Monday, April 30, 2012

Eko Dydda, Emmy Kosgei rule


After trailing behind gospel big wings Daddy Owen, Jimmy Gait and Juliani for almost four years, Eko Dydda finally broke the jinx and won the prestigious Male Artiste of the Year Award during the Groove Awards held at Nairobi Baptist Church on Saturday.
For years, the slot has been viewed as a Juliani and Daddy Owen reserve. However, the two went home empty as Emmy Kosgei bounce back to the top. Daddy Owen, last year’s big winner had pulled out of the competition.
Emmy Kosgei scored a hat-trick as she reclaimed her 2010 glory as the Female Artiste of the Year with her album Ololo being voted the Album of the Year and its title track Ololo scooping the Rift Valley Song of the Year award.
The well organised gala, attended by thousands, was a good day for Jimmy Gait and DK as their Furi Furi song was voted the Song of the Year and the Best Collaboration.
It was a glitz red-carpet affair. Anthony Faulkner from the United States and Uche Agu from South Africa joined local acts Kambua, Emmy Kosgey, M.O.G, B.M.F, Kriss Eeh Baba, Man Ingwe, Kingsley, Philla, Eko Dydda, Jimmie Gait and DK in thrilling the elated crowd. The emcees of the day were Kambua and Uche Agu.

HELP!!

Leaders keep supporters guessing on parties as registration deadline lapses


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Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta (left) Nairobi Metropolitan Minister Jamlek Kamu (center) and William Ruto bow down for prayers during the home coming of the metropolitan minister at Kigumo Muranga county on April 29 2012. Photo/SALATON NJAU
Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta (left) Nairobi Metropolitan Minister Jamlek Kamu (center) and William Ruto bow down for prayers during the home coming of the metropolitan minister at Kigumo Muranga county on April 29 2012. Photo/SALATON NJAU 
By OLIVER MATHENGE omathenge@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Sunday, April 29  2012 at  22:30
Two key presidential contenders are yet to identify their political parties ahead of Monday’s registration deadline.
Deputy Prime Ministers Uhuru Kenyatta and Musalia Mudavadi are now party-less after leaving Kanu and ODM, respectively. Another politician who is yet to announce his new party is former Tourism Minister Najib Balala, who was a key member of ODM. (READ: Raila’s former allies to launch coalition)
There has been heightened political activity as parties rushed to beat the deadline that may see 10 others de-registered.
Parties at risk if they do not comply with the rules by the end of the day include some of Kenya’s pioneer opposition movements. One is Ford Asili, formed in 1992 by veteran politician Kenneth Matiba, but more lately associated with former Runyenjes MP Njeru Kathangu.
Another is Kenya National Democratic Alliance (Kenda), formed the same year by late radical academic David Mukaru Ng’ang’a, but now controlled by controversial businessman and Goldenberg scandal architect Kamlesh Pattni.
Also threatened are two of the smaller parties to have sent MPs to Parliament, Sisi Kwa Sisi and Shirikisho Party.
Others are Party of Hope, AFORD-Kenya, Kenya African Democratic Development Union, Farmers Party, Federal Party of Kenya, and VIPA Progressive Alliance.
Meanwhile, Mr Kenyatta and Mr Mudavadi are keeping supporters guessing as they start presidential campaigns without political parties.
There is speculation that the two, along with Mr Balala, could be headed to one of the 41 parties that have already submitted papers. Of the 41, only 18 had by the weekend received their registration certificates.
The National Alliance
Mr Mudavadi is expected to name his party this week, while Mr Kenyatta’s outfit will be launched in the next two weeks.
There have been indications in recent weeks that Mr Kenyatta would take over the National Alliance Party of Kenya headed by veteran Kiambu politician Lawrence Nginyo Kariuki, which will be renamed The National Alliance.
Mr Kenyatta’s spokesman Munyori Buku said the DPM will personally announce his new party.
“The waiting won’t be for long. Kenyans and his supporters won’t have to wait for any longer,” Mr Buku said.
Registrar of Political Parties, Ms Lucy Ndung’u, has ruled out extending Monday’s deadline, arguing that the existing parties had six months to comply with the law.
Ms Ndung’u said the deadline only applied to parties that were registered before the Act took effect in November last year.
She said new parties have 180 days upon receipt of the provisional registration certificate to apply for full registration.
“Those bound by the deadline are those that were registered under the Political Parties Act of 2007. All those formed after the 2011 Act have 180 days after we issue the provisional certificates,” the registrar said.
The Nation has learnt that MPs allied to Mr Kenyatta and Mr Mudavadi are waiting for them to name their parties before they abandon their current outfits.
During a Gema meeting that endorsed him as Central Kenya’s political leader on March 23, Mr Kenyatta promised to announce his preferred political vehicle within 30 days. This period expired last Monday.
On Saturday, Mr Mudavadi said he would announce his new party this week. “I will be in the presidential race. I need your support and prayers so that the party I will be unveiling next week can enjoy support and eventually form the next government,” he said. (READ: Mudavadi and Uhuru to ‘snub the big parties’)

Mudavadi names party this week


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Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi is expected to announce the party on whose ticket he will seek to contest the presidency this week. Photo/FILE
Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi is expected to announce the party on whose ticket he will seek to contest the presidency this week. Photo/FILE 
By ERIC SHIMOLI eshimoli@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Sunday, April 29  2012 at  22:30
IN SUMMARY
  • Presidential aspirant who has quit ODM says he will make decision on his plum Cabinet post later
Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi is expected to announce the party on whose ticket he will seek to contest the presidency this week.
Mr Mudavadi said the party will have a national outlook with leaders representing different parts of the country.
In an exclusive interview with the Nation in Nairobi last week, Mr Mudavadi also hinted that he would consider his position as Minister for Local Government, if it came to that, but that this would come later.
He was responding to calls by some ODM leaders that he quits his Cabinet post after announcing that he had ditched the party.
But it was not immediately clear whether he would follow Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta in retaining the post.
The DPM added that his parting with ODM was irreversible and that he had withstood many insults by some party members.
He claimed there had been a plot to meddle with the list of delegates to favour one candidate before he left the party.
Mr Mudavadi also raised doubts in ODM’s claims of promoting internal democracy, saying decisions in the party were made by a small clique.
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“What you see outside is not what happens inside,” he said.
Mr Mudavadi said he had not yet held talks with Mr Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto, both political rivals of Prime Minister Raila Odinga and who are facing charges before the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.
But he said he would talk to everybody because that would be proper for anyone seeking the presidency.
He declined to mention possible running mates, saying only it was too early to commit on that.

Police hunt for suspect who fled after killer blast


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Kenya police spokesman Eric Kiraithe. Photo/FILE
Kenya police spokesman Eric Kiraithe. Photo/FILE 
By PETER OBUYA potieno@ke.nationmedia.com AND FRED MUKINDA fmukinda@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Sunday, April 29  2012 at  22:30
IN SUMMARY
  • One dead and pastor among 16 injured in the second attack on city church in two years
Police were on Sunday looking for a young man behind a grenade attack that killed one person and injured 16 others during a church service in Nairobi.
Witnesses said the young man, in his 20s, was in the congregation at God’s House of Miracles International Church in Ngara and had at one time left the premises, but returned after a change of clothes.
He left his seat at the front row moments before the blast.
“He was new in our church. When he initially sat at the back he was wearing a red sleeveless sweater. He walked out and returned after 15 minutes in a heavy dark jacket. When I realised he was dressed differently, I did not question him because it is unGodly to even suspect a fellow worshipper.
“At around 8.50am he stood up while prayers were going on and threw something that looked like a bottle towards the altar. The object exploded causing a pandemonium,” said Mr Abel Khamala, one of the church’s stewards.
The guard on duty, Mr Morris Atsali, said they do not screen faithful.
“We do not screen people here because we believe all are Christians with good intentions,” he said. Among the injured was Pastor Josephine Wangari, who was leading the prayers.
Church members ran after the suspect, but he drew a gun and shot at them before he disappeared into a residential estate in Ngara.
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Three bullet cartridges were recovered metres from the scene.
“Police are pursuing crucial leads provided by eye witnesses to establish the identity of the assailant,” police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said.
Mr Kiraithe added: “The Commissioner of Police also wishes to assure that this crime will be thoroughly investigated and is appealing to the public not to speculate on the motive behind it.”
Nairobi deputy police boss Moses Ombati said: “Reports from our experts have confirmed that the explosive was indeed a grenade. Five of those injured are in a critical state.”
The victims were rushed to Guru Nanak and Kenyatta National hospitals.
The attack came barely a week after the United States embassy warned of imminent terror attacks in Nairobi.
The dispatch on Tuesday last week said plans to attack tourist hotels and government buildings were at an advanced stage.
Somalia-based terrorist group Al-Shabaab has carried out several attacks in Kenya since October last year when Kenyan troops crossed the border to fight the militia in their own country.
In March, four people died when a grenade was hurled at a crowd at Machakos Bus terminus in Nairobi, injuring 42 others. In Mombasa one person was killed and 10 others injured when a grenade was hurled at a church crusade in Mtwapa.
Internal Security minister Prof George Saitoti asked police to investigate the attack and appealed to Kenyans to report to police whenever they came across suspicious persons.
CID director Ndegwa Muhoro, who visited the scene, said his officers were closing in on the culprits.
“We are not leaving anything to chance whether it’s terrorism or any other criminal activity. We shall also consider the fact the church is near a piece of land with a disputed ownership,” he added.
The grenade exploded at the front of the church where the pastor was standing, surrounded by a small group of faithful while they prayed.
A safety pin and other grenade fragments were recovered at the scene.
It’s not the first time that assailants have raided the church. A man was killed when attackers threw a petrol bomb in the church two years ago and set fire to vehicles parked outside.
Police sources who spoke to the Nation separately said the search was concentrated in Majengo and Juja Road estates, where Al-Shabaab cells are known to be active.
Additional reporting by Sandra Chao

AFRICAN DICTATORS' CLUB


Cartoon - 30/04/2012

Published on 30/04/2012

Shameless teacher busted in student’s mother’s bed


By MAUREEN ODIWUOR
It was an afternoon of unpleasant drama at Kondele estate in Kisumu when ateacher was caught in a compromising position with his student in her parents’ matrimonial bed.
The enraged mother could not hold back from beating up the love birds while bawling at them for the gross disrespect they had subjected her by desecrating her bed.
It all started when the 17-year-old student from a renowned secondary school in South Nyanza came to participate in the National Ball Games that ended last weekend at Maseno High school.
The teacher, who was not part of the team that came to Kisumu, is said to have followed the girl and was in constant communication with her during the duration of the games.
He waited till the conclusion of the sports event on a Sunday when students dispersed for holidays then left with her. That evening, she reached home late in the night, something that infuriated her parents.
But that was just a tip of the iceberg. The following morning, her parents went to attend to their daily duties and left her alone in the house. It seems it had been prearranged by the two that the ill-mannered teacher would sneak into the girl’s home because he arrived at midday and was treated to a sumptuous meal after which one thing led to another.
According to a neighbour in Kondele, they suspected the girl was up to no good when they saw a man get inside the house as she has had a history of fooling around, following complaints by her family.
"I told another neighbour who in turn asked the mother of the girl over the phone if she was expecting any male visitors in her house," said the neighbour.
Immediately the woman took the next available matatu.
"She got to her house and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the main door open. She, however, got alarmed when she saw no one in the sitting room," said the girl’s uncle.
As she made to sit down, something caught her attention... clothes strewn all over her sitting room. This made her dash to her bedroom where she caught the pair red-handed.
"Ang’o mitimo e kitanda na (what are u doing on my bed?)," asked the enraged woman while raining blows on the shameless teacher.
The adrenaline racing, and without a care of related taboos, she pummeled the hapless teacher and then called the police. "Rwak lepi piyo mondo ilugi (put on your clothes fast and follow him to the police station). she ordered her daughter.
According to Kisumu Deputy OCPD Muthuri Mwongera, they acted promptly and arrested the teacher.
"It seems the illicit affair might have been going on for some time," said the police boss.
This was confirmed by the student’s uncle who said they had attended several meetings to discuss the misguided conduct of the two before the school’s Board of Governors, leading to the teacher’s interdiction.
The teacher was arraigned in Kisumu court on Tuesday last week.