President Kenyatta boosts St John Ambulance Kenya with Shs 10 million

June 23, 2019

President Uhuru Kenyatta today applauded St John Ambulance Kenya volunteers for their exemplary work of charity that continues to save lives.

The President said the work of the organisation, which includes ambulance services, highway emergency response, first aid and safety training as well as maternal healthcare advocacy, has eased pain in many homes in Kenya.

He gave the organisation a personal donation of Shs 10 million as a token of appreciation for the good work it is doing.

The President spoke when he addressed thousands of volunteers who gathered at State House, Nairobi, for the 91st Annual Inspection Parade of St John Ambulance.

President Kenyatta said the charity organization has played a major role in complementing government emergency services, especially in responding to road accidents.

“I am pleased to note every year you train 18,000 Kenyans, including Boda Boda operators, on emergency rescue measures,” said the President at the event also attended by First Lady Margaret Kenyatta.

He said the organisation’s role in road accident response was crucial because such accidents account for 88.4 deaths per 100,000 people while road accident injury fatalities are at a rate of 20.9 per 100,000 people.

“As we progress in transforming our nation, ushering in ultra-modern highways and transport corridors across the country, we, regrettably, continue to experience disturbing high rates of fatal injuries,” the President noted.

He said the government has rolled out a number of interventions that focus on addressing the effects of road accidents as well as other emergency disasters, particularly in terms of direct impacts on human health and safety.

St John Ambulance Kenya has 17 fully equipped rescue centres, each with 25 personnel, enabling it to provide emergency services to an average of 25,000 victims of road accidents annually.

President Kenyatta said the organisation has inculcated in the hearts of the youth the value of volunteerism, service to others and helped elicit a higher sense of civic duty.

The organisation currently has 26,000 volunteers and is targeting to increase its membership to 50,000 by next year.

The Head of State said the Ministry of Health will formulate a new framework to work closely with St John Ambulance Kenya in implementing policies.

“Focus should be in the management of ambulance fleets and strengthening resilience in emergency and disaster preparedness, mitigation and response, and in training personnel with requisite rescue skills,” the President advised.

He said the government will support the organisation in the construction of a new headquarters and a trauma center. He also called on corporates and all Kenyans to support the organisation.

President Kenyatta, who serves as the patron of St John Ambulance Kenya, presented letters of appointment to new officials of the organisation. They included the incoming Prior, Mr Paul Ndungu, and Deputy Prior Mr Lazarus Kimanga.

The outgoing St John Ambulance Prior, Hon. Maj. (Rtd) Marsden Madoka, said the hosting of the parade at State House was a big motivation for volunteers.

Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki also spoke at the event.

Nairobi Business Premises Tribunal stops the eviction of late Gladwell Muthoni Njoroge’s property

Dan Ojumah

June 23, 2019

BY PRUDENCE WANZA – A Nairobi Business Premises Tribunal has temporarily stopped a trader from evicting or interfering with the late Gladwell Muthoni Njoroge’s property in Madiwa Eastleigh.

This is after Governor Mike Sonko administration and the daughter of late Gladwell Muthoni filed application before the tribunal seeking to stop illegal demolition and eviction that was being conducted before the Governor intervention last Sunday.

“An injunction is hereby issued restraining the landlord Wangaruro Mbugua Wanganga or its agents auctioneers from entering , harassing , evicting or interfering with the suit property pending hearing and determination of this application and suit”, ordered tribunal.

The tribunal also set aside orders issued against Gladwell Muthoni Njoroge on May 15,2019 allowing the businessman Mbugua to break into the property and access the premises with the supervision of OCS Shauri Moyo police station.

Mbugua had also been allowed to remove and sell any distrainable property if any to recover any rent arrears.

“The exparte orders entered against the respondent on May 15,2019 is hereby set aside,” ruled the tribunal.

The OCS Shauri Moyo Police Station was ordered to ensure compliance with orders.

Gladwell and Nairobi County Government filed application under certificate of urgency through lawyer Martin Mbichire seeking the court to stay execution of the exparte ruling and orders issued by the tribunal on May 15,2019 pending the hearing and determination of the case.

Documents filed in court show that sonko and the daughter to Gladwell also applied for an injunction to issue restraining orders against the landlord or agents auctioneers from entering,harassing , evicting or interfering with the suit property.

The two said they are aggrieved by the orders issued of May 15 which were obtained and have resulted in demolitions of property and eviction of lawful land owners who were neither served with application nor had knowledge of the suit.

The court was told that the attention was drawn to the County Government that demolitions of the property and evictions of residents was taking place on a Sunday without a permit and without its knowledge.

“The Governor of Nairobi himself proceeded to the site and was confronted by a gang of young men who were demolishing , evicting , raping women and young girls , bearing up residents and stealing from the houses demolished”, reads documents.

The governors quick intervention saved the residents where he discovered the evictions and demolitions were being carried our pursuant to a court order issued by the business premises tribunal. ” That on perusal , he discovered the following grave anomalies.

” The order emanated from business premises tribunal whereas the premises being demolished were residential premises and the order did not have the plot number where it was it was to be executed “, said the county government

They added that the order was issued to a deceased person one Gladwell Muthoni Njoroge who died 9 years ago on the June 15,2010 and the orders issued does not authorize demolition or eviction of residents meaning meaning the tribunal does not have jurisdiction to hear and issue orders.

Court documents revealed that the land number indicated as LR NO 1905-02632 does not exist in Nairobi County or in the whole country .

Nairobi County Government applied to be enjoined since no demolition notice was issued to the county and no demolition permit was issued by the county to authorize the demolition on Sunday morning.

” The interested party as the Governor of Nairobi city County , after perusing the documents of both parties has realized that the estate of Gladwell Muthoni Njoroge (respondent) has a genuine claim over the suit property dating back to 1990 that is worth being protected “, added the county government.

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko satisfied as court turns aside a consent order in Buruburu land dispute

Dan Ojumah

June 23, 2019

BY PRUDENCE WANZA – Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has expressed his satisfaction in the ruling on Buruburu land dispute that has been ongoing at the Milimani Commercial Courts.

Senior Resident Magistrate, Elizabeth Wanjala set aside consent order in the disputed late Bishop Ochola’s land that houses his church Glad Tidings crusade in Buruburu.

In her ruling, SRM Wanjala stated that the fact that the alleged transfer of the property to Landmark was based on the impugned consent orders, was unlawful since there was no rates clearance certificate obtained from the County government.

On issue of jurisdiction , the magistrate ruled the proceedings are sub judice to a High Court ELC matter to the extent that the subject property is the same. She however stated that the sale agreements are different and not all parties herein are parties in the high court suit.

The magistrate reversed the order stating that she had no jurisdiction to grant such orders as she is a Senior Resident Magistrate who cannot deal with cases whose value exceeds Sh 7 million.

Sonko had filed an application through lawyer Harrison Kinyanjui, where he accused Patrick Nderitu of Landmark International Properties Limited of demolishing the property belonging to Glad Tidings Crusade.

Kinyanjui said that the court lacked jurisdiction since another case had been filed at the Environmental and Land Court.

Sonko who welcomed together with Ocholla’s widow Mary Ocholla, their daughter Joan Ocholla and others stated that he would deal with land grabbers in Nairobi and bring them to book.

In the case, Mary and Joan are disputing the sale of the property which houses Glad Tidings Crusade church and a school to Landmark International Properties limited claiming that proper procedure was not followed since they were not even consulted.

Mary accuses her last born daughter Christine Ocholla and her husband Edward Opiko of fraudulently selling the property without involving the trustees of the Bishop’s estate.

“I will continue to defend the widows,the poor and the rich from land grabbers in the county,” Sonko said.

The court further found that it was not necessary for Nairobi County Government to be enjoined as an interested party in the matter since it is not claiming proprietary interest in the suit property.

Their main interest was on unpaid rates which the magistrate ruled that Section 17 of cap 267 of the rating act stipulates mechanisms for recovery of the same.

Businessman Patrick Nderitu however maintains that he bought the property legally at Sh 19 million, a price that the family is also contesting as they claim it is worth Sh.100 million.

The defendants in the suit are Glad Tidings Limited, Christine Ocholla Opiko, Esther Mueni and Edward Otieno. Nairobi county had been enjoined as an interested party in the case.

Majority of people return lost wallets – here’s the psychology and which countries are the most honest

Dan Ojumah

June 21, 2019

Honesty is one of the traits we value most in others. We often assume it is a rather rare quality, making it important for us to find out who we can actually trust in this selfish world. But according to new research, there’s no need to be so cynical – it turns out most people in the world are honourable enough to return a lost wallet, especially if it contains a lot of cash.

The study, published in Science, looked at how often people in 40 different countries decided to return a lost wallet to the owner, after the researchers handed it in to the institution in which they said it had been found. Surprisingly, in 38 countries, the wallets with higher sums of money were returned more often than those with smaller amounts. This was the opposite of what the researchers had expected, they thought there would be a minimum dollar value at which participants would begin to keep the money.

Overall, 51% of those who were handed a wallet with smaller amounts of money reported it, compared with 72% for a larger sum. The most honest countries were Switzerland, Norway and the Netherlands whereas the least honest were Peru, Morocco and China.

So why is this and what does it tell us about the psychology of honesty? To get an idea, I ran a very informal focus group to find out what kinds of things people may ask themselves when making a decision to return a found wallet. A common view was that no one wanted to appear to act in a socially unacceptable way, and nobody wanted to appear to be a thief. And, of course, the more money in the wallet, the greater the crime.

An important aspect of the new study, however, was that the wallets were handed in to people working in the institutions in which they were said to be found. Given that people in one institution may know each other and may start suspecting each other, there was a very real chance of being found out if the wallet was not handed in. This is perhaps different from finding a wallet yourself on public transport when all you may grapple with is your own conscience.

The “found wallet” test has been used in research before but this is the first global study to use it and it involved more than 17,000 lost wallets. In 2009, a researcher carelessly “dropped” a number of wallets all over Edinburgh to see what would happen. He got 42% of the wallets back, but wasn’t not the most interesting finding. It wasn’t only the money in the wallet that influenced whether it would be returned. Where a family photo, an image of a cute puppy, a baby or an elderly couple were included, the chances of the wallet being returned significantly improved.

You may want to cut this out and put it in your wallet. tiarescott/Flickr, CC BY-SA

Impressive advantages

We value honesty and other moral traits higher than non-moral qualities, including intelligence or humour. As honesty has become one of the cornerstones of society, we start eduacting fellow citizens about it from an early age, even in nurseries. Developmentally, we make decisions early on about morality and moral behaviour, such as whether to share a toy. In 1958, psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg developed an entire theory about the stages of moral development.

But doing the “right” thing is often very hard in reality. Recent research shows there is a trade off – acting honestly can significantly inhibit your own desires. Luckily, there are important advantages. One study suggests that there are tangible health benefits from being honest. In one study, researchers compared groups of people who were instructed to be either honest or dishonest, and found that the honest group reported fewer sore throats, headaches and general feelings of sickness during the duration of the experiment.

Being honest may also make people happier. This might be unsurprising when you consider a view in evolutionary psychology that honesty is a marker that encourages trust and cooperation. So being honest gets you more collaborators and greater success, meaning it provides an evolutionary advantage. If we have evolved in this way, then it is hardly surprising that making a dishonest decision may go against our very nature.

The honest individual

Given how socially important honesty is, we often struggle to deal with being dishonest ourselves – it can fundamentally threaten our view of who we are. Indeed behavioural economist Dan Arielly has shown that we often convince ourselves that we are honest even though we may behave dishonestly, as long as those moral lapses are not huge.

The memories of such failures can also become less vivid or even distorted over time. For example, we may attribute reasons for our behaviour that aren’t entirely accurate (“I only kept the found wallet so I could give half of the money to a beggar”) but better support our views of ourselves. Essentially we are all moral hypocrites.

But which people are the most honest? We may be tempted to think it is those who are most trusted in our society. In the past, those in the UK who needed a passport application signed could choose from individuals from a number of trusted professions including bankers, priests, teachers, police officers and members of parliament. You probably smiled when you read that list – we’ve all heard of dishonest politicians, for example. Clearly, honesty is not universal in any profession, or among any one category of people.

We are all human, and as such open to the same psychological pressures and difficult choices when faced with temptation – we arrive at our own threshold of honesty, and these thresholds can change over a lifetime. There is evidence that, as we age, we get more honest as a result of becoming more norm focused – breaking the rules or seeking excitement becomes less common.

But is honesty the best policy? Probably. That said, we will all agree that a “little white lie” here and there may be the best option sometimes. For example, choosing dishonesty over hurting someone’s feelings could in many cases be compassionate and socially acceptable.

Knowing when to lie and understanding the consequences of it is the trick. Easing someone’s distress, or protecting ourselves from harm may certainly be acceptable – and we learn this too from an early age. I’ve concluded, for example, that telling a publisher that you’ve been working non-stop on an article as you rapidly approach deadline is a totally acceptable lie.

Nigel Holt, Professor of Psychology, Aberystwyth University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Egypt’s powerful football fans and politics: a toxic mix that could combust during AFCON

Dan Ojumah

June 21, 2019

When the 32nd Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) opens in Cairo, Egypt, the focus will be on the games between the continent’s top football teams to see who is going to raise the cup on Friday 19 July at the end of the three-week tournament. But behind the scenes the North African state’s security agencies will be keeping a close eye on a certain group of fans, known as “ultras”.

Ultras are fanatical football fans who organise themselves into support groups, often attached to clubs but also often reflecting a particular class or brand of politics. The ultras movement began in Italy in the 1950s. Today they are also prominent in countries like Germany, France, Poland, Serbia Scotland, Russia, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt.

They can often be seen strutting their stuff at major matches, providing sounds, visuals and noise through songs, chants, fireworks, instruments, flags and banners. Some ultras have political connotations – left or right wing, fascist, communist or revolutionary. A number of ultra groups are racist and violent and some are linked to criminal gangs. But most are simply passionate supporters.

There’s tension around the security issue because of the role previously played by ultra groups in Egypt. The situation has been so tense that the government has gone as far as banning groups of fans linked to some of the country’s top teams. But the ban goes against the Confederation of African Football’s wishes to have stadia filled to the brim.

Egypt has lifted some of the restrictions it imposed on fans. But some remain in place, including a ban on ultras attending matches. The hope is that this will keep a lid on any outbreak of violence.

Revolution

The close link between football and politics often manifests in ultras groups. In Egypt, the powerful ultras played a crucial role in the revolution of 2011.

Two ultra groups – Al Ahlawy, that supports Al Ahly, Egypt’s iconic club and its major rivals, Zamalek’s White Knight ultras – marched together in their thousands on Cairo’s Tahrir Square in 2011. They became a leading voice on the front line against Hosni Mubarak’s regime, helping unseat the despot after 30 years of autocratic rule.

The influential revolutionary group’s role in the events of 2011 has been written about extensively by senior football writer, Matt Gault. As he’s observed, it was a time when only two groups in Egypt were allowed to air their views: the Muslim Brotherhood and the ultras.

Al Ahly is huge in Egypt. It was named African Club of the Century by the continent’s football umbrella body in 2000 for its astonishing record: eight times African Champions League winners, 38 Egypt league winners and 35 times Egypt cup winners. The illustrious club’s highly organised ultras movement, Al Ahlawy, was formed in 2007.

As Gault wrote:

The Ahlawy provided fuel for the revolution which ultimately overthrew Mubarak. They manned barricades, participated in songs of protest and produced banners denouncing the regime of Mubarak.

The author observes that as a result of this, the Ahlawy today has an exalted position in the hearts and minds of Egyptians:

They were seen to be the protectors of the revolution, the voice of the poor and disenfranchised.

Arab Spring

One of the questions around Egypt’s bid to host this Afcon, after Cameroon was stripped of the rights, was the issue of security. It is a pertinent question considering that the Egyptian state has been, since the Arab Spring, engaged in a battle with the ultras.

Their strained relationship got even worse after clashes following a match in Port Said city led to the death of 74 Al-Ahly club fans in February 2012. Fans accused police and paid hooligans of orchestrating the violence, with it being perceived as revenge for the 2011 uprising.

The state banned fans from attending matches after that. The ban was partially lifted last year but only 5,000 spectators will be allowed into games initially, and ultras will remain banned.

These clampdowns by Egypt reflect similar activities in Tunisia and in Morocco that are designed to limit activities of the ultras. While the state has generally used security systems to silence the youth, they had been largely unsuccessful in doing so within the football stadium.

The award to Egypt of hosting rights to the Afcon was a mild surprise. Clearly, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had few options. Cameroon clearly wasn’t ready. The only two countries that stepped up to the plate as alternative sites were Egypt and South Africa. South Africa had been a more recent host and its broken diplomatic relationship with influential Morocco was clearly a negative.

Thus, Egypt, despite the underlying security issues, offered the better opportunity – at least in the Confederation’s eyes.

Nonetheless, to win the bid to host the Afcon, the Egypt had to assure CAF that the state would relax the rule limiting spectators at Egyptian stadia. CAF needs spectators at games. Egypt complied. But, as the Afcon approached there were reports of ongoing arrests of members of the ultras – most recently 30 were arrested in connection with “terror offences”.

The Egyptian state clearly believes the arrests will prevent ultras from being at the games.

Ultimately, the state hopes that fan-instigated stadium riots will not occur during the Afcon. While the ongoing clampdowns may make the state feel that this problem has been nipped in the bud, there are uncertainties. Hopefully, for the Confederation and Egypt, the Afcon will be all about football and not about ultras or social problems that inspire the protests.

Chuka Onwumechili, Professor of Communications, Howard University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

SPEECH: President Uhuru Kenyatta Officiates Rivatex Factory in Uasin Gichu county

Dan Ojumah

June 21, 2019

SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. UHURU KENYATTA, C.G.H., PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE FORCES DURING THE INAUGURATION OF THE MODERNISED RIVATEX EAST AFRICA LTD. & LAPTOP ASSEMBLY FACTORY AT RIVATEX, ELDORET

DATE: 21ST JUNE, 2019

Ladies and Gentlemen
I am happy to return to Eldoret and to join you on this special occasion, as we inaugurate this Ultra-Modern Textile Production Plant of Rivatex as well as the Moi University Laptop Assembly Factory.

When I toured Eldoret in the run-up to the 2017 General Election, your unwavering and emphatic support was both humbling and invigorating.

Like wananchi in other parts of the country, you, the people of Uasin-Gishu County, expressed your desire for a Government that delivers on its promises.

I heard your voice loud and clear, and my Administration is committed to be:-

• A Government that keeps and honours its word,
• A Government that creates more opportunities for all the People of Kenya;
• A Government that addresses the societal pressures that our People encounter every day,
• A Government that enables each and every Citizen to pursue their dreams and passions,
• A Government that fosters unity, inclusion and nationhood,
• A Government that bakes a national cake big enough for all; and shares it equitably and without favour.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Ours is a Government of Kusema na Kutenda. I made a pledge to lead our nation on a path to national renewal and transformation.

I am spearheading the implementation of the most ambitious vision for a better Kenya ever formulated for our Nation, espoused as the “Big Four Agenda”, which is: — a decent roof over many more heads at affordable costs, affordable healthcare for all, value addition and increase in manufacturing and jobs, and ensuring food security for all Kenyans.

Today, here in Eldoret we are taking a bold step in answer to our pledge to you.

We are laying an additional brick to the realization of our commitment to create more opportunities for our People. Today, we move even closer to accelerating the expansion of our national cake through the manufacturing sector, as we cement our place of pride in the community of nations.

The Industrial Complex that we are inaugurating today manifests the possibilities within our borders and the true value of strategic partnerships with our international partners.

We thank the Government of India for walking this journey with us and for her unwavering support, which has covered a multitude of sectors including access to new technology and training.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today, we celebrate not just the present monumental investment in this Project to the tune of nearly Ksh. 5 Billion, but also the impact of this initiative in supporting the country’s socio-economic renewal.

The estimated 3,000 direct jobs that this Project will generate, and the tens of thousands of indirect jobs created in support and ancillary activities, will go a long way to boosting not just this Region, but also our National Quest for Value Addition and Increase in Manufacturing and Jobs under the Big Four.

There is no doubt, this investment in Rivatex rekindles hopes and revives dreams by ushering in a new dawn for Cotton Farmers. Here lies a possibility of 10,000 jobs.

I call on all County Governments to support our Farmers by providing them with all the assistance they require at the local level.

On our part as National Government, we will continue to improve policy conditions and ease-of-operations for farmers, while at the same time delivering on direct interventions that make inputs, operations and support activities, cheaper; and also direct interventions that enhance productivity and market access.

In regard to cotton, I am aware that we are at an advanced stage of National Performance Trials for Bio-Technology Cotton (BT-Cotton), which would give better yields and returns to our Farmers compared with conventional cotton.

Production of BT-Cotton will undoubtedly boost production for our textile industry and create more sustainable livelihoods.

In this regard, I, therefore, direct the Ministries responsible for Agriculture, Industry, Environment, Health and Education to fast-track the steps remaining towards the approval for commercialization of Bio-Technology Cotton.

We have put measures in place for Rivatex to support our farmers and ginners by creating a ready market and guaranteed stable price for their seed cotton and cotton lint. Wakulima Wa Pamba – let’s get to work. Kazi Iko, Soko Ziko, Faida Kubwa Ziko. Sasa tuende kazi Rivertex ndiyo hiyo…

Rivatex alone assures our farmers at least 100,000 Bales of Lint per year. With estimated consumption of other textiles mills, we project a demand of over 140,000 Bales of Lint per annum, not including export possibilities.

Under the Buy Kenya Build Kenya Policy, we have implemented reforms that embrace our Kenyan Brands. Rivatex is already making fabrics for our Uniformed Forces, schools, hospitals and supplying to the general public, popular clothing such as Kitenges and Khangas.

Other local Industries such as Thika Clothing Mills, Bedi Investments and Ken Knit are now revamped to capitalize on the Buy Kenya Build Kenya Initiative.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Government is not the only consumer of your goods. It is critical that our textile mills produce good quality goods as demanded by both the local and international private sector players; goods that meet international standards.

I, therefore, today challenge the Management of Rivatex to ensure that they endeavor to produce the highest quality of products possible, so that Rivatex can compete with products from other parts of the world.

As a company, you must continue to invest in new innovations and diversifications of products in order to satisfy emerging markets. I especially challenge you to produce fabric that can be utilized by our investors in the Export Processing Zones, who still rely heavily on imports.

Today, we realize only a fraction of the potential value from the clothes we export to the United States. Rivatex will play a vital role by supplying finished fabrics to this market, localizing supply chains and ensuring greater value retention in our country.

We are now attracting more investors into the textile industrial sheds we have established in Athi River and other hubs. Towards this, we target to train more than 50,000 youths and women to provide skilled labour to be involved in these textiles sector.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Kenyan fashion industry is becoming ever more vibrant by the day, as evidenced by some of our designers gaining recognition at global fashion events, including the Cannes Festival and the Dakar Fashion Week.

I am encouraged by the vibrancy of this sector and our small and medium enterprises that are producing beautiful homegrown alternatives to imported clothing and textiles.

My Government will continue to support the integration of SMEs into the apparel sector by setting up Common Production Facilities to boost the production capacities for locally produced apparel. The expansion will create an organic and sustainable demand for the textiles produced by Rivatex and other local manufacturers.

As you are aware, the EAC Region resolved the gradually phase out of imported 2nd hand clothing in order for us to give our people alternative products.

I encourage all of us to embrace these alternatives and expand the Buy Kenya Build Kenya initiatives beyond Government. We must create demand for our own products by actively consuming these products ourselves.

Towards this objective, let us encourage each other to proudly wear “Made in Kenya” garments. For Government to lead by example, I urge all public servants to wear at least one piece of apparel that is made in Kenya on Fridays.

I encourage the Private Sector to join Government in this “Made in Kenya Fridays Initiative” so that we may showcase what our local Apparel Industry has to offer.

I am particularly encouraged to see many Young Kenyans utilizing Social Media Platforms to sell unique and authentic Made in Kenya Apparel, Bags, Jewelry and other wearables.

My Administration will continue to improve the enabling business environment through continuous reforms that make it easier for Youth, Women and Persons Living with Disabilities to create, market and to earn from their talents.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today we launch two initiatives that are at both ends of Kenya’s Economic Spectrum. Cotton represents many decades of Kenyan agriculture and industry, while the Laptop Assembly Line established by the Moi University captures 21st Century Innovation and Enterprise.

I applaud Moi University for establishing a Laptop Assembly Line and also creating an industrial linkage, which is an important component in addressing the skills and capacity gaps in the ICT Manufacturing Industry.

I also note that the “Laptop Assembly Factory” successfully assembled teachers and learner’s devices under the Digital Literacy Programme; supporting a vital Government Programme and showcasing that we have local capacity to meet large demand.

To this end, my Administration has extended incentives to support the assembly and production of motherboards in Kenya. I expect that in the coming years we shall rely exclusively on Kenyan manufactured or assembled hardware for our computing hardware needs.

We also need to see an increase in local content development for computing. Software engineering and advances in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Virtual Reality provide immense opportunities for Young Persons in Kenya.

Moi University is strategically positioned to promote both hardware and software development in Kenya and I challenge other Universities to exploit their latent potential in research, design and manufacturing within the ICT sphere.

Finally, let me say, I look forward to the next big revolutionary hardware or software innovation being one that was created in Kenya; and I wish to assure the entire Sector, both academic and enterprises, of my Administration’s full support towards that end.

Let me also once again, congratulate Rivatex East Africa and Moi University for these momentous feats and wish them every success in their undertakings.
God Bless you! God Bless Kenya! Asanteni

Woman Charged for Throwing her baby in a pit Latrine

Dan Ojumah

June 21, 2019

BY SHARON NYAWIRA – A woman has been arraigned in court for throwing her baby in a pit latrine near her home area. The baby belonged to Moses Kinywa Kinyanjui and Joy Kinyanjui .

She allegedly committed this crime on the 10th of June 2019, at 7pm in Dandora within Nairobi County.

The accused is said to have threatened the life of the husband using a knife after she thought he was aware of her crime.

The two day old baby is said to have succumbed injuries and died.

Joy who is said to be the mother of the baby denied charges in front of the senior principal magistrate Nyaga.

2 witnesses have come forth to testify in court . The next hearing is on 17th July .

Man charged in court for Failing to pay Hotel bills, to be jailed for 6 Months

Dan Ojumah

June 21, 2019

BY LYNN KYALO – A man has been accused of not paying bills at a hotel in Kibera law courts.

The accused is said to have taken a lady to Gibson’s coffee restaurant on 18th june 2019 at 1300hrs and they ordered grilled chicken with chips, 1tr johny walker, grilled pork and mineral water and they said they’ll pay when they are leaving.

The accused James Owiti said he had met the lady online and he was desparate for love since his wife is deceased. He also said the lady directed him to the place and agreed to meet her there.

He added that when he got tipsy at around 10pm the lady took advantage and left with his phone and credit cards.

The accused could not pay bills and therefore was arrested and taken to Parklands police station.

The accused pleaded guilty before kibera principal magistrate hon B.Ojoo and asked the court to give him a favourable rulling since he had learned his lessons the hard way and he had two children to raise.

He was fined Ksh 20,000 and sentenced to 6 months in prison

Public service with integrity will keep Africa rising, President Kenyatta says

Dan Ojumah

June 21, 2019

President Uhuru Kenyatta today said public servants are entrusted to be custodians of public good and must always put the nation before their self interests.

The Head of State said this as he underscored the importance of an effective public service to achieve sustainable development.

President Kenyatta, who spoke when he addressed the 7th Africa Public Service Day at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), said Africa is on the rise but needs bold and transformative leadership to keep it on the trajectory of growth.

He said African governments need to be supported by a diligent, well-motivated and professional public service to enable national and individual prosperity adding that the workforce must have integrity.

“This monumental task calls for unyielding commitment; clear and coherent vision; bold transformative leadership; and, above all else, promotion of integrity and “working hard” culture,” the President said.

President Kenyatta said Africa is committed to finding uniquely African solutions to its own challenges.

“Ours must not be to copy-paste solutions adopted in other jurisdictions; instead, we must create answers tailor-made to answer the questions that Africa faces today and will face in the future,” the President said at the conference attended by Ministers and representatives from 35 African Union member states.

He said African governments and those entrusted with management of public resources must do so in accountable, transparent and responsible manner.

“It is for this reason that my Administration has laid emphasis on the issue of good governance within the Public Service, as well as heightening our efforts to combat corruption,” the Head of State said.

He said no government can fully achieve its development agenda in the absence of a well functioning and results oriented public service.

“The centrality of an efficient and effective Public Service as the cornerstone for any Nation’s achievement of its development agenda cannot be gainsaid,” said the President.

He called on public servants to ensure that development and progress does not benefit a few but should be for all.

“Development must not be limited to a favoured few; it is the inalienable right of all the Sons and Daughters of Africa,” President Kenyatta said as he called for reforms in government policies to adopt to emerging challenges and opportunities.

“Advances in Information Communication Technology, Big Data, Genetics, Artificial Intelligence and other frontier areas must be incorporated into Government Service Delivery,” he said.

The President urged governments across the continent to focus more on providing the youth with opportunities for employment, self-expression and innovation.

He specifically pitched for sustainable investments in education, technical and vocational skills development, access to start-up capital and an easier regulatory environment

“We are called upon to consider how to include the ever-growing youth population and other economically disadvantaged groups, in mainstream social and economic activities so as to harness their entrepreneurial skills, energy and potential,” the President said.

He told participants at the conference which showcases Africa’s best in public service that Huduma Centres have made it easy for Kenyans to access public service.

The award-winning Huduma Centres, the centralized one-stop-shop for government services, currently has 52 outposts spread across Kenya bringing services closer to the people.

“These centres offer over 104 different services with a customer satisfaction level of 95%,” the President noted, adding that cumulatively, the centres have served over 24 million Kenyans and saved over Ksh 74 billion since inception.

The conference whose theme is ‘the intersection of youth empowerment and migration: entrenching a culture of good governance, ICT and innovation for inclusive service delivery’ will, besides showcasing best practice in public service, recognise and award outstanding entities in public sector performance, management and development in Africa.

The special focus of the African Union on the youth in most of its programmes including public service reforms is premised on the fact that by the year 2050, Africa will have a youth population of 830 million.

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Prof Margaret Kobia and Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko spoke at the conference which will run for three days.

How Museveni has twisted Uganda’s constitution to cling to power

Dan Ojumah

June 21, 2019

Moses Khisa, North Carolina State University

For a period of time between 1986 and the early 2000s Uganda was considered to be a country committed to democratic reform. But in recent years the democratic space has shrunk dramatically.

In a recently published journal article I argue that two factors have been crucial. The first is the gradual breakdown of the political consensus that was forged under a ‘broad-based’ government. This consensus resulted in a relatively progressive constitution which was adopted in 1995.

The second is the security imperative which has been accentuated by the fight against terrorism. As a result, the legitimate opposition has become a target of trumped up terror charges.

These two factors have been compounded by incumbent president Yoweri Museveni’s determination to be in power indefinitely. He’s dug in. He wants to rule for life. To stay put in State House, Museveni has had to run roughshod over important constitutional and institutional safe guards, checks and balances that were enshrined in what was a relatively progressive and liberal constitution. His actions have eroded the minimum political consensus embodied in Uganda’s 1995 constitution.

The result has been an erosion of basic democratic institutions, the securitisation of politics, criminalisation of political competition, and an upsurge in contentious politics. The outcome is that the country is facing a deep governance crisis.

How it’s meant to work

To work effectively a democratic government, of whatever stripe and tenor, must be anchored in a set of institutions. It must follow the ‘rules of the game’ that structure and condition actor-behaviour. In many countries the constitution is the primary source of the rules that translate into functional institutions, governmental bodies and state agencies.

But how do the rules of the game come about? They can be imposed through colonial conquest and forceful occupation, or through autocratic leadership. But taking this route is inevitably a recipe for contestation, protestation and even violent confrontation.

The second, and more sustainable, way of establishing the rules of the game is through negotiation, compromise and, in some respects, co-option of key political actors and their constituents. The essence is to arrive at some minimum political consensus that embodies the aspirations and wishes of key political actors and the wider public.

This minimum consensus turns on the basic norms and beliefs about what is acceptable and what is considered outside the bounds of political activity and engagement. Without this it’s not possible to sustain democratic governance.

In the early years of Uganda’s National Resistance Movement there was an attempt to build minimum consensus around some basic rules. This culminated in a constitution being adopted in 1995 that provided for several crucial checks and balances. This included granting parliament autonomy and the judiciary independence. There were also assurances of public accountability through a slew of institutions. These ranged from parliament’s public accounts committee to the Inspectorate of Government and the Auditor General.

But, in my view, the minimum consensus embodied in the 1995 constitution has been ripped apart.

What’s been broken

In 2003, Museveni began his assault on the constitution with a view to deleting presidential term limits. This came after two decades of single-party rule, which was a system of governance that was cleverly packaged as ‘no-party’ politics.

As part of Museveni’s assault on the supreme law there was a turnaround to embracing multiparty politics. In 2005, Ugandans went into a referendum and voted to return to a mulitparty system of governance. But the referendum was no more than a tactical move; it was used as a bargaining chip to remove term limits.

As a result, Uganda has been on a downward spiral since 2006.

By undermining the 1995 constitutional order in pursuit of regime survival, Museveni and the National Resistance Movement have simultaneously eroded minimum consensus and triggered political polarisation. And there has been little regard for policy alternatives and how best to move the country forward in successive election cycles.

This state of affairs has produced toxic politics and a highly adversarial relationship between the political opposition and security agencies, especially the police. The sum of it is that state security and police agencies have placed squarely at the centre of political contestations.

The desire to cling to power has also lead to institutions being undermined. In the judiciary, for example, the appointment of ‘cadre judges’ became pronounced after 2005.

In addition, state patronage, gerrymandering, and outright rigging have been used to manufacture a super majority in the house. Consequentially, Parliament has been grossly watered down and twisted to be at the service of regime survival.

The war on terror

The breakdown of minimum elite consensus has been compounded by the fight against terrorism. Museveni has astutely used this to continue positioning himself as a security president: needed by the west and trusted at home.

For most of the 1990s and early 2000s, insurgencies in the north, northeast and parts of the west of Uganda were the primary source of Museveni’s justification for holding onto power, ostensibly to deal with the insecurity. This security appeal had waned by the 2000s. But it was revived when Al-Shabaab attacked Kampala in July 2010.

The upshot is that the imperatives of security are used to criminalise otherwise legitimate political activities, which has resulted in tension and uncertainty during election time. In addition, opposition leaders are arrested too often. Since 2005 a review of media reports shows that Kizza Besigye – Museveni’s main challenger in the opposition – has been arrested more than 1,000 times.

It has also become routine that whenever Besigye’s allies plan rallies or other political events, their homes are cordoned off by the security forces to stop them from leaving.

All these developments underline the fact that the country is in crisis. It’s only by reaching a new national consensus and enacting rules of engagement that Uganda will detour off its current slippery slope.

Moses Khisa, Assistant Professor of Political Science, North Carolina State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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