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The Battle For Western

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I Am Not Hiding, Says Narok Killer Bus Owner

Experts warn of crisis over Hague trials

From left: ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, Deputy President William Ruto and President Uhuru Kenyatta. Analysts have sounded the alarm over a possible paralysis in government when the trials of President Kenyatta and deputy William Ruto at ICC begin. FILE  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By JULIUS SIGEI
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Analysts have sounded the alarm over a possible paralysis in government when the trials of President Kenyatta and deputy William Ruto at ICC begin.

Mr Ruto is expected to appear in The Hague for the opening session of his trial on September 10 while Mr Kenyatta will appear before the court on November 12.

On Thursday, the ICC trial chamber rejected Mr Ruto’s request to hold the proceedings for two weeks followed by breaks of a similar period and stuck to its three-week plan.

Judges had on Monday voted against Mr Kenyatta’s request to have trials moved to either Kenya or Tanzania.

The proceedings in The Hague will inevitably grip the attention of the nation and could prove one of the biggest tests for the Jubilee administration yet.

Coupled with this is the impending mini- General Election once petitions across the country are concluded in October— a development that will re-ignite the bitter rivalry between Cord and Jubilee coalitions and drive the country into fever pitch.

Seventy MPs and half of the 47 governors are fighting for their political careers after their election on March 4 was challenged. A significant number of the petitions could be determined in the next one month.

Already, courts have annulled the election of two MPs and a governor— signalling that a big number of the more than 100 politicians could be kicked out of office. This could trigger anxiety among Jubilee supporters due to the inevitable absence of one or both of the generals on the campaign trail.

Some contend that Mr Ruto’s absence will take gravitas from the Jubilee campaigns as he is seen as the one who could counter an increasingly resurgent Cord leader Raila Odinga. It is instructive that the DP has in recent days heightened political activity, culminating in wresting Jubilee senators from the referendum train and making inroads into Cord’s strongholds of Coast and western Kenya.

Mr Ruto will, however, be leaving a headache behind in his backyard in the name of the combative Bomet Governor Isaac Rutto who has defied all entreaties to drop the referendum bid.

Initially pushed by senators and governors led by Mr Rutto to take more resources to the counties, the clamour for a constitutional change has also been seized by Mr Odinga, who still commands support in many parts of the country. This poses a new challenge of how to either tame him or work with him. Mr Odinga and a section of civil society want a new presidential system to “tame the tyranny of numbers.”

“Of course all functions of government will be operational but in a situation where sections of the Opposition and government are asking for a referendum and hammering it, and the President is not around, the country can be unstable,” Law Society of Kenya chairman Eric Mutua said.

He said the indications, so far, were that only one of the Big Two could be away at any given time, but added that were they both to be away, the Speaker of the National Assembly and the National Assembly Majority Leader— who are number three and number four in the political pecking order— might lack the requisite clout for the task.

“The president can of course assign all functions except the constitutionally excluded ones to his deputy but the pragmatic aspect of the debate is that as a unifier of the country, the president’s role cannot truly be performed by anyone else.”

Former Subukia MP Koigi wa Wamwere asked National Assembly and the Senate to debate whether the President and the DP should step down for the time of their trial at The Hague, and have numbers three and four in the constitutional hierarchy of State power take charge until the trials are over.

“If I could not govern my home through proxy when I was in detention, how can Uhuru and Ruto govern Kenya from a remand prison—not at Kamiti Prison but 2,000 kilometres away in The Hague via Skype?

Others contend that the trials could also test the legitimacy of their presidency, a situation which could strain the current cordial relations Kenya is enjoying with the West.

“Although polls show that support for the ICC has gone down, when the cases start and the evidence is laid out, there will be significant distraction. As the cases go on, Western nations will be watching and that will have a bearing on their approach to Kenya,” said Dr Adams Oloo of the University of Nairobi’s Political Science Department.

Challenges on the domestic front include the fear that the economy and the implementation of flagship projects of the Jubilee administration could be pushed to the back burner.

A recent Synovate poll showed that a high number (54 per cent of respondents) rate the high cost of living as a big problem compared with 39 per cent in November 2012.
But the government side has put on a brace face, insisting all will be under control in the absence of any of the big two.

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and Oljororok MP John Waiganjo said service delivery would not be hampered at all by the President and the DP’s absence since the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary were fully constituted.

But an MP who sought anonymity said Jubilee MPs were plotting to bring a motion in Parliament asking Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto not to attend the sessions. This, analysts say, could attract sanctions.

http://www.nation.co.ke/news/politics/Experts+warn+of+crisis+over+Hague+trials/-/1064/1974330/-/8jsm7f/-/index.html

THE JUDICIARY

Hassan asks courts to retain winners

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman, Isaack Hassan. He has asked courts to consider retaining winners in the on-going General Election petitions to save the cost of conducting by-elections. Photo/FILE 

The electoral commisison has asked courts to consider retaining winners in the on-going General Election petitions to save the cost of conducting by-elections.

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chairman Issack Hassan Friday said they were cash-strapped and he expressed fears that the more than 90 petitions could drain their resources.

“We are challenging courts to declare the clear winners after recount. In doing this, we will not have to spend millions of shillings in planning by-elections,” Mr Hassan said while issuing writs for the by-elections in Siaya County, Matungulu and Kibwezi constituencies.

The commission will conduct by-elections in those areas on October 17. On the same date county assembly wards will also conduct theirs. They include Ilima in Kaiti constituency, Benane (Lagdera) and Mnagei in Kapenguria.

The rest of the election petitions are yet to be decided. All cases must have been concluded by October 13.

Mr Hassan said the huge number of petitions was not an indictment on how his agency conducted the elections.

“The cases are only 10 per cent of the total seats contested,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s an indictment on how we conducted the elections.”

he said, adding that most of the petitions will be thrown out of the courts.

During the meeting he handed the writs to returning officers in the seven electoral zones who shall oversee the elections on October 17.

“I want you to know that you are responsible for the outcome thereof. Conduct the elections diligently, professionally and above all, observe the law,” he said.

In Siaya, former Governor Cornel Rasanga lost his seat after the High Court in Kisumu nullified his win citing massive electoral malpractices.

This followed a petition filed by William Oduol who lost in the March 4 elections.

The petition was one of the 24 filed against the elections of governors countrywide.

Machakos High court on August 15 revoked the election of Patrick Musimba as the Kibwezi West MP following a successful petition by former Kibwezi MP Kalembe Ndile.

A recount found that Mr Ndile had won by 29 votes.

“I hereby declare that Dr Patrick Musimba was not validly elected as a Member of the National Assembly for Kibwezi West Constituency,” said Justice David Majanja in his ruling.

Matungulu MP Stephen Mutinda Mule also lost his parliamentary seat after the Machakos High Court judge Lilian Mutende said there were massive irregularities in the poll.

The petition was filed by poll losers Thomas Malinda Musau, Stephen Ndambuki Muli, John Makenzi and a former MP Moffat Maithya.

IEBC has given political parties up to September 2 to finalise their primaries and determine intra-party disputes arising from the nomination of their candidates.

The nominees will then be required to present their nomination papers to the respective Returning Officers by September 21 latest.

The official campaign period will run from September 21 to October 15, 2013.

BY NATION REPORTER

http://www.nation.co.ke/news/politics/Hassan+asks+courts+to+retain+winners/-/1064/1974338/-/pti3tsz/-/index.html

We are with Jubilee, Coast leaders declare

PHOTO | PSCU President Uhuru Kenyatta, Deputy President William Ruto and First Lady Margaret when they landed at Moi International Airport, Mombasa, on August 27, 2013. In what appeared to be a change of heart, the leaders Friday showered praise on President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto for addressing the land problem. 

By DANIEL TSUMA NYASSY
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Leaders from the coast have vowed to work closely with the Jubilee Coalition government after President Uhuru Kenyatta issued the first batch of 60,000 title deeds to residents of the region.

In what appeared to be a change of heart, the leaders Friday showered praise on President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto for addressing the land problem. The excited leaders fell short of declaring support for Jubilee come the next General Election and instead said “the people will decide”.

The region voted overwhelmingly for the rival Coalition for Reform and Democracy (Cord) and its presidential candidate Raila Odinga during the March 4 election, but the leaders said they were ready to close ranks for the sake of development.

Addressing a public rally at Khadija Primary School in Nyali constituency, where the titles were given, the leaders led by governors Amason Kingi (Kilifi) and Hassan Joho (Mombasa) said the issuance of the deeds was “a 50-year dream that has finally come true”.

Likoni MP Masoud Mwahima was forthright: “We abused you so much during the campaigns Mr President, but today we are singing a different song,” he started.

“Our problem in coast region for all those decades has been land ownership. Today, the Jubilee government has brought title deeds to us; and you are telling us not to work with Jubilee? We must be crazy then.”

Mr Kingi said he was ready to pay the price for working with the government since it was “now clear that the government was ready to sort out the critical land issue.”
“In matters of development, I will be close to your government irrespective of party affiliation. If I will be called names for this, let it be,” the Kilifi governor said.
His Mombasa counterpart welcomed the move, saying the gesture demonstrated the government’s commitment to addressing landlessness.

“In Mombasa, we are people who mean what we say; when we say we are going west, we go west,” he said, alluding to their decision to work closely with Jubilee.

Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar said the leadership at the Coast was ready and willing to co-operate with the government to address problems facing their people.

“We will pursue the agenda of land redistribution, and now that the government is addressing it, we will work with President Kenyatta and Mr Ruto,” he stated.

When he addressed the gathering, Mr Kenyatta said the government was acting on their election pledges and manifesto to solve the land problem in the country.

“We promised to solve the land issue that has been there for 50 years. Given the opportunity the answer will be attained and nobody will have the platform to use land as a campaign issue,” the President said.

He said he looked forward to issuing three million title deeds countrywide during his first tenure.

Mr Kenyatta said land was a factor of production and a source of wealth and that the government would emphasis tackling the issue for the benefit of Kenyans.

“With title, you can grow crops and export, build rental houses and lease, get loans and start business to prosper,” he added, and warned government officers against frustrating title owners when they go to collect their documents.

On his part, Deputy President William Ruto said despite claims by a section of the political class that the government would not deliver the titles, the Jubilee government had proved the “doubting Thomases wrong”.

“Our resolve is to ensure that the land and squatter question is answered. We realised this was a challenge in the region and it is not about politics that we are seeking a solution. It is legitimate for the people in Kenya to own land,” he said.

Additional reporting by MWAKERA MWAJEFA
mwajefa@ke.nationmedia.com

http://www.nation.co.ke/news/politics/We+are+with+Jubilee+Coast+leaders+declare/-/1064/1974326/-/ulit0gz/-/index.html

6-year-old Md. boy hailed a hero after calling 911 while mother was suffering seizure

Posted: Aug 29, 2013 11:32 PM EDT Updated: Aug 29, 2013 11:42 PM EDT

By Maureen Umeh, @MaureenUmehTV - bio

DC News FOX 5 DC WTTG
 OXON HILL, Md. -

A 6-year-old Oxon Hill, Md., boy is being hailed as a hero after helping to save his mother's life.

Latoya Watson has epilepsy and is on medication. She says she missed a dose on Wednesday.

That afternoon as she sat with her son, Kenny, for his afternoon snack, Latoya had a seizure.

"She started hitting her head on the hardwood floor and started jerking,” says Kenny.

Latoya says she has had seizures before, so Kenny knew exactly what to do. He ran to the phone and called 911.

Kenny told the dispatcher where he lived and what happened to his mother. He stayed on the phone while the dispatcher talked him through the process of what to do to help his mother until paramedics could arrive.

The dispatcher can be heard on the 911 call saying, "If she starts to have her seizure again, make sure you move dangerous objects away from her."

Kenny replies, "There's no live scissors or any sharp objects like thumbtacks around her."

Moments later, the paramedics are heard arriving while Kenny continues to tend to his mother who has now regained consciousness.

He is heard on the tape saying, "Lay back down mommy. Lay back down. Lay back down. Just lay back down. You just had a seizure."

The paramedics took Latoya to the hospital. She was checked out and is now OK.

Kenny says he did what he knew he had to do.

"I knew the consequences being that she was having a seizure,” he says.

Latoya is grateful Kenny was there. He is her brave little boy who saved her life.

"It wasn't his first time doing it and it may not be his last time having to do that, so he's my hero, and I'm grateful for him,” she says. “God was in control and working through him."

Kenny's grandmother, Margaret Chase, taught him how to read, dial 911 and recite his address when he was just three years old.

Kenny just started first grade at Barnaby Manor Elementary School.

He says he would like to go into the Army when he is older so he can keep helping people.

Read more: http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/23295866/6-year-old-md-boy-hailed-a-hero-after-calling-911-when-mother-was-suffering-seizure#ixzz2dVi1aaW7
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http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/23295866/6-year-old-md-boy-hailed-a-hero-after-calling-911-when-mother-was-suffering-seizure#axzz2dVgcgWwe

‘Billions lost’ in CBK stock theft

Central Bank of Kenya Governor, Prof Njuguna Ndung’u [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]

By MWANIKI MUNUHE

Nairobi,Kenya: Six people, among them blacklisted trader Fred Mweni, face possible criminal chargesfor allegedly creating and selling an undisclosed amount of fake Treasury bonds.

Recently concluded investigations by the Capital Markets regulator allege the group used the Central Bank’s central depository system to create fakegovernment bonds that were later sold to unsuspecting buyers in the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

During his tenure as managing director of Tsavo Securities, Mweni controlled a major portion of Kenya’s market in bonds. He recently claimed to have originated at least 25 per cent of the Sh567 billion in bond transactions done last year. In an affidavit filed then withdrawn from court last year, Mweni claimed Government lost at least Sh2.6b in stolen Treasury bonds. Now he and four others have been drawn into the net cast around fraudulent trades executed during a computer system migration.

Two of the suspects, including Mweni’s brother Bokole Masha and a Central Bank of Kenya manager, are currently on trial for allegedly stealing Sh105 million worth of Treasury bonds. Also charged is another CBK employee, who is excluded from the new list of six suspects being probed over the fake government bonds.

Six months ago, Mweni, who was in court seeking to block his arrest and lift a ban against him and his firm, agreed to pay Sh39.5 million to CBK in compensation for the three ‘stolen’ bonds that put his brother in the dock. His attempts to stop authorities pursuing him further, however, failed following his refusal — citing client confidentiality — to assist investigations into other allegedly fraudulent deals.

 Recommended prosecution

The Capital Markets Authority has recommended prosecution and “administrative sanctions” against Mweni, Masha, their company Tsavo Securities, a CBK employee, a director of Apex Africa and two directors of Manline Telecommunications.

Apex Africa describes itself as one of the NSE’s top five stockbrokerage firms, while Manline had been faced with similar allegations to those facing Mweni. Some of the suspects have received between 10 and 15-year bans from working in any capital markets firm or sitting on the boards of listed firms. They are identified as Fredrick Tsofa Mweni and Bokole Masha (Tsavo), Moses Muregi (CBK), Brian Muchiri (Apex Africa) and Duncan Weru and James Wambugu (Manline). The documents from Capital Markets Authority seen by The Standard on Saturday do not indicate the value of the falsified government securities or the length of time during which the scam went on. In a letter dated August 20, 2013, to CBK governor Njuguna Ndung’u, CMA reports on the “findings in respect to the fraudulent creation of bond (sic) at the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and subsequent sale at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE)”.

The letter reads in part: “(CMA) has carried out administrative investigations into allegations relating to the fraudulent creation of fixed income securities at the (CBK’s) depository system and their subsequent sale through the Nairobi Securities Exchange… in light of the findings, the Authority has taken administrative action against the persons and entities found to have contravened the regulatory framework.”

The letter then goes on to list actions taken against the six individuals and two stockbrokers, Tsavo Securities and Apex Africa. This includes Muregi, who was the assistant manager in charge of monetary operations and debt management at the CBK. CMA also wants Criminal Investigations to look into the matter.

“We have recommended to the Director of Criminal Investigations that further criminal investigations be undertaken to inform prosecution in instances where criminal conduct is established to have arisen. The Authority has also briefed The National Treasury on the findings,” reads the letter from acting chief executive Paul Muthaura.

Reached for comment by this writer, Muthaura refused to discuss the matter.  “That is a highly confidential document,” he said. “I do not want to comment on it.” We were unable to immediately establish whether CID has begun investigations.

As reported exclusively by The Standard on Saturday recently, police are also looking into the theft of an unknown amount of cash at the CBK in notes earmarked for destruction. CMA’s investigators add that the bond scam was made possible with the help of a line of credit from the Bank of Africa against “seemingly insufficient security”. “The Authority has noted that the provision of a Sh100 million overdraft facility by the Bank of Africa (BOA) to Brian Muchiri on a seemingly insufficient security of Sh20 million (which) raises questions as to the role played by BOA in facilitating his conduct. We recommend that CBK… establish whether BOA’s actions were proper within the confines of the CBK Prudential Guidelines and existing regulations.”

CMA has disqualified Mweni, Muregi, Weru and Wambugu from being directors of any listed company or working for “a licensed or approved person” for a period of 15 years. This covers stockbrokers, dealers, investment banks, investment advisers, venture capital firms, credit rating agencies, collective investments and the like. Masha got a ten-year ban while Muchiri is locked out for seven years.  Profits from some of the bond deals that got them in trouble will be surrendered and paid to the CMA Investor Compensation Fund account.

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000092368&story_title=billions-lost-in-cbk-stock-theft&pageNo=2

Madd Madd World 31.08.13

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000092332&story_title=Kenya-madd-madd-world-31-08-13

MPs travelling to The Hague in solidarity with Ruto

Deputy President William Ruto’s trial is scheduled to begin on September 10. PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]

By TITUS TOO

Kenya: Close to 50 Members of Parliament plan to travel to The Hague to join friends and relatives of Deputy President William Ruto at his trial next month.

The delegation is expected to dwarf that of victims’ representatives as the first trial for crimes against humanity committed after the 2007 election kicks off.

The Standard On Saturday has learned that lawmakers from across Kenya plan to accompany the Deputy President to the legal proceedings in “a show of solidarity”.

One of the MPs involved in the plan, Turbo’s Elisha Busienei, says the leaders will travel in four groups over the course of the first three weeks of Ruto’s trial.

“ MPs are registering themselves in Nairobi,” Busienei said. “One group will accompany him to The Hague. I will be in the group that will accompany him back home.”

He added two groups would visit the DP during thetrial. He said the final number of people who register to travel would be out by Monday.

Mr Ruto’s trial at the International Criminal Court alongside Radio presenter Joshua Sang is scheduled to begin on September 10. The first sitting will run for three consecutive weeks before resuming after a ten-day break. The two face charges of murder, deportation and persecution in the greater Eldoret area in the early part of 2008.

ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda last week lost a battle to amend the charges to include crimes allegedly committed in Eldoret in late 2007, which she believed would have strengthened her case.

Multiple sources said Ruto has met repeatedly with his legal teams in the last couple of weeks to prepare his defence.

“His schedule has not been smooth sailing,” said a close aide who sought anonymity since he is not authorised to speak to the media.

“Occasionally, he has been forced to hold meetings with his legal team at short notice to streamline issues in readiness for the trial.”

On Monday, the ICC threw out a request to have the trial moved to Kenya or Tanzania in a close vote.

On Thursday, the judges rejected Ruto’s request for shorter trial sessions.

Citing need to ensure a speedy trial, the judges ruled his trial will run daily from September 10 to October 4 and from October 14 to November 1. The three-judge Bench led by Chile Eboe-Osuji will issue further sitting schedules in due course.

Modify schedules

The DP will be present at The Hague courtroom every day for three weeks, with the exception of weekends when the court doesn’t sit.

Ruto had asked for two weeks on and two weeks off in the application the judges rejected.

He had made the application after Bensouda secured an interim ruling requiring he attends all his trialsessions until an appeal of an earlier ruling allowing him to skip parts of the trial is determined.

His appearance at the court will foreshadow the anticipated appearance of President Uhuru Kenyatta, whose trial is scheduled for November 12.

This is expected to be the first time a sitting Head of State appears in the ICC dock. The judges have promised no special treatment.

However, they agreed there might be need to modify the sitting schedules once Uhuru’s trial begins.

Ruto’s family at Kamoret village in Kamagut, Uasin Gishu are in prayers and awaiting communication from Nairobi over the plans.

His mother Sarah Cheruiyot Samoei says she will not travel, but will be engaged in prayers.

“I am yet to find out what my son’s family is organising in Nairobi,” she said. “I will not be in the trip because of the distance and the trial’s long duration.”

Instead, she says she will travel to Nairobi and stay with the family as she did during the confirmation of charges hearings, when Ruto went to the Netherlands with his wife Rachel. The couple has six children.

Ruto’s mother added she was optimistic her son would emerge without blame once the trial ends “because he did not do whatever he is being accused of”.

“I know he is innocent because Ruto does not harm anyone or even plot to do so. Even as a young man, he was not engaged in any squabbles,” Sarah stated.

Paul Maritim, Ruto’s elder brother, also said they have not received any word from the family in Nairobi but will make plans when the day closes in.

Mr Isaac Maiyo, a long time campaign manager of the DP, said he is making arrangements to be among those who travel to The Hague.

He added that the process should not be politicised, saying the truth will eventually come out.

http://standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000092350&story_title=mps-travelling-to-the-hague-in-solidarity-with-deputy-president-william-ruto&pageNo=3

Lamar Odom Arrested for Suspicion of DUI

 

Sara MorrisonCelebritiesArts & EntertainmentLamar OdomCalifornia Highway Patrol

NBA player and Kardashian husband Lamar Odom was arrested early Friday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence, theCalifornia Highway Patrol has confirmed to TheWrap.

According to the CHP report, Odom's white Mercedes was observed driving in a "serpentine manner" on the 101 freeway. When officers pulled Odom over, he "showed objective signs of intoxication and was unable to perform field sobriety tests."

Also read: Kris Jenner Talk Show Is Not Canceled, Says 20th TV

He was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence, but refused to submit to chemical tests. In California, that refusal means his license will be suspended for at least one year.

Odom, who last played for the Los Angeles Clippers, married reality star Khloe Kardashian in 2009 and the two starred in an E! reality series based on their marriage. Khloe and Lamar has been on hiatus since 2012.

Also read: Kanye West Reveals First Baby North Pic on (of Course) Kris Jenner's Show

Media reports have speculated that Odom has a serious drug problem and his marriage to Kardashian was in trouble. Odom was suspended by the NBA for violating its anti-drug policy twice in 2001.

Odom's representative did not respond to TheWrap's request for comment.

TMZ was the first to report the news.

http://tv.yahoo.com/news/lamar-odom-arrested-suspicion-dui-155649874.html

Truthmeter 30 Aug 2013

Sokomoko: 30/08/2013

ON THE H.E GOVERNOR DR. EVANS KIDERO’S VISIT TO CHINA

August 30, 2013 at 9:46am

Dr. Evans Kidero’s pragmatic governance saw him acquire Sh87 billion for county projects on his recent trip to China, where he chose to accompany the president. Though eyebrows have been raised pertaining his budding friendship with President Uhuru Kenyatta, the governor has dismissed claims that he has turned his back on the Coalition for Restoration of Democracy (CORD) clarifying that his meetings with the president should not be viewed as a political move but as a way of providing services to the residents of Nairobi.
“My association with the president is based on law as enshrined in the constitution of Kenya. I am mandated by law to meet the President to discuss how to share costs of the national and county governments,” Dr Kidero said. Arguing that it was within his constitutional rights to meet the President, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Mr. Anyang Nyong’o came to his defense saying that as the Governor of Nairobi, Mr. Kidero is free to work closely with the president.
“I am a life member of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) that is a partner in Cord. But at the same time, I am the governor of Nairobi,” He added, “Those saying anything to the contrary do not see the need to steer this nation to prosperity. We need to work together to realize our dreams.”
Dr. Evans Kidero used the visit to China to meet the President and the Executive Chairman of the China Investment Bank, which agreed to provide funds that, will help in developing Nairobi. He said that the money is to be used to fund infrastructure and urban regeneration of the densely inhabited Eastlands, where a number of old county houses lie at the moment. Some of the money will be used to upgrade the city’s transit system and construction of the nine transport corridor which is a total transportation system that will help open up traffic in the city.
“Some of the funds will be used to streamline the transit urban system and build the nine transport corridors to open up traffic in the city.” Kidero said, He added, “The bank is more than willing to invest in Nairobi County and its Chairman Hu Huai Bang will soon be visiting us to fine tune the loose ends of the deal, which will transform the county into a major transit hub using all means of transport, from road, rail, rapid transit buses and planes.”
The corridors are located along Outering Ring road from the General Service Unit headquarters to Taj Mall in Embakasi, Kangundo road to Juja road up to Haile Selassie and All saints to Ngong road will benefit. Others are; Langata, Argwings Kodhek, Riverside Drive, James Gichuru, Jogoo road, ABC place, Githogoro, Limuru, Dagoretti, Karen, Bomas and the All Saints and Adams Arcade.“Upperhill, Ngong road, Kileleshwa, Riverside, James Gichuru link and Ngong road through DC’s office to Kibera and Kenya Wildlife Services will benefit,” Dr. Kidero said.
The funding is an addition to the Sh1.4 billion given by the World Bank, African Development Bank, the Japanese Government, Kenya Urban Roads Authority, and Kenya National Highways Authority to fund Nairobi’s development of road and rail transport system. This is to add to the Sh2 billion Kidero’s government had set aside for road maintenance.
Dr. Evans Kidero said that some Chinese investors have also proposed to fund the second phase of the Digital Traffic and Security Control, where cameras will be installed in 253 major junctions across the city from Mowlem area and in Embakasi West to Karen.
“We also got commitments for the health care sector where statistics show there are 7.6 million hospital visits per year in Nairobi while my government has 83 hospitals, clinics and dispensaries. This will be upgraded to digital imaging systems,” he said. Dr. Kidero also invited Foton Daimler Company to put up an assembly plant to produce double cabin pick-ups. “This will be a major boost and will develop our country’s transport infrastructure and address youth unemployment in our county,” the governor said.
According to the Counties newspaper Nairobi County is also to benefit from the money secured by President Kenyatta. The four hundred and twenty five billion shillings includes economic partnerships, wildlife protection, and the standard gauge railway linking the port Mombasa through Nairobi to Malaba. Some of that will be used for energy-related projects, agribusinesses, irrigation, fertilizer production and purchases, and technology. China is keen to see Kenya host a clearinghouse for the Chinese currency in Nairobi, greatly boosting the Kenyan capital’s credentials as a leading financial hub.

Raila to tour Ruto's home turf

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY FRANCIS MUREITHI

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is this weekend planning to tour Deputy President William ruto’s political backyard. Raila intends to push for a referendum in the North Rift. This will be Raila’s first tour of the Rift Valley region since the March 4 election.

He will be accompanied by Cord leaders and senior rift Valley politicians and elders, mainly those who stood by him in the last election.

Raila is scheduled to first tour Kakamega county for the thanksgiving ceremony of Butere MP Andrew Anyanga at Butere Girls’ High School.

He will then tour Trans Nzoia county on Sunday and attend special prayers at the home of Joshua arap Sang in the morning ahead of the commencement of Sang’s case at the ICC. Sang’s and Ruto’s cases are scheduled to start on September 10.

ODM director of communications, Phillip Etale, yesterday said Raila will on Sunday attend the homecoming party for Cherangany MP Wesley Korir.He is expected to drum support for a referendum.

Yesterday, President Uhuru’s political adviser Joshua Kuttuny said Raila has a democratic right to visit any part of the country.

Sources yesterday told the Star that while attending the prayers for Sang, Raila will call for the cases at the iCC to be brought back to either Kenya or Tanzania.

Towards the last elections, Sang endorsed Raila for the presidency saying he stood the best chance to unite the country.

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