that it was con-
cluded a couple of weeks into Pres-
ident Uhurus government and that
the said cases proceeded against
public opinion and support, includ-
ing the Attorney General Githu Mui-
gai, who at the time advised govern-
ment against pursuing it. But soon
after getting the nod from the courts,
the Jubilee administration moved
quietly to strengthen the county
commissioners ofces to the cha-
grin of the Council of Governors.
However, the director of Political
Affairs in the Ofce of the President,
Joshua Kuttuny, argues there is no
major departure from what the
county commissioners have been
doing: We have only created a co-
ordinating organ and build admin-
istrative structures. This is in re-
sponse to the major disconnect we
have experienced in various depart-
ments of government, including se-
curity.
Noting that elected governors
are not directly answerable to the
Head of State, the former Cherang-
any MP maintains that the Presi-
dent needs to work with his own
ofcers, who can be loyal and an-
swerable to him. This view is shared
by the no-nonsense Mombasa
County Commissioner, Nelson Mar-
wa, who now feels he has sufcient-
ly been empowered to ght the es-
calating terror attacks in the region
and handle other administrative
needs of necessity. Before the Pres-
idents direction, we have been op-
erating in darkness and sheer con-
fusion. We operated more like
ceremonial administrators with
governors running mini-govern-
ments and handling all duties, in-
cluding extend a hand in sensitive
ones like security, Marwa told The
Standard On Sunday.
However in a statement to news-
rooms from Amani Coalition lead-
ers, United Democratic Forum, New
Ford-Kenya and Kanu parties are
opposed to what they regard as ac-
cording access powers to the county
commissioners. And they pose
who is this all-knowing county
commissioner?
According to the leaders, it is un-
constitutional to return to the bad
habit of the past and award county
commissioners the role of coordi-
nating security while the constitu-
tion vests this power in the police
service whose structure runs from
the Inspector General to the eld
constable.
The current arrangement of
county commissioners may well be
reformed, but Opposition politi-
cians as well as a number of Ke-
nyans have reservations about it be-
cause it mirrors heavily on the
high-handed and brutal provincial
administration of yester years. And
it did not help matters, when the
President paraded his new county
ofcials, dressed in full gear akin to
the PCs, DCs and DOs, as under the
old constitutional order.
Historical links
As Kamotho Waiganjo, a com-
missioner of the Constitution Im-
plementation Commission (CIC)
observers aptly elsewhere in his col-
umn in this paper, Kenyans and
governors, in particular, are op-
posed to county commissioners
more because of historical associa-
tion than their current administra-
tive mandate.
Once the Governors got busy,
they quickly realised that there was
no administrative or functional con-
WEEK IN REVIEW
In Nyongos words
One year into the Jubilee administration,
Nyongo believes Kenyan leadership is los-
ing it. The people, observes the Kisumu
County senator, are watching and wonder-
ing whether this government wants to
stand on our side or in our way
County Commissioners listen to President Uhuru
Kenyattas speech at the Kenya School of Govern-
ment on Thursday. [PHOTO: MBUGUA KIBERA/STANDARD]
Youre devolutions worst enemy,
governors and CORD tell Uhuru
ict with the County Commission-
ers. I suspect that they also realised
that they had more to fear from their
colleagues in the County govern-
ment, the now dreaded MCAs, than
the County Commissioners, he ar-
gues. Waiganjo opines that the na-
tional government, same as the
county governments, has the discre-
tion to determine the administra-
tive arrangement through which it
will carry out and coordinate the
performance of its functions..
However, one year into the Jubi-
lee administration, Nyongo be-
lieves the Kenyan leadership is los-
ing it. The people, observes the
Kisumu County senator, are watch-
ing and wondering whether this
government wants to stand on our
side or in our way.
To Amani leaders, the reincar-
nation of all that was abhorrent in
the past under the current system of
county commissioners is particu-
larly detrimental to the hopes of a
progressive Kenya.
But maintaining the buck stops
with him, the President has the last
word. In a live address to Kenyans
on Friday, he charged that in the
same way each of the counties had
administrative structures, his na-
tional government needed an oper-
ational framework too. And re-
sponding yesterday to a plea from
Kakamega County senator, Dr Bon-
ny Khalwale, to sack his senior secu-
rity chiefs, Uhuru challenged the
vocal legislator to do so, when he
will be President himself.
We have only created a
coordinating organ and build
administrative structures
Why system remains a reection of colonialism
By OSCAR OBONYO
When renowned American hu-
man rights crusader Martin Luther
King Jr famously remarked, If you
cant y then run, if you cant run then
walk, if you cant walk then crawl, but
whatever you do you have to keep
moving forward, he had a foresight
of Kenyas unfolding political and
public administration challenges.
Although Kenya has moved for-
ward, as a country, progress in public
administration has come through
very slowly. On this front, Kenya has
not been able to y, run or even walk
as anticipated by Luther King, but
rather the wheels of change have
turned very slowly the very reason
post-colonial administration in Ke-
nya largely remains a mirror reec-
tion of the colonial administration.
And this mirror is not reected in
structures alone, but outer gear
complete with uniforms including a
helmet to protect the administrator
from any ying object aimed at his or
her head. This look has dened the
provincial administration from the
1950s to Thursday this week, when
President Uhuru Kenyatta paraded
the 47 county commissioners.
At independence, Kenya inherited
public institutions that were mod-
elled along the British Public Service
system and which were elitist and in-
sensitive to the needs of the indige-
nous Kenyans.
Although there was justiable
need to re-orient and Kenyanise
such institutions, and despite the Jo-
mo Kenyatta Administration attempt-
ing to even get closer to the people,
efforts to speedily change the face of
public administration opped.
On paper, however, public ad-
ministration in Kenya has under-
gone several changes, which can be
classied in two main categories
structural and operational.
From the purely authoritarian in-
direct rule of the British under the
last colonial governors, Sir Evelyn
Baring, Sir Patrick Renison and Sir
Malcom MacDonald, through to the
one-party state Jomo Kenyatta and
Daniel arap Moi administrations, the
multi-party eras under Mwai Kibaki
and Uhuru, administrative struc-
tures have evolved gradually.
And owing to the enactment of a
new Constitution in 2010, today Ke-
nya has two levels of government
central and county which drastical-
ly changes the face of administration,
as Kenyans have ever known it.
Indeed, the introduction of de-
volved governments, whose objec-
tives are spelt out in Chapter Seven
of the Constitution, is the ultimate
game changer in Kenyas public ad-
ministration. Devolution is meant to
promote democratic and account-
able exercise of power, foster nation-
al unity by recognising diversity, en-
sure equitable sharing of national
and local resources throughout Ke-
nya, recognise the right of commu-
nities to manage their own affairs,
further their development and facil-
itate the decentralisation of State or-
gans, their functions and services
from the capital of Kenya.
This, in essence, dramatically
changes the mode of public admin-
istration, by way of transfer of power
of execution from the central gov-
ernment to the county government.
This is by no means a signicant shift
from the past.
Despite these sweeping changes,
they largely remain cosmetic be-
cause the old colonial administrative
spirit holds sway to this day.
This partly explains why the Op-
position is apprehensive about Pres-
ident Uhurus new structural admin-
istrative changes. Details of the
changes are captured in two policy
papers, entitled Framework for
Strengthening the Delivery of Nation-
al Government Functions at the
County Level and Policy on Decen-
tralization of Human Resource Man-
agement in the Civil Service.
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY Page 25
Unease in Ruto
backyard over
plum state jobs
Rightful share: Leaders preparing to form rival
party as fury sparked by removal of Rugut as NYS boss
By STEVE MKAWALE
Deputy President William Ruto is
facing rebellion from Kipsigis leaders
in the Rift Valley over his handling of
the regions issues.
Being the largest sub-tribe of the
Kalenjin community, Kipsigis now
feel left out of the Jubilee government
after voting in large numbers for
President Uhuru Kenyatta and his
deputy in the last General Election.
Mid this week, a section of URP
MPs took issue with Ruto after the re-
moval of Kiplimo Rugut as the Direc-
tor General of the National Youth Ser-
vice.
Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter fault-
ed the DP over Rugut, who was re-
placed by former State House Comp-
troller Nelson Githinji, saying Ruto
has not been keen on insisting on a
50:50 sharing of appointments in
government with Uhuru.
The leaders are also angry that
Ruto has fallen out with Bomet Gov-
ernor Isaac Ruto, formerly one of his
strongest political allies as well as
other lawmakers from the communi-
ty who either took part in the forma-
tion of the United Republican Party
(URP) or nanced Jubilee campaigns
in the region.
The Kipsigis leaders have retreat-
ed and are now coalescing around
the Bomet Governor, who has on his
side his embattled Kericho counter-
part Prof Paul Chepkwony, Nandi MP
Alfred Keter and Zakayo Cheruiyot of
Kuresoi North.
In a bid to check the DPs growing
political inuence in the region and
to offer an alternative leadership, the
group allied to the Bomet governor
has been holding a series of secret
strategy meetings to chart their po-
litical future.
Insiders told The Standard on
Sunday that the leaders were toying
with the idea of forming a rival polit-
ical party or force the Deputy Presi-
dent out of URP.
There has been growing discon-
tent in the South Rift following alle-
gation that the DP was undermining
Kipsigis leaders who have fallen out
with him politically.
Governor Rutos camp also feel
the DP has neglected South Rift in
terms of development, saying he had
also failed to fulll his pledge during
the campaigns to construct a referral
hospital in Kericho.
According to Mr Jonathan Rono,
the URP Nakuru County Vice Chair-
man and a key ally of the Bomet Gov-
ernor, the Deputy President has in-
stead concentrated on expanding the
Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital
in Uasin Gishu.
Instead of fullling his promises
to the people, Ruto has instead cho-
sen to undermine our leaders through
MPs and MCAs, who are his syco-
phants in this region, said Rono,
who is also a pastor in Mau Narok.
Fierce critic
Cheruiyot, the ercest critic of the
DP, said Kipsigis leaders deserve to be
respected by Ruto because the com-
munity voted overwhelmingly for Ju-
bilee in the March 4, 2013 elections.
As the Kipsigis community, we
voted for President Uhuru Kenyatta
and Ruto in the last polls. And we will
not accept the decision taken by
some Rift Valley leaders to under-
mine elected leaders in this region,
Cheruiyot said.
Cheruiyot has also been con-
demning those calling on critics of
the DP to quit URP. Insiders say he
has been scheming formation of a ri-
val political party to challenge URP
dominace in the Rift Valley.
Talks are rife that the leaders were
laying ground for the formation of
Chama Cha Ugatuzi, which is likely
to be registered in the coming months
after consultation with professionals,
MCAs and other leaders.
We all formed URP and we are
not be leaving it any time soon. Let it
be known that no one owns this par-
ty. Those who have lost popularity are
calling for the dissolution of the par-
ty, an idea we shall oppose, he ear-
lier said.
But Ruto, the Bomet Governor,
dismissed claims that he was front-
ing for the formation of a rival politi-
cal party in the regions, saying such
a topic hasnt been discussed any-
where and it is in the gment of imag-
ination of his political detractors.
Those behind the propaganda
have grabbed every available oppor-
tunity to draw a wedge between me
and other elected leaders both at the
national level and in the Rift Valley,
he said, adding that the same people
have been claiming that he has been
holding meetings to destabilise the
Jubilee leadership.
He added: What they have turned
mer powerful Internal Security PS
said it is wrong to talk about how the
Mau will benet people from Nyanza
without seeing how benecial it is to
residents of the local counties.
The Mau Forest should be man-
aged by Bomet, Narok, Kericho and
Nakuru counties because they un-
derstand the complexities involved.
Efforts to restore the Mau will be fu-
tile if residents of these counties feel
left out, Cheruiyot said.
But Kericho Senator Charles Keter
defends the Deputy President, saying
he has lived up to the expectation of
voters in the region.
The Jubilee government is fo-
cused on fullling its manifesto. We
have no time for leaders out to derail
our development agenda through
empty politicking, he said.
Keter said they are in URP to stay
and those feeling like they want to
leave should do so without creating a
crisis in the party.
a blind eye to is the fact that gover-
nors, under the Council of Gover-
nors, are all committed to imple-
menting devolution, rolling out
development projects at the grass-
roots and are least bothered about
political parties.
Cheruiyot said it is disappointing
that some leaders are being funded
by powerful people to undermine
elected local leaders.
He faulted instances where of-
cials of the national government vis-
it constituencies to commission proj-
ects funded by CDF, terming it
misplaced and ill-advised.
Lost direction
When you see leaders from the
national government coming to the
constituencies to open dispensaries
funded by CDF, know they have lost
direction, he said.
The URP MP said those trying to
frustrate the success of devolution
are bound to fail.
We need to devolve politics in
the same way we will devolve the
forms of governments, Cheruiyot
said.
He called on the national govern-
ment to allow the four counties shar-
ing Mau forest to manage it. The for-
Deputy President
William Ruto (left) at
a meeting with Rift
Valley leaders. His
allies want TNA and
URP to share state
appointments on a
50:50 ratio. INSET:
Zakayo Cheruiyot, a
erce critic of the DP.
[PHOTOS: FILE/STANDARD]
WEEK IN REVIEW
What they said
We all formed this URP party and we are not leaving it
any time soon. Let it be known that no one owns this party
As Kipsigis community, we voted for President Uhuru
Kenyatta and Ruto in the last polls. And we will not accept
the move taken by some Rift Valley leaders whose aim is to
undermine elected leaders in the region
The Jubilee government is focused on fulflling its
manifesto. We have no time for leaders out to derail our
development agenda through politicking
Instead of fulflling
his promises to the people,
William Ruto has instead
chosen to undermine
our leaders through his
sycophants in the region
STAY WITH THE NEWS
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Page 26 / NOTICES May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
NO. TENDER NO ITEM DESCRIPTION Requirement
1. MCG/225/2013-2014 Bush Clearing At Shantoley Irrigation
Scheme
NCA 7 and above
2.. MCG/226/2013-2014 Construction of 1 KM Concrete main
Canal at Rhamu Irrigation scheme
3. MCG/227/2013-2014 Construction of 400m concrete Canal at
Shantoley Irrigation Scheme
4. MCG/228/2013-2014 Construction of Regional Livestock Market
in Mandera Town
5. MCG/229/2013-2014 Construction of 6 NO. Underground
water tank in Mandera West and Supply
& delivery of 6 No. pumping generators
(5HP) with accessories.
Supply, delivery and installation of 10 No
Greenhouses (8mx24m) and accessories
6. MCG/230/2013-2014 Construction of 2NO. Underground water
tank in Mandera South, Construction and
Capping of 2 Shallow wells, Supply delivery
and installation of 14 No Greenhouses
(8mX24m) and accessories and 14 5,000
lts plastics tanks
Supply and delivery of 5No pumping
generators (5hp) with accessories
Supply and delivery of assorted farm inputs
Tools, seeds and seedlings, and agro
chemicals.
7. MCG/231/2013-2014 Construction of 3 NO. Underground
water tank, supply of 11NO. Greenhouses
of 8mx24m , supply of 11 pumping
generators (5HP) at Banisa Sub-County,
Construction and capping of 2 No. shallow
wells at Darkhale
Supply and deliveries of farm inputs
8. MCG/232/2013-2014 Fencing of 4 No. farms and installing of
iron stand tanks, Supply and delivery of
assorted farm inputs (tools/equipments,
Agrochemicals/fertilizers, seeds/seedlings)
Supply, delivery and installation of 8 No
Greenhouses (8mX24m) with accessories
9. MCG/233/2013-2014 Construction of Administration Police
Housing Units, Abolitions block and Ofce
block at BP1
10. MCG/234/2013-2014 Construction of Administration Police
Housing Units, Abolitions block and Ofce
block at Khalalio
11. MCG/235/2013/2014 proposed boundary wall completion and
other associated works at Former T own
Council Ofces (Geneva)
12. MCG/236/2013/2014 Construction of Didkuro Earth Pan
13. MCG/237/2013/2014 Construction of Gither Earth Pan
14. MCG/238/2013/2014 Rehabilitation of Khalicha water supply
system
15. MCG/239/2013-2014 supply and delivery of livestock veterinary
drugs
16. MCG/240/2013-2014 Constructions of Mandera Town Roads to
Bitumen Standard Lot1
NCA 1 & 2
17. MCG/241/2013-2014 Constructions of Mandera Town Roads to
Bitumen Standard
Lot 2
18. MCG/242/2013/2014 Supply of Ofce Furniture
19. MCG/243/2013/2014 Supply and delivery of relief food to
Mandera East Sub-county to be
delivered to Mandera East sub-county
ofces
20. MCG/244/2013/2014 Supply and delivery of relief food to
Banisa Sub-county - to be delivered to
Banisa Sub-County ofces
21. MCG/245/2013/2014 Supply and delivery of relief food to
Mandera South Sub-county To be
delivered to El-wak Sub-county Ofces
Reserved for
Youth and Women
22. MCG/246/2013/2014 Supply and delivery of relief food to
Mandera West Sub-county To be
delivered to Takaba sub-county Ofces
23. MCG/247/2013/2014 Supply and delivery of relief food to
Mandera North Sub-county To be
delivered to Rhamu sub-County ofces
24. MCG/248/2013/2014 Supply and delivery of relief food to Lafey
Sub-county to be delivered to Lafey sub-
county ofces
25. MCG/249/2013/2014 Wargadud Arda Agarsu -Alango Road
(Un classied)
NCA 7 and above
26. MCG/250/2013/2014 Banisa Domal Roads (Unclassied)
27. MCG/258/2013-2014 Supply & delivery of Emergency Obstetric
Care Equipment
The following are mandatory requirements that must be submitted together with the bids;
Certied copy of certicate of incorporation a)
Copy of the current tax compliance certicate b)
Certicate of Registration with National Construction Authority for construction c)
projects
Duly lled condential business questionnaire d)
VAT and PIN certicate e)
NB: Bid Bond is as per Tender Documents where applicable
Interested eligible rms may inspect bid documents from the procurement ofce Mandera
County headquarters, during normal working hours from 19
th
May 2014.
The bid document may be obtained by interested rms upon payment of a non-refundable
fee of Kshs, 1,000 (one thousand shillings only) to Mandera County revenue account. Please
note that any bid submitted without the ofcial receipt will be rejected. Women and Youth are
encouraged to apply.
The bids shall be enclosed in plain sealed envelopes clearly marked with Tender number
and Tender Name and deposited in the tender box situated at Mandera County government
headquarters ofces or be addressed to:
Director of Supply Chain
Mandera County Government
P.O Box 13-70300
Mandera,
Kenya
So as to be received on or before Monday 2
nd
June 2014 at 10.00am
Opening of the bids will take place immediately thereafter at the Mandera County Conference
Hall, in the presence of rms representatives who choose to attend.
Mandera County Government reserves the right to accept or reject any tender in whole or in
part and does not bind itself to accept or reject any tender or to give reasons for its rejection.
Mandera County Government is not bound to award a tender to the lowest bidder or any bidder
whatsoever.
DIRECTOR
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT OFFICE
MANDERA COUNTY GOVERNMENT
MANDERA COUNTY GOVERNMENT
TENDER NOTI CE
TENDERS FOR THE UNDER - LI STED PROJ ECTS WI THI N MANDERA COUNTY
Mandera County Government invites interested and eligible bidders for the under -listed projects in the County.
NOTICES / Page 27 May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
WATER, SANI TATI ON, ENERGY, ENVI RONMENT AND
NATURAL RESOURCES SECTOR
EXPRESSI ON OF I NTEREST 1.
PROVI SI ON OF ENGI NEERI NG CONSULTANCY
SERVI CES (ECS) FOR THE DESI GN AND
DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN WATER SUPPLY AND
SEWERAGE FACI LI TI ES AND SYSTEMS FOR MANDERA
TOWN
REF NO: MCG/EOI /251/2013/2014
PURPOSE FOR THE EOI
The County Government of Mandera, under the current 2013-2018 Sector Strategic plan, intends
to facilitate Key investments under the Water, Sanitation, Energy, Environment and Natural
Resources Sector among which are specic outputs to increase access to Water and Sewerage
Services for the residents of the Mandera town (the County headquarters). The Executive Ofce
for Water, Sanitation, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources, now intends to use part of
funds availed by the county Government to procure Engineering Consultancy Services for the
design and development of modern water supply and sewerage systems for Mandera town.
Required Engineering Consultancy Services
The Engineering Consultancy Services (ECS) required are to facilitate Feasibility studies, Detailed
Surveys, Designs development and Projects supervision where necessary for the development of
modern urban water supply and sewerage facilities and systems for Mandera town. The specic
objectives of engaging ECS are:
To assist the County Government to carry out feasibility studies, develop designs -
and Bills of quantities and supervise construction of modern water supply for
Mandera town from intakes, Rising mains, Water treatment facilities and water
distribution network,
To assist the County Government to carry out feasibility studies, develop designs -
and Bills of quantities and supervise construction of modern sewerage facilities
for the town,
To assist the County Government to establish Administrative and management -
systems for the efcient O&M of developed Water and Sewerage facilities. These
shall include but not limited to computerized electronic pipeline leakage detection
systems, computerized water metering and consumer billing system and,
To assist the County Government to identify the Maintenance and personnel -
training requirements to be able to sustain these systems.
Applying rms should have a team of professionals including; A Registered Water and Sanitation
Engineer, a Registered Land Surveyors, Survey Assistants, A registered Electrical Engineers,
Electronics Engineering Assistants, a Chemist, a Sociologist, a public Health Expert, an
Economist and Support Staff including Drivers, Chainmen, e.t.c. who are experienced with
accreditations to proof their ability to stand to the above mentioned tasks.
Through this public notice, eligible rms are herein invited to express their interest in providing the
above mentioned services by providing all relevant information to demonstrate the following;
Existence/ operation for over ve (5) years; Legal status of the organization; Track record
and evidence of past projects/ assignments undertaken, at least for the last two years;
Experience and qualication in the required elds (technical, environmental and social)
such as proof of having required key personnel who have at least 5 years of experience
working with communities in the countrys ASAL areas; Technical, managerial and
nancial capabilities to undertake the assignment. (These include relevant knowledge
and experience in Water and Sewerage needs assessment, technology identication,
planning, design, Construction, O&M of water supply & sewerage engineering technologies,
Institutional Capacity Development processes and Contract management Procedures).
Companies and consulting rms must providecopy of certicate of registration, copy of
PIN number, V.A.T registration No.
Those applicants who have; at least 1 Qualied and experienced Female staff in
areas mentioned above, at least 1 member of their staff as a youth and, at least 2
members of such staff as locals from the County will have an added advantage.
Expressions of Interest should be placed in a plain sealed envelope without revealing any mark
and/or identity of the Firm/ Company and clearly marked Mandera Urban Water and Sewerage
Engineering Consultancy Services (ECS); must be put in the Tender Box at the ofces of the
County Government in Mandera Town on or before Monday 2
nd
June 2014 at 10.00am
For further information, applicants are encouraged to contact the undersigned.
Director of Supply Chain
Mandera County Government
P.O Box 13-70300
Mandera, Kenya
EXPRESSI ON OF I NTEREST: 2.
PROVI SI ON OF ENGI NEERI NG CONSULTANCY
SERVI CES (ECS) FOR THE DESI GN AND
DEVELOPMENT OF ROADS AND STORM/ RUN-
OFF WATER DRAI NAGE SYSTEMS TO I MPROVE
SANI TATI ON I N EL-WAK TOWN
REF NO: MCG/EOI /252/2013/2014
PURPOSE FOR THE EOI
The County Government of Mandera, under the current 2013-2018 Sector Strategic plan,
intends to facilitate Key investments under the Water, Sanitation, Energy, Environment and
Natural Resources Sector among which are specic outputs to increase access to Drainage
and Sanitation Services for the residents of the county. The Executive Ofce for Water,
Sanitation, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources, now intends to use part of funds
availed by the county Government to procure Engineering Consultancy Services for the
design and development of Roads and Storm/ run-off water drainage systems to improve
Sanitation in Elwak Town.
Required Engineering Consultancy Services
The Engineering Consultancy Services (ECS) required, shall as detailed in the approved
Terms of References (TORs), facilitate Feasibility studies, Detailed Investigations,
Designs development and Projects supervision where necessary of a Drainage system
for El-wak town that integrates roads and drainage systems to improve sanitation.
Applying rms should have a team of professionals including Registered Roads, Civil
and Sanitation Engineers who include EIA lead and associate experts; Surveyors; Land
Economists, Engineering and Public Health Assistants/ Technicians and Sociologists who
are experienced with accreditations to proof their ability to stand to the above mentioned
tasks.
Through this public notice, eligible rms are hereby invited to express their interest in
providing the above mentioned services by providing all relevant information to demonstrate
the following;
Existence/ operation for over ve (5) years
Legal status of the organization
Track record and evidence of past projects/ assignments undertaken, at least for the
last two years
Experience and qualication in the required elds (technical and social) such as proof
of having required key personnel who have at least 5 years of experience working with
communities in the countrys ASAL areas
Technical, managerial and nancial capabilities to undertake the assignment.
(These include relevant knowledge and experience in roads and, Civil Engineering,
Sanitation needs assessment and Capacity Development of Government Institutions
and Community Based Organizations and, Procurement and Contract management
Procedures).
Companies and consulting rms must providecopy of certicate of registration, copy
of PIN number, V.A.T registration No. and be Tax compliant.
Those applicants who have; at least 1 Qualied and experienced Female staff in
areas mentioned above, at least 1 member of their staff as a youth and, at least 1
member of such staff as a local from the County May have an added advantage.
Expressions of Interest should be placed in a plain sealed envelope without revealing any mark
and/or identity of the Firm/ Company and clearly marked; Expression of Interest: Provision
of Engineering Consultancy Services (ECS) for the Design and Development of Roads and
Storm/ run-off Water Drainage Systems to improve Sanitation in El-wak Town; must be
put in the Tender Box at the ofces of the County Government in Mandera Town on or before
Monday 2
nd
June 2014 at 10.00am
For further information, applicants are encouraged to contact the undersigned.
Director of Supply Chain
Mandera County Government
P.O Box 13-70300
Mandera, Kenya
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR
PROVISION OF ENGINEERING CONSULTANCY SERVICES FOR
DIGITAL TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPPING, PRESENTATION OF
INTEGRATED STRATEGIC URBAN DEVELOPMENT PLANS AND
CADASTRAL SURVEYING FOR SIX (6) IDENTIFIED URBAN
CENTERS IN MANDERA COUNTY
The County Government of Mandera through the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Physical 1.
Planning wishes to invite expression of interest for consultancy services for the Digital
Page 28 / NOTICES May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
Topographical Mapping, cadastral surveying and the preparation of the Integrated
Strategic Urban Development Plans for the following towns: Mandera , El-wak, Takaba,
Rhamu, Lafey and Banisa
The objective of the consultancy is to prepare up to- date 2. Digital Maps, Survey works,
Spatial and Integrated Strategic Urban Development Plans in the above listed towns. The
task for each town will include:-
Carrying out Digital topographical and aerial mapping. i.
The preparation of the county GIS based spatial development plan. ii.
Provide strategic guidance in respect of location and nature of development within the iii.
county.
Set out basic guidelines for land use management system in the county taking pastoral iv.
activities into consideration.
Analyze the urbanization trends and identify strategic towns and urban centers for v.
detailed planning.
Provide detailed GIS based county resource inventory for water, Agriculture, vi.
Livestock, Forest, Energy, and Tourism, Minerals, Health, Education Infrastructure and
environment.
Prepare an overall frame work for urban planning and development of towns in Mandera vii.
County.
Provide a widely accepted vision for each town growth and development. viii.
Compile base maps and cadastral survey data for the towns. ix.
Convene stakeholders meetings and workshops to create awareness and sensitizing x.
them so as to ensure ownership of the plans and compliance during implementation.
Building capacity within local staff for effective maintenance and management of the xi.
developed GIS.
Assignment is expected to take total of about (12) calendar months, which means the xii.
consultancy may be required to have multiple teams working concurrently in the said
urban centers.
The County Government of Mandera invites eligible consulting rms (Urban 3. Planning and
Mapping Consultants) to indicate their interest(s) in providing the services. Interested
consultants are required to submit applications in English language with the following
specic information:-
Name of rm(s), including joint ventures partners. 1.
Providing the information demonstrating that they are qualied to perform the services 2.
(brochures, description of similar assignment, experience in similar consultancies,
availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc.).
Registration certicate for the company. 3.
Must have a tax compliance certicate. 4.
Must be registered member of an accredited Planning Body. In addition. 5.
Previous working experience in Mandera will be an added advantage. 6.
The consultant will be selected in accordance with the procedures set out in the Public 4.
Procurement and Disposal Act of 2006.
Interested bidders must submit an original and two copies of the EOI with all the necessary 5.
documentation in a plain sealed envelope clearly labeled EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR
PREPARATION OF THE COUNTY SPATIAL PLAN along with the covering letter duly signed
by an authorized signatory. The documents should be deposited in the tender box situated
at the headquarters of the county government Mandera before Monday 2
nd
June 2014 at
10.00am and addressed as shown below.
Director of Supply Chain
Mandera County Government
P.O Box 13-70300
Mandera,
Kenya
ROADS PUBLI C WORK AND TRANSPORT
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
FOR
PROVI SI ON OF ENGI NEERI NG CONSULTANCY
SERVI CES (ECS) FOR CONSTRUCTI ON SUPERVI SI ON
OF MANDERA TOWN ROADS TO BI TUMEN STANDARD
REF NO: MCG/RFP/254/2013/2014
Mandera County Government requests for proposal for the construction supervision of Mandera
Town Roads to Bitumen Standard. Qualied Engineering Consultant must have a wide range of
experience in all aspect of supervision of similar projects. The proposal must be deposited in
the tender box situated at the headquarters of the Mandera County Government before or on
Monday 2
nd
June 2014 at 10: 30am and addressed as indicated below. Proposal shall be opened
on the same day publically at 10.30 in the presence of Bidders who May wish to attend
There shall be mandatory pre-proposal site meeting which Mandera County Government
will communicate to substantive Bidders.
Director of Supply Chain
Mandera County Government
P.O Box 13-70300
Mandera,
Kenya
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
FOR
PROVI SI ON OF ENGI NEERI NG CONSULTANCY
SERVI CES (ECS) FOR CONSTRUCTI ON SUPERVI SI ON
OF MANDERA COUNTY PROJ ECTS
REF NO: MCG/RFP/255/2013/2014
Mandera County Government requests for proposal for the construction supervisions of the
following Major Projects in Mandera Towns
Mandera County Government Headquarter 1)
Governors Residence 2)
Mandera County Assembly 3)
Moi Stadium 4)
County Government Rest House 5)
Regional Livestock Market 6)
Qualied Engineering Consultant must have a wide range of experience in all aspect of
supervision of similar projects. The proposal must be deposited in the tender box situated
at the Mandera County Government Headquarters on or before Monday 2
nd
June 2014
at 10.30am and addressed as shown below. Proposal shall be opened on the same day
publically at 10.30am in the presence of Bidders who may wish to attend.
There shall be mandatory pre-proposal site meeting which Mandera County Government
will communicate to substantive Bidders.
Director of Supply Chain
Mandera County Government
P.O Box 13-70300
Mandera,
Kenya
All expressions must be submitted before 30
th
May 2014 at 10.00am. Each EOI should
include 3 hard copies and an electronic le in a CD or ash drive enclosed in a plain
envelop marked EXPRESSION OF INTEREST: CONSULTANCY TO STUDY AND DEVELOP
STRATEGIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY JUA KALI AND COTTAGE
INDUSTRIES SUPPORT PROGRAMME must be put in the the Tender Box at the
ofces of the County Government in Mandera town and to be addressed to:
Director of Supply Chain
Mandera County Government
P.O Box 13-70300
Mandera,
Kenya
NOTICES / Page 29 May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
MANDERA COUNTY GOVERNMENT
MINISTRY OF WATER, SANITATION, ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Expression of Interest:
Provision of Hydro-geological Surveys Consultancy Services (HSCS)
Ref No: MCG/EOI/256/2013/2014
Purpose for the EOI
Mandera County is one of the 47 counties of the Republic of Kenya under the new constitutional dispensation. The County which
borders Ethiopia to the North, Somalia Republic to the East, and Wajir County to the South and West and covers an area of 25,991.5
km
2
.The County is characterizted by low lying rocky hills located on the plains that rise gradually from 400 meters above sea level in
the south at Elwak to 970 metres above sea level on the border with Ethiopia. River Daua whose source is the Ethiopian highlands
ows eastwards along the countys boundary with Ethiopia. There are two ecological zones in the county, that is, arid and semi-
arid. Temperatures are relatively very high with a minimum of 24
o
C in July and a maximum of 42
o
C in February. Rainfall is scanty
and unpredictable averaging 255mm. The county population in 2012 was 1,152,506 persons and projected to be 1,294,917 and
1,399,503 persons in 2015 and 2017 respectively. Food insecurity, environmental degradation, high poverty incidence, poor transport
and communication infrastructure, recurrent droughts, outbreak of human and livestock diseases, insecurity, water scarcity, high levels
of illiteracy and poor urban and rural planning are key challenges facing the county according to the 1
st
County Development Prole
(CDP) released by the Ministry of State for National Planning and Vision 2030 in 2013.
Purpose for the EOI
The County Government intends to facilitate Key investments under the Water, Sanitation, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources
Sector to specically increase the availability and accessibility to water for the residents of the county through the Drilling and
Development of 100 Boreholes under the current 2013-2017 Sector Strategic Plan. The Executive ofce for Water, Sanitation, Energy,
Environment and Natural Resources, on behalf of the County Government intends to use part of the funding to be availed to procure
the Services of Competent Consultants to conduct Hydro-geological Surveys.
Required Hydro-geological Surveys Consultancy Services
The Hydro-geological Surveys Consultancy Services (HSCS) required shall, as detailed in the approved Terms of References (TORs),
facilitate Hydro-geological Surveys to identify at least 40 potential Boreholes drilling Sites and supervise Borehole drilling
activities.
Applying rms should have a team of professionals including Registered Hydro-geologists, EIA lead experts and, Ground Water
Assistants (Geology) and Drilling Assistants who are Qualied, Competent and Experienced and with accreditations to proof their
ability to stand to the above mentioned tasks.
Through this public notice, eligible rms are herein invited to express their interest in providing the above mentioned services by
providing all relevant information to demonstrate the following;
Existence/ operation for over ve (5) years
Legal status of the organization
Track record and evidence of past projects/ assignments undertaken, at least for the last two years
Experience and qualication in the required elds (technical and Environmental) such as proof of having required key personnel
who have at least 5 years of experience working with communities in the countrys ASAL areas
Technical, managerial and nancial capabilities to undertake the assignment,
Companies and consulting rms must providecopy of certicates of registration, copy of PIN number, V.A.T registration No.
Those qualied applicants who have; at least 1 Qualied and experienced Female staff in areas mentioned above, at least
1 member of their staff as a youth and, at least 1 member of such staff as a local from the region will have an added
advantage.
Expressions of Interest should be placed in a plain sealed envelope without revealing any mark and/or identity of the Firm/ Company
and clearly marked; Expression of Interest: Provision of Hydro-geological Surveys Consultancy Services (HSCS); must be put
in the Tender Box at the Mandera County Government Head ofces in Mandera town or delivered to the address below on or
before 2
nd
June 2014 at 10:30 am
For further information, applicants are encouraged to contact the undersigned.
Head of Supplies Chain Management,
MANDERA COUNTY GOVERNMENT
P. O. Box 13 70300, MANDERA, Kenya.
MINISTRY OF WATER, SANITATION, ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Expression of Interest:
Provision of Aquifers Mapping Consultancy Services (AMCS)
Ref No: MCG/EOI/257/2013/2014
Purpose for the EOI
Mandera County is one of the 47 counties of the Republic of Kenya under the new constitutional dispensation. The County which
borders Ethiopia to the North, Somalia Republic to the East, and Wajir County to the South and West and covers an area of 25,991.5
km
2
.The County is characterized by low lying rocky hills located on the plains that rise gradually from 400 meters above sea level in
the south at Elwak to 970 metres above sea level on the border with Ethiopia. River Daua whose source is the Ethiopian highlands
ows eastwards along the countys boundary with Ethiopia. There are two ecological zones in the county, that is, arid and semi-
arid. Temperatures are relatively very high with a minimum of 24
o
C in July and a maximum of 42
o
C in February. Rainfall is scanty
and unpredictable averaging 255mm. The county population in 2012 was 1,152,506 persons and projected to be 1,294,917 and
1,399,503 persons in 2015 and 2017 respectively. Food insecurity, environmental degradation, high poverty incidence, poor transport
and communication infrastructure, recurrent droughts, outbreak of human and livestock diseases, insecurity, water scarcity, high levels
of illiteracy and poor urban and rural planning are key challenges facing the county according to the 1
st
County Development Prole
(CDP) released by the Ministry of State for National Planning and Vision 2030 in 2013.
Purpose for the EOI
The County Government intends to facilitate Key investments under the Water, Sanitation, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources
Sector to specically increase the availability and accessibility to water for the residents of the county through the Drilling and
Development of 100 Boreholes under the current 2013-2017 Sector Strategic Plan. The Executive ofce for Water, Sanitation, Energy,
Environment and Natural Resources, on behalf of the County Government intends to use part of the funding to be availed to procure
the Services of Competent Consultants to conduct County Wide Aquifers Mapping.
Required Aquifers Mapping Consultancy Services
The Aquifers Mapping Consultancy Services (AMCS) required shall, as detailed in the approved Terms of References (TORs), facilitate
the use of both satellite technology and on the ground eld conrmatory surveys to generate: -
Accurate Satellite Images to identify and describe of all ground water bearing areas/ aquifers in the county, 1)
Accurate technical data on identied aquifers including; location, extent in terms coverage, classication, occurrence 2)
depths, expected minimum maximum Borehole yields, expected Water quality, Reliability for various Socio-economic
uses of water (i.e. Domestic, Livestock, Dry-land farming/ irrigation uses, e.t.c) as well as indications of how long these
can last/ or serve the needs of the County Government and its populace.
GIS Based County wide ground Water data Base and Mapping Capability and, 3)
Spatial Maps showing the existing ground water development potential within the County. 4)
Applying rms should have a team of professionals including Registered Hydro-geologists, EIA lead experts and ICT Experts who
are Qualied, Competent and Experienced and with accreditations to proof their ability to stand to the above mentioned tasks and
demonstrate the existence of a lasting relationship or past working experience with a competent national/ international rm(s)
with satellite technology/ (ies) that are ideal for the tasks described above.
Through this public notice, eligible rms are herein invited to express their interest in providing the above mentioned services by
providing all relevant information to, in addition to required details under the above paragraph, demonstrate the following;
Existence/ operation for over ve (5) years
Legal status of the organization
Track record and evidence of past projects/ assignments undertaken, at least for the last three years
Experience and qualication in the required elds (technical and Environmental) such as proof of having required key personnel
who have at least 5 years of experience working on similar tasks in Kenya or similar African Countries
Technical, managerial and nancial capabilities to undertake the assignment,
Companies and consulting rms must providecopy of certicates of registration, copy of PIN number, V.A.T registration No.
Those qualied applicants who have; at least 1 Qualied and experienced Female staff in areas mentioned above, at least 1
member of their staff as a youth and, at least 1 member of such staff as a local from the region may have an added advantage.
Expressions of Interest should be placed in a plain sealed envelope without revealing any mark and/or identity of the Firm/ Company
and clearly marked; Expression of Interest: Provision of Aquifers Mapping Consultancy Services (AMCS); must be put in the
Tender Box at the Mandera County Government Head ofces in Mandera town or delivered to the address below on or before
2
nd
June 2014 at 10:30 am
For further information, applicants are encouraged to contact the undersigned.
Head of Supplies Chain Management,
MANDERA COUNTY GOVERNMENT
P. O. Box 13 70300, MANDERA, Kenya.
Career Opportunities
ASSI GNMENT EDI TOR
The Standard Group comprises, The Standard Newspapers, Game Yetu, The Counties, The Nairobian,
KTN, Radio Maisha, PDS, Standard Digital and Think Outdoor Services. The Group is looking for
highly motivated, qualied, experienced and reputable team players in house, to ll the following
position:
Please note that ONLY shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
The Standard Group is an equal opportunity employer and as such, canvassing of any form
will lead to automatic disqualication.
The incumbent will co-ordinate news gathering operations, obtain well researched and most up to date
news on daily events both locally & internationally
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Take charge of news desk operations, overall administration of the news desk and enriching the
daily news bulletins with relevant features;
Assign duties to reporters, brief reporters and advise on story angles and liaise with Bureau Chiefs
for stories from the regions. Ensure that the station is not scooped and maintain an up to date dairy
of news contacts;
Draw up news plans include story idea, synopsis and proposed mode of execution and determine
running order in consultation with other TV Editors;
Assess political, social and economic climate and anticipate likely developments for coverage
Convene and chair editorial meetings in order to share plans for the day;
Sub-edit scripts to ensure that they conform to journalistic ethics, editorial objectives and house
style and rehearse the bulletins with news anchors to ensure proper pronunciations of words and
names of people and places,
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Basic University Degree
Diploma in Journalism / Mass Communication
5-7 years work experience
Ability to work long odd hours
Editing & people management skills.
Good command of the English language
The job holder will oversee the production of the Kiswahili news bulletin
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Assign stories to reporters and advise on story angles;
Liaise with the news editor and regional editors;
Supervise and train reporters on reports, intros, graphics and captions in Kiswahili;
Sub-edit Kiswahili scripts to ensure that they conform to journalistic ethics, editorial objectives and
house style;
Rehearse the bulletins with anchors to ensure proper pronunciations of words and names of people
and places.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Basic University Degree
Diploma in Journalism/Mass Communication
3-5 years work experience
Reporting & presentation skills
Ability to lead a team of reporters & work long hours
Reporting to Radio Programs Controller, candidate will work with presenters, DJs, on line and IT staff to
ensure the production of a 4 hour program daily.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Managing presenters for both live on-air and pre-recorded output;
Generating and researching ideas for programs and pitching concepts for commissioning;
Arranging and overseeing guest visits and maintaining up-to-date contact lists;
Liaising with Marketing department about program trailers and competition prizes;
Updating the program or station website and ensuring that the on-air and online content are
well aligned;
Checking that copyrights are cleared and understanding media law;
Undertaking editing, interviewing and reporting duties as necessary;
Converting text, graphics, video and audio les into other formats.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
University Degree;
Diploma in Radio Production;
Systematic planner, team player and good organizer;
3 years experience in a busy broadcasting station.
If you possess the above qualications and have the drive to meet the challenges, visit our website
www.standardmedia.co.ke/recruitment to browse through the current openings/vacancies and apply
not later than 28
th
May 2014.
HEAD OF SWAHI LI DESK
PRODUCTI ON ASSI STANT
Muturi, Mate deny plotting Wamboras downfall
By FRANCIS NGIGE
and STEPHEN MAKABILA
Although it is the Members of the
Embu County Assembly who have put
up a spirited ght to remove Governor
Martin Wambora from ofce, it is
Speaker Kariuki Mate who has been
the main actor.
His name has featured frequently
amid claims he was being used by
powerful leaders to bring down Wam-
bora, a claim he denies.
He has been conspicuous as the
long drawn battle was fought in the lo-
cal assembly as well as the courts.
But who is this man shaking the
high and mighty? Unknown to many,
the youthful Embu County Assembly
Speaker cut his political teeth over a
decade ago. Before he burst into the
limelight for presiding over Wamboras
impeachment, Mate was not known
beyond the enclaves of the county.
Little was known about him but for
close followers of the countrys poli-
tics, Mate is a household name having
entered into the scene in 2002, when
Uhuru Kenyatta rst vied for the presi-
dency.
To those who know him, Mate is a
suave political operative who despite
not coming from an inuential back-
ground, managed to dine with the who
is who in the Kenyan political scene.
Although he never fully participat-
ed in the Uhuru presidential campaign
in 2002, his employment by the Parlia-
mentary Service Commission (PSC)
saw him develop interest in politics.
In last years election, Mate deput-
ised Njee Muturi (the current Solicitor
General) at The National Alliance (TNA)
campaign secretariat. Being a close al-
ly of National Assembly Speaker Justin
Muturi, who was then the Siakago MP,
saw him cut a niche above the rest.
He served as Muturis personal as-
sistant at a time when he (Muturi) was
the Opposition Chief Whip.
I can tell you we have walked to-
gether with these leaders and it is
them who inspired me to run for public
ofce, said Mate.
But what is his role in the current
inghting among leaders in Embu that
has seen Wambora impeached twice?
My role is absolutely ofcial! Pre-
siding over the county assembly, as a
speaker Im neutral and listen to both
sides. Those claims that I am involved
in the plotting for Wamboras downfall
are utter rubbish and far fetched,
Mate told The Standard on Sunday.
Muturi also sought to set the re-
cord straight, saying Wambora should
be greatful for the political support he
(Muturi) has offered him before, in-
stead of trying to soil his name.
Muturi says he has no political in-
terest in the larger Embu county to
warrant his meddling in grassroots
politics. I am among those who
brought Wambora to TNA. How do I
turn around and ght him? Posed Mu-
turi, who hails from Embu .
Wambora who was for the second
time impeached by the Senate on
Tuesday had earlier shifted blame on
Muturi and Embu County Senator Len-
ny Kivuti (from the Mbeere communi-
ty) over his political woes.
While Muturi and Wambora belong
to the TNA party, Kivuti is a member of
the Alliance Party of Kenya (APK)
whose leader is Meru Senator Kiraitu
Murungi. Kivuti and Kiraitu had on
Tuesday distanced themselves from
accusations by the governor that they
were the architects of his woes for
quitting their Bus party.
By his impeachment, Wambora has
gone down into history as the rst ever
governor to lose his position after two
impeachment processes, and put Embu
on the national political limelight since
late last year. The impeachment has al-
so seen two motions lined up in the
National Assembly, with the intend of
cutting the powers of MCAs.
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY Page 30
Walking tight rope: Embattled leader survived two impeachment bids and has been shoved from one
court to another while the Senate and his County Assembly in Embu were not giving him breathing space either
WEEK IN REVIEW
By FRANCIS NGIGE
and JOSEPH MUCHIRI
Besieged Embu Governor Martin
Nyaga Wambora may rue the day he
decided to contest the gubernatorial
seat.
When the soft-spoken politician
quit his job as Kenya Airports Author-
ity chairman, his initial intention was
to vie for the Runyenjes parliamen-
tary seat, which had earlier been
grabbed from his jaws by Cecily
Mbarire.
Many would argue that Wambora
indeed has the proverbial nine lives,
having survived two impeachment
bids. But from his body language,
and his public speech, the guberna-
torial seat is giving him sleepless
nights.
He has been shoved from one
court to another while the Senate and
his County Assembly in Embu are not
giving him breathing space either.
Two impeachment motions in a
span of three months is not some-
thing Wambora had envisaged when
he romped home after elections.
By the time he was quitting in
readiness for the 2013 General Elec-
tion, he had set the ground for a
bruising battle with Mbarire who had
outwitted him in the 2007 election.
Stakes were so high that the elec-
tion fever had gripped the constitu-
ency just months before election and
voters were waiting for the renewal of
the rivalry between Wambora and
Mbarire.
But as he prepared for the constit-
uency battle, there was behind the
scene manouvres to have him aban-
don his quest for Runyenjes for a big-
ger pie-the Embu governorship.
He was convinced being the coun-
ty chief executive ofcer was more
important than a parliamentary seat.
And after all he had already served as
Runyenjes MP for a term.
What happened after the March
4, 2013 elections must have con-
vinced Wambora that he made the
right choice, but a year in ofce, the
decision to abandon Runyenjes for
bigger things has returned to haunt
him. The MCAs he is supposed to be
working with are hunting him down,
sparing no effort to ensure he is barred
from holding any public ofce for at
least 10 years.
Wambora, whose demeanour does
not betray him as overbearing, has
been met with resistance propelling
him into the national limelight for all
wrong reasons. He has blamed his
troubles on political intrigues involv-
ing leaders in Mt Kenya East region as
well as the rivalry between The Na-
tional Alliance (TNA) and Alliance
Party of Kenya (APK).
These are well orchestrated
schemes to undermine my leadership
by some selsh leaders. They have be-
come better and accusing me of im-
propriety, we know who is behind all
these, said Wambora.
Initially, Wambora was eyeing the
seat on an APK ticket and was cam-
paigning side by side with the partys
senatorial aspirant Lenny Kivuti, gu-
bernatorial aspirant Kithinji Kiragu
and women representative aspirant
Eusebia Warue.
They formed a formidable team
armed with an immense nancial
muscle and popularity was sure to
show dust to other parties in the coun-
ty and carry the day in all the seats.
Received endorsement
At the time, Wambora received en-
dorsements from various quarters, in-
cluding a highly publicised one by
Nyangi Ndiiriri Council of Elders, who
gave him a spear and a shield to sym-
bolise his ght with Mbarire.
It is claimed Mbarire feared she
would be easily trampled down by
Wambora and to defend her seat, she
sought the indulgence of well placed
gures at TNA, who invited Wambora
over to the party to vie for Embu gov-
ernor with their support.
Embu governors proverbial nine lives
The rest is history, and the an-
nouncement that Wambora was run-
ning for Embu gubernatorial seat on
a TNA ticket was made by none other
than President Uhuru Kenyatta him-
self. Overnight, APK was dealt a big
blow and its campaign paled in com-
parison to the TNA, culminating into
Kiragu and Warue losing the guber-
natorial and women representative
seats respectively. This is said to have
infuriated APK leaders and could ex-
plain the frosty and aloof attitude
that has prevailed between the Embu
Governor and his senator.
Fast forward to May 2014, when
Wambora is ghting a second round
of impeachment and he has impli-
cated Kivuti of masterminding it
since Wambora ditched APK for TNA.
Contributing to Wamboras second
impeachment debate at the Senate,
Kivuti and APK leader Kiraitu Murun-
gi denied being behind his ouster at-
Governor Martin Wambora (right), Senator Lenny Kivuti (Centre) and Siakago
MP Muriuki Njagagua during yesterdays Embu County Prayer Day.
[PHOTO: KIBATA KIHU/STANDARD]
These are well
orchestrated schemes
to undermine my
leadership by some
selfsh leaders
tempt. Kivuti even pointed out that
he had tried to reconcile Wambora
with MCAs through a platform at-
tended by other county leaders and
the clergy. He abstained from voting
to uphold the impeachment.
Those are pure lies, there is no
APK hand in the impeachment of
senator Wambora, who is my friend.
There is nothing like we are trying to
punish him because he jumped out
of the bus, said Kiraitu.
Wambora also accused National
Assembly Speaker Justine Muturi and
Embu County Assembly Speaker Kar-
iuki Mate of being behind his woes
with the intent to annihilate the Em-
bu community in senior county po-
litical leadership so that the Mbeere
can take over. Mate, however, rub-
bished the claims, saying he had
nothing personal against Wambora
and was just doing his job, an occu-
pational hazard.
Wamboras supporters have gone
to court to stop his impeachment,
saying the MCAs did not consult
them yet the Constitution stipulates
public participation in passing such
of laws. They also argued that nomi-
nated MCAs should not vote to im-
peach a democratically elected gov-
ernor, claiming that most of the
MCAs are from the Mbeere side,
which is plotting to impeach Wamb-
ora.
Mbeere North has three elected
MCAs and ve nominated ones.
Mbeere South has ve elected MCAs
and three nominated.
In Embu side, Runyenjes has six
elected and three nominated MCAs
while Manyatta received only two
nomination slots despite having six
elected MCAs.
MET RESISTANCE
Wambora, whose demeanour does not
betray him as overbearing, has been
met with resistance propelling him into
the national limelight for all wrong rea-
sons. He has blamed his troubles on po-
litical intrigues involving leaders in Mt
Kenya East region as well as the rivalry
between The National Alliance (TNA)
and Alliance Party of Kenya (APK).
Page 31
Anxiety in Coast over Joho degree saga
By BERNAD SANGA
Coast residents are anxious
since the Ugandan National Coun-
cil for Higher Education announced
it had withdrawn recognition of the
Bachelors degree awarded to Mom-
basa Governor Ali Hassan Joho by
Kampala University.
Johos critics openly say they
smell a by-election while his sup-
porters dismiss this talk as political
propaganda.
Johos allaies argue the prospect
of cancellation of a degree is more
complex and odious than has been
depicted by his critics. The Gover-
nor himself blames his woes on bit-
ter losers and maintains he duly
and legally earned his degree.
The saga has already been para-
chuted into the political arena as
Joho ghts multiple battles in Ke-
nyan and Ugandan courts.
In Kenya, Chief Justice Willy
Mutunga is now expected to ap-
point a three-judge Bench to listen
to the case challenging his (Johos)
qualications after a Mombasa
Court on Wednesday directed the
matter be referred to him.
The case was led by a Momba-
sa voter Silas Otuke. Debate is rife
across Mombasa with opposing
camps engaged in high-level polit-
tested and that Joho could be dis-
qualied on the basis that he was
fraudulently cleared by IEBC to
contest, Mombasa-based lawyer
Abubakar Yusuf says.
If the election was credible, the
court may say because the election
were valid in respect to all other
candidates, except Joho, then the
person who came second will be
the governor, said advocate
Abubakar Yusuf.
Remember that all candidates
were required to take the degree to
the Higher Education Board to be
elected on the coalitions ticket.
However, critics argue that post-
election developments, including
rising religious tensions and the
county governments treatment of
hawkers and traders at Kongowea
market could play a role if a by-
election were to be called.
It is also alleged that Joho has
fallen out with four of the six legis-
lators in Mombasa, including Hez-
ron Awiti (Nyali), Masoud Mwahi-
ma (Likoni) and Rashid Bedzimba
(Kisauni) although he retains sup-
port of senator Hassan Omar.
Joho still enjoys immense sup-
port within the Mombasa County
Assembly of 45 representatives and
is a close ally of Leader of Majority
Khamis Mwabashiri (Mjambere
Ward) and Minority Leader Karisa
Nzai (Jomvu Kuu ward).
certied as genuine and Joho must
have taken it to Ugandan NCHE
and for the same body to announce
it has withdrawn recognition, then
the degree is null and void, said
Yusuf.
Dr Owen Baya, commentator on
Coast politics and current Secre-
tary of Kwale County, says it will be
premature for Johos political ene-
mies to celebrate.
As it stands, Joho is the gover-
nor, and the only body that can
cancel or withdraw that degree is
the universitys senate or council,
said Dr Baya.
Hypothetical questions over Jo-
hos political future and who he
may front for the governorship
post, if the degree is withdrawn,
have continued to emerge. Ques-
tions emerge on whether he wields
the same power he had in the run
up to the elections.
Joho is the face of CORD at the
Coast, and in the botched ODM
election, he had wanted to the par-
tys deputy leader.
Coast is a stronghold of the
CORD and in the last election, all
the 30 elected county representa-
tives in Mombasa belonged to the
Raila Odinga-led coalition.
All the legislators from the coun-
tys six constituencies were also
WEEK IN REVIEW
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
Joho is the
governor, and the
only body that can
withdraw that degree
is the universitys
senate or council
ical schemes. Joho, who has been
relatively quiet over the case, has in
the last two weeks enlisted senior
political leaders in CORD to ght
the war.
Johos camp has adopted a
grand strategy to show his main
challengers in the March 3, 2013
gubernatorial race are behind his
legal woes often depicting them as
Jubilee moles.
Only God can remove me from
this position. Those promising
Mombasa people that elections for
the governor post will be held to-
morrow are day dreamers, said Jo-
ho said recently.
Lately, he has depicted himself
as a persecuted victim of Jubilee in-
spired schemers eager to control
the coastal county.
Even as Joho exudes condence,
the rivalry between Johos supports
and those of his key challenger
Suleiman Shahbal in the social me-
dia has already been rekindled.

Various scenarios
Legal scholars in Mombasa are
also debating various scenarios,
with others saying courts may pro-
nounce Shahbal as the governor in
the event it nds Johos degree was
fake. Lets not forget that in the
said election, several people con-
Papers: Governor exudes condence but rivalry between his supporters and those of Shahbal has been renewed
Governor Hassan Joho
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
Page 32
WEEK IN REVIEW
By PATRICK BEJA
Governors in Coast are having
sleepless nights as they grapple with
threats from County Assembly mem-
bers (MCAs) and other forces.
As they seek political survival, the
county chiefs have been held at ran-
som by the MCAs who use impeach-
ment as their main weapon.
The governors have held several
meetings to forestall their removal.
The impeachment sword has been
delicately dangling over the head of
Taita Taveta Governor John Mruttu
for a few months now.
He virtually lives under the shad-
ow of impeachment but has survived
through holding frequent meetings
with MCAs.
The latest threat of impeachment
came through a Motion sponsored by
Bura MCA Godwin Kilele, which was
thrown out by Speaker Meshack
Maganga on grounds it was not led
unprocedurally.
Kileles impeachment grounds in-
cluded alleged misuse of funds by the
executive, slow pace of development
and alleged favouritism in hiring
staff. Mruttu had earlier faced hostil-
ity at the assembly over the appoint-
ment of members of the executive,
which saw some MCAs, and civil so-
ciety groups go to court.
Way out
It now appears the governor has
found a formula of cooling down the
MCAs through frequent meetings
and consultation. A local business-
man is being credited with marshal-
ling the MCAs to meetings that have
managed bring down their hostility
against the governor. We have had
fruitful discussions with the MCAs
and resolved to work together for the
benet of the county, Mruttu said.
Sources indicated tribal politics
was also at play given that Mr Mruttu
comes from the minority Taveta com-
munity while Taita community dom-
inates the county. And as governors
wade through the impeachment
wave, political analysts in the region
have cautioned MCAs against misus-
ing their powers. They are supposed
to offer checks and balance in coun-
ty governments and not undermin-
ing service delivery by putting coun-
ty chiefs on panic mode, said local
leader Dr Hassan Mwakimako.
Another politician Maimuna
Mwidau separately warned MCAs
could undermine devolution through
the impeachments over issues that
could be resolved with governors.
We have
consulted and
agreed that
the county
assembly
would
discharge
its oversight
mandate and
we have now
established
cordial
relations.
There was
politics
that drove
a wedge
between us
previously
but that is
behind us
Hussein Dado
Coast governors agonise as ward
reps wield impeachment sword
Rocky path: Fearful county governors are giving in to MCAs demands to forestall their removal although
Members of County Assemblies claim they are merely exercising their oversight role over the Executive
over alleged misuse of more than
Sh10 million although the executive
maintain the matter has not been
formally communicated to them.
Deputy governor Eric Mugo con-
rmed there was talk about impeach-
ment but noted that the issue had not
been reported to the executive.
We are aware of the formation of
the ad hoc committee but we have
not received a formal report about
the alleged misuse of funds. We are
ready to respond to the allegations
once a formal complaint is lodged,
Mugo said. Lamu County Assembly
has formed an ad hoc committee
headed by Kiunga MCA Omar Lali to
investigate the alleged misappropria-
tion even as some sources dismissed
it as renewed bad blood between the
county assembly and the governor.
Relative peace
Timamy has enjoyed relative
peace since late last year when he
was reinstated as governor by the
court of appeal after he held recon-
ciliation meetings with MCAs.
Lamu County Minority Leader
Paul Kimani defended the ad hoc
committee saying MCAs were simply
discharging their oversight mandate.
We are investigating the misappro-
priation of funds and action will fol-
low after our ndings, Kimani said.
Lamu West MP Julius Ndegwa
said there has been dialogue between
the governor and local leaders since
the court returned him to ofce al-
though MCAs were investigating the
alleged misuse of funds.
When the governor was reinstat-
ed by the court and a by-election was
cancelled leaders made efforts to rec-
oncile although there are still issues,
Ndegwa explained.
Timamy and MCAs had earlier
differed over the appointment of his
executive members. In Mombasa,
the Governor Hassan Ali Joho has en-
sured a rm grip on the 45 MCAs and
in turn enjoys their unwavering sup-
port. When they raised accountabil-
ity issues with his executive member
for Finance Walid Khalid recently, Jo-
ho moved in to calm down the MCAs
and put the matter to rest.
Last week, Joho conrmed his
grip on the Mombasa County Assem-
bly when he mobilised them to de-
fend him against accusations of ac-
quiring a fake degree certicate from
Uganda during a special sitting of
MCAs addressed by Mombasa Sena-
tor Mr Hassan Omar Hassan.
However, it has emerged that
some MPs in Mombasa County no
longer see eye to eye with the gover-
nor who is clinging to MCAs for
much-needed comfort.
Kili Governor Amason Kingi has
also developed a strong bond with
the 35 MCAs to ward off any im-
peachment threat although he is re-
ported to have sour relationship with
most of the seven MPs.
The MCAs have been pampered
with Sh10 million for bursary and an-
other Sh10 million per ward for de-
velopment as well as Sh3 million for
mortgage and Sh2 million-car loan to
cement the bond. In Kwale, Governor
Salim Mvurya is reported to be enjoy-
ing a new lease of life after being
elected vice chairman of the council
of governors recently.
Mr Mvurya has previously strug-
gled to save his public service board
from being removed from ofce fol-
lowing reports of irregular hiring and
allegations of outright corruption.
Mvurya has publicly differed with
Lunga Lunga MP Khatib Mwasheteni
who had expressed interest to con-
test the gubernatorial seat in 2017.
Additional reporting by Joseph
Masha
Hussein Dado Issa Timamy John Mruttu Amason Kingi
The impeachment of Embu gov-
ernment Martin Wambora set a bad
precedent and governors in the coun-
try are now vulnerable, she said.
In Tana River, Governor Hussein
Dado says he has managed to resolve
his differences with the county as-
sembly, which he blames on initial
misinterpretation of mandate.
We have consulted and agreed
that the assembly would discharge its
oversight mandate and we have now
established cordial relations. There
was politics that drove a wedge be-
tween us previously but that is be-
hind us, he says.
A resident had earlier gone to
court and obtained orders nullifying
the entire county cabinet over claims
it had left out minority groups.
Dado is happy the Executive has
since obtained stay orders that re-
turned them to ofce as the battle
continues in court.
In the landmark ruling, Justice
Christine Meoli declared three tribes
Orma, Wardei and Pokomo dominat-
ed Dados government and only two
women out of nine were appointed
to the county executive committee.
Earlier, Dado had survived an as-
sault on his administration by hostile
MCAs who threatened to impeach
him over a series of allegations.
It was said he was at loggerheads
with his deputy, but he also blamed
his woes on some local MPs.
Although he ironed out his differ-
ences with the MCAs, Tana River re-
mains divided because of the volatile
and ever-changing ethnic alliances.
Early this week, signs of a return
to tribal war emerged, sparking an
exodus from some areas like Kile-
lengwani, which witnessed gruesome
killings in the last conict between
Orma and Pokomo.
In Lamu, there was a new threat
to impeach Governor Issa Timamy
Survival for the ttest?
Governors in the region have held several meetings
to forestall their removal. The impeachment sword has
been delicately dangling over the head of Taita Taveta
Governor John Mruttu for a few months now.
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY Page 33
Tough call: Analysts say county chiefs who have held public offces before have managed
to tackle their portfolio relatively well, with greenhorns remaining vulnerable to impeachment
By PROTUS ONYANGO
and RUSHDIE OUDIA
The wave of impeachment of gov-
ernors by Members of the County As-
sembly continues sweeping the
counties.
Interestingly, governors who have
been impeached or are threatened
with removal are political newcom-
ers. Now, political analysts and poli-
ticians think the seat of governor
needs both managerial and political
experience.
Analysts say governors who have
political experience have tackled
their portfolio relatively well.
The rst to be impeached was for-
mer Embu Governor Martin Wamb-
ora followed by former Kericho Gov-
ernor Paul Chepkwony.
Others facing impeachment
threats are Benjamin Cheboi (Barin-
go), Julius Malombe (Kitui), Alex Tol-
gos (Elgeyo Marakwet) and Tana Riv-
er Governor Hussein Dado. John
Nyagarama of Nyamira is dealing
with problems in the county that
have seen his speaker impeached.
Malombe and Cheboi joined pol-
itics for the rst time last year. Chep-
kwony, who has a PhD in Organic
Chemistry, was a lecturer at Moi Uni-
versity. Dr Malombe joined politics
from the private sector, same to Tol-
gos, who is a former CEO of Kobcom
Petroleum Limited. Nyagarama is a
former teacher. Nairobi Governor Ev-
ans Kidero also came from the pri-
vate sector. Cheboi is former CEO of
the Higher Education Loans Board
(Helb). Wambora is also from the pri-
vate sector although he was once Ru-
nyenjes MP before he was defeated
by current MP, Cecily Mbarire.
Political analysts say that some
embattled governors are performing
dismally due to inexperience in poli-
tics. Former Speaker Kennedy Mar-
ende says governors need some po-
litical acumen to survive.
Mix of skills
They need wholesome exposure
and a mix of economics, mob trouble
management skills, psychology and
sociology. They need to be well
rounded people, says Marende.
He, however, thinks most gover-
nors lack these skills and exhibit the
big man syndrome and that is why
they are impeached. The law is not
the problem. We have borrowed so
much from the US where impeach-
ment is common. The problem is
that governors lack capacity and
hands-on experience, Marende says.
The former Speaker says governors
needed to have been taken for induc-
tion.
They needed capacity building
to know how to deal with the de-
mands of their ofces. They should
be receptive and adopt an open-door
policy where they listen to all people
instead of shunning some, he says.
He singles out Bomet Governor
Isaac Ruto, Busia Governor Sospeter
Ojaamong and his Kakamega coun-
terpart Wycliffe Oparanya as exam-
ples of governors with political expe-
rience, who are enduring the storm
in their counties.
They are hardened since they are
used to pressure and are handling
matters with relative storm, Mar-
ende says. Ruto, a former MP and
minister, was re-elected as chair of
the Council of Governors and despite
rubbing the Government the wrong
way, he has endeared himself to fel-
low governors and Kenyans because
of his support for devolution.
Ojaamong has endeared himself
to the MCAs and the Busia residents
despite him coming from the minor-
ity Teso tribe. Other seasoned politi-
cians who are governors are Ali Joho
(Mombasa), Mason Kingi (Kili), Pe-
ter Munya (Meru), Kivutha Kibwana
(Makueni) and Nderitu Gachagua
(Nyeri). Others are William Kabogo
(Kiambu), Josephat Nanok (Turka-
na), Isaac Ruto (Bomet), Moses
Akaranga (Vihiga), Peter Munya of
Meru and Kakamegas Wycliffe
Oparanya. Homa Bay Governor Cy-
prian Awiti, who has served in the
private and public sectors, has al-
lowed MCAs to watch over what he
does. He holds frequent meetings
with them and listens to them.
Awiti is also accessible to the pub-
lic and when the MCAs rejected his
list of executive members, it is the
public who protested and supported
him. Awiti also regularly eats in road-
side kiosks with the public. Dr Adams
Oloo, a political scientist, says it is ev-
How lack of political experience
leaves some governors exposed
Benjamin Cheboi Paul Chepkwony Evans Kidero
eyes on the ground, says Oparanya.
He is of the opinion there should
be proper legislation setting the stan-
dard for impeachment since as it
stands, it is hard to recall an MCA yet
easy to impeach a governor.
Some governors have improvised
many ways of ensuring they are in
good books with the MCAs, including
frequent treats and tokens.
Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusa-
ka, who has worked in the civil service
before he became a county boss, has
waded through the murky waters of
county politics. He says governors
need to create a cordial working rela-
tionship with their respective county
assemblies. Lusaka says he frequently
meets elected leaders from the county
in a Kamukunji where they sort out is-
sues that might have made them cross
paths.He says proper civic education
needs to take place in all organs of the
county government and induction be
done so that everyone respects the
others role and position.
The current trend on impeach-
ment is worrying and we wouldnt
want it to reach a point whereby Gov-
ernors ght for their survival at the ex-
pense of service delivery. This would
be a tragedy to devolution, says Lu-
saka. MPs from Kisumu County re-
cently put Governor Jack Ranguma on
the spot over development in the re-
gion. Some said many attempts to
bring together all leaders from Kisumu
to meet the governor on the way for-
ward on development has been
thwarted many times by Ranguma.
Few months after being sworn in,
Ranguma said some area MPs knew
they will have the chance of nominat-
ing the executive committee and when
he declined, they turned against him.
Kisumu West Olago Aluoch says
governors need to be politicians.
We erred in giving the posts to
professionals who lacked the political
acumen. We elected non-politicians
and took them to the political pool. We
are likely to see more of them being
impeached or imprisoned because of
corruption, Olago said. Ugunja MP
Opiyo Wandayi says he will table a mo-
tion in Parliament in June to amend
the County Government Act, 2013 as
far as impeachment is concerned.
ident that governors from the private
sector are having a hard time con-
taining MCAs. Oloo says the gover-
nors have come with the private sec-
tor mentality where they have little
time for those who do not have tech-
nical know-how. He says the gover-
nors seem to have forgotten some of
the MCAs are seasoned politicians.
Character clash
When these two characters clash,
MCAs will look for the slightest loop-
hole to bring their governor down,
says Oloo, adding that the county
representatives want recognition,
want to be consulted and are also out
to cut deals. Oloo says those with po-
litical background survive since they
can sense any ill motive against them
and strategise to counter it.
He advises governors that the way
forward is to engage the Senate and
the National Assembly to re-look the
threshold of impeachment since it is
way too low. It has reached a point
whereby if you do not appease MCAs,
you are shown the door, says Oloo.
In an interview with The Standard
on Sunday, Kakamega Governor Wyc-
liffe Oparanya describes how he
manages to operate without interfer-
ence from local leaders.
Oparanya says as a governor, you
must ensure you keep in touch as
much as possible with the elected
leaders from your county.
He ensures he calls MPs and
MCAs from all the 12 sub-counties
nearly every day to ensure everything
is smooth in the county.
If I were Wambora, I would not
have left the situation to even reach
the county assembly, since I have my
They need
wholesome exposure
and need a mix of
economics, mob
trouble management
skills, psychology
and sociology
Kenneth Marende, former Speaker
WEEK IN REVIEW
THE SEASONED...
Experienced politicians who are gov-
ernors include Ali Joho (Mombasa), Ma-
son Kingi (Kilif), Peter Munya (Meru),
Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni), Peter
Munya of Meru and Nderitu Gachagua
(Nyeri). Others are William Kabogo (Ki-
ambu), Josephat Nanok (Turkana), Isaac
Ruto (Bomet), Moses Akaranga (Vihiga)
and Kakamegas Wycliffe Oparanya.
By STEPHEN MAKABILA
Judicial injunctive orders or rein-
statements may no longer feature
when a governor is impeached if a
draft Bill is passed by the Senate.
The Impeachment Draft Bill by
Senate Majority Leader Kithure
Kindiki seeks to have 15 per cent of
registered voters in each ward within
a county approve an impeachment
process before it takes off.
It also proposes a wider range of
recommendations by the Senate oth-
er than the current two optionsim-
peachment or acquittal. In an inter-
view with The Standard on Sunday,
Kindiki said impeachment of a gov-
ernor was not a court process.
The Bill will make impeachment
process immune from the courts.
Unlike election petitions, impeach-
ment proceedings are nal and
should not be subject to any judicial
interference, he added.
But on locking out courts from the
process, the President of the East Af-
rica Law Society James Mwamu said
LSK will move to court to have such
an article struck out if the draft Bill is
passed by Senate. The draft Bill also
pushes the threshold of proof on cor-
ruption higher, with calls for signi-
cant evidence beyond reasonable
doubt from expert institutions such
as the Auditor General, Controller of
Budget and the Ethics and Ant-Cor-
ruption Commission. Kindiki also
says the Bill was the only one to bring
changes to the current impeachment
law, and dismissed two other Bills
proposed by members of the Nation-
al Assembly as being misplaced.
Overstepping mandate
The National Assembly has no
role in impeachment of governors
and it should therefore stop overstep-
ping boundaries. Its only role is on
the presidential impeachment and
even that role ends at the initiation
stage, said Kindiki.
In the last one week, two Gover-
nors Martin Wambora of Embu and
Prof Paul Chepkwony of Kericho
county have been impeached.
Council of Governors chairman
and Bomet County Governor Isaac
Ruto says at least 12 governors have
been targeted for removal by the na-
tional government, which he claims
has been compromising MCAs.
Senate resumes on June 3, after
which the Bill will be tabled. It rec-
ommends a raft of changes at the
county assembly and Senate, which
makes removal of a governor a tall or-
der. We want to ensure the ofce of
the governor is not the most insecure
among all elected positions in this
country. If its difcult to recall an
MCA, MP or Senator, why should it
be much easier to impeach a gover-
nor? posed Kindiki.
Mwamu argued every political
process has a legal component. Even
in the US, the President is free to
move to court if he feels the impeach-
ment process by the Senate was un-
fair. Locally, it will be a violation of
the Bill of Rights for one to be denied
chance to seek redress, he said.
Bill seeking to
tame MCAs
on the way
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
Page 34
WEEK IN REVIEW
By STEPHEN MAKABILA
The National Alliance (TNA) is
preparing for a countrywide member
recruitment drive, even as leaders in
its Central Kenya stronghold push for
party elections.
The party placed advertisements
in local dailies on Tuesday inviting
tenders for the supply of 36 items,
among them various campaign and
promotional materials.
Some of the campaign materials
include T-Shirts, posters and provi-
sion of helicopter and xed wing air-
craft services.
They also want to procure service
for supply and installation of street
billboards, provision of branding ser-
vices, printing and delivery of ban-
ners, other display materials, and
printing a delivery of embroidered
cloth caps.
Party Secretary General Onyango
Oloo told The Standard on Sunday:
We are rolling out our national
member recruitment drive soon to
boost our numbers and support
countrywide.
The agenda of the party is to re-
cruit many members to boost mem-
bership before the 2017 presidential
elections in which President Uhuru
Kenyatta is expected to run for a sec-
ond term.
Party insiders say the planned re-
cruitment will be targeting areas TNA
performed dismally in the last Gen-
eral Election.
The revamping of the party has
received support from majority of
TNA leaders, among them Kiambu
Senator Paul Wamatangi who agreed
that developing party structures at
the grassroots was long overdue.
The party was formed just
months to the election and therefore
there is an urgent need for it to devel-
op leadership structures at the grass-
roots, Wamatangi told The Standard
on Sunday.
Wamatangi, however, added the
We do
not want
a scenario
the retired
President
Kibaki was
in, when he
was forced
to conjure
up PNU
Uhuru party plans
membership drive
amid calls for polls
Internal elections: Party Secretariat says that Elections Board was yet to sit and decide when
party should go for polls, but some members insist its only logical that recruitment be conducted frst
to start building the party for Uhurus
use as his political vehicle in 2017,
said Wachira Kiago, KCE chairman.
Kiago said TNA is not effectively
present at the grassroots, even in
Central Kenya where it enjoys mas-
sive support.
We as elders have to tell them the
truth. The plain truth is that TNA has
no presence at the grassroots be-
cause there are no party leadership
structures. Unless action is taken, it
will end up being the way Narc and
PNU died out, added Kiago.
The party with 89 MPs is stronger
in parliamentary representation than
its Jubilee coalition partner, United
Republican Party (URP), which has
75 MPs. Its also among the only three
political parties that qualied for
state funding in the current nancial
year, having shared the Sh205 million
from the Political Parties Fund with
URP and ODM which has 96 MPs, the
highest number in Parliament.
Opinion polls released showed
TNA was popular than ODM, which
came second while URP, was third. It
was the rst time TNA had overtaken
ODM in popularity after the March 4,
2013 General Election.
Kiago argued that all these im-
pressive records about the party
couldnt be sustained if its leadership
cannot be entrusted to oversee dem-
ocratic election of ofcials right from
the grassroots to the national ofce.
We do not want a scenario for-
mer President Kibaki found himself
when he was forced to conjure up
PNU as his vehicle in 2007 after fail-
ing to turn Narc to a strong party af-
ter the 2002 election, added Kiago.
Oloo said the partys National
Oversight Board had not met to de-
cide when the grassroots elections
should start.
The board chaired by party chair-
man, nominated MP Johnson Sakaja,
will have to meet and deliberate on
the matter rst. We want to get it right
by rst registering people and then
starting the election process right
from the grassroots all the way to the
top, added Oloo.
Kajiado West MP Moses Ole Saku-
da, Kanini Kega (Kieni) and Alice
Nganga (Thika) early this year called
on TNA to hold elections then.
Sakaja had earlier indicated the
party would rst concentrate on by-
elections before launching its recruit-
ment drive.
TNAs Uhuru Kenyatta at a party event. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]
rst step should be the recruitment
of members before polls are held.
You cannot hold elections with-
out members. The rst thing should
be for us to recruit members across
the country, added Wamatangi.
Thika Town MP Alice Nganga
said the party should hold elections
rst, then recruitment later.
I have said before that the only
way is to have party elections and I
still maintain that. Whenever people
ght for positions, real members will
be known. Those elected can then
launch recruitment activities in their
areas, added Nganga.
Oloo told The Standard on Sunday
that the partys strategy is to have sig-
nicant presence in all corners of the
country through aggressive recruit-
ment of members.
TNA has now lined-up rallies,
road shows and training for youth
and women as part of building up ad-
equate awareness towards wooing
members to cross over to the party.
We put this advertisements not
only for now, but also for the future.
The political parties law requires that
we have to pre-qualify our suppliers
and what we are doing is to prepare
a list of them, said Oloo in a tele-
phone interview.
Public entities
He said that political parties are
public entities and have therefore to
source their supplies competitively
to avoid violation of procurement
laws.
TNA, whose party leader is Presi-
dent Kenyatta, has not held any elec-
tion since its formation in late 2012,
and members of the Kikuyu Council
of Elders (KCE) from the partys Cen-
tral Kenya strongholds also want
elections held to give it grassroots
strength.
We do not want a political party
that only exists at the headquarters
in Nairobi with no structures at the
grassroots. We want those in charge
Rolled out
TNA secretariat says member recruit-
ment drive would be rolled out soon.
Party has placed invitation for supply
tenders, with campaign materials form-
ing a good portion of the items.
Elders in the partys Central stronghold
want internal elections hold, saying the
party has no presence at the grassroots
Onyango Oloo Paul Wamatangi
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY Page 35
WEEK IN REVIEW
Which way Amani? MPs
divided on move to sever
ties with Jubilee
By OSCAR OBONYO
and GRACE WEKESA
Hostility against President
Uhuru Kenyattas Jubilee admin-
istration in Western Kenya may
have reached fever pitch, with
some of the Presidents strong al-
lies now contemplating political
divorce with the Head of State.
This weekend, a technical
team of the Amani Coalition,
which brings together United
Democratic Forum (UDF), New
Ford-Kenya (NFK) and Kanu, is
on a retreat at Lake Elementaita,
Nakuru County, to review their
pact with the Presidents coali-
tion.
The team will be advising us
on three main options wheth-
er to severe links with Jubilee, re-
engage them on new terms or
join the existing Opposition forc-
es, NFK party leader Eugene Wa-
malwa told The Standard on Sun-
day.
Conceding that there has
been some disquiet over Amani
coalitions relationship with Jubi-
lee, the former Justice minister
says a nal decision shall be
made as soon as possible to put
the matter to rest.
And speaking through his
spokesman, Kibisu Kabatesi,
UDF leader and former Deputy
Prime Minister Musalia Mudava-
di observed that the fact that lo-
cal leaders were raising issues
now was an indicator that the
Amani-Jubilee agreement was in
jeopardy.
MPs have complained of be-
ing excluded from consultations
in Parliament on critical Bills by
Jubilee leadership in the House.
But obviously there has been dis-
quiet about whether the agree-
ments are worth anything any-
more, Kabatesi said.
Tangible development
That the rage against Jubilee
has been building over the time
was partly demonstrated last
weekend when the mere men-
tion of the Presidents name by
Lugari MP Ayub Savula at a
teachers forum in Kakamega
town, irked his audience who
booed and jeered at him. The
teachers told him to his face to
disengage from Jubilee.
I am aware that our people
are disappointed with this gov-
ernment over its failure to ap-
point members of the Luhya
community to top positions.
What I did not know, however, is
that their rage had reached fever
pitch, says Savula.
Having experienced the hos-
tility rst hand, the MP is impa-
tient with the procedural process
of severing links with Jubilee:
Things are bad and the Presi-
dent and his deputy must act fast
or forget about political support
from this region, altogether.
Navakholo MP Emmanuel
Wagwe, Alfred Sambu of Webuye
East and Dan Wanyama of We-
buye West accuse the govern-
ment of kicking out or demoting
members of the community from
plum parastatal jobs while at the
Reality check: Team from the Amani Coalition retreats to Elementaita to review support for Presidents party
In their own words
We cannot afford to lose our heads over
personalities at the expense of develop-
ment. Which, for instance, is more im-
portant the revival of Panpaper Mill in
Webuye or the appointment of Musalia
or Eugene into the Cabinet? Arthur
Odera, Teso North MP
There has been disquiet about wheth-
er the agreements are worth anything
anymore, Kibisu Kabatesi, former
Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Muda-
vadis spokesman
The pact was agreed upon through a
formal meeting and any resolution to the
contrary must also be conducted through
a similar channel, Ben Washiali,
Mumias East MP
Jubilee government has not neglected
Western as they purport, sugar mill-
ers in the region have been given funds
to progress and help farmers, Yusuf
Chanzu, Vihiga MP
The President
and his deputy must
act fast or forget
political support
from this region
Ayub Savula, Lugari MP
they must be honest with their
supporters.
They must tell the electorate
that while some of us were trying
to build a national outt, they
were nurturing a tribal party. And
now if they are paying the price
for politics of alienation they
should quietly face the music
without blaming it on anybody,
says the former Ndaragwa MP.
Premature move
Defending the decision to en-
ter into a post-poll pact with the
government, Kioni, who is also
UDFs deputy party leader, re-
minds the MPs that they are en-
joying parliamentary positions
on the strength of a working re-
lationship with Jubilee.
Indeed these sentiments res-
onate with the position taken by
Mumias East MP, Ben Washiali, a
beneciary of the Amani-Jubilee
pact. The UDF allied MP, who is
Jubilees deputy whip in the Na-
tional Assembly, terms the move
by his colleagues as hasty and
premature.
The pact was agreed upon
through a formal meeting and
any resolution to the contrary
must also be conducted through
a similar channel. I dont support
them (colleagues). Where are we
moving to? asks Washiali.
Vihiga MP, Yusuf Chanzu
same time failing to implement
tangible development projects to
benet locals. They now want all
MPs from the region allied to Ju-
bilee to decamp.
However, not everyone is in
agreement, including MPs allied
to Deputy President William Ru-
tos United Republican Party
(URP). Arthur Odera of Teso
North argues that no one can
purport to speak on behalf of all
elected leaders of Western Kenya
since they are afliated to vari-
ous parties, among them ODM,
UDF, Ford-Kenya and URP.
Odera maintains that most
MPs from the region are progres-
sive and eager to make a differ-
ence in the lives of the people
they lead. She claims that most
the MPs who want to decamp
from government have beef
with Jubilee because of failure
by government to accommodate
two politicians into the Cabinet.

Tribal party?
We cannot afford to lose our
heads over personalities at the
expense of development. Which,
for instance, is more important
the revival of Panpaper Mill in
Webuye or the appointment of
Musalia or Eugene into the Cabi-
net? Is handing jobs to two indi-
viduals more important than re-
vitalising sugarcane farming that
is on the verge of collapse or
helping to construct the Busia
Sugar Company? wonders the
URP-allied legislator.
And conceding that threats by
Western Kenya politicians allied
to UDF to cut links with Jubilee
have been around for some
time, Mudavadis running mate
in last years presidential poll Jer-
emiah Kioni, observes that the
MPs are free to decamp, but
Musalia Mudavadi Eugene Wamalwa Ben Washiali Dan Wanyama Ayub Savula
claims those advocating for the
pullout are self-seekers and bro-
kers working for the highest bid-
der: Our leaders have served in
key positions since indepen-
dence, those crying foul at the
moment should categorically
point out development projects
they initiated. Jubilee govern-
ment has not neglected Western
as they purport, sugar millers in
the region have been given funds
to progress and help farmers.
Meanwhile Webuye West MP,
Wanyama, accuses the govern-
ment of being tone deaf in the
face of dismissal of members of
the community from top jobs.
And noting that Labour Cabi-
net Secretary Kazungu Kambi, is
a politician allied to URP, Wanya-
ma says the Luhya community is
angered by the CSs attacks di-
rected at Central Organisation of
Trade Unions (Cotu) Secretary
General Francis Atwoli, who hails
from the region.
Unity efforts
Odera, however, exonerates
Ruto from blame, saying Kambi
neither runs ministry affairs at
the behest of the DP nor URP:
Atwoli is a very smart guy. When
he is in trouble he remembers he
is a son of Western and runs back
home for cover, but when things
are going on smoothly, we never
get to see or hear of him. He
should keep his troubles within
the union.
Nonetheless, Sambu is deter-
mined to lead the entire Western
region out of Jubilee. According
to him, there are several parties
hampering unity efforts in the re-
gion: But we have started tour-
ing every constituency starting
with Lugari and after that we are
going to take the message to oth-
er constituencies.
Separately, Kabatesi main-
tains that Amani coalition was
still independent and had not
entered into the same coalition
with Jubilee.
Amani is not in Jubilee Coali-
tion but has cooperation agree-
ments with Jubilee. A coalition
cannot be part of another coali-
tion. This has been the mindless
mischief being perpetrated by
our detractors. Amani has stated
it will operate independently
whether the co-operation with
Jubilee ends or not, notes Mu-
davadis spokesman.
Page 36 May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
Waithanje blames the then inter-
im PSB, saying it may not have con-
ducted due diligence. It is also possi-
ble that some members of the interim
board may have cashed in on the
confusion to appoint unqualied in-
dividuals.
But amid the revelation of serious
integrity issues, a critical question re-
mains unanswered: Did the appli-
cants have clearance certicates
from the various oversight institu-
tions?
It is a legal requirement for appli-
cants of top public jobs to attach a
Certicate of Good Conduct issued
by the CID, clearance certicates
from EACC, KRA, HELB and Credit
Reference Bureau to be considered
for employment.
The above raises questions wheth-
er the clearances were properly is-
sued or bought? The mess at the Na-
kuru County Government also raises
questions on whether there was a de-
liberate and well orchestrated scheme
to place some people in strategic po-
sitions as part of a plan to rip the
county.
NEWS FEATURE
Another Nakuru
top ofcial under
probe by EACC
In the spotlight: Nakuru County Lands Executive Ofcer under probe for allocating her daughter public land
It is upon the appointing
authority, that is the governor, to
ensure compliance with Section 35
(3) of the County government Act
Susan Khika, Nakuru County Assembly Speaker
By STEVE MKAWALE
Recent revelations that some
members of the Nakuru County
Executive Committee either ut-
tered forged academic docu-
ments to gain employment or
are under probe over integrity
issues has eroded public con-
dence in the county govern-
ment.
As Governor Kinuthia Mbu-
gua ponders his next step follow-
ing allegations his cabinet com-
prises ofcers who lack integrity,
the heat is slowly turning to the
County Public Service Board
(PSB) and the County Assem-
bly on their capacity to vet
job seekers.
The two institutions vest-
ed with powers to vet appli-
cants for any positions
have remained silent as the
governor takes the heat
from voters and the civil
society over the presence
of tainted ofcers in the
county government.
Susan Kihika is the
Speaker of the County
Assembly while Dr Muti-
ti Waithenji chairs the
PSB. The two bodies
are charged with en-
suring the county gov-
ernment hires qualied of-
cials who pass the integrity test
as prescribed under Chapter VI of the
Constitution.
Fake degree
The CID is investigating Sam Gi-
tau, who has stepped down from his
position as County Executive Com-
mittee Member in charge of Trade
and Tourism, for forging his degree
certicate and KCSE and KCPE exam-
ination slips, which he used to gain
employment.
Mr Gitau produced documents in-
dicating he obtained a mean score of
B- in his KCSE and 571 marks in KCPE.
However, KNEC results printout indi-
cates he scored D+ and 387 marks re-
spectively.
Gitaus appointment was sanc-
tioned by the board, ratied by a
committee of the assembly chaired
by Kihika and later conrmed by
Mbugua. Questions linger on how he
escaped scrutiny at the board and the
county assembly committee that vet-
ted shortlisted county executive com-
mittee nominees.
The Standard on Sunday, with the
help of an NGO, carried out an inves-
tigation that culminated in an expose
on Gitau that has since opened a can
of worms with claims more ofcers
might be holding bogus academic
credentials.
TOP: Nakuru Lands county executive
Rachael Maina and the copy of the
letter (left) the Nyandarua County
Government wrote the Ethics and
Anti-Corruption Commission asking tit
to probe Maina. INSET: Former Trade
minister Sam Gitau. [PHOTO: BONIFACE
THUKU/STANDARD]
The Ethics and Anti Corruption
Commission (EACC) is now probing Ra-
chael Maina, another member of the Na-
kuru County executive in charge of Lands,
Housing and Physical Planning.
Ms Maina is under probe over claims
of abuse of ofce during her tenure as the
Nyandarua District Settlement Ofcer.
She is accused of using her position to ir-
regularly sub-divide and allocate some 96
acres of government land earmarked for
construction of a village polytechnic to a
private developer.
According to documents seen by The
Standard on Sunday, Maina allocated a
chunk of the land to the her minor daugh-
ter (read private developer), contrary to
the settlement trustee fund regulations.
A member of the county assembly
committee that vetted her says allegations
of abuse of ofce against her when she
served in the Ministry of Lands were
brought up during her vetting but were
Tainted pasts
Sam Gitau, the Nakuru Trade County
Executive, produced forged documents
indicating that he obtained a mean
score of B- in his KCSE and 571 marks in
KCPE. However, results printout from
the Kenya National examination Coun-
cil indicate that he scored D+ and 387
marks respectively
Mr Gitau also produced a degree cer-
ticate from Brunel University in the
UK. However, ofcials from the univer-
sity say they have no records of a stu-
dent by that name and that the degree
is fake
Ms Rachael Maina is under investiga-
tions by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption
Commission for allegedly transferring
a public land meant for a village poly-
technic to her daughter when she was
the Nyandarua district Settlement Of-
cer
The Nyandarua County Government
has written to the EACC asking the
agency to probe Maina
swept under the carpet.
Gitaus integrity was also questioned
during the assembly vetting after it received
a petition from a member of the public who
claimed he had swindled him off Sh40,000
in a land deal.
Campaign rewards
That too was overlooked when Gitau
said he had sorted out the issue with the
complainant and that it was a misunder-
standing between him and the other parties
involved in the deal, said another member
of the vetting committee.
But how did the two go through the vet-
ting un-noticed? How could they be ap-
pointed into crucial ofces without back-
ground checks on their past?
Kihika has distanced her committee
from blame saying members relied on in-
formation presented to them and were not
obliged to pierce the veil unless their were
compelling reasons.
The assembly relies on the County
Government Act section 35 (1) (2). It is up-
on the appointing authority, that is the gov-
ernor, to ensure compliance with section 35
(3) of the County government Act, Kihika
said in her defence.
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY Page 37
WEEK IN REVIEW
Unending,
inter-clan wars
divide Marsabit
residents
By ALI ABDI
Despite efforts by the Nation-
al Government to bring together
warring communities, many res-
idents are still discontented at
the county level.
In February this year, Presi-
dent Uhuru Kenyatta appointed
former National Assembly Speak-
er Francis ole Kaparo and Garissa
Senator Yussuf Haji to spearhead
peace efforts in volatile Marsabit,
with the County Government be-
ing threatened with disband-
ment should the leaders not put
their house in order.
Hundreds of lives and proper-
ty worth millions of shillings had
been lost and an estimated 50,000
people displaced in the Moyale
Sub-County in a bloody inter-
clan gun battle that took the
shape of how the locals voted in
last years General Election.
The National Government do-
nated Sh400 million towards
peace building and helping fam-
ilies scarred by the war, pitting ri-
val Gabra and Burji on one side
and the Borana on the other.
The Borana (mostly Jubilee),
who are the single largest tribe at
about 45 per cent of the approxi-
mately 270,000 population, lost
key positions, including that of
the gubernatorial seat, to the al-
liance that also included the Ren-
dille and Somali clan of Garre
(CORD) in an outt called Rega-
bu. The Kaparo-Haji committee
held several meetings with all the
leaders from the warring sides in
Nairobi, visited the scenes of
clashes and came up with several
recommendations.
Peace building
The leaders also met Presi-
dent Kenyatta and his Deputy
William Ruto. It was, among oth-
er things, resolved that the Sh400
million would be used to help the
victims while the County Gov-
ernment, NGOs and other part-
ners would chip in to help in
peace building and rehabilitation
of the victims families.
The county leadership was al-
so asked to strive and bring dis-
satised communities on board
in accordance with the Constitu-
tion and consult with their lead-
ers. Three months down the line,
the leadership is still not on talk-
ing terms, while locals are still di-
vided, despite, the Kaparo-team
releasing Sh170 million to help
the families affected by the con-
ict in Moyale last Tuesday.
Some of the leaders has fault-
ed the way the balance of Sh230
victims has so far been spent by
the Ministry of Interior and Co-
ordination.
The leaders, led by MPs Roba
Duba (Moyale), say the bulk of
the money was mostly used on a
programme that was neither pri-
oritised nor in the initial plan as
agreed by stakeholders.
Prior to the release of the
Sh170 million, Duba questioned
how the entire amount was spent,
while about 50,000 people were
still camping in Ethiopia.
NGO sources in Marsabit also
expressed concern, saying in
their February meeting in Nairo-
bi, it was agreed that the money
be entrusted with the Kenya Red
Cross Society, which will spear-
head the programme.
In Nairobi, we agreed on
three major components: rst
and most important was rebuild-
ing of structures destroyed in the
clashes and to a smaller degree,
provision of relief food and non-
food items.
The National Government
was also to take charge of restor-
ing security, said Duba.
However, sources from Mars-
abit revealed that millions of shil-
lings had been allocated from the
kitty to security personnel in
Moyale, a move that was heavily
criticised by the leaders and
NGOs. I do not know how much,
but I know a big amount had
been allocated to the security de-
partment in the area. This is not
right because the security team,
including the army has its own
budget when they were deployed
(to Moyale), said the MP.
Reliable sources indicate the
money was also allocated to the
departments of Education,
Health and Water among others,
with civil servants being in charge
of the kitty. However, the alloca-
tion to the departments of Water
and Health, point out that the ar-
ea has adequate water while the
health centres have enough med-
icine. On the ground, residents
say no peace effort has been ini-
tiated, while the County Govern-
ment has not moved to bring on
Genesis: Lives and property have been lost in the battles rooted in how the locals voted in last years General Election
We are the single most
largest tribe in the county,
but we have been given about
fve per cent of positions in
this Government. Boru Wama
out from benets accruing from
the devolved Government based
on the way they voted in last years
General Election.
Addressing the Press outside
the gates of the two ofces, they
accused the County Government
of alleged marginalisation of the
Borana community.
We are the single most largest
tribe in the county at about 45 per
cent, but we have been given
about ve per cent of positions in
this Government. There is no-
where in this world this is prac-
ticed, said Boru Wama, Saku Bo-
rana Council of Elders Chairman.
Partisan politics
Mr Wama gave the breakdown
of appointments at the County
Government as follows: The Ga-
bra, who are about 75,000 got 48
positions, the Rendille, with
65,000 people have 22 positions,
the Burji with 6,000 people got 15
positions while the Borana with
110,000 people have seven repre-
sentatives.
Qabale Tache, an HIV/Aids ac-
tivists said those living with the vi-
rus have also been affected by
partisan politics in the county,
claiming that the group had not
been given relief food.
The people living with HIV/
Aids have also been caught in the
bad politics of Marsabit County.
They used to get food from the
National Government but since
last year, they have not received
any kind of assistance from the
County Government, said an
emotional Tache.
Galm Doyo, chairman of Baliti
University Association said the
students and youth from the com-
munity had also been given a raw
deal, alleging they had not bene-
ted from bursary, while those
who completed studies are dis-
criminated in employment.
The elders said the county ad-
ministration led by Governor
Ukur Yattani (ODM) had failed to
honour an accord reached by war-
ring sides in Marsabit conict in
February where it was agreed that
leaders consult each other on all
issues including employment.
As per the Boma agreement
(the venue of the accord), Mars-
abit leaders unanimously agreed
among others that employment at
Sub-County levels be done in con-
sultation with respective MPs, but
this had been ignored, said Peter
Galma, a village elder from Saku.
Saku MP Ali Rasso (URP)
agreed with the sentiments of his
constituents. While appointments
of Sub County and ward adminis-
trators among others had been
completed at North Horr, Moyale
and Laisamis, the protesters said
the recruitment in Borana-domi-
nated Saku had not been carried
out. The protesters said this was
due to differences between Mr
Yattani and Rasso, who hails from
the Borana dominated Saku Con-
stituency.
Mr Keli who received the peti-
tion in presence of the Marsabit
Central security committee mem-
bers promised the group repre-
sentatives that he would hand
over the document to the relevant
authorities. County Assembly
Speaker Mathew Loltome said he
would comment after receiving
the petition while the Governor
did not respond to calls and a
short text message sent to him.
Gun battle
Hundreds of lives and property worth millions of shillings
have been lost and an estimated 50,000 people displaced
in the Moyale Sub-County in a bloody inter-clan gun battle
that has taken the shape of how the locals voted in last
years General Election.
The Borana (mostly Jubilee), who are the single largest tribe
at about 45 per cent of the approximately 270,000 popula-
tion, lost key positions, including that of the gubernatorial
seat, to the alliance that also included the Rendille and So-
mali clan of Garre (CORD) in an outt called Regabu.
board those it left out on employ-
ment and tendering of services.
Matters came out into the
public to glare recently when
hundreds of Marsabit town resi-
dents staged a protest march to
the local National and County
governments headquarters, al-
leging that the County Govern-
ment had marginalised them.
However, the protesters,
mainly drawn from the Borana
community in Saku Constituen-
cy, where the headquarters is lo-
cated, were blocked by security
personnel drawn from the Regu-
lar and Administration Police
from accessing the buildings dur-
ing the peaceful Friday march.
Their representatives handed
a detailed petition to Assistant
County Commissioner Bernard
Keli after they were told the
County Commissioner, Peter
Thuku and his deputy in Mars-
abit Central, Kipchumba Rutto
were not in ofce.
The petition was written to
President Kenyatta with copies to
the local County Government,
the Senate and National Assem-
bly alleging that Marsabit County
Government had locked them
CLOCKWISE: Protesters from Saku Constituency drawn from the Borana community at the local CDF ofce before they
proceeded to hand over their petition to National and County governments ofces in Marsabit town on Friday Members of
Marsabit Central Security Committee. Qabale Tache, an HIV/Aids activist breaks down. [PHOTOS: ALI ABDI/STANDARD]
people of Kenya, and for their well
being and benet. The President
directs and co-ordinates the
functions of ministries and
government departments. Because
of this immense responsibility, the
Constitution mandates the
President under Article 132 (4) to
establish any ofce in the public
service in accordance with
recommendation of the Public
Service Commission.
He has a mandate, and is
accountable for that mandate.
Towards this end, the President has
moved to perfect the Executive by
making it rational, effective,
professional and accountable
within constitutional parameters.
Our tragedy as a country is that
we have an Opposition which only
just over a year ago, was part of
Government. Their performance as
components of a governing
coalition was dodgy at best. To be
honest, a number of the problems
Kenyans grapple with today are a
direct result of their leadership.
This is the reality that CORD and
its fan base wishes to deny. Under
the pretext of containing an
imperial presidency they insist
that the Presidency and national
Executive can only operate in State
Harambee houses, leaving over
562,000 square miles of Kenya
unattended, except through the 14
functions of county governments.
National Government means
exactly that: government services
throughout the republic. The
President has moved to co-ordinate
government vertically and ensure
that all parts of Kenya receive
government services wherever they
are, without having to travel to
Nairobi. Anyone resisting this
wishes to deny Kenyans important
government services, effectively
disenfranchising all citizens. The
argument by the Opposition,
therefore, absurd: are they protect-
ing devolution from Executive
encroachment, or are they denying
wananchi effective government
service? Taken to its logical extent,
the Opposition actually are using
devolution as a mere excuse to
undermine the national Executive.
Since the Opposition have gone
to town shouting unconstitutional,
one must wonder; which constitu-
tion do these people read? what
particular breaches have the Jubilee
Alliance committed in this, and oth-
er instances where this charge has
been made? Is it enough, in this age
and time, to use a blanket general
allegation as a foundation of
political competition?
Like everybody in leadership,
the Opposition is accountable for
its word and deed. Knee-jerk
resistance to anything emanating
from Government will not stand
them in good stead. Experience
bears this out; didnt they recently
test the patience of Kenyans by
calling a press conference in the
wake of a needful crackdown on
suspected terrorists and their
accomplices, to side with terrorists?
Come to think of it, the pattern
is consistent. Wherever and
whenever Government has stood
with Kenya and Kenyans, the
Oppositions stands with whoever
happens to be undermining or
tormenting them. It matters not
whether we are talking about
Nyumba Kumi, war on terror, KDF
deployment to Somalia, account-
ability of civil society, or even
devolution.
Yet in all these matters, they
loudly pretend to be progressive,
pro-wananchi and pro-devolution.
While Kenyans wept bitter tears in
the wake of terrorist attacks, the
Opposition only saw political
opportunity. One must be wary of
those who are only inspired by
disaster to gloat and dance at every
scene of tragedy. It means that a
successful government is not
necessarily in their interest;
shambolic encounters are more to
their liking.
Anyone claiming that the
delegation of power to County
Commissioners will undermine
devolution is irresponsible and
ignorant in the utmost. Such an
argument assails the philosophy of
our constitution and undermines
the sovereignty of the people of
Kenya. County governors and their
governments form one part of the
mandates of the Fourth Schedule.
The president and national
Executive form the other.
The Oppositions argument, then
implies that Part 1 is intended to
sabotage Part 2 of the Fourth
Schedule. Bunk!
Page 38
OPINION
committed to creating one million
jobs. However, employability is
more than just creating jobs. It is
also about building capacity for
working and promoting self
efcacy, which is the ability to
perform a task and achieve goals.
Advancing relevant capacity
building in the education sector by
including applicable courses, which
are designed with key economic
sectors in mind, will ensure better
success in Jubilees mission.
Another effective solution to
building capacity is to engage the
youth in apprenticeship
programmes. Aside from managing
the transition from school to work,
apprenticeship is particularly
signicant for knowledge manage-
ment and skills transfer.
Apprenticeship ensures
perfection and mastery of work. A
master is an excellent guide and
instructor of others. In their
manifesto, Jubilee committed to
incentivising companies that
employ apprentices by giving them
tax breaks.
Companies in the manufactur-
ing sector should embrace appren-
ticeship given that manufacturing is
a key area of focus under the
economic pillar of Vision 2030.
Small and medium-sized compa-
nies should also take advantage of
this given that they are viewed as
the alternative employer and are
accustomed to doing things
differently; they too should be able
to absorb the youth in apprentice-
ship programmes.
The last government administra-
tion handed out many university
charters during their tenure. The
number of chartered private
universities increased from seven in
academic year 2006/07 to 18 in
2010/2011. In the same period, a
total of 14 constituent colleges for
public universities were established
and two public polytechnics
upgraded to technical universities.
I shudder to think what message
we are sending out to our youth. I
personally feel we are not effectively
promoting the value of skilled
labour. As we build our industries
we must communicate that
industriousness in noble. Could we
be inadvertently communicating
that white collar jobs are the only
ones that will enable gainful
employment? Could we be
preventing majority of our youth
from engaging in invigorating
labour, thus leaving them with a
deep sense of dissatisfaction with
the system, hence, they become
rich ground for bad ideas?
The post-election violence in
December 2007 highlighted a large
population of unskilled, unem-
ployed youth living in poverty. Every
crime, like every personal problem
arises from some kind of situation
wherein instinct is thwarted by
outside inuence.
Their ability never needs to be
unutilised, neither should they feel
forced into employment just for the
sake of receiving wages. The
opposite is indeed true
Wages for labour paid in
accordance with abilities and
diligence promotes satisfaction,
excellence, power, independence,
honour and happiness as useful
citizens of this country doing their
part in nation building.
We must keep youths gainfully engaged
I
n the wake of the sudden
radicalised groups aris-
ing in Kenya, I ponder. Isnt
about time we look at what
some facts say about our
youth? Numbers never lie.
The International Labour
Organisation warns of a lost gen-
eration of young people dropping
out of the labour market, having
lost all hope of being able to work
for a decent living, if we dont ad-
dress the issue of youth employ-
ability. The youth that are economi-
cally active remain mired in poverty
living in households that earn very
little income. The majority of the
worlds youth live in developing na-
tions and very soon Africa will have
the largest work force in the world.
The Jubilee government
W
hen Kenyans endorsed de-
volution as envisaged in
the 2010 Constitution, they
did not anticipate the kind
system being espoused by
some of the 47 governors.
Today, the governors
could be the biggest threat to devolution.
Some of them appear blinded by power;
clan and political patronage, sliding us
back to the same vices we sought to
annihilate.
The obsession to y ags, the grandeur
for titles and demand for more funds with
no match for service delivery diminishes
the high value Kenyans have of devolution.
Constant ghts with the National
Government will only make it worse for
devolution to help lift the ordinary
mwananchi. Some governors have
centralised services at county headquarters
stopping any trickle-down of what was
decentralised nationally. Sub-counties that
were a beehive of activity before are today
not operational and wards are merely
recipients of discretionary allocation by
their Excellences.
County Assemblies have been short-
changed through corruption and intimida-
tion. The present wave of impeachments is
as a result of their dictatorial tendencies
and unilateral decision-making.
Management hierarchy is linear with
minimal delegation.
In Arid and Semi-Arid areas, the
situation is grave. Most governors are
young and well educated, representing a
highly illiterate populace. They are viewed
as role models required to deliver badly
needed results espoused in their cam-
paigns. These are to improve school
enrolment rates, food security, reduce child
mortality and grinding poverty, stop tribal
clashes, cattle rusting, and increase access
to water among others.
The region cried out over decades of
marginalisation and consequently was
most optimistic of devolution.
County budgets and activities should,
therefore, invest more resources in
sustainable livestock production before
putting up abattoirs, deal with pasture
production before establishing Hay Sheds,
Dry Land Agriculture before constructing
Fresh Produce Markets to avoid putting the
cart before the horse.
Counties should stare at the impact of
Climate Change, build coping strategies of
pastoralists to reduce risks to drought and
prepare community level response for
effective mitigation of disasters. Any
worthy arid and semi-arid land (ASAL)
county should mainstream disaster
management, conict sensitivity but
activities should not exacerbate droughts.
ASAL counties have inherited commu-
nities with long relief food dependency;
water trucking, cash relief and worse of all
pasture relief. The summation is much
indignation that can be reversed by
understanding governors. Governors
should be servant leaders, ward off
opaqueness and avoid much media
engagements to dene their position in
society but go the full hog in valuing
service delivery to the people.
The writer is the Wajir North MP The writer comments on social issues
The writer is the Director of Messag-
ing at the Presidency
Opposition leading us on in
matters of good governance
Governors
are letting
Kenya down
W
ith their last press
conference, the
Opposition has
conrmed my
worst fears; that
many of our lead-
ers do not under-
stand the constitution. They may
claim to have read it even to read
it daily at bedtime but the under-
standing they display is worrying.
The Constitution is not the manifes-
to of make-believe desiderata. It is a
real document governing real situa-
tions in a real country. One of these
realities an immutable reality of
our political and legal order is de-
volution.
Executive and legislative power
have been devolved to 47 counties,
together with the resources
required to make devolution mean-
ingful to Wanjiku and Ewoi, Kanze
and Wafula, Mueni and Otieno. The
Jubilee Alliance has done every-
thing it can with the resources
available, to make devolution
happen. It has enabled county
governments to begin executing all
the 14 functions set out in Part 2 of
the Fourth Schedule of the
Constitution without delay.
Part 1 of that Schedule vests the
national government with 35
functions. The President is the
Head of State and Government,
and exercises executive authority
of the Republic in accordance with
the principle of service to the
We are not effectively
promoting the value of
skilled labour
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
THE REALITY
Ibrahim Abdi Saney
Ruth Kiereini
ruthkimathi@gmail.com
Eric Ngeno
Position taken by
CORD on key issues
is retrogressive and
cannot take the
country forward
Page 39
WEEK IN REVIEW
CONSTITUTION
been one of an unbowed people. It is time to
ght back to reclaim our way of life from terror-
ists who have perfected the art of hit-and-run
with cowardly attacks calculated to instill fear
in the hearts of Kenyans.
And this fear is not only a result of terror ac-
tivities but also general crime, which appears
to be on the increase especially in urban areas.
Recently, Nairobi County police reported that
in Kileleshwa and Lavington area alone there
is an average of ve break-ins into residential
houses every day. And in various city estates,
muggers, petty theft and carjackings continue
to be a thorn in the esh.
As a result, one would be forgiven for think-
ing Kenyans have bought into a siege men-
tality. This is visible from the enhanced secu-
rity checks including at matatu terminuses,
churches, shopping malls, hotels, airports and
even residential areas.
Police are also implementing a law crimi-
nalising tinting of car windows; a strict vetting
of aliens across the country; increased police
recruitment to make up for the numbers rec-
ommended by the United Nations; and the
Nyumba Kumi initiative that seeks to entrench
the neighborhood watch through eternal vigi-
lance.
The Government realised that there can
never be enough policemen to sort out local
insecurity, unless the general public became
involved. Citizens, therefore, must ensure
they work with the security apparatus to help
it identify threats and suspicious elements
in their midst. The security forces are doing a
commendable job but that should serve as a
wake-up call to all Kenyans to support them
and especially police reforms.
When Operation Linda Nchi and Operation
Usalama Watch commenced, it was clear police
ofcers were poorly equipped, ill-motivated,
uninsured and coming from an unsavory past
in the eyes of the public.
It was necessary that Government increases
funding for security operations, as what has
been allocated was clearly insufcient. It is only
last year that the largest allocation was made to
this critical sector when Government set aside
Sh4 billion for procurement of modern security
equipment each year for the next ve years.
Other efforts to reduce insecurity have
seen an ongoing digitisation of records and
a proposed re-registration of everyone living
within the borders of the republic. That this has
caused an uproar with accusations of ethnic
proling, religious persecution, allegations of
torture and stoking xenophobia is the price the
general public has had to pay to banish the fear
of being attacked or robbed.
We need to be aware that only rights listed
under Article 25 of the Constitution are abso-
lute. All the rest may be limited depending on
the circumstances; that is why we have Article
24 of the Constitution. All rights are not abso-
lute in the war against terror.
We must not give in to fear
in this fight against terror
A
merican linguist and philoso-
pher Noam Chomsky once
said, Everyone is worried
about stopping terrorism.
Well, there is really an easy
way: Stop participating in it.
Kenya is in a panicked
state following numerous terror attacks
and deteriorating security in the country.
We are where the world was after the 9/11
attacks in America and the 1998 bombing
in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.
Fear is palpable, especially after last
years siege of Westgate Mall that left 67 in-
nocent Kenyans dead. The face of terror
has changed over the years, from attacks
targeting AP camps in northern Kenya to
soft targets such as Public Service Vehi-
cles as witnessed recently on Thika Road.
We are no longer at ease as a country and
the security operations mounted in the
country are not helping.
Kenyans are forced to confront the
nightmare that even their own homes are
no longer abodes of safety. A cornered and
battered Al Shabaab has changed tack and
started recruiting wider from among im-
pressionable youth and radicalised ele-
ments. But the message from Kenyans has
provincial administration was
euphemism for abolition of the
system.
The only reason these deli-
cate words was that the pro-
vincial administration, with its
reach in every village, had the ca-
pacity to sabotage the Yes vote
had it felt fully threatened by the
proposed constitution.
Even after passage of the
Constitution and the obvious
weakening of the system, espe-
cially the forced divorce between
it and the Administration Police,
signicant suspicions exist. It is,
therefore, no wonder that once
county governments were elect-
ed, there was hue and cry from
many quarters about County
Commissioners, with Governors
demanding their removal.
Interestingly, though not sur-
prisingly, this clamour died a
natural death. Once the Gover-
nors got busy, they quickly rea-
lised that there was no adminis-
trative or functional conict with
County Commissioners. I sus-
pect that they also realised that
they had more to fear from their
colleagues in the County govern-
ment, the now dreaded MCAs,
than the County Commissioners!
Indeed in the many coun-
ties I have visited, including West
Pokot from where I just returned,
it is safe to say that there is a
fairly good working relationship
between the Governors and the
County Commissioners. Natu-
rally you will nd a few trouble
spots, but these are informed
more by personality and politi-
cally instigated perceptions than
on substantive differences.
Is the new arrangement an-
nounced by the President an
affront to devolution? On the
face of it appears not to be. In-
deed the policy is entitled The
framework for strengthening
national government functions
at the County Level. It would
serve us well to remember that
the national government has nu-
merous functions at the coun-
ties including security, educa-
tion, registration of persons and
a host of residual functions that
constitutionally vest in the na-
tional government.
This being true, then it has
to be accepted that the national
government has the discretion
to determine the administrative
arrangement through which it
will carry out and coordinate the
performance of its functions.
The language of distinct govern-
ments is not for the protection
of the counties alone but also for
the national government. Two
caveats must, however, be re-
corded.
Firstly the national govern-
ment CEO at the counties cannot
purport to supervise county gov-
ernment functions. From listen-
ing to the President, it was clear
the CEOs co-ordinating role was
restricted to national govern-
ment functions. This distinction
must be observed religiously.
Secondly, it is important that
whatever administrative system
the national government applies
at the counties, it accords and
respects the system of devolved
government. In this respect, it is
gratifying to note that the ofce
of Regional Commissioner has
been downgraded
As an administrative mecha-
nism, this arrangement ew in
the face of devolution.
Finally, whatever administra-
tive and service delivery frame-
works they create, both levels of
government must avoid duplica-
tion of roles. They must remem-
ber that their ofcers serve the
same citizenry and are a cost to
that same citizenry.
Intergovernmental mecha-
nisms should therefore be creat-
ed that facilitate good synergies
for efcient service delivery in-
cluding the sharing of platforms
like the Huduma Centres. At the
end of the day the citizen is not
really concerned by who deliv-
ers a service, but that a good ser-
vice is delivered. Assuming good
faith, I will be the rst to wish the
County Commissioners the best
of wishes in their new roles.
County Commissioners have
role to play in devolved units
New ofce viewed
with suspicion
because it serves as a
reminder of provincial
administration
T
he Presidents an-
nouncement about the
reorganization of Gov-
ernment that placed the
County Commissioner
at the peak of the Na-
tional Government es-
tablishment at the counties has sent
shivers to many especially the Gov-
ernors. The CORD fraternity was the
rst to cry foul, alleging that the ar-
rangement was a move towards au-
thoritarian rule. Next was Council
of Governors, claiming the move was
a threat to devolution.
This negative reaction once the
word County Commissioner is
mentioned is not surprising. The
provincial administration, whose
most visible remaining symbol is the
County Commissioner, has a blem-
ished history, with its arbitral exer-
cise of power in the villages and its
use of the Administration Police as
its brutal enforcement arm.
Indeed if the truth were told, the
provisions in the Constitution that
required the restructuring of the
Kamotho Waiganjo
kamothow@gmail.com
The County
Commissioners must
stick to their mandate
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
The writer is an Advocate of the
High Court of Kenya
Machel Waikenda
twitter@MachelWaikenda
The writer is a political analyst and commu-
nications consultant
by their own governments apparent inaction started a social
media campaign under the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls,
to draw world attention to the issue. The campaign quickly
went viral with world gures like Michelle Obama and child
global icon Malala Yousafzai lending their voices to the
cause. The campaign caught on here too with local celebri-
ties, politicians and government ofcials posting photos of
themselves with signs of the hashtag.
Critics of social media and its effectiveness as a tool of
problem solving were on hand of course, dismissing the
hashtag campaign as an exercise in self esteem only meant
to help the people who tweet the hashtag feel better about
themselves The thrust of their argument is that we must
not think that tweeting about an issue or holding up signs is
the same as action. Back at the ranch, the social media scene
was this week awash with all sorts of issues, from the now
infamous and patently illegal directive by Inspector gen-
eral of Police David Kimaiyo on tinted windows to the latest
move by the Jubilee Government to breathe new life into the
old provincial administration structure via the re-energised
county commissioners.
But perhaps the most fascinating debate this week cen-
tered on the changes at the helm of the National Youth Ser-
vice where a Mr Kiplimo Rugut, a Kalenjin, was replaced by
a Dr Nelson Githinji as director general of the service.
The debate that took place on the Presidents Facebook
wall, ignited by a picture he posted of Dr Githinjis swearing
in ceremony was quite telling. The commentary ranged from
those among the Kalenjin community crying betrayal to
those from other communities crying tribalism.
Interestingly, special applause was reserved for those
from the presidents own Kikuyu community who con-
demned his move on the grounds that this open preference
for one of their own was making the ordinary Kikuyu the
subject of ridicule, scorn and hatred from the other 42 tribes
when they had done nothing wrong.
Tribalism you see is one of our favorite subjects on Ke-
nyas social media. It is our favorite subject because the prob-
lem has become so entrenched it has almost become accept-
able.
Is there any value in continuing to speak out on social
media about the ills that bedevil this country? After shouting
ourselves hoarse on the Standard Gauge Railway, the County
Commissioners, tinted windows, tribalism and Anglo Leas-
ing what changed? Is tweeting about a problem really tanta-
mount to doing something about it?
Social media is a powerful tool that grants the common
man unprecedented direct access to those in power, elimi-
nating the need for middlemen in the form of our elected
representatives. It may be possible for a government to per-
suade all Members of Parliament to shut up about some-
thing, but not the millions on Twitter and Facebook.
Perhaps the best answer to the question whether we need
to continue with hashtag activism was provided by Sister
Rosemary Nyirumbe, an activist and Director at St Monicas
Tailoring Centre in Gulu Uganda, when she appeared on a
popular US talk show earlier in the week. She told the shows
host Stephen Colbert that hashtag activism is a good thing
because we must keep shouting and bring an end to child ab-
duction. The more we shout about it the better and we must
be present in every situation. If we pretend that we are not
listening it will continue she said.
It is as a result of the hashtag campaign that world lead-
ers nally recognised the need to help Nigeria in the search
for the abducted girls with the US and Israel leading other
countries in pledging, nancial, technological and logistical
support.
We must continue to shout because to be silent would
be to do a great injustice to ourselves and to our country. We
know that our voices are heard, but those at whom the out-
rage is directed pretend not to listen. But they can only pre-
tend not to listen for so long.
Social media a useful
tool for pushing
leaders to act
Edwin Sifuna
PUBLIC FORUM
F
ollowing the ab-
duction of over
200 schoolgirls
in Nigeria by Is-
lamist insur-
gent group Boko
Haram, a few ac-
tivists in Nigeria, frustrated
edwinsifuna@gmail.com
The writer is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya
Debt is not bad. The problem is that we
are borrowing so much for a single project
and from a single source plus the terms of
it which are more stringent than what we
could have gotten from other fnanciers,
Kwame Owino, the chief executive ofcer of Institute of Economic Affairs
Page 40
Business
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WEEKEND IN
May 18, 2014 STANDARD ON SUNDAY

Aviation body
seeks to track
airlines ights
By PHILIP MWAKIO
The International Civil Aviation
Organisation (ICAO) wants a con-
sensus among its member States
and the international air transport
industry to prioritise the tracking of
airline ights. This follows a special
meeting on global ight tracking of
aircraft in the aftermath of the miss-
ing Malaysia Airline Flight 370
(MH370) that vanished from radar
March 8, 2014. The disappearance
during a ight from Kuala Lumpur
to Beijing carrying 239 passengers
and crew triggered an unprecedent-
ed international search effort that
has so far been unsuccessful.
According to ICAO, the meeting
established a framework for indus-
try contributions through an Aircraft
Tracking Task Force to be coordinat-
ed by IATA to help address the near-
term needs for ight tracking. Ma-
laysia Airlines Flight MH370 has
been an unprecedented event for
aviation and we have responded in
a similarly unprecedented manner,
ICAO Council President Olumuyiwa
Benard Aliu said.
In parallel with IATAs task force
work, ICAO said it will develop a
ight tracking concept of operations
covering how the new tracking data
gets shared, with whom, and under
what circumstances. The UN avia-
tion organisation will also begin
considering performance-based in-
ternational standards, on a priority
basis, to ensure broader adoption of
airline ight tracking throughout the
aviation system.
Secretary roots
for abolition of
minimum wage
By MARGARET KANINI
Abolishing minimum wage
could be the solution to unemploy-
ment in the country, a Cabinet Sec-
retary has said.
Industrialisation and Enterprise
Development Cabinet Secretary
Adan Mohammed said over a mil-
lion Kenyans join the job market
yearly while the country can only
absorb half the number, leaving over
500,000 Kenyans unemployed.
It is estimated that by the year
2030, eight to ten million Kenyans
will be jobless. Scrapping out mini-
mum wage, he said, will help com-
bat this crisis. There are employers
who are willing to pay an amount
lower than the set minimum wage
but cannot do it because it is against
the law, Adan on Thursday during
the Federation of Kenyans Employ-
ers AGM in Nairobi.
He said employers should con-
sider paying employees according to
their productivity levels or the hours
spent at work. The systems em-
ployers are using to reward labour
create an environment for medioc-
rity and people do not stretch to do
what they are capable of doing,
Adan said, in reference to equal sal-
ary payment system that most em-
ployers in Kenya are using.
By JEVANS NYABIAGE
What Kenyans are known for is-
their insatiable appetite for credit.
Their love for spending is not debat-
able. This explains why the Central
Bank of Kenya data shows that in the
nine months to September 2013, Ke-
nyans borrowed a massive Sh389.3
billion for personal or household use.
This is more than a quarter of total
loans, which stood at Sh1.52 trillion
as at September 2013.
Indeed, this compares poorly with
the cash borrowed to invest in pro-
ductive sectors such as agriculture
and manufacturing that could boost
the economy currently struggling for
take off. The problem is that most
personal loans are spent on consum-
ables, luxuries and on acquiring de-
preciating assets, such as cars.
But despite the risks, over the past
ve years, the uptake of personal
loans has more than doubled. In Ke-
nya, we learn to consume, and squan-
der money before we earn it. Whereas
the economys overall health is re-
ected by the productivity at the per-
sonal level, individuals poor saving
and spending culture means the
economy will still struggle to re-
bound. Indeed, attaining a growth
rate of 10 per cent and sustaining it
as envisioned in the governments
long term development blueprint Vi-
sion 2030 remains a pipe dream. Ke-
nyas saving rate of around 13 per
cent of gross domestic product
(GDP) is lower than the global 26 per
cent average for low-income coun-
tries. This consumer culture could be
getting people into serious debt. Re-
cent data from Consumer Insight in-
dicates that Kenyan teenagers and
young adults are spending more
than Sh252 billion annually.
But for most Kenyans, they dont
like this sort of conversation on
spending within their means, bor-
rowing wisely and investing pru-
dently. Though that is on an individ-
ual level, the same is happening on
the national level.
The country is borrowing billions
of shillings to fund operations with
three quarters of the budget going to
recurrent spending. Analysts say
debt is not bad, but it depends on
what the loan is used for.
The state of Kenyas nances is
debated emotionally, rather than ra-
tionally and on substantive gures
and policy direction. This is mainly
because politicians often lead the
discussion on pay raises, wage cuts,
development projects and taxation.
Last weeks visit by the Chinese Pre-
mier Li Keqiang is expected to open
up the debate on Kenyas worsening
debt situation. According to agree-
ments signed last week, China is
lending Kenya a total of Sh340 bil-
lion, which would be used to build
the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard
Gauge Railway (SGR) line. With
more than half of this loan being a
commercial loan, the countrys lev-
el of indebtedness is indeed worry-
ing. Kenyas public debt will jump
to Sh2.54 trillion. This is even be-
fore we add the $2 billion (Sh174
billion) that the Government wants
to raise through Eurobond. The
matter could worsen with the Na-
tional Treasury Cabinet Secretary
By WINSLEY MASESE
Trade between Kenya, Uganda and
Tanzania is expected to improve signif-
icantly, following the launch of a new
payment system. The East Africa Pay-
ment System (EAPS) will interconnect
the three East African economies and
enhance efciency in trading.
Under the system, a trader in Kenya
can pay for goods in any of the three re-
gions currencies without necessarily
changing them into a customers pre-
ferred mode of payment. A customer
instructs their commercial bank detail-
ing the currency they intend to transfer
across the border and then the banks
will effect the transaction through the
EAPS. By linking the real time gross set-
tlement (RTGS) system used in Kenya,
Uganda and Tanzania, large sums of
money can be transacted across the
three borders seamlessly.
Rwanda and Burundi are also ex-
pected to join the system, once they set
up the RTGS. The system is part of larg-
er plan by the East African Community
partner States to integrate their money
and capital markets that has been un-
der development for three years. Cen-
tral Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor
Njuguna Ndungu noted that the sys-
tem will reduce the cost of trade in the
region. He was speaking in Nairobi
during the ofcial launch of the system
on Friday evening. The interconnec-
tion in the region will cut the cost of
cross-border money transfer and spur
the regions trade, he said.
He said under the system, transac-
tions are settled in any of the EAC local
currencies, reducing the cost and risk
of transferring money.
The system, which went live late
last year, will facilitate real time trans-
fer of large value payments across bor-
ders and enhance safety through the
use of the infrastructure. All commer-
cial banks in Kenya, Tanzania and
Uganda are participants in the system
and will offer same day settlement of
funds and is expected to help reduce
non-tariff barriers such as high trans-
action fees on intra-EAC wire transfers,
foreign currency uctuations and cap-
ital account restrictions. The mod-
ernisation of the system is good as it
will help in deepening integration in
the region, said EAC Deputy Secretary
General Enos Bukuku.
Kenyas Principal Secretary in
charge of East African Community Af-
fairs Mwanamaka Mabruki noted that
the system will make the region more
attractive to investors and traders. This
is also expected to increase intra-re-
gional trade and cross border move-
ment of labour.
New payment system eases cross border trade
Every Kenyan in Sh63,500 debt
as borrowing hurts economy
Burdensome: China is lending Kenya Sh340 billion to build the Standard Gauge Railway
line, putting further strain on the countrys debt repayment, but do we really have a way out?
Page 41
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
WEEKEND IN BUSINESS
Henry Rotich revealing that he intends
to borrow Sh190.8 billion from the do-
mestic market and a further Sh149.8
billion from external nanciers to
bridge a Sh342.6 billion budget decit
in the next nancial year (2014/2015).
Although Treasury mandarins have put
on a brave face that the current debt
levels are manageable and sustainable,
economists warn the country could be
slowly creeping into a debt trap.
At Sh2.54 trillion, Kenyas public
debt is double what Treasury has bud-
geted to spend to run the national gov-
ernment in the nancial year starting
this July 1. With this, each Kenyan
owes foreign and domestic creditors
more than Sh63,500, which is more
than the take-home of many workers.
And since nearly half of the Kenyan
population is jobless, a small number
of working class or those in business
are left with a heavy burden of servic-
ing the loans. It is a worrisome situa-
tion, because it means Kenya has
reached a level where it spends more
on servicing debt than on budgetary
allocations. The money the State
spends yearly on repaying loans in-
creased from Sh49.5 billion in June
that the decision to sign Sh340 billion
from a single source could later come
to haunt the economy. It is estimated
that this loan alone is close to 10 per
cent of Kenyas GDP.
With the current debt-to-GDP ratio
expected to hit about 54 per cent in
June, it means that with the Chinese
loan, the ratio could jump to 64 per
cent. This is even before we take care
of the interest rates, which forms part
of the countrys debt burden.
Rotich revealed that more than 50
per cent (Sh174 billion) of the Sh340
billion nancing deal from the Chi-
nese Government is a commercial
loan. Rotich said the loan would at-
tract an interest rate of 4.4 per cent per
annum over a period of 12 years, with
ve years grace period.
REPAYMENT PERIOD
The other component of the -
nancing is a concessional loan, which
carries a xed interest rate of two per
cent per year over a repayment period
of 20 years, with a grace period of sev-
en years. The new loan is likely to
worsen the countrys external debt po-
sition currently estimated at Sh850 bil-
lion, according to data from the Na-
tional Treasury.
In terms of exposure to a single
project, there are denite risks. Are we
paying back in dollars or in Chinese
Yuan? Even if we are paying back in Yu-
an, it means we have to earn foreign
currency before we can then buy Yuan
to repay the loan. There are exchange
risks, Kwame Owino, the chief execu-
tive ofcer of Institute of Economic Af-
fairs, told Weekend Business.
Owino said the 4.4 per cent interest
rate applied to half of the loan is quite
high compared to what Kenya could
have received as a low-income coun-
try from other alternative sources.
However, he said two per cent for con-
cessional is within the range of what
the low-income countries get. Debt
is not bad. The problem is that we are
borrowing so much for a single project
and from a single source plus the terms
of it which are more stringent than
what we could have gotten from other
nanciers, Owino said.
Already this year alone, under the
consolidated fund services, debt is one
of the things that the government has
to pay rst, which is close to Sh300 bil-
lion. Matters are going to get worse in
March 2015 when nearly Sh500 billion
of the domestic debt matures. It is ex-
pected that 40 per cent of Kenyas do-
mestic debt, which currently stands at
Sh1.2 trillion, will mature in February
2015. This works out to about Sh449.63
billion, with an additional Sh45 billion
in interest. About 26 per cent of this
domestic debt is held in Treasury Bills
Chinese Premier Li
Keqiang and Presi-
dent Uhuru Kenyatta
after the signing of
mega infrastructure
deals and nancing
in Nairobi. Analysts
say the State could be
staring at broke
coffers, making debt
repayment more
difcult.
(Sh316.25 billion), with 14 per cent be-
ing in Treasury Bonds (Sh133.38 bil-
lion). Owino says if 40 per cent of our
domestic debt becomes payable next
year, two things are likely to happen;
rst, the Government will likely com-
press discretionary spending to pay
debt.
Secondly, the Government might
decide to pay a portion of the debt and
then rollover the rest. This means our
debt problem will still persist since we
are rolling over debt plus the interest,
he added. According to Robert Shaw,
an independent economist based in
Nairobi, servicing of the countrys
public debt has reached a difcult lev-
el. What I think is that our debt ser-
vicing level has gotten to a level where
it is uncomfortably difcult, said
Shaw. A large chunk of our domestic
debt will have to be repaid during 2015
making overall indebtedness worse.
This is why we have to be more
careful not to increase borrowing at a
rate that is higher than our ability to
repay. The concerns could not have
come at a worse time as Kenya is about
to issue a sovereign bond to raise
Sh172 billion ($2 billion) from interna-
tional lenders. But borrowing in dol-
lars, like the country would with the
bond, poses a risk because the loan
has to be repaid in dollars, yet Govern-
ment revenues are in shillings. If the
shilling weakens further from the cur-
rent Sh87 to the dollar and heads to
Sh90 as estimated by some analysts,
the country would have to work hard
extra hard to repay the debt.
STRUGGLING SECTORS
Kenya would have to rely on for-
eign-exchange earners like tourism,
coffee, tea and horticulture. But then
these sectors are currently struggling.
The exact date the sovereign bond will
be issued has been a moving target.
Initially, it was supposed to go ahead
late last year. Then it was pushed to
the rst quarter of 2014. Now, the date
is in limbo. Last week, the State re-
scheduled a $600 million (Sh52.2 bil-
lion) syndicated loan. Part of the pro-
ceeds from the debut $2 billion (Sh174
billion) Eurobond were to be used to
retire the syndicated loan.
Treasury received a three-month
extension on the commercial debt af-
ter the Eurobond was delayed. What
we have done is just to extend the re-
payment by another three months as
we continue discussions on the sover-
eign bond, Kamau Thugge, the Na-
tional Treasurys principal secretary,
said. Kenya took out the two-year loan
at an interest rate of seven per cent in
2012 to fund development. Under-
written by Citigroup, Standard Char-
tered Bank (UK) and Standard Bank of
54%
Debt ration
Kenyas debt to GDP level
will be about 54 per cent, which compares what
Kenya owes to what it produces.
South Africa, the loan was due for full
repayment on May 16.
Economists however, said the re-
quest for the extension of the repay-
ment period is a signal of an economy
that is under nancial duress. This
means the Government is totally
broke. The Government has over-
stretched itself in terms of expendi-
ture. We are running a shortfall in rev-
enue collections and there is no
money in circulation. All these are
signals that our economy is in bad
shape, said Samuel Nyandemo, se-
nior lecturer at the University of Nai-
robis School of Economics.
According to Dr Nyandemo, re-
scheduling the loan repayments
comes with penalties, which would
make the loan even more expensive,
coupled with the weakening of the lo-
cal currency against international
currencies. According to Dr Thomas
Kibua, a former long serving deputy
governor of the Central Bank, the -
nancial position of the Government
is not in good health.
I think the crude word is you
(Government) are running broke.
Your programming is not right and
something is not right, said Dr Kibua
who is currently a senior Economist
at the African Development and Eco-
nomic Consultants.
Our national debt has become an
issue. They want to buy more time to
repay this loan which is not a good
thing because the Shilling is slightly
depreciating against the internation-
al currencies, he added. Kenyas rst
dollar bond worth up to $2 billion
(Sh174 billion), part of which would
retire the loan, was delayed again last
month by a political row over pay-
ment of debts to two international
rms related to Anglo leasing.
However, on Friday, President Uh-
uru Kenyatta directed Treasury to pay
Sh1.4 billion to the two foreign rms,
adding that it will enable the Govern-
ment oat the bond in June 2014.
2004 to Sh137.6 billion in June last
year. This is turning out to be a debt
crisis in the making. The amount of
cash the country has borrowed will
reach Sh2.2 trillion by June 2014, ac-
cording to the National Treasury.
This means that at this level, Ke-
nyas debt to GDP level will be about
54 per cent. This comparison of debt
to GDP is important as it compares
what Kenya owes to what it produces.
Analysts use this ratio to measure the
ability a country has to pay back the
money it has borrowed. This is quite
similar to how a bank evaluates an in-
dividuals ability make his or her
monthly loan repayments based on
the salary. The rule is that monthly
loan repayments should not exceed a
third of ones net income. Kenya has
a self-imposed debt-to-GDP ratio tar-
get of 45 per cent, but trimming that
ratio could prove difcult in the short
term with the ongoing expansive bor-
rowing plans. Now, analysts warn
Bypass on schedule, Kibera
section set for July opening
By WINSLEY MASESE
The construction of Nairobis
Sh17 billion Southern Bypass Road
is proceeding on schedule with the
opening of the Kibera-Dagoretti
section set for July.
The opening of the section is ex-
pected to ease the ow of trafc
within the southern parts of the
city. Last week, top Kenyan and
Chinese government ofcials
toured the project following the vis-
it to Kenya by Chinese Premier Li
Keqiang, which saw the signing of a
number of commercial agreements
between the two countries. The
project is one of the ventures being
undertaken by a Chinese rm in Ke-
nya.
We are proceeding on schedule.
I see us meeting all key thresholds
and delivering this project on time,
said Shu Yili, project leader with the
contractor China Road and Bridge
Corporation (CRBC).
During the tour, Transport and
Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary
Michael Kamau was accompanied
by the Principal Secretary for Infra-
structure Eng John Mosonik, PS for
Transport, Nduva Muli and the two
visiting Presidents of Exim Bank of
China, Li Ruogu and Chen Fenjian
of China Communications Compa-
ny (CCCC). CCCC is the parent
company of the southern bypass
contractor, CRBC.
Exim Bank of China has nanced
85 per cent of the Southern Bypass
project, which is scheduled for
completion in 2015 while the re-
maining component will be borne
by the Government of Kenya.
Already, the Southern Bypass
link is 55per cent complete, with
the section between Kibera and
Dagoretti nearing completion and
the expected commissioning of the
same slated for July this year.
Substantive work has been done
on the segment to Alliance High
School, some 21 culverts and three
bridges have been completed while
intensive earthwork is going on
within Kikuyu, township, Ngong,
Dagoretti and Mombasa Road inter-
changes. The Dagoretti-Kikuyu sec-
tion is expected to be ready for traf-
c by December. The project, which
is being implemented by CRBC un-
Page 42 May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
We are
proceeding on
schedule. I see
us meeting all
key thresholds
and delivering
this project
on time.
WEEKEND IN BUSINESS

der the supervision of Kenya Na-
tional Highways Authority (KeN-
HA), entails the construction of a
28.6 kilometre dual carriageway,
with two lanes in each direction.
Other key features include 12 kilo-
metre slip roads and 8.5 kilometre
service roads, four modern inter-
changes and street lighting.
ONCE-MORIBUND
Starting on Mombasa Road near
Ole Sereni Hotel, it joins the Mom-
basa-Kisumu road, the countrys
main thoroughfare at Kikuyu. It
crosses the National Park westward
then goes through Langata Road,
Ngong Road, Motoine River, Dagore-
tti Road Thogoto Road then passes
over Ondiri River and a railway line
towards Kikuyu town.
The road is meant to reduce con-
gestion within the Nairobi Central
Business District by providing an al-
ternative route to motorists going to
western Kenya and other destina-
tions west of the capital city. Once
the road is commissioned, it is
hoped that such drivers will not have
to drive through the city. The con-
struction of the Southern Bypass,
which started in 2012 follows a trend
Unilever mulls new
Sh13 billion factory
in which the Government is increas-
ingly relying on bypass roads (such
as Northern Bypass), the opening up
of once-moribund link roads and
the heavy use of interchanges as a
key feature of road design to reduce
trafc gridlock in Nairobi and some
of the countrys main cities.
Even then, the project has not
been without its challenges, the ma-
jor one being delays in the acquisi-
tion of certain pieces of land critical
to the smooth implementation of
the project. These include a part of
the Nairobi National Park, whose ex-
cision has been stayed by a court de-
cision and a part of forest land need-
ed for the Ngong Interchange, with
the latter greatly diminishing the
land available to contactor for oper-
ations.
De-gazettement of the relevant
portion of the national park by Par-
liament is a desirable outcome.
There are minimum safety distance
required by Kenya Civil Aviation
Regulations that stipulate any devel-
opment adhere to and this has ne-
cessitated the road to curve into
some section at the Northern edge
of the Nairobi National Park at the
Wilson Airport location.
Investment
By WINSLEY MASESE
Fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) maker,
Unilever Ltd, says it will invest about Sh13 billion
($150 million) factory in Kenya to boost production
capacity.
This will serve the fast growing East African re-
gion and other emerging markets. The investment,
according to Unilever Executive Vice President East
Africa and Emerging Markets, Marc Engel, is part
of the companys strategy to penetrate the region-
al market and harness untapped potential.
This is by far the largest investment in Africa
and is an indication of our commitment to Kenya
and Africa. Besides, it is a clear indication that we
are prepared for bigger business in the region, he
said.
Engel said the company is working hard to im-
plement that plan, further cementing Kenya as a
manufacturing hub in the region. The rst prod-
ucts are expected to be out by 2016. The compa-
nys regional head argued: We are planning to buy
land soon and once its up and running, we will ex-
port some of the products to countries such as Ma-
lawi, Mozambique and Ethiopia, Uganda and Tan-
zania. This will also create a market for raw
materials for thousands of traders to supply vege-
tables, salt, sugar and packaging materials in the
region.
We will try to source local materials as much
as we can. However, we will import actives and pet-
rochemicals for detergents from the Middle East
and palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, he
said. The investment, he said, will make a huge im-
pact in the companys portfolio of food and home
care products. Toothpaste usage in Kenya stands
at an average 50 grammes per year, against the den-
tist recommendation of 700 grammes and once we
develop the market, the growth potential is
good.
LOW END MARKET
In Tanzania the usage is 20 grammes and Ugan-
da stands at 30 grammes. Only Nigeria has the
highest usage of toothpaste at 100 grammes per
year in Africa. Globally, Brazil leads at 550 grammes
annually. The same applies to margarine, and de-
odorants hence huge a growth potential for the
company to tap into. With this, you get a sense of
what you can do to develop the market and that
boils down to teaching people to use toothpaste
thus we have an enormous opportunity, Engel
noted. For example, the company holds market
development such as campaigns on hand washing
campaign and regular brushing of teeth to prevent
germs and other infections. When you are teach-
ing people on good hygiene, not only are you help-
ing the society grow healthy but also developing a
market to grow, he reckoned.
With the economy growth promising, Engel
projected a growth in the consumption of the com-
pany products. However, he said that they still
manufacture products targeting the low end of the
market. We have small sachets of blue band,
toothpaste as well as spices such as royco and ro-
cyo cubes to reach down the low market segment
by making sure that we have the low unit price, he
said. However, it has initiatives that seek to im-
prove peoples incomes to spare some for their
products.
Part of these initiatives is to assist tea farmers
where they operate such as in Kericho to get better
tea and get better prices and thus bringing them to
the zone to have the disposable income. When
people get above about $2 dollars a day, they will
then get disposable income and we are trying to
assist farmers get above that, he said. Majority of
Kenyans have grown up with our brands and our
job is to make sure that when they buy it, they do
not get disappointed and when you do that, peo-
ple will come to us next time. The company is also
establishing a presence in some emerging markets
such as in Ethiopia, Angola, Democratic Republic
of Congo, and Central African Republic.
Transport CS Michael Kamau (centre) in the company of Exim Bank and Chen Fenjian of China Commu-
nications Company ofcials during the recent visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. INSET: Southern
bypass-Mombasa Road interchange. The road is 85 per cent funded by Exim Bank. [PHOTO: COURTESY]
By WINSLEY MASESE
Dismal performance of East Africa rms in
the continent is likely to hold back the regions
improved growth prospects, a top African De-
velopment Bank (AfDB) has said.
Gabriel Negatu, regional director, Eastern
Africa Regional Centre, said the poor perfor-
mance is reected in the companies poor
rankings in the continent.
None of the top 50 rms in the world are
from Africa, and none out of the 50 rms in Af-
rica are from East Africa and I nd very alarm-
ing, he regretted. He underscored the need
for the companies to explore ways to improve
and foster competitiveness.
As a bank, we are facing this challenge
head on in trying to set the stage for the pri-
vate sector to ourish, he said.
Negatu said that the bank has developed
the Africa50 Infrastructure Fund, which he
termed as a bold new proposal to develop the
continents infrastructure.
The fund will lend high return infrastruc-
tural development investments in the conti-
nent to unlock the potential, through the pri-
vate sector, he noted. Under the Africa50
Infrastructure Fund, the bank intends to mo-
bilise from the stock market over $100 billion
(Sh8.7 billion) to infrastructure develop-
ments.
Speaking during the institutions 50th An-
niversary in Nairobi, Friday, he said the banks
funding towards private sector participation
has grown from $200 million (Sh17.4 billion)
in 2002 to $1.2 billion (Sh104.4 billion) in
2012.
Speaking at the same function, Energy and
Petroleum Cabinet Minister Davis Chirchir at-
tributed the poor performance by Kenyan
companies to the high cost of doing business.
The cost of doing business in Kenya does not
encourage them to grow but struggle to make
ends meet and to turn a prot to the share-
holder, said Chirchir.
He cited the high cost of power in the coun-
try, poor its reliability and adequacy have been
major stumbling blocks for the private sector
to perform well.
Firms in EAC slow to tap opportunities, AfDB boss says
Fire in mine delays
rescue, death toll rises
SOMA A re broke out on Satur-
day in part of a mine where nearly
300 miners were killed in Turkeys
worst ever industrial disaster, hinder-
ing efforts to nd up to three remain-
ing workers believed to be still under-
ground, the countrys energy minister
said. Taner Yildiz told reporters the
bodies of 15 miners were retrieved
overnight, bringing the death to 299,
and as many as three workers were
still in the mine. They were unlikely to
be alive, four days after an initial re
sent deadly carbon monoxide coursing
through the mine. It is a localized re,
but it is important and we have to take
note of it, Yildiz said.
UN chief condemns
water cut in Syria city
UNITED NATIONSThe United Nations
chief has condemned a cut in water
supplies in the northern Syrian city of
Aleppo that he says has deprived at
least 2.5 million people of access to
potable water. UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon said that preventing peo-
ple access to safe water denies them
a fundamental right. He said in a
statement from his ofce released late
Friday that denying civilians essential
supplies is a breach of international
and humanitarian law. The director
of the Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights activist group, Rami Abdurrah-
man, says that rebels from the al-Qai-
da-linked Nusra Front cut water sup-
plies in the city nearly two weeks ago.
Popular show on
British food goes viral
BEIJINGA parody of a highly success-
ful Chinese food show called A Bite of
China has gone viral in China, generat-
ing almost 800,000 views in just a few
days. Titled A Taste of Britain, it sati-
rises the stereotypes of British food
held by many Chinese people - some of
whom label British cuisine as simple
and violent. Created for an English
talk show on China Radio Internation-
al, the parody explains: There is one
secret known throughout all kitchens
in Great Britain. The suspense con-
tinues: From an early age, the British
are taught, it pauses, that small
potatoes cook faster than big ones.
Co-host Stuart Wiggin is seen care-
fully sprinkling salt on a potato, ex-
plaining that a tasty snack like this can
keep British people going literally all
day long.
Ki-Moon urges Guinea-
Bissau people to vote in
presidential run-off
UNITED NATIONS UN Secretary-Gen-
eral Ban Ki-moon on Friday called on
voters in Guinea-Bissau to continue to
show sense of civic duty in Sundays
presidential run-off, which is expected
to bring the countrys transition peri-
od to an end. In a statement issued by
his spokesperson, Ban commended all
national stakeholders for their efforts
to ensure a credible electoral process,
and the two presidential candidates
for having conducted a peaceful and
orderly electoral campaign. Guinea-
Bissau held the rst presidential and
legislative elections on April 13 since
a military coup upended the impover-
ished west African country in 2012.
AP, BBC, Reuters, Xinhua
Briefy
IN THE NEWS
Biggest dinosaur ever discovered
P.45
Page 43
World
NEWS OF THE
May 18, 2014
STANDARD ON SUNDAY
Blogs, archives, reader
forums and more:
www.standardmedia.co.ke
Briefy
Heros welcome awaits Indias
Modi after stunning poll win
NEW DELHI, SATURDAY
A heros welcome awaited Naren-
dra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday
after he thundered to victory in In-
dias election, trouncing the ruling
Nehru-Gandhi dynasty in a seismic
political shift that gives his party a
mandate for sweeping economic re-
form.
A brass band struck up early in
the morning at the capitals airport
as thousands of supporters awaited
Modis arrival from the western state
of Gujarat, where the night before he
had addressed a sea of jubilant vot-
ers chanting his name.
Modis landslide win for his Hin-
du nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) closes off a chapter of fragile
coalition governments, giving the
former tea-seller ample room to ad-
vance reforms started 23 years ago
by current Prime Minister Manmo-
han Singh but which have stalled in
recent years.
Despite his partys pasting, 81-
year-old Singh was magnanimous in
his nal address to the nation on Sat-
urday, wishing the incoming govern-
ment success.
Unruly partners
I am condent about the future
of India, he said in his televised
message. I rmly believe that the
emergence of India as a major pow-
erhouse of the evolving global econ-
omy is an idea whose time has
come.
Unlike Singh and his predeces-
sors, Modi will not have to deal with
unruly partners to implement re-
form. That could usher in profound
economic changes, with some sup-
porters imagining him as Indias an-
swer to former British leader Marga-
ret Thatcher.
With more than six times the seats
of his closest rival, Modis is the most
decisive mandate for a leader since
the 1984 assassination of Congress
party prime minister Indira Gandhi
propelled her son to ofce. Starting
with the subsequent election in 1989,
India has been governed by coali-
tions.
Tsunamo!, declared the Asian
Age newspaper on its front page, play-
ing on the name NaMo often used for
Modi.
Modi juggernaut crushes Con-
gress, the Business Standards head-
line exclaimed after Fridays results
showed the party of the Gandhis and
Prime Minister Singh suffered its
worst-ever wipeout, winning just 44
of the 543 parliamentary seats at stake
in the election that was staggered over
ve weeks.
With almost all seats declared by
Saturday morning, Modis BJP looked
set to win 282 seats, 10 more than the
majority required to rule. With its al-
lied parties, it was heading for a com-
fortable tally of around 337.
The desire for change among the
youthful electorate after a slump in
economic growth, years of policy drift
and a spate of corruption scandals ap-
pears to have overridden concerns
about Modis Hindu-centric politics
and a spasm of violence against Mus-
lims that occurred on his watch in Gu-
jarat 12 years ago.
In his victory speech on Friday, 63-
year-old Modi addressed concerns
that his pro-Hindu leanings would
sideline minorities, declaring that
the age of divisive politics has ended
- from today onwards the politics of
uniting people will begin.
No words will be enough to salute
the youth of India. They led from the
front in the elections & rose above
non-issues like caste & creed, Modi
wrote on his Twitter page late on Fri-
day.
In Washington, the Obama admin-
istration congratulated Modi, and
said he would be granted a visa for US
travel.
Washington denied Modi a visa in
2005 over the sectarian riots three
years previously in Gujarat state,
where he was chief minister.
Reuters
PARIS, SATURDAY
France is to host a security sum-
mit on the threat from Boko Haram
Islamists, after they abducted more
than 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria in
April.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jon-
athan and other West African leaders
will attend the talks in Paris.
Fresh strategies
On Friday Jonathan was due to
visit the north-eastern town of Chi-
bok, where the girls were seized, but
called it off for security reasons. He
has ruled out negotiations over their
possible release, reports say.
On Thursday, relatives of the girls
called for their unconditional release
by Boko Haram.
This came three days after Boko
Haram released a video showing
more than 100 of the girls and offer-
ing an exchange for prisoners.
French President Francois Hol-
lande is expected to open the sum-
mit later on Saturday. The leaders of
Nigerias neighbours - Benin, Cam-
eroon, Niger and Chad - are sched-
uled to attend the talks, which will
also include representatives from
the UK, US and EU.
A statement said delegates at the
meeting will discuss fresh strategies
for dealing with the security threat
posed by Boko Haram and other ter-
rorist groups in West and Central Af-
rica.
Americas priority
Hollande on Friday discussed the
issue in a phone call with US Presi-
dent Barack Obama.
The safe return of the 223 girls
was now one of Americas main pri-
orities, with US specialist teams and
drones being involved in the rescue
operation, the White House said.
France is also providing Nigeria
with expert assistance to help re-
lease the girls.
US ofcials have criticised the
speed of Nigerias response to the
threat from Boko Haram.
BBC
France to host summit on Boko Haram threat
Politics: Modis landslide win closes off a chapter of fragile coalition governments
Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate for Indias Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), gestures to supporters
from his car during a road show in New Delhi yesterday. [PHOTO: REUTERS]
STAY WITH THE NEWS
Fo the latest updated,
SMS NEWS to 8040
SMS alerts charged at Sh2 each
Arena Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil - one of the areas at higher dengue fever
risk. [PHOTO: BBC]
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY Page 44
NEWS OF THE WORLD
Brazil 2014: World Cup
dengue fever risk predicted
BRAZIL, SATURDAY
Scientists have developed an
early warning system to alert au-
thorities to the risk of dengue fever
outbreaks in Brazil during the
World Cup.
The analysis, published in The
Lancet Infectious Diseases, esti-
mates the chances of an outbreaks
of the mosquito-borne infection
disease.
A million fans
They say the risk is high enough
to warrant a high-alert warning in
three venues - Natal, Fortaleza and
Recife.
there.
Writing in the same journal, Da-
vid Harley and Elvina Viennet from
the Australian National University
in Canberra say: Travellers, partic-
ularly those attending matches in
high-risk cities, might return home
with dengue.
Those who return home unwell
will seek treatment. Doctors must
be aware of causes for febrile illness
in World Cup spectators.
BBC
Early warning: Chances of an outbreak of the mosquito-borne
infection disease high enough to warrant a high-alert warning
censed vaccines or treatments.
Screens, air-conditioning and
using insecticides can all reduce
the risk of being bitten. The early-
warning system covers 553 mi-
croregions across Brazil.
The team looked at rain and
temperature data from 1981 to
2013 as well as population density
data and altitude
The risk of dengue fever is low
in Brasilia, Cuiaba, Curitiba, Porto
Alegre, and Sao Paulo.
However, they predict that
there is some chance of dengue
risk exceeding medium levels in
Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte,
Salvador and Manaus.
The three cities with the great-
est chance of high dengue risk are
Natal, Fortaleza, and Recife.
Dr Rachel Lowe from the Cata-
lan Institute of Climate Sciences in
Barcelona, Spain, who led the re-
search, said: Recent concerns
about dengue fever in Brazil dur-
ing the World Cup have made dra-
matic headlines, but these esti-
mates have been based solely on
averages of past dengue cases.
Mosquito-human contact
The possibility of a large den-
gue fever outbreak during the
World Cup, capable of infecting
visitors and spreading dengue
back to their country of origin, de-
pends on a combination of many
factors, including large numbers
of mosquitoes, a susceptible pop-
ulation, and a high rate of mosqui-
to-human contact.
The researchers say being able
to plan in advance can give local
authorities the time to implement
measures to reduce or contain ep-
idemics in their areas and to deal
with the mosquito populations
BENGHAZI, SATURDAY
Fierce clashes in Libya killed 24
people on Friday after a paramilitary
force led by a former general attacked
Islamist militias in Benghazi. Local
media reported that government
troops had also joined the attack
against the Islamists.
But acting Prime Minister Abdul-
lah al-Thinni condemned the opera-
tion as a coup against the revolu-
tion. Libyas leaders have struggled
to bring stability to the country since
Muammar Gadda was removed
from power in 2011.
Benghazi, an eastern city that was
at the heart of the anti-Gadda up-
rising, has been the scene of frequent
clashes between the army and Isla-
mist militias. The force that carried
out Fridays attack is under the com-
mand of former Libyan army colonel
Khalifa Haftar. At least 24 people
were reported to have died in the
clashes and hospitals ofcials said
more than 120 people had been
wounded.
Flushing out terrorists
Eyewitnesses told the BBC that
an Islamist militia base was attacked
by helicopters and warplanes.
But speaking at a news confer-
ence in Tripoli, acting Prime Minis-
ter Abdullah al-Thinni condemned
the operation as illegal and an at-
tempted coup.
We have given orders to inter-
cept any force trying to enter Beng-
hazi because they dont have legiti-
macy from the state, Thinni said.
Air force units that bombed targets
in Benghazi today did so illegally,
without any orders from us. Haftar,
who defected from Col Gaddas ar-
my and took charge of rebel forces
during the 2011 uprising, now heads
a group called the National Army.
A spokesman said the group had
launched a large-scale operation to
ush terrorists out of Benghazi.
Haftar stirred rumours of a coup
in February after appearing in mili-
tary uniform to call for a presidential
committee to be formed to govern
until new elections.
The Tripoli Government said he
had no authority and threatened le-
gal action against him.
The BBCs Rana Jawad in Tripoli
says an uneasy calm has now re-
turned to Benghazi, but residents are
concerned that the ghting is a sign
that the regular clashes are escalat-
ing. Libya has a complex web of mi-
litias, and some are loosely aligned
to the army.
BBC
Oil-rich Angola is holding its rst national census
since 1970 - when the country was still a Portu-
guese colony. More than 90,000 ofcials have
been deployed across the country, which is recov-
ering from 27 years of war.
Following fears that criminals could impersonate
census ofcials to gain entry to peoples homes,
residents have been urged to be wary about
opening their doors.
Angolas National Statistics Institute director
Camilo Ceita also said that no census-taker would
knock on their doors at night to collect data. Of-
cials hope that having accurate information
about the population will help the Government
improve its planning and provision of services.
A team of census ofcials has gone to the airport
to collect information from travellers who are go-
ing away for the next two weeks, while the sur-
vey is being carried out.
BBC
Angolas rst ever post-colonial census starts
Authorities in Iraq say a bombing at an outdoor market north of the capital,
Baghdad, has killed ve people. Police ofcials say the attack took place Saturday
when the bomb exploded at the market in the town of Tarmiyha, killing ve shop-
pers and wounding 14. Tarmiyah is 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Baghdad. Po-
lice say the blast damaged several shops.
A medical ofcial conrmed the casualty gures. All ofcials spoke on condi-
tion of anonymity as they werent authorized to release the information. Iraq has
seen a spike in violence since April 2013, with the death toll climbing to its highest
levels since the worst of the countrys sectarian bloodletting in 2006-2008. The
United Nations says violence killed 8,868 people in 2013.
AP
Bombing north of capital kills 5 people in Iraq
24 killed as rival militias clash in Benghazi
Ukrainian soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint on the road near the eastern
city of Izum, Donetsk region on May 15, 2014. Just 10 days before a key
presidential election, Ukraines interim leaders are battling to keep the
country together despite a European peace push, facing a bloody insurrec-
tion in the east and a tense standoff with Russia. [PHOTO: AFP]
Standing alert
If they come top of their group,
England will play in Recife on 29
June.
About a million fans are expect-
ed to travel to the 12 different cities
hosting matches during the World
Cup, which runs from 12 June to 13
July.
Brazil recorded more cases of
dengue fever than anywhere else in
the world between 2000 and 2013,
with more than seven million cases
reported.
Dengue is a viral infection that
is transmitted between humans by
mosquitoes.
It can cause life-threatening ill-
ness and there are currently no li-
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY Page 45
NEWS OF THE WORLD
Biggest dinosaur ever discovered
Scientists believe
it is a new species
of titanosaur - an
enormous herbivore
dating from the Late
Cretaceous period
Farm workers fnd
weigh in at 100 tonnes, it was later re-
vised down to about 70 tonnes - just
under the 77 tonnes that this new
sauropod is thought to have
weighed.
The picture is muddied by the
various complicated methods for es-
timating size and weight, based on
skeletons that are usually incom-
plete.
Argentinosaurus was estimated
from only a few bones. But the re-
searchers here had dozens to work
with, making them more condent
that they really have found the big
one.
Dr Paul Barrett, a dinosaur expert
from Londons Natural History Mu-
seum, agreed the new species is a
genuinely big critter. But there are a
number of similarly sized big sauro-
pod thigh bones out there, he cau-
tioned. Without knowing more
about this current nd its difcult to
be sure. One problem with assessing
the weight of both Argentinosaurus
and this new discovery is that theyre
both based on very fragmentary
specimens - no complete skeleton is
known, which means the animals
proportions and overall shape are
conjectural.
Moreover, several different
methods exist for calculating dino-
saur weight (some based on overall
volume, some on various limb bone
measurements) and these dont al-
ways agree with each other, with
large measures of uncertainty. So its
interesting to hear another really
huge sauropod has been discovered,
but ideally wed need much more
material of these supersized animals
to determine just how big they really
got.
BBC
walked on Earth, the researchers
told BBC News. Its length, from its
head to the tip of its tail, was 40m.
Standing with its neck up, it was
about 20m high - equal to a seven-
storey building. This giant herbivore
lived in the forests of Patagonia be-
tween 95 and 100 million years ago,
based on the age of the rocks in
which its bones were found.
But despite its magnitude, it does
not yet have a name.
It will be named describing its
magnicence and in honour to both
the region and the farm owners who
alerted us about the discovery, the
researchers said. There have been
many previous contenders for the ti-
tle worlds biggest dinosaur.
The most recent pretender to the
throne was Argentinosaurus, a simi-
lar type of sauropod, also discovered
in Patagonia. Originally thought to
The lm crew from the BBC Natural History Unit captures the partial skeletons said to be in remarkable condition.PHOTO: BBC]
SAN DIEGO, SATURDAY
A man was charged with setting
one of nearly a dozen res that have
destroyed homes and raced through
nearly 20,000 acres of northern and
eastern San Diego County brush
land, but most of the blazes seemed
to be dying down, despite the erup-
tion of a new re at the Camp Pend-
leton Marine base.
Thousands of reghters and
eets of water-dropping military and
civilian helicopters planned fresh
battles Saturday. Investigators, mean-
while, continued to seek the causes
of the conagrations that burned at
least eight homes and an 18-unit
condominium complex, emptied
neighborhoods and spread elds of
ame, smoke and ash that dirtied the
air in neighbouring Orange County
and as far north as Los Angeles Coun-
ty. Alberto Serrato, 57, pleaded not
guilty Friday to an arson charge in
connection with one of the smaller
res, a 105-acre re in suburban
Oceanside that started Wednesday
and is fully contained.
Tanya Sierra, a spokeswoman for
the San Diego County district attor-
neys ofce, said witnesses saw Ser-
rato adding dead brush onto smol-
dering bushes, which amed up. He
has not been connected to any other
re, Sierra said. Oceanside police Lt
Sean Marshand said Serrato is be-
lieved to have added fuel to the re
but not to have started it.
Unfortunately we dont have the
guy that we really want, he said. He
remained jailed Friday, and Sierra
said she didnt know whether he had
an attorney. All together, the wildres
about 30 miles north of San Diego
have caused more than $20 million
in damage.
Three res continued to burn at
Pendleton: A 15,000-acre blaze that
began Thursday was 40 percent con-
tained, and a new re Friday that
quickly grew to 800 acres was 25 per
cent surrounded that night. A 6,500-
acre re that started Wednesday at a
neighbouring Navy weapons station
and rolled onto the base and the city
of Fallbrook was 65 perc ent con-
tained. At their peak, the res
prompted about 8,400 military per-
sonnel and their families to be sent
home from various parts of the
sprawling coastal base between Los
Angeles and San Diego, base spokes-
man Jeff Nyhart said. AP
Arson suspect
charged as
California dozen
fires rage
PATAGONIA, SATURDAY
Fossilised bones of a dinosaur be-
lieved to be the largest creature ever
to walk the Earth have been un-
earthed in Argentina, palaeontolo-
gists say. Based on its huge thigh
bones, it was 40m (130ft) long and
20m (65ft) tall.
Weighing in at 77 tonnes, it was as
heavy as 14 African elephants, and
seven tonnes heavier than the previ-
ous record holder, Argentinosaurus.
Scientists believe it is a new spe-
cies of titanosaur - an enormous her-
bivore dating from the Late Creta-
ceous period.
A local farm worker rst stumbled
on the remains in the desert near La
Flecha, about 250km (135 miles) west
of Trelew, Patagonia.
The fossils were then excavated
by a team of palaeontologists from
the Museum of Palaeontology Egidio
Feruglio, led by Dr Jose Luis Carbal-
lido and Dr Diego Pol.
They unearthed the partial skel-
etons of seven individuals - about
150 bones in total - all in remarkable
condition. A lm crew from the BBC
Natural History Unit was there to
capture the moment the scientists
realised exactly how big their discov-
ery was.
By measuring the length and cir-
cumference of the largest femur
(thigh bone), they calculated the an-
imal weighed 77 tonnes.
Given the size of these bones,
which surpass any of the previously
known giant animals, the new dino-
saur is the largest animal known that
SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY
Apple Inc and Google Incs Motor-
ola Mobility unit have agreed to settle
all patent litigation between them
over smartphones, ending one of the
highest-prole lawsuits in technolo-
gy. In a joint statement on Friday, the
companies said the settlement does
not include a cross license to their re-
spective patents.
Apple and Google have also
agreed to work together in some ar-
eas of patent reform, the statement
said. Apple and companies that make
phones using Googles Android soft-
ware have led dozens of such law-
suits against one another around the
world to protect their technology. Ap-
ple co-founder Steve Jobs called An-
droid a stolen product. Google and
Apple informed a federal appeals
court in Washington that their cases
against each other should be dis-
missed, according to lings on Friday.
However, the deal does not apply to
Apples litigation against Samsung
Electronics Co Ltd.
Apple has battled Google and
what once were the largest adopters
of its Android mobile software, partly
to try to curb the rapid expansion of
the free, rival operating system. But it
has been unable to slow Androids as-
cendancy, which is now installed on
an estimated 80 percent of new
phones sold every year. Motorola, the
US company that pioneered the mo-
bile phone, no longer ranks among
the biggest smartphone makers.
Both Motorola and HTC Corp
have been eclipsed by Chinese An-
droid adopters such as Lenovo Group
Ltd - which is buying Motorola - and
Huawei and Xiaomi.
Reuters
Apple, Google settle smartphone patent litigation
The Apple logo is pictured on the front of the companys agship retail store
near signs for the central subway project in San Francisco, California
January 23, 2013. . [PHOTO: REUTERS]
Page 46 May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
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Fasttrack
ATHLETICS: Felix aims
to get back on track
Multi-medal winning athlete Allyson Felix
said yesterday that 2014 would be a crucial
year following her recent injury setback,
as she aims to make an instant impact at
the Shanghai Diamond meet. The four-
time Olympic gold medallist makes her
season debut in Shanghai on Sunday after
suffering a miserable 2013, crashing out of
the 200m race at last years Moscow world
championships with a hamstring injury.
Felix, who took gold in the 200m in London,
will be competing in the 400m in Shanghai.
My focus last year was just all about the
world championships as it always is, so
that is where I was focusing to really peak
at that time. And so when I had my injury
things didnt go as planned, but youve just
got to learn from the experience and keep
moving, Felix told AFP.
CYCLING: Wiggins keeps
California lead
Former Tour de France winner Bradley
Wiggins retained the Tour of California
overall lead on Friday as Colombias
Esteban Chaves won the sixth stage from
Santa Clarita to Mountain High. Wiggins,
who took the lead with a triumph in the
second stage individual time trial on
Monday, nished fth in the toughest
stage of the race and extended his
overall lead to 30 seconds going into
the nal two stages this weekend. Orica
rider Chavez powered solo to win the
152-kilometer stage that ended in the
San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los
Angeles in a time of 4 hours 9 minutes 13
seconds. Reports by AFP
CRICKET: Sri Lanka
return to winning ways
Sri Lanka secured their rst victory on
English soil this season with a crushing
128-run win over Kent in a one-day
match at Canterbury on Friday. The
tourists made 301 for seven in their full
50 overs after losing the toss, Angelo
Mathews top-scoring with 51 in an
innings where Lahiru Thirimanne (49)
and Dinesh Chandimal (47 not out) also
made signicant contributions. In reply,
Kent were bowled out for just 173 inside
37 overs with seamer Suranga Lakmal
(three for 16), leading an attack where
Thisara Perera and Ajantha Mendis also
took three wickets each.
By JONATHAN KOMEN
World 5,000m bronze medallist Isaiah
Kiplangat arrested his close rivals at the
National Police Service Athletics Track and
Field Championships.
Former Commonwealth Games 5,000m
champion Augustine Choge, who failed to
impress at the IAAF World Indoor Cham-
pionships in Sopot, Poland, last March, al-
so served the reigning World Indoor cham-
pion Caleb Mwangangi an equal dose in
1,500m nal at the Safaricom Stadium
Kasarani yesterday.
Stacy Ndiwa, the 2008 Commonwealth
Games Youth 1,500m champion, proved
she was no push over as she wore the
womens 1,500m crown.
Hyvine Kiyeng, a versatile 1,500m run-
ner, showed no respect for newcomers
Consolata and Veronica Ngososei in the
metric mile race.
But Kiplangat, foundly known as
Chairman but later changed to President
from his namesake and Athletics Kenya
President Isaiah Kiplagat, was the star at-
traction as he tore a strong eld to shreds,
opened a 60-metre as he strolled to mens
5,000m victory in 13:42.2.
RACE QUITE EASY
New catch David Kogei (13:46.4), Chi-
cago Marathon second runner up Sammy
Kitwara (13:46.5) and James Kigen (13:48.6)
nished second, third and fourth as Kip-
kemoi Bernard (13:52.0) and Isaac Muku-
ndi (14:01.4) followed.
Kiplangat, who is based in Western,
said: The race was quite easy for me and
thats why I decided to front run. I want to
win gold in 5,000m at the Commonwealth
Games. In Moscow last year, I just wanted
to nish within medal, which I did. I will
rectify a few tactical errors I made in Dae-
gu and Moscow and, hopefully, come out
victorious.
Kiplangat, a runner from Keringet who
basks in an impressive 12:45 all time mark,
added: I want to run 12:43 and see if I can
hit 12:37 in near future.
CHOGE CONFIDENT
Choge, who competes for Trafc Unit,
went neck and neck with Mwangangi
down to the wire to win in 3:35.5. Mwan-
gangi (3:35.8), Abednego Chesebe (3:39.0)
and Robert Kaptingei (3:39.3) came in sec-
ond, third and fourth as worlds third fast-
est 3,000m steeplechaser runner Paul Kip-
siele Koech (3:40.5) nished fth.
Iten-based Choge said he is on a return
to Commonwealth Games bid, having
bagged gold in 5,000m in 2006. I will com-
pete in 1,500m and 3,000m in Diamond
League series in Eugene and Hengelo, he
said.
Choge said hes condent that two-
time world 1,500m champion Asbel Kip-
rop can break the world record in Monaco.
In the womens front, Janet Kisa (4:16.0)
carried the 1,500m title ahead of Stacy
Ndiwa (4:16.1) and Florence Korir
(4:24.9).
Monica Wangare (34:13.7) shone in
10,000m beating Consolata Chemutai
(34:22.1) and Sarah Kebasu (34:32.4).
Chepngeno Langat (34:44.5) and Mary
Chemutai (35:12.4) followed.
Gravce Thoiti (58:09.2) won the 10km
walk ahead of Ruth Arete (65:07.8) and Be-
atrice Karanja (68:57.6).
jkomen@standardmedia.co.ke
Kiplangat vows to win gold in
Glasgow Commonwealth Games
Isaiah
Kiplangat of
Western on his
way to winning
5,000m mens
nals during the
Kenya Police
Athletics Champi-
onship at
Safaricom
Kasarani Stadium,
yesterday. [PHOTO:
DENNIS OKEYO/
STANDARD]
CHAIRMAN
BECOMES
PRESIDENT
Page 48 / FEVERPITCH May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
25
DAYS TO GO
ACCRA
Ghana skipper Asamoah Gyan will play
a big role as the Black Stars aim to improve
on a quarter-nal nish from the last
World Cup.
Gyan is one of Africahs most prolic
strikers with 39 goals from 77 internation-
als one goal shy of the countrys all-
time record.
The 28-year-old is also a part-time mu-
sic star who goes by the nickname Baby
Jet, a boxing promoter as well as martial
arts ghter and classic car collector.
Former Ghana captain CK Akunnor
said Gyan is as much a talisman for the
Black Stars as Didier Drogba for Ivory
Coast.
His leadership qualities are there for
all to see and his inuence on the team is
like that of Didier Drogba on the Ivorian
team, said Akunnor.
His form is imperious with the Stars
and will again play a key role if we are to
have a good World Cup campaign.
Ghana defender Samuel Inkoom also
backed Gyan to shine in Brazil.
Asamoah Gyan has always delivered
for the Black Stars and I know he will do
the same in Brazil,the Platanias defender
predicted.
He was good in Germany, better in
South Africa and I believe he will be fan-
tastic in Brazil, too.
Four years ago, Ghana became only the
third African team to reach the last eight
of the World Cup when they lost in a pen-
alty shootout to Uruguay.
MISSED PENALTY
Gyan missed a late penalty in extra-
time that would have catapulted the Black
Stars to the semi-nals.
We left the last competition with a
bang, although under strange circum-
stances, the player said.
And the fans have still not forgotten
about it, so I believe that they will still be
waiting to see what we can do again this
time.
The team have been waiting a long
time since the 2010 World Cup in which
we reached the quarter-nals.
Being so close to becoming the rst
African team to reach the semi-nal was
a great triumph but painful at the same
time and we are really motivated to come
back and achieve an even better result.
I believe that we can on-
ly get better this time at
the World Cup.
Gyan also missed from 12
yards in the semi-nal of the
2012 Africa Cup of Nations
against Zambia.
He was heavily criticised
by the fans as a result and
quit the national team but
his mother begged him to re-
consider his position and
no longer take penalties.
Gyan will be a familiar face
to European fans, having turned
out for French side Rennes, Eng-
lish Premiership club Sunderland
and Udinese of Italy before head-
ing to the United Arab Emirates.
He has nished top scorer in the
UAE league for a third straight sea-
son with 29 goals for his Dubai-based
club Al Ain to justify his reported
$100,000-a-week salary.
Ghana will again boast a host of top
talent in mideld such as Michael Essien
and Sulley Muntari but Gyan has proved
to be the answer to the countrys peren-
nial goal-scoring problem.
For his third World Cup, the striker
will again hope to rise to the occasion,
despite a tough group that includes Ger-
many and Portugal.
In 2006, we were in the same
group with Italy, he recalled.
Italy went through to win the
Cup and we made it instead of
the US, who were rated fourth in
the world around that time and
Czech Republic were rated fth
in the world at that time.
Ghana were the under-
dogs. And we were able to
deliver.
The same thing hap-
pened in 2010... So, it has
happened before and I
dont feel any pressure at
all.
Weve got a lot of
experience in the
World Cup. Were go-
ing to make sure we
make every Ghana-
ian proud by play-
ing our normal
game and well see
what happens.
AFP
Asamoa Gyan has a
big role as Black Stars
seek to improve on
quarter-nal nish in
the World Cup as the
nals kick off in Brazil
next month
GHANAS BABY JET SHOULD ROAR LOUDLY THIS TIME
ACCRA
Ghana
are con-
dent they
can claw
their way out
of a World Cup
group which
includes Ger-
many, Portugal
and the United
States.
The Black
Stars reached
the round of 16
in their World
Cup debut in
2006 in Germany
and reached the last
eight four years ago in South
Africa.
Now they want to become
the rst African team to reach
the semi-nals of the tourna-
ment.
Skipper Asamoah Gyan, who
appeared at both previous nals,
said that Ghana will raise their
game in Brazil.
The thing about Ghana all the
time is that whenever we play against
a big team, we perform, said Gyan.
That is what happened with us
when we were going to the 2006 and
2010 World Cups.
And that is what happened with
the Egypt (World Cup play-off ) game
where everyone got involved.And I
believe it will happen again at this
World Cup.
Ghana were unstoppable when
they dumped seven-time African
champions Egypt 7-3 on aggregate to
book their passage to Brazil 2014.
It was a vintage performance by
the west African side in Kumasi,
where they blew away Egypt 6-1 in
the rst leg. Gyan scored twice.
They will be in Brazil with a more
experienced squad after Michael Es-
sien rejoined the team and they now
have more viable options upfront
with the emergence of Majeed Waris
and Christian Atsu.
Coach Kwesi Appiah, who was an
assistant coach at the South Africa -
nals, has won the condence of his
players, despite rumours that he
would be replaced with a foreign
manager. Germany world champi-
ons three times are favourites to
win Group G, leaving the other auto-
matic qualifying spot wide open.
Ghana open the campaign against
the United States on June 16 in Natal.
They have beaten the Americans on
their two previous meetings at the
World Cup.
In 2006, Ghana won 2-1 in a group
game and four years later they elimi-
nated the Americans again by the
same scoreline in the round of 16.
Their second group game will be
against Germany on June 21 in For-
taleza.
Portugal, with Cristiano Ronaldo,
will be their nal group opponents on
June 26 in Brasilia.
Ronaldo is the world player (of
the year) and there is no doubt that
he is critical to the cause of the Por-
tuguese team but for us we are not
going to be distracted because of
him, he said.
I am not bothered because we are
playing Portugal because the World
Cup is the biggest stage and there are
no small team. Every team who qual-
ies has done so on merit. AFP
Black Stars ready for big boys
Ghanas Asamoah Gyan [PHOTO: FILE /
AFP]
FEVERPITCH / Page 49 May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
25
DAYS TO GO

FastTrack
SAO PAOLO: Anti-World
Cup protests hit cities
Riot police in Brazil have red
tear gas to disperse thousands of
protesters in Sao Paulo and Rio
de Janeiro who marched against
the cost of hosting the football
World Cup. Some demonstrators
hurled stones while other burned
tyres and blocked roads. They
say they are angry that billions
of dollars are being spent on next
months football tournament,
rather than social projects and
housing. Protests also took place
in many other cities, including the
capital Brasilia. Teachers and civil
servants, among others, were
also on strike across Brazil.
AFP
RIO: Stadium roof wont
be nished for opener
The roof of the stadium hosting
the World Cup opener in a few
weeks will not be fully nished
in time for the tournament,
constructors said Friday.
Construction company Odebrecht
conrmed that a part of the roof
at the Itaquerao will only be
completed after the World Cup.
There was not enough time to
install the glass covers that were
supposed to be added to the
stadiums roong structure, so
Odebrecht and local organisers
decided to postpone the work
until after the tournament.
Odebrecht said the missing
covers will not affect fans
watching matches in the stadium,
although it appears from photos
that more people would be
covered from rain if they were
in place.
LAUSANNE: France hits
back at Blatter
France on Friday rejected as
unfounded remarks by Sepp
Blatter that French pressure
contributed to Qatar being
awarded the 2022 World Cup, as
the Fifa president admitted that
giving the Gulf state a summer
tournament was a mistake.
Blatter told Swiss television RTS
Thursday that pressure from Paris
as well as Germany had helped
Qatar become hosts of the mega-
event watched by millions around
the world. But French Foreign
Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal
hit back saying: The allegations
by the president of Fifa on alleged
pressure by France at the time of
the award of the 2022 World Cup
are unfounded.
LISBON
Portugal owe their place at the
World Cup nals to the genius of
their captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Real Madrid man dragged his
country through a ercely contested
two-legged playoff against Zlatan
Ibrahimovics Sweden in November.
Portugal won 4-2 and the two super-
stars scored all of their sides goals.
A devastating array of nishing in
a hat-trick in the second leg in Stock-
holm played a big part in the 29-
year-old Ronaldo nally getting a
second Ballon dOr for the worlds
best player in 2013, ve years after he
won the award for the rst time.
Portugal look to have landed in a
group of death against Germany,
Ghana and the United States in
Group G.
However, with Ronaldo (pictured)
leading the way, they should be rela-
tively condent of progress.
Since bursting onto the interna-
tional scene on home soil at the 2004
European Championships, Ronaldo
has reached a nal, two semi-nals,
a quarter-nal and lost out to even-
tual winners Spain in the last 16 of
the 2010 World Cup in ve major
tournament appearances.
Moreover, if Portugal nish sec-
ond in the group behind Germany,
there is no greater motivation for
Ronaldo than a potential mouthwa-
tering quarter-nal clash against Li-
onel Messis Argentina.
This years tournament will also
be a poignant one for the whole of
Portuguese football as it comes just
months after the death of the leg-
endary Eusebio.
Ronaldo recently became his
countrys all-time leading goalscorer
with a double against Cameroon in a
friendly in March to move onto 49
goals from 110 international appear-
ances.
However, he has never shone at a
major tournament quite how Euse-
bio did with his nine goals in the
1966 World Cup as Portugal nished
third.
He was one of the most brilliant
players in the world and he was Por-
tuguese so it was a sad day for Por-
tugal and the world, Ronaldo said
after The Black Panther passed
away in January.
I was sad especially be-
cause he was my friend. I
was with him for many
years in the national
team. He was a special
man for me and for all
the Portuguese peo-
ple.
Unlike at club lev-
el, Ronaldo does not have
the intense pressure like Barcelona
rivals Messi or Neymar will have bur-
dening the heavier expectations of
Argentina and Brazil, nor even those
carried by the European powerhous-
es Germany or Spain.
We dont have the pressure be-
cause we are not favourites and that
is a good thing, he said recently.
The favourites are Brazil, Spain,
Argentina and Germany, who we
face in the rst game in a difcult
group.
However, with a condence that
has marked his career, Ronaldo is de-
termined to overcome the odds and
land a rst ever World Cup for his
country.
To win a World Cup would be the
crowning glory of my career. Fist we
have to get through the group stages
and afterwards we will see.
AFP
Portugals World Cup debt to Ronaldo
GHANAS BABY JET SHOULD ROAR LOUDLY THIS TIME
BERLIN
Germany coach
Joachim Loew
can feel
that time
is run-
ning
o u t
for him
to win a
major title
after eight years
in charge of the
much-feared national
side.
The 54-year-old, who hails
from the Schwarzwald and still
German accent, succeeded Jurgen
Klinsmann as head coach after the
2006 World Cup.
He has steered Germany to the
semi-nals of the 2008 European
Championship, the 2010 World Cup
and Euro 2012, but his resume lacks
the major title which would elevate
him to Germany's top division of
coaches.
Loew's image is a daily occurence
in Germany where he fronts an ad-
vertising campaign for a leading
cosmetics brand, but the head coach
rarely appears in the media spot-
light. The German Football Associa-
tion (DFB) has already told him his
job is safe beyond Brazil 2014 and
Loew is expected to see out his cur-
rent contract which expires after Eu-
ro 2016.
But Loew (pictured) has acknowl-
edged that "the clock is ticking".
Having never played senior in-
ternational football, Loew made
four appearances for West Germa-
ny's Under-21s and played Bundes-
liga football as a midelder for Ein-
tracht Frankfurt, Karlsruhe and VfB
Stuttgart.
He won the 1997 German Cup
nal as VfB Stuttgart coach and
after working in Turkey and
Austria, Loew joined the
Germany set up as assis-
tant coach in 2004.
Loew was respon-
sible for tactics with
Klinsmann as the
team's moti-
vator and
the pair
de-
lighted
the na-
tion as
Germany
f i ni s hed
third at the
2006 World
Cup on
home soil.
His im-
pressive re-
cord of 70
wins in 103
internationals, with a goal differ-
ence of 253 to just 98 conceded, has
earned Loew plenty of respect in
Germany.
Under his stewardship, the Ger-
mans reached the Euro 2008 nal
and the semi-nals at both the 2010
World Cup and Euro 2012 by playing
expansive, attack-minded football.
He is not afraid of taking risks.
When striker Mario Gomez strug-
gled in the group stages of Euro
2008, Loew benched the forward
and switched to a 4-2-3-1 system
which resulted in a 3-1 quarter-nal
win over Portugal en route to the -
nal.
At the 2010 World Cup, Loew
took the youngest German squad
since 1934 to South Africa and his
side came of age by sweeping aside
both England and Argentina before
losing their semi-nal to eventual
winners Spain.
Even last week, Loew started
eight debutants in the goalless
friendly against Poland.
Loew has issues to solve both in
defence and attack before Brazil.
His defence has looked frail on
recent occasions, no more so than
when Germany threw away a 4-0
lead against Sweden in a World Cup
qualier as they drew 4-4 in Berlin
in October 2012.
Only captain and right-back
Philipp Lahm is sure of his place in
defence and Loew needs strong per-
formances from his back four in the
remaining warm-up games against
Cameroon and Armenia. AFP
Time running out for Germanys Loew
By BEN AHENDA
Rachel Robley riding Mufn covered a
distance of 2,860m in 19min 15secs to
lead on the second day of the Bank of Af-
rica sponsored annual Gilgil Horse Show
rst class category at the Anti Stock Theft
Unit grounds in Gilgil yesterday.
Robley who entered two horses in the
upper class category of the competition
received the least number of penalties at
23 ahead of four other competitors while
riding Mufn.
She dropped the least number of
points at 21 on Friday in the dressage
competition before she went ahead to win
the cross-country championships at a
speed limit of 6min 27secs against the
time limit of 6min 35secs yesterday. Rob-
ley nished the race in 19min 15secs.
While riding her second horse in Im-
perial on her second attempt, it was disas-
trous returning the slowest time of 19min
58secs against 26 penalties due to fatigue
and was therefore eliminated.
However, she qualied for the show
jumping competition this morning .
Yesterday, none of the competitors was
penalised in the cross-country champion-
ships because of their accuracy at the
fence.
No rider was penalised today (yester-
day) compared to Friday. Each rider was
accurate when they got closer to the
fence, said the tournaments coordinator
Jo Mills.
Louissa Vittone came second while
riding Lots and Lots with a total of 33 pen-
alties on the rst two days. Stanley
emerged fourth behind Monica Campori
after he recorded a total of 37 penalties
while nishing the cross-country in the
fastest time of 17mins after losing out on
the rst day.
Robley leads Upper Class in Gilgil Horse Show
MattShanksintheGilgil HorseShowatthe
Anti stockTheftUnitgrounds, yesterday.
[PHOTO: BONIFACE THUKU]
May 18, 2014 / STANDARD ON SUNDAY
FOOTBALLROUNDUP
Sunderlands new coach Paolo Di Canio poses for photographs
during a media conference at the football clubs training
academy in Sunderland, northern England April 2, 2013. Di
Canio sought to play down the controversy over his appoint-
ment as Sunderland manager on Tuesday and said he would bet
everything he had on the club staying in the Premier League.
REUTERS
Page 50 / FEVERPITCH
WELL MOTIVATED
By GILBERT WANDERA
After several years of heartache, the
national team Harambee Stars begin their
quest for another appearance at the Afri-
ca Cup of Nations nals against lowly
ranked Comoros at Nyayo today eve-
ning.
The last time , the team played at this
stage was in 2004 when the tournament
was held in Tunisia. Since then, it has
been a tale of many misses and going
back to the drawing board.
Have we nally got it? This will be the
big question as the team seeks to have a
positive start at the expense of their op-
ponents.
From now on every match counts for
Stars who have a longer route in their
search for an appearance at the 2015 -
nals to be held in Morocco.
If they edge out Comoros, they meet
either Liberia or Lesotho and have to win
here before going into the group stages of
the competition from where they will be
hoping to pick one of the two slots avail-
able.
On paper, Stars are rm favorites to
pick a win at home. First, Kenya are
ranked at 106th position while their op-
ponents stand at 194th position.
PERENNIAL PARTICIPANTS
Secondly, while Kenya have been pe-
rennial participants in the World Cup and
Africa Cup of Nations qualiers, their op-
ponents have only taken part in the qual-
iers once.
Lastly, between 2007 and 2014, Co-
moros have picked only one win in 17
matches played during that period. The
xtures range from friendly matches, Af-
rica Cup of Nations and World Cup quali-
ers.
In the same period, Comoros have
drawn six times and lost ten times. On the
other hand, Stars have played less than
ten matches between 2013 and 2014 and
lost only once apart from taking part in
numerous Africa Cup of Nations and
World Cup qualiers.
In spite of the statistics which look in
favour of Stars, coach Adel Amrouche has
warned against underrating their oppo-
nents.
Amrouche said it is not a done deal
that the team will win against Comoros.
There are no longer small teams in
African football. Depending on how well
you prepare it is possible to get positive
results against any team.
Recently, Comoros drew 1-1 against
Burkina Faso in a friendly match and so
we cannot afford to underestimate them,
he said.
Majority of the players in the Comoros
national team are based in France where
they are spread out in various clubs.
FKF splashes Sh1m allowances to Harambee Stars ahead of Comoros clash
Harambee Stars players with FKF President Sam Nyamweya (in suit) and his deputy Robert Asembo (in cap) after lunch at Osteria restaurant
in Nairobi, yesterday. The players received Sh1 million in allowances from the football federation. [PHOTO: BONIFACE OKENDO/ STANDARD]
on Sunday 6 Pages of Sizzling Sports Coverage!
Stars ready
to shine
May 18, 2014/ STANDARD ON SUNDAY
FEVERPITCH / Page 51
SPORTSROUNDUP
Thogoto TTC retain Metro overall title
By OSCAR PILIPILI
Hosts Thogoto retained overall ti-
tle after they dominated the Kenya
Teachers College Sports Association
(KTCSA) Metropolitan Region Games
that ended on Friday.
The regional games were used to
select a team for the KTCSA National
Championships scheduled to start at
Kagumo College with arrival of teams
tomorrow.
Chepkemoi Karoney led a 1-2-3
nish of hosts Thogoto in 3,000m
steeplechase women race as the
home team retained overall title dur-
ing KTCSA Metropolitan Zone
Games.
Karoney opted to run from the
front throughout the race and sprint-
ed to the nish to cross the line in 13
minutes 42.42 minutes leaving col-
lege mates Melly Chelengat (13:49.90)
and Norah Kiprono (14:02.44) in sil-
ver and bronze positions.
Karoney said: The race was tight
and I want to congratulate team-
mates for working hard to ensure
that our college (Thogoto) sweeps
the boards in steeplechase.
In the championships that were
dominated by athletes from Thogoto,
Crispus Chebii clocked 14:45.60 to
win 5,000m race and qualify for the
nationals.
Danson of Kayiok of Machakos
crossed the nish line second in
15:28.57 while Christopher Kakuko
came third in 15:41.04.
Thogoto also showed their prow-
ess in eld events as Catherine Wa-
tela won discus event after managing
22.55m followed by Janet Rono of
Narok (21.44m) and Kituis Nelly On-
yango (21.28m).
In rugby sevens, Kitui won all
their three matches to emerge win-
ners in the event played on round
robin format. Kitui crossed the line
three times to hand hosts Thogoto
15-0, beat Machakos 13-5 then
wrapped up their campaign with
48-0 drubbing of Narok.
Metropolitan secretary general
John Gachie said the games were
used to select athletes to compete in
the nationals to be played at Kagumo
starting tomorrow.
Gachie said: We believe that the
selected athletes are the best and de-
serve to be in the team. Our squad is
very strong and we aim to give other
regions a run for their money.
While presiding over closing cer-
emony, district education ofcer Zip-
porah Gikandi wished all the Metro-
politan team at the nationals.
I want to congratulate all partic-
ipants including athletes, ofcials
and organisers for making these
games a success, she said. bahen-
da@standardmedia.co.ke
Kikuyu DEO Ziporah Gikambi
(right), presents a trophy to
Thogoto TTCs Petterson Kamotho
and Rachael Nyakundi on Friday.
[PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO]
ReportsPreviews
Otieno shines at
Real Insurance
Tennis Open
By PHILIP ORWA
Millicent Otieno beat Wendy Velma
4-0, 4-0 in the girls under-18 category to
become the rst player to qualify for the
semi-nals of Real Insurance Kenya Open
County Activity Tennis Tournament.
Otieno will meet Ruth Auma in the rst
semi-nal. Shadrack Ochieng started his
under-14 title chase on a high, beating
Victor Edwin 4-0. In another encounter of
the same category, Anthony Mwendwa
beat Kirtan Patel 4-0 in the rst encoun-
ter.
Viola Amondi edged Ashley Kemunto
4-3 in the girls under-12 category asTriz-
er Aim hit Tess Muendi 4-0 in the second
encounter. In another game, Ashley Ke-
munto saw off Muendi 4-1.
In the boys category, Nicholas Otieno
walloped Daksh G. Patel 4-0 as Isaac
Obonyo hit David Fidel 4-0. Sandeep
Jaiswal beat Enock Onyango 4-0.
The event was graced by Sports Ad-
ministrator Hillary Alila, Nyanza Lawn
Tennis Association (NLTA) Secretary Gen-
eral Martin Oluoch, who is also the Kenya
Lawn Tennis Association (KLTA) Vice
Chairman among other guests.
Alila thanked the Ministry of Sports
and Youth Affairs NLTA and KLTA for
building the tennis centre that will help
nurture sports talent in Nyanza Region.
I want to thank the Ministry of Sports
for building the tennis centre in Nyanza,
the largest and one of its kind in Western
Region that will help in nurturing tennis
talent in the region, said Alila.
Oluoch said eight players (four boys
and four girls) will be chosen to represent
the region in the national event. Oluoch
said that similar events are taking place in
Kakamega, Eldoret, Mombasa, Nakuru,
Thika, Nairobi, and Machakos from where
representatives will be chosen to meet at
the nationals. porwa@standardmedia.
co.ke
STARS CAUTIONED
Former skipper Musa Otieno warns
against underrating the Comoros
By ROBIN TOSKIN

Musa Otieno, Harambee
Stars captain of 10 years, is
urging fans to turn out in large
numbers, insisting there are
no longer small teams in foot-
ball world.
Kenya play Comoros,
ranked 193 in the world today
but Otieno having been in the
side beaten 2-1 by minnows
Eritrea at Kasarani on Septem-
ber 2, 2006 warns against any
complacency.
The boys should go out
with steely determination that
to get to Morocco they have to
win their home matches,
Otieno said during Fridays
chat on KTN.
This a group of young, tal-
ented and seemingly hungry
team to do well under coach
Adel Amrouche.
I see similarities between
this team and our side that
qualied for the 2004 Africa
Cup of Nations in Tunisia un-
der Ghost (Jacob Mulee). Since
I returned from South Africa, I
have noticed cordial relations
between Adel and Mulee,
which is a good sign, he
said.
The former skipper said
the increased number of play-
ers plying their trade overseas
is a plus for Kenya.
THREE TICKETS
During our days, the local
federation would only send
two or three tickets abroad.
That has changed now for they
have sent over six or more
tickets. What is required of us
as fans is to get behind the
team and the coach, create
good atmosphere for the team
to perform.
After 17 years playing for
Cape Town side Santos, Otie-
no, known to his fans as Ote-
ro has decided to return
home to launch another phase
of his football life.
I have been an assistant
coach at Santos for three years
and may be it is time to step
up. However, my cards are
close to my chest, the former
defender and captain of Ke-
nyas rst side to win an Africa
Cup of Nations nals match
(3-0 win over Burkina Faso),
said.
Otieno has been engaged
by SuperSport as a football an-
alyst both during live Kenyan
Premier League matches and
on Simba Super Soccer show.
ENJOY WORLD CUP OUTING
In the extensive interview
with KTN, the former AFC
Leopards and Tusker player
asked Kenyans to respect Di-
vock Origis decision to play
for Belgium.
Divock, son of Kenyas for-
mer striker Mike Okoth, has
been included in Belgiums
World Cup squad and looks
set to take the place of Chris-
tian Benteke.
He came up through the
ranks of Belgium football. If
we wanted him we should
have tapped him early enough.
For now let him enjoy his
World Cup outing.
After several years of heart-
ache, the national team
Harambee Stars begin their
quest for another appearence
at the Africa Cup of Nations -
nals against lowly ranked Co-
moros at Nyayo Stadium this
afternoon.
The last time the team
played at this stage was in
2004 in Tunisia.
Since then, it has been a
tale of many misses and going
back to the drawing board.
Have we nally got it?
This will be the big ques-
tion as the team seeks to have
a positive start at the expense
of their opponents.
From now on every match
counts for Stars who have a
long route in their quest for an
appearence at the 2015 nals
to be held in Morocco.
If they edge out Comoros,
they meet either Liberia or Le-
Former Harambee Stars
captain Musa Otieno.
[PHOTO:OMULO OKOTH/
STANDARD]
DAAK hosts
marathon in
Kisumu today
By ERICK OCHIENG
Deaf Athletics Association of Kenya
(DAAK) host the inaugural Safaricom
Marathon series in Kisumu this morn-
ing.
The race will begin at the Kisumus Ke-
nyatta Sports ground and then snake to
Milimani area then back to the nish line
at the sports ground.
The new route is simple and easy to
master. We met the Kisumu OCPD who
was more than willing to help DAAK and
Safaricom make the race a success, DAAK
Public Relations Manager Tom Okiki told
FeverPitch yesterday.
Previously, the marathon was sched-
uled to start at Moi Stadium, and then
pass through Buoye, Ahero and then back
to the nish line at the stadium.
Triple world champion Simon Cher-
ono will be among the stars in the race
which will also include the 21km whose
winner will bag Sh75,000 and Sh50,000
and Sh30,000 for runners up and third
place nishers respectively.
The 10km race winner will get
Sh35,000, runners up Sh25,000 and third
nishers Sh15,000. Other top ten nishers
will also be rewarded.
sotho and have to win here before going
into the group stages of the competition
from where they will be hoping to pick
one of the two slots available.
On paper, Harambee Stars are rm fa-
vourites to pick a win at home putting
themselves on the right track to Moroc-
co. First, Kenya are ranked at 106th po-
sition while their opponents currently
stand at 194th position.
Secondly, while Kenya have been pe-
rennial participants in the World Cup
and Africa Cup of Nations qualiers,
their opponents have only taken part in
the qualiers once.
Lastly, between 2007 and 2014, Co-
moros have picked only one win in 17
matches played during that period.
The xtures range from friendly
matches, Africa Cup of Nations and
World Cup qualiers.
In the same period, Comoros have
drawn six times and lost ten times. On
the other hand, Harambee Stars have
played less than ten matches between
2013 and 2014 and lost only once apart
from taking part in numerous Africa Cup
of Nations and World Cup qualiers.
Inspite of the statistics which look in
favor of Harambee Stars, coach Adel Am-
rouche has warned against underrating
their opponents.
Amrouche said it is not a done deal
that the team will win against Comoros.
rtoskin@standardmedia.co.ke
FEVERPITCH
Sunday, May 18, 2014
www.standardmedia.co.ke
Isaiah Kiplangat vows to win gold in Glasgow Commonwealth Games, P.47
Ghanas Baby Jet ready to roar in Brazil, P.48-49
Published and printed at The Standard Group Centre, Mombasa Road Nairobi - Kenya, by The Standard Ltd., P.O. Box 30080, Nairobi 00100, Kenya. Switch Board Tel. 3222111. Fax: 2214467, 2229218, 2218965. News Desk Tel:
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STANDARD
THE
STANDARD
THE
on Sunday 6 Pages of Sizzling Sports Coverage!
Stars ready
to shine
Amrouches troops
take on Comoros in
Africa Cup qualier
at Nyayo today, P50
Harambee Stars
players train
ahead of their
Africa Cup of
Nations qualier
encounter against
Comoros today
evening. [PHOTO:
DENNIS OKEYO/
STANDARD]
Pullout Section E
WITH THE
STANDARD
May 18, 2014
For the young and growing
ext
ext
eneration
I
n
s
i
d
e
F
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L
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F
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N

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G
A
M
E
S
B
a
b
u
,

B
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t
t
i,

M
c
h
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o
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o
,

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h
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n
,

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t
h
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s
.
.
.

a
n
d

s
o

m
u
c
h

m
o
r
e
.
Sweater
craze,
Pg 6
Kids with
swag,

Pg 4
freebie issue!
Win incredible GENERATION NEXT branded goodies!
For the young and growing
Tee shirts | Caps | Pencil pouches
Find and answer the
hidden trivia question
for a chance to win!
May 18, 2014 / The Standard on Sunday
Page 2 / Next Generation
D
id

y
o
u
k
n
o
w
?
Group Managing Editor (Print): Kipkoech Tanui | Managing Editor: Enoch Wambua | Deputy Managing Editor: Fred Waga
Sub Editor/Writer: Thorn Mulli
Contributors: Calvin Odhiambo, George Olwalo, Lydia Limbe, Phares Mutembei, Rebecca Gichana, and Rose Kwamboka
Manager Print Creative : Dan Weloba | Creative Designer: Christine Nyaga | Photograhy: Jenipher Wachie and Maxwell Agwanda | Illustration: Harry, Kiddo and Michael Munene
E-mail: GenerationNext@standardmedia.co.ke; | Website: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/mag;
All correspondence to Generation Next is assumed to be intended for publication.
Generation Next accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, artworks or photographs. All rights on publication remain with the publisher.
Thorn Mulli
The
fun
team
Editorial
I enjoy watching television as much as I reckon you do. One of the shows that I am drawn to is a game show called Repo Games. I assume the Repo stands for repossession because the hosts Josh Lewis and Tom DeTone are actual repossession men whose job is to seize items whose purchasers have failed to fully pay
for. In the show, they pose a series of trivia questions to actual owners of vehicles in danger of being repossessed. Those who get the questions right get to keep their car while those who fail doom
their vehicles to repossession.
You might be wondering where I am going with this, but for those who have watched the series you can attest to the fact that the trivia questions posed are generally simple. Take for instance: Which
country is part of both Africa and Asia?
One might not know the answer, but an educated answer will land you close. What astounds me, however,
is that one lady contestant answered South America to this question rather than Egypt. She is not he only one who exhibited staggering levels of ignorance as most contestants give eye-popping, mouth
drying, and heart-stopping answers.
Every time I watch the show hence, the importance of education comes to mind. To you I say, get off that couch and go read a book, or else risk assuming that South America is transcontinental country in both
Africa and America.
Generation Next
A phrase
a week
A Top dog refers to a dominant or
victorious individual. It is the antonym of
underdog. It is assumed that the phrase
originates back when wooden planks were
sawn by hand using a two-handed saw
run by two men. The senior man took the
top handle, standing on the wood, and
the junior took the bottom, in the sawpit
below. Add to this the
fact that the irons that
were used to hold the
wood were called dogs,
and that the bottom posi-
tion was much the more
uncomfortable many as-
sume this to be the origin of top dog and
underdog.
Folk
tale
By CALVIN ODHIAMBO
Most of us,
especially those
who have visited
towns, have used an
elevator, or lift as
they are also known,
to ease movement
up and down multi
storeyed buildings.
I bet you did not
know that elevators
are at least 20 times
faster than escalators and that
there are 20 times more elevators
than escalators in the world. Another
intriguing fact about elevators is that
they are also considered faster than
cars. Here is the interesting bit, an
average of 26 people die in elevators
in the US annually, most of who are
elevator technicians, whilst there are
26 car deaths every ve hours.
Here are more fun facts about
elevators:
In times of crisis, the safest place
is inside the elevator.
Every three days, elevators all over
the world are estimated to carry
the equivalent of an entire Earths
population.
The very rst elevator that had
manual user control, where people
could pick their oor, was installed in
the New York Marriott. Since then,
the US currently has over 700,000
elevators.
Elevator music was introduced in the
1920s to calm fearful passengers who
were using the elevator for the rst
A lot about elevators
time.
The recommended
personal space in a
lift is 2.3 feet, but
the average space
allocated averagely in
most elevators is two
feet.
Back in the day,
the force of over
200 people manually
operated 24 elevators.
Over 10,000 residential elevators
are being installed each year since
home elevators are the new must
have in a luxury home.
The door close button normally
doesnt work, but is there to give
passengers the illusion of control.
In elevators built since the early
90s, the button is only enabled in
emergency situations with a key held
by an authority.
Elevator hatches are generally
bolted shut for safety reasons.
Jumping just before impact in
a falling elevator to catch up is a
myth. You cant jump fast enough to
counteract the speed of the fall; plus
you wouldnt know when to jump.
Today in Kenya, those constructing
buildings taller than four storey are
required to install an elevator in the
building.
Oh! It was the ancient Greeks
who are credited with creating the
rst elevator made using pulleys and
winches.
Ignorance is expensive
May 18, 2014 / The Standard on Sunday
/ Page 3 Next Generation
Folk
tale
By PAUL KARIUKI
There once lived two orphan brothers,
Mugo the hunter and Muturi the farmer.
The two lived in the same compound,
albeit in different huts. Every daybreak,
Mugo would go deep into the jungle to
hunt while his brother toiled on his farm
at the edge of the forest. For their
effort, they never lacked food and other
utilities after trading their produce.
Despite their obvious work ethic, the
two brothers were very different in
temperament. While Muturi was more
collected, Mugo was an impetuous
hot head who never stopped to listen
to others. He had killed numerous
dangerous beasts after all.
One morning, Muturi caught his bother
as he was inspecting his hunting gear. He
had a proposal.
Say Mugo, can you put on hold your
hunting for a day? Muturi asked.

Why? asked a curious Mugo.
Id like to help you repair that gaping
Delightfully, there exists a one-stop resource that has assembled
most of the problems youth face and their corresponding easy and
practical solutions. The brain behind the book is an expert in the
eld of teenage counselling.
The book, What shall I Do, Now? Questions Teenagers Ask...And
Answers That Work is divided into nine chapters.
The opening chapter deals with the problems related to body
changes. Here, teenagers ask questions such as irregular and
delayed menstrual ows, embarrassing breasts, awful body
sizes, amongst many others. The writer delves deeply into the
root of the problems and offers an exhaustive and honest
answer to each question. Whenever necessary she invokes
religious views to enable the youths accept and appreciate
themselves. Readers will, without a doubt, nd such answers
uplifting.
The second chapter deals with school-related problems such
as dissatisfaction with ones school, disrespectful classroom
instructors and dozing off in class.
There is also a chapter that deals with issues of unnatural sexual
orientation. Some bold students wrote to her about their embarrassing sexual
tendencies and the inability to break from the habit. Students with such problems had their
situations assessed and a step-by-step-way out offered.
The book has also done a good job exploring the boy-girl relationships. Questions students often asked about
this topic is how to conquer a member of the opposite sex, how to maintain a relationship, whether to have
sex in a love relationship, how to handle stress emanating from a romantic relationship and how to quit a
troublesome relationship. To all these problems, the author offers mature and realistic answers. Contrary to
popular expectation, the writer does not vilify teenage boy-girl relationships instead offering that they are a
normal stage that can be used positively for the betterment of both parties.
For purposes of emotional stability, this is one book worth reading by every teenager.
A little leak can sink a great ship
AUTHOR: Nancy Njoki Kamau
PUBLISHER: Phoenix Publishers
REVIEWER: GEORGE OLWALO
Book
review
What Shall I Do, Now?
A
s
k
R
os
e
Mail your Ask Rose queries to :
GenerationNext@standardmedia.co.ke
Remember to include your full names, age and location.
Muturi was upbeat, however, and insisted
pointing to the greying skies.
I say, lets repair it today as the rains will
soon be upon us. If we postpone repairing, we
may be forced to make a new wall!
Mugo wouldnt hearken to counsel choosing to
instead saunter off into forest to inspect his
traps. A bewildered Muturi had no choice, but to
repair his wall without his brothers hand.
As fate would have it, later that evening,
as each of the brothers were in their huts, it
started raining. Light showers at rst before
a deluge came tumbling down accompanied by
blowing winds, ashing lightning and rumbling
thunder. The rains beat hard on Mugos wall
as he slept and widened the previously small
hole. As the pouring continued so did the hole
continue widened that in no time, the entire
house was ooded with rainwater.
Craaaash! The sound of Mugos falling hut
was heard miles away. It was so bad that Mugo
made it out by a whisker before he ran to his
brothers hut for cover.
I asked you earlier in the day to repair and
strengthen your wall, but you wouldnt listen
Muturi admonished a shaken Mugo. We will
now have to build you a new hut. From that day
on, our courageous hunter learnt his lesson and
began heeding counsel.
hole on your wall, said Muturi.
Mugo laughed out aloud. Why should a
little hole on the wall be a bother to you?
Besides I can do it myself another day.
DEAR ROSE,
I am Winnie Makena, 16, from Gilgil
and in a boarding school. When I
came back home for the holidays,
I found that my boyfriend was
cheating on me with my best friend.
I all along believed that absence
makes the heart grow fonder, but I
guess I was wrong. I do not want to
lose my best friend whom we are
rather close; neither do I want to
lose my boyfriend. What do I do?
DEAR MAKENA,
It must be very heart breaking to
nd out that people you trust most
have betrayed you. As hard as it may
sound you need to break off both
relationships before they become
toxic.
A guy who
can cheat
clearly has no
respect for
you.
If you stay
with such
a person,
you will feel
undervalued,
unappreciated
and inadequate over time. You do
not want to put yourself in such a
position. That is besides the fact that
you also are too young to be in a
relationship. If you intend to get into
another relationship, however, take
time off to reect about your life and
future before you do.
May 18, 2014 / The Standard on Sunday
Next Generation Page 4 /
Mathare, Kibera and Impala clubs were
the champions of the Shamas Rugby
Foundation (SRF) monthly tournament
played recently at the Kenya Harlequin
ground along Ngong Road, Nairobi.
Mathare overcame odds to win the
Under-10 category whitewashing
Impala 20-5, beating Eastlands 15-10
before going down 5-25 to Kibera.
Determined Impala, eager to
rake in victory, wiped the oor
with Eastlands in a 20-0 victory.
Impala, however, could not
contain Mathare, a loss that saw
them forsake their next contest
against Kibera in the round-robin
encounter.
In the Under-12 category, Kibera
were undoubtedly champions after
overcoming Mathare 15-5 and Eastland
20-5. Unlucky Mathare also suffered in
the hands of Eastlands who tortured
them to make away with a 20-5
victory. Eastlands triumph,
nonetheless, was short-
lived as resurgent
Impala crashed down
on them like a thud of
bricks with a 35-0 win.
Impala carried the
day in
the U-14 category after edging Kibera
20-15, and Mathare 10-5. Mathare were
able to win 15-10 against Kibera in the
category.
Kibera captain Felix Shagwe, while
admitting their total loss in the U14
title, noted that it was simply not their
day. Despite going down to Impala
and Mathare we had opportunity
to learn vital lessons which will
spur us to victory in forthcoming
tournaments, said Shagwe.
Eastlands, who thumped Kibera 25-5,
won the girls U-14 contest. Eastlands
went on to win the girls U-10 category
Feature
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Alive & Kicking Kenya Country Director Rose Maket (left) presents a rugby ball to
Shamas Rugby Foundation founder Azim Deen at the Kenya Harlequin grounds in Nairobi
last weekend. This was a token to represent the 60 balls worth Sh120,000 presented to
the foundation. Part of the action (left).
after
thrashing Kibera. 25-10.
Resolution Impala Saracens centre
Isaac Gomba, who is also one of the
SRF coaches, told Generation Next that
the monthly tournament is designed to
encourage children take up rugby.
Washington Okello, a Kenya Harlequins
y half and SRF coach from Kibera,
was glad the weekend tournament
recorded an increase of 450 players
in April compared to 300 children in
March.
We are looking forward to have over
500 children in the June edition,
said Okello, who explained that some
children miss out due to demanding
school schedules that extend to the
weekends.
At the same time, SRF ofcially
entered into a partnership with social
change agents Alive & Kicking Kenya
which gave the foundation 60 rugby
balls worth Sh120, 000.
Alive & Kicking Kenya Country Director
Rose Maket said her
organisation was impressed with
the work being done by SRF to give
disadvantaged children from various
Nairobi slums a foothold in life through
rugby.
She said: We have promoted football
in a big way in this country, but what
Shamas is doing has humbled us, its
the reason we, for the rst time, have
taken a leap of faith in rugby as a way
of expanding our territory.
While thanking Maket for her
organisations kind gesture, SRF
founder Azim Deen said that the two
organisations would work together and
possibly introdouce a big tournament
where youths will be provided with a
forum to engage in other social issues
besides sports.
William Ferguson, a volunteer with SRF
since November 2012, said their next
area of expansion will be Kangemi.
A better life through rugby
[
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Innings
and
outings
MM Shah and
MV Shah Primary
School pupils
hard at work on
their laptops.
The project
introduced at the
school in 2011 has
greatly improved
the educational
standards at the
institutions.
Tender
Care Junior
Academy,
Umoja,
Nairobi pupils
at their
talent show
held recently.
A whole load of laptops and talent
By ERICK OCHIENG
/ Page 5
FABULOUS FUN AND GAMES
May 18, 2014
Page 4 /
May 18, 2014 / The Standard on Sunday
Page 6 / Next Generation Page 2 / / Page 3
What you will require:
A tarnished piece of silver e.g. a spoon
A pan large enough to completely immerse
the silver in
Aluminium foil to cover the bottom of the
pan
Enough water to ll the pan
Another pan in which to heat the water
Hot pads with which to handle the heated
water vessel
One cup of baking soda
Procedure
1.Line the bottom (inside) of the pan with
aluminium foil and set the silver object
ensuring it touches the aluminium.
2.Heat the water to a boil. Remove it from the
heat and place it in a sink.
3.Add one cup of baking soda to the hot
water. The mixture will froth and may spill
showing why you need a sink.
4. Pour the mixture into the aluminium lined
pan completely covering the silver.
5.Note what happens
What is happening?
The tarnish will begin to disappear almost im-
mediately. If the silver is only lightly tarnished,
all of the tarnish will disappear within several
minutes. If the it is badly tarnished, however,
you may need to reheat the baking soda and
water mixture and give the silver several treat-
ments to remove all of the tarnish.
When silver tarnishes, it combines with sulphur
Career
walk
Neonatologist
and forms silver sulphide. Silver sulphide is black.
When a thin coating of silver sulphide forms on the
surface of silver, it darkens the silver. The silver can
be returned to its former shine by removing the
silver sulphide coating from the surface.
There are two ways to remove the coating of
silver sulphide. One way is to remove the silver sul-
phide from the surface. The other is to reverse the
chemical reaction and turn silver sulphide back into
silver. In the rst method, some silver is removed
in the process of polishing. In the second, the silver
remains in place.
Our tarnish-removal method is he second kind.
Many metals, just like silver, form compounds with
sulphur with some showing a greater afnity for
sulphur than silver does. Aluminium is one such
metal. In our experiment, the silver sulphide reacts
with aluminium when the two come into contact
while immersed in the baking soda solution. Note
that the reaction is faster when the solution is
warm. The solution carries the sulphur from the sil-
ver to the aluminium. The aluminium sulphide may
stick to the aluminium foil, or may form tiny, pale
yellow akes in the bottom of the pan. The silver
and aluminium must be in contact with each other,
because a small electric current ows between
them during the reaction. This type of reaction,
which involves an electric current, is called an
electrochemical reaction. Reactions of this type are
used in batteries to produce electricity.
Dr Know
By ROSE KWAMBOKA
By LYDIA LIMBE
Did you know that some
infants are born with
complications that re-
quire special attention?
Some are born prema-
turely, others with birth
defects or with a serious
illness requiring medical
care. A special group of
paediatricians known as
neonatologists take care of
these young ones. Neona-
tologists specialise in the
care of high-risk infants,
from before birth until
they turn two. Under their
care, the tiniest of infants
have a chance of surviving
and living a normal life. As
expected, this is challeng-
ing work, but intensely re-
warding.
Neonatologists are part
of a large team of caregiv-
ers, including the mothers
gynaecologist or obste-
trician, respiratory
therapists, paediatric
surgeons and highly
trained nurses or physi-
cian assistants.
After completing a four-
year bachelor of science
degree from any of the uni-
versities in Kenya known
as pre-med, aspiring neo-
natologists enter medical
school, which takes anoth-
er four years.
The rst two years train
students on the basics,
including anatomy, physi-
ology, biochemistry and
pharmacology, while the
nal two years include
r o t a t i o n s
in medical
specialties,
including pae-
diatric medicine.
On completing
medical school, students
complete another three-
year residency, where
they choose a specialty
in paediatrics. Most then
complete a fellowship in
neonatology for their nal
years of studies.
Neonatologists focus
their services on infants
who are four weeks old or
younger, but may extend
care if they are following a
patient in an intensive care
unit or paediatric nursery.
They routinely provide
longer-term care for pre-
mature infants who suffer
from a host of complica-
tions such as underdevel-
oped organs, low birth
weight or lack of respon-
siveness. They coordi-
nate care and consult with
other specialists, including
primary care physicians,
paediatricians and
obstetricians.
*Adult supervision required
*Hidden Trivia: What is
our phrase of the week?
Mail in the
correct answer to
GenerationNext@
standardmedia.co.ke for
a chance to win!
Congratulations to
last weeks winners
*Leonida Achieng
*Gloria Chebet Ngetich
*Veronica Makachia
*Peter Njoroge
Cleaning
silverware
May 18, 2014 / The Standard on Sunday
/ Page 7 Next Generation Page 2 / / Page 3
Career
walk
Arrange in
order
Fill in the
puzzle
Maze
Colour
me
Spot
the
difference
Name
it
May 18, 2014 / The Standard on Sunday
Page 8 / Next Generation Page 4 / / Page 5
My
fashion
MM Shah and MV Shah Primary School, Mombasa
pupils sing birthday songs for Edward Sebwa and
Joy Gitahi who jointly turned four.
[MAARUFU MOHAMED/ STANDARD]
Birthdays
Mercy Kilonzi
(insert) a student
of Maryjoy Primary
School, Mombasa
shares cake with
friends at her
home during a
party celebrating
her sixth birthday.
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NAME: VICTOR MUREITHI.
SCHOOL: GREEN ANGELS DAY AND BOARDING ACADEMY.
AGE: TEN.
CLASS: FIVE.
HOBBIES: SWIMMING AND READING.
FAVOURITE MEAL: UGALI AND BEEF STEW.
AMBITION: TO BE A SCIENTIST.
May 18, 2014 / The Standard on Sunday
/ Page 9 Next Generation Page 4 / / Page 5
Breaktime teasers
Hot on the street
#WhatJayZSaidToSolange
The biggest buzz on social media this week has
without a doubt been the ferocious assault by
Solange (Singer Beyoncs sister) on Rapper Jay
Z captured on surveillance video. Even though it
is unclear what triggered the ght, social media
went up in ames with memes on the incident
S
o
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d
ia By @ThornMulli
What did the pony say when it had a sore
throat?
Im a little hoarse (horse).
What key wont open any door?
A monkey.
Why did the tomato turn red?
Because it saw the salad dressing.
What colour of socks do bears wear?
They dont wear socks; they have bear
(bare) feet.
What do you get when you cross a snake
and a pie?
A pie-thon (python).
What do you call a cow with no legs?
Ground beef.
When is a door not a door?
When it is ajar (a jar).
Techie
on a dedicated hashtag where users guessed what
Jay Z could have said to Solange to trigger such a
violent response. Many couldnt help, but poke fun
at the rapper even as a few sober minds supported
his restraint.
JJ @JJ_Smudger
My lips are bigger than your career.
Rihanna Navy @RihzNavy
She said, This elevator is going nowhere, and he
answered, Just like your career AND THE FIGHT
WAS ON!
Karemera Dean @karemeradean
The elevator has more oors than you have fans.
Tebogo @tebogo_wesi
No you cannot babysit for us again.
Ay_Gee_ROo :-D @XavierEjiro
You kind of look like a whale in this dress.
Davey A Odiwuor @DaveyBrusby
And suddenly
you all seem
to think Jay
has 100 problems,
huh! Anybody who acts in a
civilized should be commended for it.
MAJIMAJI @MajimajiKenya
Jay Z: Solange is on the 6th oor room 229
Chris Brown: I got this
Kiskolee @Kiskolee
If I see one more #WhatJayZSaidToSolange meme
that features Jay-Z talking to Chris Brown about
payback, I will lose it. COME ON PEOPLE.
VeroniKa @vkerce
Well I guess #JayZ has 100 problems now. Troy The
Boy @Luv_Anise
I think, until one of them speaks, which will
probably never happen, nobody should mention
the Solange and Jay Z situation.
Imagine a social media addict at
a friends house then their phone
battery runs low. The host has
a charger, but cannot share it
because they too are charging
their equally energy drained
smartphones. A worrying situation for our addict, unless
of course they have the Mugenizer N11 Portable Wireless
Charger Power Bank.
This amazing creation is a wireless charger, compatible
with all phone types, which doubles up as a portable
battery. The user has the option of plugging in their
device the old fashioned way or placing it in close
proximity to the charger for it to charge. This means that
you can charge two phones simultaneously, one plugged
in and the other wireless. The latter, however, does so at
a much slower pace.
With 4800mAh capacity, the charger has the capacity
to charge a phone more than once. Anytime you start
charging a device, the power pack emits a high-pitched
beep. If you are on the move, a rubberized ring in the
middle of the charger keeps your phone from slipping
when charging. Six LED lights let you know when the
Mugenizer is charging a phone and also tells you how
much charge is left on it to alert you on need to charge it.
Mugenizer N11 Charger
P
IC
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F
T
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K
As the cold continues to bite and the
weatherman promises more chills to
come, you need not look drab while
keeping warm. It is for this reason that
Houndstooth; the woven fabric was in-
vented.
The fabric, a classic menswear print,
can be tailored into basically any
cloth be it a skirt, trouser, hat, bag, gloves
or jacket. Whats more, it can be found in
high fashion brand shops or in local vintage
shops if you do not have the money to spend
thousands on high fashion.
Give your houndstooth dress a pop by lin-
ing its hem with bright neon colours and a
thin neon belt to cinch in the waist. If wearing a trouser,
ensure the top is
plain to ensure it
does not compete
with the print and
you end up look-
ing too busy?
If you opt to
wear the trend
on shoes, ensure
you pair it up with
a houndstooth jacket for that over- the-top style
statement. Keep all other accessories and bot-
toms plain and subtle to avoid looking shabby.
Generally, this print is all about balance. Not to
worry because for the most part is that you will
feel the bulk if you have too much on prompt-
ing you to shed some weight off.
Series
Review
For Peter Parker, played by Andrew Gareld, theres no feeling quite
like swinging between skyscrapers and spending time with Gwen
(Emma Stone) whom he just recently got back together with. Being
Spider-Man comes at a price, nonetheless, as only Spider-Man can
protect his fellow New Yorkers from the frightening villains that
threaten the city. With the emergence of a new villain Electro (Jamie
Foxx), Peter must confront an enemy far more powerful than he. Peter
also realises that all of his enemies have one thing in common: they
are connected through OsCorp. What really gets the movie really going,
however, is the relationship between Peter and Gwen who, by the way,
are dating in real life. Their love story is what really drives the lm to
perfection even with the hiccups they endure.
You also do not want to miss how well Jamie Foxx lls the role of
Electro. He has a sinister goal, dark powers, and the intention of
destroying the hero; true qualities of a super-villain. If you can, get the
big screen 3D experience: Totally worth it.
The Internet has been abuzz over the
attack by Solange on her brother-in-
law in an elevator. Even puzzling is
the fact that Beyonc stayed mum the
entire time her husband was being
attacked.
The real question, however, is: Why
did Solange attack Jay-Z?
Well, according to a source, things
went sour at the Met Gala when two of
Solanges non-famous friends caused a
scene trying to get into the Standards
Boom Boom room for a party. The
pair kept dropping Jay Zs name,
pretending to be his guests and not
Solanges. When Jay Z got wind of the
situation, he voiced his displeasure
at Solanges friends using his name
in vain. Solange it is reported, did
not take kindly to the snap, turned
sullen and said she wanted to leave
the party.
As they left, Jay Z then said that he
would head to nearby Up & Down,
where Rihanna was holding her own
post-gala party. Jays people called
ahead and said he didnt need extra
security since Beyonc would not
be accompanying him. Solange who
seemed drunk and irritated at the
time said to Jay Z,
Why cant you go home? and to her
sister, Why does your husband need
to go to the club right now?
Jay Z response, Youre one to talk,
sent Solange off leading to the attack.
Well, Jay Z never attended Rihannas
party.
TRENDVILLE
BY ROSE KWAMBOKA
Why Solange
atacked Jay Z
Houndstooth print
The Amazing
Spider man 2
MM Shah and MV Shah Primary School, Mombasa
pupils sing birthday songs for Edward Sebwa and
Joy Gitahi who jointly turned four.
[MAARUFU MOHAMED/ STANDARD]
Birthdays
Mercy Kilonzi
(insert) a student
of Maryjoy Primary
School, Mombasa
shares cake with
friends at her
home during a
party celebrating
her sixth birthday.
[PHOTOS:
BEVERLINE
MUSILI/
STANDARD]
Celebrity Psst...
May 18, 2014 / The Standard on Sunday
Page 10 / Next Generation
Page 6 /
Generation Next: What do you do for a living?
Alexandra Cunningham: I run Boundless City, a people-based
urban development company that supports existing residents
and businesses in areas undergoing redevelopment by offering
space, resources, and opportunities. I am self-employed, running
this initiative for about a year and a half now.
GN: What does your company do?
AC: Boundless City works on three different levels, the rst is in
the pre-development stages, where we will undertake community
studies and consultations before a development like a park
upgrade, road re-pavement, building renovation, happens. This
ensures that the people that already live and work in that space
have a say in what should go there and what people actually
need.
The second level we work in is in linking people on the ground with
the jobs and opportunities that the development creates. These
include: construction, event management, and opportunities to
showcase art, among others.
Last, but not least, we ensure that the spaces developed are
accessible to all economic level done by including affordable
housing, affordable commercial spaces, and public spaces.
GN: You are American yet you live in South Africa, how did
that come about?
AC: I attended New York University where I went to the Gallatin
School of Individualised Study. This, in my opinion, is a great place
to study considering they allow you to create your own course of
study. I was allowed to take any class I wanted and to travel, as
long as it t into my self-created course. My degree was in Art
and Urban Community Development. I got the chance to study
at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South
Africa for a semester in 2011. After my semester there, I worked
at an internship at the Johannesburg Development Agency. I
moved into an apartment in the inner city, and fell in love with
everything about the Johannesburg CBD and surrounding areas.
I graduated in 2012, but decided to stay on in South Africa.
GN: What made you decide to stay?
AC: My interest in inclusive urban development t
perfectly with the changes that Johannesburg is currently
undergoing. Africa as a continent currently has a lot of
potential for growth with the incredible opportunity to do
things better than the rest of the world. I grew up in re-
developed spaces in the US, and saw rst hand how the
rich beneted and the poor suffered. I believe there has
to be a better way of improving cities and beneting
everyone in the community: a way that does not push
out those who lived there before and braved the bad
times.
GN: What are some of the challenges you
face in your line of work?
AC: One of the biggest challenges is
convincing people that a new model of
inclusive urban development can work.
It is especially difcult in Johannesburg,
where there are many hijacked buildings if
a developer wants to purchase the building and
redevelop it, they often brutally evict the residents of the
building who may have been living there for years, but because
they were paying rent to a slum lord, they have no rights over
their space, or if they do have rights, they often dont know
what they are. I believe that new developments have the
responsibility to not only improve the city and turn a prot
for development companies, but to also do it in an ethical
way that provides equal opportunity to both the rich and the
poor.
GN: What is you greatest career achievement so far?
AC: Interestingly, I reckon that a failure (the closing of my
rst business) is my greatest career achievement. When I
was 19 years old, I opened a non-prot arts organisation
in the US. As the sole proprietor of the business, I had to
le all the paperwork, sort out taxes, and everything else that
needed to be done. It was a very exciting and risky move running
a business while still in school and working for another company
at the same time. Two years later, however, I closed shop for
various reasons it was not run on a very sustainable business
model, and I no longer believed that non-prot work could make
a great impact. Many would say that the closure was a failure, but
I see it as an achievement that taught me a lot of lessons that are
really paying off in my new business. I am proud of taking that
risk, and knowing when the time was right to move on.
GN: What other African countries have you visited?
AC: I have lived in Ghana and South Africa, and visited Botswana,
Zimbabwe, and now Kenya.
GN: Tell us a little about yourself?
AC: My younger brother, Brian, and I grew up in San Jose,
California, in a neighbourhood that was undergoing a lot of re-
development (probably why I do urban development now). I liked
a little bit of everything. I was a nerdy athlete who did very well in
school and loved reading, but was also keen on basketball, roller
hockey, swimming, played the piano, loved punk rock music, and
was an artist. In fact, I believed that when I was all grown, I would
travel the world making and selling my art everywhere I went.
GN: This is also your rst time in Kenya, what brings you
here, and what do you love about Nairobi so far?
AC: I love Nairobi. I already cannot wait to come back. I love the
CBD because I am a city girl, as well as the basketball scene. My
favourite neighbourhood so far is Eastleigh. There is so much
energy and diversity there and you easily can tell that it is a tight-
knit community where everyone knows everyone and looks out
for each other. There is great potential for development there that
can benet a wide range of people, but only if it is done correctly
and with community input and opportunities.
GN: Away from your main job, are you involved in anything
else?
AC: Being the boss of my main job often allows me to weave in
my other hobbies and interests. My company, for example, runs a
basketball tournament and teaches high school art classes, which
in extension are two of my greatest passions.
GN: What code do you live your life by?
AC: I believe in living in the moment and taking risks. I have
put this quote by the guitarist Johnny X, whosebands
music I enjoy, on the wall of every building I have lived
since I was 15: You are not alive yesterday, you are
not alive tomorrow, but if you can grab something
in that moment, you have a chance.
GN: What are your dreams and goals, what do
you hope to accomplish in 2014?
AC: Boundless City opened its rst caf and
bar in Johannesburg in March 2014, which is
very exciting, because with that comes great
opportunities for community collaboration,
platforms for artists, and larger deals in the
future. I am focused on making that space a big
success this year. In ten years, I hope to have
Boundless City operating in at least three
cities internationally, and to have invested in
and developed property in Johannesburg. I
will probably have also launched some other
ventures, but I dont know what those might be
yet.
GN: You are still very young and you have
accomplished quite a bit, what advice can you
give other young Kenyans?
AC: If you have an idea, an interest, or a passion, go
for it and try. If you fail, you will have learnt much
faster than you would have, if you did not try.
Alexandra Cunningham, 23,
is every parents dream child.
Not only is she ambitious
and focused, but she is also
a true philanthropist as Rose
Kwamboka found out.
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I can change the world
Top
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May 18, 2014 / The Standard on Sunday
/ Page 11 Next Generation
/ Page 7
Style
lab
Dont you just love functional pieces that are also fashionable?
Well, sweaters are. Not only do they keep us warm during cold seasons,
they can also be super stylish if paired well with other garments as
SCARLET NDUTA shows us.
MODEL: SHIRO
CLOTHES AND ACCESSORIES
FROM: MR PRICE
A long cosy sweater top
is the ideal pairing for
leggings and booties.
Bohemian looks are
best for lazy chilled out
weekends. Wear a maxi
dress and drape a
sweater on top.
Little drawings on
sweaters are cute. For
a girly outt, pair them
with ared skirts.
Sweater
Craze
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A jersey inspired
sweater is all you
need to toughen up
the famous little black
dress.
We all love pencil
skirts. Tuck in your
sweater and match with
heels for a perfect
day ensemble.
May 18, 2014 / The Standard on Sunday
Next Generation
School
profile
NAME: Anestar Boys
High School, Lanet.
COUNTY: Nakuru.
MOTTO: In Pursuit of Knowledge
and Discipline.
NICKNAME: Anestar Bee.
SCHOOL BUS NICKNAME: The Star.
SISTER SCHOOL: Anestar Victory high
school.
FAVOURITE GAME: Football and volleyball.
The two school teams have both made it to
the County Level championship.
MOST ACTIVE CLUB: Anestar Bureau
Information (ABI), the club that keeps the
school informed on current affairs.
LATEST SLANG: Friends refer to one
another as Anesto comrades.
FAVOURITE MEAL: Rice and bean soup
served every Tuesday and Saturday.
FAVOURITE TEACHER: Mr
Kinyanjui who makes
Chemistry lessons fun
learning by employing
understandable
examples.
COMPILED BY BONIFACE THUKU
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STANDARD ON SUNDAY, May 18, 2014
P.4
SUNDAY
MAGAZINE
Alternative
rites of
passage,
Page 2/SUNDAY MAGAZINE Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard
Fromtheheart
welcome
People make statistics

Statistic is supposed to be a neutral

word, but it tends to carry a negative
air. Perhaps because it is often pre-
ceded by the word grim.
When the news anchor starts with, Sta-
tistics reveal that I brace myself for bad
news. It seems I rarely get to hear about
positive markers. (And why do those num-
bers only reveal, or, at best, signal? Like
anyone ever uncovered something good.)
When the national exam results are an-
nounced, for instance, rst will come the
joyful announcement of the names of the
top achievers. And then the reporter will
mention statistics, and the story will delve
into the depressing details of which county
has had ve schools in the bottom ten for
the past three years.
Mostly, the statistics in the bulletins and
newspapers are about inequality, criminal
activity, disease and death. Of late, there
have been too many, and too large, num-
bers about that last one.
Ofcial reports say more than 80 souls
have been lost to killer brews in the recent
past. Unofcial reports put the number at
well over 100. One newspaper article de-
scribed this loss as lives snuffed out by a
common drink.
I dont know much about which drink is
common and which is not, but I do believe
the theory that these people died of poison-
ing. Homemade brews have been drunk
for centuries, but Im yet to hear a folk tale
about a plague stemming from rewater.
Hopefully, well go beyond our usu-
al blame games and knee-jerk reactions this
time round, nd the source and conduits
of this common poison, and bring them
all tumbling down. (Legitimate industries
have been dealt a deathblow in this coun-
try in the past, so an illegal one should be as
easy as drinking water.)
But back to the statistics. Or not. Num-
bers, however grim, only show trends and
patterns. They may shock, but they rarely
draw a reaction beyond a clicking of the
tongue and a shaking of the head. And then
we move on to the next big story.
The people who dont quickly move on
with us are those to whom the news items
are not just a bunch of gures; the people
who are those numbers, or to whom the
statistics have faces and names.
When one person dies of alcohol-relat-
ed poisoning, this is barely a blip on the
storymetre or national statistics. But to a
certain family, it is the loss of a soulmate,
cherished father, rent payer, school fees
provider For them, life will never be the
same.
And it is wrong for us to conduct a few
haphazard searches, pour some gallons of
brew and re a few civil servants, and then
hope that life will go on as usual. Unless we
take this war, and similar ones, seriously,
our news will always be dominated by grim
statistics.
FEEDBACK
CHILDLESS BY CHOICE
Rose Njeri: They do not know what they are lacking. It feels
so nice when you wake up every morning and see what is
making you work hard. Kids are great and a precious gift.
Pro Kimai: We cant lie to each other that we are living for
fun. Why, then, did we go to school in the rst place? Why do
we work? Having children is a command from God.
Jenny Koks: What would the world look like without
mothers? Im proud to be a mother.
Barbara Adell: It is a personal choice; neither is better than
the other.
CaroliynMwangi: I think it is okay to decide not to be a
mother. It is a personal choice, just like someone can decide
not to get married. Let us not judge or condemn other people
because being a mother does not make a person better than
others; there are mothers who behave like animals towards
their kids. Let us respect peoples decisions on their private
lives.
JohnGichamu: Oprah is a great mother to the many people
she has helped; she deserves to be honoured, too. Being a
mum is not just about giving birth; it is also about having a
caring heart.
Clyde Cassimy: A woman and a man could be very, very
happy and fullled without children. Ask my wife and me!
Alex Chira: I dont think it is a must that one have kids.
People should not dictate ones life; happiness is a personal
thing. Thats why I also chose not to be a father, because I am
not a fan of kids.
Terry
Drink tea and coffee between meals, not
with meals. These beverages contain tan-
nin, which can reduce iron absorption.
Eat lean red meat three to four times a
week. It is a source of easy-to-absorb iron.
Vitamin C helps us to absorb iron. So, have
a glass of orange or tomato juice with your
meal, for example, and eat vegetables such
as broccoli, green peppers and spinach.
Buy a range of nuts and seeds to add to
your favourite salads and stews.
Check the label when you buy your break-
fast cereal. Choose those higher in iron.
Make sandwiches using wholemeal bread.
Adapted from nutrition.gett.com
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Know your mind and body: when to play, when
to work and when to take a break.
Anne Mukei
BOOST YOUR IRON LEVELS
TIPS AND TRICKS
Published by: The Standard Group Ltd
Sunday Managing Editor: Enoch Wambua
Deputy Managing Editor: Fred Waga
Senior Sub-editor: Terry Mwenda
Writers: Anne Anjao-Eboi, Anne Mukei, Rozie Juma,
Sylvia Wakhisi, Joan Barsulai, James Gitau, Tony Ngare,
Sheila Kimani, Lucy Maroncha, Sophia Oyugi, Veronica
Cherop, Benson Riungu, Joseph Maina, Shamlal Puri,
Lydia Limbe, Lynet Otieno
Photography: Wilberforce Okwiri, Collins Kweyu, Jonah
Onyango, Jenipher Wachie
Manager Print Creative : Dan Weloba
Creative Designer: Christine Nyaga
E-mail: sundaymagazine@standardmedia.co.ke;
Website: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/mag
All correspondence to Sunday Magazine is
assumed to be intended for publication. Sunday
Magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited
manuscripts, artworks or photographs. All rights on
publication remain with the publisher.
P.15
Getaway
P.14
Diaspora &
destination
Highlights
SUNDAY RIDE: An
unstately reception
When a trafc policewoman ignores
your humblest pleas, be prepared to
become a guest of the State.
PAGE 7
FAMILY FINANCE: Financial
cushion for bundle of joy
There are nine months between
conception and birth, so labour ward
fees should not be an emergency.
PAGE 11
BABA JIMMY: Gleaning the
crumbs of education
A lot of negative things have been said
about 8-4-4, but there are some lights
in the alleged darkness.
PAGE 12
Write to us on sundaymagazine@standardmedia.
co.ke.
P.9
Fashion
SUNDAY MAGAZINE /Page 3 Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard
Etiquette
WITH ROZIE JUMA
Borrow money without losing friends
B
orrowing money is sometimes
inevitable, whether from shy-
locks, banks, Saccos, friends or
relatives. Among all these, only
friends and relatives can lend you money
without many demands, such as your pay-
slip, surety etc.
However, when you borrow from these
people and default in payment, you may
end up ruining a great relationship. Mon-
ey is a sensitive issue. There, thus, ought to
be some rules when it comes to borrowing
from friends and relatives.
Last resort: Let borrowing be your last
option, and only when you genuinely
need the money. Consistent borrowing
may portray you as irresponsible, and
alienate your friends.
Borrow from someone you trust: There
are friends and relatives who will lend
you money and then spread the word
to all who care to listen about your in-
ability to sustain your lifestyle.
Why do you need the money? People
will be willing to help as long as they
are sure the money is for a worthwhile
cause. Borrowing to pay your rent
With
Anne Mukei
Fromtheheart
makes some sense, but borrowing to
offset a loan you took to go on holiday
in Dubai is frivolity.
Keep your word: If you borrowed mon-
ey to pay your mothers hospital bill, do
not divert it to other things, like reup-
holstering your worn out sofa.
Sign an agreement: Sign a contract that
indicates the amount borrowed, terms
of repayment and due date. Let both of
you sign it as a binding document.
Lump sum payment: If you have
agreed to repay the money in six in-
stallments, keep to this schedule. It
may not be easy to pay a lump sum at
the end of the six months, so pay the
monthly dues to avoid conict.
Serious business: Money does not
come easy. To avoid ruining your rela-
tionship because of money, steer clear
of personal feelings. Treat it as serious
business transaction where defaulting
is not an option.
Spend wisely: If you borrow Sh10,000
from your aunt to start a small busi-
ness because you are nancially down,
yet the next time she meets you, you
are buying a perfume worth Sh5,000, it
gives the impression that you take the
money you owe for granted. Why not
use that money to reduce the amount
you owe?
the course. (One circle had the same
diameter as the golf hole while the
others were either smaller or larg-
er.)
The better players tended to
overestimate the size of the holes
by between ten and 20 per cent. In
their minds, they had better oppor-
tunity to play since the holes were
larger.
Now, the researchers believe
this is the reason why the players
subconsciously adopted a more
positive mindset to improving their
game.
I bet this is nothing new, as the
school of positive thinking urges
us to cloak ourselves with as much
positivism as we can. To adorn our-
selves with afrmations that we can
do it, that we will do it. They say
faith can literally move mountains.
REALISTIC
If you have never
applied this mode
of thought, then
you will be
quick to rub-
bish such
talk. But as
clear as day,
it does really
work. Just try it
today.
While at it, re-
member that being
over-optimistic can be self-defeat-
ing, so be realistic. Still, it is best to
adopt a positive attitude.
I like to call this abstract science;
for it is something you cannot touch;
simply an attitude, or a trick of the
mind. But this trick of the mind has
served many people wonders. Like
a friend says, a positive mind is all
you need to traverse the valleys and
dark tunnels of life.
Y
esterday, I nally got
around to doing some
sewing that I had been
putting off for a while. I
got out my set of needles and picked
the one that seemed largest; they
were all rather small.
And then started the struggle to
put the thread through the rather
tiny hole began. It took me a while,
and I even joked that surely, I was
losing my sight. Either that, or my
approach was just wrong.
I was about to send for a larger
needle when my stubborn streak
took over. I wont give up, I resolved,
even as I recalled this tale on golf I
had read from a blog called Mood-
scope.
It is obvious that if the size of
the holes were to be increased, the
game would take a much shorter
time. The bigger the holes are, the
more likely it is that the golf balls
will plop into them, rather like
moving the goalposts further apart
in football.
The account goes ahead to say
that psychologists at Purdue Uni-
versity in Indiana have recently
discovered that better golf players
appear to perceive holes as being
larger than they actually are.
The research involved showing
golfers a board with different sized
circles after they had nished their
round, then asking them to indicate
the one that was the size of those on
Should you
look to the
stars?
A
while back, I was
amused to see that one
of my favourite morn-
ing TV shows had an
astrologer as a guest.
Normally, I would change
channels, but I was curious to
see what new thing he would
bring on board.
Of course, I started with a
sceptical mind, and by the end
of the show, I was ten times
more incredulous! Why? Astrol-
ogy just does not work!
The world has diluted as-
trology so much that many of
us forget that it actually has its
roots in the occult practice of
fortune telling. Scripture is cat-
egorical that it is sin to look to
the stars for guidance.
Back to the TV show guest.
At the end of the broadcast, the
presenter asked the astrologer
to read her palm and reveal her
future. It went something like
this: You have always been a
protected child, and you will
get a husband who will protect
you You will nd a lot of hap-
piness in your life, and a little
sadness, too.
Now, good people, which
sane parent does not protect
his or her children? Is it not
common knowledge that life is
full of happiness as well as sad-
ness?
ADMIRATION
Crazy enough, the response
on social media was one of ad-
miration, with some people
asking for the seers contacts,
while others expressed their
amazement.
Astrology is based upon
the use of stars and planets to
read into a persons past, pres-
ent, and future. For some, it is
tied to a belief that the position
of certain celestial entities has
an impact on our lives. Other
astrologists believe that there
are gods in those celestial bod-
ies that impact our lives.
Let us be warned folk: God
warns us against worshipping
other gods or seeking out fortu-
netellers, mediums, and practi-
tioners of occult practices. Why
does God take exception to oc-
cultism? The main concern is
that when we look to astrology
for advice, we take our eyes and
trust away from God.
To understand why God ab-
hors occultism, look at what
scripture says about one King
Manasseh, who sacriced his
own son in the re. He practised
sorcery and divination, and
consulted with mediums and
psychics. Manasseh did much
evil in the Lords sight, arous-
ing Gods anger. The lesson we
learn is that occultism and evil
walk together.
UNFAITHFUL
The Word also records a
time when God proclaimed that
doom would come to Babylon,
and there was nothing the as-
trologers could do to save the
people from it.
And here is what another
passage has to say: All the
counsel you have received has
only worn you out! Let your as-
trologers come forward, those
stargazers who make predic-
tions month by month, let them
save you from what is coming
upon you.
Surely they are like stubble;
the re will burn them up. They
cannot even save themselves
from the power of the ame.
Here are no coals to warm any-
one; here is no re to sit by.
Horoscopes dele us. When
we consult them, we are de-
testable to the Lord. We end up
practising a worthless religion.
King Saul died because he was
unfaithful to the Lord in that he
consulted a medium instead of
asking God for guidance.
When we look to the stars
for direction, we are telling God
that He is not enough for us and
that we do not have the patience
to wait on His time. When we
are in trouble, the stars wont
save us, only God can.
Moment with God
WITH ANNE ANJAO-EBOI
A mind trick is
all you need
Page 4/SUNDAY MAGAZINE Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard
Mainfeature
Alternative rites
of passage
Facing the knife is now an
option for maasai girls as elders
and morans embrace change,
write MAUREEN ABWAO and
BRIGID CHEMWENO.
R
emote is an apt descrip-
tion of Kimana Shopping
Centre in Kajiado South
County. But its residents
are forward-looking and open-
minded than one would expect of
a rural village in Maasailand.
The road to Kimana winds
through semi-arid stretches and
savanna, where wild animals
roam freely. As we brave the rough
journey past Amboseli National
Park, the snow on top of Mount
Kilimanjaro, the tallest in Africa,
and which straddles Kenya and
Tanzania, glimmers from a dis-
tance.
The shopping centre turns out
to be a cluster of shops that most
city dwellers would dismiss as a
rural backwater. From here, ve
hours after we left the city, we
need a guide to take us to our nal
destination; the Amboseli man-
yatta.
In such a far-ung area, one
would expect to nd die-
hard traditionalists and a thriving
administering of a culture long
forgotten in many places. But the
developments occurring here are
making history.
We have been invited to a com-
ing of age ceremony. There is no
Female Genital Cutting (FGC) or
spearing of wild animals though.
This is a major break from tra-
ditional Maa culture, where teen-
age, and sometimes younger, girls
are circumcised and married off
immediately. Their brothers are
required to not only undergo the
cut, but also bring home a game
trophy, ideally a lion, to be consid-
ered real men.
The ceremony we are about to
witness is a very important one
because it includes iltuati, the
installation of the chief moran,
or warrior, of the Maasai commu-
nity. This is a rare cultural event
that usually takes place once ev-
ery 20 years or so. Members of the
local community have turned up
in their hundreds. It is also a
tourist attraction, and out-
siders are well repre-
sented, cameras at
the ready.
When it is
time to start,
t h e
chants of the warriors echo in
the air as they sing and dance to
traditional songs that mark such
important ceremonies, includ-
ing Miboni, Etikisa and Nateyia,
accompanied by the kudu, a tra-
ditional horn used to summon
meetings. The expectant crowd
comes to life; humming and clap-
ping along, or clicking away as
they capture moments from the
extraordinary event to take home.
NEW GROUND
At the same function are
young Maasai girls decked out in
colourful beaded ornaments, with
orange shukas wrapped around
their shoulders. The look is
crowned with a special headpiece,
made just for this occasion; it says
No FGC.
Not so long ago, it would have
been taboo to even broach this
topic in public, leave alone op-
pose a rite of passage that dates
back centuries. But for these girls,
puberty will not be welcomed by
a cut that endangers their lives,
being married off (sometimes to
virtual strangers), or high-risk
childbirth. They are free to ma-
ture, pursue their education, and
choose their own husbands.
The girls are also treading on
n e w
ground in another way. Previ-
ously, this ceremony, and any
other related to the warriors, was
out of bounds for uncircumcised
girls. In fact, they would not have
been allowed near the emanyatta
(moran camp), even without their
anti-FGC regalia.
This is quite a unique spec-
tacle in the Maasai community as
previously, anti-FGC campaigns
would not be conducted at such
an event, says Nice Nailantei
Lengete, Amrefs project ofcer for
the Alternative Rites of Passage. It
was strictly a cultural affair and no
modernity was allowed.
But this exclusivity ended after
the ceremony, when the young
morans were allowed to engage
in sexual activities with multiple
partners, putting them and the
girls at risk of contracting HIV.
Things are different now
though. An interaction with Am-
boselis modern morans shows
that most of these young men are
in school and have joined the ght
against HIV and female circumci-
sion.
Hundreds of girls, such as a
Susan Siyiampei, a Form Two stu-
dent at Lenkisem High School,
are undergoing an alternative rite
of passage, where no blood is
shed. The girls are edu-
CAUSING HARM,
NO GOOD
Female genital mutilation (FGM)
includes procedures that inten-
tionally alter or cause injury to
the female genital organs for
non-medical reasons.
The procedure has no health
benets for girls and women.
More than 125 million girls and
women alive today have been
cut in the 29 countries in Africa
and the Middle East where FGM
is concentrated.
FGM is mostly carried out be-
tween infancy and age 15.
FGM is a violation of the human
rights of girls and women.
Long-term consequences of FGM
include: Recurrent bladder and
urinary tract infections; cysts;
infertility; increased risk of child-
birth complications and newborn
deaths; the need for later surger-
ies. For example, the FGM pro-
cedure that seals or narrows a
vaginal opening needs to be cut
open later to allow for sexual in-
tercourse and childbirth. Some-
times it is stitched again several
times, including after childbirth.
Source: World Health Organisa-
tion
SUNDAY MAGAZINE /Page 5 Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard
Mainfeature
cated on sexuality, hygiene, adult
responsibilities, HIV and their
rights.
In the Maasai community,
FGC is an old-age tradition that
has been hard to ght. Previously,
an uncircumcised woman from
my community would not nd a
suitor. Even after the outlawing of
the vice, it continues in secret in
some areas, explains Siyiampei.
Siyiampei considers herself
lucky to be among the girls who
have a choice on the course their
future takes. It is a freedom their
mothers and grandmothers could
not have imagined.
I now do not have to worry
about circumcision; all I am re-
quired to do is to continue work-
ing hard in school so as to have
a bright future. The elders have
blessed us and accepted us as
adults in the community, says a
delighted Siyiampei.
Through the alternative rites of
passage, the young girls not only
escape the pain of the knife, but
also the risk of contracting HIV
through sharing a blade, and life-
threatening complications such
as bleeding to death.
Young girls are often trau-
matised after undergoing FGC,
but many tend to remain silent
because it is a cultural taboo for
one to speak about sexual issues
in the community, explains Sev-
erina Lemachokoti, a teacher who
is also a counsellor.
Through the alternative rite
of passage known as Entito En
Ma in the Maa language, the girls
are taught to be more assertive as
they are also encouraged to speak
about their bodies and sexuality.
The facilitators also speak to the
young morans on safe sex, behav-
iour change and HIV and Aids.
Even the elders have joined
the campaign to end unneces-
sary bloodshed and help Maa girls
make more of their lives.
We are doing away with prac-
tices that are of no value to us. Our
daughters and granddaughters
want formal education, and we,
the elders, now know the value of
sending them to school, says Wil-
liam Orumoi, a community elder.
The slaying of wild animals
has also been relegated to history.
The future belongs to morans who
prove their mettle in a different
way.
We now protect wild animals.
We also encourage our young men
to go to school, and as you have
witnessed, the young man who
was crowned the chief morans is a
Form Three student; education is
key, Orumoi adds.
At the peak of the celebrations,
the morans and girls are blessed
by 60 elders, who symbolically
sprinkle milk and liquor on them.
The ceremony ends in the af-
ternoon as the morans, striking
in their red regalia, hair painted
with a mixture of red-oxide and oil
melted from a bulls fat, and bod-
ies smeared with red ochre, show-
case their prowess in the tradi-
tional Maasai jump known as
adumu.
The men gather in small
groups as they engage in
the meat eating ceremony
known as enkangoo-nkiri
and drink the traditional
brew under the shades of
acacia trees, while wom-
en share their meals with
the children.
The initiates are
awarded certicates.
So far, more than 270
girls have escaped the cut in
this area this year, and other
alternative rite ceremonies
will be conducted in August
and December. The three-day
programme was started in 2008
and has so far benetted more
than 2,000 girls.
Alternative
rites of
passage
embrace
modern
practices such
as formal
education,
and discour-
age female
genital
mutilation
and early mar-
riage. [PHOTOS:
MBUGUA
KIBERA /
STANDARD]
PICTURES: James Keyi
Page 6/SUNDAY MAGAZINE Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard
Unsung heroes
BELOW: Bro Dr
Joseph Udeaja
did not go to
secondary
school until he
was 24, but he
now has a
doctorate.
RIGHT: Udeaja
(left) with
Nairobi
Deputy
Governor
Jonathan
Mueke at a
college
function.
PHOTOS:
COURTESY/
STANDARD]
Young JOSEPH UDEAJA had the option of taking up arms against his
countrymen, but as he tells JECKONIA OTIENO, he opted to join the army of
God, and then took up the ght against illiteracy.
I refused to take up arms
and chose to read instead
A
t the age of 20, Bro Dr
Joseph Udeaja was in a
dilemma; he had to de-
cide whether to join the
Nigerian civil war and kill his friends
and brother because their political
views clashed with his, or he could
stay put and just watch the war un-
fold. He joined a different army, and
began a journey that saw him rise to
head a tertiary institution in Kenya.
Udeaja, born in Nigerias
eastern town of Nnobi, decided to
join a religious order the army
of God to serve humanity rather
than decimate it. The path he took
led him to become an educationist,
and he now heads Marist Interna-
tional University College (MIUC).
The college in Nairobis Karen area
is a constituent of the Catholic Uni-
versity of Eastern Africa (CUEA).
My parents were peasant farm-
ers who could not afford to take
me to school. So I became a trader,
characteristic of a true Ibo, Udeaja
narrates.
When the war broke out in
1967, his friends joined the war but
he could not, because he could not
come to terms with killing anybody
just because they held a different
view from his.
It was during this period of
conict that Udeaja got the inspira-
tion to become a religious brother
in the Roman Catholic Church. In
1969, he got a job as a catechist in
his local parish, and one year later,
he joined the Marist Brothers of
the Schools. In 1971, he started
his secondary school education,
aged 24.
On nishing his second-
ary school education in
1974, Udeaja enrolled in
religious formation for
another four years, and
made his rst profes-
sion as a religious
brother in 1977, at
the age of 30. Life
was just beginning.
SHORT BREAK
In 1978, Udeaja
taught at the juniorate
(seminary) where he
had enrolled for his sec-
ondary school studies. Then,
in 1979, he went to university and
graduated with a degree in physics
in 1983. He was posted back to the
same juniorate as the dean of stud-
ies and deputy director.
I completed my masters in
1990 and got a job at the Abia State
University as a lecturer of phys-
ics. I then pursued my doctorate
in physics, completing it in
1996.
The call to education took a
short break in 1998, when Udeaja
was appointed superior of the
Nigerian Province of the Marist
Brothers. He held this post until
2005, when he was moved to Kenya
to head Marist International Cen-
tre, a religious educational centre.
LAY STUDENTS
From just 83 students in 2005,
the college now has about 900
scholars. This growth is mainly at-
tributed to the fact that the college
opened its doors to lay students,
who are not in any religious order.
In 2006, with the permission
of the sponsors of the college, the
college changed its name to Marist
International College before admit-
ting its rst lay students. It also
introduced a number of courses;
initially it offered only Bachelor
of Religious Studies with Educa-
tion, but then it introduced
programmes with
a business
orien-
Education is
not meant to
ll you the way
water lls an
empty bucket,
but to make you
self-reliant.
tation, education and social work.
Udeaja, however, laments that
the education system focuses on
the cream of the society. This is
why he was behind the
inception of bridging and
university access courses at
MIUC, for those who could
not join university due to
low grades.
Grades are not the ul-
timate mark of excellence
in life; each young person
deserves a chance to grow
academically.
Under his watch,
Marist has increased
resources with a vision
to making education ac-
cessible to all. He has 17
Marist brothers working
with him at the college.
We also have a
number of lay men and
women who share our
vision of offering holistic
Christian education so
that our students learn
to be self-reliant, says
Udeaja.
SELF-DEFEATING
The college has
applied for a charter to
become a fully-edged
university.
As part of Udeajas
vision of making
education available
to all, MIUC has not
increased the fees it
charges students since
2008 in spite of a rise
in ination and the
cost of living. Under
his watch, the univer-
sity college has also
launched the MIUC
Bursary Fund for
students who cannot
afford the fees. The
bursary caters for stu-
dents on a semester-
to-semester basis,
based on level of need.
Despite all this, among the ma-
jor challenges Udeaja faces as head
of this institution is the inability
of some students to clear their fee
balances, which makes it difcult
for the college to nance itself.
But he does not believe this
warrants the students being sent
away from class, saying, It would
be self-defeating and would kill
our mission to be a place to build
dreams.
Udeajas advice to young people
is that they should never lose hope,
citing his starting secondary edu-
cation at the age of 24, yet he now
has a doctorate.
Education is not meant to ll
you the way water lls an empty
bucket, but to make you self-reli-
ant, he says.
Kill demand for killer brews
SUNDAY MAGAZINE /Page 7
By TONY NGARE
Twitter: @tonyngare
Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard
Sundayride
WITH JAMES GITAU
I
n the last few days, numer-
ous lives have come to an
abrupt and painful end as
a result of consuming con-
taminated alcohol. It was sorrow-
ful to watch as 38 cofns were lined
up next to each other at a stadium
in Embu for a requiem mass. Many
more people were reported to have
died, under similar circumstances,
in other parts of the country. The
number is being touted to be over
90.
This is not the rst time this has
happened in our country, and I do
not think many Kenyans will be
surprised if they read another sim-
ilar story in the not too far future.
Many questions are being
asked. It looks like the main one is,
Who is to blame?This is a favou-
rite among Kenyans.
For me, this is the saddest part.
We pointed a nger at the Govern-
ment. The Government blamed
some of its employees; chiefs, po-
licemen and other junior public
servants. It accused them of not
doing enough to stop the brewers
and sellers of the illicit brew. In a
swift move, they were given pack-
ing orders and sent home.
I wonder if someone in the
Government ever thought that this
public relation act might lead the
red staff to ll the seats left by the
departed souls in the illicit bars.
main sober, so they dont need to
buy alcohol.
I know this is not an easy task,
and some people may argue that
this will cost the economy in lost
revenues and jobs. However, which
is a bigger loss to a nation; a lost
generations of alcoholics with
all the accompanying cost and
pain or loss of revenues from the
mainly untaxed sale of alcohol?
For those who have indulged
in alcohol for a long time, getting
sober and remaining so, is not
Lifecoach
If consumption of alcohol goes
down, the entrepreneurs brew-
ers, distributors and retailers
will have to think of an alternative
business. We have seen alcohol-
brewing companies going into the
production of soft drinks and even
packing bottled water.
Thus, if we want to change the
equation, the lasting solution will
be reducing the demand. This can
be done by way of helping people
overcome their craving for alcohol
or, better still, helping people to re-
The big question is this: Are we
asking the right questions?
Are we dealing with the real
issues? I have repeatedly said, in
this column and elsewhere, that
we must address the source of our
problems if we are to get long-term
solutions.
In my view, the rst step is to
accept that we have a serious prob-
lem of alcohol abuse in Kenya, and
indeed, in many parts of the world.
DEMAND
Anybody who understands
how markets work will tell you that
if there is demand for a product or
service, entrepreneurs who ba-
sically run the world from behind
the scenes will emerge to cash in
on the demand.
The ever increasing number
of alcohol producers, legal or il-
licit, and the mushrooming of bars
whether, licensed or not, are clear
indications that there is a huge
demand for alcohol. Calling for a
reduction of licensed bars, arrest-
ing illicit brewers and ring public
servants are just stopgap measures
that will not really help.
It is like arresting and humiliat-
ing sex workers and expecting pros-
titution to disappear. If there is a
demand for their services, they will
continue to cash in.Whether moral
or immoral, this is the reality.
L
ast week, I narrated how
trafc cops arrested
yours truly one early
morning for a minor
trafc infringement. This is what
happened next.
There are two ways a citizen can
be a guest of the state. One could be
on a national day when the son of
Jomo rolls out the carpet.
You are invited to the house on
the hill, take in the good landscap-
ing and the lush gardens (yeah, I
have been there) and, if you are
lucky, you may walk home with a
medal.
You will always have a tale to tell
your grandchildren, and it will be
told and retold so often that when
you have lost certain faculties, the
children will help you to ll the
gaps.
The other instance, involves an
entirely different world. Instead of
being treated like a VIP, you are re-
duced to a nothing and all your dig-
nity diminished, gone in a second,
like a candle in the wind. Instead of
strolling in expansive gardens, your
freedom is curtailed.
And this is what happened to
me after the policewoman at the
Nyayo Stadium roundabout re-
fused to listen to all my pleas and
attery, including telling her she
was the most gorgeous trafc cop
I had ever seen (never mind this
was potentially hazardous, with
memsahib in the back of the car).
She demanded that I drive into the
police station.
Many thoughts crossed my
mind. Suppose I just drove to town
and stuck to my initial schedule,
tipsy world of the story teller).
A guy had been stopped by a
trafc ofcer on trumped up charg-
es. The guy got quite mad. The cop
pretended to be madder. He got into
the car and issued the usual clarion,
Let us go to the police station.
The guy got back the road,
wound up the windows and locked
the car doors.
Then he made a call: Oti, how is
business? Is the meat nished? Pre-
pare the backroom and ask Saddam
to sharpen all three pangas; today
we are going to have proper meat
for supper.
At the next trafc jam, the cop
bolted out at a speed that would
leave Usain Bolt envious.
But, as for me, after weighing
ignoring the ofcer. What would
she do? I wondered. I had heard
of a policeman who jumped into
someones car at Kimende, and the
guy kept driving towards Nakuru,
unperturbed by the cops pleas to
stop the car.
Then there was this story I heard
in the bar (beware bar stories; they
are usually seasoned to t in the
my options, I drove into the po-
lice station. The cop guided me
on where to park my car.
Then we walked into the sta-
tion, and I was asked to take a
seat. For a moment, I thought I
was getting a stately reception.
But then the ofcer picked
up a pen and asked my name.
She noted it on a piece of paper.
Then she grabbed the Occur-
rence Book, scribbled for a few
minutes, and walked out.
I attempted to follow her, but
a bulky cop blocked my way and
growled, Where are you going?
Get rid of the tie?
That was when it hit me: I
was no longer a free man. I felt
the room swirl around me, and
several pairs of eyes stared at me
from the cage to my right.
FRESH AIR
I needed some fresh air; I
needed to do something, any-
thing, to compose myself.
I told the cop that I needed
to leave some important things
in the car. He reluctantly agreed,
and followed me.
I got into the car and emptied
my wallet save for Sh200, removed
the tie and looked at memsahib.
She was scared as hell: Call my
sister or your brother and tell
them what has happened
With that, I trod back to the
police station, towards the cage
that I knew was the police cell,
knowing that with every step I
took, I got nearer to losing my
freedom.
Next week: Find out my expe-
rience in a police cell.
An unstately
reception
easy. This is because alco-
hol gets into your system
and causes you to crave
more. I will go into more
details about this in my
next article.
I speak from experi-
ence; I almost got lost in
alcohol. For close to 26
years, I abused alcohol,
and tried quitting several
times, but found myself
backsliding.
I created excuses and
blamed my inability to
quit on all manner of
things. It was not until
after many years of frus-
trations that I was fortu-
nate enough to learn a
skill that helped me quit
for good. It is now almost
16 years that I have
been sober.
The author
is a life coach
and founder
of Peak Per-
formance In-
t er nat i onal
a human
potential de-
velopment rm:
coach@peakper-
formance-int.com
Page 8/SUNDAY MAGAZINE Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard
Sunday
THI S
HOSTED BY
DJ KROWBAR
& KENDI ASHI TI VA
HOSTED BY
ANTHONY NDI EMA &
DJ KROWBAR
6AM-9AM
11AM-1PM
Halftime
ACROSS: 1, Torpid 7,
Answered 8, Poor 10,
Arable 11, Career 14,
Led 16, Terse 17, Owed
19, Dated 21, Manor 22,
Tenon 23, Boys 26, Aster
28, For 29, Steamy 30,
Lively 31, Iris 32, Eligible
33, Seeing
DOWN: 1, Tomato 2,
Probed 3, Dare 4,
Sweater 5, Order 6,
Adore 8, Pale 9, Old 12,
Red 13, Essay 15, Canoe
18, Whist 19, Dan 20,
Ton 21, Mermaid 22, Tea
23, Bovine 24, Ores 25,
Saying 26, Asses 27, Tepid
28, Fir 30, Lies
LAST SUNDAYS EASY SOLUTIONS
EASY PUZZLE
Across
1 Deadly (6)
7 Bitterness (8)
8 Achievement (4)
10 Crib (6)
11 Shape (6)
14 Golf peg (3)
16 Without (5)
17 Raced (4)
19 Repeated series (5)
21 Term of respect (5)
22 Dead language (5)
23 Majority (4)
26 Navigate (5)
28 Hole (3)
29 Cope (6)
30 Infuriate (6)
31 Invalid (4)
32 Withdrew (8)
33 Vocalist (6)
Down
1 Jousting weapons (6)
2 Paid attention to (6)
3 Overdue (4)
4 Least (7)
5 Petty ofcer (5)
6 Wheel covers (5)
8 Destiny (4)
9 Beer (3)
12 Trap (3)
13 Ancient symbols (5)
15 Doctor, informally (5)
18 Italian food (5)
19 Rodent (3)
20 Sprinted (3)
21 Edges (7)
22 Meadow (3)
23 Large sh (6)
24 Gemstone (4)
25 Wobble (6)
26 Clever (5)
27 Perform (5)
28 Wildebeest (3)
30 Finishes (4
Using all the letters of the
alphabet, ll in the grid. To
help you, there are three
cryptic crossword-style
clues:
Top line: Leading actor in mire
might not cut it. (7)
Middle line: To misplace this
makes you speechless.. (4,
4, 5)
Bottom line: What mummy
might have been. (7)
To start you off, here is one
of the letters.
CODEWORD PUZZLE
By Rosy Russell
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
O J Q U A R E P G N L B
Y K I D C W F V
R
LAST SUNDAYS SOLUTIONS
M T
S
X Z H
Page 8/SUNDAY MAGAZINE Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard
Halftime
ACROSS: 1, Torpid 7,
Answered 8, Poor 10,
Arable 11, Career 14,
Led 16, Terse 17, Owed
19, Dated 21, Manor 22,
Tenon 23, Boys 26, Aster
28, For 29, Steamy 30,
Lively 31, Iris 32, Eligible
33, Seeing
DOWN: 1, Tomato 2,
Probed 3, Dare 4,
Sweater 5, Order 6,
Adore 8, Pale 9, Old 12,
Red 13, Essay 15, Canoe
18, Whist 19, Dan 20,
Ton 21, Mermaid 22, Tea
23, Bovine 24, Ores 25,
Saying 26, Asses 27, Tepid
28, Fir 30, Lies
LAST SUNDAYS EASY SOLUTIONS
EASY PUZZLE
Across
1 Deadly (6)
7 Bitterness (8)
8 Achievement (4)
10 Crib (6)
11 Shape (6)
14 Golf peg (3)
16 Without (5)
17 Raced (4)
19 Repeated series (5)
21 Term of respect (5)
22 Dead language (5)
23 Majority (4)
26 Navigate (5)
28 Hole (3)
29 Cope (6)
30 Infuriate (6)
31 Invalid (4)
32 Withdrew (8)
33 Vocalist (6)
Down
1 Jousting weapons (6)
2 Paid attention to (6)
3 Overdue (4)
4 Least (7)
5 Petty ofcer (5)
6 Wheel covers (5)
8 Destiny (4)
9 Beer (3)
12 Trap (3)
13 Ancient symbols (5)
15 Doctor, informally (5)
18 Italian food (5)
19 Rodent (3)
20 Sprinted (3)
21 Edges (7)
22 Meadow (3)
23 Large sh (6)
24 Gemstone (4)
25 Wobble (6)
26 Clever (5)
27 Perform (5)
28 Wildebeest (3)
30 Finishes (4
Using all the letters of the
alphabet, ll in the grid. To
help you, there are three
cryptic crossword-style
clues:
Top line: Leading actor in mire
might not cut it. (7)
Middle line: To misplace this
makes you speechless.. (4,
4, 5)
Bottom line: What mummy
might have been. (7)
To start you off, here is one
of the letters.
CODEWORD PUZZLE
By Rosy Russell
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
O J Q U A R E P G N L B
Y K I D C W F V
R
LAST SUNDAYS SOLUTIONS
M T
S
X Z H
SUNDAY MAGAZINE /Page 9 Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard
Fashion
Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard
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Page 10/SUNDAY MAGAZINE Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard Page 10/SUNDAY MAGAZINE
LiteraryDiscourse
PoetryCorner
Nairobians are atypical of
Kenyan readership
Slave
BY JOAN BARSULAI
BOOKReview
P
urely on account of preju-
dice, there are books I cannot
touch, even if you gave them
to me free of charge. I form my
opinion of a persons literary capabili-
ties after reading a few of their works,
short or long. And once I have made
up my mind, I do not care whether
you win both the Jomo Kenyatta Lit-
erature Prize and the Burt Award for
ten consecutive years.
I have learned to view those liter-
ary prizes with three eyes since the
submission process is never com-
pletely watertight and anonymous. I
think some of the winning entries are
just toads with fewer warts than the
rest.
The approach is weak in many
ways. It ignores the well-known fact
that perfection (specically of the lit-
erary type) is often the child of con-
stant practice, almost on a daily basis.
You also risk sending future gold into
the dustbin.
We should regret that injustice.
But even as we do, I must quickly ob-
serve that our world is bursting with
gems of books, which we need to con-
sume before we die, even if Ecclesias-
tes warns us against such exertion.
That is why I urge all Kenyan
readers to dismiss, with a wave of the
hand, any pretender-writers who are
bent on eating into our valuable time
with books that are featherweight in
terms of ideas. And Im afraid much of
that is found in Nairobi.
If you listen to what inspires oth-
ers to write in Kenya, you laugh in the
same way Lawino promises you will,
should you see the beautiful one
called Clementine in Okot pBiteks
Song of Lawino (1966).
I may be unfair to Nairobi, but
BY ABENEA NDAGO
What it has in over-abundance are
things called mchongoano. And it can
take you a whole year, but still you
will not have succeeded in convinc-
ing me that such things are not
just dark abuse and
pure gossip (afni-
ties they share with
a language called
Sheng).
No. I would be
surprised if Kenyan
readers wasted their
precious time on
things of that sort. I do
not know how news-
papers conduct their
research on the books
Kenyans read, but I can
see that serious
BEFORE THIS
MIRROR
Im standing before this mirror
Looking at this man
He turns his head away
instead
His face contorted in a painful
frown
His heart bleeding from the
inside
His skin beaten by the
hardships of life
Yet he refuses to give up.
I shake my head in pity
I pity him
He pitys me.
He slowly turns his head,
Looks at me straight in the
eye,
Smiles and tells me,
No pity party please.
Thats when I realise,
Im looking directly at the real
me,
Right in front of this mirror
called life.
He tells me,
I can only be down
temporarily,
But can never be out
permanently.
I stretch my hand and touch
me,
He smiles back at me warmly,
I smile back at me warmly.
Say to myself condently,
NOW THAT IS ME.
The other one was my fake
identity.
By DAY OTI
readers do not waste a minute of their
time on such books, even in the face
of the most trumpet-like advertising.
Our readers only lose me the mo-
ment they begin nurturing the dan-
gerous idea that books authored by
Kenyans are meant to be read for free.
As I have seen in past classes, cheeks
sag as soon as you suggest that texts
by Kenyan writers are to be bought.
If a book called Nairobi Cold, for
instance bores me to death, then I
should reject it even if its author threw
it at me for free. Disobeying that logic
only implies that the reader was an in-
corrigible liar all along.
They buy European books mainly
because the Kenyan middle class is
western in culture, and suggest that
books by Kenyan authors be given to
t h e m for free, probably
b e - cause much of
i n d i v i d u a l
wealth in
Kenya was
pl under ed.
Such dishon-
est readers
impoverish
their au-
thors in broad
daylight.
I think our capital is a chimera city.
And I do not see how its writers can be
anything different, their biggest head-
ache being how to deal with a lion-
goat-serpent setting in their writing.
I have come to learn that 34 per
cent of Kenyans live in Nairobi, and
of this number, 71 per cent dwell in
informal settlements where we speak
mother-tongue and eat traditional
food on a daily basis.
FRIVOLOUS
So, you see how wrong and con-
ated even selsh you are to in-
sist only on a certain tiny class of Nai-
robi in your writing, and project the
same as ofcial Kenyan literature?
Nai r obi is never wise; it
is frivolous and petty.
The city has been
in existence s i n c e
1899, and in
its 115 years
of existence,
Nairobi has
never invented
a single proverb.
Author: Mende Nazer and Damien
Lewis
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Slave is a gut-wrenching story that
depicts the woes and awful tragedies
that the South Sudan people have
suffered.
The year is 1993, and Mende Nazer, a
12-year-old girl, enjoys a happy, idyllic
existence with her sister and parents
in Nuba Village in South Sudan. She
describes in detail how close-knit
her family is; she is especially close
to her father.
And then, one horric night,
Arab raiders attack her village,
murdering the adults and rounding
up 31 children, including Mende.
On the way to the captors homes,
Mende and the other girls endure
brutal physical and sexual abuse by
the roadsides, which she narrates
in harrowing detail. Once the girls
arrive at their destination, they are
herded together like cattle for days,
and
then sold off as
slaves to the highest bidder.
Mende is sold to a wealthy Arab
family who live in Sudans capital city,
Khartoum. This is where her tortuous
life of enslavement begins.
Her Arab owners call her Yebit, a
common word for black slave. She
calls them Master.
At rst, Mende is only allowed to
clean, not because of her age, but
because her owners consider her
too dirty to touch the familys food
or children. But soon, she is cleaning,
cooking, and providing childcare
around the clock.
In one scene, the reality of how
her childhood is being ripped away
from her is particularly evident, as
she watches her masters children
playing outside, and she wishes she
would join them.
While working in that home, Mende
suffers physical, sexual, and mental
abuse. She spends cold nights in a
shed and eats the familys leftovers.
Typical of a slave, she is not accorded
any freedom to enjoy a life of her
own; everything she is belongs to her
masters.
It is rare to hear stories such
as Mendes, and in such detail.
Fortunately, seven years after she is
sold into slavery, she is sent to work
for yet another master a diplomat
who works in the United Kingdom.
Through some sort of uke, she
manages to make contact with
some of her fellow Sudanese in that
country, and makes a dramatic dash
for freedom.
Slave is a story that is almost surreal,
in the way that it shows the strength
and tenacity of a young girl despite
the hopelessness that surrounds
her. In spite of all that she endures,
Mendes spirit manages to remain
intact; this part of her cannot be
broken.
Be warned: This is an emotionally
gripping read. The writer does not
mince words when she details the
suffering she endured in the hands of
her captors, so her book is not for the
faint-hearted.
Nevertheless, it is wonderful to see
a former slave give a voice to other
enslaved children. I would give this
one ve stars
SUNDAY MAGAZINE /Page 11 Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard
w
Family FINANCE

By VERONICA CHEROP
verocheropy@gmail.com
get the babys cot ready. If this is
your rst baby, then you can buy
a good, durable bed that can be
used by the babys future siblings.
Getting stuff for your new baby
is not cheap. Cut the cost by
getting some items from friends
and relatives with older children.
Deciding to get everything new
can drain you. For example, a
newborns rompers can cost about
Sh2,000 apiece, and you will need
at least ve and these the baby
will outgrow in just two months.
Remember, you also need to buy
vests, sweaters, diapers, blankets
the list is long and costly.
Besides money for babys
shopping, ensure you also have
a lot of cash with you those rst
few months as visitors will be in
plenty, which means tea and soft
drinks will ow, along with your
money, of course.
In short, a babys arrival is a huge
investment; plan for it.
A man once went to his neighbour
to borrow Sh2,500 to pay his
wifes labour ward fee.
I will refund the money in just
one month, the new father
pleaded after explaining his
situation.
But the neighbour looked him in
the eye and growled, Was your
wifes giving birth an accident?
The desperate man, unsure
where the question was leading,
answered, No.
Then go and discharge your wife
and baby from hospital, came
the scathing response.
Crestfallen and slighted, the man
left, and somehow raised the cash
required to clear the hospital bill.
Last weekend, ten years later,
he told us this story during a
teachers focus group meeting
that was discussing investment.
As I walked from his house
fuming, I kept repeating over and
over that indeed, the birth of my
child was not an accident. Why
had I not prepared well for his
arrival? It was a wakeup call.
several months removes the
strain of looking for the money at
the last minute.
Other parents take up insurance
cover that takes care of
pregnancy and delivery.
Whatever option you choose,
know that pregnancy and birth
should never be other peoples
burdens meaning you should
never borrow to take care of the
costs of bringing a new life into
the world. At least, unlike sudden
illnesses, pregnancy gives you a
long duration over which to plan.
Financial implications also include
shopping for the new baby. Some
nd out the babys sex in the
early months of pregnancy and
shop accordingly. Those who
choose otherwise can still shop
for their unborn babies. Unisex
baby clothes and shawls are just
as beautiful and who said blue
is a boys colour? You can buy any
colour you like.
As the delivery date approaches,
During the subsequent births
of my two other children, I was
nancially prepared in advance.
Ive also extended this planning
to school fees. Im always ready
because I learned my lesson that
day.
Indeed, most mothers at the
meeting said they started
preparing for the arrival of their
babies psychologically and
nancially the moment the
doctor pronounced the magical
words, You are pregnant.
Some chose the hospital they
wanted to deliver at, and started
saving little by little every month
towards the babys delivery. Many
hospitals have packages under
which one can save according to
the mode of delivery they want
(natural, elective caesarean or
induced), as well as the type of
ward they want to be admitted to
(general or private, with the latter
being more costly).
Staggering the payments over

Prepare nancial cushion

for your bundle of joy
8. How do members ben-
et from the Sacco?
Members are entitled to or-
dinary, school fees and emergency
loans, and other products are in the
pipeline. Our immediate plans in-
clude relocation to a building with
more ofce space. We also have a
15-year strategic plan underway,
driven by a ve-year business plan.
Our short-term plan is to raise capi-
tal for Sacco operations, remunera-
tions and rent.
9. What does it take to
join the Sacco?
A potential member requires
their national ID, two passport
photos, Sh1,000 registration fee,
Sh200 for a passbook, Sh200 risk
management fee, and Sh500 for
the rules and regulations docu-
ment.
10. Any challenges?
It is difcult to access to
funds for the initiation and
development of projects. Recruit-
ing members to widen our capital
base has also been a challenge.
We currently operate from a small
ofce in the city centre and nding
adequate ofce space has not been
easy either.
11. What are your future
plans?
We hope to establish branch-
es in the Nyanza region, and
later across the country. We also
plan to establish a company and
enterprises to explore possibilities
of venturing into real estate devel-
opment. Other areas of interest are
distributive trades and supermar-
kets; transport, both public service
and commercial vehicles; building
a science academy for girls in west-
ern Kenya; and support for orphans
and widows.
sibility. Members are encouraged
to use their diverse expertise to
nurture and propel our ventures.
6. How often and where
do you meet?
We meet every third Saturday
of the month at City Hall in
Nairobi as a group. We also have
an elected management team that
runs the day-to-day activities of the
Sacco.
7. Do you contribute any
money? If yes, how much
and where does the money
go? How about loans?
When we started, we each contrib-
uted Sh1,000 monthly, which we
would save in our bank account as
we discussed the best way to invest
our money. Currently, members
save a monthly minimum of Sh500.
A registered member qualies for
a loan six months after joining the
Sacco, at an interest rate of one per
cent per month.
istry of Culture, Gender and Social
Services. After months of delibera-
tion and strategising, the idea of
forming a savings and cooperative
society was mooted, and thus, Nyi-
nam Sacco was born. We registered
it under the Sacco Societies Act
in September 2009. We launched
the Sacco on April 25, at the Kenya
Bankers Centre. Membership will
be open to women from across the
country soon.
4. What was your objec-
tive when you formed the
Sacco?
To empower women and
the youth economically by provid-
ing opportunities to save and
borrow money.
To promote a culture of entrepre-
neurship and nancial indepen-
dence.
5. What motivates you?
Our driving force is team-
work and collective respon-
work. The group comprises busi-
nesswomen, and we are bound not
only by friendship, but by pooled
resources and shared investments.
We are currently 250 members and
still recruiting.
3. When did you form the
group and how many are
you?
The group started in May 2009, and
was registered with the then Min-

Q
Q
Q
Q
Chamas
WITH SOPHIA OYUGI
sophiaoyugi@yahoo.com
1. What is the name of
your group and why the
name?
Our group is known as Nyi-
nam Women Welfare Group. Nyinam
is a Luo word that means daugh-
ters of the lake. The members are
either from Nyanza, or married to
men from Nyanza.
2. How did you meet?
We met in the course of our
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Daughters of venture
Members of Nyinam Women Welfare Group launched a cooperative society, Nyinam Sacco,
last month. [PHOTOS: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]
Page 12/SUNDAY MAGAZINE Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard
S
ome people say our education
system is in tatters. The 8-4-4
system has come under harsh
criticism, with some armchair
experts claiming it is not the right aca-
demic diet for our heirs. The system has
been deemed inferior to its predeces-
sor, and has been blamed for producing
poor thinkers and unimaginative grad-
uates, as well as an inordinately high
number of thieves, bimbos, football
hooligans and other social mists.
Hii masomo ni ya bure, Baba Jim,
jokes my friend, Odhiambo.
Despite the opposition, 8-4-4 re-
mains the system of choice for most par-
ents, particularly hustlers and sufferers.
From experience, my children are
learning important life skills, thanks
to eight foo foo. In Tiffanys class, for
example, they have been taught to use
words such as sorry, excuse me and
thank you.
Teacher Lucy alitufunza lugha ya
ungwana, she says.
As you probably know, Tiffany is
BabaJimmi
With
Joseph Maina
Tiffany
knows the
importance
of washing hands
after visiting
Onyangos ofce.
pursuing her second year studies at the
local kindergarten.
Before dinner on Friday evening, my
little angel led us in saying grace, and I
couldnt help but marvel at the beauty
of her short prayer. Unlike Jimmys, Tif-
fanys prayers were not aimed at having
her school burned down, or her Math
teacher buried alive.
Who taught you to pray? I en-
quired afterwards.
Teacher Mercy, Tiff piped back
with a grin, and you could almost see
the halo over her head.
Moments later, there was drama
when Russell tried to eat before wash-
ing his hands.
Daddy, Ras anakula na mikono
chafu! Tiffany screeched in horror.
Teacher Mercy told us dirt can cause
diseases.
According to Tiff, peoples hands
are awash with harmful particles called
germs, which are so small that you can-
not see them with your naked eye (un-
less you have been drinking). One must,
therefore, wash their hands after strok-
ing pets, sneezing, blowing their nose
and scratching their armpits, nostrils or
other places.
Further, Tiffany knows the impor-
tance of washing her hands after visit-
ing Onyangos ofce, if you know what I
mean. Lazima unawe mikono ukitoka
chooni, she says.
My mboys have also learned a cou-
ple of things.
Russells favourite subject happens
to be Social Studies, which he says
mon sense in the minds of our young
learners. In the adult world, it appears
that ghting, overlapping in trafc,
texting in the middle of a sermon, ap-
plying make-up in the course of a job
interview and picking your nose in
public are common practice. But with
this kind of knowledge, my mboys are
poised to become disciplined citizens,
responsible neighbours, better spouses
and even better parents.
Masomo inafaa kuondoa ushenzi.
Creating an army of bookworms will
not help this country, says Odhiambo.
Sadly, children are still subjected to
useless stuff that will never help them.
One day, Jimmy comes home and says
he learned about the Maji Maji upris-
ing or similar nonsense. The next day,
he brags about calculating the speed of
clouds, or the gestation period of Chla-
mydomonas, or some other hoopla.
Frankly, some of the things my chil-
dren learn in school are so irrelevant
that I am considering launching a com-
plaint to the Ministry of Education.
Happily though, not all is lost for our
youngsters, and despite its numerous
aws, eight-foo-foo may not be a bad
idea, after all.
Gleaning the
crumbs of
education
Memoirs of a scribe
Era of the
scared man
I
have had occasion to remark
that if my great forebear,
Kanyonga, he who was the
proud husband and undis-
puted lord to 16 wives and countless
children, came back to life today, he
would be so dismayed by what he saw
that he would demand to immediate-
ly die again.
Unless, that is, he reincarnated as a
try. If, in the past couple of weeks, you
have not heard about mass burials of
victims of killer brews in my village, it
is only because there are no men left
to die in dramatic fashion.
What we have left are zombies
whose womenfolk long ceased think-
ing of them as men. I have told you
about my relative who recently disap-
peared from home after his wife left
him because he had ceased to play his
role as a man. There is also the case
of another relative who, after disap-
pearing for many months, sneaked
back home when the wife and chil-
dren were away tilling in the shamba,
broke into his own house and stole his
own clothes.
Devastating as deadly brews are to
There are
no men left
to die in
dramatic fashion.
the social standing and self-esteem of
men, however, perhaps an even great-
er challenge is coming from a totally
unexpected quarter. After decades of
concentrating effort and resources
on the advancement of the girl-child,
many in my village were quite unpre-
pared for the nal result and how radi-
cally it affected gender relations.
Few young men, many of whom
were almost always in a booze-in-
duced daze, gave a second thought
when their wives started talking about
taking advantage of the parallel degree
craze or joining a mid-level college to
further their education.
Then reports started trickling back
into the village about women who, af-
ter joining a university or college and
tasting freedom for the rst time in
their lives, were behaving like a starv-
ing man let loose in a hotel kitchen.
It is such a report that was weigh-
ing down on Njulio (the local version
of Julius) when he staggered into Un-
decided Leisure Resort, our one and
only watering hole, recently.
I dont know what the world is
coming to, he declared after calming
his nerves with a deep swallow of the
contents of a plastic bottle that, save
for the label, could have been Sacra-
mento Spirits.
Many of us had also heard the ru-
mours and so knew what he was refer-
ring to. Njulios wife had only married
him because, owing to boredom after
secondary school, she had allowed
him to knock her up one Sunday eve-
ning in the bushes near her home.
He had little choice but to marry
the girl after the deed. Between the
vigilant sisters at the secondary school
she attended, a stern father and early
motherhood, Njani (Jane) never had a
chance to really live.
INCREDIBLE FREEDOMS
Njulios combined income from
teaching at the local primary school,
a handful of tea bushes and the milk
from his single cow was insufcient
to provide anything beyond the mini-
mum necessities, especially consider-
ing that he also loves his daily drink.
Some time ago, however, he re-
luctantly gave in to Njanis pleas and
pressure from friends and relatives
and took out a co-operative loan to
take her to a teachers college. That
was when Njani discovered incred-
ible freedoms and men with money to
splash on starry-eyed women.
Away from the censorious eyes of
villagers, she could do as she wished.
It is even rumoured that she has had
occasion to swim in the warm waters
of the Indian Ocean while purportedly
on an ofcial college tour.
It is rumours of behaviour such as
Njanis that have men worried.
With
Benson Riungu
female. These are difcult times for the
male of the species. If they are not be-
ing blinded and killed by lethal drinks
with names like Sacramento Spirits,
they are being forced to watch as the
privileges their ancestors considered
God-given are taken away and given to
the womenfolk.
My village, Uturine, is as hard hit by
this phenomenon as any in this coun-
equips him with important social skills.
Further, the list of rules and regulations
in his school could favourably compete
with the bylaws in some counties. For
instance, shirts must be tucked in at all
times.
Pets and weapons are not allowed,
and thou shalt not wear a hat or chew
gum in class. Neither may you smoke,
use a mwakenya or talk when your el-
ders are holding a conversation.
This, in my opinion, is a practical
way of instilling discipline and com-
SUNDAY MAGAZINE /Page 13 Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard SUNDAY MAGAZINE /Page 13
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MAGAZINES
FOR THE PRICE OF
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and get a past issue enclosed.
AVAILABLE IN SELECT STORES AND SUPERMARKETS COUNTRYWIDE
Page 14/SUNDAY MAGAZINE Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard
Diaspora Destination
L
ocated strategically be-
tween the northern coast
of France and the southern
coast of England, Jersey is
one of the most attractive islands in
the English Channel. This popular
destination not only offers plenty of
sun, pristine beaches and adventure,
but also a wealth of history dating
back more than a thousand years.
The largest of the Channel Is-
lands, Jersey lies in the Bay of Mont
St Michel, and is around 8,000 years
old. It is close to France 22km from
the mainland and 161km from the
south of England.
Jersey, which has a population of
more than 100,000, is not part of the
United Kingdom, but one of the few
British Crown Dependencies with
Queen Elizabeth as the monarch. The
islands ofcial currency is the British
Pound Sterling.
The island boasts a rich history
and heritage that mixes French
and British cultures and lan-
guages on 45.5 square miles.
Its regional language is Jr-
riais, a form of Norman lan-
guage.
Jersey is also known
as a millionaires
playground, and
a tax-free haven
for foreign inves-
tors through its
offshore bank-
ing industry.
More than 40
per cent of its
economy is
dependent on
nancial ser-
vices.
The islands
capital, St Helier,
is a tranquil place
where you can enjoy
1. Mont Orgueil
Castle.
2. Shopping in
Halkett Street,
St Helier.
3. A shmonger,
at Beresford
Fish Market.
4. Holiday
makers on the
beach at St
Brelades Bay.
5. A gorilla at
Durrell Wildlife
Park.
[PHOTOS:
COURTESY, JERSEY
IMAGES/
STANDARD]
The Channel Island of Jersey is a perfect
destination for those seeking sea, sand,
sun and daredevil adventure, writes
SHAMLAL PURI
a break away from
noise and clutter of
high-rise cities such as
Paris and London.
There is an attractive shop-
ping centre with pedestrianised
streets and a mix of well-known de-
partmental stores, boutiques and
small local shops dotted around
Market Square and Halkett Street.
Top on most visitors lists is St
Brelades Bay Beach, described as
one of the best and cleanest beaches
anywhere. It retains its natural beau-
ty and is not spoilt with too many ho-
tels and restaurants.
WAR TUNNELS
Plemont Bay also offers a good
beach, rocks, pools and a waterfall.
The view of the beautiful cove is
worth a visit when the tide is low, but
keep away during high tide. There
are steep steps down the beach suit-
able for physically t people.
Coasteering at Greve de Lecq, St
Ouen, jumping rocks and sea sports
all form part of an exciting adventure
in Jersey. Coasteering is the sport of
exploring a rocky coastline by climb-
ing, jumping, and swimming. Jump-
ing between the rocks is not for the
faint-hearted.
The wealth of magnicent castles,
war tunnels and rural museums tell a
gripping story.
A holiday in Jersey is incomplete
without a visit to the war tunnels,
complete with a German under-
ground hospital, in St Lawrence. Dug
in the hills using slave labour, the
tunnels were originally meant to be
barracks, with ammunition stores
for the occupying German forces.
Also not to be missed is the me-
dieval Mont Orgueil Castle in St
Martin, positioned to protect Jersey
against French invasion. In the net-
work of stairs, towers and rooms, sto-
ries of espionage and spy networks
are brought to life.
How can one forget the exploits of
Formula One World Champion Nigel
Mansell? He remains the most suc-
cessful British Formula One driver of
all time, with 31 victories.
St Aubin in Jersey is the home of
the Mansell Collection Museum. It
has an exciting array of F1 memora-
bilia, including cars and trophies. As
you walk through the collection, the
champion himself gives an audio
commentary, giving an excellent in-
sight into his career in the fast lane.
Surprisingly, Jersey also has many
wildlife and adventure parks where
one can get closer to nature. One is
Durrell Wildlife Park, founded more
than half a century ago by the late
naturalist and author Gerald Durrell.
It is a sanctuary for more than 1,400
mammals and 100 endangered spe-
cies, living in 32 acres of gardens and
parkland. The rst to arrive there was
Npongo, an African gorilla.
Also worth a visit is La Corbiere, a
lighthouse built on the rocks, and offer-
ing picturesque views of the coastline.
Jersey is also an island of owers
because of its temperate climate and
rich soil. More than 50 per cent of the
land is agricultural, and inhabitants
mostly grow potatoes and rear cattle.
In the past, farmers sold their food
and owers in boxes placed on the
roadside with no salesmen. They
relied on the honesty of the custom-
ers to drop the correct amount of cash
into the moneybox and take the cor-
rect quantity of produce. Nowadays,
however, they have set up farm shops
and markets, such as Central Market.
Jerseys marine resources offer
rich trappings for the sheries and
aquaculture industries, earning more
than 6 million (Sh880 million) a year.
A visit to the Beresford Fish Market is
a glimpse into the variety of seafood
available in the English Channel wa-
ters; lobster, prawns crabs, octopus,
mussels, fresh mackerel and even
squid are available in plenty.
Around Christmas time, not to be
missed is a visit to La Fte d Nou
L Marchi Nouormand a Norman
French Market which takes place in St
Heliers Royal Square. It is a remark-
able way to end the year.
Whatever time you visit, there will
be something to see and do in Jersey.
shamlalpuriStandard@gmail.com
1
2
4
Ancient and modern
treasures of Jersey
3
5
SUNDAY MAGAZINE /Page 15 Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard SUNDAY MAGAZINE /Page 15
O
cean waves splash
onto the rocks
that keep Vasco da
Gamas monument
upright. The morning sun is up
and the shores of Malindi are
well dened in its splintering
light.
In the distant horizon, sher-
men in boats are bringing in their
haul from the ocean. Just above
them, falcons and other birds of
prey hover in anticipation.
They are waiting for sh
to come close to the surface of
the water, then theyll launch at
them and get a meal for the day.
A life for a life the birds have
to survive, and so do the sh,
our tour guide says with wry hu-
mour.
We are strolling along the
shoreline of the tranquil Indian
Ocean, on a walk back in history
to the time Vasco da Gama
and his men decided to pitch
camp on the East African coast.
The monument put up in his
honour, a rock hard, tower-like
slab of concrete, is conspicuous
in its snow-white exterior. Below
the pillar, manmade tunnels al-
low the oceans water to wash un-
der the pile of earth it rests on.
Then I notice an unusual phe-
nomenon: Almost a kilometre
into the water is a green eld, oval
in shape. There is no water on
it. It is so elegant-looking that it
would bring thoughts of a match
to football diehards.
The eld is formed at certain
times of the year. It doesnt hap-
pen often as the formation de-
pends on the movements of the
moon. And it also doesnt remain
visible throughout the day it
will be totally submerged by mid-
day, says the guide.
MAGIC
Is that supposed to be mag-
ic? I ask with the naivet of a
mainlander.
Not at all, the guide laughs
at my stereotypic understand-
ing of coastal happenings. Right
now, the tide is out. Soon, it will
be rushing back to submerge this
whole place, he says as he ges-
the distant shore, we spot some
tourists being assisted to navi-
gate sodden sands and the spiky
reefs dotting the walking trails.
As we amble on, the grat-
ing massage of the sand is
more than a natural treat for
feet more used to being caged
in shoes. The turquoise ocean
water is a reminder that lovers
of tropical sandy beaches dont
have to look beyond our shores
to nd a picturesque paradise. It
also shows me how visitors like
Vasco da Gama and company
would be drawn to this place.
MYSTERIES
This site is part of the Mal-
indi Museum grounds. At just
Sh100 per person, the museum
is virtually a free getaway.
Malindi Museum, also the
Tourism Information Centre for
the town, is a treasure trove of
knowledge about the surround-
ing area. The seafront building is
believed to have been put up in
the late 19th century, and has its
own interesting history, having
once housed a district ofcers
headquarters, a sheries ofce
and even a hospital.
The walk along the coast-
line unearths the mysteries of
the sea. We come across several
species of crabs, mostly hermit
crabs, scurrying around in the
sand and near small pools along
the beach.
I pick a clamshell, but the
guide asks me to put it back be-
cause it is still alive. Though it
looks like a rock-hard encasing of
nothingness, apparently there is a
living creature within.
We are asked by the authori-
ties to conserve live organisms,
the guide says. The only shells
you are allowed to collect are
those with no life.
And so, I collect a few souve-
nirs to show to my upcountry kin.
As the ocean waves continue
to pound the sand, we notice a
surge in the ripples. Every sub-
sequent wave seems heavier and
more powerful.
At noon, with the sun beating
down, we start our walk back to
the Vasco da Gama monument.
By this time, the green pitch of
nicely lying grass is no more
submerged by rising waters.
For beach rst-timers like my-
self, it is a bizarre occurrence to
witness. The guide tells me that
by evening, the whole place will
be covered with ocean water.
The shermen are rowing back
to the mainland, and commercial
motorboats are doing their nal
laps, their passengers taking in
the last rays of the sun.
Before we head to the airport
to catch our ight, we capture im-
ages of sunny Malindi to take back
to our currently rainy homes.
Malindi might not be Rio de
Janeiro, but the heat, the sun and
the view have a lasting impression
on any visitor.
By GARDY CHACHA
Seeing Malindi
through Vasco da
Gamas eyes
A life for a
life the
birds have to
survive, and
so do the sh.
After seeing Malindi from up close, it is easy
to understand why it drew ancient adven-
turers. [PHOTOS: GARDY CHACHA/STANDARD]
tures at the surrounding beach-
es.
This explanation is followed
by a rich scientic narration of
magnetic elds and the actual
size of the earth.
It is nothing I really under-
stand, but I will take it. Yonder, on
Page 16/SUNDAY MAGAZINE Sunday, May 18, 2014 / The Standard
With
Lynet Otieno
lotieno@standardmedia.co.ke
Table charger:
Sh3,000.
Wooden jewellery
box: Sh2,500.
Small
jewellery box:
Sh3,200.
Wall clock with leather framing and
wooden embellishment: Sh10,000.
Picture frame:
Sh2,800.
Medium-sized jewellery box:
Sh4,500.
Magazine rack:
Sh6,500.
Dust bin:
Sh3,500.
PHOTOS: MOSE SAMMY AND MAARUFU MOHAMED/STANDARD
WHERE: Artcoco in Nyali, Mombasa, and Blue Rhino at ABC Palace and Quinn
Peaks in Westlands, Nairobi.
Wood grain varies with tree species,
and even when items are made from
the same log, they are never exactly
alike. Who needs paint when nature
has done the artwork?
Go with
the grain