Opinion: Who won the vice presidential debate?

By

-

October 8, 2020

CNN Opinion asked commentators to weigh in on who performed best at the vice presidential debate — and what moments stood out to them the most.

(CNN)CNN Opinion asked contributors for their takes on how Mike Pence and Kamala Harris did at the vice presidential debate.

Has the race changed as of tonight because Pence kept talking over his time and Harris wouldn’t answer whether she supported adding justices to the Supreme Court?

Given her immense skill as an orator and in debating, Harris was incredibly restrained — even sticking to her time when Pence kept going over.

California Sen. Kamala Harris easily won the debate, as Vice President Mike Pence showed an unexpectedly rude side of his personality.

But because (unlike his boss) he can put together complete sentences, Pence was able to pack in more whoppers per second than Trump did in last week’s deranged presidential debate.

Kamala Harris flopped in epic fashion tonight, while Vice President Mike Pence followed in the footsteps of Joe Biden (2012) and Dick Cheney (2004), former vice presidents for incumbents presidents who had tanked in their opening debate, and then saw their number two’s step up and right the ship.

Pence did what Trump failed to do in his debate against Biden—recognize his opponent’s mistakes and then clearly drive home the winning point.

The exchange over packing the Supreme Court was an epic failure by Harris (and Biden last week), and Pence played it perfectly.

Harris knocked the tar out of Vice President Mike Pence on the Covid-19 pandemic in the beginning and ended strong, talking about justice for all Americans.

It wasn’t as buffoonish as President Donald Trump’s performance last week—Vice President Mike Pence remained calm, avoided petty insults and stuck mostly to talking points — but that was, in a way, worse.

It wasn’t just a bad look for the Trump-Pence ticket, it was an insult to the very women they need to stay in office.

And it allowed them to understand that there are stark differences in policy between what four more years of Donald Trump would look like, as compared to a Biden-Harris administration.

Vice President Pence’s ability to characterize Kamala Harris and the Democratic ticket more broadly as overly progressive was his biggest accomplishment of the night.

For example, Pence’s assertion that Biden’s interest in repealing the Trump tax cuts will mean tax hikes for all voters on day one of a new administration was an effective attack that was largely left unanswered by Harris.

These are the economic issues on which the Trump-Pence ticket should focus their fire in the closing weeks of the campaign.

It’s unlikely that the VP debate will ultimately have any real impact on the election unless Trump can execute these substantive attacks against Joe Biden in the same disciplined way that Pence did on Wednesday.

If there was one omen about Wednesday night’s debate, it came from the fly that landed on Mike Pence’s hair and stayed there.

And that’s bad news for the Trump-Pence 2020 ticket.

Mike Pence and Kamala Harris gave us a preview of where each might lead their parties after their septuagenarian ticket-toppers retire.

Senator Kamala Harris won the debate the moment she said, “You respect the American people when you tell them the truth. ” When speaking in defense of the Trump Administration’s record, no surrogate should ever utter the words facts, truth, and honesty.

Pence made this mistake early in the debate by praising the “transparency” of Trump’s Covid-19 response and was quickly called to the mat by Harris, who used the word to pivot to Trump’s obfuscation on his taxes, personal health, and myriad other issues.

Where Trump scared off voters with his aggressive debate performance, Pence went overboard when he commended VP Biden’s public service and Senator Harris’ historic nomination.

Senator Harris made it clear to viewers what is at stake with the Trump-Pence ticket: “They’re coming for you. “

First, had Sen. Kamala Harris melted down, committed some galactic stumble, bumble or tumble, and failed to effectively defend former Vice President Joe Biden and attack Vice President Mike Pence, she might have hurt Biden badly, raising public concern that would have reflected badly on his judgment on a vice-presidential pick.

Instead Harris performed very well (in fact better on the debate stage than her putative boss) demonstrating competency, compassion on the issues and humor and toughness in standing up to Pence.

Harris did well in taking apart the administration’s record, helped by Pence’s talking points untethered from reality that made it unmistakably clear that Democrats take seriously the gravest threat to America’s public health in a century and Republicans don’t.

Study finds Men with deeper voices are more likely to cheat

By

Dan Ojumah

-

October 7, 2020

A study has found out that men with deeper voices are more likely to despise committment in relationships and more likely to cheat.

The controversial study carried out in Southwest University in Chongqing, China, was conducted with 116 men and 145 women.

The participants each aged above 20 years old, had the pitch of their voices measured and were asked questions about their attitudes to monogamy and commitment.

Researchers said: “Our findings demonstrated that masculine men are more likely to engage in infidelity and commit less to their romantic relationships compared with feminine men.”

But the results, published in the Personality and Individual Differences journal, found no link when applying the same to women.

Researchers have suggested increased testosterone may be a factor – with significantly more women finding men with deep voices attractive.

They wrote: “Testosterone and the characteristics dependent on testosterone can be reliable indicators of quality-dependent conditions or behaviours…therefore, men with higher testosterone levels, and hence lower voices, may have more infidelity behaviours or less commitment to their romantic relationship.

The academics added: “Furthermore, from the point of view of evolutionary psychology, men with masculine voices may enhance their status among other men or their attractiveness to women… thereby increasing their chances of obtaining more or higher-quality partners.”

Anti-corruption agencies beacon Kenyans to join the fight

By

Dan Ojumah

-

October 7, 2020

Agencies fighting corruption have once again asked Kenyan to take the forefront in the fight. – By Collins Osanya

The sentiments were made by key note speakers during the recently concluded launch of the National Ethics and Anti-Corruption Policy, (NEAP) Session Paper 2 at the Kenyatta International Conference Center (KICC).

Speaking at the event, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) boss Twalib Mbarak asked Kenyans not to cheer perpetrators of corruption.

“It’s very unfortunate that majority of our citizens glorify the corrupt. Public participation is key in fighting corruption. Kenyans should raise red flags on corruption issues,” Mbarak criticized.

Mbarak’s sentiments were also echoed by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Haji whose speech was read out by his deputy and Secretary of Public Prosecutions Dorcas Oduor.

“We owe it to our republic to get to a point when corruption will neither be uneasy nor a convenient choice for any of our citizens and residents. Justice works best in a well regulated and predictable system.” read the statement.

DPP Haji also highlighted that fighting corruption is a multi-sectoral effort which requires a multifaceted approach, from intelligence gathering, accumulation of evidence to the general prosecution.

In his remarks, Director of Criminal Investigation (DCI) George Kinoti informed Kenyans that they have what it takes to fight corruption.

“The revolution against corruption starts from our own conscience, and that is the only wealth that will remain with ourselves,” the DCI explained.

NEAP came into existence after a 26 March, 2015 directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta during his State of the Nation Address to Parliament where he instituted the National Anti-Corruption Campaign Steering Committee (NACCSC).

NACCSC is a multi-agency task force obligated with reviewing the existing legal, policy and institutional framework for fighting corruption in Kenya.

Why Governors Joho and Kingi remain mum on 2022 succession

By

Dan Ojumah

-

October 7, 2020

As the clock ticks towards the 2022 General Elections, a significant storm is brewing in the Coast.

Three Governors, Amason Kingi (Kilifi), Hassan Joho (Mombasa) and Salim Mvurya (Kwale) will be exiting the scene after the end of their two terms. – By Ramadhan Kambi

Governor Mvurya openly declared his support for her Deputy Fatuma Achani for the seat after him, while Joho and Kingi have remained tight-lipped on whom they would like to support after their term ends.

That move has left a lot of jostling in Kilifi and Mombasa counties with allies of the two leaders trying to get an endorsement from them.

Not much will be anticipated in Taita Taveta, Lamu, and Tana River counties where incumbent Governors Granton Samboja, Fahim Twaha and Dhadho Godhana are expected to defend their seats.

Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja | PHOTO COURTESY

Coat political analysts have cited that the three would push for their close associates’ win the coveted seats to continue with their legacy.

In Kilifi County, Kilifi North MP Owen Baya, Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa have already declared their bid to vie for Governorship.

There are reports that Lands Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Gideon Mung’aro who came second in 2017 is also in the race.

The CAS has maintained silence although his close associates confirmed to Uzalendo News that he is eyeing the Kilifi gubernatorial seat in 2022.

“Mr Mung’aro is in the race for the top county seat. He came second after Governor Kingi and has a high chance of winning that seat,” said the confidant who sought anonymity.

Lands Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Gideon Mung’aro consults with President Uhuru Kenyatta | PHOTO COURTESY

As Deputy Party leader of ODM, Governor Joho has said that he will be going for the top office on the land (Presidency) in 2022 after he leaves Mombasa as a Governor.

During their swearing for the second term both Governor Kingi and Joho said they would go for the Presidency in 2022 after their term ends. They have since remained mum on the issue, keeping their supporters on the guessing line.

Halimu Shauri, a Professor of Sociology and the Dean at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Pwani University told Uzalendo news that the decision by Governor Mvurya to front her deputy for the top seat is based on Western style of democracy but with its huge effects on the African style of leadership and responsibilities.

“Governor Mvurya must know that by pushing people towards accepting Ms Achani to be the candidate in 2022 is literally exposing himself and it might not resonate well with the electorates.” He added.

“Kenyan voters needs to have their independent minds while electing their leaders and they should not be pushed by anyone. That is the reason that Governor Joho and Governor Kingi have remained mum on their people they will support to inherit them.”

“It is not African to start mentioning those that you prefer because that will bring in a lot of jittery which will not augur well with the leadership at place,” Prof Shauri told Uzalendo News in an interview.

KADU Asili stakes claim in Msambweni, Dabaso by-elecitons

By

Dan Ojumah

-

October 7, 2020

Coast-based political party KADU Asili has announced its plans to field candidates in the Msambweni constituency in Kwale county and Dabaso ward in Kilifi county during the December by-elections. – Ramadhan Kambi.

Kadu Asili party leader Gerald Iha Thoya said during an interview in Malindi that the party is also working on rebranding plans ahead of the 2022 General Elections.

“This is the only post independent party in this country with its roots in Coast and which has stood the test of time to remain strong. We are fielding candidates in Msambweni and Dabaso,” said Mr Thoya during the interview.

Big parties like the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) led by its Coast kingpin Hassan Joho has vowed to capture all the seats in Msambweni and Dabaso.

However Mr Thoya said that KADU Asili will not be deterred by the political parties he said are non-coastal and urged the people of Msambweni and Dabaso to elect their representatives through the Coast based political party.

“We are used to think that non-coastal political parties have a solution for our problems which is a very wrong perception. These parties have nothing to deliver to us, although we have been made to believe in that,” said Mr Iha.

Currently the Coast region has five political parties that include KADU Asili, Shirikisho, Devolution Party of Kenya, Republican Congress and Umoja Summit party of Kenya.

Mr Iha said the party will soon start a registration of members at the grassroots as among its plans to have a wider reach in the country.

“Although this party has its foundation at the Coast, it has a nationwide approach in its policies and we want more Kenyans to join and push for changes that will bring in good governance to our country,” said Mr Iha.

In the 2017 General Election, the party sponsored former Labour CS Kazungu Kambi to be its Kilifi gubernatorial candidate. Mr Kambi however lost to current Governor Amason Kingi.

Deputy party leader Daniel Mangi told Uzalendo News in a phone interview that the party is getting prepared as the 2022 General Election approaches and that there is an array of activities that will characterize the party until that time.

“Among the plans is the registration of our member, open up new party structures among other plans,” said Mr Mangi.

NCIC enlists Churches in the fight against warmongers

By

Dan Ojumah

-

October 7, 2020

National Commision and Intergration Commision(NCIC) has petitioned the Church to help fight hate speech. – By Enock Mukoma

NCIC Chairman, Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia said political temperatures are on the rise, and appealed to the religious community to intervene.

“We appeal to the top leadership of main political parties in the country to show visible and positive leadership. We must cultivate the culture of non-violence, respect the rule of law and have tolerance for divergent opinions.” said Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia

He condemned the recent violence in Muranga during which two people lost their lives and said decisive action will be taken against the purveyors of hate speech.

“We are going to engage leadership and young people concerning the Murang’a violence. We are aware that Kenyans are glappling with COVID-19 and now is not the time to engage in divisive politics.” He added.

He was speaking at the Commission’s offices at the KMA Centre in Upper Hill.

Trump entices firms with cash to exit China

By

Dan Ojumah

-

October 7, 2020

Trump CHINA TARIFFS — China President XI JingPing and US President Donald Trump | PHOTO COURTESY

US President Donald Trump wants to offer tax credits to entice US firms to move factories out of China.

He has also threatened to strip government contracts from firms that continue to outsource work to China.

In a speech on Monday, Mr. Trump vowed to create 10 million jobs in 10 months saying “We will end our reliance on China.”

It marks his latest attack on China, after moves that have involved tech companies TikTok, WeChat and Huawei.

The announcement came as tensions between Washington and Beijing have been escalating rapidly in recent months.

The Trump administration is now casting its net beyond the Chinese technology companies it has accused of threatening US national security.

“We will create tax credits for companies that bring jobs from China back to America,” Mr Trump said. “We built the greatest economy in the history of the world and now I have to do it again.”

Chinese communications giant Huawei has repeatedly come under attack by the US government and on Monday further restrictions were placed on the company to limit the electrical components it can buy.

The Trump administration has also threatened to include more Chinese technology firms on its blacklist of companies which face bans in the US, alongside TikTok and WeChat,

Covid-19 Heist: Ksh. 2.65 billion Hustlers’ cash stolen in the UK

By

Dan Ojumah

-

October 7, 2020

UK Euros — UK criminals have joined their Kenyan counterparts in stealing Covid 19 billions as the effects of the pandemic come home to roost. | PHOTO COURTESY

UK criminals have joined their Kenyan counterparts in stealing Covid-19 billions as the effects of the pandemic come home to roost. – By BBC and Joseph Mukala

While in Kenya Covid-19 gangsters used the health supply and procurement at KeMSA, in the UK, banks were raided and culprits walked with billions of cash set aside as loans for the vulnerable.

In the land of Queen Elizabeth, the criminals stashed away a cool Sh.265 billion, starving hustlers and SMEs of their livelihood, at a time when the global economy is reeling.

A loan scheme for struggling small businesses suggests criminals could have stolen more than £1.9bn from taxpayers.

The United Kingdom’s The National Audit Office said in a report that the UK’s five biggest banks will pocket nearly £1bn between them from the scheme.

Under the Bounce Back scheme, small businesses can borrow up to £50,000.

Bounce back loans: Criminals may have claimed billions - BBC News

The government said it has tried to minimise fraud through lenders’ background checks.

Bounce back loans are 100% government-backed loans of up to £50,000, and were introduced to mitigate the huge pressure on small businesses after the economy went into coronavirus lockdown.

They do not have to be paid off for six years, and are interest-free for the first 12 months.

The £38bn loan scheme is an extension of earlier offers which some businesses complained they could not access as the lending criteria was too strict.

The Public Accounts Committee said it was the government’s largest and most risky business support scheme.

It says it will not assess the value-for-money of the scheme, as the loans will not start being paid back until May next year.

The NAO analysis said losses from the scheme are likely to reach “significantly above” normal estimates for public-sector fraud of 0.5% to 5%.

This would mean that more than £1.9bn had been lost to criminals, leaving taxpayers on the hook when they failed to pay the money back, it said.

U.K. Starts Audit of $69 Billion Coronavirus Loan Program - Bloomberg

‘Taxpayer’s expense’

Meg Hillier, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said the loans had been a vital lifeline for many businesses.

But she added that “the government estimates that up to 60% of the loans could turn bad – this would be a truly eye-watering loss of public money”.

“The bounce back loan scheme got money into the hands of small businesses quickly, and will have stopped some from going under.

“But the scheme’s hasty launch means criminals may have helped themselves to billions of pounds at the taxpayer’s expense.

“Sadly, many firms won’t be able to repay their loans and the banks will be quick to wash their hands of the problem.

Troll jailed after sending photo of 'cancerous genitalia' to Labour MP - Mirror Online — Meg Hillier, chair of the Public Accounts Committee

Kilifi farmer lands scholarship for Agriculture training in the UK

By

Dan Ojumah

-

October 7, 2020

self help africa — Rev Remus Mngumi Jaliwa and her wife at their seven-acre farm at Bagio village, Kakuyuni in Malindi, Kilifi County. | PHOTO BY Ramadhan Kambi for Uzalendo News

A farmer’s effort to plant cassava in his seven-acre farm in Kakuyuni, Malindi sub-county has earned him a scholarship to go for business development training in the United Kingdom(UK). – By Ramadhan Kambi

Were it not for the Coronavirus pandemic, Rev Remus Mngumi Jaliwa of Bagio village would have taken his training between June and July this year.

However, the training has been pushed to next year where he is supposed to travel to the UK.

“An NGO called Self-help Africa visited my farm early this year and they were impressed. The organization then received a scholarship for farmers to go for Sustainable Agriculture training in the UK. They selected me for that opportunity,” said Rev Mngumi when Uzalendo News visited his farm in Malindi.

The farmer said that the course was set to start from 4^th May to 10^th July this year but had to be postponed to next year after the pandemic hit hard.

“The organization processed all my travelling documents and everything was ready but because of the pandemic, the journey was stopped and even the course was postponed to next year. With God wishes, then we shall go next year,” said Rev Mngumi.

The small holder farmer who retired after working for many years as an accountant at an institution in Malindi said farming pays and that he regrets to not having ventured early enough into farming.

“I can tell you for free that had I known the benefits of engaging in farming earlier, I could have quit my accountant job then. I have discovered that I wasted a lot of years working in the formal employment when an opportunity had presented itself to me. Farming pays,” he said.

Going through his vast farm in the company of her wife, Rev Ngumi urged the Kilifi county government to speed up the completion of the Cassava milling plant that is being built at Tezo in Kilifi North Sub County.

“We understand that the county is building a cassava value chain processing plant and if they can hasten its completion then it will greatly assist us as farmers. We have a lot of raw material but has no market,” he said.

Currently the crop gives him a tidy cash by selling to traders who then ferry the cassavas to markets in Kilifi, Malindi and Mombasa.

Online and in the classroom, COVID-19 has put new demands on teachers

By

Dan Ojumah

-

October 7, 2020

LEARNING DURING COVID-19-KENYA STORIES — 12-year-old Elizabeth Achieng in Kibera where she studies at home by watching an education TV channel called EDU TV. The teacher on the screen teach on Social Studies PHOTO BY BRIAN OTIENO/STORITELLAH.COM

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools were on lockdown in South Africa from March 2020. They only partially reopened in June, despite teacher unions’ concerns about the timing and lack of adequate protection for teachers and learners.

The unions’ objections about having to work in conditions that posed a risk to health were understandable. But they have been less vocal about the teachers’ need to be equipped with the skills and infrastructure to teach during a pandemic.

The unpredictability of the pandemic and the restrictions on social interaction remain in place. No immediate end is in sight. Teachers have had to move from a space in which they have years of experience to the unknown and challenging world of online, remote, correspondence and socially distanced teaching.

The Department of Basic Education produced a COVID-19 guide for teachers focused on creating learning environments using technology. In practice, this meant the teachers needed to facilitate learning with the help of digital tools such as e-learning platforms, online videos and audio tutorials.

But the guide isn’t enough. Teachers are teaching with limited support and skills. My experience as a teacher educator, a researcher in teacher education and as a former high school teacher point to the fact that teachers are woefully under prepared to deal with the current situation.

The average age of South African teachers is 43. This implies that many left teacher training over 20 years ago and might have limited knowledge of designing learning that differs from the face-to-face classroom methods.

Vision for technology

The use of technology to design and transform learning and assessment has been a strategic goal for some years, as captured in the 2004 White Paper on e-Education. Over the years, the Department of Basic Education has added detail to its vision in documents such as Guidelines on e-Safety in Schools: Educating Towards Responsible, Accountable and Ethical Use of Information and Communication Technology in Education and Guidelines for Teacher Training and Professional Development in Information and Communication Technology.

But the department has experienced a number of challenges along the way. One main challenge has been the expense of investing in technology, and whether it’s justified by the return. Even before the pandemic there were challenges with the use of technology in public schools that included inadequate infrastructure, poor internet connectivity and lack of digitally competent teachers.

During the lockdown this reality was made clearer as many public-school teachers who didn’t have the experience, knowledge or infrastructure to facilitate online learning found it challenging.

Based on earlier research it’s much more likely that they didn’t use the technology to its full capacity. For example, previous studies showed that teachers didn’t use technology to help learners produce knowledge.

There’s also the fact that the teacher workforce is largely ageing and technophobic. The instructional methods in an online learning environment differ from the face-to-face classroom that most teachers use. The online ways of supporting learning and attending to different learning styles require skills that teachers from traditional classrooms don’t have.

Added to this is the fact that there is uneven access to digital tools across the country.

The new challenges in teaching

The pandemic has taken the known interactive, collaborative and cooperative classrooms and predictable timetables from teachers and replaced them with uncertainty.

These are perilous times, but teachers are transforming and adapting their knowledge to ensure that learning takes place. Research shows that teachers are able to reshape their knowledge and dispositions to function and respond to any challenging situations.

There is no manual for this situation. But there is an opportunity to rethink and redesign what it means to teach and learn during and after the pandemic. Importantly, it’s a chance to address the gross inequalities and inadequacies in South African education.

Nhlanhla Mpofu, Associate Professor, Rhodes University

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

Vision for technology

The new challenges in teaching

Create a free account, or log in.

Upgrade your subscription