‘It Hurts’ – Dembele To Leave Barcelona For PSG

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August 2, 2023

Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele will join Paris St-Germain, says Barca coach Xavi.

The 26-year-old France international was an unused substitute in Barcelona’s 1-0 pre-season friendly win over AC Milan in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

“He says that he has this proposal and that he has decided to leave. It is his personal decision,” said Xavi.

Dembele has scored 40 goals in 185 games since joining Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund for £135m in 2017.

“I will be very clear,” Xavi said. “He has been very direct, that he has a proposal from Paris St-Germain, that they have called him from there and here we cannot do anything. That is why he has not played today.

“It hurts me because I think we have taken great care of him here so that he is happy and content and continues to make a difference for us.”

Dembele signed a new two-year contract at Barcelona last year after a season in which he provided the most assists in La Liga.

He was part of the France side that reached the World Cup final in December, but a thigh injury meant he missed most of the second half of the season as Barcelona won the title.

Dembele scored in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Real Madrid in Dallas, the second of three games on their pre-season tour of the United States.

PSG have won Ligue 1 in nine of the past 11 seasons.

Chelsea May Loan £23m Signing Ugochukwu – Pochettino

By

John Mutiso

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August 2, 2023

Manager Mauricio Pochettino says new signing Lesley Ugochukwu may go on loan after the midfielder joined Chelsea for 27m euros (£23.2m) from Rennes.

Ugochukwu has signed a seven-year deal but Pochettino has not yet decided the Frenchman’s immediate future.

The 19-year-old has made 47 Ligue 1 appearances for Rennes and has also featured in the Europa League.

“We need to assess him when he starts training today and then in London after the tour,” said Pochettino.

“He’s a young, talented player. Now is the time to assess him until the end of the transfer window and see if he is going to be with us or maybe it can be a possibility to loan him.”

Ugochukwu, whose deal has the option of another year, is yet to make his senior debut for France but has played for Les Bleus at under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels.

He could return to Ligue 1 for next season because the Blues’ ownership group purchased a majority stake in Alsace club Strasbourg in June.

Chelsea have been pursuing Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo throughout the transfer window – with a £80m bid rejected last week – and Pochettino has been calling for more experienced players to add to his squad.

Chelsea have a strategy of signing young talent with the potential to be future stars while clearing out their bloated squad following a £600m spend in the past two transfer windows.

Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount have all departed this summer for Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United respectively, while N’Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy have moved to the Saudi Pro League.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic both made the switch to Italian club AC Milan, while Conor Gallagher has been the subject of a £40m offer from West Ham United.

Chelsea have already added attackers Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson to their squad as well as Brazilian youngster Angelo Gabriel.

Ugochukwu will be the only new player to join up with the 29-man squad that is travelling in the US, but Pochettino is happy with the Blues’ summer recruitment so far.

“No, I am not disappointed because when we joined we knew we would find this situation,” the Argentine added.

“I am happy in the way the club is working. Of course, we are working hard to try to finish the squad as soon as possible.

“We all know in the last few weeks of the transfer window maybe some things are going to happen. Always it is better to have everything closed before – not only us, for different clubs also.”

Colwill looks set to stay at Chelsea

Defender Levi Colwill’s future has been discussed a lot through this summer following interest from Brighton, where he spent a successful loan spell last season.

The 20-year-old posted a farewell message to the Seagulls on Instagram and looks set to be part of the Chelsea squad next season.

“I was clear with him. One of the things we were talking about was for him to have the possibility to compete with different team-mates, about deserving to play and for sure if he deserves to play he is going to play,” said Pochettino.

“Of course there is the possibility to play. Because Ben [Badiashile] is injured his chances are higher because he is a left-footed centre back. He will compete with Ben.

“There are different types of combinations that can happen. He needs to show he is ready to play and deserves to play.”

Chelsea Sign Teenage Midfielder Ugochukwu From Rennes

By

John Mutiso

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August 2, 2023

Chelsea have signed teenage midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu from Ligue 1 side Stade Rennes on a seven-year contract with an option of another year, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed but British media reported that Chelsea had paid Rennes about €27.5 million for the 19-year-old.

Ugochukwu, a France under-19 international, was a regular at Rennes last season, helping the club finish fourth in the French top flight and making the Europa League knockout stage.

“We’re delighted Lesley is joining Chelsea. He is an impressive young player who has already made his mark in Ligue 1,” Chelsea co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley told the club website.

“He has a huge amount of potential and we know he is going to continue to develop and improve. We are pleased that he has joined us (on tour) in the US and that he will be able to integrate with the squad quickly.”

Ugochukwu joined the Rennes youth system aged eight and made his senior debut just after his 17th birthday, becoming the club’s fourth-youngest debutant at the time.

Mane Joins Saudi Side Al-Nassr From Bayern

By

John Mutiso

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August 2, 2023

Saudi side Al Nassr confirmed the signing of Bayern Munich striker Sadio Mane on Tuesday as the Senegal star prepares to team up with five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

The twice African footballer of the year is the latest high profile player to join the cash-rich Saudi league.

“I’m really happy to be part of you guys, I can’t wait to see you,” Mane said in a video addressed to Al Nassr supporters on the club’s social media accounts.

Both clubs announced the transfer involving the former Liverpool star which German media estimated at around 30 million euros on a three-year deal with an annual salary for Mane of 40 million plus 10 million in results-based bonuses.

Earlier on Tuesday Mane, 31, rued his departure with two years of his contract at Bayern remaining.

“Leaving Bayern hurts me. I would have wished for a different ending,” he told Sky Germany.

Those sentiments were echoed by Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel when he spoke in Singapore on the eve of his side’s friendly against Liverpool.

“We had a long, big hug and we both agreed that we don’t like what’s happening now, but we think it’s for the best in this situation,” said the Bayern coach.

“Sometimes things don’t work out as everybody wants it to work out. In person I have always had a very good relationship with him and this will stay.

“I can totally understand that he feels hurt and I also wouldn’t feel happy if things like this happened.

“Obviously it’s something that we didn’t bring into the full potential, which is my job and my responsibility, but in this particular situation, it was the best solution to untie the knot.”

Mane moves to the club that instigated the first coup of a raft of signings by Saudi clubs with the capture of Ronaldo on a four-year contract.

Mane won the Champions League and Premier League in six seasons with Liverpool and was a key part of Jurgen Klopp’s devastating front three with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

When Liverpool won their first English league title for 30 years in the pandemic-disrupted 2019-2020 season, Mane scored 18 goals.

But in the summer of 2022, Mane decided he wanted a new challenge — unconfirmed rumours said he had tired of sharing the limelight with Egypt’s Salah at Anfield.

Bayern made a big play for Mane, promising to make him the focal point of an attack which had just lost the services of Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona.

After a strong start to the season at Bayern, it soon become clear that Mane was not clicking in Bavaria.

‘NEW START’

In a Bundesliga game against Werder Bremen in November, Mane suffered an injury to his fibula and his season was put on hold.

The injury forced him to miss the World Cup in Qatar at the end of last year in a crushing blow to Senegal’s chances.

Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen reflected on Mane’s difficult spell in Germany.

“It certainly wasn’t an easy year for him, getting injured just before the World Cup and being unable to take part in it with Senegal,” he told Bayern’s website.

Dreesen added: “Because of his long lay-off he also couldn’t have the impact at FC Bayern that we all and he himself had hoped for.

“That’s why we came to the joint decision that he’ll begin a new chapter in his career and make a new start at a different club.”

While Mane returned to the Bayern team in 2023, his problems were underlined when he became involved in a physical altercation with teammate Leroy Sane following a Champions League defeat to Manchester City.

Bayern reportedly fined Mane around €350 000 and gave him a one-match suspension for his part in the incident.

He ended the season with an underwhelming 12 goals in 38 games across all competitions.

Aside from Ronaldo, Al Nassr have also signed this summer Croatia midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, Brazil full-back Alex Telles and Ivory Coast midfielder Seko Fofana.

Karim Benzema, the reigning Ballon d’Or, and French 2018 World Cup winner N’Golo Kante joined Al-Ittihad in June, while Riyad Mahrez left Manchester City for Al-Ahli last week.

England international Jordan Henderson also recently moved from Liverpool to Al-Ettifaq, where he will be coached by Reds legend and former teammate Steven Gerrard.

Government Suspends Worldcoin registration in Kenya

By

John Mutiso

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August 2, 2023

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has ordered the suspension of any activity regarding Worldcoin.

In a statement on August 2, CS Kindiki said that the government is concerned by the ongoing activities of the organisation which is involved in the registration of citizens through collection of eyeball/iris data.

He said that relevant security, financial services and data protection agencies have commenced inquiries and investigations to establish the authenticity and legality of the aforesaid activities, the safety and protection of the data being harvested, and how the harvesters intend to use the data.

“Further, it will be critical that assurances of public safety and the integrity of the financial transactions involving such a large number of citizens be satisfactorily provided upfront,” he said.

“Accordingly, the government has suspended forthwith, activities of Worldcoin and any other entity that may be similarly engaging the people of Kenya until relevant public agencies certify the absence of any risks to the general public whatsoever,” he added.

CS Kindiki stated that appropriate action will be taken on any natural or juristic person who furthers, aids, abets or otherwise engages in or is connected with the activities of Worldcoin.

This comes after over 350,000 sign up for Worldcoin with the expectation they will receive tokens worth Sh7,700.

Monaco Swoop For Salisu As Disasi Nears Chelsea Move

By

John Mutiso

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August 2, 2023

Ghana centre-back Mohammed Salisu has joined Monaco on a five-year deal from Southampton, the Ligue 1 club said Tuesday with France international Axel Disasi on the verge of signing for Chelsea.

The transfer fee for the 24-year-old Salisu is reported to be around €15 million.

Salisu, who began his career at Spanish side Real Valladolid, was part of a Southampton team relegated from the Premier League last season.

He also played for his country at the World Cup in Qatar.

His arrival in the principality coincides with Disasi moving closer to completing a move to Chelsea, where he would be reunited with former Monaco team-mate Benoit Badiashile.

Chelsea are expected to confirm the signing of Disasi on Wednesday for a fee in the region of 45 million euros after the 25-year-old defender travelled to London for a medical.

President Ruto: Education Changes To Take Effect Immediately

By

John Mutiso

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August 2, 2023

President William Ruto has said the country’s education system will undergo immediate changes.

This follows Tuesday’s launch of the report of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform at State House in Nairobi.

He said the new system will inculcate innovation and facilitate learners to explore their talents.

“Education is central to our human capital development. That is why the Government is intentionally investing in quality education.”

He explained that the government will ensure the provision of quality, inclusive and relevant education.

“We will routinely sharpen and make it better to help learners fulfill their potential.”

He asked stakeholders to direct their attention towards the implementation of the report’s recommendations.

The Head of State added that there is a lot to be done in terms of policy, legislative, organisational, strategic and administrative measures to actualise the recommendations.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua noted that the new system will ease burden on children and give them room to exploit their skills.

He said it was time Kenya’s education was made more competitive and rewarding.

“Our human capital is one of the finest in the world. This is a resource we should continue to pride ourself of,” he pointed out.

The Working Party’s Chairman Raphael Munavu said the findings of the report was based on primary information gathered across the country.

“It is a people-driven outcome. This means this is what they look forward to, to make the best of their children.”

Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu argued that the Ministry of Education will continue formulating and implementing appropriate education and training policies to churn out competent human power.

Families To Wait Longer For Shakahola Bodies

By

Ramadhan Kambi

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August 1, 2023

Relatives of victims of the Shakahola fasting ritual linked to Pastor Paul Mackenzie will wait longer to get the bodies of their kin for burial.

This is after Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor said that DNA results from the Government Chemists were yet to reach his team.

He said this after conducting postmortem on 26 bodies at the Malindi Sub County Hospital Funeral home on Tuesday afternoon where he added that two female bodies turned out pregnant hence pushing the number to 26 instead of the initial 24 that they were sure of.

“We have not reached that level of releasing bodies to relatives because the process of DNA is still ongoing and they (Government Chemist) have not given us a go-ahead because we are yet to receive reports of any matches so we need to wait for them. In the course of next week, we will be with the government chemist then they will brief us on the process of what is going on there. That is when we will be able to tell you the number of people who have been identified,” he said.

He added that his team will be meeting a team from the government chemist next week for deliberations before any further step is taken.

“Usually you take DNA samples from the relative and that of the deceased then you do what is called matching at the government chemist once they match they give us a report which we look at and we are able to really identify who this person really is,” he said.

The pathologists could not establish the cause of death of 18 bodies that were examined today because of the level of deterioration while only eight died of starvation.

“As we were doing post-mortem today we realized that two females were pregnant hence pushing the number from 24 to 26. Adults were 14 and ten were children while the identity of two bodies could not be established,” he added.

There were eight male bodies and 14 female bodies while the gender of four bodies could not be established.

Nairobi: Belgian Man Pleads Guilty To Assault

By

Cyrus Kimanga

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August 1, 2023

A Nairobi Court sentences a senior Belgian man to serve 12 months in jail after pleading guilty to assaulting another.

man alleging that he had allegedly raped someone close to him, has been sentenced to 12 months in jail.

Quackelben Johan.D on Tuesday pleaded guilty to assaulting Ronald Asumbo and occasioning him actual bodily harm on July 27 at around 1400hrs along the market street.

Milimani chief magistrate Susan Shitubi while sentencing the accused noted that although he was a first-time offender, what he did was wrong, and he shouldn’t have done it.

The Court heard that on the fateful day at 2 pm, Johan approached Asumbo and hit him with his fist on his neck and ear alleging that he had raped somebody close to him. The prosecution said it was at a beauty shop at loita plaza in Nairobi. Asumbo sustained injuries.

In mitigation, Johan said he has healthy issues.

“Your honour it’s true I assaulted the complainant, but I don’t want to be remembered as someone who has hit someone. I am very old”, Johan told the court.

Chief Magistrate Susan Shitubi proceeded to convict the suspect on his own plea of guilt.

“I have considered the mitigation and noted that you are a first-time offender. I, therefore, sentence you to pay a fine of Ksh 200,000 or serve 12 months jail term in default “, the magistrate ruled.

He was given 14 days to appeal.

Spy Kanyotu Family Fights For Sh750 Million Kiambu Land

By

Cyrus Kimanga

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August 1, 2023

A company has sued the family of the late chief spy James Kanyotu over a disputed land worth Sh750 Million in Kiambu.

Marriot international company through its director Abdul Hassan claims that late Kanyotu’s wives Margaret Murigu, Mary Wanjiuku and son Willy Kihara together with their company Kangata coffee estates limited conspired to defraud the land using fake documents.

In court documents, Marriot Company says that Margaret and Mary were at all material times together with one Jane Gathoni Muraya Kanyotu (who is not part of this suit) the administrators of the Estate of the Late James Kanyotu.
They had been appointed as such in High Court Succession Cause Number 1239 of 2008, Nairobi.

By an Agreement dated 5th February 2014 entered into between a company known as Trendsetters Investments Limited of the one part and Marriot company of the other part, for the consideration.
Trendsetters Investments Limited agreed to sell and the Marriot agreed to purchase all that parcel of land known as L.R. No. 11261/76.

Abdul said that during the purchase of the said Parcel of Land from Trendsetters Investments Limited, Marriot carried out its due diligence on the Parcel of Land at the Lands Office Registry and established that there was no encumbrance registered against the title to the said Parcel of Land.
In effect, the result of the due diligence was that Trendsetters Investments Limited held a clean title in respect of the Parcel of Land.

“Owing to the foregoing and for the fact that there was no encumbrance registered against the title to the said Parcel of Land on 21st August 2014 the Land Registrar duly registered the Transfer of the said Parcel of Land in favour of the Plaintiff. For all intents and purposes, at the point of purchase of the said Parcel of Land, the Plaintiff was a bona fide purchaser for value without notice and its title to the said Parcel of Land is indefeasible”, Abdul states in court documents.

He states that on dates in 2018 and 2019 and more recently on 31st May 2019, the Defendants, purporting to act on behalf of the Estate of the Late James Kanyotu caused to be placed in the local newspapers certain adverts entitled “caveat emptor” alleging that all that parcel of land known as 11261/76 belonged to a company known as Kangaita Coffee Estates Limited and the Estate of the Late James Kanyotu.

“The said adverts were fraudulent and misleading and meant by the Defendants to mislead the public into thinking and believing that, all that parcel of land known as L.R. No. 11261/76 was still in existence and that the same belonged to the Kangaita Coffee Estate Limited and the Estate of the Late James Kanyotu; and Marriot company did not have the legal capacity to sell its parcels of land to any willing member of the public”, Abdul told court.

In defence Willy Kihara Kanyotu who is the third defendant in the case claims that he is one of the beneficiaries of the Estate of the late Kanyotu.

He states that the suit property belongs to Kangaita Coffee Estate Limited, a company where James Kanyotu (deceased) was the majority shareholder, owning 99% of the said company’s shares.

Kihara adds that sometime in the year 2008 after the death of James Kanyotu, a succession cause was filed at the High Court Nairobi whereby the 4th Defendant( Kangaita Coffee Estate Limited) was listed as one of the companies owned by the deceased and the suit property was also listed as one of his properties.

“On t September 28, 2009 Justice G Dulu sitting at the High Court Nairobi in the succession cause issued orders prohibiting anyone from dealing with all the properties listed as the estate of James Kanyotu (deceased) and this also included all the companies and shares where the deceased was the majority shareholder”, he states in court documents.

He said the order was registered as a restriction on most of the estate’s properties including the certificate of lease of the suit property.

Thereafter on November 8,2013 the same succession court, now Justice L. Kimaru issued a ruling and orders preserving all the shares of the companies where the deceased James Kanyotu was a majority shareholder and he also reversed/cancelled illegal changes of shares and directorships that had been done to companies where James Kanyotu was a majority shareholder. These companies included the 4th Defendant.

Kihara says sometime in the year 2013 a company by the name Trendsetters Investments Limited deviously moved to the High Court Commercial and Admiralty division, it sued the Attorney General and the Registrar of lands and sought orders to set aside the orders that had been issued by the succession court on September 28, 2009, and the said company surprisingly got orders to the set aside the orders preserving the suit property herein;

He urged the court to note that neither the fourth Defendant nor any of the Administrators of the Estate of James Kanyotu were a party to the matter before the High Court Commercial Division or were aware of the said proceedings. However, the said court went ahead and issued ex-parte orders affecting them, the fourth Defendant, beneficiaries and administrators of the estate of James Kanyotu.

“The entire scheme and fraud to acquire the suit property herein was being led and it is still being run by one Kamlesh Pattni and that is the reason his proxy company Trendsetters Investment Limited filed an illegal matter before the High Court commercial division where the then Justice Mutava issued it ex parte orders without jurisdiction”, he states in his affidavit.

” In further manifestation of the fraudulent scheme, once the restriction registered against the lease of the suit property was illegally set aside, the suit property was on the same date transferred to Trendsetters Investments Limited and later on to the Plaintiff,” said Kihara.

He said that Trendsetters Investments Limited did not pay even a single shilling to the 4th Defendant for the suit property, however, it alleges to have paid individuals who were not the registered owners of the suit property, neither were they directors of the 4th Defendant;

He accuses the Plaintiff for not also pay a single shilling for the suit property to Trendsetters Investments Limited;

He accuses the Plaintiff of using an illegal court process to remove the restriction on the suit property, Trendsetters Investment Limited and the Plaintiff herein, used forged and fake Land Control Board consents (LCB).

He adds that there was no company resolution from the fourth Defendant to sell the suit property, or from Trendsetters Investments Limited to buy the same and also to sell to the Plaintiff herein. The Plaintiff has also not presented any resolution it made to buy the suit property.

Colwill looks set to stay at Chelsea

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