Rare dotted zebra, Young Tira, as the wildlife circles have sought to call her, has crossed the border into Tanzania.
Tira was spotted grazing alongside other Zebras, despite wildlife experts predicting isolation due to its unique nature. According to Tanzanian media, the melanated zebra was spotted alongside a herd in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, that neighbours Masai Mara.
Ombeta submitted that Murgor (Pictured along side Sarah Cohen) | PHOTO COURTESY
BY PRUDENCE WANZA – Lawyer Philip Murgor will continue to represent Sarah Wairimu in the Tob Cohen murder case. Lady Justice Stella Mutuku has ruled that Mr Murgor is properly before court and there is no issue of conflict of interest.
The judge stated that no person should be forced to remain in an office if they have already resigned.
“His resignation as a public prosecutor effective since it was received by the DPP,” said Mutuku.
The judge indicated that the revocation of gazette notice is only meant to notify the public.
Sarah Wairimu is expected to take plea and answer to charges of murder.
From time to time, there will be a job that’s going well and out of nowhere come to discover, the company is closing | PHOTO COURTESY
Embattled betting firm SportPesa whose license to operate in Kenya was withdrawn, has laid off 400 workers from its operations.
SportPesa has been at war with the government over alleged failure to remit tax which led to revoking of its business license.
The betting firm joins a long list of companies in 2019 that have shed off manpower, owing to the harsh business environment. Betin Kenya, another betting firm that entered into a war with the government, cited lack of profitability while laying off its workers.
“…As a result of the deterioration of the profitability, the management has had to rethink its operations model and proceed with the exercise of termination on account of redundancy,” read the memo in part.
Sanlam Insurance company also issued a notice to lay off its staff, then came MediaMax Limited who cited redundancy.
Kenyans on twitter took to social media to lament the state of employment in Kenya, as graduates who have spent millions to get certificates, end up being locked away in suitcases.
Life is a rollercoaster, today the sun shines on your path next day you are sank in darkness. Uncertainty in this life is causing brokenness in our society. Now that #IDontHaveAJob while others #ILostMyJob then the rest #SaveMyJob where can we Stand? pic.twitter.com/e9HKbniSr7
A section of Kenyans pointed an accusing finger at fellow Kenyans, citing that this is all a result of voting in popular leaders who have no idea on how to create lasting solution to unemployment.
#ILostMyJob This video touched me very early in the morning. BUT We will still suffer even more until we learn values and NOT the shit of "Mtu Wetu", then there will be an uprising. In the meantime guys life is not yet hard enough. Video Courtesy. pic.twitter.com/gnaWh0PHQd
Currently, the unemployment rate stands at 9.3% as of December 2018.
Unemployment in Kenya is attributed to the increase in population, surpassing the demand of the workforce in the country. Improper use of funds directed to develop capital, infrastructure and amenities that create jobs has also robbed the unemployed of a chance to impact the skills they learnt.
As the government of Kenya edges towards a 100% educated population, Kenyans are critical on whether there is enough jobs to accomodate the increasing number of skilled personel.
Kenyan soldiers at a prayer service in 2016 to honour compatriots killed in an attack on their Somali base by Al-Shabaab militants. EPA/Daniel Irungu
The African Union (AU) leaves it to troop-contributing countries to release information about casualties in its peace operation in Somalia. To date, no country in the AU’s mission has publicly released a comprehensive list of their personnel killed in the battle against the al-Shabaab terror group.
I maintain that this is not a good policy for two main reasons. First, all peacekeepers who make the ultimate sacrifice should have their service publicly recognised. Not doing so is not only immoral – it is also likely to have a negative effect on morale.
Second, concealing peacekeeper deaths plays into al-Shabaab’s hands. The group is often able to dominate the media terrain in the absence of an authoritative and trusted AU or African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) voice. Optimal strategic communications for a peace operation like this would involve the mission’s representatives becoming authoritative voices in the Somali media ecosystem.
I also wrote that it was unlikely, as some reports suggested, that AMISOM had lost “up to 3,000” or “perhaps over 4,000” peacekeepers.
New evidence has made possible a more accurate estimate of how many African personnel have died since the Somalia mission deployed in March 2007. This new evidence comes from my research into the mission, newly-released financial statements from the AU from 2014 to 2018, a new dataset listing attacks on peacekeepers, and a new listing of dead peacekeepers on the “Memorial Wall of Our Heroes” at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Previous research combined with the new evidence suggests that a plausible estimate of AMISOM’s fatalities between March 2007 and December 2018 could be between 1,483 and 1,884.
New financial evidence
In March 2017 the AU released financial statements detailing the organisation’s spending between 2014 and 2017. In May 2019 it released the report for 2018. These financial reports include the death and disability grants paid by the AU to the mission’s troop-contributing governments which are currently Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.
Agreements signed between the AU and these countries fixed the death compensation at $50,000. The compensation for disability would depend on the degree of injury or disabilities suffered. Funding for these payments came from the European Union, through its African Peace Facility.
Based on these payments, it can be gleaned that AMISOM suffered 439 fatalities between August 2009 and September 2012: 22 in 2009, 59 in 2010, 298 in 2011, and 60 in 2012. But there was also an additional $5,779,000 paid out in disability compensation, about $10,000 for each of the approximately 575 injured soldiers.
So, for the 37 months from August 2009 to September 2012, the AU spent $27,729,000 on death and disability compensation. Of this total, 79% was spent on death compensation and 21% on disability compensation.
It is in light of these insights that we should assess the death and disability compensation data provided in the newly released AU financial statements for 2014 through 2018. These public reports reveal that the AU paid $74,624,000 in death and disability compensation between 2014 and 2018.
Paul D. Williams.Source: African Union
If we assume a similar proportion of death and disability compensation in these payments as in those made between August 2009 and September 2012, this would mean 79% was spent on death compensation ($58,952,960) and 21% on disability compensation ($15,671,040). This would equate to approximately 1,179 payments of $50,000 for deceased personnel and 1,567 payments of $10,000 for injured personnel. In contrast, if we assumed a 50:50 split between fatality and injury payments, this would suggest 746 fatalities and 3,731 injured peacekeeper payments.
Following the money is a plausible but not foolproof way to estimate the number of casualties suffered. It is in each country’s interest to claim the compensation to which it is entitled – but it’s also possible that compensation payments were made to the governments other than via the AU.
The peacekeeper memorials
The inauguration of the “Memorial Wall of Our Heroes” in 2018 was an interesting development. It lists the names and ranks (but no dates) of peacekeepers who have died on AU-led and AU-authorised peace support operations.
These include operations in Burundi, Sudan, Central Africa Republic and Somalia. AU-authorised multinational operations against Boko Haram and in the Sahel also feature. As of August 2019, there were 1,108 names listed on the wall’s 19 columns.
The Somalia mission, too, has a memorial for its fallen personnel just outside its force headquarters in Mogadishu. However, it lists no names or numbers. Rather, its dedication reads:
In memory of the officers, men and women of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and the Somali National Security Forces (SNSF), who lost their lives in pursuit of peace and stability in Somalia.
So what?
There is now a reasonably plausible set of estimates for almost the entire period of AMISOM deployment between March 2007 and December 2018 derived from five sources.
First, in my book, Fighting for Peace in Somalia, I cite an internal AMISOM briefing on February 25, 2009 which listed 12 fatalities and 25 injured peacekeepers as of December 10, 2008. I assume this is accurate since it was provided discreetly by the AU to the mission’s bilateral partners. The numbers are low, reflecting the fact that there was relatively little fighting during 2007 and 2008.
Peacemakers at Risk dataset is the second source. For 2009, this estimates that 40 peacekeepers were killed in violent attacks. My research suggests that another six AMISOM peacekeepers died in 2009 from illness (4) and motor vehicle accidents (2), making a total of 46.
A third source is the financial records between August 2009 and September 2012 discussed above, which revealed 439 fatalities. Twenty-two of those occurred between August and December 2009. This leaves 417 between January 2010 and September 2012.
Fourth, the publicly released AU compensation payments plausibly suggest approximately 1,148 or 747 fatalities between 2014 and 2018.
Taken together, these sources cover most of the Somalia AU mission timeline, except a period of three-and-a-half months covering part of December 2008 and October to December 2012. But this represents a mere 2.5% of the entire deployment period.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, Governor Mike Sonko and Trade CS Peter Munya | PSCU
President Uhuru Kenyatta today said the government is undertaking measures to ensure that a new generation of farmers emerge to sustain the agricultural sector in the country.
The President said there is need to ensure the sustainability of the agricultural sector by encouraging the participation of the nation’s youth through technology and innovation.
He said the government’s measures to encourage the youth to take up farming are informed by the fact that the average age of a Kenyan farmer is 59 years while the average age of the consumer is 17 years.
“In order to foster the participation of the youth in agriculture, my government has prioritized the creation and adoption of programmes that ease access to land, financing, mechanization and knowledge among our youth,” the President said.
The Head of State spoke when he opened the 2019 Nairobi International Trade Fair at the Jamhuri Park Showground.
The President said 300 youth have already undergone a rigorous trainer-of-trainers programme in Israel since the year 2016 as part of government’s capacity building programme to empower and encourage the youth to take up farming.
He said the Government has continued to promote access to Agricultural Technical Vocational Education Training (ATVET) learning opportunities under the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme.
“Over the past five years, this initiative has led to the development and approval of more than 44 Competency Based Curricula for agricultural middle level colleges in selected key value chains such as dairy, horticulture, poultry, aquaculture and agri-entrepreneurship,” the President noted.
The Head of State said the government is prioritising access to affirmative action funds for youth, women and persons living with disabilities so as to avail the requisite capital needed by these special groups to establish and grow vibrant enterprises in agriculture.
“These and other initiatives are expected to contribute to our position as the gateway to the Eastern and Central Africa Region; through a full-spectrum of Micro, Small, Medium, Large and Mega Enterprises participating in both the traditional and new economies,” the President said.
On the economy, President Kenyatta said Kenya’s economic growth potential is limitless and urged both local and foreign investors to take advantage of the the opportunities presented by the improving ease of doing business in the country.
“Join us and reap the rewards of a vibrant economy; characterized by innovation and technology that builds upon a tradition of strong and stable macroeconomic framework as the basis for sustainable current and future growth in agriculture, trade and other economic sectors,” he said.
The Head of State said the agricultural sector remains strong and assured that the government will continue strengthening it by leveraging on established competencies.
“It is our goal to retain and build upon our traditional strengths and advantages in agriculture, horticulture and related fields, so as to have a strong and steady base upon which our economy can continue to be diversified and take advantage of the opportunities of the 21st century,” he said.
The President said Kenya, which has a track record of promoting technology and innovation across the full scope of economic activities, will continue to deploy innovations to boost agriculture.
“We are now seeking to embed this tradition of innovation and excellence within the agricultural and trade sectors. The policies, programmes and initiatives that promote innovation and technology in agriculture and trade in Kenya are on show before you today,” the President observed.
As part of efforts to make the agricultural sector more vibrant, the President said Kenyan universities and research institutes are providing leadership in developing new varieties of high yielding and drought tolerant crops.
He said the recently enacted Warehouse Receipting System law provides an opportunity for investors to construct standardized and accredited facilities to provide storage services to commodity producers and traders.
President Kenyatta said the 2019 to 2029 agricultural transformation and growth strategy being implemented by the government is aimed at increasing small holder farmer incomes through increased production and value addition.
Before his address, the President who was taken on a guided tour of the various exhibition stands, also inspected the ongoing construction of the Jamhuri Park Expo and Conference Centre.
Further, the President presided over the auctioning of livestock where the supreme and reserve supreme champion cross breed bulls each weighing 630 kg from Kenya Seed Company were auctioned at Shs 800,000 each.
The champion boran cow weighing 550 kg also from Kenya Seed was sold at Shs 690,000 while another boran bull from the Agricultural Development Corporation was auctioned at Shs 410,000.
National Chairperson of the Agricultural Society of Kenya Mrs Annabella Kiriinya, Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko and Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri also spoke at the event.
Governor Mbuvi who announced plans to transform Uhuru Market in Nairobi into a textile centre of excellence said his administration is revamping retail markets in the city to empower small holder traders especially those dealing in agricultural produce.
CS Kiunjuri thanked the President for his commitment to the development of the agriculture sector saying his ministry is implementing various programmes aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity in the country.
An artist Impression of the 61 Storey hotel. Palm Exotica will be the tallest structure in Africa if complete | PHOTO COURTESY
The National Environmental Management Authority has issued out a notice to seek public opinion on the proposed Palm Exotica Hotel, Africa’s tallest Hotel tower.
The structure will be built on a 2.4-acre parcel of land at Dabaso, Turtle Bay Road in Kilifi. The mixed purpose development project is set to change the face of Kenya’s Kilifi region, that is heavily dependent on tourism.
Concerns were raised on the location of the skyscraper, with many environmentalists claiming that building next to the beach will be detrimental to the ecosystem at the coast.
NEMA, which received the environmental impact assessment is the only step Billionaire Franco Rosa, the owner, is facing so as to embark on constructing the Ksh. 28Bn mega structure.
BY PRUDENCE WANZA – Former director of Diaspora Design build limited has been charged with obtaining money by false pretences.
Jonathan Kariuki Njiru is accused of obtaining building and construction materials worth Sh. 1.2m from one Rose Nyambura Gacheru by falsely pretending that he would pay for the supply of the said materials to Diaspora Design Limited, a construction company.
Njiru is alleged to have committed the offense on 18th July 2014 and 22nd August 2014 at Lang’ata area in Nairobi.
He denied the charges before senior Principal Magistrate Kenneth Cheruiyot at the Milimani law courts.
Njiru through his lawyer challenged the accusations stating that the time the said materials were acquired he had already resigned as the director of the company.
The lawyer further stated that the current directors were also arrested but were later released on Sh. 50,000 police bond.
The Magistrate ruled that the accused person be released on the same Sh.50,000 police bond.
BY PRUDENCE WANZA – A man has been released on 1m cash bail for being found in possession of an image showing a child being sexually abused and further sharing it in social media.
Antony Ng’ang’a Kamau is accused of possessing an obscene image of an unknown child and age in school uniform being sexually abused by an unknown person.
Ng’ang’a is further accused of sharing the said image through his Facebook account which depicted the image of the child.
He is said to have committed the offense on 30th June 2019 at an unknown place in Nairobi.
He denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Kenneth Cheruiyot at the Milimani law courts.
He was released on a bond if Sh. 2m or an alternative cash bail of 1m.
The case will be mentioned on 16th October and the hearing on 29th October 2019.
NTSA officers at Thika Road, Nairobi | PHOTO COURTESY
Nearly six months after being withdrawn from the Kenyan roads, the National Transport Safety Authority has been ordered back on the roads.
This according to the government, is an effort to increase capacity in monitoring road malpractices among drivers and restore sanity.
The NTSA officers have been instructed to report back to the field immediately, but they will not be given enforcement roles as the work is left for the Traffic Police department.
“Our job will only be to guide the police on the offenses and traffic malpractices to look out for. We cannot arrest or order a vehicle to stop. NTSA is only there to support,” an official at NTSA said.
Manases Kuria Karanja is accused of carrying out the business as an online forex broker without a valid license | PRUDENCE WANZA
Director of Interweb Global fortune limited has been charged with carrying out an online forex business without a license.
Manases Kuria Karanja is accused of carrying out the business as an online forex broker without a valid license issued by Capital Markets Authority or the Central Bank of Kenya.
Karanja is alleged to have committed the offense on diverse dates between 1st January 2018 and 31st August 2019 at view park towers in Nairobi.
He denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Kenneth Cheruiyot at the Milimani law courts.
The prosecution, however, accused Karanja of posting information on the case in social media and asked the court to restrict him from doing so.
The accused person through his lawyer Ms.Wavinya Wanjala told the court that Capital Markets Authority and Central bank of Kenya should also be restricted from posting anything touching on the case in social media.
The lawyer further asked the court to restrict the media from reporting on the case.
The Magistrate ruled that the public has a right to information as this is a public trial. He further stated that restricting the Capital Markets Authority and Central Bank of Kenya is unnecessary as they are law-abiding.
The accused person was further orders to deposit his passport in court pending hearing and determination of the case.
He was released on a bond of Ksh. 2m or an alternative cash bail of Ksh. 1m.
The case has been set for a mention on 16th October 2019 and the hearing on 20th November 2019.
