Saturday, November 5, 2011

Behind the scenes



  SHARE BOOKMARKPRINTEMAILRATING
Continental House: When MPs met in secret on October 3, 2011 to discuss the rot in the Parliamentary Service Commission, there were claims that some commissioners were in the habit of turning their offices into, well, ‘brothels.’
File | NATION Continental House: When MPs met in secret on October 3, 2011 to discuss the rot in the Parliamentary Service Commission, there were claims that some commissioners were in the habit of turning their offices into, well, ‘brothels.’  
By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU ashiundu@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Friday, November 4  2011 at  19:55
Nocturnal escapades
Sometimes you hear scary things that MPs do within their offices at Continental House and at County Hall when the sun sets.
When they met in secret on Thursday afternoon to discuss the rot in the Parliamentary Service Commission, there were claims that some commissioners were in the habit of turning their offices into, well, ‘brothels.’
The allegation is that the commissioners usually intimidate the parliamentary staff and sneak women into their offices for sexual escapades.
There’s also an oft-cited case, spoken in whispers, about an assistant minister who had an embarrassing incident with his female companion.
The lady of the night threatened to expose the assistant minister, unless he went to the ATM on the ground floor of Continental House and withdraw some cash.
He paid her more than what had been agreed on.
--------------------
Share This Story
Share 
Wide cash web
The next General Election is around the corner. At times like this, politicians are usually on the look-out for money for their campaign kitty.
If you recall, in 2007, there were dubious pyramid schemes, in which Kenyans ‘invested’ and lost lots of money.
It is said that the Central Bank of Kenya ordered a freeze on the accounts of the companies.
Former minister Francis Nyenze went around the country and collected evidence on the faces behind the schemes in which many Kenyans lost their savings.
People committed suicide, homes were broken, lifetime savings were lost, but the perpetrators walked away rich.
Now, Mr Nyenze is scheduled to appear before Parliament’s Committee that handles co-operative matters to explain to lawmakers how deep the web goes.
MPs who sit in that committee are keen to get information on what happened to the billions that were frozen and the political connections of the perpetrators.
--------------
Unimix saga
When your name pops up in Parliament in relation to a scandal of some sort, you have to pray and hope that those very MPs clear you.
Mr Abbas Gullet, the general secretary of the Kenya Red Cross, is now on the crosshairs of the hawkish lawmakers.
They are looking to find out who supplied contaminated Unimix. MPs will want to know whether or not Mr Abbas was linked to the firm.
When Wajir South MP Mahmud Sirat raised queries about the Kenya Red Cross boss a few months ago, he was hushed up quickly.
When he persisted, he was thrown out of the House. He wrote a hard-hitting statement and unsuccessfully tried to issue it to the press. Let’s see how that pans out.
Posted by at No comments:

Corridors of Power

Corridors of Power
Posted by at No comments:

Friday, November 4, 2011

Al-Shabaab militants fall back to defend Kismayu



  SHARE BOOKMARKPRINTEMAILRATING
By PETER LEFTIE pmutibo@ke.nationmedia.com AND GALGALO BOCHA gbocha@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Thursday, November 3  2011 at  22:30
Al-Shabaab militants have retreated to their Kismayu stronghold and are arming residents forcibly as Kenyan forces close in on the port town.
Media reports quoting distraught residents said the militants had armed students, mounted weapons on buildings and dug trenches around the town in readiness for the battle with Kenyan forces.
“They have put their weapons over us. Every high house in the city is a defence for Al Shabaab.
“Since Kenya mentioned the 10 towns it was targeting, Al-Shabaab have been readying all their weapons and small arms,” Ms Fatuma Ali was quoted as saying by a local paper.
Another resident, Ms Amina Mahmoud, said: “They gave arms to people and they’re telling them to stay and defend the country from foreigners. They said yesterday evening ‘Everyone of you who dies here is a mujahid and will enter paradise.”
The Kenyan troops plan to capture Afmadow before advancing to Kismayu.
On Thursday, military spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir said the Kenya Navy had killed 18 Al-Shabaab militants aboard a small boat transporting fuel to Kuday Town.
“On 2nd November 2011 at 5pm, a skiff laden with 18 Al-Shabaab fighters was transporting fuel to Kuday.
“The Kenya Navy intercepted the skiff and sunk it, killing all the militants,” Major Chirchir said in a statement.
The Kenyan troops have also banned aircraft from landing at Baidoa whose airstrip the military said was used by the militants to ship in three consignments of weapons on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Shoot down any aircraft
The military further warned that it would shoot down any aircraft flying over parts of Southern Somalia where its troops are conducting the operation to wipe out the Al-Shabaab.
“On two occasions, KDF has observed an aircraft overfly our troops in the three sectors. The owners of the aircraft are hereby warned that KDF considers this a security violation.
“Further unauthorised over flying on the said region will be considered a threat. In addition, all aircraft are hereby warned not to land in Baidoa. Anyone violating this will be doing so at their peril,” the statement warned.
The statement also warned Kenyan donkey traders against selling their animals along the Kenya-Somalia border as the militants were buying them to use them to transport weapons due to impassable roads in southern Somalia. (READ: Kenyan army warns of Al-Shabaab donkey threat)
“Information reaching us confirms that Al-Shabaab has resorted to using donkeys to transport their weapons.
“Thus, any large concentration and movement of loaded donkeys will be considered as Al-Shabaab activity,” the statement read.
“Kenyans dealing in donkey trade along the Kenya-Somali border are advised not to sell their animals to Al-Shabaab as it would undermine our efforts in Somalia,” it added.
On Thursday, the Kenyan troops backed by the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) fighters combed Elwak, Beled-hawo and Garbaharey towns for the militants.
A TFG military official, Mr Osman Sheikh Abdi, reportedly told local media that his troops fighting alongside Kenyans had taken control of Al-Shabaabbases in Gadon-dawe, Khadijo-Hajji, El-Adde and El-Gudud without firing a single shot.
But the militants warned Kenyans to prepare for a protracted, intense battle. (READ: Somali rebels push for 'endless war')
“The Al-Shabaab mujahideen will defend Somalia, and will put Kenya into an endless war.
“We will defeat you like the other major countries that have suffered when they attacked Somalia, you will see the consequences,” the group warned in a statement on an Islamist website.

The militia group dismissed reports that they had received weapons from Eritrea. The military said they are going after the militants and their weapons and not civilians.Received weapons
“We will soon disrupt their flow of arms, and we will ensure they are not effective,” Major Chirchir said on Twitter on Thursday.
There were also reports that the Al-Shabaab were preventing residents from fleeing Kismayu and nine other towns.
“They’ve refused to let us out, and we don’t have any money to leave. Some people are trying to flee but the heavy rain is not giving them a chance,” a resident said.
Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Raila faces MPs over Kazi kwa Vijana queries



  SHARE BOOKMARKPRINTEMAILRATING
A past session of Parliament. Prime Minister Raila Odinga has told the House no money set aside for Kazi kwa Vijana project has been lost November 2, 2011. FILE
A past session of Parliament. Prime Minister Raila Odinga has told the House no money set aside for Kazi kwa Vijana project has been lost November 2, 2011. FILE 
By NJERI RUGENE nrugene@ke.nationmedia.com AND ALPHONCE SHIUNDU ashiundu@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Wednesday, November 2  2011 at  22:30
Prime Minister Raila Odinga weathered a political storm in Parliament on Wednesday as he answered questions over alleged loss of money in the Kazi kwa Vijana programme. (Read: PM office denies money loss claim)
Addressing MPs during the Prime Minister’s Question Time, Mr Odinga said no money had been lost and accused MPs of attempting to create a scandal where there’s none.
“Which scandal? As far as I am concerned there’s none,” Mr Odinga told Ikolomani MP Boni Khalwale.
But he said audit questions had been raised on the use of Sh308 million in the first phase”. “I do not condone any kind of corruption or misuse of funds. It is, however, completely far-fetched to conclude that KKV I was a total failure on the basis of matters affecting just 4.08 per cent of the total,” the Prime Minister said.
Mr Eugene Wamalwa (Saboti), who had sought the statement from the PM, was interrupted repeatedly by MPs supporting or accusing Mr Odinga of impropriety.
Mr Ababu Namwamba (Budalang’i) and Lands Minister James Orengo accused the Saboti MP of pursuing the matter for political gain.
But Youth Affairs assistant minister Kabando wa Kabando warned some backbenchers were overstepping their mandate in defence of the PM.
Rein in sycophancy
“Is it in order for a member of the backbench, who has no responsibility in government, to arise and interrogate another backbencher, who is interrogating the Prime Minister? I think we need to rein in sycophancy that is derailing the debate, the sycophants are known and they are standing,” he said.
This sparked uproar and House Speaker Kenneth Marende asked Mr Kabando to withdraw the word ‘sycophants’, which the MP promptly substituted with “exceedingly and excessively loyal to the extent of being blind”.
In a rare fit of anger, Mr Marende told MPs that “they had no right to dictate the way things run in Parliament and if you persist, I will not be your Speaker”.
Top officials of the Office of the Prime Minister, among them permanent secretary Mohammed Isahakia, Chief of Staff Caroli Omondi, the deputy chief economist John Musale and KKV project coordinator Rachel Gesami, were mentioned adversely in the disappearance of Sh171.2 million from the programme.
“Can you account for it, and if you can’t, you have to take political responsibility,” said Dr Khalwale, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee.
The Ikolomani MP meets World Bank and Auditor General officials over the scandal today. He asked the PM to explain why Ms Gesami ‘had paid herself Sh5.2 million’, and demanded that she refunds the cash.
But Mr Odinga said a Treasury audit had not implicated his office in any loss of money, adding that his staff only supervised and coordinated the work of ministries and did not implement projects.
“The line ministries have accounting officers. They are responsible and they are accountable,” Mr Odinga said.
Dr Julius Kones (Konoin) said the PM was fixated with percentages, when more than Sh300 million was missing.
“Give me Sh300 million and I will run my constituency for the next term without requesting for CDF,” Dr Kones said.
Ms Millie Odhiambo, (Nominated, ODM) said she had no “apologies for being the Prime Minister’s sycophant”. She said the audit raised questions on ‘ineligible expenditure’, which ‘was not corruption.’
But Dr Khalwale fought back saying: “Ineligible expenditure is expenditure that was not planned for; was not voted for and it is therefore misappropriation and thus corruption.”
Open bank accounts
He questioned why Dr Isahakia wrote to line ministries on July 18 advising them to ask the youth to open bank accounts with a specific institution at ShSh300 each.
This, Dr Khalwale said, enabled the bank to get 200,000 accounts, when under normal circumstances the opening of accounts in that bank was usually free.
The PM said the Sh300 charge was to show that the youth were serious. He said the controversy over ineligible expenditure was a case of accounting vis-à-vis the World Bank spending policies.
“It is a misunderstanding and we have agreed to refund the World Bank. The ineligible expenditure ought to be paid using the GoK funds. It is not a loss, it is confusion in terms of accounting and we’ll address it by making internal controls,” Mr Odinga said.
He accused Dr Khalwale of selectively reading names of the 47 officers named in the audit report.
Posted by at No comments:

Always respect professional and skill of others no matter where you are.


A tourist in Migingo asked a boat guy, “Omondi do u know biology,psychology,geography,geology and criminology'?” Omondi said, “No!”  The tourist then said, “what the hell do u know on this earth? You’re gonna die illiterate.”  After a while the boat started sinking. Omondi asked the tourist, “do u know swimology and escapology from crocodilogy?''   The tourist said, “No!”   Omondi replied, “well, you will drownology and crocodology will eat your assology and u will die because of your badmouthology.”
Posted by at 2 comments:

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Western youths allege plan to discredit PM on KKV

Western youths allege plan to discredit PM on KKV
Posted by at No comments:

Monday, October 31, 2011

MRS. World Kenya 2011 part1.

Posted by at 2 comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)