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Boarding school nights of vice Students spend a lot of time on the Internet, but they are more likely to be looking at Face Book or soft porn than doing research for science projects, and many of those in boarding schools sneak out at night in search of sex, drugs and alcohol when their parents and teachers think they are studying or sleeping, according to surveys conducted by students themselves in Kenyan secondary schools. A survey at a top boy’s school entitled Operation Mtandao indicated that 80 per cent of the 60 secondary school students queried use the Internet for entertainment and socialising, including looking at what they described as pornography, compared to the 5 per cent who say they use the net for educational purposes. Although 65 per cent of the students questioned said they support the concept of e-learning, the student researchers said the very small number of students who use the Internet primarily for study represents “a very worrying trend”. A survey at a top Nairobi girls’ school entitled Prison Break found that 87 per cent of the students would sneak out at night to go to clubs or to meet their boyfriends. Another entitled Shag is now the Hug found that 36 per cent of the girls had already had their first sexual experience, while three quarters of them were now sexually active. When asked who was responsible for their involvement in sexual activities before the age of 18, 64 per cent of the girls pointed to their parents. The research indicated that although most of the students do not discuss sex with their parents, a quarter did say that their parents were aware that their daughters were sexually active. These findings represent the efforts of some of the 2,000 members of the Research Clubs of Kenya, a project initiated by The Steadman Group two years ago to familiarise young people with research methods and how to use them to identify problems in their own schools. “The aim is to demystify research and to get the young people to understand how to use it to help solve problems,” Emily Gumba, the RCK programme coordinator, told the Sunday Nation.
She explained that Steadman had contacted a number of secondary schools and invited them to participate in the programme; those that responded were asked to select teachers to attend a two-day training course. Steadman provides mentors to help the student researchers once they have identified an issue they wish to investigate. Since their inception in 2007, the research clubs have chosen to look into issues involving sexual activity, drug and alcohol abuse, Internet use and pornography and the ill effects—if any—of extracurricular activities on academic performance. The results have generally revealed a darker side to secondary school life than parents and school administrators might like, but the research into after-class activities did indicate that participation in sports and clubs did not impact negatively on students’ school work. The research into drug abuse indicates that nearly a quarter of the students in the school where the survey was conducted consumed alcohol, while 50 per cent said that fellow students were the primary source of the drugs they consumed. A third of those questioned said they found the drugs — generally painkillers and cough syrups — at home, while 20 per cent said they also consumed them at home.
In addition to prescription or over-the-counter remedies, ecstasy, mandrax and some cocaine are the most readily available drugs, according to the research findings that also indicated that most drug use happens during the holidays when students are home and theoretically under their parents’ supervision.Coordinators of the RCK initiative said the survey sample size is generally 100 to 200 students in a school across Forms One through Four. London, Monday 29th December, 2008. The pound has hit a new record low against the euro as the grim outlook for the UK economy continues to put downward pressure on the currency. Weak house price data and figures showing that homeowners are choosing to repay their mortgages rather than spending, pushed the currency lower. Low trading levels in the foreign exchange markets also helped to force sterling down to 1.029 euros. Many analysts believe parity with the euro is now only a matter of time. Property consultants Hometrack predicted a 12% fall in UK property prices in 2009, while the Bank of England said households spent £5.7bn paying off mortgages in the third quarter. This is in stark contrast to the £5.6bn borrowed against the value homes in the first three months of the year. Towards the end of October, one pound bought 1.287 euros. But a string a bad news about the prospects for the UK economy caused sterling to fall. This time last year, a pound would have bought almost 1.5 euros. At its peak in 2000, the pound was worth more than 1.7 euros. There are two main factors putting downward pressure on the pound, analysts suggest. First, interest rates in the UK are lower than those in the eurozone, which makes the pound less attractive to foreign investors. Analysts believe the economic slowdown in the UK will be more severe than in the eurozone, which means the Bank of England could be forced to lower interest rates from their current level of 2%. Interest rates in the eurozone currently stand at 2.5% and the European Central Bank has hinted that further rate cuts are unlikely early in the New Year. Second, trading levels over the holiday period are low, which means that any moves in exchange rates are exaggerated. "Actual liquidity levels are painfully thin," said Daniel Baker at Informa Global Markets. He believes parity with the euro is almost inevitable. "The path to parity is self fulfilling," he said.
UK holidaymakers are getting fewer euros for their pounds Rev./Doctor Elizabeth Wahome of Single Ladies International Ministry (SLIM) in Kenya was awarded an honorary degree in Nairobi on Saturday 29th November, 2008. She was honoured because of good work in helping Single Ladies in Kenya. The ceremony was conducted by Arch Bishop Arthur Kitonga of Redeemed Church, Kenya. The colourful ceremony took place at SLIM's headquarters in Zimmerman area, Nairobi. Rev./Dr. Elizabeth Wahome and her husband Mr. Wahome has been helping Single Ladies with their own money - training and teaching them how to be self sufficient and she has sacrificed the whole floor of her Home Depot offices in Zimmerman for the ministry. SLIM offers various vocational courses at the SLIM Centre - Zimmerman, Nairobi. Courses offered include, cookery, tailoring, embroidery, business skills and many more. Single ladies interdenominational fellowship was started after Rev. Elizabeth Wahome got married to Brother Joseph Wahome after staying single for thirty eight (38) years. She accepted Jesus as her Lord and Saviour in 1982 when she was already a single mother. Many unmarried ladies have a design of the kind of a husband she want. Some want to be married by teacher, doctors, nurses, professors, drivers, rich people, tall, slim, short, intelligent etc. But not like Mrs. Wahome at the time of meeting her husband Mr. Wahome. Mrs. Wahome was no different than other ladies - it took her a long journey to marry her husband and this is why she has a message for all the single ladies. For more information or any help to the ministry please contact singleladies@slif.net - website: www.slif.net Tel: 00254-722844732 - CLICK HERE FOR ALL PHOTOS
Rev./Dr. Elizabeth Wahome (centre) being presented with the honorary degree certificate by Arch Bishop Gitonga on left and on right a team calling themselves "Youth 19" presented a number at the ceremony - the man in the middle is 93 years, right hand is 78 years and right is 88 years Two decades ago, Rev Elizabeth Wahome was the object of scorn and cultural marginalisation for being an unwed mother. But she would not be cowed. And finally, years of dogged determination and drive to serve womankind climaxed a fortnight ago when the Latin University of Theology in the United States conferred her with an honorary degree in theology to commemorate more than 40 years of fighting stereotypes and prejudices so common in African patriarchal cultures. In its commendation, the university cited her personal struggle to overcome cultural inhibitions and selfless service to scores of women from broken homes or marriages, whose shattered dreams have been restored by her efforts. - CLICK HERE FOR MORE A Kenyan Joseph Odiahmbo a 5th grade teacher in Phoenix Arizona has made the Guiness Book of World Records for the most basketballs dribbled. VIDEO Rev. Samuel Kamuri Muya was consecrated to the office of a Bishop on Saturday 6th December, 2008 in Elburgon, Nakuru, Kenya. The exciting and well celebrated ceremony was characterised by songs and dancing as the bishop was escorted by his parents and family to the alter. Bishop Samuel Muya is Samuel son of Hannah. Talk of the Biblical Samuel who was escorted to the church by his mother Hannah. A red carpet for the occasion with over 5,000 members and friends in celebrations - Gospel musician D.N. Githuka lead the congregation with the song "Uhe Kahii, nanii....." After presenting their son both the parents and Bishop Muya cried as the Arch Bishop commented: "This is a special occasion - it is my first time in the life of a arch bishop that I have consecrated a bishop escorted by both parents.". Hundreds of pastors, bishops and guests attended the ceremony. From UK was Rev. Joseph Karanja of Grays, Essex, UK, The Seeds, Mr. & Mrs. Hedley of Lakeside, UK, Mr. Haron Kamau and his sister Mrs. Louise Makofi wife of Mr. Timothy Kinyanjui of Swindon, UK and Bishop Lord of Woking, UK. Other dignitaries at the ceremony was Bishop Pius Muiru who had just arrived from Israel that morning, Bishop Kiama of Nyahururu, Bishop Thuku of Full Gospel among others. The ceremony was crowned at the reception where the bishop had to cut the cake which was resembled the Bible. Later the ceremony witnessed the best Christian dance every displayed in that town. Young and old took to the floor with gospel musician Githuka on platform. You can congratulate him on samuelmuya2003@yahoo.com - Tel: 00254-725492076- CLICK HERE FOR ALL PHOTOS
Arch Bishop Githonga anointing Bishop Muya to the office of the Bishop and on right Rev. Muya's mother Hannah congratulating his son Samuel Years of conflict in Somalia have left large parts of the country in the hands of warlords while its capital, Mogadishu, is contested by Ethiopian-backed government forces and armed insurgents. The city has been abandoned by at least half of its residents. The BBC's World Affairs Correspondent, Mark Doyle, sent this report from a war zone few Western journalists dare to visit. The bombed-out buildings are shocking enough. There are street after ruined street of them in the centre of Mogadishu. Some have been reduced by shellfire to rubble. Others retain a building-like shape - the rough skeletons of once-ornate Italian colonial apartment blocks or shopping arcades. But the really eerie side to many parts of Mogadishu is the lack of people. The last 18 months of fighting have seen the population plummet in a way that even the infamous Black Hawk Down year - 1993 - did not achieve. - VIDEO I’m ready to face tribunal, says RutoAgriculture Minister William Ruto says he is ready to face the Special Tribunal on post-election violence to redeem his image. The Minister, who spoke when he hosted thousands of his constituents to a lavish homecoming party at his Sugoi home in Turbo Division, said his political detractors had maligned his name. "What happened in January was caused by leaders, supported by the Press and cheered on by their supporters," said Mr Ruto. He challenged political leaders to take responsibility for what happened instead of narrowing the blame on individuals. Ruto asked his constituents to brace themselves for tough times, as the truth would come out. "What will come out will redeem the leaders from the region from some of the negativity that has been attached to them due to the post-election violence," he said. Present were Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa, Joshua Kutuny (Cherangany) and Peris Simam, Eldoret South. Ruto reiterated that the violence was spontaneous and was not planned as was being bandied around. "The protest was mainly from the youth who had witnessed the bungled electoral process and were intent on making their views known," he said. He added: "We want the President to reconvene Parliament early so that we face this tribunal and shame the devil together with the few false witnesses." - The Standard.
BOXING DAY AND CHRISTMAS SWIMMERS 2008
Some cheeky members of Berlin's Seal ice swimming club run to take a dip in Orankesee lake and this man dressed as Andy Pandy seems to be losing his nappy. Liverpool take a three-point lead in the Premier League after they thrash Newcastle and Chelsea are held by Fulham, while Robinho earns Man City a dramatic draw at Blackburn. All the day's pictures from the Premier League. - PHOTOS At least 600,000 jobs could go in the UK in 2009, according to a report by a personnel managers' professional body. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development says even those who escape redundancy face pay freezes. It says that while total unemployment will not hit three million, the time between New Year and Easter will be the worst for job losses since 1991. According to official statistics, there were 1.86 million people out of work in the UK in October. That figure was the highest since 1997, taking the overall unemployment rate to 6%.
Damaged buildings in Gaza lie smouldering as Israel continues air strikes for a third day. Part of the Islamic University - a support base for the Islamist group Hamas that controls Gaza - was destroyed as Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni said Israel was determined to "change realities" in Gaza. The raids began days after a six-month ceasefire lapsed. The sorry lot that is domestic workersBRENDA KAGENI met a host of women from Mathare valley who recounted their horrendous experiences in the hands of their employers They live in our homes — clean, cook, arrange and take care of our families. But despite the crucial role they play while parents are away earning a living, they remain just that — domestic servants, who work under unnerving conditions. Yet for the average Kenyan homes especially in the urban areas, the services of a domestic worker are inevitable. Current data from Infotrak shows that in Nairobi, an estimated 1.15 million households engage the services of a domestic worker (general house helps, cooks, baby sitters and gardeners). In the Mathare Valley, desperation has driven women of all ages into humiliating circumstances in the homes of their employers. Mary Omollo, 40, a widow and mother of five has been a domestic worker in Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate for 20 years. From her Mathare home, Omollo arrives in Eastleigh by 7am every day, sits on a piece of stone, anticipating anyone in need of domestic labour to hire her for the day. On a lucky day, she takes home Sh100 after backbreaking work scrubbing floors and toilets and doing laundry. But many times she sits until late in the afternoon, without a prospective employer approaching and she goes back home empty-handed. One day, as she was about to call it a day, an employer approached her. Relieved, she tugged along assuming to find a pile of dirty clothes and dishes to wash. Instead, she was led to a room where a corpse was tucked beneath stained sheets. She was locked in this room under the watch of an armed (with a knife) man. "You will clean and oil that body," the cold voice thundered, "remember you left your children hungry and dusk is fast approaching." Washed body Out of options, Omollo washed the body with no gloves or any form of protective clothing. She received her wage — a paltry Sh50 and left for her home in the knowledge that her children would not sleep on hungry bellies. Eunice Omondi’s story is no different. She was excited when she was asked to follow an ‘employer’. Reaching the employer’s home, Eunice was instructed to wash a smelly discharging wound and clean the filthy pus-stained floor. "They trick us into it by telling us we shall dust their homes for a handsome wage," she says. "But what we find is shocking and the pay meagre. It could be as low as Sh10. If you refuse to take it, they threaten you with a knife. Anyway, we take that amount because it will buy sukuma wiki for our family." Florence Kageha, Jane Makohi and Margaret Festus have washed heaps of clothes containing human faeces, mucus and menstrual blood. At times, they have been forced to redo them in the keen watch and harsh instruction of the owners. The arduous task is worsened when they are forced to ferry water from the ground floor to the fourth or sixth floor of a flat. As if to add insult to injury, the highest they are paid is Sh50. "You simply brace yourself for the task. For a pay of Sh100, you will have to wash clothes the entire day on a hungry stomach. Sometimes your pay is not prompt. Once you are done with the chore, you must wait. Should the home owner accuse you of stealing their child’s clothes, you will be forced to forfeit your pay or risk being dragged to the police station and in most cases, you are at the losing end since the officers have been compromised with monetary tokens," laments Margaret. Many of these women know fighting for rights is not an option. Without pay At age 60, Mary Nekesa is still washing clothes. At one of her previous employments, she went without pay for three months but when she reported the matter to the police, they called her a crazy woman. "At the chief’s office, the askari would not listen," says Nekesa. "He escorted me to the gate and asked me not to disturb people." Nekesa has been through the rough and tumble, including unblocking toilets with her bare hands and feeding on the remains from the children’s or master’s plates. "We are not even allowed to use their toilets and are forced to hold on until the work is done — even if it takes the whole day." Nekesa wants women to be included in chief’s barazas so that they can have an avenue to voice their troubles. Siprosa Atieno, another domestic worker for hire says the chief does not come to the rescue of her lot who are exploited by employers. "He chases us away when we seek audience with him instead of helping us organise ourselves and advising us on how we can access the women’s Enterprise Fund," Sexually harrassed As if that is not enough many of the employers and their families sexually harass the women. "A man will call you into a room and lock you in then asks for chikichiki (sex). I have been asked by a very young boy for it. If you refuse, he threatens you at gunpoint or with a knife," says Kageha. The domestic worker employed and paid on a monthly basis don’t fare any better. They are paid between Sh1,000-2,000. Some take home as little as Sh700. If any damages occur in the course of work such as breaking basins and glasses, the cost is deducted from their salary. Another Mary Nekesa who works on Park Road, for example, earns Sh2,000 a month for an 8.00am to 6.00pm job that has no off or leave days. "Any days you take off are deducted from your salary yet you are considered a permanent employee. On a generous day they give you tea and chapati for lunch, but mostly you are given Sh10 to buy food." She adds: "Some employers who don’t like paying after work has been done will conveniently lose their mobile phones and strip the workers naked as they search for the phone and then send them away empty handed." Despite these challenges and hostile working conditions, these women will still wait by the stones in the hope of getting a job for the day to feed their children. It is a hard life, but they will live it, even in the New Year as hope for change for better is not visible. Train domestic workers One of the organisations that has been working with these women is the Centre for Domestic Training and Development, after UNHCR funded them to train refugee women serving as domestic workers. "The training is for 75 per cent of the refugee women and the remaining is for local women," says Edith Kanyingi, the centre’s director. The women are taught skills for a professional approach in their work. They are also taught their rights, how to bargain and protect themselves from abuse. They learn skills such as housekeeping, laundry, childcare, food production and service, literacy and continuing education, guidance and counselling services, HIV and AIDS and entrepreneurship and labour laws. After securing a job, the women refund the money used for their training. "People who train with us are guaranteed jobs. The minimum pay for a girl who gets food and accommodation is Sh4,500. Day-backs get a daily rate of Sh400 or a monthly rate of Sh8,000-9000," explains Kanyingi. The greatest hurdle for the Centre and for these women is the lack of structures and mechanisms of handling grievances. Kanyingi suggests the formation of a desk to handle domestic workers issues at the Ministry of Labour because of their sensitivity and vulnerability. "These are issues that need to be resolved quickly because often the women do not have bus fare or a place to stay overnight. Many just give up." She also recommends that a regulatory framework spelling out the terms and conditions for domestic workers, such as setting up a Domestic wages Council that determines the hours of work, the hourly and monthly rates, leave days and the channels of solving grievances should be put up. - The Standard.
Caroline Mwangi, 22, runs a phone outlet on Moi Avenue in Nairobi. She is a mother of a one-year-old boy. By the time she is 30, she aspires to have saved enough to venture into a business which will give her a consistent source of alternative income. But she now doubts whether anytime soon she will save enough to venture into her most cherished field-real estate. - MORE
Somalia's president quits office Somalia's President Abdullahi Yusuf has told parliament he has resigned - a move which adds to the chaos in the country as Ethiopian troops withdraw. Mr Yusuf's resignation follows a power struggle with Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, who parliament backed after Mr Yusuf tried to sack him. Ethiopian soldiers, who support the government, are due to pull out this week, raising fears of a power vacuum. Various Islamist and nationalist groups control most of southern Somalia. The president had clashed in recent months with Mr Nur over attempts to negotiate a peace deal with the Islamist-led armed opposition. Some diplomats suggest that Mr Yusuf's resignation might enhance the prospects of a deal with moderate Islamists. BBC Somali service editor Yusuf Garaad says the president's departure has removed one obstacle to peace but it is unclear what happens next, especially if the government collapses altogether. Mr Yusuf is reported to have flown out of Baidoa, where parliament is based, to his home region - the semi-autonomous area of Puntland in the north. Speaker of parliament Aden Mohamed Nur becomes acting president until a new leader is named. Mr Yusuf was chosen by MPs four years ago at the end of a long process that was supposed to bring peace to Somalia, which has not had an effective national government since 1991. But government forces only control parts of the capital, Mogadishu, and the town of Baidoa. Mr Nur said he had accepted the president's resignation. "I congratulate the president for the bold step he has taken in respect of the transitional federal charter," the AFP news agency reports him as saying. Mr Yusuf told MPs in Baidoa: "As I promised when you elected me on October 14, 2004, I would stand down if I failed to fulfil my duty, I have decided to return the responsibility you gave me." In his speech, broadcast on national radio, he said: "When I took power I pledged three things. "If I was unable to fulfil my duty I will resign. Second, I said I will do everything in my power to make government work across the country. That did not happen either. "Third, I asked the leaders to co-operate with me for the common good of the people. That did not happen," he said, according to Associated Press news agency. Last week, Mohamed Mahamud Guled, who Mr Yusuf tried to install as prime minister, resigned saying his appointment was destabilising the government. Mr Yusuf had faced criticism for appointing Mr Guled in defiance of Somali MPs, who overwhelmingly rejected the dismissal of his predecessor. Mr Guled said he had chosen to resign "so that I am not seen as a stumbling block to the peace process which is going well now". The regional grouping, Igad, which brokered the talks leading to Mr Yusuf's election, this month imposed sanctions on him, calling him an obstacle to peace. Fighting between the Ethiopia-backed government and the insurgents has left some one million people homeless and much of Mogadishu deserted. Some three million people - a third of the population - need food aid. And the lack of leadership has led to a surge in piracy off the Somali coast. A small African Union peacekeeping force is based in Mogadishu but analysts say they would be unable to withstand an Islamist advance. The UN has rejected calls to send its own mission to Somalia.
Prisoners die in Kamiti after Christmas drink
Tragedy struck Kamiti Prison on Christmas Day when two inmates died and several others were taken to hospital after drinking a concoction of deadly chemicals. The two — who were on death row — succumbed to the effects of the concoction while undergoing treatment at Nairobi’s Kenyatta National Hospital, while three others were treated and discharged. They are under observation at the prison’s medical clinic. Commissioner of Prisons Isaiah Osugo said on Sunday the inmates might have smuggled turpentine, spirit and thinner chemicals from the prison’s industries on Christmas Day to make the deadly concoction. One inmate died on Saturday, and the second on Sunday. Although only five cases were reported, it is understood that more than 10 inmates drank the concoction and some were treated at the Kamiti Dispensary. Even though the prison authorities have downplayed the seriousness of the matter, reports from inmates and senior prison officers indicate that more prisoners who drank the liquor have been hit by bouts of diarrhoea and fear is rife that more complications could emerge. Coming against the backdrop of recent torture incidents by warders, the latest incident propels the prison to the spotlight over security and management of inmates. "Our internal investigation shows that some prisoners smuggled the substances to the cells and mixed before consuming them. It turned out the concoction was deadly," Mr Osugo told journalists at the prison. He said they are investigating the matter, but conceded that they face challenges. He pointed out that the containers used for the concoction were later cleaned to erase the traces of chemicals. Though the three inmates who were discharged complained of poor eyesight and stomach problems the previous day, Osugo said they were now doing well. "The three discharged from the hospital are now safe. So far, all is well," he said. Asked how the inmates got access to the chemicals yet they are under guard, Osugo responded: "They must have been smuggling them in bits." Following the incident, Osugo said searches on prisoners have been intensified and visitors restricted. Stricter rules in accessing the industries have been introduced. Osugo said the incident is a wake up call over the strictness of officers. "We need to be stricter than we are today. We need to intensify our searches so that we don’t have such incidences," he said. The incident comes barely two months after an operation at the prison recovered more than 150 mobile phones and 200 SIM cards, and left one death-row inmate dead. The incident has marred the image of prisons barely two months after the institution got a new boss. It also comes at a time when a new officer, Mr Joshua Ayuma Maweu, formerly of Kodiaga Prison, has taken charge at Kamiti with expectations to clean the rot and restore sanity. The torture incident that led to the death of an inmate was captured on camera and aired by TV stations. It led to the suspension of seven officers, including the officer in charge of the institution, a security manager and five warders. In that scary incident, inmate Ibrahim Ngacha was killed, while 11 others were seriously injured when warders went on the rampage, savagely beating inmates as they searched for mobile phones and other illegal items smuggled into the prison. Naked inmates were also scalded with hot water. Investigation into the death of the inmate is not complete. This month a warder at Naivasha Prison was arrested as he tried to smuggle 50 rolls of bhang into the institution. Another warder was detained at Kamiti as he tried to smuggle out his G3 rifle for what authorities termed "criminal intentions". And last month, 10 warders were fired and 15 interdicted at Naivasha Prison in what was seen as a purge against errant officers. Some of the officers were interdicted for allegedly trafficking contraband, while others were given their marching orders on disciplinary grounds. Among those sent home was a sergeant and four junior officers caught ferrying cigarettes and mobile phones to prisoners. The rot has persisted even as the Prisons Department begins implementing the recommendations of a probe team that was led by former Cabinet Minister Marsen Madoka. The committee was formed after a strike by warders protesting over deplorable living conditions. Warders have been skeptical on the prison authorities commitment to address their plight. Their laxity in confiscating contrabands, sources say, is a "silent protest". The Madoka report saw warders barred from rearing domestic animals within the compounds to supplement their income. They were also prohibited from carrying their cell phones to work. A mandatory body search of all warders entering the prison was also introduced. - The Standard.
Hotels, lodges and restaurants in Rwanda are set to undergo mandatory classification early next year, Director General, Office of Tourism and National Parks of Rwanda (ORTPN) has said. Ms Rosette Rugamba said since Rwanda’s admission to the East African Community (EAC), the country has been part of the process for development of EAC standards for classification of hotels, restaurants and other tourist facilities. As part of the process for effective implementation of the classification exercise, a training workshop was conducted for two weeks from November 21 to December 4, in Arusha, Tanzania. She said the outcome of the exercise was meant to create a pool of trainers that would teach hotel assessors in each partner state.
Christmas lights on the Clock Tower, Brighton and Christmas lights Paisley Scotland London, Sunday 28th December, 2008. The recession is a test of character that the British people must pass, Gordon Brown is expected to say in his New Year's message next week. The public needs to display the same spirit as during the second world war and "rise to the challenge" of the crisis, the PM is to say. Mr Brown is expected to deliver the pep talk as part of a defiantly optimistic seasonal speech. He will demand that people work together to "build a better tomorrow today", and hail US President-elect Barack Obama as a catalyst for tackling global issues. Mr Brown is to say: "I am confident that we can steer Britain safely into the future. "Today the issues may be different, more complex, more global. And yet the qualities we need to meet them the British people have demonstrated in abundance before. "So that we will eventually look back on the winter of 2008 as another great challenge that was thrown Britain's way, and that Britain met. "Because we had the right values, the right policies, the right character to meet it. "That's why I don't believe Britain is broken - I believe it is the best country in the world. The PM will also lash out at the Tories, referring to his oft-repeated criticism of David Cameron by insisting the British are "not a do-nothing people". He is to say that in past downturns Governments blundered by cutting investment across the board. "This will not happen on my watch," Mr Brown will insist. "The threat that will come of doing too little is greater than the threat of attempting too much." The PM will highlight the danger of climate change, saying that President Obama will play a crucial role in tackling the problem. "I believe we can do it - and because we can, we must," Mr Brown is to say. "The stakes are too great with our planet in peril for us to do anything less." Brown will say how much he is looking forward to working with president elect Obama in creating a transatlantic, and then global, coalition for change. Professor Karega Mutahi is longest serving Permanent Secretary in Kenya. He was first appointed in 1989. He retired in 1999 but was reappointed in January 2003 as Permanent Secretary for Education, a post he still holds to date. He was thus been permanent secretary for a record of 15 years.
As CCBC Swahili Service celebrated Christmas Party on Sunday 21st December, 2008 two members of the church Miss Mariam Musila (left) and William Wango celebrated their birthday at the venue. On the left photo they are seen cutting their birthday party cake and on right Mr & Mrs. William Wango (right) and Pastor Thuku and his wife (left) at the celebrations - CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE PHOTOS COUNTRY'S PROFILE - LIBYA
Since he took power in a 1969 military coup, Libya's Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI has espoused his own political system - a combination of socialism and Islam - which he calls the Third International Theory. Viewing himself as a revolutionary leader, he used oil funds during the 1970s and 1980s to promote his ideology outside Libya, even supporting subversives and terrorists abroad to hasten the end of Marxism and capitalism. Libyan military adventures failed, e.g., the prolonged foray of Libyan troops into the Aozou Strip in northern Chad was finally repulsed in 1987. Libyan support for terrorism decreased after UN sanctions were imposed in 1992. Those sanctions were suspended in April 1999. - CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO
The Queen has endorsed a crackdown on honours for bankers and leading City figures because of their role in causing the economic crisis. As a mark of Royal displeasure, leading figures from the world of finance are understood to have been omitted from the New Year’s Honours List to be unveiled this week. The disclosure that there will be ‘few, if any’ high-ranking awards for financiers has filtered through to the City, where it has deepened the dismay among a demoralised and shrinking workforce. In the past, prominent individuals from the City have come to expect knighthoods and other honours as a reward for making London the centre of the global economy and pouring some of their riches into good causes. But it would seem that this time the Palace has decided that such recognition would be inappropriate. A source said: ‘When millions of families are struggling to keep their homes and many people live in fear of losing their jobs, it would be totally unjust to dole out honours to rich bankers. In the eyes of many, they bear much of the blame for what has happened and do not deserve any kind of honour. Sir Michael Parkinson receiving his Knighthood from the Queen in June: City fat cats have been omitted from the New Year's Honours List. Five Anglican bishops in UK have attacked the government by calling into question the morality of Labour policy. The bishops of Durham, Winchester, Hulme, Manchester and Carlisle told the Sunday Telegraph the UK was beset by family breakdown, debt and poverty. Bishop of Manchester the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch said Labour was "beguiled by money" and "morally corrupt". But Labour MP Sir Stuart Bell, who represents the Church in the Commons, said the comments were "nonsense". Meanwhile, in his New Year message next week, Gordon Brown is expected to say the recession will be a test of the country's character. As Members of Parliament take a three-month break, focus is on Tenth Parliament and the tasks ahead. The House is expected to resume for its third session in March but the President can summon it any time to discuss urgent matters. One of the pending key aspects is the establishment of a special tribunal to probe and prosecute instigators of post-election violence. On the MPs’ plate is also the long awaited new Constitution, for which Parliament has to provide guidance. Undoubtedly, Speaker of National Assembly is often the individual on the spot. They at times find themselves in tricky situations, as past history indicates. - MORE A MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED AND CHARGED FOR HOLDING A NURSE IN A CAR BOOT FOR 11 DAYS
A man has been arrested and charged in connection with the disappearance of a nurse who was later found locked in the boot of her car. The 35-year-old is being held by police after Magdeline Makola went missing after leaving work at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on December 15. Ms Makola, 38, was found at noon on Boxing Day in the boot of her red Vauxhall Astra, registration Y295 SRS, in Airdrie. Police have said she is "severely traumatised". The man is expected to appear at Linlithgow Sheriff Court on Monday. Concerns were initially raised when she failed to turn up for work on December 18 and police searched her home, finding her work bag ready with her uniform and a packed lunch. Her passport and bank cards were in the house, but her car was missing. Officers believe that the car had been driven in the Chapelhall area of Airdrie and Glasgow city centre. Her cries for help alerted two police officers who smashed the car windows to get access to the boot. Chief Inspector Tommy Tague of Lothian and Borders Police said: "It has been an exceptionally traumatic period for Magdeline. Although not physically injured, she is extremely traumatised and this has made interviewing her extremely difficult." Nairobi, Saturday 27th December, 2008. Prime Minister Raila Odinga has hinted that country may adopt the Majimbo system of governance when the new constitution is in place. He said the government had plans to subject the Bomas draft to a referendum after some of the contentious issues in the document that polarized the nation were ironed out to pave way for constitutional dispensation. Speaking in Mbale town on Friday, the premier said the institutional reforms which were envisaged to streamline and improve governance systems were gradually taking shape and may soon be a reality. He said the recent disbandment of the Electoral Commission of Kenya -ECK- was a case pointer in implementation of the reform which he observed was necessary to pave way for an independent electoral body. Odinga said an audit of the electoral body by Kreigleer commission of enquiry into the last general polls revealed that at least 1.2 million dead voters took part in the exercise under dubious circumstances raising doubt over the impartiality of the institution. "We want Kivuitu and his commissioners to go with his faulty register of voters before we embark on fresh registration of voters from next year when an interim electoral body would be formulated" he told the cultural fete. He urged eligible voters in the country to take advantage of the opportunity and register afresh as voters to ensure that they exercise the constitutional rights. The premier announced government plans to introduce new generation identity cards and urged the youth to acquire the document in time to register as voters. He said the country was working on modalities to import 10 million bags of maize to bridge the current shortfall of maize floor after the nation experienced poor yields in the last season. Odinga said the country consumes 34 million bags of maize annually but produced less than 24 million bags due to the effects of the post election crisis which disrupted farming activities earlier in the year. " we have already ordered for fertilizers ahead of the planting season next year so that farmers can access the farm input in time to ensure that we meet our national demand for maize next year" he said. On development the premier said plans for rehabilitation major roads in western Kenya to facilitate and promote investment in the region including the re carpeting of the Kisumu Webuye, and the Kapsabet-Eldoret roads. Others present during the ceremony were deputy premier and local government Minister Musalia Mudavadi and James Orengo (lands) several Members of Parliament from the area. Do you know?
Most people assume that the strongest animal in the world is the elephant or the rhinoceros, but it's actually the rhinoceros beetle. Sometimes kept as a pet in Asia, this large scarab beetle can support 850 times its own bodyweight on its back, while an elephant isn't even able to lift its own weight. The Kenya Government has stopped all land transactions in the larger Trans Nzoia. Lands minister James Orengo said land grabbing had reached intolerable levels in the region and feared that the Government would soon lack land for development and social amenities. He directed the district commissioners of Trans Nzoia West, Trans Nzoia East and that of Kwanza to halt land transfers of all parcels of land set aside for public utility in the region. Mr Orengo said land grabbers had invaded the area and were colluding with corrupt land officials to carry out illegal excisions of Government land and forests to sell at exorbitant prices. Speaking at Kitale Municipal grounds over Christmas, the minister said the coalition Government would strive to ensure that all illegally acquired land was recovered and used for intended purposes. Mr Orengo said his ministry had requested for funds from the Treasury to purchase land to resettle thousands of area residents who have been living as squatters since independence. This is part of plans to tackle poverty and improve food security.
LEFT: Britain's sales frenzy hits the front page of the Daily Express as millions of shoppers defied the credit crunch. CENTRE: The Guardian has its own take on the cash crisis for 2009. It says 90% of shoppers are planning to cut spending in the new year. RIGHT: The Times says a wave of high street retailers are expected to go bust in the new year - fuelling the massive reductions in the Boxing Day sales. Kenyans are bracing themselves for the maiden Kenya Film and Television awards event scheduled to be held in Nairobi in January 2009 for the first time ever in Kenya's film festival history. The event, dubbed the "Kenya Film & Television Awards" is scheduled to take place on January 14 and is being organized by the Kenya Film Commission. The Kenya Film Commission is hoping to encourage competition among actors and the key individuals involved in film and TV. A programme of the events leading up to the awards gala has been drafted, complete with a tentative time schedule. The entries will be judged in three stages. There will be a Nomination Academy to receive and classify them and then nominate a number for each category. The nominated entries will be announced and passed to a Voting Academy to pick their preferences in each category. The structure of the voting is such that the public will be involved at some stage to contribute 40 per cent of the votes finally declaring the winning entries. The process will culminate when the envelopes containing the names of winners in each category will be revealed. By then, the nominees will have been known and present at the red carpet reception. It is scheduled to be a massive and vital platform for the arts and culture, serving a platform for fostering a truly celebrity culture in the film industry. To meet international standards, it will be characterized with a razzmatazz scene, red carpet, glitzy and certainly a sassy affair in line with the Emmy and Oscar Awards in the United States. According to the Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Film Commission, David Maingi, the awards will only allow entries for films dating five years back for the simple reason that it will be the first such event. The Kenya Film Commission intends it to be the event of the year which many will talk about for a long time, he said. There have been 125 professional films produced in Kenya since independence. There are 13 film awards 14 Television awards and six special awards. A total of 33 professionals will be recognized. The Kenya Film Commission was established in 2005 with the responsibility of advising the government and all relevant stakeholders on the matter pertaining to development, co-ordination, regulation of the film industry in the country. The Kenya Film & TV Awards is planned to be premier annual event meant to celebrate and recognize excellence in production of local Kenyan movies and stars.
Thailand's 'Scorpion Queen' Kanchana Kaetkaew is given a scorpion by her husband Boonthawee Seangwong, to keep in her mouth, in Pattaya city, Chonburi province, Thailand. Kanchana is currently aiming for a number of Guinness World Records, among them keeping a scorpion in her closed mouth longer than any human being (her best time: 2 minutes and 3 seconds), and an attempt to break the 32-day, 32-night record for the longest stay with 5,000 live scorpions in a glass enclosure. London, Friday 26th December, 2008. Hundreds of thousands of shoppers have been defying warnings of a bleak 2009 and cashing in on huge high street discounts at the Boxing Day sales. Shops and holiday companies have slashed prices by up to 90% in a bid to attract customers and a scramble to beat the credit crunch. Many shops opened at 7am and some even had queues of customers clamouring to get in. Around 2,000 people waited outside Selfridges in London to be the first in. And there have even been reports of people in Manchester's Trafford Centre fighting over handbags. Experts say that up to 15 national chains are in danger of collapsing before the end of January. And consumers have already been making the most of early price cuts, with 82% of high street retailers offering pre-Christmas promotions and an early start to sales on the internet. Debenhams and House of Fraser are slashing as much as 70% off prices in what it describes as its biggest-ever sale and Tesco will also launch its largest round of price cuts. Sky News reporter Paul Brennan said: "The proof will be in the pudding... in getting into the shops and seeing what items are on sale. If the items are not what people want then these sales really will fall flat." So far, electrical goods such as televisions and laptops have been proving among the most popular items among shoppers. On the web, internet retail group IMRG estimates people will splurge almost £104m - almost £20m more than the amount spent last year. PC World, Currys and Dixons said visitor numbers to their websites were up from between 30% to 40% on last year's figures. A spokeswoman for DSG International, the parent group of the three retailers, said: "Large televisions have been selling particularly well, people seem to be using the sales as an opportunity to upgrade their sets." Laptops were the second best seller so far with high-end washing machines in third place. Meanwhile, travel companies have been cutting prices, with Thomas Cook knocking 10% off some package deals and British Airways holding a flight sale on 75 destinations. The fastest human being in the world is currently Jamaican "lightning bolt" Usain Bolt, who ran the 100 metres in 9.72 seconds, in May, 2008 at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York City Kibaki and MPs must go, says Kivuitu
Electoral Commission of Kenya chairman Samuel Kivuitu and his 21 commissioners are back in court and this time round to fight the new law sending them home. They say that if the Kriegler report was the basis for sending them home, then they want all the 222 MPs also sent home. The report said there was massive rigging of elections in polling stations countrywide but found no evidence of vote manipulation at KICC, the ECK headquarters where presidential votes were tallied. The commissioners also want the court to issue a declaration that the person declared President of Kenya by ECK, namely President Kibaki, ceases to be the legitimate Head of State. They said that as a result of the adverse findings against them, the legitimacy of the election of President Kibaki and MPs will be eroded by the new law. Through lawyer Kibe Mungai, the 22 are saying that Parliament has no constitutional powers to disband ECK. By taking away the jurisdiction of High Court on the constitutional review process, Parliament, they say, is limiting the right of Kenyans to access independent courts as opposed to a court appointed by MPs and beholden to them. The commissioners say the Government has no authority to amend Section 41 of the Constitution to allow it to disband the ECK. The amended law provides for the formation of an Interim Independent Electoral Commission that will run elections until a new constitution is put in place. The President signed the Bill into law on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding the redeployment of the more than 500 ECK staff to the public service is yet to be resolved. The workers vowed not to fill in forms circulated to them on Tuesday until certain clarifications were made. Missing Nurse in UK Found In Car Boot on Boxing Day Alive
A nurse who has been missing for more than a week has been found alive in the boot of a car. Magdeline Makola had not been seen since she left work at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on December 15, 2008. The 38-year-old was found in the car boot in Airdrie at noon, Lothian and Borders Police said. She was taken to Monklands Hospital in Airdrie for treatment to minor injuries. A police spokesman said: "Magdeline was discovered just after midday today (26/12/08) by officers from Lothian and Borders Police. "At the moment this inquiry is at its very early stages, and we need to establish the exact circumstances of how Magdeline came to be within the boot of the vehicle." Police appealed for anyone who may have seen the nurse since she went missing to get in touch. In particular, they want to hear from anyone who saw the red Vauxhall Astra, registration Y295 SRS, being driven in the central belt since December 15. "We believe that the vehicle has been driven in the Chapelhall area of Airdrie, and in Glasgow city centre as well, and we want anyone who thinks they may have spotted it to get in touch," the spokesman said. "Anyone with any other information that can assist our inquiries should also contact Lothian and Borders Police as soon as possible." "Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - Confucius A UK Government boast to have deported a record 5,000 foreign offenders this year hides the fact that thousands more are being jailed or released early, the Tories have said. Provisional figures compiled by the UK Border Agency showed 800 more were kicked out this year than last - meeting a Whitehall target. Among them were 50 killers and attempted killers, 200 sex offenders and 1,500 drug offenders, in what was hailed a major success by immigration minister Phil Woolas. But the Opposition said official statistics showed that for every three removed from the UK, two were freed - having served less than half their sentence and with a taxpayer-funded allowance - and six more were added to the prison population. Shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert said the numbers being put behind bars had risen so fast that three jails were now dedicated to housing foreign criminals. The Home Office said the figures - based on internal management figures released ahead of the independent Office of National Statistics' official verdict due in February - showed that new partnerships with the police, 85 per cent of which were now in place, were working well. Mr Woolas said: "Britain will not tolerate those that come here and break our rules, which is why we set the UK Border Agency the tough target of removing 5,000 foreign lawbreakers this year. "By exceeding this target we're showing once again that there's no place in Britain for those that continue to abuse our trust. "We now consider for deportation all non-EEA (European Economic Area) foreign nationals who go to prison for serious drug and gun offences no matter what the length of sentence." But Mr Herbert said figures given to him by Justice Secretary Jack Straw in reply to a Commons written question showed that at least 2,196 foreign prisoners were released early on End of Custody Licence since June 2007, receiving up to £167 in cash payments each to compensate them for not receiving free board and lodging in prison. The number of overseas criminals in jail in England and Wales had also risen by 1,000 since the resignation of Charles Clarke as home secretary over a foreign prisoner controversy, he pointed out. Of the three prisons used to hold them, one could be filled entirely with those who had finished their sentence but were yet to be deported, he added. "The Government want to create the impression that they're successfully deporting foreign national criminals, but the truth is that for every three prisoners they remove, two more are released on to the streets," he said. "Far from paying the price as Gordon Brown promised, foreign national offenders are being rewarded by serving less than half of their jail sentence and with taxpayers' cash in their back pockets." Sir Andrew Green, the chairman of campaign group MigrationwatchUK, said: "This is a welcome announcement but it is designed to deflect attention from a 10 per cent drop in the removal of failed asylum seekers and pitiful progress in removing illegal immigrants." Justice Minister David Hanson said: "We have said that we will end End of Custody Licence (ECL) when headroom allows. "We are working extremely hard, with the fastest ever creation of prison spaces, and when we judge it is safe to do so, we will end ECL. "Those prisoners who present the highest risk to the public are excluded from consideration under ECL. "All prisoners are provided with basic subsistence to enable them to pay for accommodation etc following release."
Rev. Joseph Karanja of Grays, Essex UK (left) and Pastor Jane Njiiri (right) of CCBC Swahili Service were some of the pastors who attended Bisho Samuel Muya consecration in Elburgon, Kenya on Saturday 6th December, 2008. Rev. Karanja and Pastor Njiiri seen congratulating the Bishop. Nairobi, Thursday 25th December, 2008. Kenyans have been urged to commit the nation in prayer during Christmas celebrations as most citizens are still traumatized following the post election violence that erupted in the country early this year. Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Thurday told worshippers at the All Saints Cathedral that it is through prayer that the light of Christmas could move with the citizens. "The sins that happened during that period is a sin for all of us as a nation and therefore we should not only blame the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK). Politicians are equally to blame for the mayhem as well as religious leaders. This nation needs total repentance," Nzimbi said in his Christmas sermon. He said Kenyans need to take advantage of the restoration that comes through the birth of Jesus Christ, to learn from God, humble themselves and come out of all dark things that bogged them during the post poll period. "God is light and in Him there's no darkness. Christmas should make us see great light so that we can surely rejoice as we fellowship with one another then we have Him Emmanuel living in us," he added. He further called upon Kenyans to embrace forgiveness during the festive period and make Christmas even more meaningful by shunning hatred and the seeds of discord that divides them with their neighbors. Nzimbi who delivered his sermon from the book of Isaiah chapter 9:2-7 and Luke chapter 2:1-20 also reminded the faithfuls not to misuse their resources in celebrating Christmas saying it was unfortunate that some families overspent their finances to the extend of lacking school fees in January. "The good meaning of Christmas has been taken by the evil one. People are over feeding and drinking a lot of alcohol in the name of celebrations. All kinds of evil accompany Christmas and this is the time when some Christians go back to fornication and adultery," he said. Meanwhile, many businesses premises in the city centre except for major supermarkets remained closed for Christmas Day. At Uhuru Park grounds, there was a lot of pomp and color as many people took time out with their families. "I have decided to bring my family here so that my children can have fun and swim in the waters. My initial plan was to take them to Awendo for celebrations but because bus fares were hiked up to Shs 1,500 we just decided to stay in Nairobi," said a Julius Mbadi. Small scale traders selling goodies for children and artists painting and decorating children's faces had a booming business at Uhuru Park following the overwhelming number of families visiting the place. "Today we are likely to end up with a lot of cash as compared to last Christmas because as for me since morning I have had a lot of customers for my paintings and I just like the way we reach an agreement on pricing through negotiations," said Elkana Noriega. Thousands of Christian faithfuls today turned up for the Maximum Miracle Centre annual Christmas celebrations at Uhuru Park grounds ostensibly to pray for God's divine intervention over afflictions witnessed in the nation. Elsewhere, Bishop Pius Muiru of the Maximum Miracle Centre led the congregation in the prayers that mainly dwelt on three items; Kriegler and Waki reports, the Grand Coalition Government and rains. Bishop Muiru said the prayer session was very important for the sake of the country because the Kriegler and Waki reports if not well handled could split the country into the middle. "We are aware that there are names of politicians from both ODM and PNU mentioned in the Waki report. In places like Rift Valley some people have already been threatened of dire consequences should some leaders head to Hague," he said. He also noted that for the Grand Coalition Government to survive and hold on for at least up to the next general election slated for 2012, it required God's blessings saying that in the eyes of many Kenyans the current government's performance was wanting. Muiru who in the last elections was a presidential candidate and parliamentary candidate for the Kamukunji parliamentary seat, observed that this year's Christmas Day was a double celebration for Kenyans as last year's event was overshadowed by elections and the post election chaos that followed. "This Christmas is very important for Kenyans as they can now have time to breath after being hard pressed by the economy characterized by high fuel prices, famine and demands in the Waki report," he added. He urged believers to live an exemplary life by shining bright in the light to help bring close to the kingdom of God those who have not accepted Jesus as their saviour. "You cannot win people to God by force. You can only win them by love and exemplary behaviour," said the man of God. Muiru has at the same time called upon his fellow religious leaders to boldly speak to their followers on political matters particularly those appertaining to their civil rights. "It is incumbent upon the religious leaders to educate their faithfuls on political issues. There has to be a balance let the church begin to appreciate that politics is not a reserve of politicians," said the bishop. He said it was the responsibility of the men of the collar to discern their heavenly responsibilities from those of the nation and start anointing and ordaining righteous men and women to get into politics. He said Kenyans are angry with the 10th parliament following the MPs refusal to have their salaries and allowances taxed and for passing the controversial Communications (Amendment) Bill 2008. He added that unless the grand coalition listens to the voice of people and depends on God's guidance it was likely to collapse.
Britain's troubled economy and people's "insecurity" are acknowledged by the Queen in her annual Christmas message. Her Majesty recognised the festive period would be a "sombre occasion" for many this year. But she contrasted the despondency with a tribute to those who live "unselfish lives" to benefit others. The traditional message, recorded in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace, also included a personal tribute to the Prince of Wales, with the Queen highlighting his achievements and praising the work of her son's charities. An elderly in UK woman is recovering after spending almost 21 hours stuck in mud. Sheila Hill, 83, spent the night in the mud after she fell down a river bank while walking near Odda's Chapel, a Saxon church, in Deerhurst, near Tewkesbury, in Gloucestershire. Police believe Mrs Hill, who lives in nearby Apperley, had gone out walking her two dogs at around midday on Saturday and was just a mile from her home. She was found by a man walking along the river at 9am on Sunday morning, and he called the emergency services. Mrs Hill was rescued by two fire crews and taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Paramedics say she was shocked and cold but not seriously injured. A team of six firefighters used a rescue sledge to reach her. Police said she was lucky to be alive. Inspector Marcus Griffiths from Gloucestershire Police said: "Fortunately it was not a particularly cold night or that we had had any flooding, which that area is prone to. "If it was last weekend when we had a lot of rain it may have been a different story but she is quite fit and in good health for her age." US Mum Gives Birth To 18th Child
A woman from Arkansas has given birth to her 18th child - and says she has no plans to stop adding to her family yet. Baby girl Jordyn-Grace Makiya Duggar entered the world via Caesarean section, weighing 7lb 3oz and measuring 20 inches long. Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar, who had not been expecting their latest arrival until January, said she was "a gift from God". The proud father described the new baby as "just absolutely beautiful" and said they would "love to have more". Mr and Mrs Duggar married in 1984 and held back from babies for four years. "We don't want children right now," they said to themselves. "We can't afford them. We want children in our timing, when we're ready." And even after the birth of their first child, the couple did not want to rush ahead with more children and Mrs Duggar went back on the pill. However, she became pregnant again while on the pill, but suffered a miscarriage. That changed the mind of the staunch Christians, who felt they had robbed a child of a life and from that day on they decided to have as many children as "God saw fit". Mrs Duggar's next pregnancy resulted in the birth of twins, and the rest followed, including another set of twins. They now have 10 sons and eight daughters, including the latest addition to their family. The couple, who are both estate agents, have built a family home in Tontitown in Arkansas that is big enough to allow for a few more additions yet.
Conjoined twin Faith Williams has died at Great Ormond Street hospital in London after weeks of medical attention. The four-week-old girl and her sister Hope were born on November 26. They were joined from the breastbone to the top of the navel and had a shared liver but separate hearts. Hope died following surgery to separate them at the beginning of the month. Faith survived but remained seriously ill, with her parents Laura and Aled spending Christmas at her bedside at Great Ormond Street. A spokesman for the hospital said: "We can confirm that Faith Williams died in the afternoon of Christmas day. "This is very sad news and our sincere condolences to Mr and Mrs Williams on their tragic loss. The family will want peace and privacy at this difficult time. "We were always clear that Faith was very sick. She required the full range of skills of our intensive care staff, and underwent a number of further procedures. "However, she succumbed to the complexities of her condition. While this is a sad outcome, it is not an unexpected one." Nairobi, Thursday 25th December, 2008. John Cardinal Njue has called for dialogue between the Government and the media over the Kenya Communications (Amendment) Bill 2008 that has drawn sharp reactions from Kenyans. Speaking to the Nation after leading a Christmas Mass at the Holy Family Basilica Thursday, Cardinal Njue said the contentious issues in the Bill should be addressed. He, however, maintained that much as he stands for a free media, it should be regulated to ensure the content Kenyans get does not influence them negatively. “I am not for the kind of regulation that gags the media. What I would like to see is regulation that will stop our children from accessing pornographic materials that is currently freely doing the rounds.” Cardinal Njue argued that the media content added to the devastating situation that the country went through early this year adding that should the media had been responsible perhaps what happened might have avoided. Commenting on the sending home of the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) employees, cardinal Njue said it was in the recommendations of the Kriegler-led report and it has to be implemented in full. “Since we have decided to implement the report to safeguard our institutions from collapse, it is import not to be seen to be applying the law to a few individuals.” He urged the Coalition Government to prioritise the review of the Constitution and not make an unattainable promise as has been with the country’s successive governments. “I hope this time round they will heed to their promise and deliver the Constitution by mid next year as they have indicated,” he said. Setting up the agenda for next year, Cardinal Njue said he would prefer the government to address food crisis as well as promoting peace. “I would like all the leaders to preach peace across the country instead of issuing statements that destroy the unity already prevailing,’ said the Bishop. Cardinal Njue said the country is currently treading on a rather shaky ground but assured Kenyans the Coalition Government will be able to return the country to the development track. The Catholic cleric, meanwhile, urged Kenyans to commit the nation in prayer during this Christmas celebrations calling for peaceful co-existence with their neighbours. His message was echoed by Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) who added that most citizens are still traumatised following the post election violence that rocked Kenya early this year. Bishop Nzimbi told worshippers at the All Saints Cathedral that it is through prayer that the light of Christmas could move with the citizens. “The sins that happened during that period are sins for all of us as a nation and therefore we should not only blame the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK). Politicians are equally to blame for the mayhem as well as religious leaders. This nation needs total repentance,” Nzimbi said in his Christmas sermon. He further called upon Kenyans to embrace forgiveness during this festive period and make Christmas even more meaningful by shunning hatred which often divides them with neighbours. - Additional reporting by KNA
Chad's tree surgeons are cutting down the majestic trees that once lined the Avenue General de Gaulle, the main drag of the capital, N'Djamena. The centuries-old trees look down on three-storey buildings, and cast a refreshing shadow during the hot season. But during the recent rebel offensive on the capital, they also provided cover for the attackers. "The president ordered this," one of the workmen told the BBC. "He says that to confront the rebels we must absolutely cut down those trees, so that the presidency can be adequately protected." The workman says he is unhappy about removing the trees, but adds: "Sooner or later they will be replanted." The felled trees are being chopped into pieces and carried away in pickup trucks. Old women and children rush to collect the remaining small wood, which will come in handy in the kitchen. Sitting on his bicycle, wearing a white traditional gown, old Dutom Aselo surveys the scene wistfully. "When I was a child, soldiers used to stop us touching the trees," he recalls. "Now they are being destroyed." More destruction could be in the cards. According the European Union's ambassador in Chad, the rebels are rearming in neighbouring Sudan. Evidently, the N'Djamena authorities are braced for another attack. They even mistrust the trees and their shadows. Britain's economy could be set back by five years as the current downturn deepens, a leading think-tank has forecast. In one of the gloomiest predictions yet for the UK's finances, the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) predicts that the economy could shrink by more than 2.5 per cent next year as bank lending continues to stagnate. That would be the biggest slump since 1946 when the UK was wrestling with the aftermath of the Second World War and a freezing winter. Several analysts have recently made predictions of a 2.5 per cent fall in GDP next year - representing the worst annual performance since 1947. But CEBR managing economist Ben Read said in an interview: "It is easy to see that things could be even worse. "Despite public declarations by the Government that the banks ought to be lending more, it is clear the primary concern of many of our largest banks is to shore up their balance sheets and, for those on the end of government bailouts, to pay back their Treasury masters." CEBR's economists are warning about the danger of firms cutting investment at the same time as consumers rein in spending and save more. Mr Read added: "If this scenario occurs, a contraction of between 5 per cent and 10 per cent could be on the cards, setting the UK economy back by five years." Earlier this week official figures confirmed the UK economy is sliding in to recession faster than first thought. Revised data showed a sharper than expected 0.6 per cent fall in output between July and September - the worst since 1990 and bigger than the 0.5 per cent fall first estimated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Chancellor Alistair Darling predicts the UK will return to growth in the second half of 2009 with stimulus moves funded by extra borrowing - such as the VAT cut -leading to a "shorter and shallower" slowdown than feared.
LEFT: The Daily Mirror says shoppers will embark on a record-breaking spending spree across the high street, taking advantage of sales cuts of up to 90%. CENTRE: The Daily Star follows the same story. The tabloid says shoppers are saying "buy buy" to the credit crunch. RIGHT: The Daily Telegraph says millions of middle-class home owners will pay higher council tax bills based on the "niceness" of their property. CCBC Swahili Service Church in London held their Christmas Dinner Party on Sunday 21st December, 2008 at Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Docklands near Excel. The party witnessed the best Christian Dance ever hosted by the church. The guests started arriving at the venue at 6.00 p.m. and by the appearance of the guests entering the venue you would know that they had taken time to do some homework for the party. Men came in dressed in black suits, white shirt and a black bow tie. Ladies came with evening dressed ranging from mini-skirts to toe-touching dresses. The food was not the best as it was full range of sea food which is not very popular with Kenyans but when the time came came for the dance everyone forgot about the food and took to the floor. "You cannot miss food and you miss the dance", one guest commented as she took to the floor. Gospel music was played throughout the party with DJ Kamau coming up with popular Kenyan gospel music like "mugiithi". It was double celebrations for two church members - Miss Mariam Musila and William Wango who celebrated their birthday at the venue. They had a cake to cut and crowning it all with opening the dance floor. Young and old took to the floor where a large number of couples took to the floor to show their skills. Older group was popular with slow motion while the young generations was there for quicker motion but all in all everyone caught up very with the music. It was a great celebrations party which the church has never witnessed before. Late, the church has grown tremendously with new members joining up every week. A large number of Uganda and Tanzanians who are swahili speaking group has joined the church of late. The party was hosted by the resident Pastors Patrick Thuku and Pastor Loise Gitahi. Pastor Jane Njiiri was not there as she on a mission in Uganda. The celebrations went upto the early hours of Monday morning as the members cried: "when are we going to have another one".
Ladies showing up their skills at the Christmas party celebrations on left and on right Mugiithi" was popular dance at the venue - All photos taken at the venue coming soon. A Kenyan in US has passed away. The late Mrs. Eunice Wangui Ngarega wife to James Kamau Ngarega passed away on Saturday December 20, 2008 at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, in Baltimore Maryland. She was the daughter of Wachira Kubai and Josephine Wacera. Eunice was the mother to Michelle Ngarega and Kamau Ngarega of Baltimore Maryland. Sister to Rosemary Wachira, Baltimore Maryland, Virginia Wangechi, Charles Gatembo, Josephat Macharia, Stanley Wahome, Janet Waitiki, Lilian Murugi and Simon Maina all of Murang’a, Kenya. Aunt to Susan Mwangi, Gerald Mwangi Julius and Teresa Mwangi, Joan Mwangi, Joy Matu, Janet and Kenneth Munyiri and Alex Mwangi of USA among many others. Family and friends are meeting daily for prayers at Rosemary Wachira’s residence at 3477 Hillsmere Road, Woodlawn MD 21207. Any monetary donation to assist in defraying the cost of funeral is highly appreciated and is payable to: Account Name: Rosemary Wachira or James Ngarega, Bank: Routing number: Account No: The Viewing will be on the Friday December 26th 2008 at Vaughn C Greene funeral home @ 8728 Liberty Road, Randallstown MD between 2.00 pm to 8.00pm. There will be a Fundraiser on Saturday December 27th 2008 from 4:00p.m. @ Faith Community United Methodist Church on 5315 Harford Road, Baltimore Maryland 21214. The date for memorial Service, interment place is TBD and will be announced in due course. For further information you can also reach the following people - Lawrence Maina 443 803 6337, Richard Mwangi 443 929-6685, Thomas Mwaura 4104096 9340, Steve Mwangi 443 621-0551 or Julia Weche 410 303 3335.
The late Mrs. Eunice Wangui Ngarega
You won't believe it but... Bats make up around 20 per cent of the world's mammal species
Kenya Book of Records was launched in Kenya on Friday 5th December, 2008 at Kenyatta Conference Centre Nairobi. The book which has recorded widely over Kenyans personalities has been compiled by Mr. Kondia Mwaniki Wachira of Kenya Marketing Society. He has tried very hard to corroborate all facts cross checking facts as much as possible. Notably on his recording is the first Kenyan to come to the UK. He was Mr. Stephano Kinuthia Kabetu (right) who visited UK in 1905. While in the UK he learned English and he returned back to Kenya where he helped to translate the Bible. Kikuyus are adventures right from the early days. Six Kikuyus currently lives in Alaska. Talking to Mr. Seed in his office in Nairobi Mr. Wachira explained that he intends to come to the UK to launch the book. The book is worth buying as I would call it Kenyan Guinness Book of Records. We will keep reviewing the book during the coming year. NEXT: Who is the first Kenyan woman to acquire a degree? Coming soon! A 72-year-old parent of a Kenyan living in London went to the British High Commission in Nairobi for a visa on Monday 15th December, 2008 and he was asked to provide them with a medical certificate after providing with with all other documents
A Kenyan in USA - Siringi remains in custodypending federal grand jury on LU threatBy COLIN GUY and EMILY GUEVARADecember, 18, 2008A Lamar University student accused of making violent threats toward the university and its staff will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at least until a grand jury considers the case, a federal judge ruled Thursday. Daniel Ogwoka Siringi, a 34-year-old student pursuing a doctorate in chemical engineering, was arrested Wednesday on federal and state charges related to two e-mails he allegedly sent last week. He faces up to 20 years on the federal charge and up to 10 years in prison on the state charge. Siringi, a U.S. citizen originally from Kenya, was allegedly upset that university officials would not permit him to graduate this semester, although an offer had been extended to allow him to walk the stage during Saturday's commencement ceremony. Members of Siringi's family planned to attend the ceremony, according to testimony during his detention hearing Thursday. The first e-mail, sent Dec. 10, expressed frustration over the handling of his grievance and warned that a group of students he claimed to represent would take violent action against the university and some of its staff members if they were not permitted to graduate this semester. "We just want to inform you that if your names are not going to be on the graduation list, Lamar University will never be the same," the first e-mail states. "Am sure you have heard the Virginia case among others. If you want it to happen to at Lamar (sic) don't do anything to rectify anormalies (sic.)" A second e-mail, sent Dec. 11, further stated that "we are serious and ready to die for our rights." However, during the detention hearing in federal court Jason Fisk, a special agent with the FBI, said that no weapons were discovered on Siringi and none were located in the house. Investigators did not find any explosives or any texts containing information that could be useful in planning an attack. Fisk said he was not aware of any prior criminal history and that there had been no reports of prior problems at the university or at the Texas Commission of Environ-mental Quality, where Siringi has been employed for the past seven years as an environmental enforcer. Fisk said the FBI's joint terrorism task force was contacted soon after Lamar University president James M. Simmons received the first e-mail and that the investigation soon focused on Siringi because he was the only student not allowed to graduate this semester who expressed any frustration with staff. Investigators questioned Siringi on Dec. 12, at which point he denied sending the e-mails, then learned from Lamar University Information Technology staff that the e-mail had originated from a nearby FedEx-Kinko's store. Surveillance footage showed Siringi in the store when the e-mails were sent and an employee said she recognized him, Fisk testified. After his arrest, Siringi admitted he had sent the e-mails. A number of factors that emerged during Thursday's proceedings could have compounded the frustration exhibited by the e-mails Siringi is accused of sending. Haron Siringi, a 25-year-old Beaumont warehouse worker, testified that his brother's first wife was dead and that he was divorced from his second wife. Siringi has been taking care of his two children and an adult nephew who live with him, Haron Siringi said. He has also been financially supporting three nephews and his sick mother, who lives in Kenya. During court proceedings it was also revealed that Siringi owes more than $100,000 in medical expenses, as well as more than $70,000 in student loans, obligations he must meet while earning about $2,400 a month from his job at the TCEQ and another $500 a month he earns as a researcher. Haron Siringi stated that he would co-sign his brother's bail and try to ensure that he abides by any bail requirements. Siringi's attorney, Frank Henderson, noted that electronic monitoring could be used to help guarantee compliance. However, Magistrate Judge Keith Giblin found that due to the violent nature of the threats and Siringi's family ties in Kenya that bail would not be appropriate. Federal prosecutor Brit Featherston noted that the threats allegedly made by Siringi had a profound impact on university personnel, who considered canceling Saturday's commencement ceremonies after receiving the threats. "When (FBI) Agent Fisk spoke with Mr. Siringi, one thing that came out is that Mr. Siringi still believes there's a possibility he'll graduate in the spring and was going to be able to present his thesis," Featherston said. What happens, Featherston added, if Siringi learns that he won't? Simmons would not comment about the possibility of Siringi completing a degree at Lamar. Simmons, who spoke with The Enterprise by phone, said: "I can't really comment on that; I don't have any idea." DO YOU KNOW? The US economy is the biggest in the world. It has a gross domestic product (GDP)of $13.8 trillion in 2007. As well as having huge technological and manufacturing industries, it produces a lot of the world's salt and oil. The GDP of South America is $4.3 trillion. It is the world's biggest producers of coffee, cocoa and bananas.
Zimbabwe's central bank Friday issued a 10-billion-Zimbabwe-dollar banknote, as inflation drove the value of the currency to new depths, according to state radio. Charities across London have been forced to turn away hundreds of volunteers after record numbers offered their services over the Christmas period. London, Wednesday 24th December, 2008. Shoppers brought some last-minute cheer to a sombre high street as they made the most of unprecedented seasonal sales. Customers were lured with widespread discounting and the traditional Boxing Day sales starting up to 48 hours early. Retailers reported brisk trading in a late Christmas rush following a stand-off with shoppers expecting massive discounts. Richard Dodd, spokesman for the British Retail Consortium, said: "As we all know, it's been a really tough build-up to Christmas. It's clear that shoppers have turned out, particularly in the last three or four days, in large numbers but that has been driven by huge discounts. "It remains to be seen to what extent shoppers who are out on the streets are actually spending. They are very unlikely to have spent more than last year and it is going to turn out to be a very poor Christmas. The question is just how much less than last year people have spent." Anita Manan, senior analyst at Experian Business Strategies, said the average number of shoppers on Tuesday were up week-on-week by 47%. She said: "These figures highlight the last-minute surge in trading that is taking place this year. "They show that shoppers have clearly felt comfortable leaving their purchasing to the final few days to ensure that they make the most of the deep discounting and strong availability on the high street coupled with greater comfort of using internet channels up to the very last minute. "The traditional slow and steady shopping patterns of previous years have now been replaced by a new breed of savvy consumers who either buy online or use internet sites to find the best prices on the high street, before doing one or two big swoops to the shopping centres." DIY chain B&Q began offering 50% off all its kitchens and bathrooms, with discounts of up to 75% on some other items, and John Lewis is holding a clearance sale online. Superdrug will begin an online sale with discounts of up to 90% .
Last-minute shoppers hit stores Members of Kenya Parliament have donated Sh10.6 million as a Christmas gift to the Internally Dispalced Personn's -IDP's-. Handing over the money to Special Programmes Minister Naomi Shabaan Tuesday in parliament, Speaker Kenneth Marende said the move by MPs was a gesture of goodwill to fellow citizens and a national and patriotic duty by parliamentarians. The speaker praised MPs for the role they played in promoting reconciliation of the nation when the country was almost disintegrating at the height of post election violence. "Parliament rose in unison to tell Kenyans we could still get over the crisis as the honorable members accommodated peace process in the house," he said. The decision by parliamentarians to each donate Sh50,000 to the internal refugees was reached in September at a Speaker's kamukunji. The move was then ratified on November 19 during a retreat by the MPs on reconciliation held at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi. Others who accompanied the speaker in presenting the donation were: MPs Gitobu Imanyara, Mohammed Affey and Charles Onyancha. Dr Shabaan noted that a parliamentary subcommittee would decide how the money would be utilised but promised that it would be used for its intended use. She, however, noted that the money would not be distributed to the internal refugees since it would not be enough. The speaker also said the 10th parliament would go into history as the most performing house if it maintains its rate of doing parliamentary business. Marende said the legislators had passed 17 pieces of legislation in the last one year meaning if the pace is sustained it will be the most active parliament. He also said during his tenure as speaker the current parliament has also ensured that parliament had become close to Kenyans through live coverage of parliamentary proceedings. Marende also applauded parliamentarians for comprehensive review of standing orders in the house terming it as a milestone. "Essentially parliament is playing its role as it should be. Parliament wants to reconcile the country beginning with the Act that brought the National Accord paving way for the Grand Coalition government," he said. The speaker praised MPs for the role they played in promoting reconciliation of the nation when the country was almost disintegrating at the height of post election violence. "Parliament rose in unison to tell Kenyans we could still get over the crisis as the honorable members accommodated peace process in the house," he said. Marende said members of parliament and himself as the speaker were ready to resume business as early as January for the sake of serving Kenyans as a number of issues remain unresolved but noted the prerogative of controlling parliament calendar still remains with the president. "We are striving to create an enabling environment to help the country move forward. We are seeking to provide long-term solutions through comprehensive review of the constitution to ensure devolution of all resources, financial and political power," said he.
During the CCBC Christmas Party in London men came dressed for the occasion on left and on right taking the floor to show their skills was Mr. & Mrs. Kioi Motorists face £60 fines and three points on licence for minor accidentsMotorists at fault in minor accidents face £60 fines and three points on their licence in a clamp down on careless driving by the Government.Thousands of drivers who would have escaped prosecution for collisions after simply swapping insurance details will now face likely prosecution as soon as the police become involved. An array of trivial motoring offences in addition to minor crashes are also likely to lead to action under proposals to give police powers to issue fixed penalty notices for careless driving. They could include eating, drinking or smoking at the wheel, reading a map, tuning a radio or arguing with a passenger. All funds raised from the on-the-spot fines will go directly to the Treasury, which already makes more than £100 million a year from speed cameras. The proposals triggered fears of a surge in the number of drivers being prosecuted, as happened following the introduction of speed cameras. There were 260,000 people convicted of speeding offences in 2000-01 when speed cameras were in their infancy but by 2006-07, after they had been rolled out nationwide, this figure had reached 1.75 million. They are contained in a Department for Transport consultation paper, which raises concerns that a sharp decline in the number of convictions for careless driving may be due to the amount of paperwork involved in the police bringing prosecutions. "This would suggest that there are careless drivers who are currently 'getting away with it'," the document states. Some also warned that the new system would see motorists will fall foul of police officers under pressure to prove they are cost-effective and meet targets. "Cops aren't daft," said Kevin Delaney, Scotland Yard's former head of traffic. "They are human like the rest of us and will take the easiest option. "The easier you make it for them to meet performance targets by issuing tickets, the more likely they are to do it." Critics fear that making it easier for careless driving prosecutions to take place will simply mean that the Treasury will cash in from the sharp rise in income from fines. "This smacks of trying to make a fast buck out of already heavily taxed drivers," said a spokesman for the TaxPayersAlliance. "Obviously dangerous driving should still be penalised. Ordinary families are struggling with the credit crunch, trying to get more money from them is wrong." The plans were described as a "bombshell" by Rob Gifford, director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, and normally sympathetic to the Government's strategy. "This could lead to policing by numbers rather than policing aimed at raising standards," he said. At present police can only prosecute motorists for careless driving through the courts. Most of those taken to court plead guilty and are penalised with points on their licence and a fine. But the Government has been alarmed by the fall in the number of convictions for poor driving. In 1986 there were 107,600 motorists convicted of careless driving but by 2006 this had fallen by more than 75 per cent to only 25,400. "The level of enforcement is steadily dropping," the Government noted in the consultation paper. This, it is believed, has resulted in an increasing number of cases of careless driving going unpunished. Ministers believe that this is because of the burden of paperwork police have to deal with in bringing a careless driving case to court. The Government believes that a simpler process – bringing careless driving into line with the prosecution of speeding – would "increase the chances of enforcement action being taken against demonstrably bad driving." Such a move could add to the burden on motorists, many of whom have backed the Daily Telegraph's Fair Deal for Drivers campaign against plans to impose "green taxes" on the owners of "environmentally unfriendly" cars. Few dispute the need to pursue blatantly bad driving, but there are fears that the new system could lower the prosecution threshold because of the ease with which fixed penalty notices can be handed out. Motorists are expected to comply with The Highway Code and failure to do so can be construed as careless driving. It is this which could lead to prosecutions for fiddling with the radio, listening to loud music or swigging a bottle of water. Similarly tens of thousands of minor accidents are normally settled by drivers swapping insurance details, even if the police are called to the scene. Now, it is feared, officers will be expected to issue a fixed penalty notice to the driver deemed to have been at fault. Insurers paid out on 1.7 million road accidents last year, the majority of which were regarded as minor. "We would like to know more about how the new system will be used, especially after minor accidents," said Andrew Howard, the AA's head of road safety. "Penalties should reflect how bad the driving was, not whether or not a police officer attends the scene." There are also fears that the offence of careless driving could be devalued by the introduction almost automated system. Mr Delaney, who is also head of road safety at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, warned it would remove the stigma of a court appearance for bad driving. But the Department for Transport defended the plans in the consultation. "Bad driving puts other drivers, cyclists and pedestrians at risk and is rated by the public as the second most important road safety issue for the Government to tackle," a spokesman said. "Making careless driving a fixed penalty offence will help the police to enforce against bad drivers who admit fault with a minimum of bureaucracy, freeing up police resources. "But all drivers will always have the option to contest their case in court and we will work with the police to develop guidance to ensure that cases are handled correctly."
Michelle Palmer and Vince Acors met while in Dubai. A British man who was convicted of having sex on a beach in Dubai has flown home, his lawyer says. Vince Acors, 34, of Bromley, London, was given a jail sentence suspended on appeal, along with Michelle Palmer, of Oakham, Rutland. Acors was due to fly home earlier but was re-arrested just before boarding a flight because his visa had expired. Palmer, 36, is already in the UK. She was in Dubai as a publishing executive, but was sacked after her arrest. Acors's lawyer, Andrew Crossley, said his client had landed at Heathrow Airport at 1400 GMT. Mr Crossley told the BBC: "He's back in the UK and is delighted. He had a pretty relaxing flight and is back, and going to resume his normal life again." Hassan Matter, who represented Palmer and Acors during their Dubai trial, said: "Michelle returned home a few days ago. "I worked on her deportation. She didn't have any problems because she had been in Dubai to work." Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf has decided to resign and is expected to announce his departure on Saturday, his spokesman said on Wednesday. The announcement came shortly after the resignation of a politician he named prime minister last week, who said he did not want to be an obstacle to peace in the Horn of Africa nation. "The president has already written his resignation letter and he is expected to announce it on the coming Saturday," Hussein Mohamed Mohamud, a presidential spokesman, told Reuters. "It is not good for me to predict or explain his reasons for resigning. President Yusuf will explain everything when he resigns." Yusuf appointed Mohamed Mohamud Guled after sacking Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein earlier this month, but parliament and the international community backed Hussein, effectively leaving the already weak government with two prime ministers. The president has since come under heavy pressure from Washington to prevent the government collapsing and regional countries imposed sanctions on Yusuf this week for hampering a UN-hosted peace process. The rift between Yusuf and Hussein has been blamed for stalling peace talks and threatens to tear apart the Western-backed administration at a time Islamist insurgents are camped on the outskirts of the capital Mogadishu. Analysts believe the rival political camps could revive militias and take their fight onto the streets -- where the insurgency is fighting the Ethiopians and African peacekeepers. Hussein is open to including Islamists in the peace process and held talks last weekend in Djibouti with Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, the leader of the moderate Islamist opposition. Western nations and Somalia's neighbours have invested a huge amount of political capital in the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and have become frustrated that it has proved largely ineffectual so far. Soldiers from neighbouring Ethiopia have been propping up the government for the past two years, but there only some 3,000 soldiers left and Addis Ababa says they will leave by January. The Islamist insurgency controls most of southern Somalia outside the capital Mogadishu and Baidoa, the seat of parliament, and analysts predict it will seize the rest when the Ethiopians go unless more peacekeepers are sent. - Daily Nation.
Somalia's President Abdullahi Yusuf. His spokesman has said that he will resign on Saturday. Photo/FILE Nairobi, Wednesday 24th December, 2008. President Mwai Kibaki has Wednesday signed into law the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2008. The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Act 2008 is set to jumpstart the review process that will ensure that the country gets a new constitution. At the same time from State House Mombasa, President Kibaki has urged Christians to use the Christmas season to renew their faith in Christ the savior and to uphold His teachings of love and obedience to God and love for one another. "Let us also be inspired by Christ's example of service to others with generous hearts and open hands," the Head of State said. Noting that during the festive season many Kenyans travel to various parts of the country to spend the holidays with their loved ones, President Kibaki appealed to all motorists to exercise maximum caution to ensure safety on the roads. In this regard, the Head of State asked Traffic Police to be extra vigilant in their work to stop the unnecessary loss of lives on the roads. Said the President: "It is unfortunate that road accidents have continued to claim many lives in our country. It is painful that the causes of most accidents can be avoided and many precious lives saved." As Kenyans celebrate Christmas, President Kibaki once again urged all Christian faithful to reflect on the meaning of Christmas by extending a helping hand to those in need and to give hope to those in despair. On its part, the President said the Government has increased famine relief supplies to areas affected by drought and called on wananchi, especially Christians, to support their fellow Kenyans facing various difficult situations. "I am aware that this year, Christmas has come at a particularly difficult time for some of our people due to the failed rains in the marginal areas of Eastern Province, Coast Province, North Eastern Province and Northern Kenya as a whole," the President said. The President pointed out that the situation has been worsened by the global food crisis that has considerably increased the cost of food imports. As other Kenyans celebrate Christmas more than 400 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Elementaita could spend today without a meal. The IDPs, who include children and elderly women, face starvation and are desperately crying out for help. It was a hectic day for most people on Wednesday as they wound up preparations for Christmas festivities. Public transport, supermarkets and petrol stations recorded increased business. President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka sent goodwill messages to Kenyans. They thanked Kenyans for preaching unity despite the tough times they have gone through this year. The leaders admitted Kenyans were facing tough times due to economic challenges in a year scarred by violence. In his message from State House Mombasa, President Kibaki urged Christians to use the Christmas season to renew their faith in Jesus Christ and uphold his teachings of love and obedience to God and love for one another. "Let us also be inspired by Christ’s example of service to others with generous hearts and open hands," Kibaki said. Raila’s was a message of peace and hope to Kenyans. "Peace and hope are my biggest wishes to Kenyans this Christmas and New Year. Never again should we slip back to violence," he said in statement from his Apoda home in Bondo. Kalonzo thanked Kenyans for pulling the country from the brink of collapse to peace and stability within three months. Speaking from his Mwingi North constituency, Kalonzo said he would spend Christmas worshipping at Tseikuru Baptist Church with his family, including his 100-year-old mother. Matatu operators and supermarkets countrywide recorded booming business. Street vendors, especially those selling clothes and shoes, said sales had tremendously improved this season. "Most people are buying shoes in preparation for January when schools reopen," Mr Clement Maina, a shoe trader on Nairobi’s Kenyatta Avenue, said. Many passengers travelling to western Kenya were stranded at the main bus stage due to shortage of public service vehicles. Some matatu operators took advantage of the situation to raise fares. "Business is not bad as it appears most people have decided to join their families at the last minute," Mr Stephen Mwangi, a matatu conductor, said. Passengers travelling to Nairobi, Kisumu and Eldoret complained that they were overcharged. Hotels in Mombasa and other coastal towns have recorded improved business because local tourists have flocked the hotels and flooded the beaches. - The Standard. NSSF: Pensions Fund set to lose Sh458 millionBy Peter Opiyo The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) stands to lose Sh458.1 million it invested in buying four parcels of gazetted forest land between 1994 and 1996, an audit report reveals. The report indicates that the gazetted properties cannot be owned nor can any development legally take place on them, making it near impossible to recover money that NSSF sunk into them. The audit into the fund, which was ordered by Prime Minister Raila Odinga last month, lists the parcels as New Muthaiga (part of Karura forest reserve, LR No 209/12274, bought in 1995 at Sh296 million), Ngong Road (part of Ngong forest reserve LR No 20840 and 20841 bought in 1995 at Sh40.5 million). NSSF also bought Ngong Road parcel LR No 18486 in 1994 at Sh70 million and in 1996 purchased Parklands (National Monument LR No 2096439) at Sh51 million. NSSF also stands to lose Sh2.1 billion in deposits to financial institutions The Fund was accused of failing to comply with provisions of the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) Act in the appointment of an investments manager (fund manager), and that of a registered custodian. It is also accused of failing to comply with investment guidelines, among other requirements. Yesterday, RBA Chief Executive Officer Edward Odundo said they will issue a directive for prosecution should the NSSF fail to comply with RBA regulations by next week. Speaking to The Standard on the telephone from his rural home, Mr Odundo said although the fund has since named an investment manager and custodian of the Fund’s assets, NSSF is yet to give the officials appointment letters. "The new managers need to be given appointment letters and contracts. Naming them is not enough. The Fund must comply with our regulations," said Odundo. According to regulations, the investments manager and the custodian cannot function if they do not have employment letters. Odundo said a new board of trustees and a Managing Trustee should be appointed before the year ends to expedite the appointment of the two managers in compliance with the RBA. The audit report, which The Standard has obtained, exposes financial and management improprieties that have dogged the fund for more than a decade, linking current financial woes to investments in doubtful projects and poor management. The audit by the Inspector General (Corporations), under the office of the Prime Minister, lists ten institutions that went under in the 1990s with the NSSF’s deposits, and expresses doubt over the recovery of the money. In the 62-page report, NSSF is said to have deposited money with Continental Credit Ltd, Rural Urban Credit Ltd, Pioneer Building Society, Middle Africa Finance and Nairobi Finance Corporation Ltd. Others are Trade Bank Ltd, Trade Finance Ltd, Post Bank Credit Ltd, Thabiti Finance Ltd and Prudential Building Society. "The provision for doubtful investments relates to deposits in financial institutions which collapsed and therefore recovery of the deposits is doubtful," states the report. It also exposes how the NSSF Board of Trustees continues to earn unauthorised sitting allowances despite a Government directive against it four years ago. The report observes that the nine-member board gets Sh25,000 a person a sitting instead of the recommended taxable maximum of Sh20,000. The Government gave guidelines on terms and conditions of service for board members through the Office of the President Circular No. OP/CAB.9/21/2A /CII/43 on November 23, 2004. The report documents that following the guidelines, the NSSF management unsuccessfully sought the indulgence of the State Corporations Advisory Committee to approve payments outside the guidelines. In a letter Ref No. OP/SCAC/9/161(A) (8) on January 14, 2008 Labour Permanent Secretary, the committee declined to grant the request, but this has not deterred the board from earning Sh25,000 a sitting each. "It was established, however, that NSSF trustees continue to draw a sitting allowance net of Sh25,000 per sitting, contrary to the aforementioned guidelines and letter from the State Corporations Advisory Committee," states the report. The report again questions the regularity of staff establishment at the multi-billion fund, pointing out that none was approved by the board of trustees. The fund has 2,557 posts, with 1,688 staff as at September 2008. This means 869 positions are vacant. Besides the large number of vacant positions, most of them are redundant and thus their existence creates opportunities for over employment," the report points out. Investigation also revealed that the staff establishment has never been approved by the board of trustees. In addition, the Fund has never carried out a workload/staffing requirement analysis to determine its optimal staffing levels. "The Fund staff complement is, therefore, not only irregular, but also arbitrary as it is not established through an empirical study," says the report. The audit, done following concerns raised by the media and Parliament, also points out at the bloated workforce in some departments. "For instance, the Customer Services Department, serving 29 field stations, has 942 staff members. This translates to an average of 33 employees per station. The report notes that a former Managing Trustee (name withheld) would receive applications and then instruct the human resources manager to convene ad hoc committees to conduct sham interviews to rubber-stamp the appointments. The report also blames former top managers for questionable trading of shares with Discount Securities, recommending they be held responsible for the missing share certificates and any loss of funds. Discount Securities started trading shares on behalf of NSSF in August 2004, when the three top managers served in their respective portfolios. "The three officers should be held accountable for their negligence for not obtaining share certificates in respect of the investment of shares worth Sh1.4 billion through Discount Securities Ltd," the report recommends. After scrutinising the correspondence between Discount Securities and NSSF, the auditors concluded that the Fund did not bother to inquire about share trading from August 2004 until September 2007. And even then, when Discount Securities eventually responded in March 2008, it said it was unable to reconcile the records, citing major discrepancies, ironically seeking the Fund’s assistance instead. And speaking in Busia, Labour Assistant Minister Sospeter Ojaamong said his ministry has unearthed massive corruption at NSSF. Mr Ojaamong claimed millions of shillings are stolen at NSSF daily, making it impossible for retirees to get their payment in time. "Workers contribute their money hoping that after retirement, they will get it back to use it in old age. Instead, they get frustrated as they seek the funds," said the Amagoro MP. He claimed that Cotu and Federation of Kenya The assistant minister said it was the responsibility of Government to protect workers from corrupt leaders running public institutions. "As long as President Kibaki allows us to be in charge of the ministry, we shall continue to fight corruption," said Ojaamong. - The Standard. London, Tuesday 23rd December, 2008. Surprises as the exchanges rates changes twice in a day. In the morning the pound market opened with Kenya Shillings exchanging at Kshs. 109 in London, at 11.00 a.m. the exchange rate went up to KShs. 111.73 and at 1.00 p.m. the exchange went up again to KShs. 112.50 against the pound. Talk of unstable market. The pound came under further pressure on Tuesday as data showed the UK economy contracted by more than expected in the third quarter. Final figures from the Office for National Statistics showed UK gross domestic product shrank by 0.6 per cent in the three months to September.This was greater than the 0.5 per cent drop expected and the largest fall since the fourth quarter of 1990. Adding further pressure on sterling were figures showing mortgages approved for UK house purchases sank to just 17,773 in November from 20,767 in October, the lowest since the series started in 1997. Analysts said the data highlighted the serious downturn in the UK economy and raised the likelihood that the Bank of England would cut UK interest rates, which currently stand at 2 per cent, in the new year. “We expect the Bank of England to reduce interest rates by at least 75 basis points to 1.25 per cent in January,” said Howard Archer at IHS Global Insight. “Further out, we expect interest rates to fall to a low of 0.5 per cent in the second quarter of 2009 and then stay there for the rest of the year.” The pound fell 0.2 per cent to $1.4793 against the dollar, lost 0.5 per cent to £0.9449 against the euro and eased 0.4 per cent to Y133.22 against the yen. Meanwhile, the dollar lost ground amid thin trading as investors awaited US third-quarter growth data later in the session. The dollar fell 0.2 per cent to $1.4797 against then euro, lost 0.2 per cent to Y90.05 against the yen and dropped 0.5 per cent to SFr1.0883 against the Swiss franc. But Maurice Pomery at IDEAGlobal said the dollar could find support from reports in the Hong Kong press that China might issue Rmb1,600bn in treasury bonds next year to help finance measures to stimulate the economy. “There have been concerns in the market that the Chinese government could possibly sell off US treasuries to help fund the earlier announced fiscal stimulus package,” he said. “This news is likely to relieve some of the pressure on the dollar.”
President Mwai Kibaki has sent a message of condolence to the People of Guinea following the untimely death of the Country's head of state Lansana Conte. President Kibaki said he had learnt with great sorrow and shock of the passing on of the long serving President who died after some illness. "The death is not only a great loss to the People of Guinea but Kenya and the Africa Continent as a whole",President Kibaki said in a statement released from statehouse Mombasa said. A Kenyan parent came to see his family in the UK early last year with a two-year-visa. He stayed in the UK for more than one year. When booking for his flight back to Kenya he could not get the departure dates he wanted because of the Christmas Holiday season. For that reason he overstayed for two days. When he arrived at Heathrow Airport last week on his way back to Kenya he was stopped by UK immigration. He was advised that he has violated the UK Border and Immigration rules and he has to be detained. That was after he had checked in and he was on his way to the final security check. The officer explained that he was going to cancel his flight and detain him. The official proceeded to cancel the flight leaving the parent waiting. An officer standing by asked the man - "you have your boarding pass?" The man replied yes. Then the officer told him - "go quickly and board the plane." The man hurriedly to the plane - just to find the door closing and he was allowed in. It was his day. They are now questioning over-stayers. Airlines slash fares to lowest levels since 1980s
Cheap deals: Bargains are available on thousands of flights A price war broke out today as major airlines slashed fares to their lowest levels since the Eighties.Leading carriers have been forced to cut prices by up to 25 per cent amid fears that the economic downturn will lead to a post-Christmas slump.British Airways announced its New Year sale with flights to more than 75 destinations coming down in price. A return flight to New York is now just £259. Virgin Atlantic hit back by undercutting BA by £1 on fares to destinations including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Return tickets to India have also gone down hugely following last month's terror attacks in Mumbai. BA has reduced prices to Delhi by £121 to £359, Mumbai by £91 to £329 and Calcutta by £71 to £359. Big foreign carriers operating out of Britain, including Lufthansa and Emirates, are also reducing prices. Richard Tams of BA said: "There are real bargains to be had thanks to the combination of our New Year sale and the reduction in the fuel surcharge. We know from research that customers still rate their annual holiday as extremely important even in these difficult economic times, but obviously they want to make the absolute most of their money and this is a great time for them to do just that.” Airlines have been hit hard by the economic downturn. Passengers numbers have fallen dramatically, especially in business class, their main money-spinner.The Association of European Airlines reported a 9.3 per cent fall in passenger numbers in November compared with the previous year, and warned this month would be worse.British Airways' profits in the first half of the year were down 92 per cent to £52 million. The company has seen business class travel down 10 per cent month on month for three months.Lufthansa, which is seeking to woo more British customers, has cut return flights to Athens and Budapest via Munich or Frankfurt to £149. Emirates has also cut the fare on thousands of seats. Return flights to Dubai are down 20 per cent to £326 from Gatwick, as are flights to Bangkok (£496), Beijing (£390) and Hong Kong (£412). BA to Dubai starts at £299 and Virgin is £1 less. A spokeswoman for the Association of British Travel Agents said customers should take advantage of the price war as charges will go up later in the year. She said: “There are some irresistible bargains for travel in the turn of the year campaigns. We know that the prices offered over the next few weeks may not be matched later on in the year, so, if you see a good deal, snap it up. Oil prices are low now, and so could be reflected in airfares, but they are very volatile and may well go up.”Some travel agents have accused BA and Virgin of failing to lower the fuel surcharge enough. Paul Vasdev, of corporate travel specialists Expose Travel Management, said: “Oil prices are at their lowest in about four years when the fuel surcharge was around £10. Since then the surcharge has risen to an average of £220 and, taking into account the very recent cuts, has come down to around £100-£130. Airlines were quick to raise surcharges when oil prices rose but they have not lowered them as fast or as far when they have fallen.”
Biggest drop in UK economy for years The UK economy shrank more sharply than first thought between July and September, official figures show Output fell by 0.6 per cent during the third quarter of 2008 - a bigger slide than the 0.5 per cent first estimated, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. The decline - the biggest for 18 years - came after steeper than expected falls in output from the UK's powerhouse services sector. The detailed figures released left UK output for the second quarter of the year unchanged at zero per cent - a stagnation which ended a run of 63 successive quarters of growth stretching back to 1992. But statistics also revised up GDP output figures for the last three months of 2007 and the first quarter of 2008 - accelerating the pace at which the ailing UK economy has declined since then. The UK's recession is set to be officially confirmed in January when the ONS's first estimates show a further economic decline in the final three months of this year, representing two successive quarters of negative growth. Household spending declined by an unrevised 0.2 per cent between July and September. This followed a 0.3 per cent fall in the second quarter - representing the first decline in spending in successive quarters since 1995 - as hard-pressed shoppers cut back on food and drink and big-ticket items such as cars. London, December 17, 2008. Three African nationals have been jailed for a year after being found living and working in Scotland using false documents. The two women and one man could also face deportation following their sentences after they were arrested during a UK Borders Agency crackdown. At Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Olubukola Akeukereke, Asumpt Kamau and Philip Waweru all pleaded guilty to having false documents including UK, Nigerian and Kenyan passports and visas. Microbiologist Miss Akeukereke, 28, had been found at her home in Brunswick Road with fake UK and Nigerian passports in a false name. Miss Kamau, 43, was found with a Kenyan passport and fake UK residence permit and visa at her West Pilton Park home. Mr Waweru, 28, was caught with a Kenyan passport and a UK residence permit and visa that were false at his Forrester Park address. - Source-Edinburghnews
Christmas shopping has picked up everyone with some shops in London opening 24 hours others giving as much as 75 per cent discount. Kenyans have not been left behind. A large number of Kenyans has been flocking at the Kenyan shop at no. 78 Katherine Road, Eastham, London to pick their Christmas shopping. The shop has also reduced the prices with Royco 200 gms going for £1.49, white flour EXE mandazi going for £1.49, EXE Unga ngano all purpose going for £2.49 and when you buy one you get one free. New stock has just arrived from Kenya with goods like instant tea, milking jelly, Scott's Emulson, wide varieties of masalas, Atta Mark I Baking flour, Thabai, Kunde, Sukuma Wiki, Managu, green maize etc. all the the land of hakuna matata. Above photo Mr. and Mrs. Maina all the way from Bristol were caught doing their Christmas shopping on Saturday 20th December, 2008 and their daughter Fridah Maina (right) busy going for Fanta from Jamu as they call it. Unga wa ugali Jogoo (2 kg) is going for £2.49 compared to Uganda shop £3.99. The shop do both retail and wholesale - CLICK HERE FOR MORE Greetings from Kenya where Mr. Seed and his wife has been visiting for the last two and half weeks. We had a busy tour of Kenya where we attended several functions, graduations and crowning it all with a week visit to Mombasa - "kuingia ni rahisi na kutoka ni matanga.". After arrival in Kenya last month we attended the graduation of Rev. Elizabeth Wahome of Single Ladies International Ministry (SLIM) who has been awarded an honorary Doctorate Degree by an American University. The ceremony took place on Saturday 29th November, 2008 in Nairobi. Rev. Samuel Kamuri Muya was consecrated to the office of a Bishop on Saturday 6th December, 2008 in Elburgon, Nakuru, Kenya - The story and photos of the two functions to follow soon. While in Nakuru we noticed that many of the Nakuru residents living abroad have moved their investments and bases from Nakuru to Nairobi after elections violence early this year. We took a week off to the coast, Mombasa where we have been staying at Inter-Continental Resot on North Coast. While there we met with several Kenyans who have been living in the UK and have of late moved back to Kenya and are now living in Mombasa. One of the Kenyans (a classmate of my wife) who has been living in North London have invested heavily in the north coast. The team took us for a tour of the area and it was to our surprise that Mombasa is as expensive as London. The town has no comparison with Nairobi - a small room going for Kshs. 8,000 a night, a good room at Inter-Continental going for Kshs. 16,000 a night and on top of it all a room in the next door hotel - Serena - going for KShs. 18,000 a night. A one-bedroom apartment next to the hotels where one of the Kenyan is constructing 25 flats is going for KShs. 15,000 a night. Mombasa is the right place for an investor. Somalians have invaded the place. A Swahili house made of mad and makuti (grass) is going for 15 million Kenya Shillings where the Somalians are turning it into flats the Eastleigh style.
LEFT: Rev. Elizabeth Wahome of SLIM (centre) being escorted to the graduation ceremony as her husband Mr. Wahome (left) escorts her and the right photo Bishop Samuel Kamuri Muya being escorted for consecretion ceremony by his parents, brothers and sisters. His mother is Hannah and he is Samuel. Kenyan gospel singer Mr. Githuka lead the song "Uhe Kahii...." as bishop enters the church. Full story and photos coming soon. Come to Mtwapa area which have turned to be another UK. At night you would think you are in the UK. Every corner - small and big restaurants is full of foreigners. Many British pensions are selling their properties and retiring in the area and they have dominated Nyali Estate and Mtwapa. Mtwapa is a small fishing village with several restaurants offering gourmet meals. The Mtwapa Creek is becoming a popular destination for yachts and game fishermen. A tour of the Mombasa ended after visiting several areas - Mamba village, Kamba Village, Fort Jesus, Deep Sea with a Yacht. Our relative, a doctor in Kilifi took us for a Kilifi tour where he has constructed a hospital with a maternity. At Kilifi we noticed several Kenyans who have been living in the UK have comfortably settled there. Mr. Wachira who has been living in Forest Gate and once had a pub in Forest Gate, London is doing well down there. Back in Nairobi the price of properties are still going higher. The credit crunch seems not to be in their dictionary. Nairobi area near Uhuru Highway remains on top where half an acre next to Grand Legacy has sold for Kshs. 140 million, Westlands area follows with an acre of land going for Kshs. 90 acre, Ngong Road area going for KShs. 60 million an acre, Runda going for KShs. 10 million and Karen going for 15 million an acre. Most of the prime areas in Nairobi are turning into flats and hardly would you see a maisonette coming up. A Kenyan living in UK last month bought a 3-bedroom flat in Westland for KShs. 17 million. With the proposed By-pass roads coming up in Nairobi and the earmarking of Limuru, Thika, Machakos and Kajiado as a part of Greater Nairobi, the property prices will continue to rise. The big questions comes - will there be a market crash in Kenya the way property prices are going?
Police have banned a woman driver's car from the road - for being too untidy. The Vauxhall Astra was so full of junk, magazines, old clothes and even bits of furniture that they could barely see the driver at it roared down a motorway in Dusseldorf, Germany. The driver - who has not been named by police - has been banned from taking the car on the road again until it has passed a tidiness test. Police said the car was so full of junk the woman's face was pressed up against the windscreen as she drove. "I'm sure this will make most people feel a lot better about leaving the odd sweet wrapper lying around in their car," joked one police source. London, Monday 22nd December, 2008. Shops in the West End enjoyed one of their best weekends of the year as consumers, lured by unprecedented pre-Christmas discounts, spent more than £100million in just two days. Up to 140,000 shoppers packed out Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street - a rise of almost 20 per cent compared to the same weekend last year. Department store Selfridges said it was "one of the busiest weekends of the year", while John Lewis reported its London stores sold seven per cent more than this time last year. The rise in the number of West End shoppers comes after miserable November and early December sales figures prompted many shops to slash prices. Jace Tyrrell, of the New West End Company, said: "It's been an exceptional weekend, but there's been a lot of anxiety in recent weeks. "Europeans have been buying lots, but we were worried about the domestic London market who were taking forever to start spending. Christmas has come late but it has come at last." Retail experts said shoppers had "held their nerve" waiting for shops to drop prices - with discounts of up to 70 per cent at Benetton, 60 per cent at Liberty and 50 per cent at Gap, H&M and dozens more. Stephen Robertson, director general of the British Retail Consortium, said: "Some retailers will now dare to breathe a sigh of relief that customers are simply delaying their Christmas spending rather than cancelling it." But many experts warned shops were making a risky compromise amid news that up to 10 chains are threatened with going bust next month. Nick Hood, a partner at business recovery company Begbies Traynor, said: "Not a lot of them are profitable because of the discounting at a time when they would normally generate all their profits for the year." He added that, while retailers at the high and low ends of the market are attracting a lot of custom, the middle-of-the range shops have been stung. "People are either looking for bargains, or they have the money to pay for luxury items. Middle-class families are being a lot more cautious," he said.
This giant isopod may look like a humble woodlouse but lives at the bottom of the Atlantic, eating dead fish. Nine of them are to go on display in Britain for the first time, in Blackpool, Lancashire. Airlines have been told they can no longer blame technical problems with their planes to get out of paying compensation to passengers for delays. They face the crackdown, which could cost them millions of pounds, after a ruling by European judges. The decision closes a loophole allowing airlines to claim a fault with a plane is outside their control. Kenyan submits PhD work in African language
Mr Gatua wa Mbugua: “ It was difficult selling the idea, but I am glad they accepted it.” courtesy
December 22, 2008: The first-ever doctoral dissertation in a Kenyan African language has been submitted to the Department of Plant Sciences and the Graduate School of the University of Wyoming (UW) ; interestingly by a man who worked as a GSU constable and later as a croupier at the International Casino. Gatua wa Mbugwa, an instructor in UW’s African American Studies Programme, wrote the historic PhD work in Gikuyu. He has translated an English copy which has been combined and submitted with the original Gikuyu version. Wa Mbugwa, was once stationed at State House, Nakuru and worked with the paramilitary unit for three years until 1980 when he quit after he failed to get a promotion. Frustrated, he turned to small-scale farming to survive. “I did it because I had no job”, he told Business Daily. “It was out of determination to make ends meet that I started organic farming. Determined, he joined the Manor House Agricultural Centre in Kitale where he studied for two years. “I wanted to learn more about the soils, the farming and why I was not making ends meet”, he says. Today, wa Mbugwa, teaches the Global Impact of African Cultures and Agriculture Rooted in Diversity courses and describes his dissertation as a body of extensive research focusing on a self-regenerating winter annual plant species called ‘Laramie’ medic.“This medic is an annual pasture legume that enriches agricultural soils and improves livestock nutrition and productivity,” he says. His PhD supervisor was James M. Krall, professor of plant sciences and director of research at UW’s James Hageman Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Centre. Krall introduced the “ley” farming system into Wyoming and the US Central High Plains region. The introduced ley farming system uses the Laramie medic to enrich soils and improve agricultural productivity. Wa Mbugwa says he plans to introduce the system in Kenya. Renowned author, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, says wa Mbugwa’s dissertation was written in excellent and standard Gikuyu and that it is the first of its kind in Africa, and certainly in Kenya. He says wa Mbugwa has “almost single-handedly invented scientific Gikuyu language, thus proving that scientific research can be reported in an African language without loss of scientific content and value. It should prove an inspiring model for other African languages.” Prof Ngugi is a distinguished professor of English and comparative literature and director of the International Centre for Writing and Translation at the University of California, Irvine. Wa Mbugwa says that it was Prof Ngugi who motivated him to do the work in Gikuyu language. “When I was doing my masters of professional studies in international agriculture, I met Prof Ngugi in Asmara (Eritrea) and told him I had written my first chapter in Gikuyu language. He told me it would be historic if I wrote the entire piece”, says wa Mbugwa. That was in the year 2000 when he was at Cornell University. “It was difficult selling the idea but I am glad they accepted it,” he says of Cornell University’s professors. Wa Mbugwa hails from Mutunguru village in Gatundu, and received dual BA degrees in environmental studies and politics at the University of California at Santa Cruz and earned Master’s degrees in professional studies in agriculture and in crop and soil sciences from Cornell University. He completed his PhD in agronomy at UW in four years. He Master’s thesis, which he also wrote originally in his Gikuyu language, was about impacts of biointensive cropping with a focus on Kenyan collard greens (Sukuma Wiki). He says he plans to publish the first-ever Gikuyu language scientific text books. He has produced two Gikuyu language poetry CDs, and is a regular contributor in Mutiiri, a journal of culture written in Gikuyu language. - Daily Nation.
LEFT: The Daily Express reveals Britons are taking vacations in countries outside the Euro because of the currency's strength against the pound. CENTRE: The Independent claims Gordon Brown has lost his 'bounce' as voters revolt over taxes - quoting figures from a new opinion poll. RIGHT: And The Guardian says government buildings emit more carbon dioxide each year than Kenya's entire carbon footprint. London, Monday 22nd December, 2008. Hundreds of supermarkets and department stores are now open around the clock until Christmas Eve. A record number of shops are trading all day and night to try to boost sales. Retailers said they predicted a late Christmas rush this year and have been cutting prices as part of their efforts to persuade cash-strapped Britons to loosen their purse strings. Many stores reported a surge in sales at the weekend as people ventured on to high streets and into malls to snap up bargains. Jace Tyrell, of the New West End Company which represents more than 600 traders in London's Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street, said around 600,000 people visited the West End on Saturday, with Sunday also proving busy. He said: "It was heaving and shoppers were definitely spending." A spokesman for Capital Shopping Centres, which has interests in 14 regional shopping centres, including MetroCentre in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and Lakeside in Essex said: "Being the last weekend before Christmas Day, panic shopping happened. "Customers have been trying to find good bargains for Nintendo Wiis, laptops and cameras. Demand for pyjamas and slippers have also been high." Andrew Parkinson, general manager of Bluewater in Kent, said: "With Christmas Day falling on Thursday this year, retailers were expecting a peak in sales over the weekend and it's expected to last through until Christmas Eve with many people cramming in last-minute shopping." Norman Black, spokesman for Brent Cross Shopping Centre in London, said it had been the busiest weekend of the year, but warned the sales boost may have come too late to beat total Christmas figures for last year. "The last couple of days have been excellent," he said. "But Christmas has come very late and we would still expect to be behind last year in terms of the amount of money we will take." He said the shopping centre expects to see 200,000 people through its doors between now and close on Christmas Eve, spending a predicted total of £16 million on last-minute shopping.
Festive flurry: shoppers hunting for pre-Christmas bargains in Oxford Street. Department stores reported better sales compared with figures for the same weekend last year Four navy officers have perished in two separate accidents in a span of 24 hours. In one incident, two soldiers died when their boat capsized at the English Point near State House, Mombasa, on Monday. A third navy official went missing after the incident and efforts to get him were ongoing by Monday evening. The two soldiers died when the fast craft they were manning capsized. They were in a group of four others on routine patrol at sea behind State House. The deceased are said to have been new in the force. The rescued officers are recuperating at a Mombasa hospital. When The Standard approached the accident scene on Monday morning, divers from the Kenya Navy and Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) were scouring the waters. A KPA pilot boat and a Kenya Navy tugboat christened Imara were patrolling the waters near the scene. Navy divers from the Clearance Diving Unit were also present. Coast PPO King’ori Mwangi refused to comment on the incident. "Please talk to the Kenya navy," he said. The Military Assistant to the Chief of General Staff Gen Jeremiah Kianga referred us to Military Spokesman Bogita Ongeri. But Ongeri could not comment, saying he was on leave. He referred us to a Col Boyon. "I am leaving for studies abroad and I am thus not in the know of what might have transpired," Boyon said when reached on the telephone. Telephone contacts of one Mr Charles Mutai whom we were told to get in touch with went unanswered. In a separate accident, two Navy fire fighters died after their fire engine overturned at Msambweni trading centre on Sunday. Two other officers were seriously injured and admitted at the Msambweni District Hospital. The minister for East Africa Community Amsaon Kingi said: "Today is a sad day for the Kenya Navy". - The Standard. The full impact of the post-election violence on the economy was on Monday laid bare in a Government report, which lists tourism, manufacturing, transport and agriculture as the sectors which declined most. The report by the National Bureau of Statistics also says that the economy will grow by only 2.1 per cent this year and not the 6.3 per cent that the Government had projected. This means that there will be increased unemployment and that businesses in key sectors will not reap as handsome profits as they did last year. Experts said the effects of violence were likely to haunt Kenya for a long time to come. The situation has been worsened by the global economic slowdown which has hit hitherto strong economies like the US and EU. According to the Bureau of Statistics, tourism was the biggest loser, declining by 34.7 per cent. Hoteliers are feeling the pinch the most as the number of visitors has declined significantly. It was followed by agriculture, which fell by 4.7 per cent this year yet it had declined marginally by 0.3 per cent last year. The decline in agriculture is already being felt in the rising food prices and the shortage of maize, which has compelled the Ministry of Agriculture to seek the importation of three million bags of maize. In tourism, hoteliers are feeling the pinch as the number of tourists declines. New figures indicate that manufacturing shrunk by 0.7 per cent this year, yet it grew by 7.5 per cent in 2007. This is a significant decline, which means that more people lost their jobs. However, the chairman of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, Mr Vimal Shah, remained optimistic that consumers’ purchasing power will improve as inflation stabilises. In the third quarter of the year, manufacturers had said that their businesses would close, leading to lose of about 80,000 jobs, due to the high cost of electricity and other expenses that had raised the cost of doing business. The cost of electricity is expected to reduce next month, with fuel prices easing after reaching historically high levels mid this year. According to the new report, the transport and communication sector recorded a marginal growth of 0.1 per cent compared to the more robust 13.4 per cent recorded last year. This sector gives indications on the level of business activity. A decline signals reduced business, which translates to few jobs. In the sector by sector analysis, hotels and restaurants alone recorded a decline of 34.7 per cent. Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers CEO Mike Macharia said: “As at December last year, we used to receive up to 41 chartered flights weekly in Mombasa. After the election violence, we hardly received three. And today, we received a paltry 11.” Each chartered flight carries about 300 tourists. Statistics indicate that the number of tourist arrivals and departures has decreased considerably. Mr Macharia said the situation was unlikely to improve in the coming year. “At around this time next year, we envisage a decline in the number of tourists coming to Mombasa,” the official said. - Daily Nation.The British pound drops to its lowest ever. The exchange rates against Kenya Shillings goes down to it worst at KShs. 109. Some shops are offering direct 'pound-for-euro' exchange rates Backpacks will be sent packing, duffel bags denied and coolers frozen out at the swearing-in of the President-elect in Washington DC on January 20. The restrictions come as organisers attempt to cope with a record turnout for the oath of office ceremony. Posters and signs are also banned from the inaugural parade and grounds near the Capitol building. Unsurprisingly, firearms, explosives and sharp objects are also prohibited. Between two and three million people are expected to descend on the capital next month to see the ceremonies for Mr Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden. But organisers have warned, with only 30,000 chairs available, the vast majority of attendees "should be prepared to be on their feet for several hours". Inauguration day is usually a cold and sometimes wet affair, added the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. But officials say they will provide blankets and thousands of ponchos if rain prevails or temperatures drop. The current record attendance for a president's inauguration stands at 1.2m. That was for Lyndon Johnson's swearing-in in 1965, which followed the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama walks to the driving range before playing golf near the house he is staying for a vacation over the Christmas holidays in Kailua, Hawaii December 21, 2008. REUTERS Members of the African Union's peace and security council are holding urgent talks on the crisis in Somalia. The meeting of foreign ministers, in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, is to focus on finding a way to strengthen the peacekeeping force in Somalia. An Ethiopian force of more than 3,000 troops has been backing the interim government, but is about to withdraw. An earlier meeting of the East African regional group, Igad, decided to impose sanctions on the Somalian president. The transitional government is in disarray, after President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed attempted to sack Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein - a move the prime minister and parliament rejected. Torn by internal conflict, Somalia has been without an effective central government for more than 15 years. Islamist insurgents are on the upsurge and control most of the country. The Ethiopian troops, a weak AU force and troops loyal to the interim Somali government are limited to parts of Mogadishu and the central town of Baidoa, where parliament is based. At the Igad meeting on Sunday, African Union commission head Jean Ping said Nigeria was ready to send a battalion of about 850 troops. Burundi and Uganda would each send an additional battalion, he said. The foreign ministers of the six-member Inter-governmental Authority on Development (Igad) came out in support of Somalian Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein in the political conflict with President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed. After their meeting, the group said: "[Igad] regrets the attempts by President Abdullahi Yusuf to unconstitutionally appoint a new prime minister that Igad does not recognise, and decides to impose sanctions on him and his associates immediately." Mr Abdullahi had said he sacked the prime minister a week ago because the government had been "paralysed by corruption, inefficiency and treason" and failed to bring peace. However, Somalia's parliament declared the sacking illegal and passed a vote of confidence in Mr Nur by a huge majority.
LEFT: The Daily Express says the worst flu outbreak for 10 years is set to overwhelm Britain's hospitals. CENTRE: The Daily Telegraph leads with a warning from the Archbishop of Canterbury, who says Britain must learn the lessons of Nazi Germany in dealing with the effects of the economic downturn. RIGHT: The Independent warns of lengthening dole queues to come as thousands of public and private sector jobs are axed. Japan's biggest carmaker Toyota has forecast its first annual loss in 71 years due to plummeting sales and a surge in the value of the yen. The firm said it expected a loss of 150bn yen (£1.1bn) in yearly operating profits - from its core operations. Japan also posted a trade deficit of $2.5bn (£1.7bn) in November as exports fell at a record rate. The rising yen saw export levels down 26.7% from a year earlier, the ministry of finance said. The carmaker recorded an operating profit of 2.27 trillion yen last year. Some shops are offering direct 'pound-for-euro' exchange rates While the decline in the value of sterling is posing problems for UK tourists bound for Europe, it is providing an unexpected boon for Northern Ireland's retailers. As the pound keeps falling, the traffic-jams keep growing with euro-shoppers coming to Northern Ireland for a Christmas bargain. With some shops offering a straight 'euro-for-pound' exchange rate, the queues are getting longer and longer. So much so that some local people in border towns like Newry and Enniskillen are annoyed at having to fight their way through the "euro tourists" to get to their nearest shops. Cross-border shopping trips in Ireland are as old as the border itself but what's happening at the moment is unprecedented. The scale of the influx is staggering. Take the Asda store in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh:
Along the border in Strabane, sales were up 54% last week at the local Asda, compared with the same week last year. Not bad for a store in a town which used to be one of the UK's economic blackspots. Strabane ASDA manager, Eugene Teague, says: "It's down to the exchange rate and the southern customer just getting in their car and being prepared to drive that bit further." Last year, a Euro was worth around 70p, now it has soared above 90p. Most of the cross-border shoppers are making a 30-minute drive from neighbouring towns but there is evidence of some shoppers being prepared to come from more than an hour away, if not further. They reckon they can save at least 30% on their weekly grocery shop. At the Supervalu store in Strabane, manager Martin McBrearty not only allows customers to pay in euros but gives them their change in the same currency. So what are the southern shoppers coming north to buy? "The big one this year is the alcohol," says Mr McBrearty. "We're hearing lots of stories about people coming up with trailers, and filling them full of alcohol from the local stores and then scampering across the border again." The Dublin government is watching the exodus with increasing concern.
Some shops are offering direct 'pound-for-euro' exchange rates Irish Finance Minister Brian Lenihan recently rebuked the cross-border bargain-hunters. He said: "When you shop in Northern Ireland, you're paying Her Majesty's taxes, you're not paying taxes to the state that you live in." It was a blunt appeal for patriotic shopping. However, the large numbers of cars from the Republic parked at northern shopping centres last weekend suggested Irish people are currently more concerned with personal economics than national politics. One southern shopper in Strabane said: "I would shop in the South if they would bring down their prices and match the prices in the North. "If they were any way patriotic, they would bring down the prices and not be so greedy. In the South they raised VAT, here they cut it." The VAT rate in the UK is down to 15%, while it recently went up in the Irish Republic to 21.5%. It is making life difficult for southern retailers. Paul Bradley, who runs a Eurospar in Buncrana, Co Donegal, has already had to reduce his workforce. He said: "There are job losses in this area and there's probably going to be more if this exchange rate continues as it is. It just continues to drop day after day. "I've been in the retail trade for about 30 years and this is the toughest patch I've ever gone through. I'm normally a good sleeper but I'm sleeping less at night now." The so-called Celtic Tiger economy in the Republic has limped into recession. The procession of shoppers across the border is making things worse. There is little sign of any sympathy from their northern neighbours. The South's difficulty is seen as the North's opportunity to cash in. It's not politics. It's simply business. Top 10 Crises Of The Year Named Violence in Somalia, civilian displacement in Congo and medical emergencies in Burma and Zimbabwe have been named among the top ten humanitarian crises of 2008. Other highlighted problems include malnutrition, which claims five million lives worldwide every year and HIV-tuberculosis co-infections, which kill around 1.7m globally each year. The list was the 11th produced annually by Medicins Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders. "Working on the frontlines of crisis zones throughout the world, MSF medical teams witness firsthand the medical and psychological consequences people endure from extreme violence, displacement, and neglected-yet treatable-diseases and health needs," said MSF International Council President Dr Christophe Fournier. "In some of these places, it is extremely difficult for aid groups to access populations requiring help. "Where we are able to provide assistance, we have a special responsibility to bear witness and speak out about intolerable suffering and draw attention to basic humanitarian needs-needs that are often largely ignored." MSF warned that it is becoming increasingly difficult to deliver aid to those most in need because of the hazardous and threatening environments it faces. The organisation had to curtail some of its operations in Somalia in 2008 because of increased violence, including direct attacks and threats against aid workers. "The reality on the ground is that the humanitarian community is unable to do nearly enough for populations in grave need of medical assistance," Dr Fournier said. "With the release of this list, we hope to focus much-needed attention on the millions of people who are trapped in conflict and war, affected by medical crises, whose immediate and essential health needs are neglected, and whose plight often goes unnoticed." MSF began producing the list in 1998 to generate greater awareness of crises around the world, after a famine in southern Sudan went largely unreported in the US media. :: The top ten humanitarian crises of 2008, according to Medecins Sans Frontieres: Somalia's humanitarian catastrophe Critical health needs in Burma Health crisis in Zimbabwe Civilians trapped by war in eastern Congo Malnutrition Need for assistance in Ethiopia's Somali region Civilians forced to flee fighting in northwestern Pakistan Violence in Sudan Iraqi civilians in need of assistance Sent to Mr. Seed on Sunday 21st December, 2008.Misterseed. Gratitude to you for this forum many have benefited from child care, romance, jobs and even from homelessness to homely. Long live Misterseed. Am disturbed by some issues i have come across that some Kenyans in detention have been denied bail because no one with a house could have signed for them. Am a house owner and am willing to assist good Kenyans with surety. Thank you Mkenya mzalendo THOSE CONCERN PLEASE CONTACT MR SEED AT misterseed@yahoo.co.uk
Worst festive retail outlook for 30 yearsPublished: December 21 2008 22:47 | Last updated: December 21 2008 22:47 Retailers are braced for the worst Christmas in more than three decades after far fewer shoppers hit the high street on the final weekend before the holidays compared with last year. The numbers of people going into stores was 8.4 per cent lower on Saturday compared to the same day a year earlier, according to figures from Experian, the retail analyst. In the six days to Saturday, footfall was 11.4 per cent lower. “There is no hiding the fact that this year will be one of the worst for retailers since the early 1970s,” said Bruno Rost of Experian. “Deep discounting may have brought some shoppers out but it has not been enough.” Ernst and Young estimates that the average discount on goods may top 40 per cent by Christmas. At the moment, prices have been cut by an average of more than 38 per cent so far, compared with a peak of more than 34 per cent last year. “Offers are at a crescendo level,” said Stephen Robertson, director general of the British Retail Consortium. “I don’t think we’ve seen this level of aggression probably ever.” The blowout sales and lower turnouts of shoppers in the final days before Christmas are dismal news for retailers, who are heavily reliant on holiday spending even in normal years. This year, after poor October and November retail sales, and with consumers expected to trim spending further in the new year, Christmas has taken on extra significance. But, so far, there has been little to suggest a last-minute rush will save retailers. Synovate, the market research company, said it only saw a 5 per cent drop in footfall compared with last year. But it forecasts that overall December footfall will be down by 7 per cent – the worst in the 15 years of the survey. Tim Denison, director of Synovate, said 2008 would probably be the toughest on the high street since the oil price shocks of the 1970s. Jace Tyrell of the New West End Company said footfall was up in the west end in London on Saturday by nearly 18 per cent compared to last year as shops slashed prices, but the rest of the week had been worse than the year before. “It’s difficult to believe that we can claw back in the next few days what we have lost in the last 10 weeks,” said Mr Robertson. Woolworths, the high street retailer, and MFI, the furniture store, are among the names that have been forced into administration and closure already, with many more expected to follow in January and February. On Sunday, John Lewis reported its sales were down 1.8 per cent last week compared to a year ago. Patrick Lewis, director of retail operations at the department store chain, said it was matching the huge sales at its competitors, which were “wider and deeper than in prior years, covering more products and with bigger markdowns”. John Lewis is starting its Christmas clearance sale before Christmas Day for the first time this year. Tesco is already offering discounts of up 60 per cent on some toys, while Marks and Spencer currently has a 30 per cent sale on much of its womenswear, including best-selling items such as cashmere cardigans. Among the products that were selling, Biscuit the Dog – an electronic talking puppy toy – and electronic photo frames were hits at John Lewis. In Metrocentre in Gateshead, best-sellers included computer games such as Wii Fit and consoles such as the Nintendo DS, and flat screen televisions. In London’s west end, female fashion and accessories were selling well, but sales of male fashion were down – perhaps reflecting financial services job losses in the City, the New West End Company said. In depth: Retail results - Apr-09UK supermarkets offer Christmas price cheer - Dec-20UK shops come out fighting on prices - Dec-17Downturn hits rapid growth of online spending - Dec-09Job fears weigh on UK consumers - Dec-09House sales continue fall to record low - Dec-09
A shopping crowd during Christmas time London, Sunday,21st December 2008. There was a point where taking something back to the shop was such a hassle that it was easier to forget it, give it away or flog it, whatever it was. But that's exactly what some shops want us to do. And they hope that everything from indifferent staff to epic queues will put us off refunds and exchanges if we do get as far as going back to the store. At this time of year it pays to know your rights when it comes to returning unwanted, broken or faulty items. Make sure you know your retail facts from the myths. Go back to the shop as soon as you can... When you just don't like it.... If you don't have a receipt... You have returned the item after the returns time limit... When the item is faulty or broken..... The item was bought in a sale... If the item was bought online or via mail order... If you paid by credit card... Foreigners’ entry into the second-hand vehicle business is raising concerns among locals. The Kenya Auto Bazaar Association (Kaba) reckons that foreigners are subjecting them to unfair competition. Kaba chairman, Mr Joseph Kichumba, said: "This has been going on for about five years and its intensity is increasing." The association now wants the Government to create a level playing field for all stakeholders. "They have connections with sources of second hand vehicles, mostly from Japan and are exposing local dealers to an unfair competition. The pricing of their vehicles is suspiciously very low," laments Kipchumba. Sources in the industry say the foreigners collude with some immigration officials to give them work permits. Kipchumba said the foreigners keep changing the names of their businesses at the end of every year and this makes it hard to track their activities, he said. He added some of them get business licences using locals as proxies at the registrar of companies. "These foreigners are mainly of Pakistani and Sri-Lankan origin and are operating mainly in Mombasa and Nairobi. However, they are now even penetrating the countryside," Kipchumba warned. He said they had brought their concerns to the Government’s attention, but nothing had been done. "We feel saddened by the Government’s lacklustre response to our calls," he said. In a letter written on March 7, 2003 to the then Vice President, Mr Moody Awori, under whose docket immigration department fell, Kaba asked the Government to intervene. "These are people who have been given permits by the Immigration Department, but their activities are suspect," the letter read. - Sunday Standard.
Miss June Wairimu Gatheru daughter of Gabriel Gatheru Rwamba of UK is turning heads in Kenya. The girl is appearing is the face of Dettol in Kenya magazines, face of GTV and again the face of Zain Bill Boards in Kenya. The family used to live in the UK before going back to Kenya several years ago. Her father Mr. Gabriel Gatheru Rwamba is a businessman in UK based in Slough. June is coming to the UK next year to do Theatres in the University. Her proud father had this to say: "I just hope it doesn’t get into her head!". A Kenyan comedian Nyambane's interview after being arrested by police on Jamhuri day in Kenya on 12th December, 2008. - CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO La Plata is a lovely city. Its central plaza is dominated by a beautiful cathedral, its tree-lined streets are full of interesting shops and quality restaurants. It is a thriving university city and the capital of Buenos Aires province - the largest and wealthiest in Argentina. But there is also a sinister, sleazy underside to La Plata. Some call it the prostitution capital of Argentina. In and around the city there are hundreds of brothels, incongruous from the outside - in residential streets, at the bottom of dirt roads - often only recognisable by a straggly array of coloured light-bulbs or a barely visible name. Susana Martinez is a former prostitute who now helps to run the Sandra Cabrera health centre in the city. It is a health centre run by sex workers for sex workers. It was set up two years ago, with the help of the local authorities, after prostitutes, rent-boys, transvestites and transsexuals complained they were suffering discrimination in the public hospitals. Sandra Cabrera was a campaigning sex worker killed by the police in a still-unresolved case. - MORE MAKE YOUR RELATIVES AWARE
December 20 2008 at 12:32 PM Cyrus Kinyua
In the last few weeks there has been an increase in the number of con men and women who are preying on our unsuspecting relatives back home.
A humpback whale has been rescued after it got trapped in a fishing net off the coast of Mexico. A diver involved in the rescue, Oscar Ortiz said it appeared the whale had been caught for some time, possibly up to two months judging by the way the net had cut into the flesh of its tail. He said that when divers arrived to help free the animal, it grew agitated and anxious: "It was turning from one side to the other, and it complained and cried in desperation." Gradually divers were able to get closer to the whale as it calmed down he said, allowing them to free it from the tangled up fishing net. - VIDEO
Where are Ms Esih (‘The Lady’), Mr Sahi (‘Bubble Man’), Mr Sakim (‘Elephant Man’) and Mr Mamat (‘Snake Man’) and how have their lives changed since we first saw them performing with Dede in the circus troupe in Half-Man Half-Tree? - CLICK HERE FOR MORE Consumers and companies will continue to find it difficult to access credit for the next one to two years, the boss of Barclays bank has said. Credit remains available to households and businesses but the amount available is shrinking, John Varley told the BBC. He said he did not expect banks to start to increase their lending again until 2010 at the earliest. In an interview for BBC1's Panorama, Mr Varley also said the banking industry should say sorry for the crisis. The programme, which looks at how Britain's banks went to the brink of collapse in October and what the future holds for the economy, includes interviews with the chancellor and leading City figures. Talking to the BBC's Business Editor Robert Peston, Mr Varley stressed that the banks were open for business and they were still lending. But he said that a reduction in the overall quantity of debt in the economy was necessary. "I think that we will see the process of reduced borrowing play out over at least the course of the next 12 months maybe, maybe 24 months," he said in the interview. The amount of credit available was "shrinking, it absolutely is, and that is a painful process, it's a process through which the world absolutely has to go," he insisted. "As soon as asset prices stabilise, then we will see the financial economy recover. And when will that occur? That will occur some time over the course of the next 18 months," he went on. The BBC's business correspondent Joe Lynam said Mr Varley's prediction would not be welcomed by the government, which had been leaning on banks to increase lending to small businesses and individuals without delay. Mr Varley also told the BBC that the banking industry was going through what he called a "public relations crisis" and must apologise for what went wrong. "We have to have a banking industry in which consumers have trust and in some cases that trust has broken down," he said. "If I ask myself, 'Do I feel the industry should be self-confident about recreating that trust through time?' I do feel that, but it starts by saying sorry. "It starts by admitting things went wrong." He said he hoped his own bank was one of those in which customers still had trust.
I was sent this one by one of Kenyans website called mamamike. enjoy...
Last year we were waiting to vote; This year, it will be different.
Last year the words "Credit Crisis" were foreign; This year, it is different.
Last year Unga cost kshs 68; This year, it is different.
Last year the words "Obama is President" were a dream;
Last year the words "Coalition Government" were strange;
Last year the sun rose; This year, it will rise again.
Last year the birds sung; This year, they will sing again.
Last year the sky was blue; This year, it is blue again.
Last year we celebrated;
This year, we will celebrate again.
Last year we "Shared Love and Spread happiness";
Utamu wa Krismasi, Kenya will lease out 40,000 hectares (about 100,000 acres) of land to a Gulf state to grow food at a time when the country is facing serious food shortages. The deal with the government of Qatar is similar to a model that has been widely criticised by agricultural experts worldwide and mainly involves poor African countries and rich nations or corporations especially from the Middle East. In the Kenyan case, Qatar will, in exchange for the land, fund construction of a new Sh2.4 billion port on Lamu island to serve as Kenya’s second port after Mombasa. The deal was struck during President Kibaki’s visit to Qatar in late November. At the time, the Presidential Press Service only revealed that the government of Qatar had agreed to fund construction of a second port in Lamu at a cost of Sh2.4 billion and that the Gulf state had expressed interest in obtaining land in Kenya to grow food but the acreage was not given. But it has now emerged that the land in question is part of the fertile Tana River delta in Coast Province, the same stretch where plans by Mumias Sugar Company to build a sugar factory have raised objections from pastoralists claiming that their animals will lack pasture and the environment will be destroyed.- Daily Nation. The M-Pesa money transfer service is open for audit by Central Bank of Kenya. Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Michael Joseph says the M-Pesa operations are above reproach and cautioned CBK against introducing regulations that will muzzle the development of technological innovations in the country. Acting Finance minister John Michuki on Tuesday last week ordered an audit of the money transfer service on concerns about the safety of users. Almost two years since the money transfer system was launched its services have become popular with the un-banked population serving as a deposit account for some hence causing ripples in the banking industry. M-Pesa and Zain's equivalent, Sokotele, have been operating outside CBK's regulation unlike other money transfer services pending the passage of a National Payments Systems Bill. But last week the government made the first step in putting a check on the operations of the services. Concern has been raised over how users would be compensated in the event that the service collapsed. But the financial sector regulator, CBK has in the past argued that it does not have the legal backing to monitor the service. Joseph refutes claims that the phone-based electronic money transfer is prone to abuse by money laundering agents saying the company has put a cap on the maximum transferable amounts. Speaking to KBC's Channel One Joseph said the telecommunications company was merely offering platforms to transfer money hence the need for phone based money transfer services tailored regulation.
Joseph has refuted claims that the M-Pesa money transfer service is open to abuse Medical Services at the Kenyatta National Hospital came to a stand still on Friday 19th December, 2008 after workers downed their tools demanding payment of their salary arrears amounting to 294 million shillings. Medical services in the hospital stalled for over 10 hours and it took the intervention of medical services minister Anyang' Nyongo to persuade the medical personnel to resume duty later Friday evening. The workers claimed the KNH management had been taking them for a ride over the arrears and that they had decided enough was enough. The minister promised to resolve the matter by Wednesday next week. Meanwhile civil servants will now have an opportunity to further their education to enable them compete effectively in the job market. Public service minister Dalmas Otieno says a scheme to finance higher education for the civil servants will be effected once its approved by the cabinet. Presiding over end of the year party for his ministry's staff at the Bomas of Kenya Friday afternoon, the minister termed the ministry as the engine of change through effective service delivery. Otieno termed ethnicity is the biggest enemy of development in the country and cautioned tribal chieftains in the ministry to keep of the vice or face consequences. He said best performers in the ministry would be rewarded from time to time in a bid to improve service delivery. Tree Man Dede pictured last year. His condition has worsened
An Indonesian man dubbed the "tree man" because of the gnarled warts all over his body has said his condition had worsened again, although he still hopes to recover and find a job. Dede, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, returned home from hospital in August after six kilos of warts were surgically removed from his body and has been treated as an out-patient since. "Those (warts) that were removed are growing again and started to reappear after I returned home," he said, adding that for a time he could go fishing and use a cell phone but now needed assistance again for such activity. An American doctor has previously said the warts were the result of severe Human Pappiloma Virus (HPV) infection, but the disease is not life-threatening. Doctors say his case is thought to be the worst of its type in the world. The Discovery Channel recently made a documentary about Dede's affliction and his life. Dede, 37, first noticed the warts on his body after cutting his knee as a teenager. Over time, Dede was sacked from his job, deserted by his wife and shunned by neighbours as the horn-like extensions covered much of his body and stopped him working. He has two children. "I'm not desperate but I want to recover," he added, speaking from his home in the remote West Java village of Tanjung Jaya. An Indonesian doctor said he would have further operations at the end of December or early next year to remove and reduce warts. "We have told him that his disease could not be 100 per cent cured. In the previous operation, we only tried to increase his quality of life," said Rachmat Dinata, one of a team of doctors treating him at the Hasan Sadikin hospital in Bandung, a city near his village. Dinata said he would need at least two operations every year. For a while, Dede was forced to take part in a circus act in Bandung in order to make ends meet. But after his case received widespread publicity, donations from the public and government help allowed him to get treatment. He has also been able to buy some land to grow rice and a second-hand car so his relatives can bring him to hospital.
A leading human rights organisation in Russia says racist groups in the country are becoming more radicalised. Sova, a hate-crime monitoring centre, says neo-Nazi gangs are now borrowing tactics from Islamic extremists as they try to incite a 'holy racial war'. Two migrant workers have been beheaded, al Qaeda style, in the last 18 months. The most recent victim was Salakhetdin Azizov. The 20-year-old market worker from Tajikistan was attacked as he walked home across a stretch of wasteland in South Moscow. He was stabbed several times. His body was then dragged into nearby woodland where he was decapitated. Prices in UK are to be slashed by up to 90 per cent as retailers battle to survive. B&Q, one of Britain's biggest chains, announced today it will discount thousands of products by up to 75 per cent from 7am on Christmas Eve. The DIY group is bringing forward its December sale from Boxing Day for the first time and will offer 50 per cent discounts on all kitchen and bathroom units and their installation. It came as Superdrug said it would cut prices by up to 90 per cent from Boxing Day. It will sell items for as little as 10p in an unprecedented £40 million bonanza involving 24,000 products. Gordon Brown today warned that it would be tough for the economy next year but the City would fight back from the recession and enjoy a new age of prosperity. London, Friday 19th December, 2008. Millions are hitting the roads, railways and airports today in one of the busiest days of the year as Britain collectively winds down for Christmas. Experts have warned of long traffic tailbacks, packed trains and huge queues at airports. Around 600,000 are expected to fly out of Heathrow today as a mass exodus to ski resorts and sunnier climes begins. Hundreds of thousands are leaving cities around the country for one of the longest breaks in years, as the recession forces many companies to close for two weeks. "In this day and age promises are made and promises are broken and you lose your faith in human nature" - Jim Webb Kibaki endorsed as PNU leader
President Kibaki is officially PNU's party leader. This follows an endorsement by the party during its national delegate's conference on Friday 19th December, 2008. Internal security minister Prof George Saitoti was elected party chairman. The party held its national elections amid objections from a section of delegates and Members of Parliament over nominations of some of the leaders to various party posts. Dr. Noah Wekesa took the party's deputy Chair while the position of the party's Secretary General went to Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi. Former Starehe MP Maina Kamanda was elected as the party's National Organizing Secretary. However the elections were not without its moments as assistant minister for tourism Cecily Mbarire efforts to oppose the nomination of Kigumo Member of Parliament Jamleck Kamau as the party's deputy programmes secretary general was turned down. Drama continued with gender and children affairs minister Esther Murugi turning down the position of the party's deputy chair strategy on women affairs who claimed that was not the position of her choice. Others who were elected include Mohamoud Mohamed as National Tresurer, Beth Mugo-National Women Leader, Stephen Tarus-National Youth Leader and Ekwe Ethuro the Director of Elections. Earlier, the delegates observed a one minute silence in remembrance of one of Tom Muzungu, a delegate from Cherangani who died in a road accident while on the way to attend the Kasarani PNU conference.The delegates also ratified party documents in conformity with the new Political Parties Act. Speaking during the occasion President Kibaki said the Party of National Unity represents the best and brightest hope for country and the people's future. He assured wananchi that the PNU will mobilize the nation toward modernizing and commercializing agriculture as a means of creating wealth and producing food for all citizens. President Kibaki, at the same time, urged PNU members to embrace and champion the spirit of national reconciliation, unity, mutual respect and trust among all citizens and communities. He said national unity will ensure Kenya becomes a country with a common national identity and a shared vision for a common future. The President said PNU is at the forefront in promoting mass food production so that Kenyans never again have to pay high prices for basic food supplies or other necessities of life. "PNU is an embodiment of the people of Kenya, a meeting of minds of many diverse people and party affiliations. But they all share an overriding desire to take advantage of their diversity and work together in overcoming the challenges facing our people in their bid to create a strong, peaceful, just and prosperous country for a better tomorrow," President Kibaki said. He called on all members of PNU to popularize the party by recruiting members and helping them to participate more actively in development of the country. "I also urge you all to conduct the recruitment drive aggressively and with utmost civility. I take this opportunity to urge those who will spearhead the recruitment drive to pay particular attention to the youth," the President said. Noting that the Party of National Unity has been in the forefront in empowering the youth, the Head of State said the party must enlighten the young people on what it is doing for them. Said the President: "This will help us to enlist their support so that we can be able to succeed in providing them with the opportunities and tools they need to become all that they can be." He implored all delegates to read and understand the Vision 2030 and start implementing it in their own branches as an important vehicle to held the country achieve peace, justice, equality, prosperity and dignity for all. Noting that for several years Kenya has made efforts to build reliable institutions, particularly those emphasizing respect for the rule of law, human dignity and constitutionalism, President Kibaki expressed hope that PNU, in collaboration with other political parties and other institutions, will manage the country in a manner that will ensure Kenyans will never be exposed to the atrocities witnessed during the post-election violence. "Because of the experience, I propose that the country hold an Inter-Party Conference, involving all registered parties to re-examine national values and principles once again, so that the entire political leadership across the land may come up with a recast set of national goals," President Kibaki said. The Head of State, once again, said as a major player in the Grand Coalition Government, PNU supports the Kriegler Report on the need for electoral reforms to provide an efficient electoral process and management system. Additionally, the President said PNU will play its part in giving support to the implementation of the Waki Report as a way of permanently bringing the sad chapter of reckless violence against fellow citizens to an end. "This will also ensure that all institutions and citizens alike take their responsibility fully in protection and development of the country and its people," the President said. On the economy, President Kibaki said the slight economic recession the country is experiencing due to post-election violence, high oil and food prices should not dampen Kenyans' hopes but should instead inspire them to work even harder to produce more food and industrial products. He urged Kenyans to strive to offer high-value services internationally in order to improve Kenya's opportunities as a business and industrial hub in the region. In his address Prof. Saitoti said the new PNU leadership will work with other partners in the Coalition Government to ensure that a new constitution was delivered to Kenyans without further delay. The PNU Chairman pledged to be open and consultative for effective representation of the members from the grass-root level. Newly elected Secretary General Kiraitu Murungi promised Kenyans that PNU would offer the necessary visionary leadership that would ensure equitable distribution of national resources.
The pound hit a new record low against the euro on Thursday. At one point, £1 was worth just 1.05 euros after the news government borrowing hit a record £16billion last month. Confidence took another knock as economic figures reinforced the case for hefty interest rate cuts. Tourists are already getting less than a euro for each pound at airports, says exchange website fairfx.com. The pound has fallen five per cent against the euro so far this week and is expected to continue falling.
A Sheffield man who lent a penniless Australian tourist £5 to pay for a ferry trip in 1969 has been repaid his debt nearly 40 years later. While Jim Webb was out, a card and £200 was hand delivered to his home by Gary Fenton, to repay the money he borrowed when they met in Ostend, Belgium. A note inside read: "To Jim Webb, a good man. From Gary Fenton, a tardy payer of debts." Mr Webb, 72, has appealed for Mr Fenton to get back in touch. Mr Webb and a friend were travelling around Europe in April 1969 when they met the Australian traveller, then in his early 20s, at a ferry port in Ostend. He said: "A young man came up to us and said he hadn't got enough money to get back to England and would we lend him £5 and he'd repay us as soon as he could afford it." The three men travelled back to England and when they parted Mr Fenton took Mr Webb's address, but he never heard from him. Then on Sunday, he returned to his home in Bradway to find the surprise card. Mr Webb said: "I was quite emotional when I read it. In this day and age promises are made and promises are broken and you lose your faith in human nature. "This was a lovely gesture. Forty years is a long time - it must have been preying on his mind that he hadn't repaid his debt. "He said he was giving me £200 as that was £5 for every year that had gone by." Mr Webb said the card explained how Mr Fenton, who now lived in Sydney, had come across his address while looking through some old papers. His note said he had decided to pay him a visit and repay his debt while on a trip to London. Mr Webb, who is giving the £200 to charity, said: "He didn't leave an address or telephone number, just an email address which I have tried but so far I haven't heard back. "I am very sorry I was not in on Sunday... he would have been very welcome here. Hopefully we will be able to make contact, it would be wonderful to meet up again."
Mr Webb said he would give the £200 to charity
A woman from London will give birth next week to the first British baby to be genetically designed to be free from the breast cancer gene. Experts at University College Hospital have screened her embryos and selected those which are free from the gene. Paul Serhal, medical director of UCH's assisted conception unit, treated the 27-year-old woman and her husband. The couple want to remain anonymous. They want to get rid of the breast cancer gene from their family line. The husband carries the gene - known as BRCA-1. Three generations of women in his family have been diagnosed with breast cancer in their 20s, including his grandmother, mother, sister and cousin. Mr Serhal told the Evening Standard: "This is a landmark technique that has been clinically improved and developed over the past few years and can now be offered as a successful option to other couples who carry this genetic abnormality."
A woman holds a Kenyan flag as Barack Obama greets supporters in Austin, Texas Assistant minister loses parliamentary seatWritten By: Rosalia Opondo , Posted: Fri, Dec 19, 2008 National Heritage Assistant Minister Joel Omagwa Onyancha has lost his Bomachoge parliamentary seat following an election petition. Onyancha, who has been Member of Parliament for less than a year becomes the first Member of Parliament to lose his seat in the tenth parliament. Onyancha was elected on a Ford People ticket in an election which was described as unfair by Justice Daniel Msinga of the High Court sitting in Kisii. The election was challenged by Simon Ogari of CCM and ODM's Zephaniah Nyangwara. This is the first election petition from the 2007 general election to successfully go through the High Court. But the petitioner may have one more legal hurdle to go through should Onyancha exercise his right of appeal. Should he elect to exercise his right of appeal, the case may drag for some months before he is either confirmed or the judgment against him is upheld. At the beginning of the year, at least 22 election petitions challenging the election of some of the 206 MPs were filed. The constituencies whose elections are disputed and were being challenged in court included Kajiado North, Embakasi, Juja, Makadara, Ndhiwa, Sirisia, Starehe, Mandera Central, Kitutu Masaba, Garsen, Ndia, Eldama Ravine, Bomachoge, Dagoretti, Kisumu Town West, Matuga, Gatundu North, Ikolomani, Malava, Kitui Central, Dujis and Naivasha. Most of the 22 petitions have been struck out, while a few are still pending. Onyancha was born on January 1 1960 and was first elected MP for Bomachage in 2002. He has served in the departmental committees on education, research and technology, as well as the committee on Finance and Trade. 2007 ELECTION PETITIONS: Kajiado North Embakasi Makadara Sirisia Mandera Central Kitutu Masaba Garsen Ndia Eldama Ravine Dagoretti Kisumu Town West Matuga Gatundu North Ikolomani Malava Kitui Central Dujis Naivasha Juja Ndhiwa Starehe
The US government has said it will provide $17.4bn (£11.6bn) in loans to help troubled carmakers General Motors and Chrysler to survive. President George W Bush said allowing the US car industry to fail would not be "a responsible course of action". Ford has said it hoped to get by without government help. The government will use part of the $700bn originally pledged to rescue US banks. It has set a deadline of 31 March for the firms to become viable. General Motors will get $9.4 billion and Chrysler $4 billion before the end of the year. A further $4bn will be provided later. GM chief executive Rick Wagoner said his company would quickly start to restructure itself. "Our focus now turns to fully and rapidly implementing the restructuring plan that we reviewed with Congress earlier this month in conjunction with all of our key partners," he told a news conference. "It's really the blueprint for a new General Motors, one for our second 100 years."
A huge warehouse in South Yorkshire used by struggling furniture group MFI looks set to close by February - threatening more than 300 jobs A Nairobi court on Thursday 18th December, 2008 sentenced to death nine prison warders after finding them guilty of clobbering to death six inmates at the King'ong'o Prison, in Nyeri in 2000. Justice Nicholas Ombija, passing the sentence, dismissed the warders' claims that the prisoners were shot dead as they tried to escape after scaling a perimeter wall. He said that post-mortem reports indicated that blunt weapons were used in the brutal attack and that the bodies bore no gunshot wounds. The prisoners were Peter Koring, Peter Lumukunyu, Peter Ngurushane, James Irungu, John Njoro and Julius Mungania . The warders allegedly committed the offence on September 4, 2000. The death verdict comes hardly a month after newly-appointed Prisons Commissioner, Isaiah Osuga, dismissed senior commanders and five warders at Nairobi's Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, after the prison command mounted a brutal search for illegal mobile phones in the precints.
He could be forgiven for looking just a bit sheepish, but this shepherd has learned how to control his flock using just a poster of a wolf. Farmer Du Hebing couldn't afford another dog after his old one died and had a brainwave after visiting a local wildlife park. "They had a flock of rare sheep and as a joke one of the keepers had put a picture of a wolf in the enclosure. "But I noticed that the sheep never went near it," he explained. Now Du has got his neighbours wondering what he flock he's up to every time he moves his sheep. "People laugh and point but it works - and the poster eats a lot less than any sheepdog," he said. The Kenya's airline industry is headed into a crisis if the current jet-A1 fuel stocks are not boosted. The current stock of 5300 cubic meters against a daily demand of 2000 cubic liters are expected to last up to Sunday. Kenya Airways has raised the red flag over the shortage, even as the Kenya pipeline company blamed the shortage on power surge and vandalism of it systems while assuring industry players that the issue is being addressed. KQ CEO Titus Naikuni said, "If the situation does not improve within the next 1 to 2 days, our operations will be severely affected." Kenya Airways operates an average of 75 flights per day out of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi and flies to 43 destinations. Naikuni said the airline is consulting with fuel companies and with the Kenya Pipeline Company in a bid to remedy the situation. "We have also constituted a committee chaired by the Chief Operating Officer to devise contingency plans should the situation deteriorate. I would like to assure our passengers that we are doing all we can to maintain our schedule integrity especially during the festive season," said Naikuni. KPC on its side has absolved itself from blame saying that its pumping capacity over the last one month had been constrained by power failures at the various pumping station. In December, the KPC says so far they have had 29 hours of power outtage resulting to failure to pump 13 million litres of fuel. Most parts of Nairobi and upcountry have in the past one-week experienced fuel shortage that has led to partial increase of prices, sparking a blame game with players pointing accusing fingers at each other over the shortage. Local oil marketers have also voiced their concerns over the shortage blaming KPC over the handling of the matter.
A new version of the jump-on, jump-off Routemaster bus could be on the streets of London by 2011, London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced. Two design teams are competing to create a greener version of the driver-and-conductor bus which was taken out of regular service at the end of 2005. A team comprising Aston Martin and architects Foster And Partners will go head to head with bus, coach and truck design company Capoco Design, based at Salisbury in Wiltshire. The blueprints, which came joint top in a competition, will now be passed on to bus manufacturers to develop into a final proposed design. Transport for London said: "We expect to award a contract to develop and build the first new bus for London towards the end of next year, after a competitive tendering process. "The first of the new buses will be on the streets of London by 2011." Kenya Revenue Authority is expected to roll out its online services by March next year as part of key reform initiatives to improve administration of domestic taxes. KRA Commissioner for Domestic Services Fidelis Mulei said the Intergrated Tax Management System will cost 800 million shillings. The integrated tax system project begun in September this year and is expected to be complete by March next year. The system will lead to a complete overhaul of the current tax system and introduce e-transactions. The system will initially be available to Nairobi residents after the launch and later extended to other users in the country. Elsewhere, the Uchumi chain of supermarkets has extended its operating hours till midnight starting Friday until the end of the year. Head of Marketing and Cooperate Sales Francis Kiragu said the move is aimed at ensuring Uchumi customers get enough time to do their shopping during this festive season. Kiragu was speaking during the Uchumi Sisimka promotion mini draw event which saw fourteen people from various branches in the country win boda boda motor cycles aimed at jump starting entrepreneurship in their industry. Kiragu says it will donate over 2 million shillings as scholarships to aid the less fortunate in the society. The supermarket chain has reported increased growth in the last one year since it was put under receivership, something they attribute to loyalty from its customers.
A quick-thinking shopper used his mobile phone to film an attempted robbery - causing the would-be thieves to flee empty-handed. Mark Thewlis was Christmas shopping with his two-year-old daughter in Ship Street, Brighton, when he heard a thud behind him. He turned around to see two men in paper boiler suits with their hoods up trying to smash the window display at Watches Of Switzerland. The 28-year-old roofer quickly took out his mobile and started filming the pair, as well as their getaway driver, who was sitting in a blue Volkswagen Golf and who was not wearing a mask. Mr Thewlis, who lives in Brighton, said: "It happened so quickly, no more than 30 seconds. "I heard the screeching of a car, then a banging noise and I turned round to see these two guys smashing at the window with sledgehammers. "A third guy sitting in the car was as bold as brass and didn't even have a mask on, so I filmed him too. It was quite a spectacle really and I managed to get quite close to them. "It took them about 10 strikes because of the window's toughened glass. "The driver spotted me filming them and started beeping the horn at the others. The pair then jumped into the car and as they got away I said, 'Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha'. A council in London has won its appeal against a ruling it discriminated against a Christian registrar who refused to conduct same-sex civil partnerships. Lillian Ladele said she could not carry out same-sex ceremonies "as a matter of religious conscience". An Employment Tribunal found in July that Islington Council, in north London, had unlawfully discriminated against her. But an Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has now upheld the authority's appeal. Ms Ladele claims she suffered ridicule and bullying as a result of her stance and said she had been harassed and discriminated against by the council. The EAT ruled the earlier tribunal had "erred in law" and there was no basis for concluding that any "discrimination had been established". But it also said there were "unsatisfactory features" about the way the council had handled the matter. It ruled: "The council were not taking disciplinary action against Ms Ladele for holding her religious beliefs. "They did so because she was refusing to carry out civil partnership ceremonies and this involved discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. "The council were entitled to take the view that they were not willing to connive in that practice by relieving Ms Ladele of the duties, notwithstanding that her refusal was the result of her strong and genuinely-held Christian beliefs." However, the judgment added not all of the council management team treated Ms Ladele's beliefs sensitively. In a statement outside the court, Ms Ladele's solicitor Mark Jones said she would now take her case to the Court of Appeal. He added: "She wants to make it clear that, whatever other commentators may have said, this case has never been an attempt to undermine the rights of members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender communities. "The evidence showed that Lillian performed all of her duties to the same high standard for the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender communities, as she did for everyone. "This case has been about the shortfall between the principle of equal dignity and respect for different lifestyles and world views, and Islington Council's treatment of Lillian Ladele - conduct which the tribunal felt moved to describe as extraordinary and unreasonable." Islington councillor John Gilbert said: "The council is extremely pleased with this decision which it believes to be the right one."
Miss Ladele is to take her case to the Court of Appeal Furniture chain MFI closes down
Administrators at furniture retailer MFI say the firm has now ceased trading, with the loss of 1,400 jobs. The company's 111 stores have now all been closed. The administrators said that it had not been possible to sell the business and told customers with outstanding orders to apply for a refund. MFI went into administration in November as the downturn in the housing market took its toll on demand for new kitchens and bedrooms. MFI has seen sales fall in recent years, as it has faced increased competition from newer rivals such as Ikea. The administrators MCR could not say what redundancy payments would be made to the staff who had lost their jobs. Customers with outstanding or incomplete orders have been advised to apply for a refund.
MFI's collapse has wider ramifications. A huge warehouse used by MFI but run by logistics firm DHL will close on 23 February if a buyer is not found. The distribution centre, at Thorne, near Doncaster, employs 350 people. DHL said it would seek to redeploy as many staff as possible, but had so far found new posts for only 35 people. MFI FACTSFounded in 1964 as Mullard Furniture Industries Mullard was the maiden name of the wife of one of the co-founders Stores sold for just £1 in 2006 to private equity firm Merchant Equity Partners Management buyout in September involved 110 stores Italy migrants' state 'appalling'
The working conditions of many poor African migrants in rural areas of southern Italy are "appalling", the international medical charity MSF says. The charity, which calls the workforce an invisible and vulnerable army, says migrants live in dilapidated buildings, with no electricity or running water. Thousands of Africans, many of them without papers, seek jobs as fruit pickers in the Calabria region. MSF says they are paid about 20 euros (£19; $29) for 12 hours' work daily. "They live in disused houses, hangars or abandoned factories, with no running water, electricity or heat, often surrounded by rubbish that attracts rats and packs of stray dogs," said Antonio Virgilio, MSF's head of mission in Calabria. MSF (Medecins Sans Frontieres) calls the lack of basic hygienic facilities "appalling". It has distributed sleeping bags and hygiene kits to migrant workers in Calabria. Mr Virgilio said the Calabrian authorities were failing to respect the United Nations minimum standard of one toilet per 20 people for the migrant workers. MSF said respiratory diseases could easily spread among the Africans, as they were living in overcrowded, unheated buildings. The aid group urged the Calabrian authorities to provide toilets, showers and drinking water for the migrants. Nairobi, Thursday 18th December, 2008. Kenyan students killed in accident in Uganda. Three Kenyan university students were killed and 11 other injured when the taxi they were traveling in overturned at Namasere, 5km on the Bugiri-Tororo highway in Uganda. The students from Kampala International University were heading to Kenya for Christmas holidays, said the police and a survivor, Peter Barasa. The Police in Bugiri identified the dead as Lilian Wanja, Evans Onyungwa and Kome, all Bachelor of Education students. Traffic chief James Tibeijuka said the minibus the students were traveling in overturned after bursting a tyre and blamed the accident on speeding and over-loading. The taxi was reportedly carrying 18 passengers instead of the 14 it is licensed to transport. All the passengers were Kenyan students heading to Busia border town where they were expected to board Kenya-bound-buses. A survivor said the driver lost control after one of the passengers screamed when he saw that the driver was dozing. Bugiri Hospital medical superintendent Dr. Samuel Isabirye said most of the injured had deep cuts on the heads and broken limbs. Taxi conductor Ayoub Baka reportedly attempted to jump out of the taxi after realising the taxi was in danger and sustained deep cuts. He was admitted to hospital in critical condition
Meet the new record holder for the world's tallest mohawk - whose hair soars to an incredible 27 inches above head-level.In a bid to raise funds for charity, Eric Hahn, of Omaha, Nebraska, thought up the bizarre plan after watching an American TV show. The triumphant Hahn commented: 'I happened to see the last person who broke the tallest Mohawk record on the Ellen DeGeneres show, and they said it was 24 inches tall. I knew I could beat that.' Hahn has been laying the groundwork for his moment of glory for some time - he's been growing his hair for seven years. Immediately after having his record confirmed, however, Hahn shaved all his hair off. First identity cards issued to foreign nationals in Sheffield, UKHome Office, UK 18 December 2008 For the first time, foreign nationals in Sheffield can enrol for identity cards containing their facial image and fingerprints, the Home Secretary announced during a visit to the city today. ID cards will securely lock foreign nationals to one identity and help businesses crack down on illegal working. Biometric enrolment for the cards - which involves individuals having their digital photograph and fingerprints recorded - will take place at the UK Border Agency?s Vulcan House building. The Home Secretary opened the building today and met some of the 1,900 staff working there. The Home Secretary also met staff working on the new Australian-style points system for migrant workers - which also operates from the new building. The points system is the UK's tough new measure for managing migration to the UK.
"What I have seen today demonstrates that we are successfully delivering two of our most important changes to the immigration system ? ID cards for foreign nationals and the points system. "ID cards will give employers a secure way of checking a migrant?s right to work and study in the UK and help people prove they are who they say are. The points system will ensure that only those we need - and no more ? can come here to work. "Staff at Vulcan House are leading the way in implementing what is the biggest shake-up to the immigration system for a generation ? ensuring Britain has one of the fairest systems in the world." Later in the day the Home Secretary joined South Yorkshire Police to witness first hand the positive impact of neighbourhood policing and the growing involvement of communities in the fight against crime. Visiting Sunnyside Community Centre near Rotherham, the Home Secretary joined a community meeting between the police and local residents who were establishing policing priorities for the area and discussing the introduction of crime mapping. Meetings like these are just one of the ways that the public can tell their local police what they expect from them. South Yorkshire Police will implement the Policing Pledge by the end of the year. This will give local people a stronger voice in setting local police priorities and the means to challenge their local force if they are not getting they service they expect. For the first time the national Policing Pledge gives the public a clear minimum standard of service, including:
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "The public are our strongest weapon in tackling crime and I passionately believe that empowering them to get a good deal through the Policing Pledge will play a powerful role in driving up the quality of policing for our citizens and in our communities.
Jaguar Land Rover is in trouble. Nothing new there. Ford sold the two British carmakers for reasons beyond its own dire finances. But what is causing jaws to drop is how readily the Indian industrial giant Tata is going cap-in-hand to the UK government asking for financial assistance, less than nine months after acquiring the brands. In March this year, Tata's takeover was in itself seen as a bailout.
Angry monkeys turned on their trainer - and beat him senseless with his own stick. The enraged primates struck back after their owner handed out a vicious beating to one of the trio during a performance in which they rode mini bicycles in a market in Sizhou, eastern China. While one monkey twisted their cruel master's ears, another pulled his hair out in handfuls and bit his neck Then, when he dropped his cane, the third snatched it up and began beating the trainer around the head until he broke the stick. The dazed trainer confessed: 'They were once wild and these performances don't always come naturally to them. They may have built up some feelings of hatred towards me.' Now police are investigating allegations of animal cruelty and may confiscate the monkeys. =========== NCADC News Service ===========
=========== NCADC News Service =========== Nairobi, Friday 19th December, 2008. Its D-Day Friday for the Party of National Unity (PNU) as it holds its National Delegates Conference to elect national officials at the Kasarani Sports Complex. Ahead of the elections, the 4,200 PNU delegates from across the country will ratify the party's documents in the race to comply with the Political Parties Act before the December 31 deadline.The delagates jammed Kasarani Sports Complex Thursday for the final registration ahead of the party's NDC.Lobbying within PNU moved a notch higher with some delegates expressing their anger over what they termed as interference by Members of Parliament, with reports of parellel lists from branches being forwarded to the registration centre. Lobbying for various positions was however characterised by compromise candidates that saw Wildlife minister Dr Noah Wekesa step down for Internal Security minister Prof. George Saitoti for PNU chairmanship. Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi, formerly a shadow Attorney General and DP legal affairs secretary is eyeing the PNU secretary general's position. His Gender Affairs counterpart Esther Murugi wants to be the party women's leader while former sports minister Maina Kamanda goes for post of organising secretary. The party hopes to beat the December 31 deadline in tandem with the Political Parties Act by filling the 28 vacant positions. The party has created the position of party leader which is preserved for President Kibaki who will also be in attendance at the climax of PNU's activities that begun with recruitment and election of officials at the grassroots level.
Daimler is reducing the working week at its largest Mercedes-Benz factory, as it becomes the latest carmaker to trim output in the face of falling sales. New immigration rules came into force on 27 November 2008. They raise from 18 to 21 the minimum age at which a person may sponsor, or may be granted, entry clearance (including visas) or limited leave as the spouse, civil partner, fiancé(e), proposed civil partner, unmarried partner or same-sex partner of another person. This reform is aimed at tackling the problem of forced marriage. We believe it to be important to protect young people from being forced into relationships they do not want at a time in their lives when they could be establishing a degree of independence as an adult through further education or through work. We believe that raising the age will provide an opportunity for individuals to develop maturity and life skills and to complete their education. It may also allow them to resist the pressure of being forced into a marriage. It will delay sponsorship for marriage until the age of 21 and allow vulnerable young people an opportunity to seek help and advice. As a limited concession, the change in minimum age to 21 will apply only to cases where the UK-based sponsor is present and settled in the UK, or is being admitted for settlement on the same occasion as the applicant. The minimum age of 18 will continue to apply to sponsors and their partners in those cases where the stay of a sponsor is subject to a time-limit (for example, students, work permit holders). 75,000 set to lose their homes in UKThe group expects a 67% surge in the number of people who lose their home during the year, up from an estimated 45,000 for this year. It also expects around 500,000 people to fall at least three months behind with their mortgage repayments, compared with 210,000 in 2008. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) warned that despite the work the Government and industry were doing, 2009 was going to be a "very tough year" for the UK mortgage market. It expects net lending to turn negative for the first year since records began in 1964, meaning that consumers will repay more on their mortgages than they borrow. Net lending, which strips out repayments and remortgaging, is expected to dive to minus £25 billion, as new lending fails to keep up with repayments. The figure is well down on net lending of £40 billion for 2008 and £108 billion in 2007, a level that the Government has urged the industry to replicate next year. Total advances are also expected to be considerably lower at £145 billion in 2009, down from around £258 billion this year and less than half the £363 billion advanced in 2007. The group said a significant number of the properties that were repossessed were likely to be cases where the home had been abandoned by its owners or the property had been used in a fraud. A sizeable proportion of the cases are also expected to be buy-to-let properties. But it added that even though lenders had committed to working with homeowners to help them avoid losing their homes, the worsening economic backdrop pointed to an "inevitable increase" in the number of cases where a sustainable alternative solution could not be found. Meanwhile, officials figures showed retail sales rose by a shock 0.3% last month in the first positive growth for Britain's battered high street since August. The unexpected rise between October and November came as online shopping boomed and food and household sales soared amid a retailer price war. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) sales volumes data continued to confound experts as it once more defied gloomier polls from the sector. Experts had been forecasting a seasonally-adjusted fall of at least 0.4% from retailers in a month that saw well-known names MFI and Woolworths collapse into administration.
A rare storm dumped snow and rain on much of southern California and Nevada, shutting down major highways, grounding flights and even coating the Las Vegas Strip. The snow prompted the cancellation of all flights in and out of Vegas and dusted palm trees and marquees along the Strip with accumulations that were expected to reach three inches. Snow piled up around the famous "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign on the south end of the Strip, as visitors parked and posed for pictures wearing hooded jackets. Other locations were forecast to receive as much as 8 inches of snow in the second winter storm this week to drop snow on the desert city. Snowfall is common in nearby mountains hills, but not on the Strip or surrounding neighborhoods. Elsewhere, snow shut Interstate 15 over 4,190-foot Cajon Pass east of Los Angeles. By early Thursday, just a single lane on the southbound side was open, as officers escorted a small stream of drivers through the pass. China has announced it is to send naval ships to fight rampant piracy in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia. State media suggested the force could consist of two destroyers and a supply ship, although officials did not confirm the details of the deployment. On Wednesday, Malaysian naval forces helped foil an attempt to hijack a Chinese ship by Somali pirates. The latest operation is a first for Beijing, which has until now pursued a policy of military non-interference. China's navy, along with the rest of its military, has not often strayed far from home. But China's military spending has increased dramatically in recent years as its armed forces undergo a thorough modernisation. This is its first active deployment beyond the Pacific, and naval analysts will be watching closely to see how the Chinese cope with the complex maintenance and re-supply problems of operating so far from home, the BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says. The Orange Democratic Movement held its National Delegates Conference Thursday 18th December, 2008 to pick the national office bearers and ratify the party's constitution. Most national party officials including the party leader, Prime Minister Raila Odinga retained their portfolios. However the party created the post of deputy national leader which was given to Agriculture Minister William Ruto who now shares the same position with deputy premier local government Minister Musalia Mudavadi. The move isaimed at pacifying Ruto and Rift Valley MPs who may have felt short changed following the creation of the grand coalition government. Those who retained their post included Party Chairman Henry Kosgey, Secretary General Prof Anyang Nyongo, Treasurer Omingo Magara, and Organising Secretary-Ali Hassan Joho. However the women representatives at the conference cried foul claiming they remained unrepresented at the national level. The conference took a brief recess to deliberate on modalities of accommodating the female members to create gender balance in party leadership although most of the highly contested positions had long been secured by interested parties. The four slots of the deputy party chairman went to Ramadhan Seif Kajembe, Aden Duale, Joe Nyagah, Alfred Sambu while Mohamed Ali, Thomas Mwandechu while Joseph Nkaissery secured the deputy secretary general's slot. Former Makadara MP Rueben Ndolo, Mohamed Hussein Dado and Benjamin Langat bagged the deputy organizing secretary positions while Mary Ruto and Dalmas Otieno took the deputy treasurer's slots. Addressing the delegates Prime Minister Raila Odinga maintained that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party neither planned nor anticipated in violence and bloodletting that were witnessed following last year's general elections. The premier said ODM was a" party of peace" whose ideologies rested on tenets of multi party democracy and peaceful transition of regimes. "I wish to state one more time that we in ODM never planned the violence or bloodshed, we never planned anything because we were expecting victory and organized victory party celebrations," he said. Odinga said the party had to compromise with political rivals and settle for a power sharing arrangement under the grand coalition government. He said the party "believes in compromise, consultation and coalition building for the sake of the nation" and urged party leaders to embrace politics of nationalism and shun playing the tribal card for the unity of the party. "To survive as a party our leaders must embrace politics of nationalism and de ethnise our party. Remember we are the only party that won six out the country's eight provinces," he cautioned party officials. The PM reiterated that the party's commitment to push for the enactment of a new constitutional order in the country to facilitate the implementation of the change and big plans the party had in store for the country in the run up to the polls. "Our quest for change is anchored on quest for a new constitution that will see fair and equitable distribution of resources. We stood on a platform of change and promised to change all things that made other people feel lesser Kenyans and less proud of being Kenyan" he said. The premier also revisited the controversy riddled Communication amendment bill 2008 which he insists was published before the inception of the coalition government and pledged to mobilize members of the tenth parliament to further deliberate and iron out the contentious issues. He declared that that ODM party stood for the freedom of the press which he said was the recipe for a mature democratic society and urged leaders to soften their "dictatorial stance and review the contentious clauses in the bill". Odinga also promised that cheap maize flour may be available for the public in a week's time to ensure that the staple meal is affordable in all households. The conference comes after parliament enacted the Political Parties' Bill which seeks to streamline the operations of political outfits in the country. A huge review of UK academic research has found that 54% of the work assessed in 159 universities was "world leading" or "internationally excellent". The 67 expert Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) panels said that another 33% was "internationally recognised". The results will decide universities' shares of more than £1.5bn, a third of the available research funding. But the funding council has had to defend the way institutions could choose which staff would be assessed. The results give no indication what proportion of staff in any area were put forward. "Universities were selective in their strategies for submission," said David Eastwood, chief executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce), which co-ordinated the UK-wide exercise. The RAE was last conducted in 2001 though in a different form - so comparisons between the results then and now are not readily possible. An Egyptian man said on Wednesday he was offering his 20-year-old daughter in marriage to Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi, who threw his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush in Baghdad on Sunday. Nairobi, Friday 19th December, 2008. Four suspected gangsters were on Thursday morning shot dead by flying squad police officers along uhuru highway near the railway station in Nairobi. Their accomplice managed to escape. According to Central Officer Commanding Police Division Richard Mugwai, the five were on a mission to rob a city bank but police acting on a tip off trailed them and caught up with them at the point of the shootout. Mugwai said police recovered 7 rounds of live ammunition, car registration number plates, and the saloon car they were travelling in. He said the escaped suspect being sought by police. The incidence caused a major traffic snarl up on Mombasa road. There has been an outcry by the business fraternity in Nairobi over rising insecurity where brazen robbers have been entering shops posing like customers before stealing from the unsuspecting businessmen and their customers. The business people have even implied police complicity as the robbers simply walk out of the shops after their missions and disappear only to hit a different premise at a later date in the same manner with the police seemingly unaware of the goings on. President Bush will not allow a "disorderly collapse" of the US car industry, the White House has said. Spokeswoman Dana Perino said the president was nearing a conclusion on how to provide the carmakers with financial assistance. She said a disorderly collapse of the Big Three was "not an option", though she ruled out any bail-out on Thursday. A $14bn (£9.4bn) rescue failed in the Senate last week, raising fears of job cuts and a possible industry collapse. In a statement to reporters, Ms Perino said: "We're nearing a conclusion, we're narrowing options, I just don't have anything for you today." The Big Three US carmakers are waiting for the US government to find a way to help the struggling car industry. All car firms have announced production cuts as the economic slowdown has slashed car sales. Chrysler is to halt production at all 30 of its factories for one month. In announcing its plant closures, Chrysler also left open the possibility that the factories would be closed for more than a month. Employees would not return to work any sooner than Monday 19 January, it said. GM has suspended major work on its $370m engine factory in Michigan, where it plans to build a new small car engine which is key to its efforts to reinvent itself as a maker of fuel-efficient and all-electric cars. Chrysler factories will not resume production before 19 January and GM is suspending work on an engine plant for its Volt electric car The new plant is scheduled to build a turbocharged 1.4-litre engine for the Chevrolet Cruze small car and another version of the engine to provide backup power to its electric car, the Chevrolet Volt. Last week, GM said it was shutting down 30% of its North American production. Also on Wednesday, Ford announced it was to extend the normal two-week Christmas shut-down at 10 of its North American plants for an extra week. Meanwhile, GM has denied reports it had restarted merger negotiations with Chrysler - following the suspension of their talks earlier this year. Earlier this year, both Chrysler and General Motors held talks on a possible merger. However, GM spokesman Tony Cervone denied that talks had re-opened. "We have had no talks with them since we announced during our third quarter earnings call that the talks had been suspended," he said. Chrysler, Ford and GM have repeatedly warned that millions of jobs could be lost if the government does not agree to a package of loans to support the industry. While 46,000 Chrysler employees will be directly affected by the plants closure, many more Americans whose jobs depend on the big car makers will be watching with great concern, says the BBC's North America editor, Justin Webb. The Bush administration has said it will act to prevent a disorderly collapse of the car industry, and loans to keep the big three companies in business could be arranged within days, our correspondent adds. The White House warned on Tuesday that the carmakers would have to make "concessions" to secure the bail-out. London suffered one of its worst days on Wednesday 17/12/08 since the start of the economic downturn. Woolworths confirmed this afternoon that 27,000 jobs will go when all 807 stores close on 5 January. The number of people claiming unemployment benefit climbed above the one million mark for the first time since 2000. The rate at which jobs are being lost was the fastest for 17 years. In London the total has risen to 308,000, 7.6 per cent of the workforce. More than half of recent job losses have come in middle-class professions such as finance, advertising and consultancy concentrated in the capital. Economists said the figures were the tip of an iceberg that will claim 120,000 well-paid white collar jobs in London by the end of 2010.
News of the job losses at the moribund former high street favourite Woolworths fronts the Daily Express. A youthful Barack Obama fronts The Daily Telegraph. The paper reports public warnings not to call on emergency services unless the situation is extreme, because NHS departments are so overworked. The Daily Mail leads with news of the potential £1bn bailout of Jaguar-Land Rover, which it says could create a "politically explosive precedent". It also features the Duchess of Cornwall caught amid an awkward photo op. President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Wednesday 17/12/08 signed the agreement which starts the process of establishing a local tribunal to try post-election violence suspects. The Cabinet committee chaired by President Kibaki and Mr Odinga will now draft a law to be taken to Parliament to establish the tribunal. By signing the Bill with just a few hours to the deadline set by the Waki Commission into post-election violence, President Kibaki and Mr Odinga managed to avoid having the suspects in Justice Waki’s secret list tried by the International Criminal Court at The Hague. They now have 45 days to put in place all laws to set up the tribunal. Thereafter, the Government has a further 30 days to make the tribunal operational. In the same pact, President Kibaki and Mr Odinga committed themselves to ensuring that all other reform laws as agreed during the mediation process are enacted. When the tribunal is set up, Cabinet ministers named in Waki’s envelope will be suspended immediately after they are charged. Farmers are hoarding maize in protest against the Government’s decision to fix the price of the crop, which they say is far much lower than what is paid to their counterparts in other countries. Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers chief executive officer Kanywithia Mutunga told the Nation that farmers were not ready to sell their maize, and asked the Government to let the forces of demand and supply determine the cost. The federation’s chairman, Mr Kariuki Nduati, said farm inputs were expensive, especially early this year, and that farmers cannot afford to sell their produce at a loss. “At least the Government should be ready to pay us the same price at which it imports maize,” said Mr Nduati. Dr Mutunga noted that the available maize cannot satisfy the entire country’s demand and that the Government must import some more to avoid a shortage. An aircraft was forced to turn back shortly before reaching Paris – because the pilot was not qualified to land in fog. Stunned passengers heard the pilot – with 30 years' experience – tell them they'd have to return home. An hour or so later, the Flybe aircraft touched back down in Cardiff having never made it on to French soil. Somali pirates have seized four ships, even as the world unites to fight off piracy. Reports indicated that Indonesian tugboat, a Chinese fishing vessel FV Zhenhua-4, general cargo ship MV BOSPHORUS PRODIGY and a yacht boat were the latest victims of assault. The Indonesian tugboat was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden heading to Malaysia, according to Seafarers Assistance Program co-ordinator Andrew Mwangura. "With the latest captures, the gunmen are holding 19 foreign vessels with at least 383 crew members of which, 91 are Filipinos," he said.
Users of Microsoft's Internet Explorer are being urged by experts to switch to a rival until a serious security flaw has been fixed. The flaw in Microsoft's Internet Explorer could allow criminals to take control of people's computers and steal their passwords, internet experts say. Microsoft urged people to be vigilant while it investigated and prepared an emergency patch to resolve it. Internet Explorer is used by the vast majority of the world's computer users. "Microsoft is continuing its investigation of public reports of attacks against a new vulnerability in Internet Explorer," said the firm in a security advisory alert about the flaw. Microsoft says it has detected attacks against IE 7.0 but said the "underlying vulnerability" was present in all versions of the browser. Other browsers, such as Firefox, Opera, Chrome, Safari, are not vulnerable to the flaw Microsoft has identified.
The interest rate cut is also the lead in the Financial Times. The Independent quotes the judge as he sentenced Mercer and his six gang mates. The Daily Telegraph leads with the jailing of Sean Mercer for murdering schoolboy Rhys Jones. The US Federal Reserve has slashed its key interest rate from 1% to a range of between zero and 0.25% as it battles the country's recession. In its statement, the Federal Reserve warned that "the outlook for economic activity has weakened further". It predicted that rates would stay at the current exceptionally low levels "for some time". It added that it was considering ways it could spend money on supporting the economy and credit markets. Analysts said that the key rate is now virtually zero. "Whether it's zero or 0.25% actually does not make a huge difference," said Holger Schmieding at Bank of America.
The head of Barclays bank has predicted that economic gloom will deepen, with house prices to fall in total by 30%. John Varley's warning comes ahead of the latest UK unemployment figures on Wednesday, where the number of jobless is expected to rise sharply. A new survey suggests household debt is on the increase, and the value of sterling has fallen against the euro. But EU governments have been told they cannot break the financial rules in order to boost their economies. Geothermal energy generation in East Africa could take a leap forward in 2009 after exploratory studies in Kenya exceeded all expectations, it was announced this week. A new enterprise - the African Rift Geothermal Development Facility (ARGeo) — is to drive forward the plan to harvest the steam locked among the rocks under East Africa, according to leaders of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). They made their announcement this week at the UN Climate Change Conference, in Poznan, Poland. "Geothermal is 100 percent indigenous, environmentally friendly and a technology that has been underutilised for too long," said Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP. British banks and investors have lost billions in the world's biggest fraud, it was revealed today. City institutions including Royal Bank of Scotland and the Man Group admitted they had invested in Bernard Madoff's "pyramid scheme" operated through his Wall Street hedge fund business. Local authority pension funds and a fund run by Nicola Horlick have also been affected by the $50billion swindle. Spanish bank Santander, which owns Abbey and the savings business of Bradford & Bingley, said its potential exposure was more than £2billion, while HSBC could reportedly lose up to £668million. Royal Bank of Scotland, which was forced to accept a £20billion government bail-out last month, today told the London stock market that it could lose up to £400million. Local authorities in Hampshire and Merseyside said their pension funds had invested in Madoff funds. Man Group, Britain's largest hedge fund manager, admitted that it had $350million invested in two funds that "are directly or indirectly advised by Madoff Securities".
Prime Minister Raila Odinga (right) and Lands Minister James Orengo. The Orange Democratic Movement on Saturday vowed to take legal action if the President assents the Kenya Communications Amendment Bill, 2008 into law. Lands Minister James Orengo said the bill was unconstitutional and negates section 79 of the constitution that guarantees freedom of expression. “The position of ODM as far as the media bill is concerned is that it is should not have been there. As a party we do not support it because it reduces the democratic space,” he said. Mr Orengo said ODM was not party to the new media bill as it was approved by the cabinet before the formation of the Grand Coalition Government. “If the president assents to the bill, we still have a right to go to court though I do not think we want to go that direction,” said the lands minister.
Just shoe do you think you are ... George W. Bush, inset, reacts after an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at him. A journalist hurled two shoes at US President George W Bush on his farewell visit to Iraq on Sunday, highlighting hostility still felt toward the outgoing US leader who acknowledged that the war is still not won. Muntazer al-Zaidi jumped up as Bush held a press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, shouted "It is the farewell kiss, you dog" and threw his footwear. The president lowered his head and the first shoe hit the American and Iraqi flags behind the two leaders. The second was off target. Zaidi, a reporter with the Al-Baghdadia channel which broadcasts from Cairo, was immediately wrestled to the ground by security guards and frogmarched from the room. Soles of shoes are considered the ultimate insult in Arab culture. After Saddam Hussein's statue was toppled in Baghdad in April 2003, many onlookers beat the statue's face with their soles. Bush laughed off the incident, saying: "It doesn't bother me. If you want the facts, it was a size 10 shoe that he threw." He later played down the incident. "I don't know what the guy's cause is... I didn't feel the least bit threatened by it." .
Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki (L) looks on during 45th Jamhuri Day celebrations, the day on which Kenya gained independence. (Right) At Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi. Radio presenter and comedian Walter Mong’are, popularly known as Nyambane, is arrested at the Nyayo Stadium as he protested against the new media law.
IKO NINI BWANA SEED - DECEMBER, 2008
IKO NINI BWANA SEED - NOVEMBER ONE, 2008
IKO NINI BWANA SEED - OCTOBER, 2008
IKO NINI BWANA SEED - SEPTEMBER 2008
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