Iko Nini Bwana Seed?

EXCHANGE RATE AGAINST THE POUND TODAY IS KSHS. 126.00

Nairobi city could soon live true to its description, the city in the sun if an ambitious proposal by the government goes through.  Environment Minister John Michuki has revealed plans to inject a whooping 11 billion shillings to clean up the entire city and its environs.  The money also covers cleaning the Nairobi River putting in plan an effective waste disposal management. Nairobi city has shed its former glory, the city in the sun to become an enduring nightmare for many residents due to overcrowding, environmental pollution, traffic jam and the mushrooming of informal settlements. But all that could be reversed with a multi billion shillings project by the government now in the offing. Environment minister John Michuki says the money will be used to undertake a thorough clean up of Nairobi river, rehabilitating the drainage system to ensure effluence is not discharged besides putting in place an effective solid waste disposal management. The project which is expected to be completed in three years could transform the capital city into a modern city as plans to upgrade it into a 24 hour metropolis are being worked on. Nairobi, the fourth largest city in Africa  has an estimated urban population of between 3 and 4 million.

I am at the door, I knock. If someone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them at their table. Now He is walking to your house. Let Him bless you and send Him to someone else's house.

Obama leads McCain in 6 of 8 key states

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama leads Republican John McCain in six of eight key battleground states one day before the U.S. election, including the big prizes of Florida and Ohio, according to a series of Reuters/Zogby polls released on Monday. Obama holds a 7-point edge over McCain among likely U.S. voters in a separate Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby national tracking poll, up 1 percentage point from Sunday. The telephone poll has a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points. Obama heads into Tuesday's voting in a comfortable position, with McCain struggling to overtake Obama's lead in every national opinion poll and to hold off his challenge in about a dozen states won by President George W. Bush in 2004. The new state polls showed Obama with a 1-point lead in Missouri and 2-point lead in Florida, within the margin of error of 4.1 percentage points. But Obama also holds leads in Ohio, Virginia and Nevada -- all states won by Bush in 2004. The five states where Obama is ahead have a combined 76 electoral votes. Along with states won by Democrat John Kerry in 2004, they would give Obama 328 electoral votes -- far more than the 270 needed to win the White House. Obama also leads by 11 percentage points in Pennsylvania, which McCain has targeted as his best chance to steal a state won by Kerry in 2004. McCain leads Obama by 5 points in Indiana and by 1 point in North Carolina -- both states won by Bush in 2004. "Obama's lead is very steady. He could be looking at a big day on Tuesday," said pollster John Zogby. "These are all Republican states except Pennsylvania, and that does not look like it's going to turn for him." In Florida, the biggest prize being fought over on Tuesday with 27 electoral votes, Obama leads McCain by 48 percent to 46 percent. The two were running dead even at 47 percent one week ago. In Ohio, the state that decided the 2004 election with a narrow win for Bush, Obama has opened a 6-point edge. He also has a 6-point lead on McCain in Virginia and an 8-point advantage in fast-growing Nevada. Obama leads McCain by a statistically insignificant 1 point, 47 percent to 46 percent, in Missouri. McCain has the same 1-point edge in traditionally Republican North Carolina. McCain has a solid 5-point lead in Indiana, which has not supported a Democrat for president since 1964. Obama has worked to put Indiana in the Democratic column, and plans a visit there on Election Day to try to help turn out the vote. In the national poll, Obama leads by 15 points among independents and by 13 points among women, two crucial voting blocs in Tuesday's election. He leads by 1 point among men and among all age groups except those between the ages of 55 and 69, who favor McCain by 1 point. McCain leads among whites by 13 percentage points but is only attracting about 25 percent of Hispanics. In 2004, Bush won more than 40 percent of Hispanics.

Vice President Kalonzo is opposed to Waki recommendations that suspects of the post election violence face trial at The Hague. Instead the VP is proposing instead  justice for victims be sought via a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission. He noted that Kenya's internal justice mechanisms had not failed to the extend that foreign agencies are required to help provide justice to Kenyan citizens. Kenyans, the Vice President added, are capable of finding solutions to their most pressing issues, including the cry for justice for those brutalized by the post-election chaos. "The fact that we were able to quickly pull ourselves out of the post-election violence hole, is a demonstration that we can, with one resolve as Kenyans, address even the most difficult matters and find solutions" he said.  Mr Kalonzo was speaking to hundreds of Kenyans in Zambia, during a dinner hosted by the High Commissioner Mr. Lazarus Amayo, soon after witnessing the swearing in of that country's new President Rupiah Banda. He was accompanied by the East African Cooperation Minister Amason Kingi, MPs Eugene Wamalwa and Daniel Muoki, as well as the Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Thuita Mwangi. The VP welcomed the raging public debate on the fate of the Waki report saying it was health. "Your country Kenya does not belong to the leaders, it belongs to all the citizens. By strongly expressing their views, Kenyans are saying never again will we allow ourselves to pick up machetes and cut each other" He added. Mr. Kalonzo said the Cabinet and Parliament will discuss the Waki report exhaustively and that a position agreeable to most Kenyans will emerge. He congratulated Kenyans in the Diaspora for not expressing animosity towards each other, during the height of the post election chaos. "I know Kenyans abroad came together as brothers and sisters and contributed sacrificially towards the humanitarian efforts, early this year, thank you" He said. East African Co-operation Minister Amason Kingi told the Kenyans that the leaders of the Eastern Africa, Comesa and Southern Africa economic blocks have agreed to form one common market, which will make trading across most of Africa exciting

Lloyds TSB and HBOS have announced plans, backed by the government, to raise up to £17bn as they go ahead with their proposed merger. Lloyds wants to raise £4.5bn from investors and HBOS is seeking £8.5bn. If the shares are not taken up, the government will acquire them. The government will also directly buy preference shares in the two banks - worth a total of £4bn. Lloyds TSB said that its acquisition of HBOS would save it £1.5bn a year. It also announced that the combined group would be named Lloyds Banking Group.

A drum-maker who inhaled anthrax spores while handling imported animal skins at his workshop has died in hospital. Fernando Gomez, 35, from Hackney in east London, had been in the intensive care unit of Homerton University Hospital for more than a week. A hospital spokesman confirmed he died from inhalation anthrax rather than cutaneous anthrax, which is contracted through the skin. Seven other people have been given antibiotics as a precautionary measure. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said it was attempting to trace where the infected skins originated. A hospital spokesman said his condition had deteriorated overnight and that he died on Sunday afternoon. The HPA has sealed off his flat in Hackney and will examine his workshop this week. Its chief adviser, Professor Nigel Lightfoot, said residents who lived near the flat or workshop were not at risk. He stressed the risk of coming into contact with anthrax came from the making of animal skin drums not playing or handling them. He said: "We are, however, keen to reiterate to all individuals who make drums from imported animal skins that there is a risk of coming into contact with anthrax and that they should ensure they are aware of this and take precautions to protect themselves when making these drums." The threat to the general public is very small and it is extremely unusual for anthrax to be transmitted from person to person. The last death of this kind in Britain was in 2006 when Christopher Norris, 50, a craftsman from Stobs, near Hawick in Scotland, died after inhaling anthrax. Mr Norris made artworks and also musical instruments, including drums. A fatal accident inquiry into his death is due to take place on 18 November at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

The last death of this kind in Britain was in 2006

Police will Monday examine the house of a London drum-maker who died after inhaling anthrax spores while handling imported animal skins, the hospital treating him said.  Fernando Gomez, 35, from Hackney in east London, had been in intensive care for several days but his condition deteriorated overnight and he died around lunchtime, the Homerton University Hospital said. Health Protection Agency (HPA) staff have sealed off his flat and are due to inspect his workshop this week to test for further signs of the disease, which can cause a skin infection or, as in this case, be inhaled into the lungs. Seven people who had been in the room where the animal hides were prepared have been given antibiotics as a precaution, but HPA officials said no-one else has developed symptoms of anthrax. Anthrax is a highly contagious infection that usually only afflicts livestock, but can be transmitted to humans who handle or eat infected animals. Anthrax inhalation is very rare, and is not contagious. Officials stress there is little risk to people playing animal hide drums, only those making them, and Britain has tough regulations on hide imports. The last death of this kind in Britain was in Scotland in 2006, when 50-year-old Christopher Norris, who made artworks and instruments including drums, died after inhaling anthrax. A subsequent report said it was likely Norris died after playing or handling anthrax-contaminated West African drums at a drumming workshop.

London drum-maker dies of anthrax: hospital

Former Mandera MP Billow Kerrow who was arrested on Friday for interrogations on the Mandera saga will be arraigned in court on Monday 3rd November, 2008. Kerrow was released last night but will appear in court for incitement to violence and disobedience of law.  His arrest resulted to a spate of protests and demonstrations that erupted in Mandera and Eastleigh estate in Nairobi Saturday.  "The Military is abusing locals in the name of ending clan clashes in Mandera." The former MP claimed the security personnel engaged in physical assault and sexual harassment of locals. The statements have now been translated to incitement to violence and disobedience of the law and those are the charges that Billow will in a court of law. In a show of solidarity, business came to a standstill in Mandera Saturday as angry residents took to the streets brandishing placards and chanting as they demanded for the immediate release of their former MP.  Their counterparts in Eastleigh estate spent the better part of their day engaging police in running battles over the same demands. Allegations of the military abusing human rights during official duty caused uproar during a similar operation in Mt Elgons, claims that were nevertheless constantly dismissed by residents. The Military operation was declared following clashes between Murule and Garre clans which have claimed more than 20 lives in the last one month.

Government bulldozers descended on business premises on a road reserve along Thika Road on Saturday morning and destroyed property worth millions. The Nakumatt Thika Road branch, Roy Transmotors, Vision Grill restaurant and Kenol service station were demolished in the operation which began at 5 a.m.  Security firms had to hurriedly empty automated teller machines of Barclays, Equity and NIC banks before they were destroyed. The operation attracted a large crowd and caused a heavy traffic jam on the usually busy road for the better part of the morning.  Armed Administration Police officers had a hard time keeping looters at bay as the demolition continued. But some managed to grab items, especially from the supermarket.  Rashid Hilowle, the security team boss, said they had arrested a man trying to cart away a colour TV from the supermarket. The owner of Visions Grill, Mr Henry Mureithi, allowed people to eat and drink to their fill before the restaurant was pulled down.  At the Kenol service station next to Nakumatt, employees emptied the tanks which the manager, Mr Jonathan Onyango, said had 26,000 litres of fuel worth over Sh3 million. Ministry of Roads officials on site told the Sunday Nation that the businesses had been served with a notice three months ago but were reluctant to leave the premises. More demolitions are anticipated in the coming days.  - Sunday Nation.

Bulldozers pull down the building housing Nakumatt Thika Road branch.

"I beganmy life journey through a great woman, my mum, she loved me since birth and has forever loved me. She told me I was born a healthy baby in Pumwani hospital, Nairobi and was her pride, her blessings from God. I was taken home to a small town Kerua, in Muguga. But before I could count, our family moved to Uthiru in 1983." - Jesus defeats heroin book written by Pastor Joseph Njuguna, London

Aunt Tabby.... Aunt Tabby.... where have you been? "I have been to London to see the Queen...."

Aunt Tabby.... Aunt Tabby.... where have you been? "I have been to London to see the Queen...." What else did you see there? "I also visited London Eye and London Bridge was burning.". As Mrs. Tabitha Wamae, well in known in Seattle US as Aunt Tabby visited London Eye - 135 metres above London where she could see the Big Ben from above. Later she visiting Buckingham Palace where see was on time to see change of guards to the Queen (top right). What surprised you in London than anything else Aunt Tabby? "London underground trains -going 600ft below river Thames, it is amazing." Seattle is the home of giant Microsoft and Boeing. She is returning to the US next week. Her contact in London 07951268057.

Some sobbed as they watched their investments worth millions brought down in a flash. Others laughed in an inebriated stupor sparked by the free flowing alcohol, looted or given out by dazed proprietors. And others were pondering their fate as they stared joblessness in the face as their work places were being flattened. Yet others had no clue what made them sit in traffic for hours on end. Such was the mix of emotions along Thika Road, on Saturday morning, when Ministry of Roads bulldozers came calling at the crack of dawn. They first struck at the Nakumatt Thika Road branch, a mega store that was fully stocked at the time. At what used to be the entrance, a huge elephant stature lay prostrate on the concrete rumble — an ominous sign that the supermarket had come tumbling down, literally. A few steps, Patrick Oundo, a watchman was feasting on chicken with the other hand holding a can of beer. He had been guarding the Kenol Petrol Station before the bulldozers started demolishing the Vision Bar and Restaurant within the same plot. As the owner was salvaging what he could, Oundo helped himself to a chicken that was in the fridge. "Kazi imeisha. Sasa ni kijibebea and tumbo,’’ (I am now jobless. The least I can do is to fill my stomach). Scores of other youths were drinking themselves silly after the proprietor, Mr Henry Muriithi, allowed them to drink on condition they do not cart away the bottles and crates.  Last night, Muriithi had invited Tony Nyadundo of Ohangla fame to entertain his customers and displayed a huge banner announcing the musical fiesta.  But his colourful bar was at the mercy of a huge bulldozer. He had pleaded with the officials to give the demolition a human face, by allowing them to remove valuables. Despite a heavy police presence, youths still managed to loot foodstuff, including raw meat. Beer and soft drinks were in high demand.. The next bar, Blue Springs, was invaded by a gang of about 100 youths, who helped themselves to the drinks. Police maintained tight security around Nakumatt, and kept a huge crowd at bay. A lorry crying beer was almost hijacked by the ‘thirsty’ youths, who were waiting for the slightest opportunity to loot property. A senior Administration Police officer, Mr Rashid Hilolwe, said only one person was arrested as he attempted to steal from the supermarket. - Sunday Standard.

MAN OF GOD OFF TO USA

Pastor Joseph Njuguna well known as "Man of God" is going to the US for a mission. Pastor Njuguna who has been the pastor at Victory Revival Christian Centre, Nottingham branch had his last service on Sunday. His has been touring and preaching in different parts of the US last month before coming back to the UK.  He is well known in the UK because God delivered him from the streets of London to the pulpit. He has written a book about his life in the street, stealing and taking drugs. In one passage in his book Pastor Njuguna wrote: "I arrived in London in 1995. I became a thief in London. During the winter nights, London is cold; the temperatures fall below 5 degrees Celsius. I had probably adapted the life of an ice man from all the times I was only thinking about drugs - the cold became not as important as getting a high." he explained. We will keep on publishing quotations from his book. His email missions@manofgod.co.uk

The greatest political show on earth

Speaking to supporters, Mr McCain attacked his rival over his tax plans and said: "We can and will win." and Mr Obama is warning against the dangers of complacency, and urging supporters to make sure they vote.

The most fascinating, most gruelling and most expensive US presidential election campaign for generations is almost over. Whoever wins, says Justin Webb, the contest has left him wondering if any other political show could ever compete. Three unforgettable moments... The first with John McCain in a medium-sized hall somewhere in New Hampshire. He is standing close to me when one of his military veteran buddies, wearing a cap with battle honours neatly stitched on the side, comes up to hug him. The two elderly men, both tired and bleary-eyed, both their bodies past their best, held each other for a moment with genuine, unaffected love. Love for who they are and what they represent: generations of Americans who have fought for what they believe is the most honourable nation on earth, a nation that is, at its heart, decent. They were the country's sword and it was not easy. And because of that, the bond between Mr McCain and the vets is intense. It defeats on every count the love of the college students for Obama, or the working mums for Hillary Clinton. John McCain can look stiff and out of place when hugging his running mate. Wow, he seems to be saying, what is all this about? He can even seem a tad distant with his wife, but with the vets he melts and it is an affecting spectacle. It is - to use one of the buzzwords of the entire campaign - authentic. The second moment that will stay with me forever was the arrival of Hillary Clinton in the packed convention centre in Denver to make the formal declaration that her campaign was over, and Barack Obama had her support. Dramatic is a weedy word - it was seismic, it was physical. She came in at the same level at which the slaves and animals would have burst into public sight in a Roman amphitheatre. There was no room for anyone to breathe, the noise was deafening. She had to be propelled to the microphone, not because she was unwilling (well, not openly) but because of the crush. Humanity - sweating people vying for control, for sovereignty, for dominance. This was about power. It was about having it, and losing it. And as she left the hall, he had it and she had lost.

The third moment was also in Denver, but was outside the hall as I wandered lost, looking for the portable office we were calling home. Suddenly, in front of me there is activity. Men in grey suits are talking into their sleeves. Huge, sleek cars are being revved. Motorbikes are getting into formation. It is not him, it is his family. As the SUVs pass - including several with the doors and back windows open, men with large automatic weapons looking out with keen hard glares - I catch just a glimpse of the children, of 10-year-old Malia and seven-year-old Sasha peering out. I think their mother was sitting in the middle. This is the true revolution. There have been, after all, prominent black politicians for decades now, men and women afforded the full protection and respect that the nation can muster. But seeing little black children gathered up into the arms of the secret service, surrounded by people who would die rather than let them die, is to see something that must truly make the racists of Americas past revolve in their graves. I do not think Barack Obama will win or lose because of his race, but if he does win, the real moment you will know that America has changed is not when he takes the oath, but when we see pictures of tiny people padding along the White House corridors - a black First Family - representing America and American-ness. True, Americans tire of their presidents, but in their early years they hold huge sway, they set the style. Americans will look in the mirror, metaphorically speaking, and black faces will look back. I wonder if the Obama children have ever asked the question: "Are we nearly there?" The answer, at last, is: Yes, we are nearly there. It has been quite a journey and it is worth remembering before being too sure about the result on Tuesday that it has been quite a journey, because of the bumps in the road that have thrown sturdy-looking vehicles off-course, some ending wheels-up in the ditch. So, although most worldly-wise Republicans expect to lose and most Democrats expect to win, both sides will be short of breath over the next few hours as they hand the thing over to the millions of voters who still, as of this moment, have made no final, irrevocable decision. At dinner with some mover and shaker Democrats the other day, one anguished guest turned to the others and cried: "Can't it just be over?" The tension as the votes are counted will be felt the world over. In spite of all the loose talk of the decline of American influence, this is, once again, the greatest political show on earth. To have watched it has been an honour.

A passenger jet coming in to land at Heathrow Airport had a near miss with a Unidentified Flying Object (UFO), according to newly-released Ministry of Defence files. The captain of the Alitalia airliner was so concerned he shouted "look out" to his co-pilot after seeing the brown missile-shaped object shoot past them overhead. The mysterious incident near Lydd in Kent in 1991 was thoroughly investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the military. But having ruled out the object being a missile, weather balloon or space rocket, the MoD closed the inquiry and left the matter unsolved. The unexplained close encounter is one of many recounted in military UFO documents now made available online by the National Archives. Documents show the McDonnell Douglas MD80 aircraft was en route from Milan to Heathrow at 22,000ft with 57 people on board when pilot Achille Zaghetti saw the strange object 1,000ft above him. He recounted: "At once I said, 'look out, look out,' to my co-pilot, who looked out and saw what I had seen. "As soon as the object crossed us I asked to the ACC (area control centre) operator if he saw something on his screen and he answered 'I see an unknown target 10nm (nautical miles) behind you'." The files show that Southern TV broadcast a story about a 14-year-old boy who reported seeing a missile flying at low level before climbing through the cloud and disappearing on the same evening. An unnamed Whitehall official wrote: "It is our intention to treat this sighting like that of any other Unidentified Flying Object and therefore we will not be undertaking any further investigation." There were a number of other similar incidents recorded in the same year. On June 17, 1991 four passengers onboard a Dan Air Boeing 737 saw a "wingless projectile" pass beneath the aircraft as it climbed from Gatwick Airport headed for Hamburg. And on July 15 the pilot of a Britannia Airways 737 reported seeing a "small black lozenge-shaped object" travelling at speed as they approached Gatwick.

The 19 UFO Files Include:

:: US Air Force pilot's account of being ordered to shoot down a UFO.

:: MoD request that Army and Navy helicopters should not take photos of crop circles. 

:: Letter from a woman claiming to be an alien.

Wales has reportedly been treated to a series of UFO sightings this week, with one police helicopter being forced to swerve sharply as it was apparently 'buzzed' by a strange craft. The flying object was reported to authorities but it has not been identified, sparking fresh UFO intrigue. But police are taking a low-key approach and have quietly dismissed dramatic reports of what happened. According to The Sun newspaper, the police chopper spotted the craft and gave chase across the Bristol Channel as far as the North Devon coast. But the chopper was forced to turn back to base because fuel was running low. Police, however, have a different story. They insist that no aerial pursuit took place and they have pointed out that neither crew nor helicopter were ever in any danger. In a brief statement the police said: "South Wales Police can confirm its air support unit sighted an unusual aircraft. "This was reported to the relevant authorities for their investigation. "There are a wide variety of aircraft which come in a range of different shapes and sizes, and in all probability this sighting has just confirmed that one of these was in the area at the relevant time." More than 200 UFO sightings have been investigated by the Ministry of Defence in the last year, according to real life 'X Files' released today. Documents detailing hundreds of sightings of unexplained objects in the skies above Britain have been opened to the public for the first time. They reveal reports of alien craft over Wallasey Town Hall and a saucer-shaped UFO hovering over Waterloo Bridge in London. And they tell how an elderly man claimed he was abducted by "little green men" in Aldershot in 1985. The MoD report reads: "I saw a vivid light coming towards me from the south.... I thought, it can't be an aeroplane, it's too low." He went on: "I saw two 'forms' coming towards me. They were dressed in pale green coveralls from head to foot and they had helmets of the same colour with a visor that was blacked out. The unnamed man says he was taken aboard the UFO and then told to leave. "A voice said: 'What is your age?'. I said: 'I shall be 78 next birthday'. He said to me: 'You can go.

You are too old and too infirm for our purpose.'" Other sightings are more convincing. In 1986 a claim from a commercial airline pilot was sent to the men at the ministry.  "An unidentified object passed close to port side of aircraft" it read. "Possibilities considered: a) Asteroid b) returning space debris or c) re-entering missile. If it is established that c) is the case, then captain and crew very unimpressed." Before conspiracy theorists get carried away, the MoD says the reason for its interest - and form filling - is straightforward. "Reports are examined by the Ministry of Defence solely to establish whether UK airspace may have been compromised by hostile or unauthorised military activity" an official told Sky News Online.  "Unless there is evidence of a potential threat, no further work is undertaken to identify the nature of each sighting reported. The MoD has no other interest or role regarding UFO matters. Nor does the Department consider questions regarding the existence or otherwise of extraterrestrial life-forms." But the man who used to be in charge of those files says their release will do nothing to stop the conspiracies. "We are never going to satisfy the diehard conspiracy theorists," said Nick Pope, who appears today on a new Sky News Online programme, Unplugged.  "The French government released their UFO files a year or so ago. And of course after that the conspiracy theorists said: 'Yes, well, that's just dis-information. All the really good stuff has been kept back.' And I can guarantee that's exactly what's going to happen here in the UK." The files are available to see online from the National Archives in London.  There are 160 of them each detailing hundreds of sightings and they will be released in small batches over the next few months. Peter Kilfoyle MP is a former Defence Minister. In the past, he's accused the MoD of "a culture of secrecy" and welcomes the files publication. "I tried to get them released quite some years ago when I was there," he told Sky News. "Simply because I think it would allay a lot of people's fears if they understood just what there was in these files. Lots of curiosities but nothing to suggest that little green men are running around Hampstead Heath or something!" One thing though appears to be missing from the MoD files. Their conclusions.  Were all these sightings verified, dismissed or something else? Perhaps the truth is still out there.

"Praise God Church, Friday coming 31st October, 2008 is a Halloween celebrations. Our children will be celebrating the occasion together with other children in school. As you all know that this is a devilish holiday we need to meet here as parents together with our children on Friday evening so that we can pray for our children against this spirits." Mrs. Beth Irungu, wife of Pastor Francis Irungu, Oxford, Sunday 26th October, 2008

LEFT: The Guardian begins with bailed out Royal Bank of Scotland signalling it is preparing big bonuses for staff despite pay cuts in the City. Also, how Barack Obama is raising the aspirations of a generation. CENTRE: The Financial Times features Barclays' facing uproar from investors as shareholders turn their nose up at plans to raise £7bn in a deal that put nearly a third of the bank in the hands of two Middle Eastern of investors. RIGHT: The Daily Telegraph announces the commander of SAS troops in Afghanistan has resigned in disgust because his warning that 'Snatch' 4x4's were too dangerous was ignored - leading to the deaths of four of his soldiers.

A reluctant groom set fire to the hotel where he was due to get married to avoid having to go through with the wedding. Tatsuhiko Kawata had gone along with marriage plans despite already having a wife, the Yomiuri newspaper in Japan said. Kawata, 39, decided to burn down the Risonare resort hotel rather than get hitched in front of 80 guests. He reportedly told police: "I thought if I set a fire I wouldn't have to go through with the wedding." Guests at the hotel were evacuated and no one was injured when he started the fire in the early hours of Sunday morning. Kawata had been due to tie the knot later in the day at the hotel in Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo. He was arrested after suddenly cancelling the event and behaving suspiciously.

“My eyes have never dried since she left.” These are the words of James Kihanya, a jua kali artisan on Nairobi’s River Road. James has defied cultural beliefs to immortalise his wife, who died one year and three months ago, in a monument he has made for her.  It took a month and a few days for the 56-year-old father of four to come up with the artistic piece, which comprises a portrait of his wife, a clock, a moving projector, and some dried flowers. The piece comes complete with lighting to illuminate its features. According to James, his wife, Sarah Wamwiri Kihanya, is not dead, but on vacation in some beautiful land – much like the one in the projector “where she is resting, rejuvenating and walking in that beautiful flower garden. I do not believe she is dead.  Or else, she is just taking a prolonged afternoon nap,” says James, as he wipes away tears, oblivious to his assistants who are looking on. Why did he decide to make the monument? “I just wanted to pay tribute to her,” he says. “If I were a painter, I would have perhaps painted a picture of her – just to feel her lasting presence. If I were a carpenter, I would have made her a very nice and comfortable coffin. And no, I do not think I am in denial, as most people would like to say,” he adds. “I am just remembering a wonderful wife.” His wife of 30 years, Sarah was a special education teacher. She died following a stroke after suffering from hypertension for several years.  - Daily Nation.

 Dear Mr Seed

  It is to my belief also that the Waki commission findings should be implemented fully. This is the last chance for Kenya to raise from the ashes it doesn't matter who is in the list. Over 1,000 Kenyans were murdered and thousands more were maimed and displaced. The leaders who caused this massacre are being driven around with security and pomp.

  Kenya will never be the same again. Lets forget beating the drum for individuals and raise above our tribalcocoon and fight for new Kenya or else there will be an armed struggle like the one Congo.   Joshua - 31st October, 2008

Politicians opposed to the Waki report on post-election violence are making fresh demands, which if not met will lead them to kick the document out of Parliament. After a meeting on Friday, they declared that Mr Justice Philip Waki erred in denying the President and Parliament access to the envelope which holds the fate of political careers of six Cabinet ministers, five MPs and unnamed number of prominent business people.  Unless they received the list, they warned that they would not discuss the report. The demand for the list featured in a meeting of top PNU leaders at Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka’s office on Friday and another night meeting of MPs from Central Kenya on Thursday night.  The MPs mainly from PNU argue that the Waki report is “not complete” without the list and therefore Parliament cannot debate it. They also want the evidence accompanying the names to be tabled in the House so that MPs can discuss and examine each of them before they can decide on the formation of a special tribunal. The envelope containing the names was handed to chief mediator Kofi Annan and will be released only to the prosecutor of the tribunal or handed over to the International Criminal Court if a special tribunal is not appointed according to the Waki team’s recommendations. - Daily Nation.

 Dozens of passengers had to be evacuated today after a jet carrying holidaymakers from Glasgow skidded off a runway stopping inches from a beach. The Air Europa plane, thought to be carrying 74 people, went off the end of the runway after it touched down at Lanzarote airport. Spanish police said there were no reports of injuries. The airport on the holiday island was reportedly closed following the accident this morning. A spokesman for Air Europa said: "There was a problem on landing. All the passengers left the plane and are fine and are being taken to their hotels."

 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has existed for over 4,000 years and is a comprehensive medical system with its own principles, diagnostic methods and therapies. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

A Kenyan and an evangelist/bible teacher based in Baltimore Maryland has just released a new book: THE GREATEST NEWS-How To Get Mind Bending and World Changing Faith. The book is about faith and stresses how we are called to live by faith. The writer, Steve Magua who is married to Catherine Magua is a full time Evangelist working in the inner city of Baltimore Maryland and is a staff member of Around the world Ministries, a tent revival team that goes on a worldwide tour to spread the good news of Christ. The official book launch ceremony will be held in Baltimore on November 1 2008. Venue to be provided. The book is available at www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com.

FTSE suffers worst month since 1987

London's leading share index has suffered its second worst October ever, despite closing with a 12.7% surge over the week. The FTSE 100 Index plunged by 11% this month - the biggest October fall since the 1987 crash, when the top flight fell more than 26% in one month. Share prices have been decimated by the global financial crisis, which this month cranked up a notch amid mounting bank failures and worldwide recession fears. This month saw the Government forced into unprecedented action to bail out UK banks, while countries across the world made similar dramatic moves to secure financial institutions. But recession concerns soon took over from worries over the banking sector, giving stocks a relentless battering. Justin Urquhart-Stewart, of Seven Investment Management, said it had been a "frightening" month. "It has been like an earthquake where the very foundations of the financial system were shaking," he said. The FTSE 100 endured the biggest one-day fall in its 24 year history, when the top tier plummeted by a devastating 9% on October 10. Co-ordinated rate cut action - including a 0.5% reduction to 4.5% in the UK - and billions of pounds of cash pumped into the financial system were unable to prevent the blue chip index from slumping to levels not seen in more than five years. Stocks this week made an attempt to recover lost ground, bouncing back by 8% on Wednesday ahead of rate cut hopes as America slashed its key rate by another 0.5% to 1%. But the four-day rally, which saw it close at 4377.3 on Friday, was not enough to offset the early October falls, leaving blue chips nursing hefty declines. At the start of the month the index stood at 4902.5.

The Kenya National Commisiion on Human Rights -KNCHR- is now calling on the governmnet to halt the on going Military operations in mandera District.  Addressing the press Friday in Nairobi, the Commissions Vice Chair Hassan Omar Hassan said the ongoing operation has sparked a serious humanitarian crisis in the area. The commission is also calling on the government to investigate alleged torture and human rights violations and take appropriate action against the perpertrators. About  two weeks ago , a 24 hour curfew was imposed in Mandera town after fresh violence. Mandera East DC Francis Lenyangume directed the security personnel to work round the clock and arrest anybody found walking from 6.00 pm to 6.00 am. He said the curfew would be on until the situation returns to normal.

Robbers raided a village in Murang’a North district and terrorised residents asking them to surrender tea earnings. Tea farmers in the district started receiving their bonus payment early this week. The gang of more than 15 raided Kagongo village in Mathioya division shortly after midnight and broke into several homes.

What is the History of Halloween?

What is Halloween?

The History of Halloween: Traditions and Customs

Halloween is an annual celebration, but just what is it actually a celebration of? And how did this peculiar custom originate? Is it, as some claim, a kind of demon worship? Or is it just a harmless vestige of some ancient pagan ritual?  The word itself, "Halloween," actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, "All Hollows Day" (or "All Saints Day"), is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. But, in the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31. The holiday was called Samhain (sow-en), the Celtic New year.  One story says that, on that day, the disembodied spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. It was believed to be their only hope for the afterlife. The Celts believed all laws of space and time were suspended during this time, allowing the spirit world to intermingle with the living.  Naturally, the still-living did not want to be possessed. So on the night of October 31, villagers would extinguish the fires in their homes, to make them cold and undesirable. They would then dress up in all manner of ghoulish costumes and noisily paraded around the neighborhood, being as destructive as possible in order to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess.  Probably a better explanation of why the Celts extinguished their fires was not to discourage spirit possession, but so that all the Celtic tribes could relight their fires from a common source, the Druidic fire that was kept burning in the Middle of Ireland, at Usinach.  Some accounts tell of how the Celts would burn someone at the stake who was thought to have already been possessed, as sort of a lesson to the spirits. Other accounts of Celtic history debunk these stories as myth.   The Romans adopted the Celtic practices as their own. But in the first century AD, Samhain was assimilated into celebrations of some of the other Roman traditions that took place in October, such as their day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple, which might explain the origin of our modern tradition of bobbing for apples on Halloween.  The thrust of the practices also changed over time to become more ritualized. As belief in spirit possession waned, the practice of dressing up like hobgoblins, ghosts, and witches took on a more ceremonial role.  The custom of Halloween was brought to America in the 1840's by Irish immigrants fleeing their country's potato famine. At that time, the favorite pranks in New England included tipping over outhouses and unhinging fence gates.

The United Nations refugee agency says it has credible reports that camps for displaced people in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have been forcibly emptied, looted and burned and fighting between the two sides resumed in August after a peace deal collapsed. Human rights monitors have accused government troops of raping and murdering civilians in Goma.

Somalia to form new cabinet

The main priority for Somalia's interim government is to form a new cabinet within 15 days as demanded bys east African leaders at crisis talks in Kenya, the Somali prime minister said on Friday. Regional heads of states who met in Nairobi on Wednesday demanded that the four-year Somali administration name a new cabinet, show quick progress on political reconciliation and reverse the country's slide into rampant insecurity. At the same time, five coordinated car bombings killed about 30 people across northern Somalia.  Suspicion fell on Islamist insurgents battling the government and its Ethiopian allies. "Definitely our main priority is the composition of a new cabinet in the time frame stipulated," Somali Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein told a news conference in Nairobi. Regional leaders said that if fast progress was made, the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development bloc might consider extending the interim government's mandate, which is set to expire in August 2009. This will depend upon the progress  to see a national united government including the TFG (Transitional Federal Government) and the opposition," Hussein said. "We will have an inclusive parliament. This will bring about the possibility of extending the transition period." Authorities in northern Somalia arrested a prominent local sheikh on Thursday and others suspected of involvement in the suicide attacks a day earlier. There was still no clear claim of responsibility for the five bombs in Puntland and Somaliland. The United States blamed al Qaeda, which it says works through the local militant group al Shabaab. It posted a 30-minute online video on Thursday containing the last testament of a suicide bomber identified as Abdel Aziz Saad. Both Somaliland and Puntland had been relatively quiet in recent months compared with southern Somalia. The coordinated blasts would mark a return north for al Shabaab where its members were blamed for some attacks on aid workers several years ago if it is confirmed the group was behind them.

The violence in Somalia has killed nearly 10,000 civilians since the start of 2007 and forced more than a million from their homes, triggering a humanitarian crisis aid workers say is one of the worst and most neglected in the world.   The main priority for Somalia's interim government is to form a new cabinet within 15 days as demanded by east African leaders at crisis talks in Kenya, the Somali prime minister said on Friday. Regional heads of states who met in Nairobi on Wednesday demanded that the four-year Somali administration name a new cabinet, show quick progress on political reconciliation and reverse the country's slide into rampant insecurity. At the same time, five coordinated car bombings killed about 30 people across northern Somalia.  Suspicion fell on Islamist insurgents battling the government and its Ethiopian allies. "Definitely our main priority is the composition of a new cabinet in the time frame stipulated," Somali Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein told a news conference in Nairobi. Regional leaders said that if fast progress was made, the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development bloc might consider extending the interim government's mandate, which is set to expire in August 2009. This will depend upon the progress  to see a national united government including the TFG (Transitional Federal Government) and the opposition," Hussein said. "We will have an inclusive parliament. This will bring about the possibility of extending the transition period." Authorities in northern Somalia arrested a prominent local sheikh on Thursday and others suspected of involvement in the suicide attacks a day earlier. There was still no clear claim of responsibility for the five bombs in Puntland and Somaliland. The United States blamed al Qaeda, which it says works through the local militant group al Shabaab. It posted a 30-minute online video on Thursday containing the last testament of a suicide bomber identified as Abdel Aziz Saad. Both Somaliland and Puntland had been relatively quiet in recent months compared with southern Somalia.  The coordinated blasts would mark a return north for al Shabaab where its members were blamed for some attacks on aid workers several years ago if it is confirmed the group was behind them. The violence in Somalia has killed nearly 10,000 civilians since the start of 2007 and forced more than a million from their homes, triggering a humanitarian crisis aid workers say is one of the worst and most neglected in the world.

U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) (L) and former President Bill Clinton acknowledge supporters at a campaign rally in Kissimmee, Florida. Obama gives hints on who he is likely to name to Cabinet. US presidential candidate Barack Obama confirmed on Wednesday he would include Republicans in his Cabinet if he wins the election. Mr Obama, a Democratic senator from Illinois, also said he had “some pretty good ideas” about people he might tap for senior government jobs, though he emphasized he is focused for now on the final days of the campaign and takes nothing for granted. “There is a transition process – that I’m not paying attention to on a day-to-day basis – but that has been set up,” Obama told ABC News in an interview.

The Co-operative Bank initial public offering launch on Thursday was met with optimism that a full subscription would be achieved. Despite the currents stock price fall, the bank advisors, management and market regulators said they expect the issue to be successful. “I have no doubt in my mind that the Co-operative Bank IPO will be a success,” Capital Market Authority chairman, Chege Waruingi, said during the launch. The bank is offering 701 million shares to the public priced at Sh9.5 each to raise Sh6.7 billion at a time when the stock market is experiencing reduced activity.  Currently, investors at the Nairobi Stock Exchange have lost over a third of their wealth due to falling share prices.  The optimism is, however, coming from expectation that the country’s wider co-operative movement will drive the uptake of the shares.  “We urge all Kenyans from all walks of life, and particularly the seven million members of the co-operative movement to seize this great opportunity and purchase the shares,” Minister for Co-operative Development, Joseph Nyagah said.  If successful, the money will go towards funding the bank’s expansion drive, including opening branches in the region, upgrading its banking system and launching of new products.  “The reason this IPO is so significant is because it provides us with an opportunity to raise additional capital to support growth and expansion,” Co-op Bank chairman, Stanley Muchiri said. NSE chairman, James Wangunyu, said that the shares sale, which will run for the next nine days, could benefit from an expected recovery in the stock market performance. “We expect the market to start recovery due to the falling crude oil prices, return to normalcy in supply of fresh commodities as well as the depreciation of the Kenya shilling making agricultural exports more competitive and Kenya a more affordable tourist destination,” Mr Wangunyu said. The bank recently finalised its turnaround strategy moving it from loss-making (pretax loss of Sh2.3 billion in 2001) to profit-making recording a pretax profit of Sh2.3 billion last year with a projection of Sh3.4 billion in 2008. - Daily Nation

An eccentric face painter has used his artistic talents to create some of the most amazing masks ever seen.  James Kuhn Michigan uses his own face to create these bizarre masks which include pineapples, cheeseburgers and even gorillas.  His inspiration? Well, we're not sure, but sit back and have a look at his wonderful gallery of face painting art here.

The US economy shrank at an annualised rate of 0.3% between July and September, according to figures from the Commerce Department. The gross domestic product (GDP) figures were better than expected, although they show the sharpest contraction of the economy since 2001. Consumer spending, which makes up two-thirds of the US economy, shrank by 3.1%, the first contraction since 1991. The 0.3% fall followed 2.8% growth in the previous three-month period. The growth data came on the same day that some of the US's biggest companies reported their results for the July to September period: Broadcaster CBS made a loss of $12.46bn (£7.59bn) in the quarter. This included a write-down of $14.12bn-worth of media assets. Electronics giant Motorola reported a loss of $397m for the quarter, compared with a profit of $60m a year ago, largely due to falling mobile phone sales. Paper and packaging company International Paper reported a 31% fall in profits to $149m and warned demand for its products had fallen  American Express, the credit card issuer, announced plans to cut 7,000 jobs as part of a plan to save $1.8bn by the end of 2009. On the positive side, photographic company Eastman Kodak's profits jumped to $96m for the quarter, compared with a $37m profit in the same three months last year Personal care product maker Colgate-Palmolive reported profits of $499.9m for the quarter, up 19% on the same period last year. The GDP figures showed that spending on non-durable goods, which are smaller purchases such as food and paper, dropped at its sharpest rate since 1950. The economic shrinkage means that the US economy is halfway to the standard definition of a recession, which is two consecutive quarters of negative growth. But the official definition in the US is different, meaning that the US economy is never officially in recession until the National Bureau of Economic Research decides it is. Nevertheless, the Federal Reserve is clearly concerned about the US economy and cut its key interest rate from 1.5% to 1% on Wednesday. "Consumer spending is about 70% of GDP and this looks like the lowest it has been in two decades, which goes to show that in the fourth quarter, we are going into recession," said Bill Walsh, president of Hennion and Walsh in New Jersey. The GDP figures were accompanied by Labor Department figures showing the number of new claims for jobless benefits last week. There were 479,000 new claims in the week ending 25 October, which was the same number as the previous week, but still a high number, suggesting that the problems in the economy are feeding through to the job market.

Bank of England says  the world's financial firms had now lost £1.8 trillion ($2.8 trillion) as a result of the continuing credit crisis.

LEFT: The Sun also calculates how much Ross will pay for his joke - but adds that he will still earn £100,000 hosting ITV's comedy awards.  CENTRE: The Daily Express leads with its campaign for cheaper petrol and has a picture of the havoc caused by severe hail storms in Devon. RIGHT: The Daily Telegraph also has a photograph of the Devon ice storm, and looks at how David Cameron's lead in political polls has slipped during the financial crisis.

UK house prices continued falling in October and are now nearly 15% lower than a year ago, says the Nationwide. The building society's latest survey says property prices fell by 1.4% this past month, pushing the annual rate of fall up from 12.4% to 14.6%. This means the price of an average house was £158,872 - nearly £30,000 less than a year ago. The Nationwide is the first major lender to report the state of the market in October. The lender said the price falls were being driven by the fall in sales, now at their lowest for 34 years. "The number of completed house purchase transactions as a proportion of the total stock of mortgages is now at its lowest ever level since the series started in 1974," said the Nationwide's chief economist, Fionnuala Earley. "A looming recession and continued financial market instability have uncomfortable implications for the housing and mortgage markets, and will undoubtedly affect the pace of recovery in house prices. "However, the speed of the economic slowdown and the determination on the part of central banks to return stability to the financial markets does mean that interest rates are likely to continue to be cut sharply," she added. The survey shows that house prices have now dropped for 12 consecutive months, although the monthly fall in October was slightly smaller than the previous three months. According to Hometrack, it now takes significantly longer to sell a home than it did a year ago. The average amount of time from the time of going on the market to going under offer rose from 7.4 weeks in October last year to 11.9 weeks now. Asking prices have been falling but slower than other measures, the Nationwide said, with evidence that most sellers do not yet feel the need to reduce their prices dramatically for a quick sale. Ms Earley told the BBC that urgency had been taken out of the market because buyers were expecting prices to fall further in the coming months. The figures reveal that prices are on course to end the year at least 16% lower than at the start of 2008. This reveals the speed of the downturn, as major lenders at the start of the year were predicting that UK house prices would remain flat in 2008. Other figures suggest there will be no let-up, in the short term, in the dramatic slump in the property market. Figures from the Bank of England on Wednesday showed that mortgages approved but not yet lent - a key indicator of short-term trends - were still down by two-thirds on the levels seen a year ago. Meanwhile, the year-long crisis in the banking system has shown no signs of relief, despite the efforts of central banks and governments around the globe. As a result, banks in the UK are still severely restricting their new mortgage lending, a trend which is likely to continue in the next few months, according to the Bank's recent Financial Stability Report. Ms Earley said it would be clearer by the end of the year whether the help given to the banks would feed through to mortgage holders.

Some of the ODM leaders who attended Thursday’s parliamentary group meeting, including Prime Minister Raila Odinga (second right) and Cabinet ministers William Ruto (right), James Orengo (left) and Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi. ODM on Thursday rejected the Waki report on post-election violence as its leaders said they would resist attempts to charge any of the those named in a secret list of suspected perpetrators. Several Cabinet ministers criticised Prime Minister Raila Odinga over his stand that the Waki report be implemented in full.  Among those who took on the PM were ministers Charity Ngilu, Wycliffe Oparanya, Dalmas Otieno and Fred Gumo. The list, with the names of six Cabinet ministers and five MPs, was handed over to chief mediator Kofi Annan.  It is to be forwarded to the International Criminal Court for the suspects to be tried at the Hague if the Government fails to set up a local tribunal by March 1. PNU leaders are expected to issue an official statement on the report on Friday. - Daily Nation

The Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission has no right to investigate a Sh3 billion contract for construction of a military command centre in Karen code-named Nexus, a court has ruled.  High Court judge Joseph Nyamu further restrained the graft watchdog from investigating the contract saying it has breached public policy.  And if any party has complaints about the contract, then it should be addressed by the arbitral tribunal at The Hague, he said. The judge noted that the contract in question had confidential provisions, which relate to non-disclosure and the anti-corruption commission has no right to induce the breach of confidentiality provisions by purporting to investigate. “It is also not lost to the court that the confidentiality provisions in the contract were principally aimed at safeguarding the national security,” held the judge. Mr Justice Nyamu also said the national security concerns override any other public interest concerns including investigations, no matter how well intentioned. The judge, in his decision, noted that the Government’s chief legal advisor, Mr Amos Wako, gave representations and opinions on the contract, and therefore cannot run away from it now. “In a situation where the AG cannot walk the high moral ground due to the clear opinion and representations he has made to the other contracting party when contract was made, the court must restrain him from the intended action (investigations) to uphold the needs of public morality,” the judge said. The judgement arose out of an application filed by a firm Nedermar Technology BV against the graft watchdog and the AG challenging investigations into the deal. The company signed an agreement dated November 19, 2002, for ‘Project Nexus’. The project was completed and handed over to the State in September 2005, but full payment for the work done has not been made. The payment was stopped after investigations into the Anglo Leasing scandal started. And following the default on the part of the Government, the company filed a complaint at The Hague on March 1, 2006. - Daily Nation.

A look at the regions of the world most affected by the financial crisis, and what governments are doing to try to alleviate the financial turmoil. - CLICK HERE FOR MORE

A ground-breaking ceremony for the first business outsourcing park in East Africa was held in Nairobi on Thursday. Located along Nairobi’s Mombasa road, the proposed Sh2.2 billion ultra modern Sameer Business Park will have more than 500,000 square feet of offices, show rooms, coffee lounges and car parking facilities for at least 600 vehicles, chairman Naushad Merali said. The park is to be completed in December, 2009. The second phase will see development of a modern hotel and conference facilities next to the park.  President Kibaki, who inaugurated the construction, said the investment was a sign that the business climate in the country had improved. “Our country is now ready to be a destination of choice for local and international investors,” he said. The President said the park will help ease unemployment among the youth, which stands at over three million. “It is the private sector through investments like this, that creates jobs. I am pleased to see that one of the main business lines for this facility will be Business Process Outsourcing.  “The park will position Kenya to compete in the dynamic and rapidly growing ICT sector,” he said. He said the Government wanted to make Kenya the top Business Process Outsourcing destination in Africa in five years and plans were in the pipeline to build a Business Process Outsourcing park “with world class infrastructure geared at attracting global businesses to Kenya to compete in the ICT sector.” The Government has speeded up the improvement of roads, airports, seaports, electricity, water, telecommunications, railways and other supportive infrastructure to achieve this goal, he said. “To ensure policy support for these measures at the highest level, we have now created Cabinet portfolios for Industrialisation, Trade, Nairobi Metropolitan Development and the Vision 2030.” - Daily Nation

Sameer Group of Companies Chairman Naushad Merali (right) shows President Mwai Kibaki a dummy of the offices expected to come up during the laying of the foundation stone at Sameer Business Park along Mombasa road in Nairobi on Thursday. The centre will cost more than Sh2.2 billion to complete. With them are Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Minister for Internal Security prof George Saitoti and Zarin Merali. - Daily Nation.

The Memorial Baptist Church, Plaistow Swift Centre Youth Club will be holding a Football Festival on 1st November 2008 at Brampton Manor School, Roman Road, East Ham, E6 3SQ, . The kick off is at 10.30am. The Teams will be of 'Five-a-side' and should include at least one player who is over 40 yrs, under 14 yrs or a female. It costs £40 to register a team to participate. All teams get free T Shirts. Registration can be done on-line at www.theswift/org.uk/football. The aim of the day is to raise funds for the Swift Centre Youth Club expedition to Kenya in August 2009. Offers of help staffing stalls or baking cakes for sale are welcome. For further information and details, please contact Clive Furness Tel No. 02074745262 or Mble No. 07769748010 or Kamanu 07949459376.

A suspect has been arrested with 600 electric wire bomb detonators following a police ambush on Thika road, Nairobi. He was travelling in a Wajir-bound bus from Nairobi. The area Officer Commanding Police Division Jasper Ombati said they acted on a tip off. “The wires are used to ignite explosives and they can cause a major havoc once they explode.” The bus was flagged down by police who had waiting for it since 4 am at the Roysambu roundabout. The driver and the two conductors of the bus wrote a statement. Mr Ombati said that passengers are required to write their names on the luggage and it was through this that the police were able to identify the suspect. However, the police did not reveal his name. “We are holding the suspect and he has owned up that he was the owner of the luggage, he had them wrapped in a flour packaging paper.” A manager with the bus company who requested anonymity said that it was not possible to check every of the luggage going into the bus. “We cannot subject our customers to that kind of treatment by asking all of them to open their luggage for scrutiny,” he told the Nation.   By midday, the bus was still being held at the Kasarani police station. Passengers were left stranded. The area police boss said that investigations into the incident had been launched under the direction of bomb experts. - Daily Nation

• Suspect has been arrested with 600 electric wire bomb detonators.

• He was travelling in a Wajir-bound bus from Nairobi.

• Police had laid an ambush following a tip off.

Kasarani OCPD Jasper Ombatia addresses journalists after a suspect with 600 electric wire bomb detonators was arrested in a Wajir-bound bus - Daily Nation.

It was a highly produced, beautifully shot video with gripping footage of struggling American families, blue red and white flags and the great American outdoors, all set to a soaring Hollywood-type score. The half-hour Barack Obama campaign video, narrated by the candidate himself, was part feel-good, part meant to impart some sense of urgency among viewers about the issues at stake and the need to go out and vote. It was a technically perfect television moment, choreographed down to the second on an evening when the young Illinois senator dominated the airwaves, his campaign machine flush with money, having raised $150m (£90.5m) in September alone. The commercial, aired simultaneously on seven stations, joined up in its final minutes with Mr Obama speaking live at a Florida event. Just an hour later, he was on the popular Daily Show with Jon Stewart, in a recorded performance. An hour after that, he appeared at an event with former president Bill Clinton- their first joint appearance. It is the first time in 16 years that a presidential candidate has aired a half-hour campaign advertisement - in 1992, Texas billionaire Ross Perot did it when he ran for the White House as an independent. But in comparison to Mr Perot's low-tech ad focused mostly on the candidate himself and pie charts, this video set a remarkable precedent with the help of David Guggenheim, executive producer of former Vice President Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, and Mark Putnam, a producer of dozens of Democratic campaign ads, including the highly popular ones used by New Mexico governor Bill Richardson during his primary campaign. But at an estimated cost of some $5m, it was an expensive effort by the Obama campaign and it raised worries about the possibility of overkill. It also opened him to renewed criticism and accusations that he is over-reaching. For his critics, the video was presumptuous, a reminder of his Berlin speech over the summer in front of 200,000 people and the Doric columns at his convention speech. He probably tried to pre-empt that when he said: "I will not be a perfect president," but John McCain continued to make the argument that the young senator was simply not ready to be president at all. The Arizona senator ran his own ad that evening, during which he said that "behind the fancy speeches, grand promises and TV special, the truth is that Mr Obama does not have the experience needed for the job."  Mr McCain also described the ad as a "gauzy feel-good commercial" that was paid for with broken promises. He was referring to the fact that Mr Obama went back on his initial promise that he would forgo private funding for his campaign.

So was it overkill? Some observers said that in the last seven days of the campaign it probably does not matter.  George Stephanopoulos called it a virtuoso moment with every penny of it well spent, and even McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds seemed to hint that the ad, in itself, was well put together. "As anyone who has bought anything from an infomercial knows, the sales-job is always better than the product. Buyer beware," he said. Mr Obama used the half-hour ad to make his closing argument of the campaign, laying out once more the details of his plan to address issues of top concern to American voters from healthcare to the economy. There were no new lines but he brought it all to life by introducing viewers to five middle class American families, struggling to make ends meet, send their children to school or pay medical bills. Crucially, they were all from battleground states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Missouri. "In part, the show was designed to prove Obama understands us, that he can connect with the problems of workers and retirees," wrote the USA Today newspaper. "But it was also designed to help us understand him, to become comfortable with the idea of him as president. Reassurance was not just the point of the biographical titbits and the recorded testimonials; it was the point of the entire broadcast." By including a biographical element, telling the story of Mr Obama's childhood, of his mother who died of cancer after struggling to pay the bills and showing him with his picture perfect family, the producers tried to simplify his complex narrative for those voters still suspicious of his background and show him as an all-around American man. Throughout the ad, he appeared calm and confident and to some extent presidential - several times he spoke directly to the camera from a facsimile Oval office, clearly trying to impress on viewers the image of a man ready to sit in the White House. The ad had a wide reach, with millions of Americans probably tuning in to watch during prime time television. It ran on the main networks - CBS, NBC and Fox - but also on the Spanish channel Univision as well as BET and TV One, aimed at African-American audiences. But will it change minds? It may help some undecided voters and it may confirm choices already made but it seems unlikely that it would help drastically alter opinions at this stage in the race. Comments on blogs also indicated that some voters were turned off by the polished campaign ad. Polling over the next few days will tell whether the airwave blitzkrieg helped Mr Obama further increase his lead over Mr MCain. - VIDEO

Nairobi, Thursday 30th October, 2008. Police in Kenya impound Mandera-bound bus with 600 bomb detonators on Thika Road. Bus owner and crew arrested - Daily Nation.

Do’s and Dont`s of Dubai.

One thing you will certainly notice in Dubai is how relaxed and tolerant a city it is. The local population will no doubt be very forgiving should you happen to make any mistake, but one still must be aware of the laws and social customs. It's very important to remember that Dubai is first and foremost a Muslim country and a result has a traditionally more conservative culture compared to Western cities. As a result of this there are certain issues that you need to be aware of. Dressing for the occasion. When on the beach and at Dubai's water-parks for example, swimwear can be considered appropriate and therefore will not a problem. Nevertheless away from the beach and other such environments, dressing in such a way can cause offense to the many Muslims in Dubai, as can other attire such as mini skirts and any other overtly revealing clothing. It is also worth noting that it is also not appropriate for men to go around without a top on away from the beach. So when going to shopping malls, and when out in other public areas, you should take note of the potential to cause offence and perhaps dress in a more conservative manner. Things are done differently here when it comes most administration type tasks. Relax and be prepared to be patient. There is no getting away from it, most administrative procedures will perhaps take a while longer to be completed that you are used to. Here in the UAE to get anything of note to be validated often requires a good deal of paperwork to go along with it. Just relax and prepare to give yourself a decent amount of time to get everything completed. Try to avoid taking photographs of building that look to be of political and military importance. And be sure not to take any photographs of any local residents without first seeking their permission. As one would expect from its reputation, Dubai residents have a very accommodating attitude towards visitors, but asking permission before taking someone photo is just common courtesy, and is especially important in Dubai.  As is the case in any country, don’t swear, shout loudly or gesture in a rude manner. This should apply wherever you are, but in Dubai is will be viewed in a more serious manner still. Kissing in public is also not a good idea. Whilst a quick kiss on the cheap is certainly no problem, longer and more passionate displays should be kept in private. Drink driving. This is pretty much common sense in any place but still happens. Dubai has a no tolerance policy in regards to this issue, and if you do go ahead and are caught, you can expect anything from one month in prison, to deportation. With Dubai taxis being both plentiful and cheap you can easily avoid such a situation ever happening. Ramadan. Ever year sees the holy month of Ramadan. Make very sure that you don’t eat, drink, chew gum, or even smoke in public between sunset and sunrise, as it is not only highly disrespectful but is also illegal. Delivery services options are all still available if you wish to order food, and many hotel restaurants will stay open. - Smarts Kenyans Tips Club

Kenya’s population has gone up unexpectedly, and now stands at 38 million. It has increased by about 10 million from the figure officially reported by the National Housing and Population Census that was carried out in 1999. The new findings, based on the United Nations Population Division, are expected to be confirmed when another census is conducted next August. According to the projections, which are still published on the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics web site, the population was expected to be 35 million.  It was expected to rise to 36 million in 2010. National Coordinating Agency for Population and Development director Boniface K’Oyugi confirmed the new figures, saying, “we have had to revise our figures”. He said the population increase arose because earlier expectations that fertility would drop did not come true. It had been expected that the total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman would have, would drop from 4.7 in 1998. But that figure rose to nearly five, according to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS) 2003.  Dr K’Oyugi, also a lecturer at the University of Nairobi’s Population Studies and Research Institute, said the country made major strides in the fight against HIV and Aids, which ensured there were far fewer deaths than earlier anticipated. “The campaign against HIV/Aids enabled us to reduce the prevalence from more than 10 per cent to the neighbourhoods of six per cent,” Dr K’Oyugi said. Such findings are based on the population growth rates and other factors such as the refugee situation and migrations. The country’s current natural increase in population, based on the number of deaths, births and migrations is 2.8 per cent. The percentage number of married women who use contraceptives is 39.“We will conduct a census next year to help us find out the accuracy of our estimates,” he said. The KDHS starts next month. Testing of instruments to help collect census data have been completed. “Contraceptive use has increased fastest in northern and southern Africa. “The number of children the average woman has during her lifetime has dropped from nearly six children in the early 1980s to about three in 2005,” the report showed. - Daily Nation.

A Kenyan living in the UK went to the Kenya High Commission offices to collect a travel document for her cat insisting that she cannot go home for holiday without the cat

LEFT: The Daily Telegraph annnounces plans being fast tracked by the Government to use the hard shoulder on Britain's busiest roads as a fast toll lane during rush hours and the paper also says the BBC are fighting to save Jonathan Ross over his phone prank with Russell Brand. CENTRE: The Financial Times fronts with Alistair Darling telling the Bank of England it is free to cut interest rates without fear of breaching of it's inflation targets. RIGHT: The Times tells the story of hundreds of soldiers returning home from Afghanistan with severe damage to their ears because of the volume of modern combat. The paper also pictures Obama's auntie, who they say lives the other side of the American dream to Barack.

A delegation from the Kenyan government, including the Hon. William Ole Ntimama, EGH, MP, the Minister of State for National Heritage and Culture, attended a special event at Bedford Museum on 28th October at 12pm to receive the objects. At hand to receive the delegation which included the Director General of National Museums of Kenya Mr Idle Omar was the board of trustees of the Kenyan Community Bedford and the local Kenyan Children.  The objects included necklaces, lip decorations and decorated gourd pots, as well as a ceremonial shield, spears and a bow and arrow. They were collected by Major Harry Rawkins while he was serving in the British Army in Kenya during the Mau Mau rebellion against colonial rule in the 1950s. Mr Rawkins was born in Buckinghamshire in 1913 before moving to Renhold as a small boy. He attended Bedford Modern School and went on to work for Charles Wells and the Prudential. A keen sportsman he also played for both Bedford Athletic and Bedford rugby clubs. - MORE

Hon Minister Ole Ntimama , EGH, MP, the Minister of State for National Heritage and Culture, Director General of National Museums of Kenya Mr Idle Omar,  Rawkins Family and Tom Perret Head of Collections Bedford Museum at the Official handing over ceremony and a delegate from the Office of the Vice President poses with the Local children who witnessed the historic event

Local newspapers and TV stations covered the event. Click on the link below to watch the ITV news

 _http://www.itvlocal.com/anglia/news/?player=ANG_News_15&void=251114

A man who was charged with car theft should have left a note to self: "don't drive a stolen car to court." The 37-year-old hairstylist from San Francisco rolled up to court to appear in front of a judge on a separate incident but turned up in a stolen Lexus SUV. Police were alerted about the vehicle when bystanders saw that several dogs had been left in the car. And after doing a search for the owner they discovered that the car was stolen. Oblivious to this the man returned to the 4X4 after his court appearance only to be charged again with receiving stolen property as well as animal cruelty. He was also charged with possession of a £75,000 Porsche Carrera he that had also been stolen.

Owning a home is increasingly remaining a pipe dream for many people even as land prices and house rent continue to rise sharply throughout the country. The effect is hard felt in the three cities --— Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu — and in and around towns. In Nairobi, the scarcity of residential land has precipitated the development of flats and apartments, and for a growing number of Kenyans, this is the best chance of owning their own property. Property developers are erecting more multi-storeyed buildings to meet the increasing demand for homes, and flats and apartments offer cheaper alternatives to maisonettes and bungalows.  Patricia Olero, a single mother of two recently bought a unit at Nyayo Estate in the sprawling Embakasi area. "I found this was cheaper than buying a plot and constructing a home," she says. "Besides, my tight schedule would not have allowed me to supervise the construction of a home in the capital city. It was when I realised the law had provisions for owning a flat as property". - MORE

A man has been killed and another seriously injured when the light aircraft they were travelling in crashed onto a tractor. The incident happened at Seething airfield, Norfolk, the emergency services said. A spokeswoman for the East Anglian Ambulance Service said the tractor driver was "shaken" but "unhurt". She said one of two-seater aircraft passengers died at the scene and the other was airlifted to hospital. "We were called to Seething Airfield where a two-seater aircraft had crashed," the spokeswoman said. "The male casualties both underwent resuscitation at the scene. One of them unfortunately died at the scene. The other was stable and was airlifted to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital." She added: "The plane landed on top of a tractor that was working in the airfield. The driver, although very shaken, was unhurt."

An Arctic blast put Britain's temperatures below those of Moscow last night. Parts of Scotland and northern England plunged to -7°C (19°F). Today is expected to stay cold with temperatures of up to 7°C (41°F) - well below Moscow, which is enjoying an unseasonably mild temperature of 10°C (50°F). 'It's twice as cold as normal for this time of year,' said Barry Gromett from the Met Office. 'Usually for the end of October, temperatures are in the low double figures. It's unseasonably frosty because of winds coming in from the Arctic regions.'

The Cabinet will retreat to undisclosed venue this Friday in the wake of major divisions on the implementation of the Kriegler and Waki reports.  There have been sharp differences within the Cabinet as some support the implementation of the Waki Report and others do not. Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Justice Minister Martha Karua are among the  ministers who have called for the Waki Report implementation contrary to Agriculture Minister William Ruto. Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka announced about the retreat on Wednesday in Parliament. Kalonzo said he would also use the retreat called by President Mwai Kibaki to raise concerns of parliament over failure by ministers to attend House sessions. However, Kalonzo's attempt to use traffic jam as an excuse for Ministers' absence in the House during the morning session failed to satisfy Temporary Speaker Prof. Margaret Kamar and present MPs.  Only half of the questions slated in the Order Paper were answered as most Ministers were absent. 

A couple of decades ago, omena (dried sardines) were mainly associated with people from the Lake region. Today, this delicacy has crossed over nearly every regional boundary and is found on most people’s dinner tables and restaurants that specialise in traditional African cuisine. Supermarkets too, stock it. ... Read more

International Community urged to help stabilize Somalia

Nairobi, Wednesday 29th October, 2008

The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Assembly of Heads of State and Government has Wednesday urged the United Nations to take expeditious measures to fulfill its share of responsibilities as stipulated in the Djibouti agreement of August 19th, 2008 to cover the cost needs of the 10,000 strong police force for Somalia. In a 21 point communiqué issued after the 13th ordinary session of IGAD held in Nairobi to consider the political, security and humanitarian situation in Somalia, the Heads of member State and Government welcomed the agreement signed in Djibouti between the transition federal Government and the alliance for the re-liberation of Somalia on implementation of cessation of armed confrontation. The regional Heads of State and Government who included President Mwai Kibaki, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Ismael Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Abdullahi Yusuf of the TFG of Somalia and Salva Kirr Mayardit, the 1st vice President of Sudan, expressed profound concern regarding the political paralysis in Somalia which has contributed to deterioration of security and near hopelessness of the citizens. The Leaders regretted the lack of unity and unhelpful competition among the leadership of the Transition federal institutions (TFI) that are working at cross-purposes has been the principal factor that has led to lack of progress in the national reconciliation efforts.

The Leaders called on the international community to support the strengthening of the TFIs through capacity building and provision of technical assistance and the urgently needed humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of thousands of the displaced people of Somalia. The leaders further noted the increased incidents of piracy along the Somalia coastline and welcomed the use of force to combat the vice as stipulated in UN Security Council resolutions 1816 and 1838. The communiqué expressed regret over the delay and pre-variations of the International community in its response to repeated appeals by IGAD, the African Union and the United nations to strengthen and provide the necessary support to African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). The leaders commended the Governments of Uganda and Burundi for contributing troops to Somalia under a bilateral agreement with the TFG and also saluted the AMISON and Ethiopian troops for their commitment to fulfillment of tasks under difficult conditions. The IGAD Assembly also provided a timeline for the Somali transition Federal Institutions to appoint a cabinet on the basis of the previous resolution of Parliament of October 11th, 2008 in 15 days time. The declaration proposed establishment of a joint security committee (JSC) and its subcommittees as stipulated in the Djibouti agreement that shall be operational effective November 10th, 2008 but not alter that November 28th, 2008. Other declarations are for the TFG to establish the Banadir administration as stipulated in the Addis Ababa roadmap within 15 days and finalize drafting the Somali constitution, enact electoral and parties act within six months. On the Issue of extension of the transition period the Assembly noted that the request may be considered in accordance with the provisions of the Transition Federal Charter on the basis of the progress made on the ground. IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government would be meeting every six months to review the progress made in the implementation of the decisions.  The Leaders also decided that the anchor of all efforts in relation to Somalia must be IGAD, which would provide a coordination mechanism in the area of institutional and capacity building. In default of the declaration, the IGAD Assembly shall meet and review its options in regard to Somalia, the communiqué said.

The government has resolved to pass legislation to determine the price of fuel in the country to protect consumers from exploitation by oil companies. Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi says his ministry will publish a legal notice to empower the Energy Regulatory Commission to fix pump prices at seven percent above the rate of crude oil.  Kiraitu told parliament that the National Oil Corporation would be empowered to import 30 percent more of crude oil above the local consumption besides acquiring 86 petrol stations owned by Caltex to ensure the state corporation plays a major role in the oil industry. The Minister was responding to a motion of adjournment moved by Githunguri member Njoroge Baiya to extend parliament's sittings this morning by half an hour to discuss the fuel crisis. He questioned why Kenyans were still paying exorbitant fuel prices yet the price of crude oil had gone down. Members contributing to the motion demanded legislation to strengthen the National Oil Corporation and also eliminate the unscrupulous cartel in the oil industry.  Kiraitu further urged treasury to increase the ministry's budget to 10 billion shillings annually to enhance geothermal energy production. At the same time, Kiraitu urged Treasury to increase the Ministry's budget to 10 billion shillings annually to enhance geothermal energy production. Meanwhile, electricity tariffs will be slashed next month. Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi says the government is aware of the challenges Kenyans are facing from high tariffs occasioned by high fuel prices. Kiraitu says the government will continue financing the Rural Electrification Program to ensure that all Kenyans have electricity by 2012 in line with Vision 2030. The Minister is urging members of parliament to mobilize additional resources from local corporate organizations and CDF funds towards lighting up rural areas. Kiraitu was speaking during the official launch of the five-year Rural Electrification Authority Strategic Plan at a Nairobi Hotel. The plan will require an estimated budget of fifty billion shillings. Over sixteen million Kenyans in rural areas still do not have access to electricity.

A Malaysian man is accused of trying to hurt his neighbour with a dangerous weapon - centipedes. A news report says a court has charged the man with allegedly unleashing the insects in the neighbour's bed following an argument. The Star daily reports Wednesday that R. Prabakaran, aged 21, pleaded not guilty in the court in Johor Baru city to a charge of attempting to cause harm with a dangerous weapon by putting four centipedes and bugs in the bed of his neighbor, K. Rajama, aged 30, last Friday. Court officials could not immediately be reached to confirm the report. It was not clear what species the centipedes were. Some species are poisonous. If found guilty, Prabakaran faces up to three years prison and a caning.

Kenya supports action against piracy on Somali coastline

Written By:PPS   , Posted: Wed, Oct 29, 2008

 

Kenya supports the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1814 and 1816 authorizing the use of force against piracy off the Somalia coastline. Noting that increased incidents of piracy in the Gulf of Eden and off the Somalia coastline have taken dangerous dimensions, the President Mwai Kibaki expressed the need for urgent and resolute measures to save the roadmap towards comprehensive peace in Somalia. "Pirate attacks continue to disrupt delivery of humanitarian aid and are a big threat to international sea-borne trade in the vital shipping arteries of the Gulf of Eden and the Indian Ocean," President Kibaki said. The President was speaking during the 13th Extra-Ordinary Summit of the IGAD Heads of State and Government at Kenyatta International Conference Centre, where leaders warned that the situation in Somalia was deteriorating and there was need to take urgent steps to save the country from sliding into total anarchy. President Kibaki, once again, reaffirmed Kenya's commitment to the realization of a stable and peaceful Somalia. The President appealed to the United Nations to step up and honour its mandate of maintenance of international peace and security in Somalia that urgently requires a strong peacekeeping force. "The UN should take constructive steps in establishing a Hybrid UN-African Union Mission (AMISOM) Force as recommended by the International contact group on Somalia to rescue the peace process in that country," President Kibaki said.

He also urged the international community to honour their pledges towards the re-construction of Somalia, saying the transitional government needs all the material support from countries that made pledges soon after the signing of the peace accord in Nairobi. President Kibaki emphasized that Kenya, in collaboration with her development partners, will continue to discharge her international obligations towards maintenance of peace in Somalia. He also emphasized that it was imperative for IGAD member states to develop a regional maritime security policy framework in collaboration with the international community and come up with practical mechanisms to enhance security in the region's coastline.  The Head of State, therefore, appreciated the efforts of Kenya's partners who have deployed warships to patrol the Somalia waters in a bid to deter criminal activities. Noting that the Transitional Federal Charter comes to an end in September 2009, President Kibaki said the Transitional Federal Government leadership and institutions must embrace compromise and agree to work together to create viable institutions in Somalia in the remaining interim period.  "When the Transitional Federal Government was formed four years ago here in Nairobi, its overall mandate was to constitute functional transitional federal institutions to stabilise the security situation, review the constitution, conduct a population census and hold democratic elections by 2009," President Kibaki noted. President Kibaki called for the full implementation of the Djibouti Agreement and the Leaders' Accord so as to set Somalia on the path of positive reconciliation and national security.   "Regrettably however, political deadlock in the Somali Parliament continues to be an obstacle to full implementation of key elements of the Addis Ababa Leaders Accord," said the President. In this connection, the President called on all the Somalia leaders to put aside their differences for the sake of peace, stability and the welfare of their people saying there were no gains derived from continued fighting. He thanked IGAD Chairman and Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and his Government and the United Nations Political Office in Somalia for their efforts to reconcile the various groups in Somalia. Said the President: "I assure you of my full support in all your endeavors."

While acknowledging the important contribution made by the governments and people of Uganda and Burundi to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), President Kibaki regretted that African countries and the global community have not done enough.   Saying AMISOM is operating below its anticipated strength capacity of 8,000 troops with only 3,413 currently deployed, the President urged Nigeria to expedite her pledge to deploy troops to AMISOM to bolster its mandate. He said regional leaders must also acknowledge that the international community has not provided adequate resources for peacekeeping and to the Transitional Federal Government to fully implement its mandate. In his address, the IGAD Chairman and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi expressed the need for Africa, the UN and the international Community to step up their efforts to secure peace and stability in Somalia. Mr. Zenawi thanked Uganda and Burundi for heeding the IGAD call by sending peace keeping troops to Somalia. On his part, IGAD Executive Secretary Mohamoud Maalim saluted Kenya for its commitment to peace and stability in Somalia. Mr Maalim said the summit was historical being the first time in 18 years that IGAD member states had an opportunity to directly address the entire Somali Government at a go. The IGAD ordinary summit was organized to review the political, security and humanitarian situation in Somalia. Other leaders who attended the Summit included President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Ismael Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, Abdulahi Yusuf of the Somali's Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and Sudan's 1st Vice-President  Salva Kirr mayardit among others.

Senator Barack Obama looked poised to win the race for the US presidency with opinion polls showing he might get 306 electoral college votes compared to his rival’s 157. Senator Obama, whose father was a Kenyan, has also been leading his Republican rival, Senator John McCain, with a five-point margin in the polls. With just five days to the US election Reuters/Zogby pollsters showed Mr Obama on the verge of victory, with 49 points against Mr McCain’s 44. Another opinion poll carried out in the 50 states on battle for the 538 electoral college votes (see map) showed Mr Obama leading with 306 votes against Mr McCain’s 157 with only 75 toss up votes, which could go either way.  The poll was carried out between October 23 and 27.

A shop assistant was killed and a businessman seriously injured when gangsters unleashed terror in Nairobi City Centre on Tuesday afternoon. Six gangsters robbed shops on Nairobi's Kaunda Street and Kenyatta Avenue. They fired their guns as they dashed through Wabera Street, Banda, Kimathi and later Biashara streets before escaping. On Tuesday, three premises were raided and a police officer mugged in two hours. - MORE

A Kenyan lady has passed away in the UK. The late Mrs. Rose Mbugua, 39 formerly Rose Kangere. She passed away peacefully at the Royal Brompton Hospital Chelsea on Friday the 24th of October, 2008 after a short illness. She is the wife of Raymond Mbugua, daughter to the late Mr Samuel Kangere and Mrs Hannah Kangere, sister to Michael Kangere, Daniel Kangere, Mrs Jane Nyambura Mbai, Peter Kangere, Solomon Kangere,Benson Kangere, Mrs Beth Gitau,Mary Gachambi,Penninah Mukami, the late Rechal Kangere and the late Martha Kangere. She is a cousin to Mrs Charity Mbui of Reading UK,  auntie to Pastor Boniface and his wife Geraldine of Dagenham UK., Liza and Kim of Reading UK.  She comes from Kanjai, Githunguri, Kiambu, Kenya. Family and friends are meeting for  Prayers  daily at 165 Whitley Wood Road, Reading RG2 8LB. from 6pm to 9pm daily. Prayers and meetings will also be held at Pastor Boniface's House, 26 Rothwell Gardens, Dagenham, RM9 4JD. on Wednesday 29th October, 2008 and Thursday 30/10/08 from 6pm to 9pm. For more information please contact, Dennis Mbui on 07515851453, Pastor Julius Muiruri  07787825092, Pastor Boniface on  07951465356, Pastor Wangaruro on  07830480537 and Brother Anthony on  07595333427. You can also contribute through the following account Halifax Bank, Mr. A. G. Waweru, Acc  No. 01539080, Sort Code 110630.

The late Rose Kangere

The biggest UK shake-up of the immigration for 45 years coming up

"No information today. No comment," a Somali pirate shouts over the sound of breaking waves, before abruptly ending the satellite telephone call. He sounds uptight - anxious to see if a multi-million dollar ransom demand will be met. He is on board the hijacked Ukrainian vessel, MV Faina - the ship laden with 33 Russian battle tanks that has highlighted the problem of piracy off the Somali coast since it was captured almost a month ago. But who are these modern-day pirates? According to residents in the Somali region of Puntland where most of the pirates come from, they live a lavish life. "They have money; they have power and they are getting stronger by the day," says Abdi Farah Juha who lives in the regional capital, Garowe. "They wed the most beautiful girls; they are building big houses; they have new cars; new guns," he says. "Piracy in many ways is socially acceptable. They have become fashionable." Most of them are aged between 20 and 35 years - in it for the money. And the rewards they receive are rich in a country where almost half the population need food aid after 17 years of non-stop conflict. Most vessels captured in the busy shipping lanes of the Gulf of Aden fetch on average a ransom of $2m. This is why their hostages are well looked after. The BBC's reporter in Puntland, Ahmed Mohamed Ali, says it also explains the tight operation the pirates run. They are never seen fighting because the promise of money keeps them together. Wounded pirates are seldom seen and our reporter says he has never heard of residents along Puntland's coast finding a body washed ashore. Given Somalia's history of clan warfare, this is quite a feat. It probably explains why a report of a deadly shoot-out amongst the pirates onboard the MV Faina was denied by the vessel's hijackers. Pirate spokesman Sugule Ali told the BBC Somali Service at the time: "Everybody is happy. We were firing guns to celebrate Eid." The MV Faina was initially attacked by a gang of 62 men. BBC Somalia analyst Mohamed Mohamed says such pirate gangs are usually made up of three different types:

• Ex-fishermen, who are considered the brains of the operation because they know the sea
•  
• Ex-militiamen, who are considered the muscle - having fought for various Somali clan warlords
•  
• The technical experts, who are the computer geeks and know how to operate the hi-tech equipment needed to operate as a pirate - satellite phones, GPS and military hardware.

 The three groups share the ever-increasing illicit profits - ransoms paid in cash by the shipping companies. A report by UK think-tank Chatham House says piracy off the coast of Somalia has cost up to $30m (£17m) in ransoms so far this year. The study also notes that the pirates are becoming more aggressive and assertive - something the initial $22m ransom demanded for MV Faina proves. The asking price has apparently since fallen to $8m. Yemen, across the Gulf of Aden, is reportedly where the pirates get most of their weapons from. A significant amount is also bought directly from the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Observers say Mogadishu weapon dealers receive deposits for orders via a "hawala" company - an informal money transfer system based on honour. Militiamen then drive the arms north to the pirates in Puntland, where they are paid the balance on delivery. It has been reported in the past that wealthy businessmen in Dubai were financing the pirates. But the BBC's Somali Service says these days it is the businessmen asking the pirates for loans. Such success is a great attraction for Puntland's youngsters, who have little hope of alternative careers in the war-torn country. Once a pirate makes his fortune, he tends to take on a second and third wife - often very young women from poor nomadic clans, who are renowned for their beauty. But not everyone is smitten by Somalia's new elite. "This piracy has a negative impact on several aspects of our life in Garowe," resident Mohamed Hassan laments. He cites an escalating lack of security because "hundreds of armed men" are coming to join the pirates. They have made life more expensive for ordinary people because they "pump huge amounts of US dollars" into the local economy which results in fluctuations in the exchange rate, he says. Their lifestyle also makes some unhappy. "They promote the use of drugs - chewing khat [a stimulant which keeps one alert] and smoking hashish - and alcohol," Mr Hassan says. The trappings of success may be new, but piracy has been a problem in Somali waters for at least 10 years - when Somali fishermen began losing their livelihoods. Their traditional fishing methods were no match for the illegal trawlers that were raiding their waters. Piracy initially started along Somalia's southern coast but began shifting north in 2007 - and as a result, the pirate gangs in the Gulf of Aden are now multi-clan operations. But Garowe resident Abdulkadil Mohamed says, they do not see themselves as pirates. "Illegal fishing is the root cause of the piracy problem," he says. "They call themselves coastguards."

Pedestrians lie down on the pavement during a shoot-out between police officers and gangsters on Nairobi’s Banda Street on Tuesday. The gang had gone on a robbery spree, killing a shop attendant and wounding another. A shop assistant was killed and a businessman seriously injured when gangsters unleashed terror in Nairobi City Centre on Tuesday afternoon. Six gangsters robbed shops on Nairobi's Kaunda Street and Kenyatta Avenue. They fired their guns as they dashed through Wabera Street, Banda, Kimathi and later Biashara streets before escaping. On Tuesday, three premises were raided and a police officer mugged in two hours Some gang members walked towards Tom Mboya Street as police ran in circles searching for them.

The Orange Democratic Party-ODM has dispelled fears that there is division in the party following the release of the Waki Report. About 26 ODM members of parliament led by the Parliamentary Group Secretary Ababu Namwamba warned party members to desist from giving individual stands on the Waki report on behalf of the party. In that regard Ababu said a full party parliamentary group meeting will be held on Thursday this week where the party will give its final stand on the report. Since the release of the Waki report there have been allegations of disunity between some of the ODM party leaders who want the report implemented and the members who are opposed to the implementation. A parliamentary group meeting planned for Tuesday was aborted for what Ababu termed as mis-communication.  The meeting had been expected to be an acid test for Prime Minister Raila Odinga who was expected to chair the meeting that was to discuss the Waki Report which has been met with discordant voices among party luminaries over its recommendations that all those linked to the post-election violence be prosecuted. Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi had confirmed that the PG meeting will be held to discuss among other things the healing of the rifts the Waki report had generated among its members and expressed optimism that a common ground will be found. According the Waki Report, the Orange Democratic Movement and the Party of National Unity have 49 days as of today ( Tuesday), to reach and sign an agreement establishing the tribunal.  After that, Parliament will have 45 days to pass and anchor in the Constitution a law establishing that body. Within the same 45 days, the President must sign the Bill into law and, one month later, the tribunal must start sitting, with sufficient resources and the independence necessary to get the job done. The Waki Report that was investigating the cause of the post election violence released its report with a recommendation that the cabinet ministers, MPs and businessmen mentioned in the report should face a special tribunal, with a caution that if the tribunal is not formed the names could be taken to the Hague.

LEFT: The Metro covers the sentencing of Rudy Geude for 30 years over the murder of British student Meredith Kercher in Peruglia, Italy, last year. CENTRE: The Financial Times reveals the world's oil fields are drying up faster than expected and that Volkswagen briefly became the world's largest company after a surge in share prices. RIGHT: The Guardian voices prosecutors concerns that people may begin to be charged if they help their terminally ill relatives to die. Also, the man keeping Obama in good spirits is exposed.

Credit crunch shapes immigration rules in the UK

AEN Correspondent

At the end of this year, the points system will be implemented in the UK. According to Home office sources, the points based system is the biggest shake-up of the immigration for 45 years. The system will replace over 80 existing routes to work and study in the UK with five tiers. Those who support it argue that the points system allows British businesses to recruit the skills they need from abroad while providing assurances to the British public that only those migrants they need will be able to come to the United Kingdom. Critics recognize the needs of the business but wonder what happens if the  British public does not need any migrants. The points system is only aimed at migrants who come from outside EEA (European Economic Area) The number of points the migrants needs and the way they are awarded depends on the tier they are applying under. Points awarded will reflect on the migrant’s ability, experience, age and the level of need within the sector the migrant will be working. The first tier is for highly skilled workers for example scientists and entrepreneurs. The second tier is for skilled workers with job offer for example teachers and nurses. The third tier is for low skilled workers filling specific temporary labor shortage for example, a construction worker for a particular project. The fourth tier is for student. Home office will be releasing more details on this tier at the end of the year. Educational institutions teaching migrants will in the future have to apply for a sponsor license from Border and Immigration Agency in their recruitment of foreign students. The law also affects those students in the UK in their visa renewal while in the UK. The fifth tier is for youth mobility and temporary workers for example a musician coming to play in a concert in the UK. Tier 2 and 5 are fully functioning; tier 3 is currently suspended and students must wait for tier 4 through which they have to apply to open. More details for this will be given before end of this month.  Immigration has been a tough political issue in the UK.

With incidents of racism and the far right political party BNP slowly gaining ground in the mainstream politics, migrant community might have tough times ahead. In the current climate of economic crisis, the UK government thinks that migrant numbers must be reduced. Phil Woolas, an Immigration Minister told Times in London that immigration had become an “extremely thorny” subject when people were losing jobs. He said that it’s been easy before to get into this country but it will get harder. Arguing for reduction of the number of foreigners coming to the UK, he said that if people are made unemployed in this country, the question of immigration becomes thorny.  Another reason for the tough rules is attributed to higher population growth. Official figures from the Office for National Statistics show the population grew by nearly two million making it 60,975,000 people.  What this measures mean is that if you are a company and want to employ foreign workers from outside EEA (European Economic Area), you will need to apply for a sponsor licence. To become a sponsor is not that straight- forward, businesses will have to meet a certain criteria.  As a condition of keeping their licence, businesses who are the sponsor will need to alert the Home Office if migrants do not comply with their immigration conditions for example if they disappear and do not turn up for work. The Home office is also introducing finger print visas for anyone wanting to come to the UK and compulsory ID cards for foreign nationals. Several people interviewed find the measures extreme. Many people point out that it is so easy for British nationals to go anywhere they want to. When they apply for visas to come to Kenya, they don’t go through tough measures like what they put Kenyans through. One Kenyan who sought anonymity said that Kenyans are no longer interested in the UK. They just choose to go to other countries that realize that we are living in a global village and the spirit of give and take must be maintained.

A woman in Somalia has been stoned to death after an Islamic Sharia law court found her guilty of adultery. The woman was buried up to her neck and then pelted to death with stones in front of a large crowd in Kismayo. It was the first such execution in the southern port city since Islamist insurgents captured it from government-allied forces in August. A local Islamist leader said the woman, Aisho Ibrahim Dhuhulow, had pleaded guilty to committing adultery. "She was asked several times to review her confession but she stressed that she wanted Sharia law and the deserved punishment to apply," said Sheikh Hayakallah. A group of men performed the execution in one of the city's main squares in front of thousands of people, AFP news agency said.

Muchmor Canada conducted a survey of people looking to emigrate from the UK to Canada. We asked them why they wanted to leave Britain and why they wanted to emigrate to Canada. We also asked them what they thought they would miss once in Canada. Although some of the replies will not be too much of a surprise to most, you may find some of them quite amusing. Lots of people cited the weather in Britain as a reason for emigrating, can’t think why! They said that we lacked proper summers, had too much rain and too many grey days and not enough snow – well they are certainly going to the right place for that! The Government came in for some criticism too with people saying that they no longer felt they had any faith in Mr Brown and his party to make Britain a better place. Many felt that the quality of life offered in the UK was declining with the following being listed as reasons for their feelings: chav-culture, too many asylum seekers, easy access to drugs, rising crime rates, yob culture, some even cited the London congestion charge as a good reason to leave the UK. Other reasons given included overcrowding, litter, graffiti, traffic congestion and too many clubs and pubs encouraging drinking and smoking for young people. Another aspect of the UK that came high on the list of gripes was the cost of living. Rip-off Britain was the term which kept cropping up: high petrol prices, high property prices, high taxes and generally a high cost of living compared to the likes of Canada and the USA. People felt under pressure to “keep up with the Jones’s” as far as property, cars and jobs were concerned, encouraging a debt culture.

You may think that these reasons are enough, but no, there are more. Many potential immigrants were concerned about their children’s futures in the UK. They thought that the education system was seriously flawed and that the quality of exams was questionable. Others felt that the lack of discipline in schools was encouraging children to grow up with the wrong attitudes and a lack of respect for others. The National Health Service also came in for a hammering with many people scared of having treatment in UK hospitals for fear of contracting diseases such as MRSA. Finally the people of Britain also seemed to be a reason to leave. The British were classed as unfriendly and selfish with negative attitudes. Some people actually wanted to leave Britain to get away from their own relatives! So, we know why people want to leave Britain, but why to they want to give up everything to move to a completely new continent, many thousands of miles away? All people questioned said that they thought Canada would give them a better quality of life. They said they wanted mortgage free property ownership, healthier living, fresh air, open spaces, stunning scenery, outdoor sports, less crime, less pollution, cleaner cities and less stress. They felt that Canadians didn’t look down on people who earn less, have a smaller car or house. That people were friendlier than Brits and their general attitude was more laid back. Once again, their children’s futures were high priority with many believing that they would get a better education in Canada, a happier, healthier lifestyle, more sports activities and all felt that their children, and indeed themselves would feel safer in Canada.

Many people, when thinking of Canada do not automatically think – ideal weather, but that is another reason people want to move there. Why? Well, many people want proper seasons where they can look forward to hot, sunny summers and cold, snowy winters. Many looked forward to taking part in winter sports such as skiing and ice hockey and then relaxing by the lake, mountains or even their own pool in the summer. When we asked people what their main reasons for emigrating to Canada were, they replied that they already had family there, or that they wanted to retire there, some had even lived there previously and just wanted to return for good. Some of the more daring reasons included: just for the hell of it, for the adventure, a fresh start and “because they speak English”. A couple of people cheekily suggested that they actually quite fancied emigrating to America, but that it was too difficult to get into, so Canada was the next best thing! Now we know why people want to leave the UK and why they feel Canada can address those issues, but surely they will miss certain things about Britain? The answers to this question gave us the greatest laughs. Although many of these people will find that they can indeed find some of these things across the pond, we will list them none the less. Top of the list unsurprisingly were family and friends, not necessarily in that order. Some also said that they would miss pets that were not emigrating with them. Surprisingly perhaps, some said that they would miss the history and culture that Britain offers. However, most of the things mentioned were of a more trivial nature: marmite, chocolate, fish ‘n’ chips, irn bru, Coronation Street, football, British TV, beer, back bacon and decent newspapers. People also mentioned that they would miss the generous UK holiday allowances once they reached Canada. Although all the answers to these questions were many and varied, it mainly boils down to the fact that people believe rightly, or wrongly that Britain no longer offers them the sort of life style they want for themselves or their children. They equally believe that Canada can give them what they want from life and that these qualities far outweigh what they will miss. Obviously not all will find that utopia in Canada and inevitably some people will be disappointed, but on the whole, the majority of people who have made the leap across the pond have no regrets.

London, Monday 27th October, 2008. Analysts predict 'end of world as we knew it' as shares plunge. Share prices could be heading for levels not seen for 13 years, City analysts warned today, with the FTSE- 100 Index heading down towards the 3000-point level. Almost £30billion was wiped off the value of British companies today as the London stock market slumped following a rout in the Far Eastern stock markets. Top British companies' share price have now fallen to levels unseen since the 2003 Gulf War. City analyst Ian Scott of Nomura told his clients it was “the end of the world as we knew it”. Aviva, the owner of Norwich Union, tumbled more than nine per cent while rival Legal & General was down more than eight per cent. Travel company Thomas Cook fell nearly eight per cent on fears that a consumer slowdown will force people to cut back on holiday plans. British Airways fell by more than six per cent even though falling oil prices will make its fuel bill cheaper. No sector has been immune to the slide in share prices. Over the last six months it has not been just banks and financial services companies' prices which have plummeted. Transport, media, manufacturing and retail sectors all have their fair share of companies whose prices have more than halved in the last six months. Even conventionally safe areas such as mining and pub companies have not escaped. Investors' fears were sparked in the Far East when Japan's Nikkei index fell by more than six per cent to close at its lowest for 26 years. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong dropped almost 13 per cent and the Manila stock market in the Philippines closed down 12 per cent. In London, the FTSE 100 lost 116.72 to 3766.64, a decline of 3.01 per cent. That came on top of Friday's five per cent fall on the back of fears that the recession could be longer and deeper than many economists have forecast.  Ryan Kneale, market analyst at City bookmaker www.BetsForTraders.com said: “The markets are sliding down a slippery slope desperately trying to find a footing somewhere but so far nothing has held and we seem to be creating a new bottom almost daily.  “We would not be surprised to see another concerted rate cut announced this week if the situation does not show signs of improvement very soon.” Manoj Ladwa, of ETX Capital, said: “This is a market in search of a floor. Many investors thought that we had found one at about 4000. We've plunged well below that level now. ”The FTSE-100 Index is now less than 500 points above the low of 3287 it hit in the spring of 2003 when insurance companies were forced to dump shares to satisfy strict new laws on how much capital they had. Many analysts believe the share price graphs are pointing down below this level, taking prices to levels not seen since 1995. They believe share prices will fall further in order to complete the final leg of the “M” shape which is shown not just on the FTSE 100 chart but also on Wall Street. That would drive share prices on both sides of the Atlantic to levels last seen 13 years ago. Chartists, who analyse share price movements based on historical patterns made on graphs, believe prices and indices move in cycles. In the current instance the formation of the “M” is a classic signal that share price must at least fall below the middle and lowest part of the “V” shape within the “M”. That would happen if the FTSE fell 100 points a day for the rest of this week. The pound tumbled against the dollar again, falling by more than five cents to its worst level for more than six years. In the last week the pound has lost more than 10 per cent, dropping by more than 18 cents. Analysts believe the Bank of England will cut interest rates by another half a percentage point when the monetary policy committee meets next week.

A Kenyan lady passed away in London on Friday 24th October, 2008 after a long illness - more to follow

Mrs. Tabitha Wamae (above left) is in London. She arrived in the UK on Friday 24th October, 2008. An old friends of the Seeds she lives with her family in Seattle, USA after winning the Green Card in 2002. Mrs. Wamae will be in the UK for two weeks where she is expected to visit several areas in the UK. Above photo they are posing with Pastor Jane Njiiri outside the offices of the Mayor of London. She is the daughter of the late Kagira of Kanunga village near Gituru, Kandara, Muranga, Kenya. Her contact in the UK is 07951268057.

Former Budalang’i MP Raphael Wanjala and his lover Joyce Akinyi are now asking their friends back home to help raise Sh1.3 million to bail them out of prison in New Delhi. Their families have failed to raise enough money. The legal officer at Tihar Prison where the two are being held for the 21st day on Tuesday, Sunil Gupta, said on Monday evening that they were still in custody. Mr Wanjala’s family was appealing to his friends, some of whom are in Government, to help raise the bail money. Mr Wanjala’s first wife, Josephine, led a family delegation to Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula’s house seeking financial assistance. Josephine had managed to raise only Sh560,000 for her husband. The money has since been deposited with the Foreign Affairs ministry and a receipt issued to that effect.  But the officer in charge of the Asian division at the ministry has told the family that the amount was only half of the bail needed and the two can only be released after the whole amount was raised. Last Saturday, an Indian court granted Mr Wanjala and Ms Akinyi 200,000 rupees each (about Sh305,0000), coming to over Sh600,000. Another Sh100,000 is required from both to compensate for an Indian surety while the legal fees for the entire process comes to about Sh300,000. A source in the meeting between Mr Wanjala’s family and Mr Wetang’ula said the minister had contacted Ford Kenya chairman and nominated MP Musikari Kombo for financial help for Mr Wanjala from the party’s kitty. But Mr Kombo is said to have indicated that the party was broke

An Austrian man, charged with drink driving, drove to a police station to complain about the charge whilst drunk, officials said Monday. Skip related content The 65-year-old had his driving licence and car keys first taken away from him Sunday after driving while over the alcohol limit in the northern city of Linz. He then went home, picked up his spare car keys, went back to the abandoned car and drove to police headquarters to explain why he was unhappy with the charge. "When the driver tried to show police officers what had happened the first time, they detected he was still under the influence of alcohol," police said in a statement. The driver was charged a second time.

Senator Barack Obama leads John McCain in five of eight crucial battleground states one week before the US presidential election, with Mr McCain

USA BABIES OPINION POLLS

The Financial Times, the respected business daily, endorsed Barack Obama on Monday to become the next US president, even though it prefers the trade policies of his Republican rival John McCain. The FT said the Democrat had run his campaign "superbly", and while not the same as governing, this was a "test of leadership". By contrast, McCain's campaign "has often looked a shambles", it said in an editorial. It applauded Obama's handling of the financial crisis, saying he displayed a "calm and methodical disposition" while McCain had offered "hasty half-baked interventions". Meanwhile in Denver. Roaring toward the finish, Barack Obama presided Sunday over two Colorado rallies that together drew about 150,000 people, a startling turnout in a key swing state. In Denver, the city where he claimed his historic presidential nomination, Obama stepped on stage and seemed surprised at his own following. He saw an estimated crowd of more than 100,000 people — the largest U.S. rally to date in an Obama campaign full of them. "Goodness gracious," Obama said as peered at the human mass in Civic Center Park. Smelling victory, supporters even lined the steps of the Capitol, which was so far away from the stage that the people there needed binoculars just to hope to see Obama.

The Waki Report appeared too hot for the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to handle Monday night after it abruptly called off a meeting of its Members of Parliament scheduled for Tuesday. This came in the backdrop of a meeting by Rift Valley legislators, who sought to present a united position on the post-election violence report at the cancelled Parliamentary Group meeting. Party leader Raila Odinga was the man on the spot, following sharp divisions among his supporters over the Waki Report. Today’s aborted meeting was to come up with a common stand for the Orange party.  Whereas Raila favours a "full implementation of the report", MPs from the vote-rich Rift Valley — that backed him to a man in the last General Election — have a different view. Agriculture minister William Ruto summed up the feeling of the province’s leaders when he dismissed the Waki Report as "shoddy" and having "missed the point by a wide margin". Last night, in a dramatic twist, party Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo — who is on official trip in the United States — sent a short text message cancelling the meeting. The text, forwarded to MPs, read: "Dear MP, due to unavoidable circumstances, the PG meeting scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, October 28, has been postponed until further notice. Any inconvenience is highly regretted, Hon Jakoyo Midiwo, Chief Whip." Shocked MPs who received the text messages said the cancellation was a sign that things were not okay in the party. It is understood that the meeting, planned for 10am at Parliament’s Old Chambers, was called off at the request of the party leader "to ease tensions building over the Waki Report".

The meeting would have seen Raila come face-to-face with MPs who have expressed disquiet over his stand on the Waki Report. In a hard-hitting statement yesterday, Rift Valley MPs asked Raila and Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi and other ODM ministers to change tact for the unity of the party or suffer a split. A Cabinet meeting expected tostate the way forward on the Waki Report this Thursday at State House, Nairobi, now appears unlikely as the President will be hosting the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). And Raila is scheduled to travel to China tomorrow on official engagement. The report has divided ODM and PNU parties, with members differing on its implementation. MPs from the Rift Valley, one of the region’s affected by post-election violence, has particularly been vocal. Nominated MP Musa Sirma told Raila: "You are either with us, or against us." Agriculture minister Ruto remained tight-lipped, refusing to be drawn into commenting on today’s aborted meeting. Sources last night intimated that the minister may have been meeting with 26 Rift Valley MPs at a city hotel. The MPs from the province said they read a sinister motive to unfairly target certain leaders. Said Sirma: "The PM was all over Rift Valley, Nyanza, Western, Nairobi and other parts calling for the release of the youths arrested in post-election violence. What has changed to make him say they (the youths), together with their leaders, should be tried?" MPs Dr Julius Kones (Konoin), Isaac Ruto (Chepalungu), Benjamin Langat (Ainamoi) and Joshua Kutuny (Cherang’any) challenged Raila to rethink his stand on the Waki Report. "The mass action propelled the PM and Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi to the high seats of power; now they have turned against the people," said Sirma. Ruto said the implementation of the report was akin to opening more wounds, adding that what was needed now was reconciliation. The Agriculture minister said the violence was widespread, but the report narrowed its findings only to Rift Valley. Sirma denied that the violence was planned. "We want lasting peace in the entire Rift region. We have been victims of violence since 1992 clashes". He said Rift Valley was asking why Raila and Lands Minister James Orengo had made an about-turn on the issues affecting their people, like the violence and the Mau Forest. Kutuny said many cases were still before the courts, including one against one Mr Jackson Kibor, and it would be dishonest for the party to dump them midstream. He added: "Even President Kibaki has gone slow on the Waki Report. Why are Raila and some ministers rooting for its immediate implementation?" Sirma said they wanted ODM to bear collective responsibility for any wrongdoings in January.  Nambale MP Chris Okemo said many MPs relied only on media reports. "Those accused must be given fair hearing," said Okemo. - The Standard.

The world's heaviest man has tied the knot. Manuel Uribe, who hasn't left his bed in six years, married his longtime girlfriend Claudia Solis Sunday in northern Mexico. Wearing a white silk shirt with a sheet wrapped around his legs, Uribe smiled as Solis, 38, walked down a flight of stairs wearing a strapless ivory dress, a tiara and hot-pink lipstick. He later broke into tears as a notary declared the couple husband and wife in a civil ceremony attended by more than 400 guests. For the traditional first dance as newlyweds, Uribe and Solis held hands and swayed to a romantic ballad. For the traditional first dance as newlyweds, Uribe and Solis held hands and swayed to a romantic ballad. A popular local norteno band played accordion-heavy tunes at the reception, which featured a banquet of meat and buttered vegetables.  Uribe's mother, Orquedia Garza, said the groom steered clear of the five-tier wedding cake.  "He didn't break his diet," she said. "His doctors are here and they are watching him very closely." The wedding, which was closed to most media, will be featured in an upcoming Discovery Channel documentary on Uribe, the 43-year-old former mechanic said.  "I have a wife and will form a new family and live a happy life," Uribe told hordes of reporters earlier as they followed him through the streets of Monterrey.  A flatbed truck was brought in to tow his custom-made bed decorated with a canopy, flowers and gold-trimmed bows to the wedding at a local event hall. Two police patrol cars escorted him ahead of a long line of traffic.  Uribe tipped the scales in 2006 at 1,230lbs (560kg), earning him the Guinness World Record as the world's heaviest man.  He has since shed about 550 pounds (250 kilograms) with the help of Solis, whom he met four years ago.  Uribe said he's gunning for a new title: world's greatest weight loser.

A delighted Manuel Uribe and his carriage, with new wife Claudia Solis

 Gordon Brown is allowing Britain's borrowing to spiral to £100 billion help save the economy, scrapping his own 'golden rule' to spend his way out of recession. He claimed borrowing in the short-term was the 'responsible' way of helping the economy, boosting jobs at a time when the private sector was suffering. The Treasury borrowed £37.6bn alone in the first six months of the financial year alone and some experts think it will treble by April. The announcement came today as the FTSE hit a five year low. Speaking at Imperial College in London, he said the only way for Britain to benefit from the "new global age" was to invest in the necessary long-term decisions. Now was the wrong time to slash investment in areas like education, training, energy efficiency or tax cuts for hard-pressed families, the premier said. "That means that the responsible course of government is to invest at this time to speed up the economic activity," he said. "As economic activity rises, as tax revenues recover then you would want borrowing to be a lower share of your national income. "But the responsible course at the moment is to use the investments that are necessary, and to continue them, and to help people through very difficult times. "I think that's a very fundamental part of what we are doing." It signals he is willing to scrap his own fiscal "golden rule", introduced when Labour came to power, which only allows the government to borrow in order to invest over the economic cycle. The move came as London's leading share index plunged to a new five-year low today after heavy falls across Asia saw the sell-off continue apace. The FTSE 100 Index dropped by more than 200 points at one stage - a fall of 5% - taking the Footsie back to levels not seen since March 2003. The latest plunge followed a devastating day for UK blue chips on Friday, when almost £49 billion was wiped off the value of their shares amid recession fears. Recession concerns in the UK were heightened last week after official figures revealed a worse-than-expected 0.5% third quarter fall in UK economic growth - the first negative reading in 16 years.

THE CAR IS WORTH £3.5 MILLION

It was a chance of a lifetime - take a gorgeous 157mph Ferrari, once owned by an Oscar winner, for a spin. The downside of driving a classic worth £3.5million, though, was being allowed to hit only 30mph. This 1963 250 GT California Spyder SWB was once owned by film legend James Coburn and last featured in the film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. It is one of a number of cars which could all go for £20million. The sale has attracted interest from wealthy collectors worldwide, with some flying in just to test it. The little car has a lot of character and driving it, even if only for a couple of minutes, is unforgettable. Peter Wallman, of RM Auctions, said: 'Whether there is a credit crunch or not we are still seeing a demand for these cars.' Also on offer is a silver 1965 Aston Martin DB5 which featured in Robbie Williams' music video for Millennium and is expected to fetch up to £180,000. The sale by Sotheby's and US-based RM Auctions takes place in south-west London on Wednesday.

 Mondex, a Chihuahua, wears a pirate costume during a Halloween dog show for the benefit of an animal welfare organization in Manila. Amazingly, Mondex actually won the prize for the most creative costume.

A US government agency says it has disrupted a plot to assassinate Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama. The authorities arrested two men for threatening to launch a "killing spree" in the state of Tennessee that would end with them shooting the Illinois Senator. The agency said the two men intended to murder 102 black people after robbing a gun store. Jim Cavanaugh from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said they planned to shoot 88 black people and decapitate another 14. The numbers 88 and 14 are symbolic in the white supremacist community. Daniel Cowart and Paul Schlesselman were held for possession of firearms and threats against a candidate running for president. The pair are said to have told officers of their plan to dress in white tuxedos and top hats and drive a car towards Mr Obama, shooting at him from the windows. They expected to be killed during the attempt. US correspondent Ian Woods, in Washington, said the youth's alleged plan following the release of court records "does not make it a credible threat" to Mr Obama's life. But he added: "Eight days before an election, clearly something like this will be taken very seriously." It is the second assassination plot to have been made public during the presidential campaign. Police disrupted an alleged plot during the Democratic Convention in Denver, Colorado, last month. Nobody was charged. The US secret service have been protecting Mr Obama since he became a mainstream candidate for president. The news of the latest alleged plot broke just before the Democratic nominee went on stage to address supporters in the key swing state of Pennsylvania. Obama spokesman Bill Burton said the campaign had "no comment whatsoever" on the claims.

London, Monday 27th October, 2008. Police will now use new device to take fingerprints in street. Every police force in the UK is to be equipped with mobile fingerprint scanners - handheld devices that allow police to carry out identity checks on people in the street. The new technology, which ultimately may be able to receive pictures of suspects, is likely to be in widespread use within 18 months. Tens of thousands of sets - as compact as BlackBerry smartphones - are expected to be distributed. The police claim the scheme, called Project Midas, will transform the speed of criminal investigations. A similar, heavier machine has been tested during limited trials with motorway patrols. To address fears about mass surveillance and random searches, the police insist fingerprints taken by the scanners will not be stored or added to databases. Liberty, the civil rights group, cautioned that the law required fingerprints taken in such circumstances to be deleted after use. Gareth Crossman, Liberty's policy director, said: "Saving time with new technology could help police performance but officers must make absolutely certain that they take fingerprints only when they suspect an individual of an offence and can't establish his identity." Details of the type of equipment and the scope of its use have been revealed in a presentation by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA). The initial phase of the Mobile Identification At Scene (Midas) project, costed at £30m-£40m, will enable officers to perform rapid checks on the fingerprints of people arrested or detained. The marks will be compared against records on Ident1, the national police database which holds information on 7.5 million individuals. Geoff Whitaker, a senior technology officer with the NPIA, told the Biometrics 2008 conference that Project Midas would save enormous amounts of police time and reduce the number of wrongful arrests. At present, officers have to take suspects to custody suites if they need to check fingerprints. On average, the agency's research shows, the procedure takes 67 minutes. "If we scaled this [saving] up to the national level that would equate to 366 additional police officers on the beat," Whitaker said. "One of the benefits is that it will reduce the number of errors - and we can reduce the number of arrests significantly.

"There's a huge range of opportunities [for] mobile ID. It could be used on the deceased at the scene of a crime, on suspects for intelligence in the early part of an investigation, [or even] in a mortuary." Policing of big public occasions, sporting events, festivals, political conferences - as a well as immigration and border controls - could benefit from the equipment, he suggested. "Another use is for prisoners in transit; it's not uncommon for prisoners to swap identities on the way to prison," he said. Project Midas, he said, would give the police "a full, mobile national capability" to check identities.  The system is being designed to have the capacity to beam images of suspects back to officers on the streets to help confirm identifications. Some US police forces are already using the technology.  "The return of mugshots [to officers]," Whitaker added, "is something we would like to do." The tender document for Midas states: "Bidders' solutions ... should include, but may not be limited to, fingerprint identification capability." Plans for a police Facial Images National Database (Find) were suspended last year but are being reviewed.  One of the companies bidding for the Midas contract, Northrop Grumman, told the Guardian: "A lot of the hand-held [devices] we are considering have cameras so they can support fingerprint and facial images". A limited trial of mobile police fingerprint devices, called Project Lantern, started in 2006. About 200 have been distributed and 30,000 checks performed. They were deployed in police cars using automatic number plate recognition technology - stopping vehicles that were logged as stolen, having no insurance, no MOT or simply unknown. "The aim was to deny criminals the use of the roads," said Whitaker. "Around 60% of drivers stopped gave false identification details."  Fingerprint checks often showed they were carrying falsified documents.  The electronic searches, encrypted and sent over public networks, were usually returned to the mobile devices within two minutes; 97% of searches were completed in five minutes. Responses are graded as "high" or "medium". If high, it shows the system is confident of a match; if medium, it could display up to three potential identities. The returned data includes the name, age and gender of the suspect if there is a match. A spokeswoman for the NPIA added: "It will be up to each police authority to assess the benefits and see how many they want. Early indications are that the benefits will be huge." Thomas Smith, an officer from the Los Angeles police department, also briefed the Biometrics 2008 conference on the success of his force's mobile ID devices which send images and fingerprint matches back to officers on the street. He said they had become so powerful that once the machines were produced some suspects admitted they were lying about their identity. "Our next thing will be facial recognition [computerised matching of suspects from their faces] in the field," he said.

LEFT: According to the Guardian, every police force in the UK is to be equipped with mobile fingerprint scanners - handheld devices that allow police to carry out identity checks on people in the street. CENTRE: The Times says pressure is mounting on the Bank of England for an emergency interest rate cut this week as the severity of the global downturn wreaks more havoc. RIGHT: Three members of the same family were killed when their light aircraft crashed during stormy weather over the Wicklow mountains in Ireland, the Metro reports.

A detainee at Yarl's Wood was denied access to a legal help guide containing tips on how to frustrate the removal process, it is claimed. Earlier this month, Mercy Wanjiku, says that she was forced to open her post in front of staff at the Detention Centre near Clapham. She claims a self-help guide, which she needed for a legal hearing days later, was confiscated from her and she was told that it was illegal for her to have the book. This would be in breach of Detention Centre Rules which state that no letter to a detained person may be opened, read or stopped except if the manager believes that its contents may endanger the security of the centre of the safety of others or if it is of a criminal nature. Although a spokesman for the UK Border Agency would not officially confirm it, the booklet is believed to have had a section which gave detainees advice on how to frustrate the removal process such as showing people their injuries. Ms Wanjiku has made an official complaint about the incident to the UK Border Agency and Serco, which runs the centre. A spokesman for Legal Action for Women, which provides the booklet for detainees said: "Hundreds of women have relied on this guide for crucial information on their case. "We are extremely careful not to lay ourselves open to accusation and there is a section on what to do if the women are at the airport which gives tips such as communicating to everyone around you about what is happening. "These women have a right to speak to other people and many of them are in fear of being tortured if they return to their native country. "The authorities should be bending over backwards to help these women and this is one of many obstructions we see taking place at Yarl's Wood." A spokesman for the UK Border Agency said: "All detainees are treated with dignity and compassion and any report or allegation of inappropriate treatment against detainees is taken seriously. "There is an independent complaints system, with the opportunity to refer complaints to the Prison and Probation Ombudsman. "Detainees can also lodge any complaint to members of the Independent Monitoring Boards who operate in all immigration removal centres."

¦ BEDFORDSHIRE County Council has said it will not be signing the New Statesman petition to end the detention of children after the Prospective European Parliamentary Candidate (PEPC) for the Eastern Region Linda Jack asked it if it was happy with the current situation. The answer to her question stated: "The county council will not be signing the New Statesman petition which offers a simplistic remedy with no consideration of its impact on the successful removal of illegal immigrants from this country. "The council supports a robust policy on the removal of illegal immigrants but we also expect that this policy should be implemented in a way that minimises harm and distress to children and young people."

"I'm writing to ask that you let people who visit your site know about some parenting workshops I'm running. My name is Mwara, a Kenyan woman living in Newham, East London. The workshops are based on the bestselling book How To Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids will Talk. Parents and carers to children aged 1-16 will benefit hugely from it, the concepts are simple, ground breaking, healing and very heart-opening. This is an opportunity to internalise these concepts week by week and attend a discussion group with other parents sharing the challenges of parenting. The venue is next to West Ham station on the District line, both C2C and underground, lovely and easy to reach. The venue is Grassroots Resource Centre, Memorial Avenue, Memorial Park,ce West Ham, cour London E15 3DB. 5 mins from West Ham Station. I am currently looking for participants, sessions start 2nd November 2008." - Mwara - mwara@btopenworld.com

Scientists have developed purple tomatoes which they hope may be able to keep cancer at bay. The fruit are rich in an antioxidant pigment called anthocyanin which is thought to have anti-cancer properties. A team from the John Innes Centre, Norwich, created the tomatoes by incorporating genes from the snapdragon flower, which is high in anthocyanin. The study, published in Nature Biotechnology, found mice who ate the tomatoes lived longer. Anthocyanins, found in particularly high levels in berries such as blackberry, cranberry and chokeberry, have been shown to help significantly slow the growth of colon cancer cells. They are also thought to offer protection against cardiovascular disease and age-related degenerative diseases.

A US federal judge has rejected a lawsuit claiming Senator Barack Obama is ineligible to run for the presidency because he was either born in Kenya or is a citizen of Indonesia. The US Constitution requires that a person must be born and be a citizen of the country to be eligible for the presidency. Judge Richard Barclay Surrick ruled that Philip Berg, a Pennsylvania attorney, lacked standing to bring such a suit. The claim filed by Mr Berg, a supporter of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, is one of several attempts to block what appears to be Mr Obama’s increasingly likely victory at the November 4 polls.  Segments of the US right wing will be disappointed by the decision.

An NBC poll for Iowa gave Mr Obama 51% voter support, with Mr McCain at 40%. However, a Reuters/C-Span/Zogby poll released on Sunday suggested a closer race overall, with Mr Obama only five percentage points ahead of Mr McCain's

Henk Dop took this photo in central Namibia where he says Toyota Hilux 4x4 vehicles are popular.

Africans adapt to Nordic chill

The BBC's African Perspective programme is investigating what life is like for some of an estimated 20 million Africans who live in the diaspora. Ellen Otzen visits Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, to see how the 45,000 Africans there have adapted to their chilly Nordic home. In a small, white house standing in the shadow of Copenhagen's oldest churches people from Cameroon, Botswana, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda meet each Wednesday night to sing in a gospel music choir. Ugandan Joel Moses came to Denmark for love, 13 years ago. "I was once married to a Danish woman. She couldn't stand living in Africa and so I moved to her home," he explains. "I love to sing and so I come every Wednesday even if I am tired, physically - it builds me up and gears me up for a new day. "To be honest, I really come to do something as an African in a white community because there's a lot of things I do that are gone, not recognised. But I think I am recognised by reaching out to my fellow Africans." Love broke down for Joel as it did for another Ugandan, Peace Kabushenga.

She is a project manager dealing with HIV/Aids among the ethnic minorities in Denmark. She arrived in Copenhagen almost 30 years ago in 1979, as a diplomat's wife. Her life then was comfortable. But it ended abruptly when their relationship broke down and her husband returned to Uganda. "It was a dramatic change," says Peace, who found herself as a single mother far from home. "I had to declare myself a refugee to live in Denmark. I had to live in a refugee camp while my papers were being processed. "Strangely, I knew no other Africans," she recalls. "It was my Danish friends who helped me. Of course I would've survived - I am strong; but they made it so much easier for me and most importantly, for my son." Denmark never had colonies in Africa but ties between the sea-faring Danes and Africa's Gold Coast, now Ghana, stretch way back in history. The Ghanaian seat of government, in the capital, Accra, is housed in the original Christiansborg Castle - a slave fort built by the Danes in the 17th century. Stored inside the Presbyterian Church in Accra's Osu district are records from the 1850s, chronicling families with Danish fathers and Ghanaian mothers. Eighty Danish surnames, like Svanekær, Richter and Holm are still in use today in Ghana. More recently the links are developmental ones. In the 1960s Danish doctors, vets and engineers were sent to Africa and in return African students came to study. Then as oppressive regimes took over it was scared, political refugees, like rapper Al Agami, who started to head to Africa-friendly Denmark.

Al Agami was born in Uganda's capital, Kampala, but grew up in Denmark. He also spent three years living in Afghanistan. His father was a soldier. "I am a political refugee. I wound up in Denmark because of my father's stress with the Idi Amin [a former Ugandan dictator] era." Al Agami is now one of the biggest names in Danish rap music. He recalls how Denmark in the 1970s was "very quiet" which he feels is a contradiction to his "can't sit still" personality. He says it was weird because there were "no brown faced children" but there was "no fear factor", unlike now. Somali Khadija Fara works as a social adviser. When she arrived in the 1980s, she says things were different; but it was during the 1990s that everything began changing. "Many, many Somali refugees came to Denmark and they were the biggest minority group," Khadija says. That is when the fear factor, as Al Agami calls it, set in. Hostility, resentment and friction rose and two years ago, tension spilled over when Muslims took to the streets outraged by cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed in a Danish newspaper. "After the 11th of September [2001], Islam became a political issue and it is a big one here in Denmark, unfortunately," explains Khadija. "I wish people would instead use their energy on other things like integration and making the second generation immigrants from feeling marginalised." Peace Kabushenga believes the problems have stemmed from the large number of immigrants arriving. "You have to bear in mind that Denmark is a very small country and so many foreigners have come in. I don't think the Danes were prepared for all of us." The resultant shift in attitude has caused Peace to worry for herself and her son. "When he's out there I don't want him to feel like a foreigner. I would feel very sad if he told me, he was mistreated on the streets," she says. "Yes, he has a black skin but he has his roots here and he is very, very Danish."

Athletes sprint at the start of the Nairobi Marathon at Nyayo Sports Centre on Sunday and  Kikwei Tuiyange runs to win the men's marathon in Nairobi on Sunday. The Nairobi Marathon is the first leg of a series of four challenging Marathon Races taking place in Nairobi, Singapore, Mumbai and Hong Kong. Photo/REUTERS 

Back in Kenya, Granny Sarah looks forward to a long night with her TV

The wife of Barack Obama's grandfather tells Daniel Howden why she is taking nothing for granted on 4 November

Monday, 27 October 2008

 At Kisumu airport, on the shores of the vast Lake Victoria, work has begun to expand the runway. The joke here is that they're getting ready for the arrival of Air Force One. Once as college graduate, once as a professor and again as a senator, Barack Obama has returned to his ancestral home. Now everyone is waiting for him to come back a fourth time, as the president of the United States.  It was here, amid the brilliant greens and grinding poverty of tropical Kenya, that the candidate's absent father Barack Hussein Obama grew up. It is still home to the 87-year-old woman the would-be leader of the free world calls Granny Sarah. Despite her celebrity, the surviving wife of the US senator's grandfather lives in the same two-room hut in the remote village of Kogelo, more than an hour's drive from Kisumu along a pot-holed highway and then a rich-red dirt road. In the middle of the "small plot of land" the Democrat hopeful described in his best-selling memoir, Dreams From My Father, stands Sarah Onyango Obama, an impossibly boisterous figure for someone born before America's Great Depression. While not a blood relative of the presidential candidate – she was the third wife of his paternal grandfather – Sarah did raise his father. A complicated family life has left her uncertain how many grandchildren she does have but she's happy with the answer, "Many". She has a priceless smile which breaks her creased and weathered face and she sticks her tongue out and rolls her hips when she laughs, which is often. She claims to have known for some time that Barack Jnr, whom she met when he came to Kogelo for the first time at the age of 27, was destined for greatness. "I had a dream again and again where I would see him being carried high by his grandfather. I knew he was special." Unlike everyone else you meet here, she avoids predicting the outcome on 4 November. "In a football match, you don't count a goal until it is scored." In the half-light inside the hut, "Barry" (as she calls him) is everywhere. He smiles down from framed photographs, graces a 2005 calendar proclaiming him "Kenya's miracle boy" and, disconcertingly, stands at a little over 5ft tall next to the sofa, in the form of a cardboard cut-out.

A quieter presence in the room is the ghost of Mr Obama's father, a man he barely knew. Obama Snr attended the University of Hawaii on a scholarship in 1952 where he met and married Ann Dunham, and left her pregnant. His round, bespectacled face competes for wall space with his son, and Sarah says that while it is God's choice he is not here he would have enjoyed the presidential race. "He loved that kind of thing," she says. Mr Obama's father died in a car crash in 1982. He is buried in the garden with a concrete headstone covered with yellow tiles.  Granny Sarah reminds everyone that she realises the fuss is not about her. "These are not my guests, they are his and I am duty-bound to receive them." And she receives hundreds. As we speak, there are at least a dozen visitors crammed into her sitting-room. There is a local DJ, a popular comedian, teachers and a rapidly extending family; in Kenya everyone claims to be related to Obama. In this whirl of well-wishers, the woman who has lived her life in the relative seclusion of Kogelo insists little has changed. As if to make her point, a chicken wanders in from the back garden across the cracked concrete floor, pecking at the box of a new television set bought to help Granny Sarah follow election night a world away in America. A solar panel powers it, because electricity, and mains water, have yet to make it this far. With an outcome across the Atlantic not expected before dawn in Kenya on 5 November, will she be staying up? "Of course I will," she says. "Even if I go to sleep, I will keep the radio with me, next to my ear." If her grandson does win, she will definitely be going to the inauguration. She feigns a frown and says Mr Obama would "complain if I didn't go". The television is not the only sign of change. A new wire fence surrounds the garden with its banana palms, mango and avocado trees. Concrete is still setting in the foundations of a metal gate, and two green tents house the police post set up after boys broke in. All they stole was food and a lightbulb but no one wants to take any chances with this celebrated granny. Asked what an Obama victory might mean for Kenya, Sarah speaks of peace and the hope that he will "solve some problems" both in the country where he is running and the country of his father. The campaign clashes of the Democrat and Republican tribes may seem fierce but they are nothing compared to the ferocity of the tribal politics that exploded in Kenya after the last elections.  When President Mwai Kibaki was accused by the challenger Raila Odinga of stealing the election, the country was racked by political violence which in turn revealed tribal tensions simmering since independence. Kenya's smaller ethnic groups clashed with the President's Kikuyu people. More than 1,000 were killed and tens of thousands displaced to tribal homelands.

Kisumu is the heartland of the Luo, the ethnic group of both Mr Odinga (now Prime Minister of Kenya), and the Obama clan. Though a fragile power-sharing deal has halted clashes, central Kisumu still bears the scars from the violence, with burnt-out shop-fronts and a resurgent sense of ethnic pride. Here, no one questions whether the boy who grew up in Indonesia and Hawaii can be called a Luo. Absilom Omollo is a DJ with Lake Victoria radio . "The Luo own him jealously," he says. "He is our son." The awareness of the finer points of the race for the White House is phenomenal. Florida demographics, Republican dirty tricks and the racial blind spot in opinion surveys are common currency in conversation. "On air, we have been following the polls on a two-hourly basis," says the DJ. "And we know who we are for. We say, 'We are ahead 12 points from the old man'." Nicholas Rajula, a local politician and cousin of the US senator, is convinced he will win: "Only those who don't know Barry are worried." He insists beating Hillary Clinton in the primaries was the toughest challenge and believes the McCain campaign erred fatally in picking Sarah Palin as running mate. "She's not ready", is his verdict. His cousin's African attributes are obvious to Mr Rajula. "Even when the old man is abusing him, he stays calm and doesn't answer back. That is respect for elders. "But the US campaign trail is also seen through the prism of Kenya's own political traumas. "We wish America peaceful elections," he keeps repeating. Others joke that they've heard of "Kenyan voting", or election rigging, going on. There are darker currents too. Many here feel that their local political champion, Mr Odinga, should be Kenya's president. There is little patience for a second presidential setback, and many predict riots or looting in Kisumu if voters half a world away choose John McCain instead. Clifford Anyango, a young teacher who resembles Mr Obama in his calm demeanour, hopes for an Obama victory for a different reason. "If Americans vote for a black man it will be a victory against racism, the same racism that here boils down to tribalism, nepotism and ends up meaning you can't even get a job."

Darkest day in history of humble church. A woman cries outside the Kiambaa church where several people were burnt to death in January

More than 1,000 marathon runners stranded by floods in the Lake District remain unaccounted for. Police and local mountain rescue teams are still trying to locate many of the 2,500 competitors in Saturday's Original Mountain Marathon. The race was abandoned at midday for the first time in its 41-year history as heavy rains flooded the various routes the runners were taking from Seathwaite to Gatesgarth, near Borrowdale. Torrential downpours in Cumbria also blocked road access between the two points which left the athletes marooned. The conditions were said to be so dire that it was not even deemed safe to call for the assistance of an RAF helicopter. A Cumbria police spokesman said that none of the competitors had been officially reported missing. He said the runners who had spent the night on the mountain were "mainly seasoned mountaineers" and were likely to be carrying suitable equipment to cope with the adverse weather. On Saturday night, around 700 people sheltered in a huge barn at Gatesgarth Farm in Borrowdale. Another 80 stayed at the Glaramara Outdoor Activity Centre in Borrowdale and 45 people took refuge at the Honister Slate Mine at Honister Pass. The Original Mountain Marathon was cancelled at midday on Saturday after being hit with some of the worst weather in its 41-year history. Jim Aitken was there with his son and they took a shortcut and Ian and Margaret Sincock went there for the day and saw some OMM walkers getting blown about. Many of them took shelter in farms, former mines and a school.

LEAKED WAKI REPORT!!

A government-sponsored commission in Kenya has accused a number of top-level officials of inciting and funding ethnic violence in the country that left thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced following disputed elections late last year. The report, which was embargoed by a separate government commission, was leaked to FOXNews.com. It makes allegations against 219 persons, including many government ministers. Their names are included in the "Schedule of Alleged Perpetrators," a 54-page appendix to the report of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, or KNCHR, on violence related to the country’s December 2007 elections.  Most of the accused are supporters of the Orange Democratic Movement, or ODM, whose leader, Raila Odinga, nonetheless supported the establishment of a tribunal to try those politicians responsible for inciting the post-election violence. Odinga, who is not accused, belongs to the Luo tribe. In the run-up to the elections, the ODM forged a multitribal alliance against the Kikuyu, who have been regarded as economically and politically powerful since the 1960s. In last December’s elections, the Kikuyu mainly supported the incumbent president, Mwai Kibaki, whose Party of National Unity was thought by many Kenyans and outside observers to have rigged the polls. Among those named in the KNCHR report is William Ruto, the ODM agriculture minister, who allegedly encouraged a crowd to "uproot the weeds" and expel Kikuyu from the fertile Rift Valley. Also named is Najib Balala, who allegedly paid 500 shillings (about $8) each to ODM-supporting youths who attacked Kikuyu-owned businesses in the Muslim coastal cities of Mombasa and Kilifi. The others include Henry and Sally Kosgey, both ODM officials, who reportedly attended meetings in the hillsides of Luo land where ethnic violence was planned, and Uhuru Kenyatta, the Amherst-educated son of Kenya’s founding president, Jomo Kenyatta, a Kikuyu, who allegedly planned and financed reprisals against ODM members.

The KNCHR report recommends establishing a tribunal before which the accused would be tried. If a tribunal is not established, it recommends referring the cases to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, to which Kenya is a signatory. Many ministers belonging to ODM, especially those implicated in the commission’s report, have objected to the implementation of a tribunal. "They did something wrong to the country, and they should stand trial," said Eunice, a Kikuyu living in the mostly Luo city of Kisumu. She declined to give her last name for fear of repercussions because of her ethnicity. The ethnic strife took one of Africa’s most-developed countries by surprise in January and February of this year, as roving gangs armed with machetes and clubs fought riot police and set fire to churches, homes and businesses. - Fox News

Benny Hinn's brother, Henry Hinn will be preaching together with Rev. Teresia Wairimu on Sunday 26/10/08 at the Faith Evangelistic Ministry (FEM) crusade in London. Click here for more.

Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong'o, along with Nigerian Ben Okri and Angolan writer Ondjaki won an inaugural African literature prize in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Friday. The ceremony for the first-ever Grinzane For Africa Prize was held on the sidelines of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the UN Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa. "I'm very glad to receive this prize and more so in Ethiopia, with its thousands of years of independence," Ngugi said after receiving the prize. Ngugi, 70, whose vast experience includes journalism and playwriting, wrote his first novel, "Weep Not, Child," in 1964. The book was one of the first to be published in England by a black African author. He received the award's Heritage Prize, while 49-year-old Okri received the Mainstream Prize. Angola's Ondjaki, 31, was named the young author of the year. The prize, which is sponsored by an Italian foundation, will honour African writers every year and enable their works to be published in the Italian language.

Professor Ngugi wa Thiong'o

Wall Street Threatens lifeline to rural Kenya

When Esther Kangogo’s cramped wooden home was burnt to the ground by night-time raiders earlier this year, the money she secured to build a replacement came from half a world away: Dallas, Texas.  It is the home of her daughter Susan, a 28-year- old nurse who is one of hundreds of thousands of Kenyans working in the west to support their families in east Africa. But when the financial crisis that started on Wall Street began to hit the pocket books of workers in the US, it had a knock-on effect on the economic wellbeing of villages in the fields of rural Kenya. Migrants such as Ms Kangogo’s daughter are now struggling to set aside cash for their relatives. “Since the beginning of this year it seems life is hard for her,” says Ms Kangogo, who farms a plot of wheat and maize on the rich orange soil of the Rift Valley. “The cost of living is higher and she has to pay college fees, and she works eight hours and gets paid $110 [£70, €86], so she can’t afford to send money back home.” Kenya’s financial system had remained insulated from the credit crunch for over a year. However, remittances have transmitted the impact of the global economic downturn directly to Kenyan households. Last year $574m was transferred back to Kenya through formal channels by members of its diaspora, according to the central bank. In Zimbabwe, Senegal and Ethiopia, economists estimate that remittances had come close to, if not surpassed, aid as the biggest source of foreign currency. But even before the financial crisis escalated, data from Kenya for July and August showed remittances declining, both from the previous month and year on year – a sign of overseas Kenyans struggling with inflation, mortgage payments, job insecurity or redundancy. The year-on-year drop in August was 38 per cent. Ms Kangogo says one of the last payments she received from her daughter was KSh10,000 ($125, €99, £79) to build her new home in Burnt Forest, a one-track village that cuts through the lush greenery of the Rift Valley, which witnessed a spate of house burnings and killings in January during Kenya’s post-election violence.

“We are not taking this lying down. We need to do something about it,” said a senior economist at Kenya’s ministry of planning. “Towards the end of the year we are likely to see further declines, especially around Christmas when the remittance flows are normally big, and this is going to affect the quality of people’s lives.” An emergency committee including officials from the central bank and the finance ministry has been established to work out how to respond to the trend. The government economist said that 50 per cent of remittances came from the US, which is estimated to be home to between 750,000 and 1m Kenyans by Kenya’s embassy in Washington. The remittances have been used to invest in property and shares on the Nairobi stock market, and to help meet school fees and the daily living expenses of families. Central bank statistics do not include remittances sent through unlicensed money traders or cash brought back to Kenya by hand. Independent economists estimate that unofficial and official flows combined probably topped $1bn last year, making them Kenya’s biggest source of foreign currency ahead of tourism. The pinch of the economic downturn is also being felt by Kenyans in the UK, who number around 200,000 according to Kenya’s foreign ministry. Sam Ochieng, the Kenyan director of international programmes at Sacoma, a group that provides employment and business advice to Africans in the UK, says that in the past month he has seen an uptick in job losses and business closures, particularly in the training and hospitality sectors. “At one of our weekend community functions you could see people were having difficult times because we were fund raising for one of the sick and the contributions were not as high as they have been,” Mr Ochieng said. “People are not comfortable parting with their own money. They’re saving the little they have.” A five-year period of accelerating Kenyan economic growth is likely to be cut off this year by the combined effects of falling remittances, the post-election crisis, higher inflation, and reduced spending by western consumers on tourism and Kenyan agricultural exports. Following expansion of 7 per cent last year the International Monetary Fund forecasts that Kenya will grow by 3.3 per cent this year. -  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008

LEFT: The Daily Mail's front page carries a story that consumers are facing higher shop prices, dearer fuel and more expensive holidays after the pound slumped on Friday. CENTRE: The Financial Times also reports on the sharp drop in the pound, which it says was a result of investors reacting to the worst decline in UK economic output since 1990. FAR RIGHT: The Daily Express concentrates on the gloomy weather outlook rather than the gloomy economic outlook - warning that Britain is about to hit by an Arctic freeze.

Hollywood has its star tours, Boston the Freedom Trail. Now Kenya is busy planning a new addition to the world’s tourist treks – the Obama experience.  Ten days away from the US presidential election, tour operators in the east African nation are positioning themselves for an Obama boom. Kogelo, the remote village home of Barack Obama’s grandmother, Sarah, is nowhere near Kenya’s safari circuit. But the three hotels in the nearby city of Kisumu are booked solid for the week of the US elections, as visitors make a pilgrimage to the region where Mr Obama’s father was born and buried. A sub-economy has sprung up around Mr Obama’s candidature with trinket and T-shirt traders, hawkers and kiosk operators hoping to do brisk business. Roadside hotels and barber shops, boutiques and hair salons have been renamed after Obama to attract business. An East African Breweries beer, Senator, has taken on new significance. “People now say ‘I want an Obama’ when asking for Senator,” says a Kisumu barman. Noah Ger, who runs a tour firm specialising in western Kenya tours, said interest was picking up for Kogelo day trips. Foreign correspondents are mining Kogelo and the slums of Nairobi and Kisumu for an Obama story – a new half-brother was “discovered” in Huruma, a poor Nairobi neighbourhood. For residents of Kisumu, which supported prime minister Raila Odinga in the bitterly disputed presidential election in 2007, Obama-mania is closely connected with local politics. Mr Odinga is a member of Kenya’s ethnic Luo tribe – as was Mr Obama’s father. It has become a common refrain among Kenyans that the US will have an ethnic Luo president before Kenya does.“It’s almost as if we’re falling back on Obama as our only hope,” says Steve Sande, a Kisumu-based artist and activist. “People are less interested in Obama becoming US president than they are in the fact that a son of this place has made it.” “There’s always been this idea that our people have been neglected economically by the central government,” says Mr Sande. If Obama wins, he says, the government will be forced to do things it has been unwilling to do for a generation. “They will have to upgrade the airport, for instance. Obama, when he returns to Kenya as the American president, will have to land in style.”

Full coverage: US elections 2008 - Oct-21

Bad news draws votes for Obama - Oct-24

Newspaper El Pais reported that the cows had pressed themselves against a wire fence during a storm when the lightning bolt struck in the northern Uruguayan state of San Jose. A photograph released by the San Jose Police Department shows the black and brown cows lying dead in a row. The newspaper said that vets at the scene confirmed the cause of the deaths, which happened on Wednesday 22nd October, 2008. The experts also said that cows often crowd around fences to seek protection during bad weather. Meteorologist Fernando Torena said he was not surprised that a single lightning bolt killed so many cows. But he called it "very bad luck".

IMF projects Kenya's growth will fall to 4%

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the post-election unrest that Kenya experienced from December 2007 to February this year is expected to contract the economy's growth rate from 7% last year to 4% in 2008. Results from a meeting, held on 3 July, between the IMF mission and key stakeholders in Kenya's economy revealed that the country's growth will drop to 4% in 2008, from 7% last year. After a meeting between the IMF mission and key stakeholders in Kenya's economy, a statement was issued concluding: "With the formation of the grand coalition government, the economy is regaining its footing. While a full recovery in some sectors is likely to take time, including tourism, the economy as a whole is already rebounding. Overall, we expect GDP to grow by some 4% in 2008 - a respectable result given the events of the first quarter.” The assessment is an outcome of a meeting between IMF staff mission, headed by Thomas Krueger, who visited Kenya during June 2-23July, 2008, to conduct discussions for the 2008 Article IV consultation. The mission met with Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Finance Minister Amos Kimunya, Central Bank Governor Njuguna Ndung'u, and other senior government officials, as well as with representatives of the business community, labour unions, civil society and Kenya's development partners. The IMF also noted: “Economic growth in 2007 reached 7%, the highest growth in over two decades.” The lender attributed the strong growth of East Africa's most solid economy, to its sound macro-economic policies and progress on structural reforms, as well as benefits that accrued from a favourable external environment. “The strong momentum was interrupted, however, by the post-election turbulence in early 2008. This left a severe human toll and its economic effects were evident not only in Kenya, where tourism, agriculture, and transport were particularly affected, but also in the region as transport links were interrupted,” the mission added. At least 1000 people were brutally killed, and property worth billions of dollars was lost during the historical violence. The mission discussed the case for keeping the 2008/2009 deficit (in relation to the country's wealth) below the level of the previous year, thereby stabilising public debt in relation to wealth (GDP). The IMF said: “With a solid domestic revenue base, this should be achievable even while addressing recovery-related spending needs and accommodating higher outlays for much needed infrastructure projects.” On helping Kenya deal with rising prices of food and fuel and fertilisers, the IMF recommended that the government should design measures more specifically targeted at the poorest segments of the population and, in the case of farmers, at improving access to credit.

"I AM READY TO FACE THE LAW" - RUTO

Agriculture minister William Ruto on Friday said he was ready to face the law if anyone could prove that he was involved in planning the post-election violence. However, he said he would not accept to be tried under the “flawed” recommendations made by the Waki Commission of Inquiry into post-election violence.  Mr Justice Waki had in his report proposed that those linked to the violence be tried by the International Criminal Court at The Hague if Kenya fails to form its own tribunal or if that tribunal is subverted. Mr Ruto, a key leader from Rift Valley Province and a member of the ODM Pentagon — the party’s highest decision-making body — said he would resign “if majority of Kenyans agreed on a fairer mechanism” for trying those linked to the violence. He also said those mentioned adversely should also resign from their positions. According to Mr Justice Waki, key politicians and business people — including six Cabinet ministers and five MPs — were adversely mentioned during investigations into the causes of the post-election violence. - Daily Nation.

'Race question mark' over US town

"I'm not voting for Obama, he's black." Charles is a registered Democrat in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. "If it wasn't for Obama I would vote Democrat. Blacks just cause trouble, that's the taste I've got in my mouth." Race is the question mark hanging over this election. Barack Obama is ahead in the polls. There's a widespread feeling now that the election is his to lose. But there is something that is worrying Democrats. How accurate are the polls? How many voters are saying they will vote for Mr Obama because they do not want to be perceived as racist? Once they enter the polling booth will it be an entirely different story? Simply put, how many people out there think like Charles but are not admitting it? Charles said the vast majority of his friends felt the same way as him. Uniontown is a rural town in south-west Pennsylvania. Its countryside is breathtaking, particularly now as the leaves change their colour from green to gold to burnt red. But the area is poor and unemployment is high. Traditionally it is staunchly Democrat - but race is an election issue. At a local restaurant a friendly waitress started chatting to us. The conversation turned to politics. She shrugged, she was not even sure when the election was to be held, she could not pronounce Mr Obama's name. "I like McCain because I can say his name, so I'll probably vote for McCain." She was not well informed, but her views were clear. "He's from Africa or something. I don't even know where he's from. I know he grew up here, but he's not from here. I think American presidents should be from America." These are not isolated opinions - just not often voiced publicly. In the primaries 12% of voters across the state said race was a factor - and that is close to Mr Obama's current lead in the polls here.

Recently, Congressman John Murtha had this to say about his home state: "There is no question that western Pennsylvania is a racist area". He did, however, predict that Mr Obama would still win the state, and he later apologised for the remarks. The polls show Mr Obama is ahead in Pennsylvania, which also has a Democratic governor and traditionally huge Democratic majorities in the major cities - Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. In Uniontown, of course I met Democrats who are voting for Mr Obama, and I also met a couple of Republicans who said they were voting Obama. This is not about a town being racist, but rather how much the race issue is reflected in the polls. At a local hunting shop there were a variety of opinions. Registered Democrat Tom Currens said he would vote for the Republican candidate John McCain, but not because he had a problem with Mr Obama's racial background. Todd Hackley, a registered Republican said he would vote for Mr McCain and had this to say on the race question: "Race is an issue, it has to be, not that we want it to be. My thoughts are that Obama will get as many votes from the blacks, as he will not get from the whites. "I do believe there are a lot of whites who won't vote for him because of the colour of his skin, but I believe there are a lot of blacks who will vote for him because of his colour." Todd has always voted Republican and when I asked him if colour was an issue for him he said it might have been years ago, but not now. Brandon Hafield said said he was undecided who to vote for, but when I asked if Mr Obama was a patriot he said no. When I asked if he was American, he said: "I think he tried to be, I don't think he is, he tries to put a good show for the people, but I don't think he is." Local radio presenter Bob Fultz, who hosts a regular talk show, says prejudice is definitely present, even though few callers are willing to discuss it openly. "White voters aren't saying what they really think, whether that's here in Fayette County or nationally. I had one caller who said he thinks Obama is Osama with plastic surgery." However, Mr Obama has gained points for his perceived ability to handle the credit crunch - and Uniontown has its own financial woes. Russ Mechling is a retired engineer who used to be the president of the local company Fayette Engineering. He is a registered Democrat who will be voting for Mr Obama. "There is a little bit of a racial backlash, but I think it's becoming less and less as the economic situation gets worse and worse. "I think that will probably cost McCain more votes than any other single factor."

Nairobi’s streets and highways will be turned into Africa’s biggest running track on Sunday when thousands of runners take part in the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon 2008. The race will wind its way through the Central Business District for the first time, and organisers of the marathon said about 15,000 runners will be able to choose their course, as they set to battle it out in the morning cold for the Sh1.5m prize money. At stake on Sunday will be Kenya’s titles in the men and women’s races of the marathon relay series known as the Greatest Race on Earth (GROE). “I am very pleased to see so many representatives from nations across the globe. Everything is in place for what will be the biggest and richest marathon staged in Nairobi,” said Geoffrey Githinji, Chairman of the Stanchart Nairobi marathon National Steering Committee. There are 36 teams lined up for the nations team challenge, where they will battle for a share of the Sh75million prize money in the four-race series. - Daily Nation.

I am a Kenyan living abroad for some years now due to 1997 tribal clashes following an attack at Likoni Police station which later escalated to Ukunda/Diani ares among others and the prevailing effects that followed bringing  tourism sector on it's knees. When the previous regime ended in 2002,we had a very high hope that things will improve to bring back our economy which had was at the lowest point since independent. We noted with satisfaction  the improvement in various sectors of our country. Roads which were dilapidated were done, Nairobi City and other major towns were up-graded, boys were removed and services in government ministries were improved including police and traffic rules were restored so is discipline in bus and matatu picking and dropping points. Many parastatals companies which were run down or closed were revived and the hope of a good future was in every Kenyan mind.

It did not take long before politicians started talking of MoU and soon Kenyans were again divided into two groups of Orange and Banana. Since then though the economy in general improved within the space of few years, and several developments took place there was no single day which went by without news about these two groups accusing each other. They even forgot what the country went through between 1978 and 2002 when the PM and many others were accused of being supporters of Pambana, Mwakenya and so on. They were arrested and locked in without charges and those taken to court had very little choice but were all sentenced to several years in prison. Finally it was another  election time (December 2007) and soon we were facing another tribal clashes between Kikuyu/Kalenjini, Kikuyu/Luo, Luhya and so on. Many lost their lives and others were displaced and were baptised IDP. Tourism as usual was the first to feel the effect and was the most affected sector among other sectors. Hotels laid down several employees due to mass cancellations of tourists and flights to Kenya especially charter flights were cancelled, several hotels closed down followed by other tour companies. Employees were laid off, their families and others whom directly and in directly depends on tourism started facing the effects followed by other  sectors. Prices for food stuff started rising up due to the obvious reasons which continue to bite every Kenyan and God knows until when. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Kenyan News Papers for giving us the chance (information) to follow what goes on in our beloved country through Internet.

After reading about Kriger Report and the reaction of our politicians that his recommendations should be implemented to the latter I had a sigh of relief to note how mature our politicians have become of late but before long there was this Waki report and several politicians especially those that were in the centre of clashes started giving statements that fell short of  saying the report should be shelved and maybe another commission formed ''if it could favour ''some of their heinous activities leading to the clashes. It has now reached a stage where it's no longer interesting to read news about our beloved country Kenya as before logging in we already know what to expect. Witch hunting, open hatred between people from one community and another etc. etc. Kimunya is a good example that though he has been cleared by the commission, the MPs are still looking for ways of blocking him from resuming his position because his position should belong to maybe Banana or Orange supporter. ODM or PNU!! Funny but it's true.

It is my humble request that Kenyans especially Members of Parliament and Civil servants should work and pull together as Kenyans. They should be in the fore front to preaching peace and harmony and work towards  long term plans to introduce bills in Parliament which will help to bring Kenyans together and avoid politics of divide and rule. Swahili should be made mandatory to all as a basis to communicating between different communities in public and working places as it is in Tanzania where tribalism does not exist at all. Nyanyo era brought it back through tribal clashes in 1992/1997 when it was almost dying a natural death and now is time to wake-up and unite, think, work and interact as Kenyans not as Kikuyu, Luo ,luhya, Masai and so on. How do we expect the East African Community to succeed if it's not possible for communities in one country to unite? Politicians promised those displaced that they will be settled asap but they are no longer talking about them. There are those who were bereaved, maimed or lost properties while fitting for Orange or Banana and leader of their choice, where are these leaders today. They have since forgotten the suffering IDP are going through not to forget workers who lost their jobs. Their attention focused either on 2012 elections, Kriger and Waki reports etc. After 45 years of independent, it is time for Kenyans to say enough is enough and demand that the MPs deliver what they promised  the electorate as each and every tribe is in Kenya by right not by accident and there for ever. The solution is to work and think as Kenyans with one goal in mind which is the interest of our beloved country Kenya and her people, to improve their living standards and welfare ,health services, shelter, enough food and water for all.

Jeremiah Murungi

London. United Kingdom.

London, Friday 24th October, 2008. The UK economy shrank for the first time in 16 years between July and September, confirming that the UK is on the brink of recession. Output fell by 0.5%, according to the Office for National Statistics, a bigger-than-expected drop, knocking UK shares and weakening the pound. The UK will be classed as being in recession if the economy slows in the fourth quarter as well. The Prime Minister said other countries must play a part fighting the slowdown. "This is a global financial recession and we're fighting it every way we know how," Gordon Brown said. "But we need other countries to work with us and that's what I'm also spending my time making sure other countries take the action that we're taking to stop this becoming worse." He said the government was putting more money into people's pockets - including an increase of the winter allowance for pensioners and a £120 tax cut for basic taxpayers. The fall in UK output has been blamed on the credit crunch, falling house prices and rising energy prices, which have forced consumers to tighten their belts. Charlie Bean, deputy governor of the Bank of England's rate-setting committee, the MPC, described it as a "once in a lifetime crisis and possibly the largest financial crisis of its kind in human history". UK shares tumbled further on the news, closing down 5%. The pound was also affected, falling to $1.52 before recovering to $1.5889 - the first time it has fallen below $1.60 in the past five years.

The 0.5% fall in economic output is far greater than predicted and increases expectations of further interest rate cuts from the current level of 4.5% to ignite growth. It is the biggest drop in UK gross domestic product (GDP) since the first quarter of 1990. The services sector - which represents three quarters of the UK economy - fell 0.4%, the biggest drop in 18 years. Within the services sector, hotels and restaurants saw the biggest fall, down 1.7%, compared with an increase of 0.2% in the previous quarter. Manufacturing output fell 1% while construction tumbled 0.8% compared to the previous quarter. Analysts expressed their shock at the news and their desire for aggressive rate cuts. Business group CBI said the figures were worse than expected and called for rates to be cut by half a percentage point at the next meeting of the MPC. "My comment to traders is dive, dive, dive," said Societe Generale's Brian Hilliard. "It is a very emphatic entry into recession which underlines the need for dramatic rate cuts, which we think the Bank of England will deliver." He anticipated rates dropping to 2.5% by the middle of next year.

Rates could go as low as 3% by the middle of next year and possibly even lower, said UBS analyst Amit Kara. "The risks are that this is going to be a pretty severe recession." BBC economics editor Hugh Pym said the figures raised fears we could be in for a recession very like the one in the early 1990s when unemployment hit three million. He said it was unlikely to be just a technical recession (two consecutive quarters of negative growth), but could be a year or so of negative growth. But the difference now is that interest rates are much lower, he added. Deputy bank governor Charlie Bean told the Scarborough Evening News that the bank's independence - and ability to set monetary policy - meant that the UK was in a better position than in the early 1990s. Opposition politicians criticised the government for its handling of the financial crisis. "Well, this is the day that the recession became real. We've had 10 years of being told no more boom and bust, 10 years of a government not putting aside money for a rainy day. Well that rainy day has now come," he said, calling for more support for businesses," David Cameron, the leader of the Conservatives, said. The Liberal Democrats called for tax cuts for the poor and more interest rate cuts. "These growth figures show that the credit crunch is hitting the real economy and harder and faster than was first feared," said Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.

Global share markets have fallen back amid investors' widening fears of a sustained worldwide economic recession. Wall Street tumbled sharply following similar falls across Europe and Asia, before clawing back some ground. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 3.6% down having gone more than 5% lower in early trading while the Nasdaq index finished 3.2% down. On European markets, London closed 5% lower, Frankfurt slid more than 5% and Paris was down more than 3.5%. Investors have been dumping shares worldwide because of gloomy prospects for the global economy - and are looking at other forms of investment.

Brothers share wife to secure family land

Kundar Singh Pundir, left, and his brother Amar, right, share Indira Devi, centre, as their wife and Himachal Pradesh is high in the mountains, where villagers survive off tiny plots.

HIMACHAL PRADESH, India (CNN) -- Amar and Kundan Singh Pundir are brothers. Younger brother Amar breaks rocks in a mine for a living. Kundan farms their small piece of inherited land. They live in a beautiful but remote hillside village in the clouds of Himachal Pradesh, India. Both aged in their forties, the two brothers have lived together nearly their whole lives. They are poor and share just about everything: Their home, their work and a wife. "See we have a tradition from the beginning to have a family of five to 10 people. Two brothers and one wife." Kundan says. They practice what is known as fraternal polyandry -- where the brothers of one family marry the same woman. Why? Tradition and economics. Life is hard here. The village is precariously perched on the side of a very steep hill about 6,000ft up. Most of the villagers survive off tiny plots of cropland.  In this difficult terrain there isn't enough land to go around. So, instead of finding separate wives and splitting up their inherited property, the brothers marry the same woman and keep their land together. Wife Indira Devi says life with two husbands isn't easy. "We fight a lot." But like any married couple they fight mostly over mundane stuff, except there are three spouses instead of two."Usually it's about chores, why didn't you do this? Why didn't you do that?" she says. One thing they agreed on was the need to have children; They have three. So how does a married trio deal with sex? - CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO

"We make shifts, change shifts and sleep on alternate days. We have to make shifts otherwise it won't work," Kundan says. "To run our families we have to do this, overcome the hurdles as well and then we have to control our hearts from feeling too much," Amar adds. To outsiders their arrangement may seem odd, but in the village of about 200 it is the norm.  Typically the marriages are arranged and women have two husbands. But some wives have three or four depending on how many brothers there are in a family.  Polyandry is illegal in India but socially acceptable here. No one from the government seems to bother the villagers about the law. "It's been going on for ages. My sister in law has two husbands, my mother in law also has two husbands," Indira says. And as to the question of which husband is the biological father of the children -- the Pundir's don't know and don't care. "For me everyone is the same, my mother and my fathers are the same. My mother and my fathers are like God to me," 17-year old daughter Sunita Singh Pundir says. Even as modern society arrives in this ancient village through satellite dishes and mobile phones, the Pundirs say they want their age-old tradition to continue with their children. "Absolutely," eldest son Sohna says.  He and his younger brother have already discussed it and will marry the same woman. Daughter Sunita isn't so sure. "I would like one husband," she says.

Where has all the money gone?

When people withdraw cash, other people are paying in cash

Billions of pounds have been wiped off property values and share prices remain volatile, while the debt-laden banks are being bailed out. But where has all this money gone? Economist John Sloman explains. Money consists of two main elements. The first is cash (notes and coins). The total amount of cash in the UK is just over £50bn, with about £43bn circulating outside the banks and £7bn in banks' safes, tills and cash machines. But cash is a relatively small proportion of the total amount of money. So what is the rest? The bulk of money is in the form of bank deposits not backed by cash. This totals around £1,800bn. The point is that the main purpose of money is for buying things. And for most large purchases - and many small ones too - we don't use cash. Instead, we access the money in our accounts by using debit cards, direct debits, standing orders and cheques. When you pay for something with your debit card in Tesco, your account is debited and Tesco is credited. Money is transferred between the two accounts - but no cash has been used. It is similar with credit cards. When you buy something with a credit card, the shop's account is credited. You get a monthly bill and when you pay it, your account is debited. The bulk of money, then, is simply a record of deposits - entries on balance sheets. But isn't all this very worrying? The answer is: not in normal times. Of course, times have not been "normal" recently. So let's look first at what banks do in normal times and then we'll look at the abnormal times of recent days and weeks. Banks are not giant safes. When you pay in £100 in cash, the bank does not just hold on to it, waiting for you to withdraw it. Banks know that in normal times, only a small fraction of money deposited in them will be withdrawn in cash. The vast bulk of people's balances in their accounts will stay there. Even when people do spend some, most of it involves plastic or electronic transfer, not cash. Even when people do withdraw cash, other people are paying in cash. So what do banks do with their deposits? The answer is that they lend to individuals and firms, and to each other. When people spend these loans - say in shops - the shops then deposit the money back into the banks. These deposits are used as the basis of further loans to other people. These, in turn, generate more deposits and yet more loans. And so the process goes on and on. More and more deposits get generated. And these deposits count as money. Thus money grows. But there is no more cash. Feeling worried? You shouldn't be for two reasons:

• 1. Banks are normally careful to keep enough cash to meet the demands of their customers
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• 2. If they do start running short of cash, they can always borrow money from the Bank of England
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But what about abnormal times? What happens if people start getting worried that their bank will not have enough cash, or worse still, if it could go out of business? What happens if banks stop lending to each other, fearing they might not get their money back? The worst-case scenario is a "run on the bank". This is what happened with Northern Rock. People queued to take their money out. In the end, it's up to the government and central banks (the Bank of England in the case of the UK). They have to guarantee that deposits are safe. And this is what's been happening these past few days. Central banks have been lending vast sums of money to the banking system. Central banks are backed by governments and can always print enough cash to meet all demands. Governments themselves have been pumping mind-boggling sums of money into banks by buying shares in them. In the UK, the government has promised to purchase £37bn of new shares in banks if it cannot be raised from private investors - £20bn in the Royal Bank of Scotland alone.

In addition, the government has guaranteed everyone's personal deposits in banks up to £50,000. In practice, as with Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley, the government would almost certainly guarantee all deposits if a bank ran into difficulties. Even private deposits in the failed Icelandic banks have been guaranteed by the UK government. So where has all the money gone? Your money is still there. So don't worry about that. Nevertheless, money is being eroded in value by inflation. £100 today can buy only about 95% of what it could last year and only about half as much as it could 20 years ago. This is one reason why we need to be paid interest to save money. But what about so-called "sub-prime debt"? This was money lent to people unlikely to be able to pay it back. The problem is that the loans were mainly to buy houses and houses have fallen in value. Thus if people sold their house, they would not get their money back. It's the same with stocks and shares. If you had bought £1,000 worth of shares a year ago, they would be worth only around £670 today. But houses and shares are not money. They are assets whose value varies with market forces. If demand rises and/or supply falls, their price will rise. If demand falls and/or supply rises, their price will fall. Don't forget that warning in small print: "prices can go down as well as up". Thus your money as bank deposits may not have disappeared. But some of your wealth may well have. But declining wealth feeds back into money creation. If banks are worried about bad debts, they may not lend so much. With a deepening credit crunch, there would be less spending and less money would be deposited by shops and businesses. There would be even less lending and the economy could fall into recession. After all, less spending leads to less production and less employment. No wonder governments feel they have act. No wonder vast sums are being pumped into the banking system.

Bishop Samuel Muya of the Talents Revival Ministry based in Elburgon Kenya, who is on a preaching tour in the United States of America arrived in Atlanta Georgia Tuesday October 21, 2008 from Los Angeles California to visit with Kenyan Christians there.  From Atlanta, Bishop Muya will travel to Boston where he will speak in a series of meetings at the invitation of Rev. Samuel Kimuhu of St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, at 6th Street Lowell, MA 01852. Bishop Muya will bring the sermon at the Worship Service in St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, on Sunday, November 2, 2008. That worship service will start at 10.30 am. After the service, the Bishop will speak at a Seminar for Church elders organized by St. Stephen’s Anglican Church. Rev. Kimuhu would like to invite all African church leaders in the Boston area to this seminar which will start at 1.00 pm. The theme of the Seminar will be “The Church Ministry of Elders.” Bishop Muya will later that afternoon attend a fellowship meal with all Kenyan pastors in the Boston area.  God bless you as you prepare to come. Above Bishop Muya preaching in US and on right with his hosts. His contact in USA is 001-254-780-7639 email samuelmuya2003@yahoo.com

London, Friday 24th October, 2008. House prices 'will fall another 25% next year'. House prices could fall by a further 25 per cent by late 2009, influential economic analysts warn today.  Experts at the Capital Economics consultancy said the coming recession will speed up the housing market "correction". In an influential report published today, the analysts poured scorn on the Government's recent bank bailout, claiming it could fail to shore up the property market.  "Our view that house prices will ultimately fall by 35 per cent or a further 25 per cent from today's prices still holds", the report said.  "However, with the economy heading for a recession lasting for at least two years, we now think that those falls could be seen by late 2009 or early 2010 a year earlier than our previous forecast." It concludes that the UK economy will shrink by 1 per cent in 2009 and by 0.5 per cent in 2010, and that unemployment will rise by almost 1.5 million. But Capital Economics does not think that the deeper recession will necessarily result in a deeper housing market downturn. "Our previous forecast already factored in a significant rise in unemployment and some falls in GDP", it said. "We expect inflation to drop rapidly, allowing interest rates to fall to 2.5 per cent next year, if not lower, which will help to prevent a larger fall in house prices.  "But the deeper recession is likely to mean that the pace of house price falls will intensify." The experts concede that the Government's bank rescue package might help to ease the mortgage credit squeeze given time. However, this will be outweighed by the widespread expectations of further house price falls.

In with the old, out with the new: from his election battle bus, Boris Johnson pledged to revive the Routemaster and boot out the bendy buses London's new Routemaster bus will operate on a scale far wider than expected but the much-hyped public competition to design it is a sideshow, according to a senior Transport for London manager.  As the Mayor, Boris Johnson, prepares to unveil the results of the competition, it has emerged that TfL will order up to 800 of the open-platform new Routemasters, almost double the expected number. They will serve all central London's busiest routes, not just bendy routes.  The design contest has attracted around 470 entries, including one from Norman Foster. But David Hampson-Ghani, TfL's programme manager for new buses, said it was seen inside TfL as "almost a consultation" to the key effort, talks with the manufacturers. The Standard can also reveal that TfL has been engaged in extensive below-the-radar discussions with Britain's major bus manufacturers

A Polish driver who was too sure of his GPS road navigation device ended up neck-deep in a lake after ignoring road signs warning of a dead-end ahead, Polish police said Friday."The man took a road that was closed a year ago when the area was flooded to make an artificial lake serving as a water reservoir -- he ignored three road signs warning of a dead-end," Piotr Smolen, police spokesman in Glubczyce, southern Poland, told AFP Friday. "It was still night time and he didn't notice the road led into the lake. His GPS told him to drive straight ahead and he did," Smolen said, adding the driver had not been under the influence of alcohol.

ODM deadlock over poll violence report. ODM has asked its lawyers to study the recommendations of the Waki Report after its top leaders failed to agree over how it should be implemented. Sources said the ODM meeting that was called to take a common stand on the report degenerated into a row between those who support the full implementation of the report and those opposed to it. Although the meeting was meant to be attended by all the 21 ODM ministers, only 11 attended. Some were said to have had engagements elsewhere. It is understood that Mr Odinga was concerned that key people in the party and the Government appeared to be reading from different scripts as debate raged on whether the report should be implemented or not. Those who attended the Wednesday night meeting at the PM’s Treasury office were Mr Odinga, Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, Cabinet ministers Henry Kosgey, William Ruto, Najib Balala and Charity Ngilu. Others were James Orengo, Paul Otuoma, Hellen Sambili, Chris Obure and Ibrahim Elmi.  On Thursday, Parliament passed the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission Bill, in a move that marks the beginning journey to end impunity.  It is now left to President Kibaki to sign the Bill into law. Once the law comes into effect, a nine-member Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission will be set up, with powers to investigate and recommend appropriate actions on various human rights abuses committed between December 12, 1963, and February 28, 2008. Meanwhile, Government spokesman Alfred Mutua has discredited yet again the Waki report insisting that no meeting took place at State House after elections.  He described some of the findings in the report as “logically untenable and ridiculous.” And Metropolitan Development minister Mutula Kilonzo asked attorney-general Amos Wako to interpret the report and give direction. Agriculture minister Samuel Ruto and his Heritage counterpart, Mr William ole Ntimama have criticised the report saying it is riddled with “rumours and hearsay” and thus should not be implemented. Mr Odinga, Mr Mudavadi and Mr Orengo have called for the full implementation of the proposals that could see those named in a secret list of perpetrators charged before a special tribunal as recommended by Mr Justice Philip Waki, who led a commission of inquiry into the post-election violence.  The representatives of ODM and PNU in the National Accord and Reconciliation now have 53 days to sign an agreement establishing the special tribunal. Failure to start the process of forming a tribunal means the 10 people named in the secret list will stand trial at the International Criminal Court.  A 60-day deadline in which Kenya has to set up a tribunal ends at midnight of February 28, after which the ICC will take over cases of those named in Waki’s report, include six Cabinet ministers. Parliament is expected to change the Constitution to pave way for creation of the special tribunal to investigate and prosecute those implicated. The Constitution can only be amended by 145 MPs.  During the ODM meeting, Mr Odinga, Mr Mudavadi and Mr Orengo were said to have held that the report should be implemented, while the rest said it should not because of what they described as “defective evidence”. Mrs Ngilu did not speak. They cautioned that because of the manner in which the Waki Commission crafted the recommendations, it would not be easy to wriggle out saying it would be better to handle the matter locally than subjecting the suspects to a trial by the ICC in The Hague. - Daily Nation.

Evangelist Theresa Wairimu arrived in London on Wednesday 22nd October, 2008 for the weekend crusade in London. The evangelist kicked off her meetings with a Partners meeting on Thursday 23rd October, 2008 at Emmanuel Centre, in Central London. The guest speakers at the conference will be Pastor Allan Kiuna and his wife Pastor Catherine Kiuna of of JCC Kenya. All the meeting takes place at Emmanuel Centre. A photo of a previous meeting in London - CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Former US Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan has called the recent turmoil in the global financial markets a "once in a century credit tsunami". Speaking before Congress, Mr Greenspan, who stood down as Fed chairman in 2006, said the crisis had left him "in a state of shocked disbelief". He added that recovery in the US housing market was "many months" away. However critics said Mr Greenspan could have boosted regulation of the markets to help prevent the crisis. Mr Greenspan made the comments to the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Committee chairman Henry Waxman, a Democrat, suggested that Mr Greenspan had added to the problem by rejecting calls for the Fed to regulate the sub-prime sector and some complex, risky financial products. "The list of regulatory mistakes and misjudgements is long," Mr Waxman said. "Our regulators became enablers rather than enforcers. Their trust in the wisdom of the markets was infinite," he added, saying that the mantra became "government regulation is wrong". One of the main criticisms against Mr Greenspan was that he left interest rates too low for too long, thereby fuelling the housing boom - which later turned out to be unsustainable. However the former bank boss said he had made a "partially" wrong decision in thinking that relying on banks to use their self-interest would be enough to protect shareholders and their equity. He acknowledged that his approach had had a "flaw" that had been shocking "because I'd been going for 40 years or more with very considerable evidence that it was working exceptionally well.'' Mr Greenspan's comments come as significant uncertainty remains in global markets, amid fears that key economies have already entered a recession. Some share markets and currencies have been especially volatile, prompting intervention by governments to prop up banks and boost the financial sector. Recent developments include:

• Russia has moved to boost its currency in the wake of a sharp slide in oil prices and declines in foreign investments. In the past week gold and foreign reserves are down $15bn (£9.3bn)
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• French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday mooted setting up a state-run investment fund to help protect national firms and aid small firms in difficulty
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• Sweden's central bank tried to boost its economy by cutting interest rates by half a percentage point to 3.75% and said it planned to make further cuts within six months
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• Hungary unexpectedly increased its interest rate by three percentage points to 11.5% on Wednesday in a bid to boost its currency, the forint
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Earlier, some Asian indexes saw sharp falls, as investors worried about the prospect of a global recession. South Korea's Kospi index was down 7.4%, its lowest close since July 2005, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was down 4.7%, at its lowest level since April 2005. However, after a volatile session, the London FTSE 100 index ended up 1.16%, while France's Cac 40 rose 0.38% and Germany's Dax fell 1.13%. South Korea is one of a number of countries that has recently seen a substantial withdrawal of capital as worried investors take their money out. The phenomenon, which is also affecting others nations including Hungary, Iceland and Pakistan, represents a new and worrying phase of the financial crisis according to the BBC's business editor Robert Peston. He says that we are seeing a massive flight of capital out of economies perceived to have been living beyond their means - either because they have a substantial reliance on foreign borrowings or because they are net importers of good and services, or both.

 REV. SAMUEL MUYA FOR SWINDON

Bishop Samuel K. Muya of Talents Revival Centres, Elburgon Kenya will be a guest speaker at Enlightenment Ministries Swindon, UK on Sunday 9th November, 2008 as from 2.00 p.m. The venue will be St Paul’s Church, St Paul’s Drive, Covingham, SWINDON, SN3 2AF where he will be hosted by Pastor Timothy Babu. The bishop will be on his way back to Kenya after a very successful meetings in USA. He will be consecretated as a bishop in Kenya on Saturday 6th December, 2008.

Do you Live in the South East of London and need a child minder from Monday to Friday Between 9am to 6pm ? if the answer is YES, then please call this number for an informal chat 07830 266163.    Competitive prices offered.   NB -  Also Available during the half term period (27 October-1st November).

LEFT: The Daily Express reports on unexpected good news for motorists as petrol prices drop to below 90p a litre, making unleaded cheaper than at any time since Spring 2007. CENTRE: Continuing the theme of economic gloom, The Metro reports that food sales have fallen in Britain for the first time since records began. RIGHT: Prospective parents could soon be able to screen embryos for almost any known genetic disease, reports The Times.

Nine suspected Somali pirates have been captured by the French navy and handed over to regional officials in northern Somalia, the authorities there say. Patrolling French marines arrested the pirates in the Gulf of Aden after intercepting two boats on Wednesday, officials in Puntland said. It comes as the International Maritime Bureau said the waters off Somalia were the world's worst for pirate attacks. Pirates believed they can act with impunity, the monitoring agency said. Nato ships are expected in the region in the coming days to escort aid ships through the dangerous waters. But a spokesman said a precise time for the fleet's arrival could not be given because of delays caused by a violent storm that has sunk boats and killed livestock in northern Somalia. The crew of a French warship picked up the suspected pirates and handed them over to the authorities in semi-autonomous Puntland on Wednesday, Puntland's presidential adviser Bile Mohamoud Qabowsade said. He said eight suspects had been caught, although other reports put the figure at nine. "The pirates were on board two small boats when the French military arrested them. They dropped all their weapons in the water before they were caught," Puntland's deputy Fisheries Minister Abdukadir Muse Yusuf was quoted as saying by AFP news agency. Many pirates are based in the Puntland town of Eyl. The authorities there had been accused of turning a blind eye but have recently stormed two ships seized by pirates and freed the crew. France has launched two operations already this year to free French ships and crew seized by Somali pirates. Pirates are still holding the Ukrainian ship, the MV Faina, and its cargo of tanks and military hardware, off the Somali coast. They demand $20m (£12m). The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said on Thursday that 63 of 199 incidents of piracy worldwide recorded in the first nine months of this year had taken place off east Somalia and the Gulf of Aden. This was double the 36 attacks blamed on Somali pirates out of 198 worldwide in the same period last year, the bureau added. "Piracy attacks off the coast of Somalia are unprecedented," said IMB director Pottengal Mukundan. "It is clear that pirates in the Gulf of Aden believe that they can operate with impunity in attacking vessels." He said the extension of attacks from eastern Somalia into the Gulf of Aden now threatened a vital trade route between Asia and Europe. International naval forces patrolling the region must take greater action to prevent future attacks, he said. "What is required is robust action against the pirates' mother ships before they succeed in hijacking vessels," he said. "The locations and descriptions of these mother ships are known." The flotilla of seven Nato frigates and destroyers is due in the area "sometime in the next four or five days", a spokesman said. He said the fleet will then split, with three or four carrying on with their original plan to conduct exercises with the Gulf States, while the rest continue to Somalia. The ships will escort World Food Programme ships carrying aid into Somalia, and provide a general deterrent. Chief Nato spokesman James Appathurai said the crew would have a "full range of self-defence" measures at their disposal, including the "use of force". But he admitted "what they are trying to do is complicated". "There are a host of pirates, but they don't identify themselves with eye-patches and hook hands so it isn't immediately obvious that they are pirates." He said the rules of engagement should be agreed and finalised in the next day or two.

East African Community Welfare Association in conjunction with The Adult College in Barking  is offering exciting free cookery classes every Monday from  18:00hrs-21:00hrs.  The next course will be starting on the 3rd November, 2008. Limited spaces available on a first come first served basis. Call now to book your space. Benefits are plenty including: Advice on Nutrition, Regular BMI monitoring, Losing and maintaining weight the healthy way, Improve your cooking skills, Good place to make friends and networking, Learn to make African and International cuisine, Food Budgeting, A certificate on completion of the course. Above photos on left is Mr. Wainaina, Pastor Muigai and Mr. Mwaura on the preparation table as one of the Tutors Mr. Joseph Gatonye (far right show them how to do it. Contacts:  info@safarifoods.org, eastafrica-welfare@hotmail.com Tel:  02032882275, Teresia:  Mobile 07506695851, Joe: Mobile 07508018091 - Website: www.safarifoods.org

Some of McCain's Black Relatives Support Obama. In the rural Teoc community of Carroll County, Miss., where the ancestors of Sen. John McCain owned enslaved Africans on a plantation, black, white and mixed-race family members unite every two years for their Coming Home Reunion, on the land where the plantation operated. Some of McCain's black family members say they are not sure exactly where they fall on the family tree, but they do know this: They are either descendants of the McCain family slaves, or of children the McCains fathered with their slaves.

No Kenyan Christmas would be complete without a roasted goat to feed the family, but the global credit crunch means some look set to miss out this festive season. Orders for "Mbuzi ya Jamii" (goat for the family) are down sharply at Mama Mikes, an online store that allows Kenyans living abroad to pay for a range of products and services which are then delivered to their families back home. These include goats, medical check-ups, supermarket shopping vouchers, school fees and others gifts. "We have customers who are cancelling [orders] and most of them are saying that times are hard so they can't do it anymore," says Muthoni Machanga, the firm's finance and accounting manager. The firm's customers typically spent between $60 and $100 per order three months ago, but this has now dropped to $45-60. Revenue has dropped by 30%. Even the firm's loyal customers, who maintain monthly accounts for shopping vouchers and school fees payments have started cancelling or reducing their orders. Ms Machanga says they are getting at least two cancellations a month and this is worrying for them, and also for the families in Kenya who rely on the remittances. "It's putting families back home in Kenya under pressure at a time when they're already under pressure from very, very high inflation. One can sense these pressures occurring in the economy," says financial analyst Aly Khan Satchu. This is just one of the ways that the global financial crisis has started to affect Kenya's economy. While analysts say Africa will be relatively cushioned from the worst effects of the global crisis, Kenyans are definitely starting to feel the squeeze. Kenya relies heavily on the American, European and Asian economies for remittances, tourism and development aid and the sale of tea, coffee and horticulture exports. A steep decline in these sectors could seriously affect the rest of the economy. Mr Satchu says remittances have been a powerful anchor for the Kenyan economy. In 2007, Kenya received $1.3 billion in remittances. But the flow is starting to slow. The Central Bank of Kenya says Kenyans abroad sent $36.5 million in August compared to $44 million in July - 38% less than they sent during the same period last year.

The drop in remittances and dollar inflow has affected the shilling, which is now trading at a three year low. This has placed yet another burden on Kenya's import-dependent economy, which is still recovering from the effects of the post-election crisis earlier this year, runaway inflation and rising food prices. The prices of imported goods such as cars and electronic goods are up, and despite a significant drop in the global oil prices, Kenyans are still paying high fuel prices. The Central Bank has maintained that Kenya's economy will not be directly hit by the global crisis, but the Nairobi Stock Exchange tells a different tale. The stock market has suffered a downward spiral for the last three months, and fingers have been pointed at the global crisis. Prime Minister Raila Odinga has already sounded the alarm, saying the global financial crisis will hit Kenya's economy badly. This week, President Mwai Kibaki set up a team of experts to develop a plan to shield the country's economy from the "inevitable" effects of the crisis. Mr Satchu says the president is right to be worried and it is time for the government to get on top of the situation. "If our policy-makers step up to the plate and actually start looking at the situation and dealing with it, I see a bright future and I see us getting back to six or seven per cent growth, notwithstanding what's happening outside." For Mama Mikes, a local start up which is only five years old, the developments in the global financial markets are worrying. Ms Machanga says the company is not getting new customers, and this has forced them to start cutting down on their operating costs. The company's 18 members of staff are no longer provided with a free lunch, and are not allowed to use taxis to get around. "We're trying to cut down on costs as much as we can, because in some areas you can't do very much. We can't tell people to get salary cuts with the current inflation," she says. Nevertheless, the company is optimistic about the future and doesn't think it will to have to sack any of its staff. With analysts saying that Africa could fare better than the rest of the world, Mama Mikes is hoping their orders for mbuzi will pick in time for the next festive season. Goats, on the other hand, may be hoping for a continued slump so they can escape the Christmas pot.

A KENYAN FARMER IN THE USA

Mr Albert Nyamari tends to vegetable at his farm in Wisconsin, USA. One good turn deserves another, so goes an old English saying. For Mr Albert Nyamari, this saying came true early this year. Mr Nyamari, 33, who works as a medical assistant with a hospice in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, had offered his services to Ms Marge Raine Hellen’s ailing son.  So dedicated was Mr Nyamari that Ms Hellen offered him six acres of land on which he could grow crops for as long as he had the energy. Before Ms Hellen made him the offer, Mr Nyamari had another farm which he used to rent for Sh21,000 an acre for every planting season.  Here, he used to grow maize, but the cost was so high that Mr Nyamari was “earning less for more”, as he said in an interview with the Nation.

This year's harvest in Zimbabwe has been the worst in the country's modern history. In Mashonaland West province, some people are trying to survive by eating wild fruit and digging for roots. "It's very, very bad. I've got 12 children and it's hard to find anything to give them," says a local village chief. "The whole of my village is struggling. No-one has food. "There's nothing left here. So there's nothing I can do." Driving deep into Mashonaland West is a reminder that most Zimbabweans live in rural areas. The area around Karoi - 200km (124 miles) north of the capital, Harare - provides an illustration of the suffering currently being experienced in the countryside. Farmers are without seeds, fertiliser and fuel. Next year's harvest is already being written off as a disaster as well. As the political paralysis over the formation of the new power-sharing government continues, people are experiencing severe food shortages brought on by the catastrophic mismanagement of the economy and the virtual destruction of the country's commercial agricultural sector.

Many Zimbabweans face worsening food shortages

Some Zimbabweans get by on one meal a day if they are lucky, but there is a growing sense of desperation. One consequence is that thousands of children are said to be dropping out of school to look for food. "In one district, 10,000 children of a population of 120,000 left school in a period of six months," says Rachel Pounds, country director of UK charity Save the Children. "There's a lot of lost hope. Zimbabweans put up with things that get worse and worse, but you can see the despair in some of the poorer families in the villages. "It's causing a breakdown of the community when people have to leave in order to find food," she added. One villager in Mashonaland West pleaded for help before it was "too late". "If we don't get help now, most of us are going to die. Nearly everyone here is starving." He showed me three tins of stored maize, but said that with seven children to feed, the supply would only last for a week. Earlier this month, the UN World Food Programme appealed for $140m (£86m) to provide vital relief rations over the next six months. The UN warned that more than five million people (45% of the population) could need assistance by early 2009. In the meantime however, non-governmental organisations working in Zimbabwe have been hit hard by the economic collapse of this once prosperous country, and the resulting cash crisis stemming from levels of inflation that are now completely out of control. But it is not just the rural population which is suffering.

In the towns and cities, food is also in increasingly short supply. A walk around a suburban supermarket in Harare is a bizarre and depressing experience. One store I visited looked as though it was in the final stages of a clearance sale. Only two of the 19 check-out tills were operating, and most shelves were entirely empty. There was no milk, cheese, margarine or yoghurt. Some cabbages, onions and limp bunches of spinach were available, along with a few odd packs of frozen meat. The aisles intended for household goods such as soap and toilet paper were empty and closed off. The only fresh-looking food items in the shop were a few loaves of bread, priced this week at Z$30,000 a loaf (about $1). However, Zimbabweans are only permitted to withdraw Z$ 50,000 a day from the banks. Most people often cannot afford what little food is available. Only those fortunate enough to have access to foreign currency can circumnavigate the shortages. "We are distinctly aware that this is a food crisis that is growing," says Karen Freeman, the director of USAid in Zimbabwe. "The issue of urban vulnerability has never really been felt here before. "You could go to the store and buy food in the past, but now you have no option. "There's no food in the store and there's no food on the ground. The crisis now is one where you can neither buy food nor grow food." This is almost entirely a man-made crisis, created by President Robert Mugabe's government, and his administration stands accused of having done nothing to help.

The Russian destroyer Neustrashimy enroute to Somalia crosses the Suez Canal waterway at the south gate, about 100 km southeast of Cairo on Tuesday. The destroyer passed through the Suez Canal on Tuesday on its way to tackle piracy in the waters of Somalia, sources at the Suez Canal Authority said. Russia has asked Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government for permission to use force in its territorial waters to tackle piracy. If granted, then the Russian warship, Neustrashimy, which is scheduled to arrive off the Somalia coast any time now, will launch a strike to repossess the Ukrainian ship, mv Faina, which was hijacked 29 days ago. “To ensure freedom of actions to fight piracy directly in Somalia’s territorial waters, the Foreign Ministry of Russia has requested the agreement of the Interim Federal Government of the Somali Republic to grant the Russian Federation ‘cooperating state’ status,” the ministry said in a statement. The statement further said that Russia, in cooperation with other states, intends to undertake all measures sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council to improve maritime situation in the Gulf of Aden region.  The Russian warship was dispatched to the Gulf of Aden after the Ukrainian ship carrying weapons was hijacked last month.  Neustrashimy sailed through the Suez Canal on Monday on its way to the pirate-infested waters of Hobyo, according to Reuters news agency. It joined six American warships and a similar number of Nato frigates already there, and will be joined later this year by a European Union fleet. - Daily Nation.

"The King does not ask for people who do nothing." - Rev. Francisca Ducan, CCBC Swahili Service, Barking

London, Thursday 23rd October, 2008. 600 jobs axed at Goldman Sachs in London. The legendary Wall Street giant is getting rid of 10 per cent of its global workforce of 32,500. The axe will fall heavily on its London headquarters in Fleet Street, where around 6,000 are employed. The bank would not comment on the job cuts today but they are understood to be coming from all levels and departments. Top bankers at Goldmans can earn £5million or more in a good year but the axe is more likely to fall on less successful employees earning hundreds of thousands, rather than millions.It is the latest and one of the most dramatic job culls in the City since the start of the credit crunch. Unlike previous victims of the credit crunch, Bear Stearns and the collapsed Lehman Brothers, Goldmans has enjoyed a reputation as the world's strongest investment bank. However, it is now suffering from the downturn in lucrative corporate finance fees and trading. In New York, trading has fallen by 50 per cent this year.It came on another turbulent day for the world's financial markets with the FTSE-100 tumbling 106.43 points, or 2.6 per cent to 3934.46.The slump followed heavy selling in Asia this morning where stock markets in Japan and Hong Kong were hammered on fears of a global recession. There are also growing fears that a number of countries, including Hungary and Argentina, could become "the next Iceland" and default on their debts. The freeze in the credit markets showed further signs of easing, however, with the main lending rate between banks down from 6.038 per cent to 6.005 per cent. Interbank lending rates dictate how much banks and building societies charge for mortgages and other loans. The cull of 10 per cent of the workforce at Goldmans will send shockwaves through an organisation that has always seen itself as immune from the problems that have afflicted lesser investment banks. Headhunters said it was virtually unprecedented for a firm like it to be forced into such large-scale job cuts. Shaun Springer, chief executive at headhunters Napier Scott Executive Search, said: "When a lean and mean firm starts trimming they're cutting into muscle. The fact they are cutting 10 per cent is quite indicative that there are still a lot of problems ahead." However, the bankers who are shaken out of Goldmans, founded in New York in 1869, are unlikely to be unemployed for long, even in the current market. Having Goldman Sachs on the CV still carries a cachet that will allow them to pick a plum job, according to headhunters. Tens of thousands of jobs have already been lost in the global investment banking industry. Citigroup has shed 24,000 workers around the world over the past 18 months. Lehmans, which collapsed on 15 September, has got rid of almost 14,000 jobs and Merrill Lynch is expected to cut 10,000 after it was acquired by Bank of America. All the redundancy programmes will have a major impact on London as most Wall Street investment banks have built up their City or Canary Wharf offices as headquarters for their non-US operations.

Way out: the London HQ of Goldman Sachs in Fleet Street, which is to take the biggest hit of a 10 per cent cut in the bank's global workforce

Nairobi, Thursday 23rd October, 2008. Government spokesman Dr. Alfred Mutua has faulted the Waki report, over what he has termed as blatant efforts to implicate President Mwai Kibaki in planning revenge attacks during the post election skirmishes. Citing various pages in the report Mutua said the indication that power has been personalized around the president and increased by changes in constitution to suit the president are misleading. Mutua introduced yet another twist to the debate citing sections of the report that allude to the president's involvement in planning revenge attacks in Naivasha during the post elections skirmishes. In the report on page 121 concerning Naivasha revenge attack the report says:  "The commission has also evidence that Government and political leaders in Nairobi including key office holders at the highest level of Government may have directly participated in preparation of the attacks. Central to that planning were two meetings held in State House and Nairobi Safari Club in the run up to the election with involvement of senior members of Government and other Prominent Kikuyu personality."  Mutua said. "Also note the report also says, key office holders at the highest level of Government may have directly participated in the preparation of the attack. The report uses the word may to show they are not sure that this actually really occurred. This is in contrast to the rest of the report which is conclusive in its allegations." But Mutua said contrary to the report. The Government wishes to make the following clear:-

" 1. How can a meeting have been held in state house before the general election, say in September, October, etc, have planned for revenge attacks that had not yet occurred and which were to occur in January 2008. These allegations are not only logically untenable but ridiculous at best.

2. The President has never at any time held meetings with any person, to plan violence, at State house or anywhere else in the world. This wild allegation is being repeated so as to paint a perception that the President and State House were involved in post election violence.

3. Media editors and commentators should, in lieu of this, paint the right picture and stop riding on an agenda of casting aspersions at State House and in relation to the Presidency, based on flawed arguments.

Govt. Spokesman Alfred Mutua says the Waki report is misleading.

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God has called Rev. Joseph Njuguna To Preach The Gospel of Salvation

Through Christ Jesus. His Ministry is in constant demand all over the World !

1 Cor 9:16  For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.

Acts 4:19  But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God , you be the judge, for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard."

Pastor Joseph who was a homeless man in the streets of London addicted to coccaine and heroin the most dangerous drugs in every civilized country on the planet.He says woe unto him if he does not preach the gospel.

He is the author of the best seller (JESUS DEFEATS heroin)  PAGE 54 says "I was told I had the HIV/AIDS virus, which I got from one of the prostitutes whom I had shared drugs with who had been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. She would later die.

To invite Rev. Joe to minister Email us at missions@manofgod.co.uk

REV. JOSEPH NJUGUNA USA ITINERARY VISIT WWW.MANOFGOD.CO.UK

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Nairobi, Thursday 23rd October, 2008. The Police Department has denied press reports of a rift between it and the National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS). Police Spokesman Eric Kiraithe says working relations between both institutions are cordial despite claims by the intelligence agency that it warned the Police Department of the threat of violence after the 2007 election well in advance. Speaking at police headquarters in Nairobi Thursday, Kiraithe dismissed media reports of a row between the Police and NSIS, saying the allegations were misleading. A local daily Thursday claimed that the NSIS report to the Waki Commission had sparked a feud between the NSIS and Police Department. Meanwhile, Kiraithe says the government has beefed up security in Mandera District after two people were killed and 31 houses torched in Koromey village, five kilometers from Mandera Town.  The Police Spokesman says police have deployed a security detail comprising over 200 officers following the incident.

PRESS RELEASE 

Equity Bank wins award for best micro finance bank in Africa

Award went to lender that contributed most to reduce poverty in Africa.

Nairobi, October, 2008…Equity bank has been named the best Micro Finance Bank in Africa during the annual African Bankers Awards ceremony held in Washington DC, USA.

Equity emerged the top microfinance bank of the year, beating three other entries from the continent in the category during the awards announced at a gala event, on the eve of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund finance ministers annual meetings. This award goes to the micro finance lender who had contributed most to reduce poverty in Africa. The awards, started last year, reward among other things achievements, record earnings, innovative practices and their commitment to corporate social responsibility and gender equality. They are designed to recognise the reforms, rapid modernization, consolidation, integration and expansion of the African Banking sector.

The event also rewarded the individuals, companies and institutions which have excelled in Africa’s banking and financial sector over the last year. Equity is currently the biggest bank in Kenya in terms of accounts-over 2.8 million accounting for over 48% percent of all bank accounts in the country supported by a 90 branch network, 350 VISA ATMs and 2500 Points of Sales. The bank recorded phenomenal growth in the year, with the annual cumulative pre-tax profit growing by 116 per cent and total operating income by 73 per cent .In June 2008, the bank’s market capitalization hit $1.8 billion, making it the biggest bank in Kenya. 

Last year, Equity Bank was ranked the third best Microfinance institution in the world in an analysis conducted by MicroCapital - the leading news and research entity on Microfinance and was for the second year in a row i.e. 2007& 2008 named the Best Bank in Kenya by Euromoney Awards for Excellence.

“We at Equity Bank are humbled by this continental recognition. But more important, this award confirms that the future of banking in the continent lies in coming up with interventions that specifically target the unbanked and the informal sector,” said Dr James Mwangi, Equity Bank CEO and Managing Director. Dr Mwangi said Equity Bank’s unique banking model had seen the bank reach out to thousands of Kenyans who otherwise would have been locked out of mainstream banking. This year saw the number of entries across the entire across the various categories more than double, compared to the previous year.

 Bankers from Kenya, South Africa, Tunisia, Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and Malawi, representing North, South, East, West and Central Africa, participated in the awards. The award came on the heels of Equity Bank been recognized for its role in business and investment during the African (A.I) investor Awards held at the New York Stock Exchange last month. Equity Bank was named the Best Performing Ai 100 Company in Africa and was recognized as a banking Superbrand, in the first ever published Superbrands East Africa Vol. 1 this year.

This year’s event, hosted by the London-based IC Publications Ltd, publishers of African Banker magazine, was held on the eve of the World Bank’s critical global discussions on the state of the world’s financial systems. “For once we can say the world can learn from Africa,” said Chukwuma Soludo, the Governor of the Nigerian Central Bank. Africa’s banking sector has grown by over 28 per cent over the past year and continues to grow despite the global financial crisis. Stephen Hayes, President and CEO of the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), strategic partners to the event, reiterated the importance of the banking sector in Africa. “Africa’s emerging financial markets are more secure and dynamic. In today’s global marketplace the success of Africa’s banking industry is pivotal to the success of the investment climate on the continent.” A total of 17 awards were presented at the grand ceremony, which was endorsed by the World Bank and supported by the Corporate Council on Africa and African Development Bank of Industry, Nigeria.

The third African Bankers Awards will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, to coincide with the IMF/World Bank Annual meeting next year.

 To contact : PAUL WAITHAKA IN THE U.S.A  PLEASE  CALL 781.297.7007 FOR ACCOUNT OPENING OR ANY QUERIES.

Nairobi, Thursday 23rd October, 2008. A Kenyan student Edith Waringa Kamau of Riara Springs Girls High School Nairobi Wednesday night scooped the 2007 East Africa Community Essay competition at a colourful ceremony in Kampala Uganda as the 7th Extra-Ordinary Summit came to a close. The summit which was chaired by the current Chairman President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, also presented certificates of excellence and cash awards totaling to 3,250 US dollars to the first three students. The Kenyan student Edith Waringa Kamau was awarded a cash prize of 1,500 US dollars, while a Tanzanian female student who took the second position was awarded a cash prize of 1000 US dollars, a Ugandan female student who took the third position was awarded a cash prize of 750 US dollar. Among the fifteen students who had participated in the East African Community Essay competition eleven were girls while four were boys. Another Kenyan, Justice Benjamin Patrick Kubo was appointed and sworn in as a Judge of the first chamber of the East African court of Justice while Justice James Ogala of Uganda was appointed the appellate Judge of the same Court. Similarly the Summit also designated Justice Harold Nsekela as Judge President of the appellate division of the East African Court of Justice while at the same time designating Justice Philip Tanui as the Vice President of the same Court. The Summit further designated Justice John Bisigye as Principal Judge and Justice Stella Arocho Amoke as deputy principal Judge of the lower division. The swearing in ceremony of Justice Benjamin Kubo was conducted by the East African Court of Justice Registrar Ruhangisa. The Summit which was attended by President Mwai Kibaki, also endorsed the recommendations presented by the East Africa Council of Ministers whereby the East African Community will now have two deputy secretaries general. One of the deputies will be in charge of Planning and Infrastructure while the other will be in charge of Productive and social sectors. The Chairman of the East African summit urged member states to speed up the process of integration and expressed his gratitude in the manner at which the Community's projects are being handled citing the commencement of the Arusha-Namanga-Athi road construction. Others present were the host President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, Second Vice President of Burundi Gabriel Ntisezerana, Secretary General of The EAC Ambassador Juma Mwapachu among other senior officers of the Community.

LEFT: Primary school children will be taught to identify body parts within the formative years of their education, says the Daily Telegraph, in what is seen as the youngsters' initial introduction to sex education. Barack Obama is also pictured with wife Michelle who will carry on campaigning while he attends to his sick grandmother. CENTRE: The FT also pictures the Democratic presidential nominee, which it says is set for a landslide, if current polls are replicated at the ballot box. The paper leads with the British pound's declining rate against the US dollar, the worst in half a decade. RIGHT: Metro says the families of the Hercules crash victims said yesterday that the RAF had failed their loved ones after a coroner issued a damning verdict on the military’s safety procedures.

Obama lead on McCain grows to 12 points

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama's lead over Republican rival John McCain has grown to 12 points in the U.S. presidential race, with crucial independent and women voters increasingly moving to his side, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Thursday. With less than two weeks before the November 4 election, Obama leads McCain 52 percent to 40 percent among likely voters in the latest three-day tracking poll, which had a margin of error of 2.9 points. Obama has made steady gains over the last four days and has tripled his lead on McCain in the past week of polling. "Obama's expansion is really across the board," pollster John Zogby said. "It seems to be among almost every demographic group." The Illinois senator saw his lead among women -- who are expected to play a decisive role in this election -- increase to 18 points from 16 points on Wednesday. And independent voters, who have been the target of intense campaign efforts by both sides, have now swung behind Obama by a 30-point margin, 59 percent to 29 percent. Zogby said McCain, 72, appeared to have lost the traction he won after the third and final presidential debate last week. "McCain can still try to turn it around, but he has to find focus," Zogby said, adding that economic issues, which dominated the campaign amid turmoil in the credit, housing and financial markets, still seem to be working in Obama's favor. 

Another set of conjoined twins is currently at the Coast Provincial hospital in Kenya where they were admitted Tuesday night.  The identical twin girls are healthy and stable but will be airlifted to Kenyatta National Hospital for a series of investigations before a comprehensive report is given to ascertain the nature of their union. Doctors at the hospital say the twins were delivered safely through a caesarian section and though healthy and stable they are co-joined at their midsection. Doctors are not certain of the nature of their union and they will be moved to Kenyatta national hospital for investigations to ascertain whether they share crucial body organs. The twins' father Said Omar has 4 other children and is a cobbler in Mombassa. The mother is recovering at the hospital. Omar is now calling on well wishers to help him cater for the medical expenses for his new arrivals and wife. In April this year another set of conjoined twins were transferred to the Coast Provincial from Msambweni district hospital where they had been born. The twins shared an umbilical cord and other organs and were flown to Kenyatta National Hospital for specialised treatment. However the twins later died after an operation to separate them failed.

SWINDON BECOMES THE FIRST UK CITY TO ABOLISH SPEED CAMERAS

Councillors in Swindon have voted to stop funding the town's speed cameras. The Wiltshire town's borough council is believed to be the first in England to withdraw funding for fixed cameras. The revenue from camera fines goes to the government which allocates cash to councils for road safety on the basis of accident statistics. Councillors said new measures were needed as road deaths and injuries had begun to rise, but police said the cameras had helped to cut accidents. The nine-member council cabinet voted unanimously in favour of withdrawing from the Wiltshire and Swindon Safety Camera Partnership on Wednesday night. The Department of Transport (DoT) said in the financial year 2006-7 it received an income of £104m from speed cameras. A spokeswoman said it gave councils a share of £110m each year in grants to spend on road safety issues - allocated on the basis of accident statistics rather than as a percentage of cash received.

The owner of PC World and Currys said consumer confidence had ‘significantly deteriorated across Europe’ in recent weeks as it shaved £30m off capital expenditure and reported a 7% fall in sales

 European stocks drifted lower, after Asian stocks tumbled overnight on fears of a recession. The FTSE-100 index was down 84.61 at 3956.28 in morning trade, with France's Cac 40 down 95.58 at 3202.6 and Germany's Dax down 158.85 at 4412.22. Retail sales grew at their slowest rate in two-and-a-half years in September, a sign of tough High Street conditions. Sterling remained under pressure - close to a five-year dollar low - as traders anticipated more rate cuts.

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Key market developments:

• Sterling stayed near the five-year low of $1.6148 reached on Wednesday, trading at about $1.6299
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• At one point, the Nikkei was trading at 8,016.61, its lowest level for more than five years. It recovered to close down 213 points or 2.5% at 8,460 points
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• The yen strengthened against the dollar and the euro overnight. The dollar hit a seven-month low of 96.85 yen, while the euro hit a six-year low of 123.40 yen
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• South Korea's Kospi index fell 7.4%, its lowest close since July 2005. The Korean won lost 5% of its value against the dollar
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• Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was down 4.7%, at its lowest ebb since April 2005
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• Indian shares opened down 4.8% at their lowest since June 2006. The rupee has so far shed nearly 21% against the dollar in 2008
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• In Australia, the benchmark index closed down 4.4%
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• The Dow Jones index closed down 5.7% on Wednesday.
• DAX INDEX: 23 October 2008

The fall in Japanese stocks was triggered in part by weak export data. Japan's trade surplus plunged 94% to 95.1bn yen ($970.1m; £596.7m) in September and exports grew only 1.5% in September from a year earlier, far below forecasts. Exports of Japanese cars to the US fell, a sign of slowing consumer demand in the world's largest economy. The continued strength of the yen prompted fears that this will cause further damage to already weak exports. "The impact of the global slowdown has had a clear impact on Japan's exports and this was even before the financial crisis erupted in September," said Tatsushi Shikano, senior economist at Mitsubishi UFJ Securities. "Sluggish export volumes will put a drag on Japan's industrial output and its export-reliant economy in the coming months," he added.

New Zealand and Sweden cut interest rates in response to the financial crisis and weak Japanese exports added to fears of global recession.

SARAH PALIN'S $150,000 MAKEOVER

The life of a vice-presidential candidate may be gruelling, but it can also be glamorous - $150,000 glamorous.  The Republican National Committee has reportedly spent about that amount (roughly £92,000) on Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's wardrobe since she was chosen as John McCain's running mate less than two months ago. Alaska is a state where women are more commonly seen in Mukluk boots and heavy furs than stilettos and expensive tailored suits, but thrust into the national spotlight Mrs Palin has adopted a new look. A self-professed adorer of high heels, she has sported a number of new styles on the campaign trail. It looks as though Mrs Palin's "the heels are on, the gloves are off" comment was more firmly based in reality than was previously thought.

An Anglican church leader turned the burial of Kiambu cobbler James Kamangu into a counselling session for men against drug and alcohol abuse. The Rev Ruphas Githaiga told mourners it was unfortunate that Mr Kamangu’s Gachie village was infamous for three things: crime, drug abuse and excessive consumption of illicit brews. He said numerous women had complained to him that their husbands were just vegetables because of drugs and illicit brews. “Mr Kamangu was a great man. He was also a darling of the media. He did good things you should emulate — he was a great fighter for his rights. He was also a great drinker,” the Rev Githaiga on Wednesday told mourners who included politician Stanley Livondo, Maendeleo ya Wanaume chairman Nderitu Njoka and lawyers who represented Mr Kamangu when he took Bishop Margaret Wanjiru to court last year. Mr Kamangu was little-known outside his Gachie village until January last year when Bishop Wanjiru announced she was marrying her South African fiancée, Samuel Matjeke.  Barely a week later, Mr Kamangu took the bishop to the High Court, claiming he had married her under Gikuyu customary law and had paid Sh3,000 dowry to her parents.  He claimed that they had not divorced and that the bishop’s two children, Stephen Ndimu and Evan Kariuki, were his biological sons. The case was set for hearing on December 5. Mr Kamangu, who started vomiting blood on October 7, died at the Kenyatta National Hospital the following day. Doctors said he might have died of excessive consumption of alcohol. The results of a postmortem done last Friday are not out. The Rev Githaiga, of ACK’s St Philip’s Kihara, said: “Although I do not know what killed Mr Kamangu, we all know he was a great drinker. It was unfortunate he died before accepting Jesus Christ as he promised. “Many of our women are complaining their husbands have become impotent. That they are just vegetables, mere samples of men. “This is due to excessive use of alcohol and drug abuse. It is unfortunate many men have abdicated their responsibilities. “They are no longer heads of their families and most homes in Gachie are headed by women,” he said.

Sons of Kamangu carrying their father's casket.

 Serious violent crime is up by 22% because the police have failed to record it correctly, according to the Home Office. Jacqui Smith told Sky News she was not "explaining away" the increase, but said: "We need to be completely confident that we are recording things in the right way. "We need to account properly so we can deal with it properly." The Home Secretary explained that in some areas serious violence - such as threatening someone with a broken bottle - was not counted as violent crime. The category includes serious assault, murder, attempted murder and manslaughter. Officials said 13 forces were asked to re-examine their figures after they discovered some serious assaults were being recorded in a lower category of offence. They admitted the under-counting could have been going on for more than 10 years. Two of the most serious categories of knife crime also shot up after the miscounting was revealed. Attempted murders in England and Wales involving a knife between April and June this year were 28% up on last year. Assaults causing grievous bodily harm with intent rose by 29%. The Home Office refused to name the forces involved. Police Minister Vernon Coaker said the "clarification" did not mean the government had lost faith in crime statistics. Meanwhile, a committee of MPs have criticised the Government's efforts to tackle violent crime.

The Home Secretary blames part of the rise on the way figures have been recorded

Nairobi, Wednesday 22nd October, 2008. Prime Minister Raila Odinga differs with Ruto on Waki report. Prime Minister Raila Odinga says that controversial sentiments by cabinet ministers and members of parliament on the Waki report are individual opinions and not the government's official position.  Odinga on Wednesday reiterated that the government is committed to fully implementing recommendations of the Waki report.  He however says Kenyans will ultimately be the ones to decide on how best justice should be served on those adversely mentioned in the report on post election violence to ensure that the country does not regress to violence in the future.  On Tuesday Agriculture Minister William Ruto dismissed the Waki report, saying it lacked substance. Ruto said the report was done in a shoddy manner and missed the point. Ruto said what was required was a quick way to resolve post election violence which he said was "no violence of ordinary manner". "And worse they have come up with some envelope which they have already discounted by sating those named may not be necessarily guilty. This will put the country into more anxiety", he added. Ruto suggested that cabinet meets to discuss the report and determine the way forward. However Odinga has maintained that the government will implement both the Waki and Kriegler's report into last year's disputed elections to end the culture of impunity, intolerance and cycle of violence. Speaking on Tuesday in Narok, Odinga said the law should be allowed to take its course and perpetrators of the post election violence dealt with. "The verdict is now out. The truth has been said and it is now time to face it by implementing the report", he said. During Kenyatta Day celebrations on Monday President Mwai Kibaki said the findings of the commission will be used to build a stable, cohesive and integrated society whose institutions protect freedom and liberty of Kenyans wherever they chose to work. Meanwhile human rights organization Release Political Prisoners Trust maintains that the Waki report should be comprehensively implemented.  The human rights lobby group says it is unfortunate that some political leaders have already trashed the report as a sham and a waste of time, before the country even knows the key perpetrators of the post election violence. The Non Governmental Organization notes that the report captures the country's culture of impunity and political sentiments that have perpetuated tribalism in the country since colonial days.  The group says many Kenyans are still languishing in prisons while others have died due to electoral related violence early this year.  "The culture of impunity must therefore be halted through the International Criminal Court (ICC) or the proposed tribunal. We also back the total overhaul of the police force and security system in the country", the group says. The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) is also calling for the urgent implementation of recommendations of the Waki and Kriegler reports. However, KNUT National Treasurer Fred Ontere wants leaders to exercise caution when implementing recommendations of the two reports into the post election violence. He says leaders should ensure that the country never again degenerates into the violence witnessed in the country earlier this year.

Kent, Seatle US man charged in freeway attack

Girlfriend fatally stabbed while riding in vehicle on I-5

By LEVI PULKKINEN
P-I REPORTER

Hours before she was slain Thursday, Jane Kariuki told Christel Murphy he would have to leave the Kent home they shared. Later that day, though, police say Murphy viciously attacked her while the couple was riding in a vehicle driven by a mutual friend. The driver told police that Murphy, 42, and Kariuki had been arguing the day she was killed, according to court documents. The man said Murphy threatened to kill Kariuki earlier in the day. "If you kick me out, I'll come back and finish my job! Bang! Bang! Bang!" Murphy told Kariuki, according to police. Murphy, who has a North Carolina manslaughter conviction stemming from a 1986 incident, was silent minutes before the attack as he and Kariuki rode south on Interstate 5 in a sport utility vehicle driven by the other man. But, as the SUV approached the North 85th Street exit in Seattle, Murphy snapped and attacked Kariuki with a steak knife, according to police. Seated behind Kariuki, Murphy reached around the passenger seat to grab Kariuki around the neck. He then stabbed her repeatedly in the chest. Other drivers told police Murphy continued the assault after the driver pulled the SUV onto the shoulder. Murphy then sat down on the highway guardrail and lit a cigarette, waiting for police to arrive. Kariuki was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, where she died 2 1/2 hours later. The King County Medical Examiner's Office said she had been stabbed 31 times. Most domestic-violence slayings occur when one partner tries to separate from an abuser, said Merril Cousin, executive director of the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence. "The most dangerous time for someone who is being abused is when they're in the process of leaving or just after they've left," Cousin said. "That's not to say that someone who wants to leave shouldn't leave." Cousin suggested that those considering leaving an abusive partner contact a domestic-violence advocate who can help create a safety plan. Assistance is available through the state domestic violence help line at 800- 562-6025. Court records show Murphy had a long history of domestic violence, with Kariuki and previous partners. He was twice arrested for assaulting Kariuki, most recently in 2007. Murphy, who is jailed on $4 million bail, is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 3 at the King County Courthouse in Seattle. He faces 25 to 33 years in prison if convicted as charged.

"LETS MAKE LOVE AND NOT WAR"

Gordon Brown has acknowledged for the first time that the world economic downturn is "likely to cause recession" in the Britain. The Prime Minister made the comment to MPs in the Commons during prime minister's question time. It comes as the Bank of England says the UK economy has "deteriorated substantially" after voting unanimously for an emergency interest rate cut. The 0.5% rate cut at the height of the banking turmoil two weeks ago was given unanimous approval by Bank of England rate-setters, it has been revealed

Nairobi, Wednesday 22nd October, 2008. Parliament was on Wednesday told that the Kenya Ports Authority was loaned 16 billion shillings by the Japanese government to modernize the company. Transport Assistant Minister Haroun Mwau said the loan was to be repaid in a period of 40 years at 0.2 percent interest rate. He said the Authority's improvement was necessary despite the government's plans to privatize the facility. Mwau was responding to demands by Alego Usonga MP Edwin Yinda who sought to know why the government had opted for a loan instead of allowing local investors to undertake the expansion and transfer the same to the government. The Transport Assistant Minister said the government was not looking for partnership, adding that the deal with the Japanese government was too good, noting that a loan could not draw a 0.2 per cent interest anywhere else on earth. He reminded MPs that they had failed to interrogate the deal when it was brought before the house when they okayed it last week. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi has blamed the Procurement Act for barring councilor's participation in procurement in local authorities. Musalia said the Act had given express powers to the Treasury and Clerks to exclusively procure services and proposed to table an amendment to reverse the anomaly. The Deputy Premier was responding to a question by Igembe South MP Francis Linturi who sought to know why councilors' input was ignored yet they were the people's representatives.

STUNNING PHOTOGRAPHERS AWARD WINNING IMAGES IN LONDON

Brown Hares Boxing by Richard Revels and Force 9 by Ed Roper

Nairobi, Wednesday 22nd October, 2008. A WHOOPING KSh2.3 billion invested by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) in the collapsed Discount Securities Limited (DSL) is as good as lost; Labour minister John Munyes told parliament yesterday. Consequently, the minister has called on the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) to launch investigations into the outgoing board of management and the investment management committee members. The minister also asked KACC to launch a probe into the loss of Sh3.3 billion in 2001 under the management of the then Managing Trustee Mr Samuel Muinde and his board. He revealed that he had approved the immediate interdiction of seven senior managers including the Acting Chief Executive Officer Mr James Akoya to allow for thorough and exhaustive investigations into the potential loss of workers’ money.

Bank voted 9-0 to cut UK's rates. All members of the Bank of England's rate-setting committee voted for this month's half-point emergency cut in rates to 4.5%, its minutes show. The monetary policy committee said the stock market turmoil and latest economic figures pointed to a sharp downturn in the UK economy. "All these developments pointed to the need for a relaxation in monetary policy," said the bank. Most analysts expect the central bank to cut rates again in November.

Students sitting a national exam in Kenya.  Over 300 000 students started sitting this year's Kenya National Examination of Secondary Education exams on Tuesday 21st October, 2008 countrywide amid stringent measures to curb cheating

The pound has tumbled almost 3% against the US dollar - falling to its lowest level in five years on recession fears while exchange in London drops to Kshs. 124.30

The whisper of September has turned to a roar in October: Barack Obama may be on the verge of a landslide victory. A year ago, no one on the planet could have conceived of such a thing. After all, Democrats have elected just two American presidents since 1968, moderate white Southerners Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, both by modest popular vote margins. In 2008 Democrats took a daring leap of faith and chose a far more liberal nominee who is the first African-American standard-bearer - no minor matter in a nation that is just 11% black and has been plagued by racial divisions since its founding. Yet the improbable is becoming probable. With the presidential debates completed, Obama appears to have an unobstructed path to the White House. The polls show he won all three debates and is viewed more positively than opponent John McCain. Voters also believe Obama has the more qualified vice-presidential candidate, Joseph Biden. Sarah Palin, who once gave McCain hope for attracting a generous share of Hillary Clinton's supporters, did so poorly in a series of well-publicised media interviews that she has become a liability outside of the conservative Republican base.

The pound has tumbled almost 3% against the US dollar - falling to its lowest level in five years on recession fears. Sterling's fall came after the Bank of England governor, Mervyn King, warned that Britain was probably entering its first recession in 16 years. The pound dropped to $1.620 in Asian trading, its lowest since September 2003. It later recovered to $1.639. The euro fell 2% to hit a two-year low against the dollar - which has itself been rising against other currencies. The euro slid to a low of $1.2743 at one point, before recovering to stand at $1.2914.

The dollar has jumped to a two-year high against a basket of currencies as investors have bet that interest rates outside the US will be cut sharply to try to bolster global growth. Concerns there may be a deep slowdown in the world economy have prompted investors to cash in more of their bets against the US dollar which had built up in recent years. "Investors continue to flock to the dollar as speculation mounts that central banks elsewhere will continue with aggressive rate cuts in an attempt to stimulate growth in the near term," said James Hughes, an analyst at CMC Markets in London. "The pound has to be the stand-out, with losses here being compounded by unprecedented comments from Mervyn King last night, essentially confirming the fact that the British economy is now in a recession and any recovery will be far from swift," he added. At one point this year, the euro reached a record high above $1.60. Currency traders said a wide range of players from hedge funds to Japanese institutional investors were now rushing to cancel their positions and cut their losses.

POUND STERLING v EURO: 22 October 2008

In what could see a major escalation of tension between Iran and the West, Iranian security forces have announced that they have arrested two pigeons for spying. The two pigeons were detained in Natanz, near Iran's uranium enrichment facility – one of the major sources of the diplomatic chill between Tehran and Western governments. According to a report in Etemad Melli, a reformist newspaper, one of the pigeons was apprehended in the nearby city of Kashan, beside a rose water production plant. Both pigeons were described as having 'metal rings' and 'invisible string' on their bodies, according to the AFP news agency. This is not the first animal-espionage incident in Iran. In July 2007, it was reported that 14 squirrels had been detained on the Iranian border for spying. Animals have long been used in military and intelligence operations, from dolphins being trained to detect mines to chickens recently being used by US forces in Kuwait to discover chemical weapons. During the Second World War, Britain awarded 32 medals for bravery to military pigeons (see Weird Fact of the Day, October 13).  It is not known if the two pigeons are currently being detained, if they are still alive, or what may happen to them. No third party has yet claimed the pigeons as their own.

Iran arrests pigeons for spying

"There is time to labour and there is time to enjoy" - Rev. Francisca Duncan, CCBC, London

A KENYAN LADY THE LATE JANE KARIUKI WAS KILLED ON MOTORWAY IN USA

State Patrol troopers taped off the scene where Jane Kariuki was stabbed while riding on Interstate 5. The man who police say stabbed his girlfriend to death on Interstate 5 last week was charged Monday with first-degree domestic violence murder. Christel D. Murphy, 42, was in a Suzuki Grand Vitari when he put her in a neck hold and stabbed her 31 times, cutting her neck face and chest, according to court documents. After stabbing 42-year-old Jane Kariuki – a woman he had abused and threatened to kill before in their five-year relationship – police say he threw the knife on the road, leaned against a guardrail and lit a cigarette. Murphy pled guilty to fourth-degree assault against Kariuki in July 2007. He was also charged with third degree-assault and harassment for a March 2006 incident after he hit Karuiki in the head, threatened her with a knife and cut her hand with a glass shard. When the woman threatened to call police, Murphy said she would be "way gone before they got there," according to court documents. Murphy remains in King County Jail on $4 million bail. Levi Pulkkinen will have more on this story later today. A woman's stabbing on Interstate 5 occurred shortly before 4 p.m. Thursday in North Seattle, and disrupted traffic for several hours. The woman who was stabbed died later at a hospital.

 This mare has had a bit of a 'mare – after getting her head stuck inside a tree. The filly, called Gracie, had to be cut free with a chainsaw when owner Jason Harschbarger discovered her wedged in the trunk – after he was alerted by hearing the horse making strange noises. 'I had taken a break from using the weed eater and when I turned it off I could hear her crying,' said Mr Harschbarger. 'I looked up and all I could see was her belly. I ran up to see her and she looked in a lot of trouble. She was hanging there by the back of her jaws. I ran back down to my vehicle and got a chainsaw and ratchet strap. 'I don't know what possessed me to get the camera as well.' I think she was just being curious and stuck her head in thereWhen attempts to pull her free with the ratchet strap option failed, Harschbarger decided it was time to crank out the chainsaw. 'I started cutting on the tree right above her head. That really stressed her and she reared up three times and her head came out. That chainsaw really spooked her.' But the drama didn't end there. Gracie may have freed her head, but as she came back down her left hoof got stuck back in the tree. But twenty minutes, and some nifty chainsaw work, later, Gracie was free once more – although slightly shocked. Gracie has emerged mostly unscathed with a few scars down her neck and a bit of nerve damage to her nose and lips. But things have changed a bit for the Harschbargers after the pictures were shown all around the US. 'We've been on Fox News,' said Mr Harschbarger. 'My friends are asking me how it feels to be a celebrity.' 'I think she was just being curious and stuck her head in there. Then her hoof might have slipped on the wood and she fell backwards and got her head wedged,' he speculated.

Do you know that British Airways from Nairobi is now landing at Heathrow Terminal 5?

At first glance, it looks like this dog is about to be maimed for life. But Asti the horse and Freya the Belgian shepherd are just horsing around after striking up an unlikely farmyard friendship. Yapping dogs are usually greeted with a hoof in the face but this 12-year-old male enjoys the game. 'They have been playing this game since Freya was a pup,' said farmer Jurgen Schmidt, 52. 'They chase each other around each day and none of them has ever been harmed.' Mr Schmidt lets all the other horses out of their stables before allowing the pair their game of chase. And, despite the advantage of long legs, Asti has never managed to nip the seven-year-old farm dog. 'Freya can change her direction so very quickly, Asti runs out of luck each time,' said photographer Lothar Lenz, who captured the horseplay in Bruchkoebel, Germany. 'Horses have to build up a rapport with dogs before they can trust them. 'The other horses look quite confused at what exactly is going on.'

Coalition falling out over Waki Report. A falling out appeared imminent in the Grand Coalition Government over the implementation of the Waki Commission’s report. Prime Minister Raila Odinga sharply differed with Agriculture Minister William Ruto when he said post-election violence suspects must face the Special Tribunal for Kenya, or answer for their alleged crimes at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Mr Ruto, on his part, dismissed the Waki Report on post-election violence as "shoddy" and "missing the point by a very big margin". It came a day after President Kibaki, in a Kenyatta Day address, seemed to hint at amnesty by saying "justice must be tempered with forgiveness".  The President said the findings will be used to build a stable, cohesive and integrated society whose institutions protect freedom and liberty of every citizen wherever they chose to work. But speaking to the BBC, Chief Mediator Kofi Annan said forgiveness would entrench impunity. "It is important that the Government acts on it. The victims demand justice too," he said. Speaking in Narok, Raila declared: "The law should take its course on the perpetrators and organisers of post-election violence. This is the only way Kenyans will see justice done." The PM said both the Waki and Kriegler (on last year’s discredited General Election) reports should be fully implemented to end the culture of impunity, intolerance and cycle of violence. "The verdict is now out. The truth has been said and it is now time to face it by implementing the report," Raila said. But Ruto’s take was different: "I think the Waki Commission has done a shoddy job… What we needed was a quick expedient way to resolve post-election violence because this was no violence of ordinary manner". He said the country wanted to know the exact role of the police in the violence, but unfortunately the commission ran away from the job and came up with general statements. "And worse, they have come up with some envelope which they have already discounted by saying those named may not be necessarily guilty… this will put this country into more anxiety," said the Eldoret North MP. Saying the Commission should have asked for more time to do a thorough report if that was a problem, Ruto said recommending a tribunal which requires people named to be held as guilty until proven otherwise would require a change of the Constitution. "Sadly, though we are not even sure whether those named in the envelope are guilty or not… is this not guess work by the Waki Commission?" wondered Ruto. Finally, the Agriculture minister suggested that the Cabinet and Parliament convene to discuss the report and determine the way forward.

South Rift MPs Magerer Lang’at and Benjamin Lang’at said MPs and other political leaders from the Rift Valley — one of the regions affected by the post-poll chaos — would convene soon to discuss the report, where they will seek a common stand. "We had planned to meet sooner, but the meeting was postponed because some leaders were abroad," said Magerer. Yet Raila’s and Ruto’s were not the only differing voices. Nambale MP Chris Okemo seemed to favour an approach along the lines of the spirit of forgiveness that was the core of the National Accord. "It is, therefore, wrong for persons to hide behind their tribes to push for personal and communal vendetta," he said, adding that the accused must be given a fair chance to justice so that the country can reconcile and not split in the quest for retribution. Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi echoed the PM’s sentiments, saying: "We are between the hard place and a rock as far as the Waki report is concerned and we must act now, not later."  Mr Mudavadi said any attempt to ignore the Waki recommendations would be going against the National Accord signed early this year. The Sabatia MP expressed caution: "We must tread carefully on this issue. If we don’t act as recommended, then those implicated will easily be arrested at international airports and taken in. When that happens, that matter will be beyond the Government’s jurisdiction. Those arrested will have to rely on lawyers to argue their cases," he warned. Justice Minister Martha Karua said "both principals have committed to the implementation of the Waki Report. I am sure it will be implemented’’ and declined to comment further. Lands Minister James Orengo, who was one of the negotiators at Kofi Annan mediation talks at the beginning of the year, said those mentioned in the Waki Report should not be tried by the International Criminal Court (ICC) but under the country’s laws. "It is better for us to deal with this issue as Kenyans, instead of our leaders being taken to The Hague," he said, adding it would be a shame. The list of suspects, which Justice Philip Waki gave former United Nations Secretary-General Annan is said to include prominent Cabinet ministers and businessmen. Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale termed the report fair, but faulted the recommendation for a Special Tribunal to sit in Kenya, saying it would be open to manipulation by "powerful persons behind the chaos".  He, instead, said all the names should have been handed over to the ICC, saying ODM had earlier in the year written to The Hague over the chaos. Nominated MP and Ford-Kenya Chairman Musikari Kombo warned that President Kibaki and Raila would ignore the Waki Report at their own peril.m "If the principals bury their heads in the sand and fail to fully implement the report, the country will slide back to chaos and this time, it will be difficult to contain the mayhem," he said. He added: "Reconciliation without the truth is meaningless because it entrenches the culture of impunity which we have been fighting against. The report is based on investigation and whether someone thinks of it as fair or not, it is our only saviour from our violent political culture." He said forgiveness should only come after a tribunal has been set up to investigate the culprits. Reported by Joseph Murimi, Abiya Ochola, David Ohito, George Olwenya, Kipchumba Kemei, Beauttah Omanga and Maseme Machuka. The Standard.

The Glasgow Herald reports on the political scandal, and also has a picture of the aftermath of the attempted bombing at Glasgow airport in June 2007 and on right The Financial Times leads with the news that the Bank of England governor, Mervyn King, gave a gloomy assessment of Britain's economic prospects - saying Britain was entering a recession.

"No matter how powerful a man, he cannot make the rains fall on his farm alone." - The Wisdom of Africa, Cameroon

Former Budalang’i MP Raphael Wanjala and businesswoman Joyce Akinyi who were jailed in India, have been released. The two were released following intervention by Kenyan authorities. Sources at Foreign Affairs Ministry said the two were released on bail. It was unclear if the two would be allowed to return, given the pending case. Authorities in India were investigating what Wanjala and Akinyi intended to do with Sh7.59 million found on them when they were arrested on Moi Day.  The two were arrested in New Delhi, with the undeclared money. (see story below).

New Delhi, Oct. 18: A former Kenya MP, known for his extravagance and often seen driving a red Hummer, is cooling his heels in Tihar jail after he was allegedly caught with bundles of undeclared US dollars on arrival at Delhi airport. Raphael Wanjala, the former MP for Budalangi and Kenya’s former assistant minister for water and irrigation, had travelled from Uganda via Dubai on board the Emirates EK- 514 flight, on October 10. He was accompanied by a woman, Joyce Akinyi, who, too, has been arrested.  Kenyan high commissioner Francis Kaberia confirmed the arrests and said he had been asked to hire a lawyer for the duo and apply for bail by the Kenyan foreign minister. A customs official said cash worth more than $5,000 (Rs 2.4 lakh) has to be declared at the airport and passengers have to obtain a currency declaration certificate.  A source said the couple were caught carrying around $100,000 (Rs 49 lakh), which they had not declared. The revenue intelligence department has been alerted about the arrests and the narcotics bureau is investigating if the money was to be used for purchasing drugs.  Wanjala, 44, and Akinyi, 24, have refused to give the names and addresses of people they were to meet and stay with in Delhi, sources said. They could not even explain the purpose of their visit, an official said. Investigators have found several Pakistani telephone numbers in a personal diary, the sources added. Tihar officials also confirmed Wanjala was being held in the jail, but there was no record of the arrest of Akinyi. The sources said this was because she was using another name, Ochieng Teressa. Both have cases pending against them in Kenyan courts. Akinyi was to appear in a court in Nairobi on October 8 in a case filed by a businessman accusing her of failing to deliver on a multi-million-shilling ($1=84 shilling) deal. She is also involved in a property dispute with her husband. Wanjala has an assault case pending following an attack on a TV cameraman, Mustafa Mwalimu, on July 8 at the Stanley Hotel in Nairobi. The next hearing is due on October 27. Tihar, with more than 11,000 inmates, is India’s largest prison and houses 502 foreign prisoners. Most of them are from African countries.

Meirav Stardinner enjoys a snake massage in Talmei Elazar in Israel. Big snakes do the deep massages, little ones supply a lighter touch – but all are non-venomous.

Nairobi, Tuesday 21st October, 2008. Justice George Benson Maina Kariuki popularly known as GBM Kariuki was on Tuesday released on a free bond by Senior Principal Magistrate Stellah Muketi. Judge Kariuki had been arraigned in the court earlier in the day and charged with attempted murder, which he denied before Justice Muketi. The judge who is stationed at Kericho Law Courts appeared calm as the court clerk read the charge and its particulars before he pleaded not guilty to the offence.  Justice Kariuki is alleged to have attempted to kill Robert Kamau Karori by stabbing him with a sharp object on October 18 this year along Ngecha Road at Lower Kabete in Nairobi.  The case against him will be heard on November 26 this year.  Kariuki becomes the first sitting judge to be charged with a criminal offence in independent Kenya.  The offence carries a penalty of life imprisonment if one is found guilty. It is alleged that Karori suffered stab wounds in the stomach following a road accident involving the judge's official car and another vehicle. Karori was initially admitted to the ICU unit of the MP Shah Hospital before being transferred to the general ward.

Many people in the UK were furious when the rumour started circulating that those mentioned by the Waki Commission in Kenya will be pardoned. One commentator said: "Why waste public money with useless commissions the commission report must be implemented in full to avoid another bloodshed if not, come 2012 we will see another repeat of violence again. "Kila mtu ambembe mzigo wake." - He concluded.

Ibaba Akim (left) and his friend, both from DEB Primary School Nyeri join Kenya Prisons band in a procession towards Dedan Kimathi grounds Kamukunji Nyeri South District where the Kenyatta day cerebrations were held on Monday.

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A chef who stabbed his lover to death before cutting flesh off his thigh and cooking and eating it has been jailed. Anthony Morley, 36, the first winner of Mr Gay UK, was told he would serve a minimum of 30 years in prison for the murder of 33-year-old Damian Oldfield. Morley was convicted of murdering Mr Oldfield at his home in Bexley Avenue, Leeds, by a jury at the city's Crown Court on Friday. The judge said the murder was "one of the most gruesome" he had encountered. Morley slashed Mr Oldfield's throat before stabbing him several times. Sentencing, Judge James Stewart QC said: "Not only did you murder your victim by cutting his throat and stabbing him but you cut him up, cooked him and ate part of him. "Before this case I had associated cannibalism with eras long gone, with the tale of Robinson Crusoe. No longer. "You have plumbed depths rarely encountered in our court." As Judge Stewart set out how long Morley would spend behind bars, there was applause from the public gallery and a shout of "murderer". Morley, who won the first Mr Gay UK title in 1993 had previously had some kind of relationship with openly gay Mr Oldfield, the court was told, and the pair had arranged to meet on the day of the murder. They later went back to Morley's house, where the defendant prepared a meal for them both before the pair went upstairs to his bedroom. Morley later walked into a nearby takeaway wearing a bloodstained dressing gown and flip-flops and told staff and police he had killed someone because he tried to rape him. During the trial, Morley said he could not remember killing Mr Oldfield, who sold advertising space for gay lifestyle magazine Bent, or any of his subsequent actions. He had denied murder on the grounds of provocation or diminished responsibility.

Victim Mr Oldfield had been in a relationship with Morley - CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

Kenyan woman stabbed to death in Seattle

A Kenyan has passed away in USA. Miss Jane Kariuki was stabbed and killed with a knife by his American boyfriend on Thursday 16th October, 2008 in Kent, Seattle, USA. She comes from Githumu Village, Kandara, Murang'a, Kenya. A Kent man suspected of fatally stabbing his girlfriend Thursday while they rode in a sport utility vehicle on Interstate 5 has been convicted twice of assaulting the woman, including an attack two years ago in which he beat her and cut her with broken glass. The victim, identified as Jane Kariuki, 42, was sitting in the front passenger seat at the time of the attack. Her brother-in-law was driving and her boyfriend was in the backseat. According to court documents, Kariuki and the man had been arguing for most of the day. As they headed south on I-5 during rush hour, Kariuki told the man she wanted him to move out. That, prosecutors say, is when he grabbed her in a headlock and stabbed her. The driver pulled over at North 92nd Street and called 911. The boyfriend got out of the vehicle, tossed his knife on the ground, lit a cigarette and leaned up against a guardrail until police arrived, court documents say. Kariuki's brother-in-law performed CPR on her, but she died from her injuries at Harborview Medical Center. According to court documents, the couple had been together for the past five years in what was a volatile relationship. In 2006, the man was sentenced to 60 days in jail for third-degree assault and ordered to complete counseling for domestic violence batterers. In that case, officers found Kariuki at the couple's apartment in the 2300 block of 56th Place South bleeding from her right ear and fingers.

The woman told officers that the fight that day began when the boyfriend accused Kariuki of "monopolizing" the television and not paying him attention, court documents say. Kariuki pulled her car key from his key ring to prevent him from disabling her car, she said. But the act infuriated the boyfriend, who punched her several times and deliberately broke a glass and cut her fingers with one of the shards. She told the officers he warned her that if she called police, she would be "way gone before they got here." Kariuki locked herself in a bathroom and called 911, but the boyfriend had fled before police arrived. Kent police arrested him a few days later at his work. They noted that they had gone to the home 10 days earlier for another domestic violence episode, court documents say. By October 2006, the boyfriend had completed his jail term over the attack, and he and Kariuki asked the court to lift a no-contact order between them. Initially, Judge George Mattson denied the request. But five months later, the judge agreed to rescind the order after seeing evidence that the boyfriend had undergone domestic violence batterers' counseling. Then, in July 2007, the man was charged in Kent Municipal Court in another episode involving Kariuki, prompting another order to take effect. Kent authorities recently summoned the suspect to court for a probation violation, but apparently didn't have his most current address, according court records. Domestic violence experts said there are several reasons a victim may wish to remain in a relationship, such as finances or children. But some people may return to the relationship out of fear that they'll face greater violence if they don't, said Merril Cousin, director of the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence. As we very commonly see, most murders happen when the victim is in the process of leaving or has left," Cousin said. - Source-seattlepi

The crew of the merchant ship MV Faina wait to be checked over by doctors one month after being taken hostage by pirates off Somalia. The ship is carrying a cargo of tanks and other military equipment.

Will the Waki and Kriegler reports be implemented in full? That was the question on the minds of Kenyans after President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s Kenyatta Day speeches.

There are warning signs in most swimming pools telling people 'no petting'. Perhaps someone should tell these swimmers taking a dip with three young tigers. The baby big cats have giant paws, measure 2m (6ft 6in) in length and weigh 90kg (14st) but they turn into pussy cats when they're in the water with their human companions. Balavan, Bali and Oden – all one-year-old tigers – have been hand-raised at an animal park in Myrtle Beach, near Miami. Animal expert Dr Bhagavan Antle, who runs The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species – TIGERS – said each animal was taught to swim in the pool when they are a few months old. 'Tigers have a natural desire and ability to swim exceeding that of all the other big cats,' he said. 'They have modified webbing between their toes that makes their feet like flippers,' Dr Antle added. One side of the pool is made of glass, allowing visitors to see man and beast take a dip together. Dr Antle, who has been caring for threatened species for 25 years, said: 'These are the only shots I have ever seen where people are swimming with tigers like this.' And despite the dangers, he ensures his trainers are never at risk. Dr Antle said he also looks at each individual case when considering how close his trainers can get. 'It depends on the tiger,' he added cautiously.

Bishop Muya in Los Angeles

Rev. Samuel K. Muya preaching in a church in Dallas and on the right he is posing with Rev. Dr. Solomon Waigwa, B.D., M.A., M.Div., Th.M., Ph.D. of Better Life Ministries

 
The “firework” Bishop Samuel K. Muya from Elbergon Kenya Electrified two Los Angeles congregations with humour filled sermon during his current one month tour of the USA. Preaching at the KICC Los Angeles on Sunday 19th October, 2008. The Bishop blended seriousness and effective humour to teach life application for spiritual direction in his metaphoric message of “Buying Comprehensive insurance in Jesus”
 
The Bishop brought the crowd to stitches when he narrated his “American experience” he lamented, “Everything in America is the opposite of what I am used to in my life, from the left hand drive, light switch, bathroom to Hollywood. Hollywood is actually the opposite of the name and there is nothing HOLLY in Hollywood” in an apparent reference to the naked man who Confronted the Bishop at the walk of fame in Hollywood.

In another rib cracking moment, Bishop Muya admonished the congregation for trying to act too Americanized, “Nyinyi situlikua tunakula nanyinyi Ugali na Managu huko Elbergon, sasa munajifanya eti umekuwa Americanized na huwezi kupigia yesu makofi na shangwe, ni yeye yule yule hata hapa America” said the Bishop to ramptous round of applause and hallelujah from the lot that can be traditional and conservative Christians at times. His message resonated well with the churchgoers many of whom continued to laugh and share their own experiences long after the service. Bishop Muya was a guest of Rev Dr. Stephen Githumbi who promised to invite him back in the near future.

Later, Bishop Muya was a guest of the Lifeline Church, near Disneyland in Anaheim. Here he brought the church to laughter by saying, “there are no longer many donkeys in Warufaga but worshippers. The preaching focused on the harsh economic times that Kenyans like many other people in America are facing, the overarching theme was that in everything “there is a time to get in and there is a time to get out” as instructed by God. Here, the Bishop was amazed by the use of technology to interpret the sermon in several languages. Bishop Muya was the host of Pastor Baba/Mama Shem and Pastor Dereva. Bishop Muya continues his visit in LA with scheduled sightseeing in Beverly Hills, Malibu, Santa Monica and later Visit Universal Studios in what his host has billed as the ultimate culture shock.

 
In Los Angeles, Bishop Muya is visiting with the family of Mr/Mrs Stephen Karanja (Mwalimu) formerly of Swindon-UK. Pictures to follow soon…………… His contact in USA is 001-254-780-7639 email samuelmuya2003@yahoo.com - by Mr. Stephen Karanja

A KENYAN LADY DROWNED IN ABU DHABI

Kenyan lady was drowned in Abu Dhabi last week has been named as Rahab Warigia Muchemi, She is sister to Anthony Muchemi who is now in Dubai helping to facilitate the repatriation of her body. According to our source in Dubai, they have not received a police report to determine her death but they expect to get it later today 20/11/08. (Keep checking this page for updates and photos). Rahab is the Daughter of Francis Mucemi Ndirangu and Emily Wacuka Muchemi of Kiambu.

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Mr. Nelson Njoroge Medical Fundraising

The Chairman and the Organising committee of Nelson Njoroge’s medical fundraising and Nelson’s  family appeal  to friends and the entire Kenyan Community to attend a funds raising event to enable him  acquire urgent treatment of a Spinal Disc realignment (Surgery) in India. The appeal is of a very urgent nature due to this ailment that requires immediate attention.

Brother Nelson slipped and fell accidentally while working for NHS in 2003 and has been receiving treatment at Newham University  Hospital albeit wrong diagnosis until late this year.

About two months ago, he was admitted in Colchester General Hospital where MRI Scan showed that a disk in the spine had been dislocated and flesh had since overgrown in the position, but the Doctors are reluctant to operate on him.

However, Doctors in India, Jehargir Hospital Pune, are optimistic that they can operate and rectify the situation.

Back here in UK, Doctors have directed adjustments for house to suit his disability. He is currently in immense pain and is on morphine every 12 hours, amidst other drugs, but the most excruciating pain is in the knowledge that the Doctors have condemned him to permanent disability.

We invite you to join other Committee Members who will be meeting on Sunday 19th and 26th October 2008 from 5.00pm at Memorial Baptist Church, Plaistow, 387-395 Barking Road, E13 8AL, London, opposite Plaistow Police Station.

Thereafter a Fund Raising will be held on 8thNovember 2008 at 4.00 pm on the same venue. Your prayers, presence and generous contribution towards this worthy cause will enable him travel and consequently acquire treatment in India. 

Please kindly commit yourself to attend the committee meetings and more importantly the fundraising event.  Contacts: Nelson’s family: 07908230069/07950447790 or Committee Chairman: Joe Mwai 07912224373

You can also send your generous contributions to the following Bank Account:-

Mrs N. Maina

Barclays Bank

Sort Code No. 20-22-67

A/c No. 93357341

Thank you and God bless you abundantly.

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A chain of London estate agents is offering to waive its fee on any property sold before the end of the year. The move, which could cost it up to £10,000 on each transaction, comes as sales have collapsed due to the credit crunch and financial crisis. A leaked email reveals how a senior sales executive at Lauristons has written to potential clients in south and west London offering to sell their homes "for an unbeatable 0per cent selling fee". Company insiders said the offer had been agreed by the firm's management last week and is available across its six branches, taking in the lucrative markets of Chelsea, Chiswick, Richmond and Kew. Normally estate agents charge between 1.5 and three per cent commission. London estate agents are struggling to sell more than two properties a week on average, with fears that many offices will be forced to close down. The letter from Lauristons invites prospective sellers to contact their local branch "if you are interested or if you know anybody who may be interested in this unique offer". Some analysts saw it as an attempt to kick start sales. But industry sources immediately slammed the move as a way of killing off competitors and accused Lauristons of undermining confidence in an already struggling market. One senior figure said: "This is a crude attempt to shake independent competition out of the market place. It is a mark of desperation and won't instill confidence in sellers." Foxtons are the only other estate agent ever to have offered a 0 per cent sales commission, but never in such difficult economic conditions, limiting it to an 'introductory' offer as they aggressively spread into new areas. Rivals today criticised Lauristons and said vendors should be careful to look at the small print before taking up the offer. Ed Mead, of Douglas & Gordon, said: "Potential clients need to ensure, for example, that if their property is placed on the market before Christmas but not sold until after the New Year there will still be no fee. "But in general, when people are looking for a successful agent, one has to suspect that charging 0 per cent commission is not a good sign". London property prices are around 15 per cent down on last year and are forecast to fall by a further 15 per cent in coming months.  But the number of house sales has fallen much more sharply by up to 60 per cent.  Experts say that this is to some extent the result of the credit crunch which made many unable to buy, but also a consequence of buyers staying away in the expectation of better bargains to come. From the beginning of this month all estate agents have to belong to an approved ombudsman scheme, but the regulator has no powers over the fees which agents charge. Lauristons refused to comment. Rightmove said today that the level of unsold property on estate agents' books remained historically high last month at an average of 76 due to the lack of buyer activity and sellers' reluctance to accept a lower price.

 A family is living in fear after discovering a snake is on the loose in their attic. They have not seen the creature but have found two shed 1m (3ft) snake skins at their home in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, UK. Gemma Peters, 25, said: 'I'm a bit scared and I'm worried for my son, Lewis.' Experts say the snake will probably stay put 'unless it's hungry'.

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Volunteers Needed!

Could you be a friend to someone who desperately needs someone to talk to?

Yarl’s Wood Befrienders is a local group, which organizes volunteer visitors for residents at the Immigration Removal Centre in Clapham, North Bedfordshire.  Most of those we visit are asylum seekers. They may be lonely, vulnerable, isolated and frightened and feel rejected by the country in which they have sought refuge.  Some will not know anyone in this country.  Families are also detained. 

They need our help and friendship. Some are from our Kenya

 TRAINING ON 15TH OR 29TH NOVEMBER 2008 IN BEDFORD

For an Application form please email kenyancommunitybedford@yahoo.co.uk.

This program is ideal for those living in and around Bedford

For more information please visit http://www.kenyancommunitybedford.org.uk

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President calls on Kenyans to embrace peace

Written By:PPS   , Posted: Mon, Oct 20, 2008

 

President Mwai Kibaki has called on Kenyans to consider restitution and forgiveness as complementing truth and justice in order to give the nation a fresh start. President Kibaki said while Kenyans desired justice for past injustices, they should keep in mind that although the truth will set the country free, justice must be coupled with forgiveness for reconciliation to take root. "I urge you all to seize this moment and come together by fostering peace.  Yes, let us all work together to give our children and youth a chance to have a better, peaceful and prosperous future," President Kibaki said. Paying glowing tribute to the country's freedom heroes for the sacrifices they made during the struggle for independence and their vision for the country, the President appealed to all Kenyans to forgive one another and live together peacefully. The Head of State was speaking at Nyayo National Stadium where he led the nation in celebrating this year's Kenyatta Day. He urged wananchi to exercise every freedom and liberty they have with due recognition and observation of the responsibilities, boundaries and obligations that go with them. Said President Kibaki: "Your freedom ends where the freedoms of your fellow citizens begin. All societies are bound by rules and laws.  Indeed, freedom is one side of a coin whose other side is responsibility." Noting that the utmost desire of the country's founding fathers was to see that all Kenyans lived in freedom and the country was at peace with itself, President Kibaki urged Kenyans never to lose sight of this cherished goal. "And I am happy that today, we in Kenya are free to think as we wish, speak as we wish, associate as we wish and live and do business as we wish.  However, we should always keep in mind that freedoms and liberties are not absolute - not in Kenya or in any other country in the world," the President said.  He cautioned against the pursuit of freedom and liberty without respect for institutions, law and order, saying that is a dangerous path for any country. The Head of State pointed out that eroding the stature and authority of established institutions, tarnishing their reputation and belittling those in authority does not augur well for the country's socio-economic and political development. The President advised that if institutions are weak, they should be strengthened and if those managing them are not capable, they should be changed but the practice of tearing down institutions without due regard to what will fill the vacuum they leave must not be embraced.

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka arrives at Nyayo national stadium Nairobi for the Kenyatta day celebrations on Monday and on right  Prime Minister Raila Odinga gives a speech during the Kenyatta day celebrations held at Nairobi's Nyayo national stadium on Monday

Said the President: "I have said these things because I have no doubt in my mind that the ultimate desire of all of us is to build a better Kenya.  And to do so, we must learn from our past, strengthen our governance and civic institutions and choose to use freedom and liberty in a positive and productive manner." In this connection, President Kibaki said his Government will use the recommendations from the Kriegler Commission to strengthen the electoral system and those from the Waki Commission to build a stable, cohesive and integrated society whose institutions protect the freedom and liberty of every citizen wherever they chose to live or work. Saying the Grand Coalition Government together with the people of Kenya have the capacity and will to develop a political consensus on a win-win constitutional settlement, the President said there was no doubt that the findings of the two commissions will be reflected in the new Constitution. "Indeed, I believe that this is an opportunity for the Grand Coalition Government to seal its place in our nation's history by providing future generations with the legacy of a sound and durable constitutional and legal framework," the President said.  On youth empowerment, the President said the Government will spare no effort or time in finding appropriate solutions to the challenges facing the youth. He observed that there were millions of unemployed and underemployed youth, many of whom are well educated and full of ambition as exhibited by the world class performance of the country's athletes at the recent Beijing Olympics and Paralympics and in many other global and regional sporting events.  In this regard, President Kibaki said the Ministry of Youth and Sports is finalizing proposals on programmes whose implementation will enable the Government to employ many young people in public works, impart skills and entrench a business culture. "If we succeed in implementing these proposals, we will have secured the future of our youth and that of the country," the Head of State said, saying engaging the youth will go a long way in tackling some of the challenges of urban and rural crime. Noting that up to 800,000 young people enter the job market each year, the President said the Government is implementing measures to create a 24-hour economy to ensure that the youth have access to decent jobs and self-employment opportunities. 

President Mwai Kibaki (L) and the first lady Lucy Kibaki (R) leave after addressing the nation, during Kenyatta Day celebrations at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi on Monday. Kenyatta Day, named after the country's founding president Jomo Kenyatta, celebrates all the heroes who died fighting for Kenya's independence.

Said the President: "On my part, I have no doubt that we must succeed.  That is why I recently directed the relevant Government agencies and the National Economic and Social Council to provide us with strategies that will create sufficient wage and self-employment opportunities capable of absorbing the majority of our school and college leavers."  In addition, President Kibaki said the Government is developing innovative ways of mobilizing public and private financing for expanding the national infrastructure. He said the huge investments the Government is making in sectors such as energy, roads, housing, transport, education, health, agriculture, industry, I.C.T. and tourism are all geared towards boosting the country's economy and generating jobs for the youth. Noting that as a member of the global community the country is currently facing problems caused by rising global food and energy prices and the volatile world financial markets, the President said his Government has taken measures to address the situation. With regard to the food crisis, President Kibaki ordered the Ministries of Agriculture, Special Programmes and Finance to import maize and purchase grain from farmers so that the country has enough stocks. He said the maize will be distributed to National Cereals and Produce Board depots in the badly affected areas and sold at affordable prices or distributed as relief to the worst affected communities so that all Kenyans will have enough to eat. "However, even as we take these preventive measures, we must turn our efforts to increasing the productivity of our farmers in food production in order to enhance the food security of all our people," the President said.  The President said the Government is also mobilizing resources to purchase sufficient quantities of fertilizers that will be availed at affordable prices and also ensure availability of good seeds as well as credit facilities to small farmers for the next season.  President Kibaki said the Government is also investing substantial resources in the livestock sub-sector through implementation of disease control measures and aggressive search for better markets for livestock and livestock products. On the energy crisis, the President directed the Ministries of Finance and Energy to reduce some taxes on energy production so as to minimize the effects of the high oil prices on domestic and industrial consumers.

President Mwai Kibaki waves to the public as he arrives at Nyayo national stadium in Nairobi for the Kenyatta day celebrations on Monday.

He said the Government is also developing a comprehensive energy security strategy to ensure that the country has sufficient quantities of affordable energy. The Head of State, however, appealed to oil companies in the country to extend the benefits of the reduced international crude oil prices to the Kenyan consumers. With regard to the global financial crisis, President Kibaki said he has constituted an economic task force comprising officials from the Ministries of Finance, Planning and the Central Bank to draw up a strategy that will ensure continued access to affordable credit by individuals, small business owners, farmers and industries.    "I also expect the taskforce to provide recommendations that will enable us to strengthen our capital markets and guard against manipulation of prices of equities and bonds on the stock market to the detriment of the ordinary investor," President Kibaki said. Speaking during the occasion, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka said through President Kibaki's able leadership Kenyans have proved to the world that they can resolve challenges facing them within a short time. On his part, Prime Minister Raila Odinga urged politicians to preach peace and togetherness for the sake of the country's unity. He said before parliamentarians break for Christmas this year, they should strive to pass the bill which will enable the country get a new constitution within the stipulated time. Present were First Lady Lucy Kibaki, Ministers, Assistant Ministers, Members of Parliament, Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Amb. Francis Muthaura, members of diplomatic corps and wananchi from all walks of life. Later at State House Nairobi, the President and the First Lady hosted a colourful garden party, which was attended by Cabinet Ministers, Assistant Ministers, Members of Parliament and members of the diplomatic corps among other invited guests.

Morgan the sea lion holds a paint brush in his mouth to create aquatic art at a Devon wildlife park. The six-year-old and partner Aero, three, create paintings linked to their moods. Their favourite colour is red.

Treasury borrows record £37bn in just six months. UK government borrowing has surged to record levels as Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling look to spend their way through recession. Official figures today showed the Treasury borrowed £37.6 billion between April and September as tax receipts sank and spending soared. It dwarfed the £21.5 billion borrowed in the same period last year and was the highest for a first-half since records began in 1946. Critics in the City and Westminster warned worse is to come as Britain enters recession, tax receipts fall, and the Government increases spending. Tory leader David Cameron attacked the Chancellor's plans to spend his way through the downturn by fast-tracking construction of schools, hospitals and housing. He said the spending "splurge" would eventually lead to higher taxes and undermine Britain's recovery. Experts also warned the £500 billion bail-out of the banking system will put further strain on the creaking public finances. Paul Dales, an economist at Capital Economics, said: "The triple whammy of the economic downturn, the recapitalisation of the banks and the Chancellor's plans to frontload public spending is set to push borrowing to alarmingly high levels. "The key message is that the higher public borrowing goes, the larger the eventual fiscal consolidation will need to be. Tax rises and/or spending cuts will restrain the eventual economic recovery, underlining the need for a prolonged period of very low interest rates." Borrowing for September alone hit a record high of £8.1 billion, almost double the £4.8 billion borrowed in the same period last year and well above predictions of £6.6 billion. It left Mr Darling with little hope of achieving the £43 billion borrowing total for the full year with economists warning it could be as high as £70 billion this year, rising to more than £100 billion. Last month's surge was driven by falling tax receipts from the likes of stamp duty and corporation tax.

Illegal immigrants raise security fears

The public has been asked to help police catch illegal immigrants. More than 100 illegal immigrants have been arrested in Eastern Province in the past one month and there are fears that more could still be in the country. Eastern provincial commissioner David Jakaiti on Monday said that the immigrants mostly from Ethiopia and Somalia were a security threat to Kenya since some of them could be armed with dangerous weapons. He said 65 Ethiopians were arrested in Machakos Town last week, while 45 Somalis were arrested in Mwingi Town. Mr Jakaiti expressed fears that more foreigners could be in the country illegally, and appealed to wananchi to cooperate with the police in flushing them out. Speaking at the Embu Moi Stadium during this year’s Kenyatta Day celebrations, Mr Jakaiti warned those in the country illegally that security agencies in the province were on the lookout and would not hesitate to take action against them.  The PC said the Government had started distributing relief food to hundreds of families hit by famine. Most beneficiaries are in northern Kenya and Ukambani, which suffered massive crop failure last season owing to prolonged drought. Elsewhere, tea farmers have been warned against uprooting their crop. Central PC Japhter Rugut said on Monday that tea farming was still profitable and farmers should not listen to a few individuals who were destroying their bushes alleging poor prices. He said some farmers had uprooted a few of their tea bushes to create room within their homesteads, and not because of poor prices. Speaking during Kenyatta Day celebrations in Nyeri Town, the PC said over the past year, tea farmers in the province were paid a total of Sh8.6 billion. Mr Rugut said only 1,200 bushes in Nyeri District had been uprooted for various reasons, while more than 280,000 tea seedlings had been planted this year.  He said Sh250.7 million had been set aside for enhancing food production under the Central Kenya Dry Areas Project of the Ministry of Planning. Areas that will benefit under the programme include Kieni, Mukurweini, Ndaragwa and Ndeiya.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE OF IKO NINI BWANA SEED