Murkomen Appoints Charlene Ruto’s Friend to the KPA Board

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January 21, 2023

Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen appointed Caroline Njoki, popularly known as Njoki Wa Mathira, to the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) board.

The appointment announced in a gazette notice dated Friday, January 20, stated that the young Njoki will serve for three years beginning Monday, January 23, 2023.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 4 (f) of the Kenya Ports Authority Act, as read together with section 51 (1) of the Interpretation and General Provisions Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport appoints the aforementioned,” read part of the notice.

Njoki Wa Mathira is one of the few people who associate with President William Ruto’s daughter, Charlene Ruto. The two refer to each other as sisters in several online posts.

Charlene stated at Njoki’s graduation in December 2022, “My younger sister did it. She is able to read and write. Njoki Wa Mathira, I am so proud of you for setting a good example for our youth.”

Furthermore, on Charlene’s birthday in January 2023, Njoki stated, “Charlene Ruto, my big sister, has the best birthday ever. You are brilliantly growing so strong and elegantly. Your charisma and aura have you out here doing what you do best: just being young.”

Njoki has also been accompanying Charlene for trips outside the country, including Ghana and Morocco where they visited local schools among other places.

During the campaign period, Njoki played a role in selling the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) narrative in Mt Kenya, especially in Mathira sub-county – Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s political backyard.

“I will greatly take up this role to impact purposeful change and deliver our promises to Kenyans. To all my friends and support system, thank you,” Njoki shared on Saturday, January 21.

“I am truly grateful to the president, his deputy, and the CS for bestowing their trust upon me to deliver in my capacity and in the respective area assigned to me,” she added.

Kalonzo’s Son Involved in JKIA Accident

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Cyrus Kimanga

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January 21, 2023

The son of Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka was injured when his car was rammed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport screening area.

The identity of Kalonzo’s son remained unknown, but speculations pointed to the younger Klein Kalonzo.

According to JKIA sources, a truck lost control and veered off the Nairobi Expressway onto Airport Road, ramming into the SUV. Kalonzo’s son and other passengers were reportedly injured.

“Yes, the accident happened around 6 a.m., according to reports. I am not aware of the passengers’ identities “According to the source.

Dan Maanzo, the Makueni Senator, confirmed that it was not the elder son and East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Member of Parliament Kennedy Musyoka.

“I have spoken to Kennedy, and he is away from the country. He has also seen the news on social media and he is trying to reach out to his family for more information,” Maanzo stated.

Maanzo added that Kalonzo Musyoka was unavailable and unreachable as he was at an event in Kisii.

Reports alleged that Musyoka’s son was in the company of Machakos Trade CEC, Sharon Nthoki. In photos shared on social media, Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti was also at the scene.

Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko was among the Kenyans who reacted to the news, calling for prayers for injured Musyoka.

“The devil is a liar. Quick recovery to all Wiper leaders, including HE Kalonzo’s son, who has just been involved in a road accident at JKIA primary screening yard.

“A drunk truck driver lost control and hit their car from behind,” former Nairobi governor, Mike Sonko claimed via his Facebook page.

The crash came amid concerns about increased accidents in the country. According to a report from the National Transport and Safety Authority, the number of accidents in 2022 rose to 4432 from 4271 in the same period in 2021.

Saturday’s transfer gossip: Kane, Mount, Firmino, Reus, Bellingham, Souttar, Kiwior, Chambers

By

Cyrus Kimanga

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January 21, 2023

Manchester United is interested in bringing Tottenham and England striker Harry Kane, 29, to Old Trafford this summer.

Chelsea is stepping up attempts to agree on a new contract with England midfielder Mason Mount in the face of the growing prospect of Liverpool trying to buy the 24-year-old this summer.

Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech, 29, is keen to move from Chelsea and join Barcelona this month.

Liverpool is still in talks with Roberto Firmino over a new short-term contract, and the 31-year-old Brazil forward says he intends to stay at the club.

Arsenal is interested in a surprise loan deal for Real Madrid and France midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, 20, to boost their squad for the rest of the season.

Manchester United is considering a loan move for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Marco Reus, 33 after Erik ten Hag met the German’s agent.

Arsenal and Newcastle are following the progress of Real Valladolid’s Spanish right-back Ivan Fresneda, 18.

Thomas Tuchel is unlikely to take the job at Tottenham if it became available because the German is aiming for Barcelona or Real Madrid as his next step.

Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic has urged England midfielder Jude Bellingham,19, to “break the mold” and reject the approaches of Real Madrid and Liverpool to stay with the German club.

Bournemouth has asked Roma about a loan move for Uruguayan left-back Matias Vina with the 25-year-old out of favor under Jose Mourinho.

Leicester City has made a fresh approach for Stoke City’s Australia defender Harry Souttar, 24, after their initial £10m bid was rejected.

Arsenal is close to signing 22-year-old Spezia and Poland defender Jakub Kiwior for a deal understood to be worth £20m.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is set to offload English defender Calum Chambers – after also letting go of the 28-year-old when the pair were at Arsenal – as he looks to overhaul his squad.

Newcastle United is continuing talks with Flamengo to try and reach an agreement over 18-year-old Brazilian forward Matheus Franca.

Chelsea is interested in signing Lyon right-back Malo Gusto, although the Ligue 1 side would like to keep the 19-year-old Frenchman until the end of the season.

Italian side Salernitana is currently in talks with the agent of Everton’s English defender Michael Keane and is keen to convince the 30-year-old of the move.

Club Bruges’ Norwegian forward Antonio Nusa, 17, “will play” for Premier League champions Manchester City in the future, according to former Netherlands midfielder Ruud Vormer.

REF: BBC SPORTS

Noni Madueke: Chelsea completes £30m signing of winger from PSV Eindhoven

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Cyrus Kimanga

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January 21, 2023

Chelsea has completed the signing of England Under-21s winger Noni Madueke from PSV Eindhoven in a move worth about £30.7m.

The 20-year-old joins on a seven-and-a-half-year contract, with the option to extend for a further year.

Madueke is the club’s second signing in five days, following Mykhailo Mudryk’s arrival in an £89m deal.

He is their sixth January signing and Transfermarkt puts their spending this month at 178.50m euros (£156m).

The Blues have also signed David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos, and Benoit Badiashile, plus Joao Felix on loan, during the January transfer window.

It comes after a summer that saw them spend a Premier League record £270m – the second-highest summer spend by any club in the world after Real Madrid (£292m) in 2019.

“I’m really pleased to sign with one of the best clubs in the world,” Madueke told the club’s website.

“To return to England and play in the Premier League is a dream for me and my family and I can’t wait to get started.

“I am excited for what the future holds, the owner’s vision for the future, and to be at a club like this and winning at the highest level.”

Madueke came through the youth system at Crystal Palace and Tottenham before leaving England to move to the Netherlands and sign for PSV in 2018.

He scored 21 goals in 77 appearances for the Dutch side and has four England Under-21s caps.

REF: BBC SPORTS

Juventus: Serie A giants docked 15 points for transfer dealings

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Cyrus Kimanga

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January 21, 2023

Juventus have been docked 15 points following an investigation into the club’s past transfer dealings, Italy’s football federation (FIGC) says.

The Serie A giants were accused of fixing their balance sheets with artificial gains from club transfers.

Juventus had been in third place but the penalty will drop them to 10th.

The club’s board of directors, including former president Andrea Agnelli and vice-president Pavel Nedved, resigned in November.

Juventus have denied any wrongdoing and confirmed they will appeal the decision.

In a statement, the club said they “await the publication of the reasons for the decision” but have started bringing an appeal to the Sports Guarantee Board of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI).

The FIGC’s sanction is tougher than the nine-point deduction prosecutors had requested.

Spurs sporting director among those banned

Juve’s former sports director Fabio Paratici, now Tottenham’s managing director of football, has been banned for 30 months.

The FIGC has also hit Agnelli and the club’s former chief executive Maurizio Arrivabene with two-year bans, while current sports director Federico Cherubini has been given a 16-month ban.

A total of 11 former and current Juventus executives have received sanctions, with Nedved given an eight-month ban,

The FIGC says all the bans include a request for the sanction to be extended to Uefa and Fifa and therefore then apply worldwide.

REF: BBC SPORTS

Uganda’s General Muhoozi Claims To Be Next President After His Father’

By

Cyrus Kimanga

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January 21, 2023

General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, has declared that he will succeed his father as the country’s next president.

On Friday, in yet another controversial Twitter post, the General stated that his ascension to Uganda’s top seat was written in stone and that those attempting to prevent it were fighting a losing battle.

“After my father, I will be President of this country. Those who oppose the project have given up. The MK Movement will triumph! “He stated.

Prior to the aforementioned statements, Muhoozi reignited an online storm with Kenyans over a rumored plan to “invade Kenya” in a now-deleted tweet.

Kenyans, according to Muhoozi, are wary of Uganda due to its military might, which he claims is far superior to Nairobi’s.

“Some Kenyans are afraid of us because they know our military is superior to theirs. Our army can take Nairobi in one week! “Muhoozi stated.

Muhoozi sparked outrage in October of last year when he threatened to invade Kenya and seize Nairobi in a series of tweets.

He even went so far as to ask his followers for recommendations on where he should live in Nairobi if the rumored invasion plans were successful, naming a few posh neighborhoods such as Westlands and Riverside.

“It wouldn’t take us two weeks, my army and I, to capture Nairobi,” he said. “After our army captures Nairobi, where should I live? Westlands? “Riverside?” he asked.

Bomas Choirs Cry Over Unpaid Salaries Months After Election

By

Cyrus Kimanga

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January 21, 2023

A group of singers from various choirs who entertained Kenyans during the August 2022 General Election in Bomas of Kenya is now claiming that they were not paid for their services.

The singers claim that six months after entertaining Kenyans as the country awaited the Presidential election results, they are yet to receive the money they were promised.

Mwalimu Thomas Wasonga, a veteran artist and composer, led the group, which was hired by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to entertain Kenyans as they awaited the presidential election result.

The choir stayed in Bomas for nearly a week, singing patriotic songs that helped Kenyans relax, with many expressing delight at their presence.

However, some choir members have come forward to say that they were yet to receive the money for which they worked, despite the fact that schools resume on Monday.

Victor Onyango, a lead singer in one of Bomas’ choirs, claims that Mwalimu Wasonga promised them that their pay would arrive six weeks after the presidential election results were announced.

He had no idea that six weeks would turn into nearly six months.

“The choir was one of the service providers at Kenya’s Bomas. We were brought in to provide services, just like the others who had been hired to make the process run smoothly. So we were supposed to be paid like everyone else “Onyango lamented.

He went on to say: “Our capable leader, Mwalimu Wasonga, predicted that the funds would arrive in six weeks. We’ve been waiting for the money for six months. We don’t want to blame Mwalimu for the delay, but someone needs to take action. We had families who saw us working on TV every day, but we came home with nothing.”

According to Onyango, 80% of the choir members rely solely on singing for a living. As a result, the delayed payment has had a negative impact on their way of life and their families.

De La Rue Suspends its Money Printing Operations in Kenya

By

Cyrus Kimanga

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January 21, 2023

De La Rue, a banknote printer, said on Friday that it had learned that the group’s activities in India prior to 2016 were being investigated by a top Indian investigation agency.

The British group stated that it was aware from “publicly available sources” that India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was investigating the former Indian finance secretary Arvind Mayaram’s conduct, but that it had not received any official direct communication from the agency.

De La Rue said in a statement the allegations relating to the group had no merit and it was seeking legal advice, but declined to comment further on the nature of the charges. The company confirmed it had supplied security threads for banknotes in India prior to 2016.

The company also said it has suspended its note-printing operations in Kenya and it did not expect any new orders from the African country’s central bank for the next 12 months due to low market demand.

However, its joint venture with the Kenyan government, through which its operations in the country are conducted, remains active, the company added.

“The company continues to explore further business opportunities, both in Kenya and for export from Kenya, with a view to restarting production if the economic climate permits,” De La Rue said.

Uhuru’s Cousin Secures a Lucrative Parastatal Job In The Recent Appointments

By

Cyrus Kimanga

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January 21, 2023

CS Sports Kungu Muigai has been appointed chair of the Kenya Cultural Centre Council by Ababu Namwamba.

Muigai, a cousin of former President Uhuru Kenyatta, has been appointed as a member and chairperson of the council with immediate effect.

Namwamba stated in a gazette notice dated January 20, 2023, that Muigai’s appointment will be for two years.

Muigai, who is the Kikuyu Council of Elders patron, has been Uhuru’s critique and opposer and publicly endorsed President William Ruto during the last year’s general elections.

Before the elections, he had termed the said war of words between Uhuru and his then-deputy Ruto as a shame to the nation.

Muigai challenged his cousin to maintain the big brother demeanor because the mudslinging between the two was more embarrassing.

He termed the spat between the two as a sibling rivalry, which is usually harmless unless it is taken a step further but warned the two might be cultivating a violent seed for the younger generation.

Martin Odegaard and Bruno Fernandes: A Duel of Fire and Ice Ahead of Arsenal and Manchester United Match

By

Cyrus Kimanga

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January 21, 2023

The captaincy duel of fire and ice ahead of Arsenal’s clash against Man United… Red Devils skipper Bruno Fernandes is a cauldron of rage and emotion while Martin Odegaard is cool, calm, and collected Arsenal and Manchester United are set to go head-to-head in a vital Premier League clash in the title race this weekend.

The Gunners are currently leading the way with the Red Devils becoming dark horses since the return from the 2022 World Cup break with an impressive run of form.

The two form teams now look set to battle it out in their biggest match in around 15 years and one of the key battles could be in midfield between the two captains Martin Odegaard and Bruno Fernandes.

The Arsenal captain hauled himself out of bed to score the decisive second goal and then dragged his team out of harm’s way as limbs began to fly from the stands.

Then, despite his long night, Odegaard found time for a chat with someone he had met recently. They also happened to work for Tottenham. The staff member was blown away; Odegaard was puzzled. How could manners mean so much?

Perhaps that paints a depressing picture of what we expect from footballers these days. Or perhaps derby day was the finest illustration yet of why Odegaard has become Arsenal’s beating heart.

That long-range drive took his tally of goals and assists to 13 — already more than last season. With Mikel Arteta’s side five points clear at the top ahead of hosting Manchester United tomorrow, is there a finer creative midfielder in the country right now?

Behind closed doors, meanwhile, his blend of ruthless professionalism and quiet diplomacy has helped unite a young squad.

REF: REUTERS