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Saturday, January 1, 2011
We will root out graft, says KACC boss
Kenyans upbeat as 2011 kicks off
BY SIMON NDONG'A | |||||||||
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IDPs express fears over disputed Narok land
Members of the Masaai community armed with machetes, bows and arrows keep vigil at the controversial 2,400 acres piece of land in Mau Narok after they forced out a team of surveyors send to subdivide the land last month. Some of the 850 displaced families in Nakuru say they will not move to a land designated for them in Mau Narok because of hostility on the ground. FILE
Posted Saturday, January 1 2011 at 12:31
Some of the 850 families living at Pipeline camp for the Internally Displaced People in Nakuru on Saturday said that they will not move to a land designated for them in Mau Narok because of hostility on the ground.
They expressed fears of a break of violence in the area because of the controversy that has marred the acquisition of the land previously owned by a white farmer.
Maasai leaders led by Cabinet minister William Ntimama have opposed the plan to settle the IDPs there claiming that the land belongs to their community.
They say the land should be reverted to the community since it had been taken away from them by the British colonialists.
The government has come under pressure after its December 31 deadline to resettle all IDPs passed with the families still stuck in temporary camps with poor living conditions evidenced by worn out tents. The government has pushed the resettlement to January 15 because of the developments on the ground.
However, the IDPs maintained that they are ready to resettle on the 2,400 acre piece of land once the disagreement between the government and the local community is resolved.
“We are ready to move out of this place because these people have suffered a lot but we don’t want to go to a place where our lives will be in danger again,” said Mr Paul Thiongo, the camp chairman.
He said: “We are enjoying a lot of peace here and we don’t to put ourselves in more trouble we rather stay in these tents than to see our people being killed again.” The IDPs have been living in the camps for the last three years.
Another group of IDPs, however, refuted the claims by Mr Thiong'o saying that they are not ready to be relocated to a controversial farm.
Compulsory acquisition
Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka who visited the camp last week declared that the government will use the provision in the Constitution which allows for compulsory acquisition of land to ensure that the plight of IDPs is resolved.
Special Programmes minister Esther Murugi vowed that they will not backtrack on the plan to resettle the 850 families on the land since the government has taken over ownership after buying the land from a British settler.
Rift Valley PC Osman Warfa attributed the standoff to incitement by leaders and biased coverage by a section of the media. “There’s no problem on the ground this land has changed hands five times in the past and no one has ever complained,” he said.
Majority of the families living at the camp were flushed from their homes in Rongai, Nakuru, Kericho, Timboroa and other areas of the Rift Valley.
The IDPs however feel that they are being dragged into a controversy yet the government has failed to resettle them, three years after they were flushed from their homes during the 2007 post election violence.
“Our fear is that this thing is getting out of hand and the conflict may not be resolved soon. We cannot move from one problem to a bigger one.
Personally, I cannot stand seeing people fighting again so it is better we stay here,” said Mrs Esther Wanjiru, a mother of four children.
Members of the Maasai community have vowed to stop the exercise claiming that the land belongs to them. A planned subdivision of the land has been interrupted after armed youths stopped the surveyors from carrying out the exercise.
The families are living in dire conditions with toilets filled up, tents worn out and lack of water, and there is serious threat of break out of diseases at the camp.
“What is the need to go to a place where our neighbours are likely to turn against us?” asked Mrs Wanjiru.
Mrs Linnet Nafula who lives in the camp with her family said that their children risk missing school when learning resumes this January.
“The government should act now because we want our children back in school. We also want to go back to our farms,” she said.Wanjiru and wife reconcile after death threat charge
Olympic marathon champion Samwel Wanjiru (left) in a Nyahururu court when he was charged with threatening to kill his wife, Tereza Njeri, using an illegal firearm December 30, 2010. JOSEPH KURIA
By DAVID MACHARIAPosted Saturday, January 1 2011 at 12:11
The Olympic marathon champion Samuel Kamau Wanjiru and his wife Tereza Njeri have reconciled a day after their marital differences exploded into alleged death threats.
The two separately said family members from both sides intervened to reconcile the marathoner and the mother of his two children.
Wanjiru, who was at a construction site in Nakuru where he was supervising building of a commercial structure, said they were back together and there was optimism of his wife withdrawing the complaint she had filed with police, resulting to his arrest and arraignment in court.
“My wife is at home and you can speak to her to confirm that we have reconciled,” he said on phone.
Speaking separately, also on phone, Tereza confirmed the two families had made them to reach an agreement but did not reveal much as she said she was also driving to Nakuru to check on some business and also take one of their children to a doctor.
Wanjiru was on Thursday charged with threatening to kill the wife and also assaulting their house help and wounding a security guard, Mr William Masinde.
He also faced another charge of being in possession of a firearm believed to have been acquired illegally.
He denied the charges in a Nyahururu court and was released on a bond of Sh300,000, with a similar surety.
The offences were allegedly committed on Wednesday at his Muthaiga Estate home in Nyahururu Town.
The firearm has been forwarded to ballistics experts for analysis to determine whether or not it has been used to commit other offences.
Senior resident magistrate Alice Mong’are has set March 14 as the hearing date for the case with a mention on January 9, 2011
Rosy career
Wanjiru, who has had a rosy career in athletics, is represented by lawyer Ndegwa Wahome of Nyahururu. The runner claims he has been framed.
Apart from winning Kenya first Olympic marathon gold in Beijing, China in 2008, he has held the world half marathon record before it was broken by Eritrean Zersenay Tadese.
He has also won London Marathon once and Chicago Marathon twice in addition being declared the winner of marathon majors two years in a row. The winner of the marathon majors normally picked millions of shillings prize money.
His arrest and appearance in court attracted a lot of attention both locally and internationally with many foreign media calling to get more details of the matter.
Meanwhile, police in Nyahururu have impounded a locked safe found in Mr Wanjiru’s house.
Nyandarua Divisional Police Commander Mr Jasper Ombati said the Aiko brand safe was being kept in an armoury at Nyahururu Police Station awaiting availing of keys to the safe after Mr Wanjiru claimed the same were in his Nairobi home.
“We want him to open the safe to enable us continue with our investigations now that he is out on bond so that we can verify its contents. He (Wanjiru) said the keys were not available and that is why we took it away and will only return it after we have inspected its contents,” he said.
Additional Reporting By James Kariuki
New rules to rein in wild sector
FILE | NATION Starting Saturday, the government will not be registering new 14-seater matatus.
By John Ngirachu jngirachu@ke.nationmedia.com Posted Friday, December 31 2010 at 21:00
In Summary
- New 14-seater matatus will no longer be licensed and PSVs to be registered under saccos
The public transport sector is set to undergo a revolution of sorts this year.
Major reforms have been lined up for the sector, comparable only to those that occurred in 2004, when then Transport minister John Michuki made the last attempt.
The reforms that start this year are on two major fronts — the beginning of the end of the ubiquitous 14-seater matatu and the registration of matatus under saccos and not individuals.
A third proposal to restrict the 14-seater matatus from entering Nairobi’s Central Business District has, however, been met with skepticism, with calls to the Transport ministry not to effect it.
Starting today, the government will not be registering new 14-seater matatus, meaning those that have imported the vans would have to look for alternative uses for them.
The old ones will, however, have their licenses renewed and the plan is for them to die out naturally as they age.
Growth opportunity
Matatu Owners Association chairman Simon Kimutai, praised the Transport ministry’s directive on the 14-seaters, saying it would give the industry an opportunity to grow.
“I don’t see us experiencing any hitch because the directive sounds a bell for us to begin organising ourselves. Matatu owners and operators should begin bracing themselves for change,” said Mr Kimutai.
The economic lifespan of a 14-seater matatu is up to five years, with additional time dependent on the frequency of service and its age.
According to Mr Dickson Mbugua, the chairman of the Matatu Welfare Association, the 14-seaters will eventually take up to 10 years to be completely eliminated from the roads.
The plan is to have the matatus replaced with buses with occupancy of at least 25 passengers, and which will hopefully ease the congestion Nairobi.
Mr Kimutai and Mr Mbugua said there was need for the government to not only reduce the cost of operating the matatus but to provide incentives for those who intend to buy the larger vehicles.
“We would want the government to offer subsidies such as low interest rates for those buying the vehicles, low deposits for the loans and longer repayment periods,” said Mr Mbugua.
The singing sergeant
By CAROLINE NYANGA
Standard reporter
Sporting a jungle green fatigue, Vincent Ongidi’s mission seems more than to watch over prisoners.
On this day, Jamarachi – as he is popularly known – and his men are armed to the teeth – only this time not with weapons but guitars, drums, shakers and other music instruments.
At the far end, a group of lanky elderly men are listening to the music and tapping their hands on the table.
This evening, Ongidi who is a senior member of the Prisons Marching Band at Ruiru Prisons Staff Training College is at work. The senior sergeant is also a musician and performs alongside his band of six when called upon. Contrary to the belief that he is difficult to reach for an interview, he is warm and down to earth. His demeanour makes one feel at ease in his company.
With his ‘Bebwa Boda’ band Ongidi has cut a niche for himself even as he fights negative perception about prison wardens.
Different approach"My style of music is different in the sense that I try to remake Luhya folk songs by giving them real life touch," he says. The former teacher says his music has an Ohangla beat and a taste of piano. This, he says, is new in Luhya land.
Ongidi music targets all ages, the reason he is a common face in Luhya theme nights.
The musician says his inspiration came from his 19 years in the Prisons Marching Band.
His debut album Mama Mulayi was released in 2008 and has received wide play in FM radio stations. His other albums include Omwene Dala and Ng’ayo Msebe.
Ongidi’s fans say his music has a refreshing different beat and an eclectic mix of songs done for different audiences.
His previous releases include Mulembe Muno, Baba Alolasa, Khayani Mwana Wamberi, Amoya Keingoka and Baluka Indika.
Despite enjoying some success, he is saddened by the many local artistes have little to show compared to others in the rest of Africa.
While saying young musicians should be supported to ‘up their game’, he says the genre of music should not be a key factor.
"Their ability to sing and perform should be the yardstick," he says.
Ongidi says local FM stations should start paying attention to their listeners, and play alternative sounds like Afro fusion, Benga ‘instead of sticking to the urban razzmatazz they specialise in’.
"I believe that through these albums I will be able to change the way people view local music and be able to appreciate it more," says the musician.
Standard reporter
Sporting a jungle green fatigue, Vincent Ongidi’s mission seems more than to watch over prisoners.
On this day, Jamarachi – as he is popularly known – and his men are armed to the teeth – only this time not with weapons but guitars, drums, shakers and other music instruments.
At the far end, a group of lanky elderly men are listening to the music and tapping their hands on the table.
This evening, Ongidi who is a senior member of the Prisons Marching Band at Ruiru Prisons Staff Training College is at work. The senior sergeant is also a musician and performs alongside his band of six when called upon. Contrary to the belief that he is difficult to reach for an interview, he is warm and down to earth. His demeanour makes one feel at ease in his company.
With his ‘Bebwa Boda’ band Ongidi has cut a niche for himself even as he fights negative perception about prison wardens.
Different approach"My style of music is different in the sense that I try to remake Luhya folk songs by giving them real life touch," he says. The former teacher says his music has an Ohangla beat and a taste of piano. This, he says, is new in Luhya land.
Ongidi music targets all ages, the reason he is a common face in Luhya theme nights.
The musician says his inspiration came from his 19 years in the Prisons Marching Band.
His debut album Mama Mulayi was released in 2008 and has received wide play in FM radio stations. His other albums include Omwene Dala and Ng’ayo Msebe.
Ongidi’s fans say his music has a refreshing different beat and an eclectic mix of songs done for different audiences.
His previous releases include Mulembe Muno, Baba Alolasa, Khayani Mwana Wamberi, Amoya Keingoka and Baluka Indika.
Despite enjoying some success, he is saddened by the many local artistes have little to show compared to others in the rest of Africa.
While saying young musicians should be supported to ‘up their game’, he says the genre of music should not be a key factor.
"Their ability to sing and perform should be the yardstick," he says.
Ongidi says local FM stations should start paying attention to their listeners, and play alternative sounds like Afro fusion, Benga ‘instead of sticking to the urban razzmatazz they specialise in’.
"I believe that through these albums I will be able to change the way people view local music and be able to appreciate it more," says the musician.
KALONZO IN EGYPT
Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka chats with Kenyan Students at Alexandria University in Egypt after a lecture at the institution Friday. [PHOTO: VPPS].
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