American security agents turn Dar es Salaam into a ghost town.

admin | July 1, 2013 | 0 Comments

Business in Dar es Salaam came to a near standstill on Monday as US President Barack Obama arrived in Tanzania on the last leg of his Africa tour.

While most Tanzanians on Monday welcomed President Obama’s visit, vendors in Dar es Salaam could not wait for the tour to end.

For one, there was not much economic benefit in the Obama visit for small business owners.

It was quite the opposite as traders were forced to close their businesses after local and American security agents turned the city centre into a ghost town.

There was tight security on most streets, limiting access to vital shopping centres throughout the city.

No customers

“I’ve received very few customers today,” lamented Ms Melina Macksmile, mobile phone aitime vendor. “As of noon today, I’ve only served eight customers. Usually; I would have already served 20 to 30 customers.”

Public service vehicle operators were among the hardest hit by ‘Obamania’.

“By now, I would have received at least four clients,” said taxi drive Said Pitemo, who had donned an American stars and stripe baseball hat.

Bigger businesses situated at the heart of Dar es Salaam also felt the pinch. “There is far less pedestrian traffic outside my shop,” noted Mama Senare, who owns popular Emmanuel shop on Samora Avenue. “Today, I’m stuck counting inventory.”

But food vendors along Mandela Road suffered the most after their kiosks were demolished in a city clean-up ahead of the Obama tour.-nation.co.ke

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Polls team to release final results ‘soon’

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Interim Independent Electoral Commission chairman Ahmed Issack Hassan during a past interview. Photo/FILE  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By NATION REPORTER
Posted  Monday, July 1   2013 at  23:30

The electoral commission will this week release the final results of the March 4 General Election.

Commission chairman Ahmed Issack Hassan on Monday said his team was speeding up the computation of the results, which will form the basis for parties to share out the Sh330 million allocated to the Registrar of Political Parties to be shared among parties based on their performance in the polls.

“We will release them very soon even though we are not very sure if the money has been sent to the account,” he said on phone.

The computed results show the strength of political parties in terms of the number of county assembly representatives, MPs, county women representatives, senators and the votes each got in presidential elections.

Computed results

The Political Parties Act sets the guidelines on how political parties are to share the money. Only parties that received more than five per cent of the total votes cast in an election will benefit.

Three weeks ago, Cord leader Raila Odinga demanded that the results be released to pave the way for parties to share money from the Political Parties Fund.

“If indeed the IEBC conducted a free and fair poll, why is it delaying the computation of the election results three months later?” Mr Odinga asked during a rally in Kawangware, Nairobi.

In the elections, President Uhuru Kenyatta of the Jubilee Coalition garnered 6.1 million votes to beat Cord’s Odinga who had 5.3 million votes.

Publishers cry foul over laptop project

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Kenya Publishers’ Association Vice Chairman Simon Sossion during a past interview in his office. He accused the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) of unilaterally developing a curriculum template without involving them. Photo/ANN KAMONI   NATION MEDIA GROUP

By JUSTUS WANGA jwanga@ke.nationmedia.com AND JULIUS SIGEI jsigei@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Monday, July 1   2013 at  23:30

IN SUMMARY

• The machines are already in town and content is on secret trial, claims chairman of lobby
• 
  

The Sh53 billion one-laptop-per-child project has been rocked by claims of corruption, days after the Cabinet approved its implementation in phases.

Book publishers on Monday alleged impropriety in procurement of materials and development of the content allegedly perpetrated by some officials in Education ministry.

They also claimed the syllabus template was secretly being tried out in selected schools with the aim of going full scale early next year— without the involvement of stakeholders.

Addressing a press conference at his office, Kenya Publishers’ Association Vice Chairman Simon Sossion accused the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) of unilaterally developing a curriculum template without involving them.

“Can (Education Cabinet Secretary Prof Jacob Kaimenyi deny that already the laptops are in Nairobi and state when the bids were advertised and who oversaw the tendering?,” asked Mr Sossion.

He said single sourcing both the digital content and hardware was a clear contravention of government procedure of competitive bidding.

“KICD is supposed to receive content from us and vet but in this case the referee has become the player. KICD and Kenya Literature Bureau are going to upload digital content, which has not been vetted and approved by the legally established institution in charge of curriculum design,” he claimed.

Prof Kaimenyi however denied the claims, saying no laptop had been bought.

“That is a lie; the laptops have not been acquired,” he said.

He defended the development of content by KICD, saying while publishers were key stakeholders in the education sector the institute was only the curriculum body that had the mandate to develop the syllabus. “There is nothing wrong in that because the KICD has a legal mandate to do that so the question of foul play is unfounded.”

Obama, Bush team up in Africa

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PHOTO | SAUL LOEB US President Barack Obama speaks following a CEO roundtable forum with regional and US business leaders in Dar es Salaam, on July 1, 2013.  AFP

By AFP
Posted  Tuesday, July 2   2013 at  05:00

DAR ES SALAAM

US President Barack Obama ends his Africa tour Tuesday, with an unusual double act with his predecessor George W. Bush, whose HIV/AIDS program saved millions of lives on the continent.

Democrat Obama and Republican Bush will together lay a wreath at a memorial to those killed in a US embassy bombing here in 1998, in an appearance the White House says is proof that both feuding parties care about Africa.

Obama will also visit the Ubungo power plant, after unveiling a new $7-billion programme, a mix of private and public funds, loan guarantees and other instruments, to boost African electric power networks.

The initiative is designed to improve infrastructure to incentivise foreign firms to invest and to improve conditions for Africans seeking the kind of education that would help them compete in a global marketplace.

Bush is in the country for a forum of regional First Ladies, hosted by his wife Laura, which will also be attended by Michelle Obama.

Obama came to power lambasting the former president over the Iraq war and his economic policies, but White House aides say they now have a good personal relations -- aided by Bush's decision not to publicly criticise his successor.

But even Bush's political foes praise him for his plan to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, which is now a decade old.

"This is one of his crowning achievements," Obama said Monday.

"Because of the commitment of the Bush administration and the American people, millions of people's lives have been saved," Obama said.

Delighted crowds thronged Obama when he arrived on Monday, free to drive home the message that he wanted to help "Africa to build Africa, for Africans" after days paying tribute to his ailing political hero Nelson Mandela.

As well as the power plan, Obama is pushing initiatives to boost regional trade with America, to tear down customs and border logjams delaying exports and to save Africa's endangered elephants and rhinos.

Tanzania, the final leg of an three-nation continental tour, is the kind of African democracy, aided by US health and infrastructure programs, that Washington wants to see duplicated in a region scarred by poor governance.

"Ultimately the goal here is for Africa to build Africa, for Africans," Obama said after talks with Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete.

"And our job is to be a partner in that process, and Tanzania's been one of our best partners," Obama said, saying that "we are looking at a new model that's based not just on aid and assistance".

It did not escape Washington's notice that Xi Jinping included Tanzania on his first foreign trip as president of China in March.

Throughout his Africa journey, which also included South Africa and Senegal, Obama has implicitly touted US-style investment and partnership as superior to Beijing's own Africa push, arguing US firms do more to build local economic capacity.

When Air Force One touched down after a flight from Cape Town in Dar es Salaam, Obama was serenaded by marching bands in red tunics and traditional dancers clapping as a guard of honor blasted off a 21-gun salute.

Huge crowds, perhaps the biggest of his presidency, save for a trip to Myanmar last year, packed the roads into town. Kikwete said he had never seen such a welcome for a foreign leader.

"You are a true friend of Tanzania and a dear friend of Africa," he said.

The promenade separating Tanzania's State House from the glittering blue water of the Indian Ocean has been renamed Barack Obama Drive and proclaimed its name with a freshly painted sign.

"In Africa we have so many countries, so Obama choosing to come to Tanzania, it makes us feel happy," said Francis Gedyman, 26, a driver.

On Tuesday, Obama will inspect a new invention that places a generator unit inside a football, which can be taken home after a kick around to power up lamps or even mobile electronic devices.

"Even as this continent faces great challenges this is also a moment of great promise for Africa," Obama later said in a speech on trade given to leading business figures from around the East Africa region.

"I see Africa as the world's next major economic success story and the United States wants to be a partner in that success.

Obama and Bush last met when the president attended the opening of the Republican's presidential library in Dallas in April.

The bombing of the US embassy in Tanzania which killed 11 people was timed to coincide with a separate attack on the US embassy in the Kenyan capital Nairobi that left 213 dead and several thousand wounded.

"Uhuru Kenyatta Never Won Kenya Elections" - Martin Ngatia

Rockets serve championship pitch at dinner with Dwight Howard

The Houston Rockets' dinner presentation to free-agent center Dwight Howard at the Hotel Bel-Air centered on the franchise's championship history and an infrastructure designed to give Howard a chance at multiple titles, sources with knowledge of the meeting told Yahoo! Sports.

Dwight Howard will also meet with the Mavericks, Hawks, Warriors and Lakers. (NBAE/Getty Images)Houston has emerged as the frontrunner to sign the Los Angeles Lakers center, league sources said, and those close to Howard confirmed late Sunday that the Rockets did nothing to dampen Howard's enthusiasm for the possibilities of playing for Houston.

 Beyond Houston Rockets owner Les Alexander, general manager Daryl Morey, his front office staff, and coach Kevin McHale, the organization brought Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler to make cases to Howard about ownership's long commitment to winning and its relationships with its iconic players.

"Hakeem didn't say much, but what did he say was very impactful," one source in the room told Yahoo! Sports. Olajuwon talked about the Rockets as a destination for championships and drew upon his own personal relationship with Howard, sources said.

Yao Ming, another former great Rockets center, connected into the meeting from China through Skype and talked to Howard about his experiences with Houston.

Rockets stars James Harden and Chandler Parsons pitched Howard about how they wanted him as a teammate, how the chemistry of the locker room would welcome him. Without bringing up the Los Angeles Lakers, the Rockets could sell two things that the Lakers likely can't: a chance for a close connection with the franchise's star players; and an immediate chance to be a championship contender.

"His main focus was winning and we will give him the best opportunity to do that," Parsons told Yahoo! Sports' Marc Spears.

Former Rockets center Yao Ming made his own pitch to Howard via Skype. (AP)Howard was flanked with his agent, Dan Fegan, and Happy Walters, the CEO of Relativity Media and an agent in the company. What those close to Howard had been saying privately for months was clearly apparent through the probing that Howard did himself with Rockets officials: Winning was his most important priority in the process, and most of the evening was spent discussing how the Rockets had a history of constructing themselves around iconic centers in pursuit of championships.

McHale made it clear to Howard that he planned to build his system around him, and that, ultimately, he would hold Howard accountable every day in the franchise's pursuit of a title. The Rockets had long believed that McHale, a Hall of Fame power forward, would be an immense asset in the recruitment of Howard. Howard had never had a head coach that could identify with him so well, who could literally look him in the eyes.

Rockets officials plan to stay in Los Angels for several days this week, meeting with free agents around the area and staying connected to Howard as he meets with the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks and ultimately the Los Angeles Lakers.

Agents talking to the Rockets about potential additions to the roster say they're searching for shooters and complementary players to surround Howard. "They're progressing on everything with Dwight in mind," one prominent agent said Sunday night. "They seem very confident."

Howard asks Rockets for additional star player

By The Sports Xchange | The SportsXchange 

When free agent Dwight Howard met with a delegation from theHouston Rockets on Sunday night in Los Angeles, Howard's questions centered around whether the Rockets would add another free agent star to play with him and James Harden, according to the Houston Chronicle.

 The Rockets met with Howard in Los Angeles represented by players Harden and Chandler Parsons, coach Kevin McHale, general manager Daryl Morey, owner Les Alexander and former Rockets greats Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon. Former Rockets centerYao Ming spoke with Howard via Skype from China and former NBA center Dikembe Mutombo recorded a video message for Howard, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Howard was also scheduled to meet with the Atlanta Hawks andGolden State Warriors on Monday and the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

 Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak had a brief in-person meeting with Howard shortly after 12:01 a.m. ET Monday when free agency began, according to ESPN Los Angeles. 

 --The Rockets, feeling confident that they will land Howard, have called several teams to inform them that guard Jeremy Lin and center Omer Asik are available, NBA sources reported. 

---The New York Knicks finalized a trade for power forward Andrea Bargnani, ESPN reported. The deal cannot be made official until July 10.

 The Knicks will send guard Steve Novak, center Marcus Camby, forward Quentin Richardson, a 2016 first-round pick and second-round picks in 2014 and 2017 to theToronto Raptors for Bargnani.

 The two sides were unable to complete the sign-and-trade deal Sunday night so the Knicks added Richardson on Monday morning to satisfy league trade requirements. 

 ---The Knicks are also interested in Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard Monta Ellis, but the chances of landing him are slim, CBS Sports reported. 

 ---Eight teams are interested in free agent center Greg Oden, according to Yahoo! Sports. 

Oden, who was drafted No. 1 by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2007, has not played in an NBA game since Dec. 5, 2009, because of chronic knee injuries.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs are all reportedly interested. However, ESPN.com reported that Oden is likely to choose from among five teams: the Spurs, Heat, Cavaliers, Celtics and Grizzlies.

---Free agent Andre Iguodala, who opted out of a $16 million contract for next season with the Denver Nuggets, reportedly will meet with six teams during the NBA free agency period.

 According to Yahoo Sports, those teams are the Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks, a source told Yahoo! Sports.

 ---The Pelicans are committed to giving guard Tyreke Evans, a restricted free agent with theSacramento Kings, a four-year, $44 million offer sheet when the NBA's moratorium on signing players ends July 10, according to league sources. 

---Oklahoma City Thunder guard Kevin Durant told The Oklahoman that switching his representation to Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports is not a sign that he will leave the Thunder once he is eligible for free agency.

---The Warriors are looking to trade forward David Lee, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Lee has three years and $44 million left on his contract. Lee averaged 18.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game last season, when he was named to the All-Star team.

 ---The Los Angeles Clippers contacted free agent shooting guard O.J. Mayo, according to multiple reports. 

---Several teams are interested in free agent center Andrew Bynum, who has not played for over a year because of knee troubles.

Bynum's agent, David Lee, told Yahoo! Sports that Bynum will start training in Atlanta this month after finishing his rehabilitation from knee surgery. However, Bynum will not work out for any teams as he looks to resume his career.

---Point guard C.J. Watson, who played for the Brooklyn Nets last season, has agreed to a two-year contract with the Indiana Pacers, multiple media outlets reported.

Watson averaged 8.6 points and 1.9 assists in 80 games for the Nets last season.

The Pacers announced they have signed Nate McMillan as an associate head coach.

---Free agent Josh Smith met with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night, across Los Angeles from where the Rockets were meeting with Howard.

My talk focused on devolution, CJ says of Senegal meeting

Updated Monday, July 1st 2013 at 23:13 GMT +3

By Dennis Onyango

Kenya: Chief Justice Willy Mutunga has disclosed some of the issues he discussed with PresidentBarack Obama alongside his 11 counterparts from Africa in Dakar, Senegal last week.

Dr Mutunga said he addressed the meeting ondevolution matters.

“I explained the role the Judiciary is playing to protectdevolution. As an institution, we are committed to ensuring that devolution is not killed,” he said. He stated that they focused on how to hold the Government accountable to the public and ensure the rule of law is protected.

“Status quo is unacceptable. As a Judiciary, we have mitigated this condition by ensuring the political and executive’s powers are decentralised,” he said.

The CJ said they discussed the role of the Judiciary in promoting democracy and social justice in the country and in Africa in general.

In his remarks during the launch of a Court of Appeal in Kisumu, Mutunga said they had fruitful deliberations.

He said Judiciary demands respect both locally and internationally based on vast steps it has made on ensuring justice prevails.

This was Mutunga’s first public address since his trip toSenegal.

He, however, did not divulge whether he met Obama in his official capacity or as a friend.

Neither did he explain whether they talked about the pending cases at the International Criminal Court.

Mutunga’s meeting with Obama had elicited mixed reactions in Jubilee coalition.

Nominated MP Johnstone Sakaja had expressed concern whether the meeting would affect the cases that involve the country’s top leadership.

Mutunga noted there are more than 6,000 pending cases at the Court of Appeal.

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