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

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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

By

Dan Ojumah

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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

By

Dan Ojumah

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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

By

Dan Ojumah

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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

By

Dan Ojumah

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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

By

Dan Ojumah

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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.

Graft case against Embakasi North MP James Gakuya adjourned as lawyers withdraw from the matter

By

Dan Ojumah

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June 21, 2019

EMBAA — Embakasi North MP James Gakuya at the docks

BY PRUDENCE WANZA – The graft case against Embakasi North MP James Mwangi Gakuya and 13 others had to be adjourned on Thursday 20th after their lawyers withdrew themselves from the matter.

The lawyers withdrew after trial magistrate Elizabeth Juma declined to grant them an adjournment pending hearing of the application of stay of proceedings filed at the high court which were certified urgent by Justice Mumbi Ngugi and directed the parties to appear next week for hearing.

The defense had made an application at the trial court to be supplied with the investigation diary, investigation report and a copy of the occurrence book for the matter in question.

However the state through the prosecuting counsel conceded to supply to supply the OB and the investigation diary but declined to supply the investigation report which is a communication between the EACC and the ODPP.

The defense team is made up of Dunstan Omari, Kiraithe Wandugi, philip Magal, Professor Wajakoya, Duncan Okatch, Shadrack Wambui and Stanley Kangahi.

The contention by the defense is that the accused persons right to fair trial entails them to be supplied with all documents in the possession of the prosecution which is relevant to the case whether it is to be relied on by the state or not.

It was their submission that the documents they seek are crucial and relevant to enable them put up a solid defense in relation to the allegations leveled against them.

The state on its part urged the court not to grant the orders sought as the investigation report was an internal communication between EACC and ODPP.

The court noted that the issue before it was a pre trial issue and ought to have been dealt with at a pre trial stage.
The court further found that the investigation report under section 35 of the ACECA does not fall under article 50(2)(j).

CM Juma ruled “In this case, the defense has already been supplied with the witness statements, documentary evidence and extract from the OB and the investigations diary.”

Dissatisfied with the ruling, the parties appealed to the High Court seeking to set aside, review or vary it arguing that full, accurate and complete disclosure by the prosecution of all relevant material within its possession is an essential and integral part of the right to fair hearing.

The matter is coming up for inter parties hearing on the question of stay on 25th.

The MP and his co accuses are charged with with mismanagement of public funds, embezzlement of Sh 39.8 million, conflict of interest, conspiracy to defraud, willful failure to adhere to procurement laws and fraudulent acquisition of public property.

They denied the charges and were each granted a bond of Sh 5 million of a cash bail of Sh 2 million.

Man Charged for Stealing 25,000 from a Vehicle, released on a 100,000 Cash Bail

By

Dan Ojumah

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June 20, 2019

BY LYNN KYALO – A man was charged from stealing cash from a vehicle in Kibera Law Courts.

Mr Makokha was accused of stealing ksh 25, 000 from a vehicle that was parked in an open place.

He denied the allegations before kibera chief magistrate B.Ojoo and was released on a cash bail of ksh 100, 000 or a bond of Ksh 200, 000.

The case will be mentioned on 4th August 2019 and the hearing will be on 29th August 2019.

President Kenyatta launches a new job creation program #YoungAfricaWorks

By

Dan Ojumah

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June 20, 2019

President Uhuru Kenyatta said Africa has to invest more in its youth for it to become a continent of hope and prosperity.

The President said he was committed to keep up the momentum to create more jobs for the youth in Kenya and would each year host a summit on jobs to engage directly with young people.

“I commit to host an annual Jobs Summit which will engage young people, partners and all stakeholders to take stock of progress and advance action to increase the quality and quantum of jobs available to our young people,” said the President.

The President said this as he launched a public-private partnership program that brings together MasterCard Foundation, Kenyan banks and the Government to support job creation by supporting SME’s to the tune of more than Shs 100 billion.

The Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works Kenya platform aims to work closely with technical colleges and linking the youth to the job market. It will also create jobs by supporting the Small and Medium Enterprises through access to funds and training.

President Kenyatta said the youth are Africa’s biggest asset and governments should focus necessary policy attention on them.

“I urge Africa to invest in the youth and we will become a continent of hope, dignity and prosperity,” said the President when he spoke at the event held at Radison Blu Hotel in Nairobi.

He said the majority of Africa’s population is composed of the youth, persons below 25 years of age and that is why all policy decisions must give them due consideration. In Kenya alone, there are 17 million children in primary and secondary schools, giving a true picture of Africa’s youth bulge.

The President said Africa is on the cusp of an economic transformation with the adoption of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) Agreement which will provide a common marketplace for over 1 billion people.

He said the common market arrangement will create enormous opportunities for Africa’s youth who are full of energy and innovative ideas.

The President called on Africa’s leaders to make continental integration a reality because it will create more avenues for economic growth and social integration.

“Socio-economic integration of the African people is the greatest task of our time and our generation,” said the President who was joined by Cabinet Secretaries George Magoha (Education), Amina Mohamed (Sports, Culture and Heritage) and Joe Mucheru (ICT).

The President said the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works Kenya program is a strong platform to expand job opportunities for young people in the country.

“We are now seeking to unlock their potential; with this platform being an important avenue to allow them to transform their lives, the country and the world. The programme we are about to launch today will contribute significantly towards this goal in several ways,” said the President.

He said the program will support TVETs to improve quality of content and instruction, provide 21st century employability skills and demand-driven training. The program will in addition create pathways to work for graduates including internships and apprenticeships.

The President said the program will also work hand in hand with the Government’s Ajira program to create opportunities for online jobs for the youth.

“Kenya is on the verge of a digital transformation and this programme will catalyze the creation of new and quality jobs across the entire country,” said the President.

The program will also enhance the creation, growth, sustainability and productivity of over 200,000 Micro, Small and Medium Scale enterprises (MSMEs).

Support for MSMEs will be achieved through a partnership between Equity Group and Equity Bank Foundation and Mastercard Foundation on one hand and KCB Group and KCB Foundation and Mastercard Foundation on the other.

“Together, these institutions will provide about 100 billion Kenya Shillings in capital, business development services, and market linkages,” the President said.

The organisations participating in the program will also provide financial and digital literacy and entrepreneurship training to MSMEs to support owners to grow and sustain their businesses and to mentor other entrepreneurs in the network.

MasterCard Foundation CEO Reeta Roy said her organization will contribute Shs 10 billion to support the small and medium scale enterprises noting that it aims at enabling 5 million Kenyan youths get employment.

FULL SPEECH: Launch of the Young Africa Works Programs by Mastercard

By

Dan Ojumah

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June 20, 2019

SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. UHURU KENYATTA, C.G.H., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA DURING THE LAUNCH OF THE MASTERCARD FOUNDATION – YOUNG AFRICA WORKS PROGRAMME, 20TH JUNE, 2019

Chair of the Mastercard Foundation Board of
Directors and Members of the Board,

Ms. Reeta Roy, President and CEO, Mastercard
Foundation,

Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Permit me to start by welcoming you all to this very special event, which touches on issues that are very close to my heart and to the future of our nation, continent and the world. A warm welcome to Members of the MasterCard Foundation Board of Directors.

I thank you for co-creating this unique programme with us. I embrace you as our partners on this crucial journey; one which is brimming with possibilities and the potential to increase opportunities for our youth in terms of finding fulfilling and dignified jobs.

By joining us, you have added momentum to the quest for the realization of my Administration’s Agenda to harness the ingenuity and the resilience of our people, which fires our undying hope in tomorrow’s beauty and promise for Kenya.

Our youth are our nation’s greatest resource. As I travel across the country, I am inspired by the creativity, boldness and resilience of our young people as they use their talents and energies to innovate and forge a better tomorrow for themselves as well as Kenya as a whole.

Even as we acknowledge the strides we are making, we recognize that a lot more needs to be done. A significant number of our young people are unemployed or underemployed, and they are struggling to make ends meet in our fast-paced economy.

I am also aware that our young people face significant structural, financial or technical barriers that limit their access to jobs or entrepreneurship.

It is for this reason that my Administration is taking bold action to eliminate the barriers that prevent young people from reaching their full potential and opening up opportunities for gainful employment.

We are making steady progress and delivering monumental positive change in creating opportunities for all. In that regard, and to equip our young people with the necessary know-how, we have this year successfully transitioned to secondary school 100% of all pupils who sat for their end-of-primary-school examinations.

In response to our young entrepreneurs’ keen appetite for procurement opportunities, we rolled out the affirmative and preferential action programme – the Access to Government
Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) that has set aside 30% of government procurement opportunities for enterprises owned by youth, women and persons living with disability.

In addition, we have made significant gains in creating an enabling environment for job creation; which gives us the assurance that our labour will bear bountiful fruits.

We have also invested heavily in our transport, communication, energy and technology infrastructure; and we are at close to 100% universal mobile phone coverage, while 74% of Kenyans are connected to electricity.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Kenya has a strong and vibrant private sector. We are also located in the most dynamic economic region in the world, and Kenya plays an important leadership role in the region.

Indeed, on account of this comparative advantage, a number of global companies have established their continental or regional
headquarters in our country.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Socio-economic integration of the African people is the greatest task of our time and our
generation. Indeed, Kenya was the first country to ratify the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) Agreement which will provide a common marketplace for over 1 billion people in Africa and create enormous opportunities for our entrepreneurs and companies.

We have a strong platform to expand job opportunities for our young people. We are now seeking to unlock their potential; with this platform being an important avenue to allow them to transform their lives, the country and the world. The programme we are about to launch today will contribute significantly towards this goal in several ways.

Firstly, it will support TVETs to improve quality of content and instruction, provide 21st century employability skills and demand-driven training that is relevant to the labour market, and create pathways to work for graduates including internships and apprenticeships.

I am very pleased to note that the program builds on the excellent reforms that have been
undertaken by the Ministry of Education to make TVET more relevant and better aligned to the needs of our economy.

Secondly, the programme will build on the Ajira Digital Programme to provide work readiness training, link young people to digital enabled work and increase access to work opportunities in the digital economy. It will enable technologically-savvy Kenyan youth to take full advantage of our extensive technology platforms to create and connect to jobs, obtain accurate, relevant and timely labor market information and build a virtual support and mentorship ecosystem. Kenya is on the verge of a digital transformation and this programme will catalyze the creation of new and quality jobs across the entire country.

The third pillar of the programme will enhance the creation, growth, sustainability and productivity of over 200,000 Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs). This will be achieved through a partnership between Equity Group and Equity Bank Foundation and Mastercard Foundation on one hand and KCB Group and KCB Foundation and Mastercard Foundation on the other. Together, these institutions will provide about 100 billion Kenya shillings in capital, business development services, and market linkages.

Those partners will also provide financial and digital literacy and entrepreneurship training to MSMEs to support owners to grow and sustain their businesses and to mentor other entrepreneurs in the network.

When small firms and entrepreneurs access financial services, they obtain the resources they require to grow, expand into new markets and opportunities, create jobs and establish inter-generational wealth.

The benefits then create a ripple effect which generates employment for others beyond the direct beneficiaries of the access to those financial services.

It is in this context that the two banking institutions are expected to create more than 2 million jobs through this programme over the next 5 years.

I wish to thank the Equity Group and Equity Bank Foundation and the KCB Group and KCB Foundation for their contribution to this programme. Both these institutions have committed to provide substantial funding from their own resources; for which we are grateful.

Over the five-year period, Mastercard Foundation will provide Ksh 10 billion to KCB Group against their contribution of Ksh 50 billion and Ksh 7.2 billion to Equity Group against their contribution of Ksh 32 billion.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
This is a public-private partnership at its very best. I encourage other partners to emulate Mastercard Foundation, KCB and Equity Bank who have joined hands with Government to build a secure future for our young people.

Through this and other initiatives, the sons and daughters of Kenya are boldly stepping into a new future in which their individual and collective contribution will transform Kenya, Africa and the world.

As I conclude, I wish to reiterate my commitment to the young people of Kenya. You are the most important agenda for me and my Administration because you are our future. We will continue to ensure that we level the playing field for you through education and training; and we will increase opportunities for you to be the very best of Kenya.

To maintain the momentum on job creation, I commit to host an annual Jobs Summit which will engage young people, partners and all stakeholders to take stock of progress and advance action to increase the quality and quantum of jobs available to our young people.

We stand determined to complete this monumental task within one generation.

Thank you and God Bless Kenya.