A Vihiga housing project has become the laughing stock on social media after the county government posted pictures of Governor Moses Akaranga opening newly constructed mud-walled houses for some of the beneficiaries.

The houses are being built through a Sh20 million housing scheme for the poor across the county in a project which was launched early this year.

Already, 45 mud houses have been constructed at a cost of Sh100,000 per house since the scheme was rolled out.

But the pictures posted on the county’s Facebook page showing the county chief opening the newly constructed mud houses in a ceremony complete with ribbons have been used to mock him on social media.

What annoyed people the more was the caption of Governor Akaranga’s pictures that read: “You (residents) recall that in his manifesto, the governor promised to ensure that the residents living under deplorable conditions due to poverty will be provided with decent houses.”

Besides the mud walls, the door to the houses have no paint with corrugated iron sheets used for roofing.

BETTER HOUSING

One Facebook user, Samuel Momanyi, wrote, “Akaranga you are a disgrace to our county. Instead of building houses for a few elderly and allocating ghost funds to that project.”

Another user, Moses Kelwa, added:  “This makes me laugh. Guys you call this better housing?”

Dismus Kayesi added: “Good effort though that is an overstatement that better housing for citizens.”

Wilberforce Murugi wondered why the county government was referring to mud houses as decent housing.

Mr Akaranga said at a past event that the houses are part of the county’s plan to accord its people a decent house.

The project and its implementation would see nine poor families in each ward benefit in the first year. The county is divided into 25 wards.

When the housing scheme was rolled out, Deputy Governor Caleb Amaswache went to Singapore in April to attend affordable housing conference but was instead deported for alleged indiscipline in the plane.

He, however, has denied claims that he aggressively confronted an air hostess leading to his deportation.

In May last year, Kirinyaga Governor Joseph Ndathi was ridiculed after he posted a picture while opening a footbridge.

Kenya’s Catholic parishes and dioceses will on Sunday begin special prayers and night vigils in preparation for the visit of Pope Francis. This will be his first visit to Africa since his election in March 2013.

Organisers say 1.5 million people are expected in Nairobi for the historic visit that starts on November 25.

But due to logistical and security arrangements, it will not be a free for all affair, unlike in the past Papal masses.

Special arrangements have been made for dioceses to only allow a limited number of people at the mass at University of Nairobi’s graduation square.

About 200,000 congregants will be allowed inside the square. The rest will watch on giant screens put up around Uhuru Park, Central Park and other public places in the city.

The four Kenyan Archdioceses of Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa and Nyeri have 26 dioceses and one Military Ordinariate. The ordinariate is without a bishop now following the retirement of Bishop Col Alfred Rotich.

Rotich is in charge the national committee organising the Pope’s visit assisted by the Rev Dr Stephen Okello, a Consolata Missionary who organised the last Papal visit to Kenya in 1995.

In Nairobi, the epicentre of the celebrations, arrangements are in full gear. Inside the Holy Family Minor Basilica, there is a full length colour portrait of Pope Francis in his symbolic blessing salute to the congregation.

“DO NOT BE AFRAID”

Similar pictures and portraits will appear in many Catholic churches and cathedrals all over Kenya. Banners and huge bill boards will be placed in strategic places within Nairobi and beyond.

About 500 local and international journalists will cover the Pope who is coming with a message of hope, reconciliation and peace. The theme of the visit is “Do not be Afraid”.

Pope Francis is offering something for everyone on this visit. He will meet with leaders of other faiths, talk to the youth at Kasarani, and meet the lowly and down trodden at a slum area church in Kangemi, which is under the Jesuits — his own religious congregation.

When the Italian plane carrying the Pope touches down at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Wednesday, November 25, it will be the fourth visit of a Pope to Kenya.

The first pontiff to visit Kenya was Pope (now Saint) John Paul II on May 6, 1980 on a three-day state visit. At the time, the Vatican Embassy in Nairobi had not been elevated to a full Apostolic Nunciature. It was elevated to a full Nunciature headed by Archbishop Giovanni Tonucci.

The second Papal visit to Kenya was on August 16, 1985, when Pope John Paul II returned to attend the 43rd International Eucharist Congress.

And 10 years later, in September 1995, the Pope was again in Kenya for promulgation of the African Synod.

During that visit he officially opened The Catholic Higher Institute of Eastern Africa now The Catholic University, and the Resurrection Gardens in Karen, Nairobi.

Mr Muroki, an MA student in Communication at Daystar University, has worked with the Catholic Church for many years.

Sex is important to a man – all men. A man’s confidence can thus be said to be as strong as his libido. Artificial sexual health supplements will not only dent your wallet, they also may not provide the effects that they promise. Here are proven and tested foods that will give you that much needed lift:

1. Horny goat weed – As the name suggests, this herb is guaranteed to give a jolt to your libido. The good news is that the dried leaves can be found on the shelves of our local supermarkets. It contains icariin and polysaccharide components which work together to increase testosterone levels and sperm production thus improving your sexual desire and performance.

2. Brown rice – A lot of Kenyan men will not eat rice for dinner. It is not food, it’s not heavy enough, they say. Turns out that rice is exactly what a man with a waning libido needs. Brown rice is an excellent source of magnesium which is vital for muscle contraction; muscle contraction is key for a man’s sexual performance.

3. Honey – If you are in need of a little lifter, try having natural honey every day for a month and your wife will thank you for it. Honey triggers neurotransmitters in your body which boost testosterone production which results in arousal. Honey will also give you that slow, constant supply of energy that every man needs.

4. Eggplant – While most of the libido boosting foods are centered on the body, the eggplant works on the brain to eliminate frigidity and increase sexual desire. Eggplant stimulates the sexual desire centers in the brain. It literally puts you in the mood. Have a hot meal of eggplant and let your imagination do the rest.

Eggplant stimulates the sexual desire centers in the brain.

5. Pomegranate – A recent scientific study by the University of California in the US which involved men experiencing impotence as study subjects found that more than half of those who consumed pomegranate experienced remarkable results. Drinking a glass of pomegranate juice at least once daily for two weeks will eliminate any need for you to consume artificial performance enhancing substances.

6. Garlic – Garlic is great for a man’s libido but only if it is chopped up before eating. Garlic when chopped produces Allicin through an enzyme reaction. Allicin will dilate the blood vessels thus increase blood flow to a man’s sexual organs. This increases the sensation in his genitals thus enhancing his sexual performance.

7. Almonds – Almonds could easily be the world’s greatest aphrodisiac for men. They contains proteins and high amounts of Vitamin B2 and Vitamin E. Almonds awaken a man’s brain activity and stir his sexual desire. They have the ability to charge up your sexual energy in as little as four hours.

8. A glass of cocoa – Cocoa contains Methylaxanthines which are excellent in boosting the skin’s sensitivity to touch. Touch is an essential part of lovemaking. If you down a glass of cocoa, you will be able to experience every single touch. Cocoa also contains properties that will give you a natural high.

A video showing a Kenyan woman being verbally insulted by a Caucasian woman on the streets of Finland for being ‘black’ has gone viral on social media.

In the video which, appears to have been filmed by the Kenyan woman from her car, the Caucasian woman accosts her victim and launches a tirade of verbal insults.

“You are not human in my eyes. You know what happens in our country. Why all come rape our country? We are in trouble of black people. Just try to leave good here, work. Don’t use our facilities.”

BECAUSE YOU ARE BLACK

“I am a nurse, by profession. I treat people in the hospital. Why are you attacking me? What did I do to you?” the Kenyan, whose identity is not revealed in the video, is heard saying to her assailant.

But her aggressor quickly injects, “Because you are black. This country will be like this. Because you are black and I’m white.”

All through the one-minute ordeal, the Kenyan woman remains calm and after her attacker turns around to leave she says “thank you” to which the Caucasian woman sharply responds “You are welcome, but not in my country.”

To watch the video, click on this link: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=947524475307813

Two years after a tragic accident involving a matatu from the Umoinner Sacco and a commuter train at Mutindwa, the matatu operators are yet to actualized the pledges they made to survivors of the accident.

In the wake of the fateful morning of 30th October 2013, when 12 people lost their lives after a town bound train rammed into a matatu at a railway crossing near Umoja estate, the sacco pledged to raise funds for survivors and the victims’ families, but to date that has remained an empty promise.

Worse, the sacco whose fleet of matatus were impounded for a few days following the incident, is still – in the eyes of many – notorious for road accidents.

Speaking to Nairobi News on condition of anonymity one of the survivor of the accident said Umoinner sacco has never made any follow up on their progress.

“I sustained several fractures which changed so many things in my life. But am thankful to God for giving me a second chance to live. As for Umoinner, I don’t want anything to do with them,” she said.

ROAD REGULATIONS

When Nairobi News reached Umoinner sacco for comments, their representatives promised to return to the call but failed to do so.

When the accident happened, the then Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau warned all Public Service Vehicle owners and drivers of dire consequences if they failed to comply with road regulations.

Umoinner matatus were subsequently grounded for a few days following a directive from the National Transport and Safety Authority Act.

But since then, Umoinner matatus have been involved in more accidents, the most recent one being on 7th August 2015 when one matatu from the sacco knocked down and killed a small boy in Shauri Moyo estate.

Representatives of the sacco are on record for saying that accidents involving matatus in their fleet is giving them negative publicity which is affecting their business.

The sacco recently suffered a major blow after some former members registered a rival sacco by the name City Tram, whose fleet will also be plying the Umoja-Town route.

A cancer specialist now says that findings by a World Health Organisation body that red and processed meat can cause cancer need to be questioned, especially in Africa.

Dr Catherine Nyongesa, an oncologist at the Kenyatta National Hospital, says that although the international health agency had raised a red flag on meat, the product does not feature in the list of top 10 causes of cancer.

“There is no sufficient evidence to condemn red meat,” Dr Nyongesa says.

She said that before red meat is entirely categorised among other substances and exposures that can lead to cancer such as tobacco and alcohol, more research should be done.

“So far, we have not seen any link between meat and cancer in this country. Therefore, I think that the research that was released is wanting and scientists need to carry out local research,” she says.

Last week, the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, warned that processed meats such as bacon, sausages and ham can cause cancer.

In its statement, the agency said that there was enough evidence to rank processed meat in the same category as asbestos, alcohol, arsenic and tobacco.

The agency also said that there was evidence that eating a lot of red meat (beef, lamb and pork) could expose one to cancers of the colon, pancreas and even prostate.

“After thoroughly reviewing the accumulated scientific literature, 22 experts classified the consumption of red meat as probably carcinogenic to humans,” the research centre said on Monday.

This statement sent the world into a frenzy.

STAPLE FOOD

But Dr Nyongesa says that the warning may not really be applicable to Africa where some communities whose staple food is red meat have not recorded an increase in cancer cases.

“The Maasai practically survives on meat yet we have not seen an upsurge of colon cancer,” says Dr Nyongesa.

And so do many meat lovers.

Robison Ndung’u says that despite the gloomy news, he will still have meat as tender and juicy as he likes it.

But Martin Njeru, who enjoys a plate of beef stew every Saturday, is taking the report seriously.

“This definitely gives me shivers especially after seeing a close friend succumb to cancer,” he says.

Although he says that he will no longer eat processed meat, Mr Njeru, like Dr Nyongesa, says that red meat is a necessary evil.

“Right now there is a lot of anxiety but you’ll see people having meat. Personally, it’s the norm in my house but I try to avoid eating it for dinner,” he said.

Companies dealing in meat processing have weighed in. They argue that the scientific evidence does not support a causal relationship between red meat or processed meat and cancer.

According to James Taylor, the managing director of Farmers Choice, a producer of processed meat in Kenya, the WHO study heavily focuses on the Western countries and not Africa.

“The World Health Organisation  is referring to the American and European red meat industry, which is very different to that of Kenya,” he says.

DANGERS OF EATING RED MEAT

In an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday, Mr Taylor said the reason the findings do not affect Kenya was because “our beef is more or less organic being grass fed and our pork is home bred”.

Mr Taylor says that unlike other parts of the world where chemicals are used in meat processing, the local industry relies on traditional methods such as smokers.

However, Dr Nyongesa says that the findings should not be ignored altogether.

“The warning is meant to create awareness of the dangers of eating lots of red and processed meat, which mainly applies to the developed world,” says Dr Nyongesa.

The findings stated that the risk of developing colon cancer is linked to the amount of meat consumed, underlining the advice of nutrition experts who preach moderation.

The research centre says that a 50-gramme portion of processed meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 per cent.

The 50 grammes is about two or three slices of bacon. And for Gladys Mugambi, a government nutritionist, daily intake of this will increase your chances of getting cancer.

Not because bacon in itself is bad, but because of the additives (nitrates and phosphates) used to lengthen the shelf life and tenderise the meat.

“When you continuously consume these bacons, ham and sausages, you are definitely exposing yourself,” she says.
For red meat, however, Ms Mugambi says that the principle to containing the risk factors is eating in moderation.

So what in the world is there left to eat for you to stay healthy? Nutritionists say it’s easy: Eat more like a Greek and finish that plate of veggies.

We know that a man’s ego is tied to his sexuality. As a result there are things that women wish they could say to their men in regard to their bedroom matters but they do not because they do not want to bruise his ego.

Here are eight things that married women think but never speak out loud;

1. A little bit of hygiene – Women like masculine man. They like the musky smell of a man. That said, your woman still wants you to shower after a long day at work before jumping into bed. A day old sweat isn’t sexy, it smells funny and it’s a turn off.

2. Size doesn’t matter – Whether a woman has a satisfying sex life is determined by a wide range of things from how she feels about the relationship to her monthly cycles. It has little to do with the size of your manhood. What she would like you to know is that the time you spend obsessing over size just takes away joy from the relationship.

3. If you are not sure, ask – A good relationship is one where partners can explore together. When it comes to bedroom matters, she would rather you asked first before you tried something new. Just because it looked good on that video clip doesn’t mean that she will like it.

4. She fakes it for him – Women fake orgasms all of the time. That is a fact. When she does though, it isn’t for her own selfish gain. It is so that she can protect a man’s ego. If you catch her at it, don’t give her grief about it. She did it for you.

5. Don’t learn from porn – Men are visual creatures and some of them like to watch pornography. Women understand that. What your wife wants you to know though is that she is that you shouldn’t bring the things you learn there to bed. Try taking cues from her, from her breathing and body language not from that video you watched.

6. Take some contraception initiative – Are you one of those men who are always complaining about how bad condom sex is? Yes? Your woman wishes you would take more initiative in regard to contraception. Stop thinking about just yourself. Take some initiative. Help her shoulder the burden. Sometimes this means to stop complaining about using condoms.

7. Women are visual too – Women always go the extra mile before hitting the sack. She will put on lingerie, comb her hair and put on some lip gloss. Men rarely do anything before bedtime. He wishes that you would put in a little more effort. Shop for good underwear, trim some of the hair and wear a clean t-shirt that is not torn. Women also get turned on by what they see.

8. Take off your socks – Some men, for some reason, will wear their socks to bed. This is a very unflattering look. Your woman wishes that you knew this and that you would remember to take them off before coming to bed.

In what is proving to be the season of hate speech by Kenyan politicians, a video has emerged online showing Kiambu Governor William Kabogo issuing threats to Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama for insulting President Uhuru Kenyatta.

In part of the speech made at Thika Stadium last Sunday during the 30-year celebration of musician John de Matthew, Kabogo also threw derisive remarks at Cord leader Raila Odinga.

Governor Kabogo’s outburst comes just days after former Nairobi Mayor George Aladwa was arrested and interrogated by police over inflammatory remarks at a political rally in Kibera.

In September, while addressing a rally at Uhuru Park in support of the then striking teachers, Senator Muthama made remarks about President Kenyatta that were not taken kindly by members of the Jubilee Coalition.

Other political figures who have recently been under scrutiny for perceived hate speech are Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria and political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi.

On Thursday Chief Justice Willy Mutunga warned that unless politicians tone down on divisive utterances, the country could witness another episode of post-election violence in 2017.

Members of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church Ridgeways, along Kiambu Road, are constructing a luxurious house for the presiding priest worth a staggering Sh80 million.

The state-of-the-art house will be an extension of the church which is itself worth Sh150 million.

On Sunday, none other than President Uhuru Kenyatta presided over a fundraiser for the project. The president contributed Sh2 million in cash and pledged another Sh3 million.

Energy PS Joseph Njoroge, a member of the church, said when complete, the house will accommodate six to seven priests and will have other essential facilities required by the clergy.

FURNISHING

“The Sh80 million includes the furnishing of the house. We cannot put up a house without furnishing it. We felt we should put up a house that befits this area,” said Mr Njoroge.

The house will have a gym, a prayer room and a lounge among other facilities. Once the house is completed the church will be elevated to a parish.

The President praised the commitment of the members in constructing the church saying it showed their unity and willingness to work together.

“The work done so far is quite impressive. It is the best church you have put together. When the priest’s house is complete I’m sure it will be like no other,” said the President.

Also present was Mama Ngina Kenyatta who contributed Sh200,000. The former First Lady is a member of the church.

Kenyan football star McDonald Mariga’s former long time girlfriend Ariane Umutoni got engaged last weekend, Nairobi News can exclusively reveal.

The Rwandan beauty queen formally announced her engagement to in Kigali on Saturday.

The new man in the picture, only known to us as Phil, is said to be a “loaded” financial consultant based in Rwanda’s capital Kigali.

And in a bid to announce their union in style, Phil threw a lavish traditional engagement bash for Ariane – who is rumoured to be expectant – alongside her friends and family at an exclusive Kigali hotel.

The event cost millions of shillings, with Ariane inviting several of her Kenyan friends.

The engagement ceremony closed the chapter to a colourful seven year relationship between Mariga and Ariane, which started at around 2008.

LEFT: Mariga and Ariane during happier times.RIGHT: Ariane poses with Mariga’s brother Thomas Wanyama.

Mariga had at one time travelled to Rwanda together with his mother and aunties in mid -2010, for an official introductory ceremony where he is understood to have “deposited some dowry”.

SPENT MILLIONS

The couple turned heads during their time together in Nairobi, and at one point Mariga, who has been based in Italy since 2008, is said to have spent millions of shillings to purchase her an engagement ring and a car.

McDonald Mariga (second right) with his siblings and West African partner Hawa (right). PHOTO |M COURTESY

The relationship however soured at around mid 2013 particularly with the entrance of Hawa (left in the picture above), thought to be of West African decent, into Mariga’s life.

Mariga and his new catch, who is also based in Italy, later had a daughter named Kenisha.

Mariga with his three year-old daughter Kenisha. PHOTO | COURTESY

A heartbroken Ariane, having graduated at Daystar University, eventually walked out on Mariga leaving behind  the car and and string of other expensive gifts.

She relocated to Rwanda where it now seems the real love of her life awaited her while Mariga is struggling to find a club after his erstwhile employer Parma FC was declared bankrupt.

Nairobi County has the highest number of candidates who will sit the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination that starts on Tuesday next week.

Kenya National Examinations Council CEO Joseph Kivilu said a total of 937,467 candidates would write the exam, to be administered between November 10 and 12.

Statistics from the council show that Nairobi County has 50,821 candidates while Lamu County has the lowest number, at 2,579.

Nakuru County has 47,591 candidates, Bungoma (45,082), Kakamega (43,670), Kiambu (37,781), Taita- Taveta (8,333), Kwale (15,265), Mombasa (16,435), Kilifi (29,646) and Tana River (4,064).

Others are Nyandarua (19, 477), Nyeri (18,164), Kirinyaga (12,394), Murang’a (25,451), Machakos (32,204), Kitui (34,611), Embu (13,905), Meru (29,427), Marsabit (3,818), Isiolo (2,927), Makueni (30,505), Tharaka Nithi (10,030), Turkana (9,314), Samburu (9,314), Trans Nzoia (22,747), West Pokot (10,325), Bomet (22,962), Kericho (23,095), Nandi (20,977) and Laikipia (11,008).

Kajiado (15,423), Narok (17,817), Baringo (14,530), Elgeyo-Marakwet (12,770), Busia (20,987), Vihiga (16,392), Kisumu (24,223), Kisii (29,114), Homa Bay (26,430), Siaya (22,930), Nyamira (14,821), Migori (23,801), Garissa (8,106), Wajir (4,416) and Mandera (5,070).

Dr Kivilu said the exam would be administered at 25,140 centres.

“The council will engage the services of contracted professionals for field administration of the exam,” said the chief executive officer in a statement.

He disclosed that 25,261 supervisors, 58,215 invigilators, 50,280 security personnel and 7,451 examiners would be involved.

Dr Kivilu once again called on headteachers to remain vigilant and ensure that no exam malpractices take place in their schools.

He said the council, with the help of the police, had intensified efforts to track down and arrest any person circulating any exam-related materials through mobile phones or any other means.

“Knec has mechanisms to identify irregularities on candidates’ answer scripts during marking,” said Dr Kivilu.

SOURCE: Daily Nation

On one of the beds at Ward 6C at the Kenyatta National Hospital, Wambua Manga counts time while lying in a supine position, his plastered left foot hoisted by a sling attached to the ceiling.

It is now a month since the hawker was taken to the country’s largest referral hospital by Good Samaritans.

It was September 13 and he had passed out due to the pain caused by a broken shin bone, internal injuries, fractured ribs and a mob-style beating.

He woke up four days later.

“They grabbed me and started battering with clubs and knives as one of them repeatedly kicked my lower leg with his boots,” he says of his attackers.

“The last thing I remember hearing was ‘wewe hakuna mahali tunakupeleka, tutakumaliza hapa’ (We are not taking you anywhere, we will kill you here),” he recalls.

SUDDEN COMMOTION

Ruth Waithera, a hawker, who witnessed the incident said they were selling their wares on the pavements of Tom Mboya Street when there was sudden commotion.

“It usually happens at any time of day or night. All hawkers suddenly fled in one direction and I joined them and paused after a short while as we usually do because the City Council askaris hardly put up a chase for long, they arrest two or three hawkers who are unlucky and move on,” she says.

On this day, however, Ms Waithera noticed someone had been surrounded and was being beaten up.

“One of them kept stabbing him as he shouted that he was not a hawker,” she says.

“After some time, the crowd that had gathered intervened and the askaris got in their van and drove off leaving him for dead,” she says.

Mr Wambua is lucky to have survived to tell the tale.

As Nairobi increasingly gets swarmed by hawkers, the county government askaris, who have had perennial run-ins with them, appear to have taken the conflict to a whole new level.

Goons purported to be working for the City Inspectorate are on the loose robbing, assaulting, stabbing and maiming hawkers in the name of maintaining law and order.

TRAIL OF DEATH

The goons, who the Nation has established move around in county government vehicles sometimes escorted by regular policemen, have left a trail of death and permanent injuries on hawkers who don’t bribe them.

They act with impunity, with the police seemingly helpless against them.

In the past two years, Nation has established that at least eight deaths are linked to the goons whose impunity appears to be protected by top officials in City Hall.

Many more have survived with serious injuries and their attempts to get justice are blocked by intimidation, threats and police officers unwilling to act.

Duncan Wachira is another victim of the rogue askaris. He was selling clothes along River Road on July 18 when the askaris cornered him.

He had just opened shop around 4.30pm to cash in on the high traffic of people leaving work when they suddenly appeared.

“They clobbered me with metal bars all over and when a crowd that had gathered intervened, they forced me into their vehicle and drove off,” he says.

He continues: “After doing rounds in town for some time, they dumped me in an alley along Nyambene Road minus my phone and the money I had made that day,” he says.

The attack left him with a broken right arm and a broken finger on his right hand.

He is still undergoing physiotherapy to enable him to use his finger.

Read the full story here.

SOURCE: Daily Nation

A jilted police officer on Sunday shot and seriously injured a university student in Nairobi’s Embakasi Estate.

The student’s mother, who is the officer’s former partner, was unhurt in the dawn attack.

Police spokesman Charles Owino said the officer had been arrested.

Police said the man fired seven rounds but only six spent cartridges were found at the scene.

The woman narrated how she went home at around 12.30am and found her son watching a movie in the sitting room and went to her bedroom.

Ten minutes later the doorbell rang.

“I asked my son to check who was at the door but he said it was too late to open it. I left my room but before I reached the sitting room, I heard gunshots,” she said.

She said the officer was firing through the windows.

“He went round the house shooting through the windows. One bullet hit my son in the right hand,” she said.

The officer had been to the house on Saturday afternoon but did not find the woman.

Neighbours said the two had been living together and ran a business jointly.

City Hall is mulling a freeze in hiring and a voluntary early retirement plan to reduce its wage bill that takes 60 per cent of its revenues.

Nairobi’s budget review document released last week indicated that it’s keen on removing undisclosed number of staff from its payroll to free money for development and improve the quality of public services in the capital.

The increase in the wage bill has continued to eat into the county’s finances and led to a drop in project spending like road repairs.

The staff headcount currently stands at about 14,300, up from 12,000 in 2010, comprising mostly unskilled workers including sweepers, clerks and watchmen.

“A freeze on non-essential recruitment, outsourcing non critical services and explore voluntary retirement package,” the county proposes in the budget review paper.

“The county government is committed to bringing down the proportion of expenditure on wages to below 50 per cent in the medium term.”

With an annual wage bill of about Sh14 billion against a revenue base of Sh22.9 billion earned from land rates, business permits, parking fees and transfers from the national government, salaries take close to 61 per cent of City Hall’s total expenditure, making the wage bill trimming a prime target of the reorganisation plan.

Read the full story here.

SOURCE: Business Daily

A sex tape of a person who appears to be like top Kenyan entertainer DJ Crème has surfaced and is making the rounds on social media.

The man is seen partaking of the forbidden fruit on a bed with an unidentified young woman who is not his wife.

DJ Crème is married to another woman with whom he has two children, although the couple is yet to wed.

It is not known if the undated video was taken before or after he started a relationship with the other woman.

On the 5-minute-long video, he is seen taking time out to adjust the camera supposedly for a better angle.

DJ Crème is currently one of the most sought after in Kenya at the moment.

The Nairobi News could not upload the video, which has been shared widely on WhatsApp, due to ethical issues

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) is on the spot once again for profligate spending of public funds that saw it sink Sh1.95 million into the purchase of 300 leather wallets for staff.

The agency, which is the telecoms and broadcasting sector regulator, bought the wallets at a cost of Sh6,500 each or more than five times the market price, according to an audit report seen by the Business Daily.

The agency’s internal auditors established that similar leather wallets at Woolworths cost Sh3,500 each for men and Sh4,000 a piece for women.

The price at Pure Leather Wallets stood at Sh2,500 each while Gift Centre offers the wallets at Sh1,200 each for both men and women.

This means the CA would have saved Sh1.59 million had it bought the leather wallets from Gift Centre.

DOSSIER

The wallets expenditure is contained in a dossier which also shows that CA staff pocketed Sh307.2 million in tax-free travelling allowances in the year ended June.

The audit report into the financial dealings of the telecoms industry regulator has questioned the spending on the 300 leather wallets as gifts for staff and raised the red flag over the agency’s use of direct procurement contrary to public procurement law.

The CA is one of Kenya’s most liquid State agencies, with a procurement budget of Sh1.8 billion in the year ended June 2015.

The auditors said a critical examination of the tenders established that they lacked “critical information such as who and when requisitions were made, when the goods were issued, who issued the goods and who received the goods”.

BRANDED WALLETS

Digital Print Media Ltd, a Nairobi-based printing firm, won the deal to supply the branded wallets, according to the internal audit report. Out of the total 300 wallets, 165 were for men and 135 for women.

The auditors established that CA executives could not account for the 300 wallets and that there was a variance in the quantity ordered and the staff headcount. The agency had a total of 189 employees at the end of June 2015.

“The staff giveaway was for 300 wallets and a listing of the receipts of the wallets was not provided,” says the report that the agency’s board audit committee adopted on September 9, 2015.

Read the full story here.

SOURCE: Business Daily

The Director of Public Prosecution Keriako Tobiko has ordered the Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission to investigate Kiambu Governor William Kabogo for hate speech in regard to a video that is circulating on social media.

In a letter, Mr Tobiko said the utterances in the video may amount to hate speech, ethnic contempt and incitement to violence.

Mr Kabogo, speaking at Thika Stadium during the celebration of musician John de Matthew 30-year music career, threw derisive ethnic remarks on Cord leader Raila Odinga.

“Mr Muthuma, don’t ever insult the President of the Republic of Kenya. If you do, I will come get you,” Kabogo says in the video.

“And am not declaring war, by the way. But we don’t fear anybody,” he adds and goes ahead to challenge the media to report his utterances saying he has enough money to defend himself in court if need be.

He then launches an attack on Raila in remarks that border ethnic slur.

In the recent past, a number of politicians have been investigated and arraigned in court following similar orders by the DPP but nothing tangible has come out of it.

Kabogo joins the list of shame which also includes of George Aladwa, Mutahi Nginyi and Moses Kuria.

The High Court in Kisumu on Monday ordered the arrest and prosecution of Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo for claiming that Cord leader Raila Odinga’s life was in danger.

Justice Hillary Chemitei dismissed an application by the National Assembly Minority Chief Whip that had challenged a bid by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to arrest him over the claims.

Mr Midiwo made the assassination claims at a funeral in Bondo in April 7, 2012.

He said some officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by then minister Prof Sam Ongeri, had plotted the kill Mr Odinga, who was then the Prime Minister.

Prof Ongeri later swore that he was not involved in any such plan.

“Chairman, they want to kill you. You are about to die in a few weeks to come. I am ready to record a statement even before the Bondo OCPD to confirm the seriousness of the matter,” Mr Midiwo is quoted as saying.

Mr Midiwo was arrested two days after he recorded a statement with the CID in Nairobi.

In his case, Mr Midiwo had asked Mr Justice Chemitei to quash the arrest warrant by the DPP saying he should not be arrested but instead be congratulated for blowing the whistle on the plot.

But the DPP, through State Counsel James Warui, told the court that Mr Midiwo had failed to substantiate his claim and had made the assassination plot remarks to gain political mileage.

In his ruling on Monday, Mr Justice Chemitei said the Cord MP had not proved his case.

“It is my finding that the petitioner has failed to demonstrate that the intended prosecution was driven by another purpose other than justice and enforcement of the law. The same is hereby dismissed with costs to the respondents,” ruled Justice Chemitei.

The High Court has stopped the release of a Biology teacher accused of defiling a Form One student at Highridge girls secondary school.

Justice Ngenye Macharia in Nairobi overruled the Chief Magistrate court’s decision to release Hillary Okeyo on bond because he could interfere with prosecution witnesses.

The Judge said the suspect may interfere with witnesses who are students and whom she described as “agile.”

Mr Hilary Okeyo had been released on a Sh500,000 cash bail after pleading “not guilty” of charges of defilement and indecent act with a child.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution challenged his release by lodging an appeal at the high Court.