20140513 x news

Wedding bells ringing

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South african runner caster semenya has reportedly paid the bride price for girlfriend violet raseboya P.3

eXtra.sharp Tuesday 13.05.2014 | www.x-news.co.ke

SPORT

Victory over allStars boosts matano’s confidence | P.13

dennis oliech pulls out of afcon qualifiers squad | P.15

Defend yourself against Nairobi’s sex offenders

Who is the captain in England’s World Cup squad?

Answer on page 14

MESSAGE: A woman takes part in a protest against rape. Rape cases have been on the rise in Kenya, although most of them are not reported.

US has joined the search for kidnapped Nigeria girls P4

Alcohol kills more than Aids and TB combined

P6

The Kenyan beauties who rule the media, music world

P12

29 DAYS TO GO

NEWS | 3 TUESday, MAY 13, 2014

Rape risk grows in Nairobi From Page 1 Rape cases in Kenya are on a steady rise even as concerted efforts are mounted to reduce the attacks.

Data from the Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC) at Nairobi Women’s Hospital shows that 2, 137 of the 2,740 cases reported and treated at the facility in 2013 were committed in Nairobi. This means the city leads with 78 per cent of all sexual attacks committed across the country.

During the 2009-2010 year, 2,100 incidents were recorded in the region, while in the year 2010-2011, police recorded 2,424 cases. In 2011-2012, 2,532 cases were report-

ed before the figures shot to 2,740 last year.

Police data shows that most cases are reported in slum areas.

Dandora is one of the most notorious spots for gang rape incidents in the capital city. But what makes victims vulnerable to rape?

GVRC Programmes Officer Joel Muriithi says walking alone in secluded areas, such as dark alleys exposes victims to sexual attacks.

“Rape perpetrators know a victim may not get help in such a situation if they are alone or it’s dark,” he says.

Many cases of rape have recently been reported in drinking dens and pubs after perpetrators feed their

victims with drugs.

“Keeping your drink manned in social drinking joints will help you avoid drugging and getting trapped,” he says.

Pornographic movies and indecent dressing also drive people to sexual attacks by those around them. This constitutes domestic rape, defilement and sometimes incest.

Rape among couples has also become common.

“The partner is driven to fulfill the other’s sexual urge without consent or wish,” he says. About 10 per cent of cases received by police are of this nature.

Men can be raped by women or

other men. The GVRC statistics show that male survivors account for about 3 per cent of the attacks.

The recovery centre advises people to move away from assault places and seek medical attention within 72 hours should they be caught up in rape cases.

“One should seek medical attention immediately to receive drugs to prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV/Aids. Within the period, the drugs are more effective and can even prevent pregnancy,” he says.

Muriithi says within 72 hours, the evidence is still fresh and can be gathered.

He says reservation of other pieces

of evidence, such as clothes, is also key in the pursuit of justice for the victims. The clothes should not be stored in a polythene bag.

“All associated evidence material should be kept in a brown paper bag. Polythene bags destroy evidence and should be avoided,” he says.

Giving detailed information to authorities can help trace assailants or qualify the case against them.

“Give as much information as you can remember about the circumstances of the assault, including description of assailant to authorities such as a police or medical officer,” says Mureithi.

Semenya set to marry girlfriend South African Olympic silver medallist Caster Semenya is reportedly set to marry girlfriend and fellow athlete Violet Raseboya.

According to South Africa’s Daily Sun, Semenya, 23, has sent parents to Raseboya’s family at Polokwane to negotiate lobola (bride-price).

An insider revealed that both families were happy to negotiate lobola, with Semenya’s family paying R25000 (Sh250,000).

Semenya first shot to stardom when she won gold in the women’s 800m at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin, before being controversially subjected to gender testing.

She won a silver medal in the 800m at the 2012 London Olympics.

engaged: South African runner Caster Semenya during the 2009 IAAF World Championships. INSET: Semenya (left) and her girlfriend, fellow athlete Violet Raseboya.

Wambora colleagues swing axe on him again The special senate committee appointed to probe proposals to impeach Embu Governor Martin Wambora has recommended his removal from office yet again.

Wambora was impeached in March by the Embu County Assembly before the senate approved the move.

But Wambora moved to court arguing that the resolution was unconstitutionally arrived at because the MCAs ignored a court order halting news@x-news.co.ke www.x-news.coke facebook.com/XnewsKenya twtter.com/XnewsKenya

the motion.

The High Court sitting in Kerugoya later quashed the decision and reinstated Wambora.

Not to be outdone, the MCAs once more impeached the beleaguered governor. His attempts to block the move for a second time in court flopped after judges declined to bar Senate from removing him.

And now the senate committee that was formed to look into the impeach-

Publisher: Paul Marshall Commercial Director: Neema Wamai Content Editor: Brian Moseti Finance Director: Fred Bunei

ment has recommended that the governor be sacked.

Under the chairmanship of Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale, the Senate today while tabling its findings accused Wambora of gross violation of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, Public Finance Management Act and the Constitution of Kenya.

Khalwale said all charges against the governor had been substantiated.

The offences ranged from irregular

procurement of maize seeds, presiding over a county government that lacks tender committees and failing to uphold good governance and accountability practices.

The House was set to debate either to adopt or reject the Special Senate Committee’s recommendation.

Wambora and his lawyers were, however, absent from the session despite invitations from Speaker Ekwe Ethuro.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, MAY 13 2014

Police arrest two men with tusks in Karen

counties to get bomb experts All the major counties will now have a team of officers from the country’s Bomb Disposal Unit. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) said the unit will be responsible for dealing with any explosive devices.

Some of the counties to which bomb experts have been already been posted, following a series of terror attacks, in the country are Nairobi, Kisumu, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Mombasa, and Kakamega. CID Director, Ndegwa Muhoro said the Unit currently lacks funding and personel but something is being done to fix the problem.

“The officers in these areas are well equipped with robots and other machinery to deal with any form of explosive that may be reported,” said Muhoro. “We now have enough robots and other equipment but we intend to purchase more.”

Police today arrested two people who were found transporting seven elephant tusks along Mbogani road in Karen.

The tusks reportedly weighed 17 kilograms and have an estimated value of Sh1.7 million.

Police said they acted on a tip-off from a member of the public to apprehend the suspects.

Police spokesperson Zipporah Mboroki said the two were to be taken to court later today to face charges.

“The two suspects will be arraigned in court to face charges of transporting elephant tusks which is illegal in the country,” she said.

US joins search for Nigeria girls The United States has revealed it is flying manned surveillance missions over Nigeria to try to find schoolgirls kidnapped by the Islamist Boko Haram bandits.

The US is also sharing commercial satellite imagery with the Nigerian government, officials said.

This comes after militants released a video of about 130 girls saying they could be swapped for jailed fighters. More than 200 girls are reported to have been abducted.

Boko Haram seized the girls from a school in the northern Borno state on April 14.

“We have shared commercial satellite imagery with the Nigerians and are flying manned ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) assets over Nigeria with the government’s permission,” a senior administration official, who declined to be named, told the BBC. A team of about 30 US experts from the FBI, defence, and state departments is in Nigeria to help with the search.

Although the types of aircraft deployed have not been

revealed, the US have sophisticated planes that can listen into a wide range of mobile phone and telecommunications traffic.

Other officials, quoted by Reuters, said the US is also considering deploying unmanned “drone” aircraft to aid the search.

US state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Monday that intelligence experts were closely examining the Boko Haram video for clues that might help locate the girls.

Pogu Bitrus, a leader in the town of Chibok, from where the girls were seized, said vegetation in the video resembled that in the nearby Sambisa forest reserve.

The video showed some 136 girls wearing bulky hijabs. Militants said they had “converted” to Islam. The girls’ families have said that most of those seized are Christians. Two girls on the video were singled out for questioning and said they were Christians but had converted to Islam. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said the girls could be exchanged for “our brethren in your prison”.

cOncern: Protesters match for the kidnapped girls. Inset: US first Lady Michelle Obama joins the call for the international community to get the schoogirls back.

Owner of Pangani bomb car out on Sh10m bond Ahmed Dugal Ali, owner of the car that exploded outside Pangani Police Station last month killing two police officers and two suspected terrorists, was yesterday charged in court.

He was arraigned before Nairo-

bi resident magistrate E Rianyi and charged with harbouring a suspected terrorist. He also faces another charge of soliciting and giving support to a terrorist group.

He denied both charges and was released on a Sh10 million bond

with a surety of a similar amount.

Prosecutors have recently opposed the release on bond for those charged with terror related accusations but they did not oppose the release of the accused.

Instead, they only asked the court

to place stringent measures on the accused.

Dugal’s lawyer Mbugua Muriithi urged the court to release his client on lenient bond terms arguing he had voluntarily presented himself to the police. According to the

prosecution, the accused together with others not before court being the owner of the car the suspects were using, supported the commission of a terrorist act by providing it to be used. The case will be heard on July 1.

NEWS | 5

TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014

Lobby calls for end to security operation A lobby group has called for an end to the ongoing security operation aimed at flushing out illegal immigrants over claims of gross human rights violations.

Human Rights Watch in a statement today claimed police officers had harassed and detained foreigners and Kenyan citizens, including journalists and international aid workers in appalling conditions.

HRW Director Daniel Bekele claimed the officers had raided homes, shops and buildings and looted property, including mobile phones and cash.

“Kenyan authorities should immediately end ongoing harassment, arbitrary detentions, forced relocations to refugee camps and summary deportations in a round-up operation that has affected both foreigners and Kenyan citizens,” he said.

He claimed those rounded up were detained for over 24 hours without being taken to court as required by law.

He claimed police had used abusive and discriminatory tactics by allegedly targeting communities.

12 city market blaze looting suspects held

assets to ashes: traders counting losses when a fire razed down stalls at the Gikomba market in March.

On Monday May 12, another fire hit the market destroying goods worth millions of shillings.

At least 12 looters were Monday night arrested as traders battled a fierce fire that razed Gikomba market in Nairobi.

The men were trying to break into stalls and loot when police spotted them. The fire burnt down property worth millions of shillings.

The fire that broke out in one of the stalls before spreading to other sections of the fish section area. Nairobi police boss Benson Kibue said they could not ascertain the cause of the inferno or the real value of the property destroyed.

“There were no casualties in the incident that took long to contain because of its location and we have not yet established what caused the fire,” said Kibue.

Several fire engines were driven to the scene to help contain the flames. Those arrested were expected to be charged in court later today.

Cases of fire outbreaks have become common in the area in the recent past amid claims that arsonists are out to destroy businesses.

Another fire was reported at a factory in Industrial Area along Busia Road but no injury was reported.

Nairobi has poor fire fighting equipment after most of the engines were grounded. The city relies on private fire fighting facilities and those from the Kenya Army and police.

Embu buries 38 revellers

Illicit brew kills another reveller One more consumer of illicit brew has died as another was admitted to a hospital in Nairobi.

Police said the death was reported in Dagoretti area and samples of the brew taken for testing.

The reveller died on Monday evening after consuming the brew and there are fears that the number of victims may rise.

Nairobi police boss Benson Kibue said they are monitoring the situation.

“We are on the ground looking for more samples,” said Kibue.

The police boss’ remarks came as the death toll climbed to past 100 in six counties, including Nakuru, Nairobi, Makueni, Machakos, Embu, Kiambu and Murang’a.

Police believe the deadly drink was brewed at one venue and transported to the affected areas. Tens of other

consumers are admitted in hospitals after taking the brew which had high doses of methanol.

A total of 38 brewers and consumers have been buried in Embu but no arrest has been made even as the government ordered the closure of a manufacturer at Baba Ndogo area, Nairobi.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku said last week that the Government had interdicted 52 top officials over the deaths from killer brews for allegedly failing to contain manufacture and consumption.

death brewer: A man struggles to prepare a deadly drink in a slum. One more victim has been reported dead in Dagoretti area of Nairobi.

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Thirty eight of the 44 revellers of illicit brew who died last week were on Monday buried at Shauri Yako village in Embu county.

A requiem mass was held for the deceased at Embu Municipal stadium.

Families, friends and relatives gathered to bid farewell to colleagues and kin who died after taking alcohol laced with methanol.

Senator Lenny Kivuti, deputy governor Dorothy Nditi, Women’s Representative Rose Mitaru, Manyatta MP Juhn Muchiri, Mbeere South MP Mutava Musyimi called for action against owners and distributors of the alcohol.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, MAY 13 2014

Alcohol killing more than Aids,TB combined Alcohol consumption killed 3.3 million people worldwide in 2012, the World health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday. This was 5.9 per cent of all deaths in the world.

In comparison, HIV/AIDS was responsible for 2.8 per cent, tuberculosis 1.7 per cent of deaths and violence was responsible for just 0.9 per cent, the study showed.

The world health body said the victims died for reasons ranging from cancer to violence, all of which were traced to negative

health consequences of alcohol consumption. The organization has now warned against excessive drinking and called on governments to do more and limit the damage.

“More needs to be done to protect populations from the negative health consequences of alcohol consumption,” said Oleg Chestnov, WHO expert on chronic disease and mental health. Chestnov warned against lack of action saying alcohol abuse raises people’s risk of developing more than

200 diseases. According to the report, more men than women succumbed to alcohol-related complications. On average, the WHO report says, every person in the world aged 15 years or older drinks 6.2 litres of pure alcohol per year. “We found that worldwide about 16 per cent of drinkers engage in heavy episodic drinking - often referred to as ‘binge-drinking’ - which is the most harmful to health,” said Shekhar Saxena, director for mental health and substance abuse at the WHO.

Most of those affected were the poorer people. “They often lack quality health care and are less protected by functional family or community networks,”Saxena said.

The release of the report came days after 94 people died in Kenya after consuming poisonous alcohol. The global status report on alcohol and health covered 194 countries and looked at alcohol consumption, its impact on public health and policy responses. It found that

some countries are already strengthening measures to protect people from harmful drinking. Such measures include increasing taxes on alcohol, limiting its availability by raising age limits and regulating marketing.

WHO said more countries should take similar action, . and give priority to raising awareness of the damage alcohol can do to people’s health and screen for those who may need earlier intervention to cut down or stop.

globalview

What others said today...

10,000 hidden land files found in ministry: The depth of corruption in the Ministry of Lands was revealed after some 10,000 files that had gone ‘missing’ were discovered during an audit of the central registry.

Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu said the files had been ‘missing’ for a long time, which had frustrated members of the public needing access to to the documents...

How Kenya blew its Anglo Leasing case: Kenya lost case against one of the Anglo Leasing firms because it failed to honour a court agreement to settle the dispute. A ruling in the case shows that after a protracted legal battle in which the government refused to pay Univesal Satspace LIC of America, a London court in February 2003 ordered for mediation between the parties...

7 Mungiki leaders killed over property: Seven Mungiki members including top commanders have been killed in the last two weeks in a vicious fight for control of the sect’s property. Mungiki members from the Nairobi Central Business District are fighting others from Kitengela over 4,000 acres of land there. The factions are fighting beneath former leader Maina Njenga who denounced the sect in public but in practice remains the man at the top...

TOO MUCH WATER: A man walks out of his partially-submerged car, which was trapped on a heavily flooded street in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong province.

Household products linked to male infertility Chemicals used in the manufacture of common household products such as soap and toothpaste have adverse effects on human sperm function, scientists say.

In findings that could help explain the rising levels of male infertility, researchers claim that one in every three nontoxic chemicals used in the manufacture of everyday items significantly affects the potency of sperm cells.

Previous studies have alluded

to hidden toxicity of chemicals deemed safe by toxicology tests but it is the first time a study has found a direct effect of the many ubiquitous man-made chemicals in the environment on a vital function of human sperm.

The latest research, published in The Embo Journal and which was carried out by the Centre of Advanced European Studies and Research in Bonn, Germany, found that 30 out of 96 common household

chemicals have a direct effect on the “catsper” protein.

Catsper protein is what controls the sperm cell’s motility or swimming agility or its ability to enter the egg cell to trigger fertilization.

The study was part of a wider research into so called “endocrine-disrupting” chemicals that have been linked with declining sperm counts and widespread male infertility for several years now.

The findings revealed that

three common household chemicals found in products such as sun screens, detergents and plastics directly sabotaged the human sperm’s swimming behaviour and caused them to prematurely release the critical enzymes needed to penetrate and fertilise the egg cell, rendering the sperm infertile.

It also showed that there was a “cocktail effect”, when a number of chemicals worked together to amplify their individual effects.

“We have found a completely novel way in which endocrinedisrupting chemicals may affect human reproduction by direct interaction with human sperm.

And it shows a direct link between exposure to these chemicals from industrial products and their adverse effects on human sperm function,” said Professor Niels Skakkebaek of Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark.

Anxiety grips ODM over Raila absence: A fresh bout of restlessness stalls ODM over a number of political issues as the extended absence of party leader Raila Odinga begins to bite for real. Raila has been in the US for a bout two months, a time span increasingly stoking fears that the now rudderless Orange party is losing focus momentum and real relevance to worry the ruling Jubilee coalition.

BUSiness | 7

Renewable power to fix blackout problems Energy supplier Critical Power plans to provide backup solutions and renewable energy to businesses in East Africa. The firm has invested more than Sh100 million to exploit the growing need for power protection solutions due to frequent outages experienced by suppliers.

“There is growing demand for solar and biomass energy as alternative sources of energy. Lower prices means solar is now affordable and a lot of offices and homes have switched to using solar as their main source of energy,” said James Mwangi, Chief Executive Officer, Critical Power East Africa Limited.

The company will provide power generators, Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) systems and inverter systems.

Critical Power will also offer alternative energy sources, including solar, biomass and small hydro stations to businesses and homes. The company will use cow dung to generate biogas and electricity.

“Biogas is popular in upcountry areas especially with large scale farmers and institutions,” said Mwangi.

The company has hailed the government for zero-rating import duty and removed Value Added

cityplans

energy fixer:A Kenya Power technician at work. Energy supplier Critical Power plans to provide solutions to power blackouts for businesses in the East African region.

Tax (VAT) on renewable energy equipment and accessories.

The move will allow many Kenyans to access solar energy as the cost of buying and installation is expected to drop by at least 30 per cent. Some of the cheapest solar panels cost about Sh10,000, but

some home systems can cost up to Sh85,000 for supplies and installation based on assessment by French development company, Entraide.

Kenya and other East African economies face frequent outages due to supply shortfalls and outdated grid networks. A few weeks ago, a tech-

nical hitch left Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu in darkness after a Juja-based plant stopped supply.

Critical Power says most parts of the country experience sunshine throughout the year, making it ideal for solar panels to provide energy for homes and offices.

Corporation plans 11,000 low cost houses in 4 major towns The National Housing Corporation (NHC) has set in motion plans to build 11,000 low cost houses in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret.

The one-bedroom apartments will cost as low as Sh2 million.

For buyers who can purchase the units through a loan from the corporation, the financing will be calculated at a 13 per cent interest rate. This means buyers will pay about Sh25,300 a month for 15 years to claim ownership of the home.

“We are targeting individuals in lower and middle markets who want to access decent housing at friendly prices,” says NHC Managing Director Wachira Njuguna.

The state-owned firm says it will build 3,000 units on Thika Road, 1,200 in Eldoret, 1,000 for Kisumu, 1,800 in Mombasa and 4,000 houses along Mombasa Road.

The units will be built using Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) technology which involves the assembly of ready-made foam,

permanent facility: A house under construction. The National Housing Corporation has initiated plans to build 11,000 low-cost housing units in four major urban centres.

sandwiched between steel wire mesh that is plastered on both sides with concrete. Polystyrene is white material used in packaging electronic goods and is preferred due to its affordable cost and safety.

The rising cost of construction and high interest rates have, in the

recent past, discouraged developers from setting up houses for the low end market.

According to figures released by the Economic Survey, a group that monitors changes in the financial market, construction costs increased by 7.2 per cent last year.

The change has made landlords

hike rent charges in most urban areas.

EPS panels, which are expected to lower construction costs, are manufactured at NHC prefabrication materials factory in Mavoko, which launched operations in 2012.

TUESday, MAY 13, 2014

businesstool Farmforce tool links farmers to export markets Farmers can keep track of their investment, reduce production cost and effectively manage their businesses after the launch of a new agricultural tool. Dubbed Farmforce, the technology allows farmers, exporters and food production companies to locate markets for produce.

The mobile phone-based application allows individuals to register names and business and allows other users monitor what is on offer. Farmforce uses mobile payment systems such as Safaricom mobile payment service M-Pesa. To access the app, one can contact the group at farmforce.com.

“We have a list of all farmers, their land acreage, what they grow, the group they belong to, gender and physical address as well as the grower ID. That is, each group and farmer has a code,” says Faith Kamenchu, business systems analyst at Kenya Horticulture Exporters (KHE).

The Syngenta Foundation group that empowers small-holder farmers and the Swiss government started developing the system in 2011 with a team of 10 software engineers. The software cost over Sh170 million and is available to local farmers.

capitalalert

Hivos Sh1.8m offer to social entrepreneurs

Hivos People United, a social justice group that funds entrepreneurs, is calling for grant applications. The group has asked individuals and organisations to apply for any of their programmes in order to receive funding worth up to Sh1.8 million (€15,000).

Hivos selects its grant partners from about 20 focus countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, South Africa, Syria and Timor Lorosae.

“Partners from other countries may occasionally be supported on the basis of their international outreach,” says the group.

Hivos awards general grants through its programmes on “Expression and Engagement”, “Green Entrepreneurship”, “Rights and Citizenship and “Action for Change”. The Expression and Engagement programme seeks to promote freedom of speech and expression, while the Rights and Citizenship programme suits individuals or organisations that require funding to fight for human rights.

“We want to set in motion changes that cannot be stopped,” says Hivos Director of Programmes & Projects Ben Witjes. “We do this by relying on people with courage and the desire to innovate. This can be found everywhere: on farms and fields, in courtrooms, at demonstrations and in studios.”

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BUSINESS

TUESDAY, mAY 13, 2014

Loan defaulters to increase in 2014, says Central Bank The number of loan defaulters is expected to rise this year, a Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) report says.

Experts say if the CBKs standard lending rate remains at 8.5 per cent, it will pile pressure on banks to cut lending rates further and attract less credit worthy customers, exposing banks to high loan default rates.

Banks have been lending at interest rates as high as 22 per cent but that rate may fall, encouraging more people to take up loans.

“Lending is the principal business activity for most banks and as a result credit risk is the single largest factor affecting the soundness of banks and the financial system as a whole,” said the CBK in a report released late last week Recovering unpaid loans costs banks money.

FISCAL: The Central Bank of Kenya.

exportopp

pricedriver

Kenya sisal industry risky for investors The sisal export industry isa risky investment option for interested local farmers, a recent Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report has warned.

Nearly 75 per cent of global sisal fibre material exports come from Kenya, Brazil and Tanzani but figures indicate that Kenya and Tanzania have not been utilizing their position effectively.

Kenya is the world’s third-largest sisal producer

after Brazil and China. The country exports 80 per cent of produce to China, Morrocco, Spain Portugal and Saudi Arabia.

FAO says the sector has faced an estimated 38 per cent decline in production and its international trade has shrunk by about 52 per cent.Kenya produces more than 19,000 tonnes of sisal a year while the sector employs over 3,000 people. Today’s price of East African grade

The level of non-performing loans (NPLs) for the entire banking industry has risen 35.4 per cent over the past year to Sh95.1 billion, up from Sh70.3 billion.

This means that irresponsible consumers have taken up loans without the means to effectively pay them back.

The CBK has warned that the number of loan defaulters is expected to go up this year due to insecurity, poor rainfall destroying food crops and high interest rates that make it harder for borrowers to clear their debt.

Recent terrorist activities have negatively affected the tourism industry with as many as 3,000 people from the sector losing their jobs.

Together with poor rainfall patterns, experts say that these problems have caused growing anxiety among consumers.

High wheat prices may push up the cost of flour

PRICKLY: Workers process raw sisal.

sisal fibre is Sh47, 850 ($550) per tonne, the same as it was 15 years ago. A tractor costs eight times more than it did back then. This has discouraged potential investors.

“No market promotion or market development for sisal products is done in the major markets,” says Shalum Shamte, a research analyst for the FAO.

The price of wheat is likely to rise in the remaining months of the year according to the latest forecast by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The cost of flour will, subsequently, rise as a growing wheat scarcity continues to plague the region. FAO has said Kenya, among the other East African countries, could be forced to spend more on wheat imports as world production is expected to fall due to poor weather and the political instability

in Russia and Ukraine.

Ukraine supplies 17 per cent of the world’s wheat.

Most of East Africa’s wheat imports come from Ukraine and Russia.

Kenya produces 350,000 tonnes of wheat annually, forcing it to import the balance of the 900,000 tonnes. “Wheat prices jumped 11 per cent due to supply concerns from cold and drought in US, fear of disruption from the Black Sea, and rail bottlenecks in Canada,” said a recent IMF and FAO report.

Former Barclays boss to be quizzed in fraud investigation

The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) will question 12 former Barclays Bank executives, including the former chief executive, Bob Diamond, over a the £322 million (Sh47.3 billion)

pay out by the bank to the Qatar Investment Authority in 2008. The SFO asked to interview the executives under caution, meaning anything said in the interview can be used as evidence in a

criminal trial. Barclays paid the money as it was raising £7 billion (Sh1.1 trillion) from investors during the financial crisis. Diamond was head of the bank’s investment department at the time of

the fundraising. A spokesman for Mr Diamond said the former chief executive will continue to assist with the investigations wherever possible unless he is unable to comment on any specific

inquiry. Mr Diamond works in the US but is expected to schedule an appointment with the SFO over the next few weeks. Barclays former Chief Financial Officer, Chris Lucas, and other executives

who have also left the bank, have also been investigated as part of probe into the Qatar payment. The bank is also facing a £50m (Sh7.4billion) fine from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

PLAY | 9

forecast

TUESday, MAY 13, 2014

capricorn Dec 22 - Jan 19

HOROSCOPES

You can expect today to be kind of intense, Capricorn. Even if you’ve made a conscious decision not to let anything get you down, you may still harbor some negative emotions from the last few days. Take advantage of this time to relieve stress.

Vote for your winning pick of today’s top three insta moments (below) by sending an email with the picture number to news@x-news.co.ke 1

2

3

aquarius Jan 20 - Feb

The little fighter that you are makes it very difficult for you to join us in the great communal river that we’re all trying to navigate, Aquarius. You prefer to travel solo, going down your private stream as you see fit.

pisces Feb 19 - Mar 20

Be disciplined about all areas of your body, Pisces. Take extra care to eat healthful, balanced meals. Make sure you get enough sleep. And even though you gripe about having no time, get out there and exercise. Don’t wait for an emergency before you take action.

Aries Mar 21 - Apr 19

s y’ to dapho r e st ing e Y nn i w

If you’ve been feeling deep anger, today isn’t the day to let it out but rather the day to consider its source.

Any large gatherings of family or friends should be avoided at all costs.

No, this doesn’t mean you get to take the day off! Just be extra careful about your temper.

ng s i n n in tio W p ca

taurus Apr 20 - May 20

If by chance you still harbor some resentment toward someone, Taurus, it will probably come out today. You might be uncompromising or even vengeful. Telling that person how you feel will accomplish nothing other than cause you both pain and regret.

gemini May 21 - Jun 21

You don’t suffer fools gladly, and superficial fools even less so. You have a mind to teach those around you a lesson. You’re uncompromising today, and you can’t understand why others don’t have your same high standards.

1. Send a caption for the photo above to news@x-news. co.ke. The winning caption gets published on this page.

Thirty Girls 1. The real state of our roads-Titis Mungai, Nairobi.

2. The potholes in Umoja even have sharks, Penny Moeira, Umoja I. 3. Just dug my way from the Amazon. Is this lake Naivasha?-Baba Tom, Westlands.

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Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no number repeated.

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yoursay

CELEBRATE OUR HEROES I saw your article on Africa’s vilest despots. Those dictators deserve worse than what was given to them. I was wondering if someone could do an article on some African heroes.

Have you heard of Thomas Sankara? He was the African Che Guevara. I would like to see a feature about him.

—Edwin Kam, Dandora

MATTERS ODD FOOD Who are these mothers who are still smoking while pregnant (Tuesday May 6, page 6)? If someone wants to take a baby to term then they should live a healthy life and eat a balanced diet. This has me fuming wing anger.

Don’t people know that it’s dangerous to even light a jiko when you are pregnant? ­—Betty Nasieku, Nairobi

Play the XNews Sudoku and be in with a chance of winning a Sh500 meal voucher everyday.

To participate, send a photo of your completed Sudoku via Whatsapp to +254722980807, or by email to: news@x-news.co.ke.

The first person to send in the correct completed puzzle wins the voucher.

— by Susan Minot

Ugandan teenager Esther Akello is among 30 girls kidnapped from a boarding school by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

They now belong to Joseph Kony, the leader of LRA. The girls are forced to commit unspeakable acts; they are raped, witness other children being killed and struggle to survive so that one day they can escape.

Jane Wood, a US journalist travels to Africa in the hope of giving voice to children who were kidnapped by LRA. Jane also seeks to find balance in her life after a series of failed relationships.

The stories of Jane and Esther are inter-woven by

cancer Jun 22 - Jul 22

Here is a day of challenges, Cancer.

You’re a pro at questioning yourself, as you’ll prove today when you take a hard look at your accomplishments.

What have you created of a personal nature in the last ten years? Have you followed someone else’s example because you doubted yourself?

leo Jul 23 - Aug 22

If you give the impression that you’re in a reserved and introspective mood (even if you aren’t), you’ll succeed in avoiding confrontation. Today there is no such thing as a simple exchange with someone, Leo.

virgo Aug 23 -Sep 22

A challenging day is in store for you, Virgo. If you’re part of a group or team or simply among friends, you may feel somewhat ill at ease. Could it be that you instill jealousy in others? There’s only one way to find out. Clear the air by saying what needs to be said.

libra Sep 23 - Oct 22

Sometimes dreams seem like just that - dreams. Travel, a project, or a new home could be a few of the things you’ve been trying to accomplish for some time now. Making any one of these dreams come true possibly means jeopardizing relationships.

scorpio Oct 23 - Nov 21

You’ll go one of two ways today, Scorpio. Either you’ll turn inward and meditate in a corner or you’ll find a good friend and confide your dissatisfaction.

Don’t hesitate to let your guard down and express yourself even more honestly than is typical for you.

sagittarius Nov 22 - Dec 21

Today is going to be an excellent day for meeting interesting people, Sagittarius. And there will be nothing superficial about these encounters. On the contrary, the people you are going to meet will touch you profoundly.

greatread

sharp portraits of two outstanding women who struggle for balance in life after the world shifted from beneath their feet.

A Sound Cloud for music lovers The Sound Cloud audio platform enables music creators to promote and share their original works.

Local musicians, such as Avril and international ones like Kelly Rowland, use it to distribute their compositions to fans.

They also read their reviews

on it.The beauty about Sound Cloud is that it allows users to easily share music across social networks like Facebook and Twitter, and get instant feedback.

On the other end, clients can listen to as much music as they wish and download up to 100

songs.

All of the features are free of charge and are available to all registered users with a profile on the website.

The website has over 40 million registered users and over 200 million listeners from across the world.

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TRENDING

TUESday, MAY 13, 2014

All Don Abbih ever wanted was to sing

THE DON: Abraham Nguma is a multi-talented young man.

The coastal flowery Swahili immediately captivates you the moment Abraham ‘Don Abbih’ Nguma starts talking.

Nguma is a promising artist, musician, composer and performer.

The first child in a family of five, Nguma is a journalism and media undergraduate at the University of Nairobi.

He is a bubbly soul—friendly and has an impressive sense of humour.

While growing up, Nguma says all he ever wanted to do was sing. “Music is all my heart deeply longed for,” he said. His

undying passion for music thus thrust him in the ever-growing lyrical world.

For the last four years, Nguma has been performing Urban Rhumba. “People call it Afro-fusion but mine is Urban Rhumba, a tool I use to disseminate the word of God,” he said.

All has not been rosy, but he can happily attest that so far it is materializing. He is able to pay bills, go to school and dress well. The 25-year-old may not be there yet but he believes it is worth a shot.

Music has given the Nimekubali singer

talentspotter

stylestar

Quarcoo makes stars at Radio Africa Group Having worked for CNN, Patrick Quarcoo learned a lot about the media business and later used this knowledge to cofound the Radio Africa group.

But even as he was setting up his company, Qaurcoo, a Ghanaian by birth, new that to succeed, he had to do things differently.

Instead of going for the already-established radio names, he chose to hunt young, unknown talent and gave them a platform on which to grow—something he still does to date.

Listening to Diana Madegwa present or report for Radio Africa Group is proof of just how well Radio grooms and nurtures young talent.

The list may be long but great personalities like Sheilla Mwanyiga should not go unnoticed since she has proven that the

topthree

an opportunity to entertain alongside big boys like Juliani, Kidum, Aceda and Asali.

So far, people are responding well to his art and this encourages him to produce good quality music. “I have been receiving positive feedback from many people and this gives me assurance that the future holds great tidings,” he said.

He is working on an album which he believes will be successful and he plans to launch the Don Abbih Nguma music brand on August 31.

Wambui’s kinky hair

opportunity Quarcoo gave her was a mile worth travelling. According to Quarcoo, he would give one an opportunity while at the same time encouraging his young spotted talents to learn from the organization.

“I learnt all my media management on somebody else’s expense while they were paying me a salary. When you are working for somebody, learn,” once said in an interview.

“Too many people get into a business and all they care about is getting in at 9 o’clock, taking a salary, and buggering off at 5pm. When they leave, they don’t even think about the business,” he added.

His unique spotting abilities and flexibility also gives room for the young people to proceed with their education to improve their skills as media practitioners.

SCRUFFY TOP: Wambui Ngugi.

Wambui Ngugi is a member of Elani, one of Kenya’s most popular urban Afro bands.

She is a vocalist in the group with a pitch-perfect voice but it is her natural, kinky and big hairdo that has become her mark of identity.

At a time when weaves, wigs and relaxed hair are considered the perfect hairstyles, the 24-year-old, has defied the odds by going natural. She flaunts her big hair in concerts, interviews and music videos. To keep the afro looking good, Wambui uses simple accessories like pins.

In the music video for the song “Kookoo”, she had her hair in curls. The style was modern, chic and beautiful. It also accentuated her face.

Wambui is not beauty alone, she has a bachelor’s degree in Actuarial science from the University of Nairobi

The Kenyan beauties who run the show

1

2

HEAD TURNERS: 1. Julie Gichuru, 2. Esther Passaris 3. Avril

3

1. One of the head-turners who rule the media and entertainement world is Julie Gichuru. The Group Digital Business Manager and Talk Show Host for Royal Media Services is a common face of local TV. Over the past decade, she has risen in the media industry starting off as a presenter at Capital FM, then NTV and finally Citizen TV. Viewers are not just mesmerized by her wit and professionalism, but find her physically attractive and can’t afford to miss her Sunday live show on Citizen TV. Her successful career and collaboration with international corporations like UN and AMREF has seen the lawyer cum journalist sit among the top 20 eminent female figures in Africa according to Forbes.

The mother of four will be remembered as the first African woman to be accredited the Martin Luther King Salute to Greatness for advocacy of non-violence following the 2007 election in Kenya.

2. Esther Passaris is a house-

hold name in Kenya. The mother of two and politician is said to leave men ogling because of her beauty, intelligence and boldness.

Last year, during the general elections she contested for the Nairobi Women’s Representative seat but narrowly lost to Rachael Shebesh. Being a businesswoman and social entrepreneur, she is held in high esteem by many across Kenya.

Her children have taken after her by making headlines only in a different field. Her 18-year-old daughter Makenna is a recording artist based in the UK while her 14-year-old son, Lefteris Ngugi is an award winning tennis player.

3. Finally, Judith ‘Avril’ Nyambura Mwangi, who is well known for her hit songs Chokoza and Kitu kimoja is one lady men can’t keep their eyes off. Avril is also an actress on TV drama series Mali and Shuga.

Call her a woman of all trade, Avril is also a model and an Architecture student.

Earlier this year, the hit maker showed off her engagement ring on Instagram. She is said to be engaged to a South African business man.

ART | 11

tuesday, may 13, 2014

ourroots Kom Nyaluo, was a symbol of authority

AMONg The FIRST: The late Mwangi gicheru, author of popular book Across the Bridge, was among the writers who shaped the Kenyan literary scene.

The shapers of Kenyan lit

Ogola

Macgoye

Ngugi

Mutahi

ture boom. When he finally earned his writing rights, he wrote about events unfolding around him, especially as the country crawled to independence.

Ngugi wa Thiong’o was imprisoned without charges after the performance of his play, ‘I will Marry when I Want’, in 1977.

He later came out to pen works that captivated readers in both urban and rural settings.

The late Wahome Mutai, popularly known as “Whispers”, brought laughter every Sunday to Kenyan homes through the written word and is lined up among the

The Kenyan literary environment has been evolving, and recently boasts hundreds of writers—thanks to the advent of blogs.

But the foundation of the industry was set up by only a handful of writers.

Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye, who is known for her book ‘Coming to Birth,’ once a secondary school set book, made literature an interesting field and drew the younger readers along with her.

Mwangi Gicheru, the author of ‘Across the Bridge,’ which was once a high school setbook grew up in the literary world at a time when Kenya was experiencing a litera-

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Notegraphy - Android, iOS - Free Unlike other note taking apps for smartphones, this stands out as it includes typography - selection of typefaces, point size and adjusting of spaces between letters and designs.

Fenix for Twitter - Android - Paid The new app for android twitter users is fast whose pictures are beautifully displayed in order from one edge of the screen to another.

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FrontBack - Android, iOS - Free The FrontBack app allows one to take images with front and rear cameras of the phone simultaneously.

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broadband). It tracks the state of the car and notifies one of problems and errors and what they mean. It will also tell a car owner where they last parked and notify friends and family in case of accidents.

for those wishing to buy a tech device.

UpTo Calendar - iOS Free The new app for iOS gives one an informative weekly view with a list of all tasks.

Carousel - Android, iOS - Free Carousel is a new photo app

by Dropbox that puts photos from the cloud and device in one place. It organises them in a neat and elegant way for the user.

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Reading List - Windows Phone – Free This app will appeal to book lovers as it allows one to track and manage all books they want to read later.

Kenyans, who made a life out of their writing prowess.

Margaret Atieno Ogola wrote the novel The River and the Source, and its sequel, I Swear by Apollo.

The River and the Source follows four generations of Kenyan women in a rapidly changing country and society.

The book has been on the KCSE syllabus for many years, and it won the 1995 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for best first book, Africa Region, Dr Ogola worked on her final book titled “Mandate of the people” a book she completed before her death and is set to be released posthumously.

The Luo traditional stool, Kom Nyaluo, is associated with leadership and authority. Triza Achieng’, 62, says a clan, or Gweng’, was under an elder who possessed a stool, shield (Kuot) and a spear known as Tong’.

“In the gatherings, elders came with their Kom Nyaluo. The stool had magical authority and all directives were given from it. The chair of honour could not be challenged,” said Achieng’. Jaduong, the family head, also sat on the stool as he counselled sons, who gathered in his hut or under trees in the evenings.

This was especially done after a day’s work as they waited for the evening meal.

The Kom Nyaluo was curved out of a hard wood.

Recycled Bicycle Chain Dog Recycled bicycle chain dog Israeli artist Nirit Levav uses recycled bicycle chains and parts to create realistic sculptures of dogs.

She goes around bike shops and garages to collect metal parts that people throw away. Levav welds the parts to create real life sculptures.

The first ever dog she made from scrap metal was a Rottweiler and now has a huge collection of bicycle chain dogs.

The top, which was dug into a slight depression, was embossed with patterns of beads of different colours to give it a spectacular appearance.

“The red, blue, green, yellow beads decorated the stool into beautiful patterns, giving it a rough, but gentle feel,” said Achieng.

The stool was kept in the man’s hut—In those days, men and women used to sleep in separate houses.

In case of death, the eldest took over the stool, but there were situations when it was done differently.

“There were occasions when the Kom Nyaluo was given to the most judicious son of the late father,” Achieng confirmed.

A judicious son was one who was seen to be more conversant with community customs. US President Barack Obama’s grandmother wanted to take the stool, shield, hat, spear and flywhisk to his inauguration ceremony as a gift, but was deterred in what the US termed as ‘security reasons.’

artshock

12 |

FUN

TUESday, MAY 13, 2014

Versatile chapo a meal for all times Chapati is a very popular dish.

The flat bread is famous for its scent, especially when being cooked. The scent is so unique that as it wafts through the air to the nose, one can taste it in their mouth and find themselves swallowing a gulp of air.

The beauty of chapatti is that it can be eaten with any kind

of stew. It is an “anytime” kind of bread. You can have it in the morning, with a cup of tea or coffee, or at lunch with meat stew. It’s versatility makes it a good snack that can easily go down with a cold soda.

Chapatis can be prepared simply using wheat flour, a pinch of salt, cooking oil and water. But there those who

like a little bit of adventure and add vegetables like pumpkin, coriander, carrots or a variety of spices like cinnamon and ginger to the

flour while mixing it to bring out a unique colour and taste.

The secret of making good chapatis is to ensure that they are not hard. Soft chapatis cut

easily and are easy to chew.

When spreading the dough, you need to ensure that it is neither thick nor thin. If it is thin, it will cook too fast and

burn. If it is too thick, it will only cook on the outside but remain underdone on the inside.

oddeat

guilty pleasures

Chinese men love snake wine for its virility

Serena can’t leave her pooch behind Celebrities and athletes often have big entourages, but Serena Williams prefers hers small—and of the fourlegged variety.

The world number one tennis player stepped out in Madrid last week with her most enthusiastic supporter, her dog Lorelei.

“I simply can’t leave Lorelei behind like most people who have to leave their pets at home when they travel.” said the 32-year-old.

“Whenever I go for competitions, my pooch has to come with me, some people say it’s weird, but that is me. Sometimes it takes way a lot to take care of Lorelei in far trips, I simply can’t resist the company,” said the 17-time grand slam winner.

“The other thing is my dog also travels in style, I usually port a bright pink dog carrier for Lorelei, should the pup get tired.

the hitlist

YUMMY: Freshly made chapati has an enticing aroma.

Snake wine is an alcoholic drink made by pickling whole snake, preferably a venomous one, in rice wine.

The snake wine is popular in China, Vietnam and Southeast Asia and is claimed to be a cure for various health problems such as back pain, rheumatism, lumbago among other health issues. It has its origins in China in 771 BC. The venomous snakes are pre-

served for their ‘essence’ and the venom dissolves in the liquor.

The proteins in the venom neutralise the poison therefore making it inactive.

To prepare the wine, a venomous snake is put in a bottle full of transparent rice wine and some herbs are added. The drink is then left to ferment for months.

Brave drinkers will eat certain parts of the snake such as the

gall bladder, eyeballs and stomach. Due to the snake wine’s high alcohol percentage, it is traditionally drank from short glasses. In Chinese medicine, snake wine is believed to restore health and herbalists prescribe it for many of their patient’s illnesses.

Snake wine is also considered a strong natural aphrodisiac and is thought to increase male virility. When a man drinks the

snake wine it is a show of his manliness and his bravery.

One has to be careful, though, when opening the wine because the snake inside might be alive.

Last year, a Chinese woman was reportedly bitten by a pit viper after it had been in rice wine for three months. The woman was using the snake wine to treat her rheumatism and the snake sprung out of the bottle and bit her.

serpentine: Snake wine in fermentation. The drink is believed to boost male potency.

Parklands

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Lavington

Moi Avenue

Westlands

K1 Klubhouse

Club Rumourz

The Elephant

Lavish Lounge

Vineyard Bar and Restuarant

Jazz nite

Reggea night with theDohty family

Jazz nite with Hornithology and the Birds

Rhumba Night

Hip hop Karaoke night

Admission: Free Time: 5pm onwards

Admission: Free Time: 6pm onwards

Admission: Sh500 Time: 9pm onwards

Admission: Free Time: 8pm -5am

Admission: Free Time: 7pm ownwards

TUESday, MAY 13, 2014

Sport

permission to be absent Former Harambee Stars captain Dennis Oliech has withdrawn from the team P.15

Matano thrilled by victory over AllStars Ulinzi FC registered their second consecutive win on Sunday, beating Nakuru AllStars 1-0.

Job Muhati netted the solitary goal on the half-hour mark to give Coach Robert Matano his third victory since taking over at the military side. The win moved the team to 16 points, 10 shy of leaders Gor Mahia.

Matano said the match against the bottom placed side was tough given that both teams have a massive following in Nakuru.

“In derby matches, it’s that one moment of brilliance and not form that matters. My team performed really well,” said Matano.

“The much needed momentum in my squad is slowly coming back, despite a bad start to the campaign.

I am really moved by the manner in which the team is responding,” he said.

“We have been showing great character and fighting spirit and that is exactly what I had demanded from them,” he added.

“As I said, there are a few areas that we need to strengthen and I am looking forward to fixing them before the next match ,” he said.

There are no league fixtures lined up for next weekend, owing to the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying

Obama hails openly-gay NFL player

match pitting Kenya and Comoros in Nairobi, and Matano hopes to use the chance to prepare well for their match against Sony Sugar.

“Every match is a must-get-goodresults. That is the situation we are in and we need to be ready,” he said.

.

A VERY HAPPY MAN: Ulinzi’s win against Nakuru AllStars was Matano’s third since taking over the team.

President Barack Obama has congratulated Michael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team.

Obama called the selection of Sam “an important step forward.”

He says from the playing field to the corporate boardroom, gay and lesbian Americans “prove every day that you should be judged by what you do and not who you are.”

Sam was the Associated Press defensive player of the year in the Southeastern Conference.

He was picked late Saturday in the third and final day of the NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams. Sam played college football at the University of Missouri and came out as openly gay in media interviews earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Miami Dolphins have fined and suspended their player for tweeting negative comments about Sam. Don Jones tweeted “horrible” over Michael Sam’s kissing of the boyfriend.

“But make no mistake, it allowed the NFL an opportunity to send a strong message: If you have public and negative comments about Sam and his sexuality, you will be punished and shamed.”

“We were disappointed to read Don’s tweets during the NFL Draft. They were inappropriate and unacceptable, and we regret the negative impact these comments had on such an important weekend for the NFL,” a statement from Dolphins read.

Hamilton admits he was slow, although he won Spanish GP Lewis Hamilton held off Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg at the dying stages of the Spanish Grand Prix to win a fourth successive race.

The gap between the rival duo was just 0.6 seconds and came after the chequered flag dropped on 66 laps, allowing Hamilton to move to the top of the championship for the first time in almost two years.

“A big thank you to my team, my first win here in Spain, and it means everything to me,” said Hamilton.

“Overall, I

wasn’t fast enough, Nico was quicker, so I had to rely on my engineers a lot more to help me with my settings.”

“Fortunately I was able to keep him behind me. I cannot be carried away, though, since there are still plenty more races to go.”

Daniel Ricciardo finished on the podium for the second time this season, albeit for the first time legitimately after the Australian was disqualified from his home race in March after a fuel irregularity with his Red Bull.

Hamilton now has history on his

side because on every one of the 19 previous occasions a driver has won four races in a row in one season he has gone on to claim the world championship.

For Hamilton, this victory will also serve as a crucial psychological blow as it again appeared as if Rosberg had the strategic edge, as in Bahrain last month.

But again Hamilton was able to keep Rosberg at bay, leaving the German to settle for second place for the fourth straight race, with the latter now three points adrift.

winner: Hamilton won the Spanish Grand Prix in front of teammate Nico Rosberg.

14 |

SPORT

The countdown is on—29 days to go

TUESDAY, mAY 13, 2014

Rooney has to step up in Brazil 2014 England talisman Wayne Rooney owes England and himself a big performance in Brazil next month, if past outings are anything to go by.

Rooney’s goal-scoring record for England can’t be questioned. He’ll be the first name on Roy Hodgson’s team sheet when the tournament kicks off in June, and it’s high time he made sure he’s the first name on the score sheet too.

There is no reason why Wayne Rooney can’t be one of the major stars in Brazil. Some would argue he owes a big performance to the supporters. Rooney would argue he owes it to himself. Ever since bursting into the international scene in the European Championships, becoming the youngest player to score at the Euro 2014 staged in Portugal. The then-Everton striker scored his third and fourth goals of Euro 2004 in

that game against Croatia, his energetic, exciting display the undoubted highlight of the game that saw England triumph 4-2, resulting in qualification for the quarter-finals for the first time in a European championship on foreign soil.

Wayne Rooney hobbled off after 27 minutes in the quarter finals against Portugal , signalling the end of England’s Euro 2004 hopes and the start of one of a litany of frustrating injuries and issues for one of the most exciting and promising players in the world.

After an injury playing for Manchester United, Rooney struggled to get fit for the 2006 World Cup and his and England’s tournament ended with a red card against Portugal in the second round, the dismissal proving to be the striker’s only real contribution of note. He was to endure another disappointing tournament in 2010, the low point coming when the Old Trafford star seemed to react angrily to supporters, who let their feelings be known after a drab draw with Algeria.

That’s not to say he hasn’t performed.

Step up: england striker Wayne Rooney. pundits are of the view that time has come for Rooney to deliver a decent World cup performance for england.

England’s WC squad revealed

England manager Roy Hodgson yesterday named the 23 men he reckons have the best chance of ending almost 50 years of World Cup hurt.

While there are no uncapped players in the squad, there are places for youngsters Luke Shaw, Raheem Sterling and Ross Barkley, who have all impressed this season after starting the term with the Under-21s.

At the other end of the scale, captain Steve Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney are all preparing for their third World Cup campaign, having featured in 2006 and 2010 previously. The squad will now travel to Portugal next week to begin their World Cup preparations, before facing Peru in their final match at Wembley on Friday 30 May.

Full squad

Goalkeepers: Joe HartBen Foster, Fraser Forster Defenders: Leighton Baines,Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Phil Jones, Luke Shaw ,Chris Smalling.

Midfielders: Steven Gerrard (captain), Ross Barkley, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana Frank Lampard ,James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Raheem Sterling, Jack Wilshere.

Strikers: Rickie Lambert, Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck.

Standby: John Ruddy (Norwich City), Jon Flanagan (Liverpool), John Stones (Everton), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Andy Carroll (West Ham United), Jermain Defoe (Toronto FC).

Nasri ‘resigns to watching World Cup on TV’ Manchester City star Samir Nasri says he has resigned to missing out on the World Cup having fallen out of favour with France boss Didier Deschamps.

Nasri has been a key man for the Premier League champions this season and scored the first goal in the 2-0 win over West Ham on Sunday that confirmed their title victory.

But as far as Deschamps is concerned, the 26-year-old, who’s amassed 41 caps for the national team since 2007, is likely to be

surplus to requirements for Brazil. “I think the die is cast. I respect Deschamps’ choice. I’ll watch the World Cup on TV,” Said the midfielder.

‘If starting games in a club like Manchester City and winning two titles isn’t enough, too bad, I won’t regret anything.’

Nasri has the backing of his City boss Manuel Pellegrini, who says it will be a big mistake if he’s left out of the line-up that will contest group E against Honduras, Ecuador and Switzerland.

Deschamps axed Nasri from his last squad in February for a friendly against Holland after he disappointed in the first leg of their qualifier against Ukraine.

But his man-of-the-match performance on Sunday and sustained performances over the season for Pellegrini should be hard to ignore.

“It will be an important mistake if he doesn’t play in the World Cup,” said the Chilean.

Deschamps will name the squad Tuesday afternoon.

ouch!: Manchester city star Samir Nasri is out of favour with France coach Didier Deschamps.

SPORT| 15 TUESday, MAY 13, 2014

Sharapova delighted by LeBron wants Sterlings out of NBA ninth career title on clay Four-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova says it was a miracle recovering from an awful start to win the 2014 Madrid Open.

Sharapova looked dismayed after going down in the opener in just 29 minutes to Romanian rival Simona Halep. She has since made major improvement appearing as a wild card at the same event last year.

“I don’t take these moments for granted because

I know what it’s like to be out and injured and trying to find your way back just to play tennis,” said Sharapova who won 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday. “I really enjoy playing this sport. I like the work that I put in, and I want to get the opportunities to be in the final.

So it doesn’t matter if I’m playing on the moon or in Madrid, to be in the final position is an honour.

“I want to take my chance as much as I can, so of

course I’m so happy to win a tournament. I came so close last year. I had a tough 2013 (due to a shoulder injury). I didn’t have a great first set, so I really had to work to win. I’m not sure how I pulled it out.”

The Russian, has not lost to anyone other than Serena Williams on clay in almost three years. She will have the World No 1’s injury to thank after Serena withdrew from the tournament at the quarter final stage.

Basketball star LeBron James understands it will take time, but he wants Donald Sterling (right) out of the NBA. And he says players believe nobody in Sterling’s family should own the Los Angeles Clippers wheb he is gone.

“We want what’s right and we don’t feel like no one in his family should be able to own the team,” James said after the Miami Heat practised for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals against Brooklyn.

Sterling has been banned for life for making racist comments and Commissioner Adam Silver has urged owners

to force Sterling to sell the franchise. While Silver has said no decisions had been made about the rest of Ster-

ling’s family, NBA spokesman Mike Bass released a statement Monday clarifying the league’s authority in the matter.

Former captain Oliech pulls out of Comoros tie AC Ajaccio Dennis Oliech striker is the latest headache for coach Adel Amrouche after pulling out of the 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Comoros next weekend.

Oliech, who has already communicated with Football Kenya Federation, joins top goalkeeper Arnold Origi in pulling out due to club commitments.

On his Facebook page, the French League One player said he has a club engagement on May 17 and has communicated to FKF about it.

The club has been relegated from top French league but still have one match to go before con-

BAIL OUT: Former Stars skipper Dennis Oliech has excused himself from the national team owing to club commitments.

Iniesta says Barcelona needs major shake-up Andres Iniesta has been the most consistent performer of FC Barcelona in the past year but claims the Catalans have “failed” as a group. He says the squad needs major changes to compete for the biggest honours.

In an interview, San Iniesta, as he is famously known, expressed his views about the situation at Camp Nou and his thoughts on Coach Tata Martino.

“We failed as a group, as a team, at specific moments. Sometimes things don’t go the way you want, not because you don’t want them to, but because they don’t work out, because it’s not right, because of other

circumstances; but that’s the way it goes.

Changes are always needed, regardless of whether you win titles or not.”

Reports indicate Barca Coach Tata Martino is on verge of getting sacked with Luis Enrique touted to be the next boss. But Iniesta refused to have his view on the situation known, saying Tata is the best coach Barcelona can have. “My current coach is the best, so I would be delighted for him to carry on and have the chance to contribute everything he has to offer. What’s more, the first year is always difficult for everyone.”

“I’ve always found him to be motivated

and determined in his belief in our potential.”

Barcelona have enjoyed a poor season compared with their usual high standards and may finish the season without any trophy for the first time since 2007.

Victory is a must in next week’s season ender at home to league leaders Atletico Madrid in what is seen to be a cup final. Barca are on 86 points three behind Diego Simeone’s side.

OPINION: Andres Iniesta says the Barcelona squad needs major changes.

cluding the season.

“I might not be able to play for my country next week. The league match make even almost impossible,” posted the forward.

FKF media liaison John Kariuki said the player has communicated with the office.

“Oliech called to inform us that he has a league match on May 17 just one day before Kenya face Comoros and expressed doubt on whether he will be available for national duty,” he said.

AFC Leopards forwards Allan Wanga and Jacob Keli are expected to steer Kenya in the first round of the qualifiers.

SPORT

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TUESday, MAY 13, 2014

thetimeline

#BoobieMonster@Cobhoza “S/O to Atletico Madrid they produced Falcao and when he left Diego Costa stepped in!! Both world class strikers” the Blueminator@OnLoanAtVitesse “32 mil , That’s a great fee for Diego Costa. Very rare to find a good striker at that price. #CFC” Kris@1CAvsfann “Luke Shaw headed to ManUtd for £27million.

Interesting replacement for Evra.

Wonder who is next”

Charlie strike puts QPR on course for EPL return

Manchester United @ManUtd “Rio: “I’ve thought long and hard... and have decided the time is right for me to move on.”

Michael Carrick @carras16 “Disappointed to be left out of the squad, World Cups are special and to miss out hurts. Want to wish the boys the very best of luck.”

Joleon Lescott@JoleonLescott “Great way to say goodbye and thank you to the fans today” SuperSport Blitz@SuperSportBlitz “The League Managers Association’s honoured both Liverpool’s Brendan Rodgers & Crystal Palace’s Tony Pulis with the manager of the year award” Japan Today@JapanToday “Kagawa to take out frustration on World Cup opponents: Manchester United forgotten man Shinji Kagawa”

the coach: QPR Manager Harry Redknapp was pleased with win against Wigan.

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Charlie Austin was QPR’s hero as he scored twice to send Wigan Athletic out and book a place in the Championship play-off final.

The striker cancelled out James Perch’s opener in the second half before scoring the winner in extra-time at Loftus Road on Monday to set up a final against former Rangers first-team coach Steve McClaren’s Derby County side on May 24.

After a goalless first leg last Friday, Perch settled Wigan nerves early on when he evaded the attention of Clint Hill to finish James McClean’s cross from the left and punish QPR’s slack defending after nine minutes.

Harry Redknapp’s men were level courtesy of a 73rd-minute penalty, though, withAustin hauling the host’s level after

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Gary Caldwell had clattered into Junior Hoilett just inside the area.

“We have a final to think about in the coming week and the players are all psyched up for it,” said Redknapp.

McLean should have put the tie beyond the hosts just after the hour-mark when he was first thwarted by Green’s impressive save before directing the rebound against the post.

His miss was made all the more costly when Austin tucked away the equaliser from the penalty spot 17 minutes from time following Caldwell’s clumsy foul on Hoilett.

Austin was on target again six minutes into extra time when he beat Scott Carson to Bobby Zamora’s lofted ball and prodded home.

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