President’s advice on media law repressive

Despite the high hopes the public and players in the media industry had that President Uhuru Kenyatta would reject the oppressive Bill on the media that MPs passed, he appears to have bypassed public interest and constitutional requirements in his recommendations.

The memorandum that the President sent to Parliament with his recommendations on how the Kenya Information and Communications (Amendment) Bill, 2013 should be amended, fly in the face of Article 34 of the Constitution which requires that any law on the media should be promotive and not restrictive.

But the President’s recommendations threaten to be more oppressive than the Bill passed by Parliament and reverses the gains made in entrenching media freedom. What’s more, it claws back the agreements reached in the past, which are anchored in law.

On broadcasting, for example, the recommendations, if passed, will overstep the legal provisions which clearly limit the role of the state to licensing and regulating the distribution of airwaves and signals.

But by creating an authority that exercises control over the media, the Bill oversteps its mandate and offends the Constitution.

Considering that four members of the authority’s board are to be appointed by the Cabinet Secretary responsible for communications while the chairman is to be picked by the President, the amendments claw back provisions requiring that regulation be overseen by a body independent of the government.

And since government appointees in such boards carries weight, there is a clear danger that they will act at the behest of their appointing authorities rather than in the public interest.

Headed to the courts

This not only sets a bad precedent but also lays the ground for the government to restrict media freedom contrary to the Constitution.

In all worthy democracies around the world, the media have been allowed to self-regulate. Kenya can neither safeguard nor build on the democratic gains made over the years by reverting to government control of the media.

Since it is highly likely that Parliament, after receiving the memorandum will be inspired by the spirit of Article 34 of the Constitution, it could mean that the matter will be headed to the courts for a constitutional interpretation.

This is a route that could have been avoided through broader consultation, which unfortunately, was sorely lacking in this matter.

But it is a sad reminder that the consultations between the media and the two arms of government — the Executive and the Legislature — have not borne fruit on a matter of such far-reaching public interest.

Going forward, one of the realities that should inform debate on media laws is the recognition that the campaign is not about the interests of the media owners but about democratic principles and the interest of the citizenry in its quest to build a nation founded on justice, good governance and accountability of the leadership.

Uhuru’s changes to media Bill criticised

President Uhuru Kenyatta was Sunday put on the spot over the changes he has suggested to the media Bill that he sent back to Parliament last week for amendment before it becomes law.

Religious and trade union leaders, lawyers, human and civil rights activists, politicians and other professionals criticised the President’s proposed amendments to the Kenya Information and Communications (Amendment) Bill 2013, which they said were unconstitutional.

The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) accused the government of seeking to claw back the freedoms that Kenyans have painfully gained over the years through introduction of draconian laws.

The umbrella organisation of Protestant churches demanded the withdrawal of the controversial Bill and the Public Benefit Organisation Bill through which the government is seeking to have direct control of the media and NGOs.

“By seeking to control the NGOs and the media, the government is essentially seeking to muzzle the institutions that hold it to account,” said NCCK secretary-general Rev Peter Karanja.

Mr Kenyatta’s proposed changes transfer control of institutions which can punish journalists and their employers from the National Assembly to the Executive and the Presidency.

The amendments retain the Sh20 million fine against media houses proposed by MPs and expands offences for which media houses can be punished by a government-controlled tribunal.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers chairman, Mr Wilson Sossion, also criticised the proposed changes.

“We are urging members of Parliament to rise to the occasion and be sensible in amending this controversial Bill,” he said.

The Law Society of Kenya threatened to move to court if the proposals are adopted and the Bill passed into law.

“This well-orchestrated choreography seems to be an attempt to take us back to dictatorship. Remember the President and his deputy are very good students of former president Moi,” LSK chairman Eric Mutua said yesterday. “We as LSK shall move to court to have the act declared null and void if the amendments are passed into law.”

At the Coast, religious and civil society leaders warned that the country could easily slide back to the dark days of repression should the Bill become law.

Human Rights Agenda executive director Yusuf Lule and Sheikh Mohammed Khalifa of the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) said there were indications that the country was sliding into a dictatorship.

The latest developments emerged as journalists said they would hold a demonstration in Nairobi tomorrow in protest at the proposed changes that threaten to curtail Press freedom.

Editors’ Guild vice-chairman David Ohito said journalists had issued a notice of peaceful picketing to Central Police Station on Saturday and asked the officers to provide security during the demonstration.

Nyanza NGOs Council chairperson George Obondo also criticised the President’s decision as did Siaya Senator James Orengo.

“The recommendations in the Communications Amendment Bill are the opposite of the constitutional provisions that have staged freedom of expression including that of the media; we cannot accept the recommendations as they attempt to curtail such freedoms,” said Mr Orengo.

Cotu secretary-general Francis Atwoli took issue with the composition of the panel to pick the members of the proposed Communications Authority of Kenya in which the President proposes various institutions to be represented but leaves out the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ).

Media owners said President Kenyatta’s memorandum of refusal on the Kenya Information and Communications (Amendment) Bill, 2013, should be taken to the parliamentary departmental committee on Energy and Communication.

The Media Owners Association, on behalf of the Nation Media Group, Radio Africa Group, Royal Media Services, Kass and Standard Group said the Bill as passed by the National Assembly on October 31 fundamentally violates the spirit and letter of Article 34 and is thus unconstitutional.

“In some respects, the proposals by H.E. the President in his memorandum to the National Assembly are even more violative of the Media Freedom, enshrined in Article 34, than the Bill as originally enacted by the National Assembly,” the association said in a joint statement.

It also said it would go to court to challenge the constitutionality of the proposed law if Parliament does not shoot down the changes.

You can touch that, Mr President

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday said his government has prioritised the nurturing of youthful sporting talent in the country.

“The Ministry of Sports and Culture is implementing strategies aimed at boosting the development of talent and sport in the country.

These strategies will be improved through educational institutions from early primary school, all the way to tertiary institutions,” the President revealed.

Kenyatta was speaking during a function at the Coke Plaza in Nairobi, where he received and unveiled the Fifa World Cup trophy to the public.

The trophy is in the country for the next two days, as part of its world-wide tour in which it will visit 79 other countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and America ahead of the 2014 World Cup tournament that will be held in Brazil next year.

Kenyatta also urged the country’s national football team to work hard and join the league of World Cup finalists and winning nations in the near future.

Kenyatta was the only person allowed to lay hands on the 18-carat gold trophy at the event.

This practice is expected to continue for the duration of the trophy’s stay in the country in tandem with the Fifa rules which stipulate that only heads of state and former winners of the World Cup are allowed to touch the coveted trophy.

The President however steered clear of discussing the issue of infrastructure development, and especially regarding the Jubilee Government’s pre-election pledge of building five modern stadiums in different counties and rehabilitating the already existing but dilapidated sports venues.

Speaking at the same function Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Arts and Culture Hassan Wario concurred with the President that the Harambee Stars had all it takes to qualify for the World Cup.

“Kenya will stand a chance to win this trophy if we all put our act together,” Wario stated.

The national football team, Harambee Stars, is the most popular team in the country but amongst the least successful of the lot.

The Stars are currently ranked in the bottom half of the monthly Fifa world rankings despite boasting of some big-game players who ply their trade in some of the established league competitions in Europe.

Also present at the function was Coca-cola Business Unit President Kelvin Balogoun, Football Kenya Federation Chairman Sam Nyamweya and FIFA’s representative in the trophy tour Pekka Odriozola who presented Kenyatta with a gift of a replica World Cup trophy at the function.

The World Cup trophy which is in the country courtesy of Coca-Cola will be displayed at public places on Wednesday and Thursday, where thousands of fans are expected to line up and take photos alongside the prized asset.

Kethi cries foul over theft charge papers

Lawyer Kethi Kilonzo has accused the prosecution of refusing to produce documents it relied on to charge her with stealing an IEBC acknowledgement slip valued at Sh5.

Ms Kilonzo claimed that this was despite a court order directing the Director of Public Prosecutions to give her the documents.

She intends to use the documents to mount her defence in the case, which denied her a chance to succeed her father, Mr Mutula Kilonzo, as Makueni Senator.

Through senior counsel Fred Ojiambo, Ms Kilonzo said that the delay was aimed at disenfranchising her defence strategy and affect her practice as an advocate.

“There was so much hype at the onset of this case with the prosecution being very emphatic and eager to commence the hearings. We have, however, written to the DPP on several occasions and only received a few statements of the 30 witnesses lined up,” said Mr Ojiambo.

But the DPP, through state counsel Jacob Ondari, denied withholding the documents, saying that the materials sought by Ms Kilonzo were not in their possession.

“We have not supplied only two statements from the witnesses; some of the documents they are seeking are with other agencies and not within our custody,” said Mr Ondari.

In any event, Mr Ondari said, they will not be relying on the IEBC documents and if Ms Kilonzo wanted to use them then she should make the demand at the IEBC offices.

Ms Kilonzo and IEBC’s manager for electoral planning and logistics, Mr Godfrey Ninito Lemiso, are facing four counts of stealing, handling stolen goods, uttering a false document and neglect of official duty.

They have denied the charges and are out on a Sh100,000 cash bail.

The hearing of the case was scheduled for five days starting yesterday but chief magistrate Kiarie Waweru allowed a request for adjournment to allow Ms Kilonzo get all the necessary documents she requested from the DPP.

The hearing was rescheduled for another five days from March 17, 2014.

Police blocked from arresting Judiciary official in Shollei probe

Police have been blocked from arresting and detaining the Judiciary’s finance director who is under investigation over alleged graft.

Mr Benedict Omollo got the reprieve after the High Court allowed his request for the deposit of an “anticipatory bail” pending investigations and a subsequent arraignment in court.

He has been ordered to execute a personal bond of Sh1 million.

This means he cannot be arrested and held in custody, but has to present himself to authorities and appear in court if need be.

“The applicant is under strong apprehension that he may be charged in court due to the ongoing investigations on the former Registrar of the High Court and some of the junior judiciary personnel within her office,” lawyer John Swaka told the court.

He said Mr Omollo has been cooperating with the police and promises to continue doing so but “stands to suffer if the police were to apprehend and keep him in custody, for he is a family man and the sole bread winner of a young family.”

“So far he has put down a statement with the Banking Fraud Investigations Unit at Marshalls House...he is not in hiding, and is willing to present himself when required,” the lawyer submitted.

INTERDICTED THREE DAYS AGO

Mr Omolo, in an accompanying affidavit the lawyer presented in court, says he was interdicted three days ago and “has been working directly under” Mrs Gladys Shollei who was sacked pending investigations on alleged corruption issues.

“I have been working directly under her and I have been consequently interdicted hence I am under strong apprehension that I may be charged in court,” the affidavit read in part.

He said his family would suffer and be traumatised if the police were to arrest him and lock him up in custody.

“I will avail myself in court to take plea at any time if the police so direct,” Mr Omollo submitted.

Justice Msagha Mbogholi gave the reprieve ordering the applicant executes a personal bond of Sh1 million and present himself to police whenever he will be required “for whatever investigations that are being carried out.”

The lawyer said he was asking the court to save the applicant from “the humiliation that would follow in such as a case which is now common knowledge and in the public domain.”

Already, a judicial staff and two businessmen have been charged with stealing Sh80 million from the Judiciary with the case pending before a magistrate at the city court.

Ms Shollei, the former Chief Registrar of the High Court was sacked pending investigations into alleged corruption.

Westgate attackers spent four months planning in Nairobi, says official

All four gunmen who attacked Kenya's Westgate mall trained in Somalia before crossing into Kenya four months before the September massacre in which they also died, a Western official said Tuesday.

"The four are believed to have crossed together by land into Kenya in June" from Somalia, the official who is familiar with ongoing investigations said, adding that the gunmen then based themselves in Nairobi's largely ethnic-Somali district of Eastleigh.

They then spent time training in a popular gym in the busy district, known as 'Little Mogadishu', as they prepared for the September 21 operation. The attack saw them storm the crowded Westgate complex, firing from the hip and hurling grenades at shoppers and staff.

"We are confident that there were only four attackers," the Western official said, dismissing initial reports that over a dozen gunmen may have been involved in the four-day siege in which at least 67 died, and adding that all attackers were believed to have been killed.

Somalia's Al-Qaeda-linked Shabaab claimed the attack, saying it was a warning to Kenya to pull its troops out of southern Somalia, where they are fighting the extremists as part of an African Union force.

AT LEAST 20 STILL MISSING

The Red Cross say that at least 20 more people are still missing, with Western officials suggesting as many as 94 could have died in total in the attack, with some victims still potentially remaining under tons of rubble after part of the mall's roof collapsed at the end of the raid.

All four attackers were ethnic Somalis -- and believed to come from Somalia -- with two of the attackers named as Mohammed Abdinur Said and Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow, a 23-year old Somali who spent several years in Norway.

Detectives believe they have identified all four gunmen, but so far only the two names have been released.

All four are understood to have trained together in Somalia.

Interpol and the FBI are assisting Kenya in trying to identify four charred bodies recovered from the ruins and suspected to be the gunmen.

Two months since the massacre, detectives continue to piece together funding and support networks for the attack, which was well planned and organised.

Four men, all ethnic Somalis, have also been charged with helping the attackers, all pleading not guilty. Their trial is slated to begin on January 15.

Despite witness reports, there is no evidence of a female attacker. At the time, there was widespread speculation of the involvement of a British woman dubbed the "White Widow", 29-year old Muslim convert Samantha Lewthwaite.

"We have at present no evidence that Samantha Lewthwaite was involved either in the attack or in the support network in planning," the official added.

The gunmen coldly executed scores of people, with witnesses recounting how in some cases they called out to those wounded, then finished them off at close range.

But investigators who have seen security camera footage, as well as bodies at the morgue, say there was no evidence to support speculation at the time of the siege that some of the victims were tortured before being killed.

Sanitary pads from banana pulp keep 3,300 Ugandan girls in school Tweet 1 Comments Print

There is silent barrier to educational rights of girls in Africa.

This is the menstrual period, which is still a taboo subject that restricts access to education for many girls.

This means the normal biological process has not only turned out to be a huge burden but also another contributor to gender disparity since they lack quality and affordable products to help them cope with the situation.

According to UNESCO, one in ten adolescent girls in Africa miss school during menses and eventually drops out as they cannot afford sanitary towels, which are expensive usually retailing above $1 in local shops and supermarkets.

This is more than many families live on daily.

An African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) 2010 report points out that limited access to safe, affordable, convenient and culturally appropriate methods for dealing with menstruation has far reaching implications for rights and physical, social and mental well-being of many women and adolescent girls.

Reports have shown that more than three million girls in Kenya do not have access to sanitary towels forcing them to miss between 3-5 days from school.

They often feel embarrassed due to teasing over stained clothes and hygiene, and also the discomfort that affects their self-esteem.

ABSENTEEISM

If we take four days in the normal 28-day cycle per semester, it translates into losing 13 days.

In a year, it becomes 39 days of absenteeism from class. This is mirrored in other African countries like Uganda and many others.

Some girls are forced to use leaky materials, leaves, rags and even newspapers, which are not only unhygienic but also detrimental to their health.

The materials they use at times result into bodily odour that may lead to discrimination especially in school.

For this reason, a Ugandan has decided to come up with an alternative from a product which is readily available in the country.

Richard Bbaale is making use of banana pseudostem wastes, which are usually left to rot after harvesting, to make sanitary towels.

It is estimated that 16.5 million tonnes of bananas are produced in Uganda each year, resulting in over 30 million tonnes of stems left to rot annually.

He is not only making sanitary towels from banana pulp but also offering job and training opportunities to 60 young women in the production of the pads, sales and collection activities.

The Banapads initiative, which started in 2011, is currently registered in Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi and brings around 3,300 girls in rural areas back to school.

''We decided to come up with an alternative for girls since the washable models some organisations initiated were not environmental friendly and hygienic,'' Mr Bbaale told Africa Review.

“We wanted to give girls something that they can use even when they cannot access water. Rural women also contaminated water upstream whenever they would go to the rivers to clean these washable models,” he added.

TAILORED FOR COMFORT

Banapads is also tailor made for the comfort of girls since it comes in wings, non-wings and even panty liners.

Mr Bbaale and his colleagues have produced 396,000 packets and have managed to sell around 26,000 packs to 4,380 girls generating $ 19,751.

“We create alternative livelihoods through the distribution model allowing women to create sustainable business that benefits the whole community.”

The young rural women use door-to-door distribution model to help in revenue generation.

The pads are not only cheap since they retail at $0.75 cents for a packet of 10 but also collected to be used as manure.

This means 30 million tonnes of waste that goes to local landfill will be reduced since the banana pseudo-stem is a recyclable product.

“We are actually improving the conservation through recycling and environmental education. Some of the other pads in the market are not recyclable,” he pointed out.

There are already two production centres in Mpigi District and Rakai with a production capacity of 526,700 units per shift.

ROBUST PLAN

Mr Bbaale says he plans to scale up Banapad activities by establishing a new production centre and implement a plan to open five new ones in the next five years.

Apart from that, there is also a robust financial plan of developing micro-loan system for young women in the rural areas to help them start up entrepreneurial activities like buying up machines that can produce the sanitary towels even in sub district levels.

"At the moment, the annual cash turnover is $50,000 in one factory that operates in full capacity. We at times realize $90,000 in product sales.

"Menstruation is a major public health issue which needs to be taken seriously by those in authority to ensure girls don’t drop out of school,” Mr Bbaale said.

APHRC points out that lack of sanitary towels not only undermine sexual and reproductive health and well-being of women and adolescent girls but also restrict access to education.

So even as governments do little to address the menstrual burden of poor girls, people like Bbaale have taken it upon themselves to find solutions to this to ensure women in Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania cope with the menstrual flow.

John Mututho rejected by House committee for Nacada boss

A House committee has recommended the rejection of the nomination of anti-alcohol campaigner John Mututho as chairman of an anti-drug abuse agency.

The National Security and Administration Committee said that although Mr Mututho is suited for the job as chairman of the National Authority for the Campaign Against Drug Abuse, he should first clear pending court cases.

The House is set to discuss the report on Wednesday afternoon. If the report is adopted, Mr Mututho’s nomination will be rejected. It can only be approved if an amendment for that is made to the report.

ANTI-GRAFT REPORT

The decision to ask MPs not to approve Mr Mututho’s nomination was made at a meeting on Tuesday morning after the committee examined a report from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

In a letter to the committee, the EACC said there are pending criminal and civil suits filed against Mr Mututho and Countryside Supplies Ltd, a company associated with him.

The criminal case is a charge of obtaining Sh41.3 million by falsely presenting documents that his company had paid tax on bedside lockers to the Kenyatta National Hospital and therefore deserved a refund.

EACC’s predecessor had also filed a civil suit on behalf of the hospital for the recovery of the Sh41.3 million from Mututho and Countryside Supplies. Both are pending in court.

“The allegations touch on the personal integrity of the candidate and are likely to erode public confidence in the integrity of his office,’ EACC Secretary Halakhe Waqo said in the letter.

On Tuesday morning, a majority of MPs present agreed with the recommendation that Mr Mututho’s nomination be rejected.

The ‘Nairobi News’ right off the press

The latest arrival in the Nation Media Group stable, the Nairobi News, is here.

The English language newspaper which hit the streets Wednesday will exclusively focus on Nairobi County news and will be covering crime, courts, business, personal health and fitness, entertainment and sports.

Speaking during its launch in Nairobi on Monday evening, chief guest Nairobi County Governor Evans Kidero called on the paper to champion the interests of the five million Nairobi residents.

“The paper should give us an agenda that will be centred around the people,” Dr Kidero urged.

KEEP OFF POLITICS

Nation Media Group Chief Executive Officer Linus Gitahi said the newspaper would shy away from politics and relay news happening in the capital.

He added that it would also help readers make informed choices “like which plot to buy, cars on sale, restaurants to visit, job vacancies and schools to take children to”.

Group Editorial Director Joseph Odindo said: “It is an interesting and provocative paper that will cover serious news without being boring. It is a paper you can leave on the breakfast table and not worry that your children will be horrified by its content.”

The paper will have a contact number to report incidents.

Police pay to go up this month

Police will earn higher salaries this month, Deputy President William Ruto has said.

Mr Ruto said on Tuesday that the salary was discussed with the National Service Commission as part of ongoing reforms.

“The government has already approved it, and it will go into the pay slips of officers this month,” he said at a donor group meeting at the Laico Hotel in Nairobi.

Sources within the police force, however, said no pay rise circular has been released. “We have no information so far. It could be a statement of intent from the Deputy President,” the source said.

Police officers, however, started receiving risk and extraneous allowances last month.

The DP said a group personal insurance scheme for police officers, paid for by the State, will be in the next financial year. The cover is to take care of families and dependants of officers harmed by criminals.

CORRUPTION IN SECURITY AGENCIES

The donors called for improved security in the country.

World Bank County Director Diarietou Gaye, speaking for the development partners group, said that even though security agencies have been reforming, insecurity, impunity and corruption remained high.

“The reality is that many Kenyans today live in increased security risks and face high crime levels. The risks are not just from terror, but also ethnic conflicts and violent crime and these call for continued reforms in the police,” they stated.

The group said the Westgate attack that left 70 people dead and several others injured, was a shock to them. They sent condolences to families of those who perished in the attack.

The donors said that police work is difficult, but the recently proposed amendments to National Police Service Commission Act provide more latitude for use of force and could be counterproductive. Mr Ruto, however, defended proposed changes to the National Police Commission under discussion before Parliament, saying, they were meant to create a clear chain of command.

Mr Ruto said the Jubilee Government was keen on spending more on security agencies while ensuring value for money.

He said that the purchase of police equipment such as motor vehicles and firearms will be done transparently. The DP said that the government is currently cleaning up the Immigration Department to weed out the corrupt.

Exam marking pay row between Knut and Kuppet may delay results

Knut chairman Wilson Sossion (left) and acting secretary-general Mudzo Nzili address journalists in Nairobi on November 19, 2013.

A dispute over payments for teachers who will be marking national examinations risks delaying the release of the KCPE and KCSE results, putting the fates of hundreds of thousands of candidates in the balance.

The two rival teachers’ unions — Knut and Kuppet — are yet to agree on whether their members should mark the examinations with Kuppet asking its members to stay away until they can strike a deal with the Kenya National Examinations Council and Knut telling its members to go ahead and mark the exams.

Kuppet has been demanding that the money paid to its examiners should not be taxed. It also wants teachers paid after every week.

Usually, payments for examiners take months to process due to delays in government procurement procedures. The union has been pushing for a 300 per cent increase in the allowances that examiners are paid. It has also been demanding better accommodation for the examiners.

MARKING CENTRES

This year, 5,500 teachers will be marking the KCPE papers. Another 11,000 will be marking the KCSE papers. The teachers will be accommodated in 33 marking centres across the country.

On Tuesday, Knec said the teachers will receive enhanced payments this year.

For instance, the basic fee will range from Sh800 for an ordinary examiner to Sh30,000 for the KCSE chief examiners.

Teachers will also be paid a script fee with the lowest paid examiner getting Sh42 per script and the highest paid getting Sh68. Each examiner will also be given return fare depending on the distance travelled. They will also earn Sh150 per day as co-ordination fee.

“Some of the issues raised by Kuppet have been addressed and the rest will continue to be addressed incrementally,” Ms Frida Were, the head of public communications at the examination council, said in a statement.

She also said teachers will only be paid an advance script fee “at the end marking exercise” as they wait for processing of their final payment.

IGNORE BOYCOTT CALLS

“Marking is already in progress as we continue to address several issues that have been raised,” she said. “The marking process for KCPE examination started on 18th with live marking expected to run from 26th November to 3rd December.”

On Tuesday, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) told its members to ignore boycott calls by Kuppet.

The move, which marks yet another superiority contest between the two unions, has threatened to delay the timetable for marking exams and releasing of the results.

Mid-this year, the unions were locked in a dispute over a salary increment for teachers. Although the members of both unions went on strike for about a month, Kuppet signed a deal with the government to end its strike. Knut followed a few days later, settling for a package that was close to the deal signed between Kuppet and the government.

This time round, it is unlikely that the teachers identified to mark the examinations will boycott given that they earn substantial allowances for the duration and that they are required to individually enter into contracts with the examination council.

Knut acting secretary Mudzo Nzili and national chairman Wilson Sossion on Tuesday said they had held successful consultations with the examinations council on the question of payments since May.

“We agreed that taxation be waived for examiners who will earn less than Sh133,000,” Mr Nzili said during a press conference at the Knut headquarters in Nairobi.

Earlier in the day, Kuppet national secretary for secondary schools, Mr Edward Obwocha, said the union had intensified its regional meetings urging examiners to boycott marking.

The union is scheduled to meet Nyanza examiners on Friday to mobilise them not to report to their respective marking centres.
As a rule, KCPE results are released a day or two after Boxing Day in December, while KCSE results are released towards the end of February.

Cord puts Jubilee on the spot over crime

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) has criticised the Jubilee government over what it terms as a failure to secure the lives and property of citizens.

In particular, it singled out the “Nyumba Kumi” initiative, which was created by the government in the wake of the September 21 terrorist attack as a way to curb increasing crime in the country.

Cord leader Raila Odinga said the opposition suspects a sinister motive behind the initiative because the public was not consulted when the initiative was launched.

“It is a very major policy decision that requires national consultation,” Mr Odinga said. “You don’t just wake up one morning and say, “in response to what happened, we will start Nyumba Kumi”.

He also said that Mr Joseph Kaguthi, a former provincial commissioner, was appointed to head the initiative “without clear terms”.

Under the programme, all citizens are required to know at least 10 of their neighbours so as to prevent criminal activities within neighbourhoods.

REQUIRED TO APPROVE

However, Cord on Tuesday said the initiative was unconstitutional and “Kenya cannot be a police state any more outside constitutional arrangement set out in (the) basic law of (the) land.”

Mr Odinga said Members of Parliament should have been involved in debating and approving the programme because public funds will be used in its implementation. Parliament is by law required to approve all government spending.

“Public funds must be approved by Parliament. Let Parliament debate this issue and agree (on) the amount to be spent on it,” the former Prime Minister said.

Addressing the same press conference after the coalition’s National Executive Council meeting, nominated Senator Agnes Zani also criticised the government over the recruitment of security officers.

While reading a statement on behalf of the party, Dr  Zani said the recruitment had failed to reflect the regional and ethnic diversity of the country particularly in “Cord areas”.

The coalition also gave President Kenyatta a 14-day ultimatum to form a commission of inquiry into the Westgate attack, failure to which they will take action to ensure the truth surrounding the attack and its aftermath is revealed.

“This country deserves a proper inquiry on that incident,” Mr Odinga said.

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY

Just days after the Westgate attack on September 21, President Kenyatta had said that a commission of inquiry would be formed to investigate the attack.

Last week, the President’s spokesman, Mr Manoah Esipisu, said the government was still waiting for results from forensic investigations before the commission can be set up.

Besides security, Cord also criticised Parliament’s attempts to pass laws that limit the amount of money that non-governmental organisations can receive from foreign donors. The coalition said its members would not support such legislation in Parliament.

The leaders also warned on the risk of losing out on the gains so far made from the East African Community.

The leader of the Wiper Democratic Party, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, blamed lack of political goodwill among some heads of state in the region for the tensions that have rocked the EAC in recent weeks. He said these could lead to the collapse of the regional bloc like happened in 1977.

However, the EAC secretariat last week said the crisis had not reached a level that would require mediation.

The secretariat made the announcement after President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzanian told parliament earlier this month that his country was not being invited to meetings where crucial decisions affecting the bloc were being made.

Two weeks ago, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda signed agreements on infrastructure and trade that excluded Tanzania.

“The reality is that there is some political bad faith,” Mr Musyoka said of the developments in the region.

Bungoma senatorial aspirant Moses Wetang’ula, who was the coalition’s minority leader in the Senate before losing his seat in a petition, said that Cord would only have one candidate in each of the forthcoming by-elections. Other parties in the coalition will be expected to support its joint candidates, he said.

The Wiper party, a member of the coalition, had indicated that it would field candidates in some of the by-elections.

However, the fate of the pending mini-polls hangs in the balance after the National Treasury told the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission last week to trim its budget, a move that led the IEBC to advice that all pending by-elections be put on hold until the impasse with the financial issue is resolved.

UPDATED: Pictures From Peter Okoye & Lola Omotayo's Wedding( See All Celebs)

The Beautiful Lola Omotayo

You can trust Todaysgist to bring you all the juicy and  spicy news from the talk of the year wedding between Peter Okoye and Lola Omotayo. The above picture is truly magnificent and the guys did not diasppoint at all. Stay on TG,,,more pictures to follow,,,

Yes we promised and we delivered, hope your internet connection is fast enough to view the photos seamlessly???Nice photos though,,,,Kanu Nwankwo, Dangote,Klint,and so so many faces,,

Peter Okoye posing with Emmanuel Adebayor

MayD,(left), Adebayor and Peter

Richard Nnadi (Duke of spades)  left, Peter Okoye and Malcoholic Obinna

Reception Venue

Lola with her russian mother

Amazing beauty

Funke Akindele

Iyanya And A friend

Dj Jimmy Jatt And Kate Henshaw

Toke Makinwa And Dr. Sid

Toyin Lawani, Susan Peters And The Couple

Lynxx,Banky and the Couple

Toke Makinwa And GEnevieve

Toke and Susan Peters

Sasha P and Munachi Abi

Kaffi and Toyin Lawani showing their baby bump

Kate henshaw And Toke Makinwa

Dj Jimmy Jatt And Eva Alordia

Toyin And Boo

Actors Alert,,Si that Pawpaw?

Klint and wife

Don baba J

Karen striking a pose

Kcee Killing the dance floor

Peter And First Son, Cameron

Lynxx And the couple

Wedding Cake

Tiwa Savage

Lovely Couple

Dangote in the house. Baba tuale,,

Gbenja Adeyinka in the house

Kanu Nwankwo and Emmanuel Adebayor

Paul and fiancee With the Couple

Well, the pictures are still coming in.The couples are really looking good and very happy. Follow @Cedric_254 for more beautiful pictures of other celebrities soon.