Kenyan Whispers
Kenyans From All Over
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL MOTHERS
Mar 18th
Mother is the only creature in the world who loves her children unconditionally so, every child should also show love for her mom and this can be perfectly shown by sending her mother day messages or mother day greetings.
If there was a day for everything you have given to me as a mother, it would be Mother’s Day every day. Thanks for always helping me to remember what is important in life… and today it is you! You’re the best! Thanks for all you do.
The Mothers Day is the perfect occasion when it is time to express our love and care for our lovely mothers. Although Moms are always near to our heart but it happens with all of us that with increasing job and family responsibilities, we fail to remind ourselves how important our mothers are for us. Well! It is never too late. This year also the special Mother’s Day is here so why not celebrate this day by greeting our Mom, wishing her, thanking her and making her feel how special she is for us. Tell your mother that she is still loved and cared for by choosing any of these messages and sharing it with her.
Children and mothers never truly part, bound in the beating of each other’s heart.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR VOLUNTEER WORK IN KENYA
Mar 18th
Our Voluntary Service in Kenya Programme is run by Education Supplements International which is a registered non-governmental (NGO) based in Nakuru, Kenya. It comprises both short and long-term volunteering. This is a volunteer programme that aims to give opportunities to people who love and desire to live, work and contribute away from their home country environment, contribute to the progress of humanity and participate in inter-cultural richness among people of various age, gender, race, academic and economic levels. Many volunteers have also played a significant role in poverty reduction and relief projects. OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE: 1. Teachers Short and long-term teaching in baby-class,nursery,primary and secondary school levels.These schools are located in Dundori Division of Nakuru North District.There are seventeen (17) schools where we attach our volunteers (Details of these schools are available on request). 2.Medical Personnel and Interns Opportunities available at Dundori Health Centre at Dundori Centre and the Provincial General Hospital in Nakuru town. 3.Engineers They volunteer their technical knowledge in public and community utilities/facilities and projects like schools, womens groups, water projects, the construction of the Nakuru-Dundori road, village paths among others. 4.Hand-work Womens groups are involved in the making of African baskets, necklaces, bangles, clothing artwork for sale to generate income and improve their economic well-being of the rural women and youth. 5.Children’s Counsellors Our organization runs the Dundori Orphans Project in Githioro Centre where a child-feeding programme is going on. Children’s counsellors have an opportunity to talk, comfort and guide orphans who are under the care of aged grandparents without much economic and academic means to assist these children. Please visit website www.dundoriorphans.com for details of these project. 6.HIV/AIDS Social Workers They work among men and women who are HIV/AIDS positive in this region with a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS. 7.Disability Helpers There are several registered disability groups in Dundori region who welcome the presence of disability social workers for encouragement and involvement in their economic projects. 8.Community Project Consultants Men, women and the youth in the villages of Menengai Hill, Wanyororo, Tabuga, Gakoe, Cura, Githioro, Umoja, Nyonjoro and Kiamunyeki are involved in community projects to enhance their social-economic status and reduce poverty. Community project consultants have a big opportunity to offer their knowledge and technical expertise in this sector. 9.Conservationists The conservation and revival of Dundori Forest is a very active endeavour in Dundori Division. Tree planting by organized community groups present an opportunity for conservationists eager to preserve our earth. 10.Sports Coaches and Teachers The youth have a very organized sports development and competition programme in both Dundori Division and Nakuru Town in soccer, athletes, basketball, netball, swimming, etc. Sports coaches have the opportunity to give their sporting talents to these young people who would otherwise be involved in anti-social activities like alcoholism, drug-addiction and crime. 11.Relief and Development Distribution of food, clothing, mosquito nets and medicines in Dundori Division, slums and streets of Nakuru town and other needy areas, like in refugee camps in the arid areas of the North (like Turkana and Samburu Districts) and North-Eastern Kenya(like Dadaab Refugee Camp which is currently the largest refugee camp in the world), orphanages and Kibera slum (which is Africa’s largest urban slum) is an ever-present opportunity to individuals and groups. We also organize medical clinics by medical personnel from overseas in these areas. COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPORT Transport to Nakuru town (which is the fourth largest town in Kenya and rated to be the fastest growing urban area in East and Central Africa) is easily available through public transport (called Matatu in Kenya, which are mainly Nissan/Toyota fourteen-seater vans) and is at most a thirty-minute drive from Dundori (15 kms. away). Phones and Cyber/Internet facilities are available only a kilometre from the place of accommodation. Visitors take a taxi from Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi and stay in a hotel or guest house for overnight, rest before taking a matatu at the Mololine Station at Cross Road in Nairobi for a journey to Nakuru which is 156 km (two-hour drive) from Nairobi. ACCOMMODATION We offer a host-family accommodation at “CAMP DAVID” Guest House where clean water, electricity, food and bed-rooms are available in a secure rural setting in Dundori. The volunteer contributes US$300.00 per month (4 weeks) or US$ 10 per day per person for food, water, electricity and general accommodation.There is also a one-time payment of US$ 110 for picking the visitor from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on arrival in Kenya. SOCIAL INTER-ACTION We encourage our visiting volunteers to be eager to learn simple Kiswahili (which is the national language in Kenya and spoken throughout East African countries) words for greetings and social meetings like Jambo!(Hi), Habari Yako? (how are you?), wewe unaitwa nani? (what is your name?), unatoka wapi? (where do you come from?), etc. VISA Visas are required to visit Kenya by nationals of most countries in the world. We assist in the processing of a visa by writing a letter of invitation to the Kenyan Embassy or High Commission in the country where the volunteer comes from. To all our future volunteers and partners,we say: KARIBU KENYA! (WELCOME TO KENYA!) Looking forward to working with you. Kindest regards, Nicholas Ng’ang’a Executive Director Education Supplements International P.O. Box 3305 Nakuru KENYA Email: edsupintl@yahoo.com Phone: 020 362 8347 0703 905 770 0739 879 260 Skype: educationsupplements
Fabrice Muamba ‘critical’ after collapse in Spurs-Bolton match
Mar 17th
Fabrice Muamba
Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba is critically ill after collapsing during an FA Cup quarter-final tie against Tottenham.
The 23-year-old is being treated in the intensive care unit of the heart attack centre at the London Chest Hospital.
Medics spent six minutes trying to resuscitate him on the field after he fell to the ground with no other players around him.
MUAMBA FACTFILE
- Born on 6 April 1988 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
- Progressed through Arsenal’s youth academy, representing England at every level from under-16 to under-21
- Joined Birmingham in 2007, having been there on loan previously, then moved to Bolton the following year
- Appeared at the 2011 European Under-21 Championship in Denmark for England Under-21s, for whom he made 33 appearances
Afghanistan massacre suspect named as Sgt Robert Bales
Mar 17th
Sgt Robert Bales
The US soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians in a massacre that has undermined relations with Kabul has been named as Staff Sgt Robert Bales.
Senior US officials told the BBC the name of the suspect as he was heading back to the US to face charges.
He has now arrived at a maximum security military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, after being flown from Kuwait, the US Army told AP.
Sgt Bales’ lawyer has said he had been injured twice while serving in Iraq.
Lawyer John Henry Browne also said the accused, aged 38, had witnessed his friend’s leg blown off the day before the killings.
That incident has not been confirmed by the US Army.
George Clooney released on bail after Sudan embassy arrest
Mar 17th
George Clooney has been released on bail after being arrested outside the Sudanese embassy in Washington.
The actor was taking part in a protest to warn of a humanitarian crisis in the volatile border area between Sudan and South Sudan.
He was released three hours later after paying a $100 (£76) fine.
Speaking alongside his father Nick outside the jail, he said his stay had been “nice”, and joked that his girlfriend Stacy Keibler was “probably thrilled” at his arrest.
BARCLAYS PINGIT
Mar 17th
Mpesa services has successfully been used in Kenya for a few years.
The easy way to send money using just a mobile number.
Sending money is secure, done in seconds and shown on your Barclays bank statement.
Barclays current account customers can send up to £300 a day to family, friends and small businesses to.
The Barclays Pingit app is free to download and use on Blackberry, I phone and Android.
Non-Barclays customers with a current account can only receive payments – but soon they’ll be able to send money too.
ICC judges confirm cases against four top Kenyans
Jan 23rd
The six Kenyans, named by prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, alleged to have masterminded the 2007-08 post-election violence that claimed 1,500 lives.
Pre-trial Judges at International Criminal Court on Monday confirmed charges against four of the six Kenyan suspects claimed to have played the biggest role in the 2007 2008 post-election violence that took the country to the precipice of civil war.
In a majority decision, the judges confirmed charges against Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Eldoret North MP William Ruto, Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura and journalist Joshua arap Sang.
Charges against Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey and former Police Commissioner Hussein Ali were not confirmed after the Judges found insufficient grounds for sustaining them.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Dec 31st
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE WHOLE KENYAN WHISPERS TEAM
For all those who have supported us through the Year, Thank you so much and hoping for your continued support next year and many more.
May the new year Bring these wishes to all of you.
Warmth of love, Comfort of home, Joy for your children,
Company and Support of Family and Friends.
A caring heart that accepts and treats all human beings equally
Enrichment of Knowledge and Richness of diversity
Courage to seek and speak the truth Even if it means standing alone.
Hopes and dreams of a just world and the desire to make it happen.
A light to guide your path, helping hands to strengthen unity.
Serenity and Peace within your mind, Heart, Soul and Thoughts.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL
HAPPY 48TH BIRTHDAY KENYA
Dec 12th
The original caption for this photo, taken June 1, 1963, reads: “Nairobi, Kenya – Waving his ‘wisk’ the newly-elected Premier of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta (R, foreground), greeted throngs of cheering citizens as he rode through the streets of Nairobi. Accompanying Kenyatta are Tom Mboya (L), Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs; A. Oginga Odinga, Minister for Home Affairs; and James S. Gichuru, Minister for Finance. The motorcade was part of the National Holiday celebrations which marked the start of internal self-government for the African nation.”
Did Mau Mau bring independence?
Dec 12th
Mau Mau freedom fighters in a parade after Kenya attained political independence
Exactly 48 years ago, down went the Union Jack and up Kenya’s national flag at Uhuru Park. The country was free at last. Jomo Kenyatta, the first president, preached reconciliation, urging people to forget the bitter past “because we all fought for freedom.”
Happy independence Day to the people of Kenya. May God Bless our Land, bring Peace and Unity
Kenya runner Marko Cheseto has feet amputated in Alaska
Nov 24th
Marko Cheseto
A 28 year old Kenyan long-distance runner who spent more than two days lost in snow storms in the US state of Alaska has had his feet amputated just above the ankles.
When Marko Cheseto, who competed on the track for the University of Alaska Anchorage, disappeared he was not wearing protective winter clothing.
After he was found on 9 November he was suffering from hypothermia and severe frostbite on his feet and hands.
University officials say his hands are expected to fully recover.
After his 48 hours out in freezing temperatures, Mr Cheseto stumbled into a hotel near the UAA campus in the early hours of Wednesday 9 November.
The hotel’s night manager told the Anchorage Daily News that the paramedic team could not remove his sports shoes as they were frozen to his feet.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO PRESIDENT MWAI KIBAKI
Nov 15th
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki
Kenyan Whispers wish Our beloved president Mwai Kibaki a Happy Birthday and God’s Blessing as he leads Kenya.
Emilio Mwai Kibaki was born 15 November 1931
Kibaki was born in Gatuyaini village in Othaya division of Nyeri District. He is the youngest son of Kikuyu peasants Kibaki Gĩthĩnji and Teresia Wanjikũ (both now deceased). Though baptized as Emilio Stanley by Italian missionaries in his youth, he has been known for all intents and purposes as Mwai Kibaki.
Prince Charles meets Tanzanian president
Nov 8th
Britain’s Prince Charles (2nd L), his wife Camila (R), and their hosts Tanzania’s President Jakaya Kikwete (2nd R) and first-lady Salma (L)
Britain’s Prince Charles on Monday toured Tanzania on the second day of a visit to the east African nation, including holding talks with President Jakaya Kikwete.
The prince, accompanied by his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, attended a colourful reception crowded with hundreds of school children and civil servants waving Tanzanian and British flags.
He was received with a military guard of honour in Dar es Salaam and met with Tanzanian soldiers who had served as peacekeepers in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region.
“President Kikwete thanked Prince Charles and his wife for accepting the invitation to visit,” Tanzania’s State House said in a statement. “This reflects good traditional ties between our two countries.”
The couple will also visit Arusha, in the north of the country, and semi-autonomous Zanzibar, according to the British High Commission.
The prince’s last official visit to Tanzania was in 1984. His wife has never been here before.
680,000 Standard Eight candidates begin exams today
Nov 8th
Over 680,000 candidates will Tuesday start sitting the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examinations countrywide.
Those with hearing, sight or physical deformities will be allowed extra time. (Read: All set for KCPE exam kick-off on Tuesday)
The Kenya National Examinations Council spokesperson, Ms Fridah Were, on Tuesday said the provision of extra time will be granted depending on the nature of the disability of the pupil.
“Those who cannot use the optical mark reader form to cross the correct answer will be allowed to answer on the question paper but they will not be forced to do so,” Ms Were said.
In Kangundo, area district education officer Muriuki Nyaga said that the examination rehearsals went on well on Monday at all the 66 examination centres in the area, adding that security had been boosted.
Elsewhere, rehearsals at examination centres in the Coast Province went on as planned.
The number of candidates in the region is reported to have increased.
The Coast provincial director of education, Mr Tom Majani, advised candidates to resist temptations from people who claim they have examination papers. He warned that those found copying will be penalised.
At the same time, 19 inmates will be sitting this year’s KCPE examinations at Meru and Kangeta prisons.
According to the officer in charge of the Meru GK Prison, Mr Charles Mutembei, a total of 18 candidates had registered at the jail but five have since been released.
“Many had said they would come to sit the exams but none has showed up,” said Mr Mutembei.
At Kangeta Prison, eight candidates will be sitting this year’s examinations after two others were released following an amnesty.
The provincial director of education, Mr Patrick Nyangosia, said rehearsals went on with no hitches reported in the region. “Everything is set and I can only wish good luck to the pupils,” he said.
Liberia election: CDC Monrovia protest turns deadly
Nov 8th
At least one person has died after shots were reportedly fired during an opposition protest in Monrovia ahead of Liberia’s presidential run-off.
A BBC reporter saw the body of a young man who had been shot in the head.
Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) candidate Winston Tubman has pulled out of Tuesday’s vote, alleging fraud.
Nobel Peace laureate Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female head of state, is running for another term.
She was first elected after Liberia’s first post-war election in 2005.
These are the first elections organised by Liberians since the 14-year conflict ended. The previous ones were run by the large UN peacekeeping mission.
Conrad Murray guilty of Michael Jackson manslaughter
Nov 8th
The judge told the court he was remanding Conrad Murray in custody without bail because he was a convicted felon and a flight risk
Michael Jackson’s personal physician, Dr Conrad Murray, has been found guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of the star by a jury in Los Angeles.
A panel of seven men and five women took two days of deliberation to reach a verdict.
Michael Jackson died on 25 June 2009 from an overdose of the powerful anaesthetic propofol.
Murray, 58, could now receive a maximum prison term of four years and lose his licence to practise medicine.
There was a shriek in the courtroom as the verdict was read.
Outside the courthouse, the BBC’s Peter Bowes said that at the moment the verdict was read, the crowd along the street erupted with cheers and chanting.
Jackson’s family sat in the courtroom, weeping quietly.
LaToya Jackson told the Associated Press news agency the family was overjoyed at the verdict.
“Michael was looking over us,” she said.
During the trial, Dr Murray’s lawyers argued that Jackson self-administered a lethal dose of the drug while he was out of the room.
Dr Murray was remanded in custody without bail until he receives his sentence, set for 29 November.
Explaining his decision, the judge said Dr Murray was now a convicted felon and had considerable ties outside the state of California, meaning he could not guarantee that the doctor would remain in the state.
Dr Murray sat silently in court, shifting slightly in his seat as the verdict was read out.
Court officers began to handcuff the physician as the judge made his final announcements, before leading him away into custody.
The jury – made up of one African American, six whites and five Hispanics – deliberated on Friday and through the morning on Monday.
Outside the court, fans of Michael Jackson were cheering and chanting, “Guilty! Guilty!” in the run-up to the verdict being announced.
During the six-week trial, 49 witnesses and more than 300 pieces of evidence were presented to the court.
Michael Jackson, who had been out of the public eye for several years, died in 2009 as he was preparing for a series of comeback performances at the O2 arena in London.
In his closing argument last Thursday, the prosecution said Dr Murray had caused the star’s death through negligence, depriving Jackson’s children of their father and the world of a “genius”.
The defence argued that Jackson was a drug addict who caused his own death by giving himself an extra dose of propofol while the cardiologist was out of the room at the star’s rented mansion in Los Angeles.
However, lawyers for Dr Murray dropped a key argument midway through the trial – that the pop superstar had drank the propofol. But they continued to argue that Jackson had somehow dosed himself otherwise.
Each side of the trial called their own expert witness on the anaesthetic drug,
There is no law against administering propofol, but the prosecution’s case rested on the argument that Dr Murray was grossly negligent by doing so outside a hospital setting and without the proper monitoring equipment.
In some of the more shocking moments of the trial, the jury heard a recording of Jackson, sounding incoherent and slurred, speaking about his upcoming concert series, as well as viewing a photo of a lifeless Jackson on a gurney.
Two people die in Nyeri as quarry caves in during down power
Nov 4th
Two men died when a quarry caved in on Thursday evening at Thunguma in Nyeri Central district. Robert Wachira,33 and Joseph Kung’u Thiogo, 46 died after the quarry collapsed on them. The two who works at the quarry were waiting for rain to end in order to go home. Nyeri police boss Kirunya Limbitu said the fellow workers reported the incident.
When the police arrived at the scene, the public had removed the bodies. He said that the deceased were found by the people within the area after the rain. The public traced the bodies stuck in the soil. Kirunya warned to avoid such risky areas during a downpour. The bodies were taken to Nyeri Provincial General Hospital mortuary for postmortem.
Kenya shifts focus to Eritrea in Shabaab war
Nov 4th
Moses Wetangula
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 4 – Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula says Eritrea could be sanctioned should it be found complicit in its support of the al Shabaab militia in Somalia.
Wetangula, who met on Friday with Eritrean ambassador to Kenya Beyene Russom, however pointed out that Kenya will strive to dialogue with the Eritrean government to hear their side of the story before it takes any action.
Eritrea had been accused of shipping heavy artillery and explosives to arm the Al Shabaab fighting the joint assault by Kenya and Somalia forces to destroy the militias’ strongholds in south Somalia.
“It is the IGAD and AU that is still pursuing the issue of enhanced sanctions in Eritrea. That does not however close doors to diplomatic engagement. At the end of the day we must engage everybody, more so a country that has seen it fit to have an embassy in our country,” the Minister said.
He explained that once the talks are complete, the way forward will be charted.
“I think it is only true and fair that you give the facts to them, hear them out and then the decision that we take thereafter, we leave it to another day,” he stated.
Kenya military spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir had stated that two aircrafts landed in Baidoa with arms intended for Al Shabaab.
Chirchir did not name Eritrea as the source of the weapons but a Somalia MP Mahamud Abdullah Wehliye was quoted as accusing Eritrea of flying in weapons and explosives to Al Shabaab.
In his briefing statement, Chirchir cautioned Somalia residents against being used as conduits for the arms. He cited several areas in the region which were targeted for attack as they were Al Shabaab camps.
Addressing an Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) meeting last July, President Kibaki accused Eritrea of arming the Al Shabaab insurgents and asked the regional bloc to rein in Eritrea, which was destabilising regional peace through supplying arms to Somali militants.
Amisom has only 9,500 soldiers from Burundi and Uganda but at least 20,000 soldiers are needed to effectively carry out its mandate.
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Campaign for East Africa drought
Nov 4th
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
On November 2 2011, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made a special visit to our Emergency Supply Centre in Copenhagen, to help put the global spotlight back on the humanitarian crisis in East Africa. You can see a photo gallery from their visit below, or you can see the full set at our Flickr page.
Right now, children across East Africa are facing a desperate crisis caused by drought, high food prices and ongoing conflict in Somalia. Over 320,000 children are so severely malnourished that they are at imminent risk of starving to death without urgent help.
Video of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
US Senator supports Kenya operation in Somalia
Nov 4th
Illinois Senator Mirk Kirk
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 4 – An American Senator now wants NATO to deploy its military might to the horn of Africa and join the Kenyan-led offensive against Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab terrorists.
Illinois Senator Mirk Kirk told a Senate session that the international community must assist Kenya’s offensive against the Al Shabaab militia in Somalia as the success of the operation will significantly weaken the ability of the group to plan and execute acts of terrorism.
“The success of the Kenyan operation would mean a significant weakening of Al-Shabaab’s ability to plan and execute terrorist attacks and would greatly contribute to regional stability.
“Al Shabaab poses a grave threat to Kenya’s safety and security. Since 2009, Al-Shabaab conducted at least 10 attacks on Kenya’s soil and territorial seas or along the Somalia-Kenya border.”
He said that the Al Shabaab, if not dealt with, will spread its membership to many countries across the world including the US itself and aiding Al Qaeda in attacks on the US interests.
“Al-Shabaab also poses a direct threat to the United States by actively radicalising and recruiting American citizens,” he said.
In October suicide bomber Abdisalan Hussein Ali, a 22-year-old American citizen and a member of the Al Shabaab attacked an African Union (AU) base in Mogadishu, killing 10 more.
“Al Shabaab has the intent and capability to conduct attacks or aid core Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen with striking US interests and the US homeland,” he further said.
Kenya’s Chief of Defence Forces General Julius Karangi has vowed that the mission in Somalia is not time bound and that Kenyan troops will remain in Somalia until the common border with Somalia is secured from the threats of the Al Shabaab.
Karangi said: “We shall leave it to the people of this country to decide that yes, we feel safe enough on the common border and then we shall come back.”
Kenyan troops have been in Somalia for nearly three weeks in an operation following the invoking of Article 51 of the UN Chapter that pronounces self defence as an inherent right and which is also in keeping with the Kenyan Constitution to defend its citizens.
NATO’s triumphant, seven-month air campaign against Libya ended late last month, setting the country on the path to a transition less than two weeks after the capture and killing of Dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
In the past seven months, NATO warplanes flew 26,000 sorties, including more than 9,600 strike missions, destroying more than 1,000 tanks, vehicles, and guns.
USA Senator pleads with the country and Nato to back Kenya Video
X Factor’ USA LeRoy Bell: ‘I’ll prove age if I get 100,000 followers
Nov 4th
60years old LeRoy Bell
LeRoy Bell auditioned for the first USA Xfactor 2011 when he was 59 years old, since then he turned 60 in August this year.
Due to his very young looks there has been speculation that he is not the age he claims to be. He posted a video on his official Twitter account over the weekend to laugh off speculation.
LeRoy Bell video
LeRoy Bell has said that he will prove his age by posting his birth certificate online if he reaches 100,000 followers on Twitter.
Bell said: “Lately there has been a lot of talk about my age. I really am 60 years old. I was born in 1951, I turned 60 in August, and I feel pretty good.”
New deal puts Kenya Sevens players at par with best-paid
Nov 4th
Conceivably, a Kenya rugby player is now able to earn a tidy Sh5.25 million a year, making the game the best-paying locally.
This is the maximum amount of money each member of the Kenya Sevens squad will be able to earn in salary and performance bonuses over the next two years, thanks to this week’s record Sh290 million sponsorship by national carrier Kenya Airways.
Amateur rugby-playing Kenya will never be the same again. “The sevens team is the flagship of Kenyan rugby.
“This game is for the young and if they can make it, they will become millionaires and make something out of their lives from playing rugby,” KRU chairman Mwangi Muthee said.
The deal for the elite 18 players to be selected will cover one year and is renewable.
Making it to the Main Cup quarter-finals will earn each player $1,000 (Sh98,000) and a semi-final appearance $2,000 (Sh196,000).
If the team reaches the final, each player will get $3,000 (Sh294,000) in bonuses while winning a leg will fetch a cool $5,000 (Sh490,000).
“With this kind of income, players can choose to play rugby full-time. If the players are pursuing studies or doing other jobs, the union will have no problem as long as the technical bench is satisfied with the player’s form and input matches or surpasses the demands of the team,” Muthee said.
The coach, who will be the overall manager of the squad, will have a take-home salary of Sh120,000, while the rest of his team will get Sh90,000 including the captain.
This is the first time Kenya’s rugby is taking a plunge at fully professionalising where the actors are contracted under meaningful salaries and benefits.
Putting the players among the country’s minority upper class income-earners but with the added benefit of fully-paid travels abroad.
On top of that, the players will have a full medical insurance cover and will also be given free training on financial and social matters.
Michael Jackson doctor Conrad Murray case goes to jury
Nov 4th
Conrad on the left and Michael Jackson right
The case against the physician charged with the death of the pop star Michael Jackson has gone to the jury, following closing statements.
Prosecutors concluded their case by saying Dr Conrad Murray’s care of Jackson had been “bizarre” and left the pop star’s children fatherless.
The defence countered that the singer had caused his own death in June 2009 with an overdose of a sedative.
The seven-man, five-woman jury will begin deliberations on Friday morning.
If convicted, Dr Murray could face up to four years in prison and lose his licence to practise medicine.
During Thursday’s closing statements after the nearly six-week trial, the prosecution projected images of Jackson’s grief-stricken children on a giant screen.
Deputy District Attorney David Walgren told the jury: “For Michael Jackson’s children this case goes on forever because they do not have a father.
“They do not have a father because of the actions of Conrad Murray.”
The children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, who range in ages from 9 to 14, were not in court, but Jackson’s parents and several of his siblings were present.
But the accused’s legal team said in its closing statement that Jackson’s death was not Dr Murray’s fault.
They said Jackson had caused his own death by injecting a dose of propofol while his doctor was out of the room.
“If it was anybody else, would this doctor be here today?” defence attorney Ed Chernoff asked the jury.
Mr Chernoff said prosecutors had failed to prove that Dr Murray had committed a crime by giving Jackson doses of propofol as a sleep aid in the singer’s bedroom.
“They want you to convict Dr Murray for the actions of Michael Jackson,” Mr Chernoff said.
Dr Murray, who denies involuntary manslaughter, chose not to testify in his own defence.
Nigeria: ‘Maiduguri suicide bomber targets army base’
Nov 4th
A suicide bomber has attacked the main military base in the northern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, military sources have told the BBC.
The attacker died and one soldier was injured in the explosion at the headquarters of the Joint Task Force.
There have been three other explosions on Friday, one outside a college, the Borno state police chief told AP.
The Islamist Boko Haram group has carried out several similar attacks in Maiduguri and other Nigerian cities.
Boko Haram – which means “Western education is forbidden” – usually targets the police and government officials.
Sonko fights expulsion order
Nov 1st
Gidion Mbuvi Alias Mike Sonko
Makadara MP Gidion Mbuvi has lodged an appeal against a decision by the registrar of political parties to strike off his name from the Narc-Kenya register.
The High Court in Nairobi last week temporarily stopped Narc-K from expelling the MP.
It also barred the registrar and the Attorney General from effecting the expulsion until the hearing of all parties in the application.
If the decision to expel him from the party is upheld, the Speaker may declare his seat vacant, prompting a by-election.
Mr Mbuvi got into trouble with the party that sponsored him to Parliament after he allegedly campaigned for a rival candidate in the recent Kamukunji by-election.
Minister’s husband charged with CDF theft
Nov 1st
Ferdinand Masha Kenga, husband of Nairobi Metropolitan assistant minister Elizabeth Ongoro
An assistant minister’s husband has been charged with stealing from a Constituency Development Fund (CDF) kitty.
Ferdinand Masha Kenga, husband of Nairobi Metropolitan assistant minister Elizabeth Ongoro was Tuesday accused of stealing Sh1.9 million from the Kasarani CDF. Mrs Ongoro is also the Kasarani MP.
It was alleged that he committed the offence on February 9 at Cooperative Bank University Way branch within Nairobi County.
The case was consolidated with another in which Washington Gimona Opiyo is charged with obtaining Sh1.9 million through forgery from the Kasarani Constituency Development Fund account.
Mr Opiyo is accused of forging an instruction letter purporting it to be from the MP authorising him to withdraw the money from Co-operative Bank. He is out on Sh250,000 cash bail after denying the charge.
Mr Kenga denied the charges before chief magistrate Gilbert Mutembei and was released on a cash bail of Sh150,000 with the case scheduled for hearing on December 13.
Among those listed as witnesses in the case is the MP as the patron of the CDF committee and it waits to be seen if she will testify against her husband.
UK blocks aid to anti-gay countries
Nov 1st
UK Prime Minister David Cameron
The United Kingdom has announced new measures to cut aid to Commonwealth countries at the forefront of the anti-gay campaign.
UK officials on Monday said that the decision by Prime Minister David Cameron to withdraw the general budgetary support targeted nations engaged in the abuse of homosexuals and Kenya was not one of them.
“The UK will withhold general budget support (direct aid) to governments if we are not satisfied that they share our commitments to respect human rights. Kenya does not currently receive any general budget,” a statement from the British High Commission in Nairobi said, quoting the spokesperson.
The change of policy by Britain is likely to affect more than 40 out of 54 Commonwealth countries whose laws outlaw homosexuality and carry punitive penalties for offenders.
Mr Cameron hinted that Malawi, Uganda, Nigeria and Ghana could be the first victims of the policy change.
Ironically, the targeted countries inherited the punitive laws from Britain, which has now changed its policies to embrace homosexuality.
Two weeks ago, Mr Cameron announced that gay marriages in the UK would be legalised.
In July, the UK suspended Sh2.9 billion (£19 million) to Malawi after the government jailed two men for 14 years and hard labour for being homosexuals.
Germans wed in Giriama fete
Nov 1st
Mr Frank Loffler and Mrs Susana
A German couple got married in a colourful traditional Giriama wedding in Kilifi town.
Mr Frank Loffler and Mrs Susana Loffler from Erfurt, Germany came to the country on October 15 just to get married at Mwangirani Giriama cultural centre.
The love birds had inquired about the issuance of a marriage certificate in the traditional wedding when they learnt that they could only acquire one through a civil marriage. This made them travel to Mombasa for a civil marriage first.
“We thought there was a certificate given after a Giriama girl is married off to his spouse but we were told it is done locally, we had to go to Mombasa to get a government certificate in a civil marriage before conducting this one,” they said.
Mr Loffler who was named Charo Kazungu and his wife Kadzo Kitsao, termed the Giriama people as very polite and humble.
Mrs Loffler said that they wanted to experience a different culture and make new friends far from home. She added that they really enjoyed their ceremony.
“We read about the African culture on the Internet and Mr Said Kazungu, who works at a certain villa, introduced and directed us on how to reach here,” she said.
On the eve of the Sunday wedding, the groom spent the night with the community at the cultural centre till dawn when he was joined by his bride, who was accompanied by area residents.
There was a lot of entertainment in the wedding organised by Mr Kazungu where most of the traditional dance troops performed after the couple opened the floor with a traditional German dance.
Mr Andrew Tuva, the director of the cultural centre, said he started the cultural centre because culture is a very important aspect that contributes to tourism.
Mr Loffler is an electronics technician, while his wife works with an advertising company.
Kipsang leads Kenyan win in Frankfurt
Oct 30th
Wilson Kipsang of Kenya as he crosses the finish line in the Lake Biwa marathon in Otsu, western Japan, on March 6, 2011.
Wilson Kipsang led Kenyan athletes in claiming Frankfurt marathon titles on Sunday in 2:03:41, only three seconds outside the world record.
Kenyans took 10 of the top 11 places as fifteen men ran under 2:10.
MEN
1. Wilson Kipsang, Kenya, 2:03:41.
2. Levy Matebo, Kenya, 2:05:15.
3. Albert Matebor, Kenya, 2:05:23.
4. Philip Sanga, Kenya, 2:06:07.
5. Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, Kenya, 2:06:29.
6. Peter Kirui, Kenya, 2:06:31.
7. Chumba Dickson Kiptolo, Kenya, 2:07:23.
8. Siraj Gena, Ethiopia, 2:08:31.
9. Duncan Koech, Kenya, 2:08:38.
10. Henry Sugut, Kenya, 2:08:56.
WOMEN
1. Mamitu Daska, Ethiopia, 2:21:57.
2. Agnes Kiprop, Kenya, 2:23:52.
3. Flomena Chepchirchir, Kenya, 2:24:19.
4. Merima Mohammed, Ethiopia, 2:24:32.
5. Rita Jeptoo Busienei, Kenya, 2:25:44.
6. Nadia Ejaffini, Italy, 2:26:15.
7. Fate Tola, Ethiopia, 2:27:18.
8. Biruktait Degefa, Ethiopia, 2:27:34.
9. Sabrina Mockenhaupt, Germany, 2:28:08.
10. Alena Samokhvalova, Russia, 2:28:43.
US denies Al-Shabaab role
Oct 28th
US ambassador to Kenya Scott Gration
The United States has denied involvement in the ongoing operation against Somalia’s Al-Shabaab terror group.
US ambassador to Kenya Major General (rtd) Scott Gration said Friday his country was only assisting Kenya in ensuring internal stability.
“We don’t have military operation outside the border of Kenya,” the envoy said during a news conference at the Department of Defence headquarters.
Mr Gration who once served as an instructor at Kenya Airforce denied reports that the US was assisting Kenya in the operation against Al-Shabaab.
“We have been providing our assistance in an overt way through the Kenya Navy, Army and Air Force for long time and we will continue. We are not in Somalia. Our support is through equipment,” the ambassador said.
He said the US was ready to give Kenya more equipment if it wants.
The envoy who was accompanied by Defence minister Yusuf Haji and Chief of the Defence Forces Julius Karangi said the US enjoys good relationship with Kenya.
Mr Haji said Kenya is yet to get official communication from Somalia’s President on why he did not want Kenyan forces to fight Al-Shabaab in the country.
“We hope we will get the information by Monday,” Mr Haji said.
