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Africa’s last polar bear dies

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wang died Wednesday months after losing companion at johannesburg zoo P.3

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Politics won’t solve our problems, says Uhuru Calls for a referendum are part of endless politics that has held the country backwards, President Uhuru Kenyatta said today.

Saying the new Constitution has just

Govt set to update deaths, births register P5

Pedestrians in for not using footbridge P6

started to take root, President Kenyatta said a referendum is not the answer to teething problems that may be experienced as a result of the new law.

Officers get life insurance cover P7

You cannot get Ebola through air

Facts about

Ebola You cannot get Ebola through water

You cannot get Ebola through food

You can only get Ebola by being in physical contact with the body fluids of someone who is sick or has died from it, or from exposure to contaminated objects such as needles. A patient is not contagious until he or she shows signs of the disease such as fever. —Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC—

Protect yourself from the virus by: 1. Washing your hands frequently-Use hand sanitizer often 2. Being careful with hand railings, doors and other utilities used by the public 3. Avoiding shaking hands where possible 4. Not touching your mouth, nose, or eyes without washing your hands 5. Teaching your children the importance of hand washing at home and in school.

Get them a sanitizer if possible

NEWS

NEWS | 3

THURsday, AUGUST 14, 2014

Uhuru: Politics not the answer From Page 1 He told agitators of a referendum on the Constitution: “I want to be clear. We are not against anybody or anything, but we cannot continue in a cycle of never ending talk and politics.”

“There is no need for us to endlessly squabble over things that do not add value to our country. We have politicked for the last 20 years and all we have achieved is marking time while other countries have moved forward,” he said.

The President said Kenyans worked

diligently for the new Constitution and it is not fair to change it even before its fruits are ripe.

He urged governors to utilise the resources allocated to them for the benefit of Kenyans before asking for more from the national Government.

The President asked leaders to direct public resources to improving service delivery at county level and growing the economy. He said as leaders clamoured for a referendum, they cannot show what they have done with what they have already

been allocated.

“Let us be focused and use what we have properly. Let us grow our economy and by so doing we will also grow the resources available for us to provide even better services to the people of this republic,” he said.

The President was speaking in Nairobi when he launched the Government’s electronic procurement and payment system.

On e-procurement, the President said all public agencies and institutions –including public universities and parastatals – must

be on the system by December.

“They are part of Government.

Therefore, they must be part and parcel of this system. Transparency is not just for ministries but all public institutions,” he said.

He said through e-procurement, the public must be informed when a tender or a contract is awarded and the winners to eliminate avenues through which Government resources have been stolen.

He was emphatic that the e-procurement system is “here to

stay” and warned public servants against frustrating it.

“Go and make your money from outside, but we will not allow you to use your position in Government to frustrate processes so that you can make money – NO. Transparency is no longer a choice –transparency from today is a requirement of every single public servant,” the President said.

Other speakers included Deputy President William Ruto and Cabinet Secretaries Anne Waiguiru and Henry Rotich.

Africa’s last polar bear passes on in Johannesburg zoo The last polar bear in Africa died Wednesday after months of grieving a long-time companion at a zoo in Johannesburg, a far cry from his Arctic habitat, reports CNN. Wang, 28, suffered chronic arthritis and liver failure. The Johannesburg Zoo, where he had been a major attraction since he was a cub, put him down for health reasons.

The chief veterinarian “had to make a very tough decision,” the Zoo said in a statement after the death.

The furry giant spent his last days pining for GeeBee, his polar bear partner of 28 years, who died of a heart attack in January.

GeeBee and Wang had spent days together at the zoo since they were six months old. It was a notable friendship -polar bears tend to be solitary animals.

After her death, Wang walked around listless and shunned food and swimming, the latter a favourite pastime with GeeBee. To distract him from the

heartbreak so he could eat and improve on his health, the zoo coaxed him with special treats and showered him with toys.

For Valentine’s Day this year, zoo officials brought Wang a box filled with fruit and meat, and decorated it with love hearts and a note that said, “We Love You Wang!”

But Wang had lived his entire life in a warm climate, and a sudden change in environment would be fatal for his advanced age, the zoo said at the time.

In the wild, polar bears barely make it past 20 years, said Agnes Maluleke, the carnivore curator for the Johannesburg Zoo. Wang was born at a Japanese zoo, and GeeBee came from Canada after both were swapped for lions. The two met at the Johannesburg Zoo in 1986.

They did not breed because polar bears’ reproduction is stimulated by cold weather, Maluleke said.

The zoo has no plans to replace the polar bears.

I’M in pain: GeeBee, Wang’s polar bear partner of 28 years, mourns the death at a zoo in Johannesburg.

Why your internet went down yesterday You may have noticed yesterday that your internet connection was rather sluggish, or perhaps went down entirely. You were not alone: problems were reported around the world.

Auction site eBay, for instance, collapsed for much of the day. The company has not explained the exact nature of the problem, but admitted in a statement that “technical experts identified this was due to upstream Internet Service Provider (ISP) issues”. Password

manager LastPass was also affected, leaving customers locked out of their accounts.

The issue, many experts say, was caused by the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). You may never have heard of it, but it is absolutely vital to the operation of the internet.

BGP is what tier-one ISPs, your last-mile ISP and various large networks use to route data from their own machines to others, and vice versa. When you visit a website that data bounces all

over the world, through machines belonging to all manner of companies and organisations. To make this work, machines called routers (large commercial versions of what you have at home) keep a table of known, trusted routes through the tangled web.

This routing table has been constantly growing in size as the internet expands and becomes more complex – more information needs to be stored in order to allow the router to bounce data to the

correct destination along a logical route. Until late 2001, the size of the table was growing exponentially, which was clearly unsustainable.

A big effort to implement more efficient methods was made which temporarily slowed expansion. But it didn’t last long.

Now we are at the point where some older routers are struggling to cope: their memory is too small and their processors not powerful enough. A full copy of the routing table now contains 512 rows of

1,000 ports, a total of 512,000 routes. Older hardware was never designed with larger tables than that in mind. Many have a strict 512,000 route limit, put in place by programmers many years ago who were forced to arbitrarily choose a number; you don’t make something so capable that it can operate for a hundred years as the hardware cost would be enormous, but you must also ensure a practical lifespan. The result if often little more than an educated guess.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2014

Ruto: Youth mental health vital for progress Deputy President William Ruto has urged members of the public to help youths with mental problems. He said mental health affects young people’s development, employment prospects and social integration.

His sentiments were echoed by UN Resident Co-ordinator, Nardos Bekele who said mental health conditions arise from physical, economic and emotional stress.

Garderner, dogs killed in Thome house raid A gardener and dog were this morning killed in an attempted violent robbery in a home in Thome area, Nairobi.

The gardener was shot at close range after he raised alarm as a gang of four broke into the home of a manager with an insurance firm at about 3 am.

The robbers had killed two dogs by poisoning them. They then tried to go for a car when the gardener raised alarm.

91 per cent of low income Kenyans don’t trust banks Only nine per cent of Kenyans in the bottom income group have entrusted banks with their financial assets.

A recent report by Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Kenya, a non-profit organisation with a focus on financial services, says that most Kenyans are shying away from banks and other financial institutions.

The study surveyed 300 households from five areas of the country, including Nairobi, Makueni, Mombasa, Eldoret and Vihiga.

FSD experts indicate that 91 per cent of low income earners in Kenya save their money informally.

The report, dubbed ‘Kenya

Financial Diaries 2014’, shows that low income Kenyans, who are earning less than $3 (Sh264) a day hold only 9 per cent of their financial assets in formal sectors. The study found that low-income earners with an average monthly income of Sh2,167 mainly use informal savings and credit associations, commonly known as chamas, to save their money.

Julie Zollmann, a Senior Associate for Bankable Frontier, said that for low income earners, banks do not seem affordable. They complain that they are not flexible and lack effective price transparency.

Two suspects arrested with police uniform

WHO says 2,000 infected by Ebola The deadliest Ebola outbreak in recorded history has now infected nearly 2,000 people, with more than half killed by the disease, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. Ebola is believed to have infected 1,975 people in four West African countries since the outbreak began this year, and 1,069 of them have died, the WHO said.

The numbers reflect the count as of Monday.

PATROL: GSU officers on duty. Rwandese national and a Kenyan were yesterday arrested at Muthurwa with bales of police unform.

Police have arrested two suspects following a raid on a go-down in Muthurwa where they seized bundles of police uniforms and boots.

The suspects who included a Rwandese national were arrested during the raid at the store. The other suspect is said to be a son to the owner of the warehouse.

There were also police shoes and boots in separate sacks that had valuables.

Police said the regular and administration police uniforms were stuffed in 30 huge sacks.

However, an order found on them indicated they were destined for Rwanda.

This occasioned some bit of confusion on whether the uniforms were for Kenya police or their Rwandan counterparts.

Central OCPD Paul Wanjama confirmed the uniforms belong to the Kenyan police services but they were yet to establish how they found their way to the go-down.

“We don’t know how they found their way here but we have found a demand letter from Rwanda Police which is an indication they were headed there,” said Mr Wanjama. There were blue sweaters for regular police and green ones that belong to AP. The uniforms were in boxes with the Kenyan Police services tags and had been stuffed in sacks.

Health crisis looms as county medics issue strike notices over pay Operations in public hospitals countrywide might come to halt next week after health workers threatened to go on strike over delayed salaries.

Seth Panyako, the secretary general of the Kenya

National Union of Nurses said that a countrywide strike will begin on Monday if July salaries will not have been paid.

Mr Panyako claims that no good reason has been given by the county governments

for the delay of salaries.

It is reported that almost half of the counties are yet to pay their doctors and nurses. The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Prof Fred Segor has said the salaries issue

be resolved by the health workers and county governments. He added that they were ready to facilitate a dialogue between both parties in order to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

This comes days after nurses in the coast region issued a seven-day strike notice over the delay of their salaries and lack of basic hospital supplies. Over 30 interns from the Coastal General Hospital have

also been on strike over delayed allowances. Cabinet Secretaries of Devolution, National Treasury, and Health said the delay had occurred in the process of re-configuring systems, votes and personnel details.

NEWS | 5

THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2014

Lenku: Govt to mop up deaths, births register The Government has embarked on a three-month mop-up exercise to ensure all persons who live in Kenya are duly registered.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku said the Government is concerned over the registration levels of birth and deaths. “The intended crash registration programme will enable the government to attain a complete reliable and automated population register,” he said.

He says statistics show only 834,847 births were registered in 2013 out of an estimated 1,434,531. Over the same period, out of the 400,679 deaths that occurred, only 189,381 were registered.

“This means 599,864 births and 211,298 deaths were not registered,” he said.

This represent 60 per cent of new births recorded in 2013 and 47 per cent which Lenku says are way below what should have been recorded.

“To correct the anomaly, the Government has as a matter of urgency, decided to embark on a mop up registration exercise to ensure that all persons resident in Kenya who were not previously registered are registered and their data captured in the national population register,” he said.

All County Commissioners are required to ensure the births and deaths register are harmonised in their counties, ensure teams carrying out the exercise are mobilised and initiate a sensitisation programme to elicit the support of stakeholders.

The officials will also be required to ensure all set targets are achieved within the set timelines and ensure the process is not “marred by issues of integrity.”

Lenku, who presided over the launch of the Rapid Results Initiative at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies, Nairobi, on Wednesday, said

reliable: lenku says the programme will enable the Government to attain a complete reliable and automated population register.

the database will serve as a source of information for all Government departments.

He instructed County Commissioners to record all deaths and births and update all missing information in registers. He said the “exercise will utilise household enumeration approach where information

experts develop genetic fly capable of killing pests Scientists have developed a genetically engineered fly which eventually kills itself in the hope that it could be an effective method of pest control.

Researchers say the male mutant species have a lethal gene which interrupts female development.

Trials on the fly have been conducted in a greenhouse, resulting in “population collapse”.

If released into the wild, the mutant species could prevent damage to crops in a way that is cheap and environmentally friendly, the researchers say.

But others say releasing genetically modified flies into the wild could have unintended consequences.

The research has been published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The Mediterranean fruit fly is a global agricultural pest which infests over 300 crops, including wild fruit, vegetables and nuts, causing extensive damage.

Techniques for pest control include sterilisation and insecticides. But sterile flies do not mate as well in the wild as attempts to make them sterile weakens them. Insecticide also poses problems as flies can quickly develop immunity.

The male GM flies produced by biotechnology company, Oxitec, are only capable of producing male offsprings.

They have what Oxitec calls “pre-pupal female lethality”. In other words, a female specific gene kills the females before they become adults. This means after several generations, the flies die off as males can

deStroyer: Mediterranean fruit fly.

no longer find mates.

In order to breed the flies in the lab, the company can “silence” the lethal gene using an antibiotic called tetracycline.

This works as a chemical switch which represses the fatal gene. When the chemical is removed, females no longer survive. “This allows you to reach thousands or millions of male insects all carrying this gene construct... Very rapidly you get a sex biased population of only male individuals, which is not sustainable,” said lead author Philip Leftwich of the University of East Anglia and Oxitec.

“In a local area where you perform this process, the population levels quickly shrink, massively reducing the amount of crop damage,” he said.

on persons will be captured under the following categories; persons between 0 and 18 years of age, those above 18 years and have acquired national ID cards and above 18 with no IDs.” The information will help the country attain and sustain universal births and deaths registration.

The initiative is part of Government efforts to ensure all Kenyans get third generation IDs that are fitted with electronic chips in the current financial year.

More on this story at www.capitalfm.co.ke

al Shabaab gang guns down 2 in Garissa raid Two people have been killed in Garissa by gunmen suspected to be members of the al-Shabaab terror group.

The attackers struck last night when they opened fire on people at the Bulhan area in Garissa town.

One man was killed on the spot while a second victim died of serious gun injuries. Garissa Deputy County Commissioner Dominic Nyenze told reporters the second victim had been taken to Garissa General Hospital where he succumbed to the injuries.

He said patrols have been enhanced as investigations into the incident continue.

In another incident, militiamen attacked people at the site of a road construction company in Mandera County and killed one person. Mandera County Commissioner Alex Ole Nkoyo said armed men attacked Earth Construction Company field office and killed a driver before vanishing towards the Somali border.

Uhuru in talks with key UN delegates on Sudan conflict A UN Security Council delegation last evening met President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, Nairobi, for talks on the South Sudan conflict. The discussions also included the threat posed by Al-Shabaab.

Kenyatta is chairman of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad), the regional body trying to resolve political impasse in South Sudan which has led to a humanitarian crisis.

The 15-member delegation was led by Mark Grant, the president of the council.

Other members were Mario Oyarzabal (Argentina), Michael Bliss (Australia), Mahamat Zene Cherif (Chad), Cristian Pedro Barros Melet (Chile), Zhao Yong (China), Remi Marechaux (France), Dina Kawar (Jordan) and Raimonda Murmokaite of Lithuania. Others were Olivier Jean Michel Maes (Luxembourg), Usman Sarki (Nigeria), Oh Joon (South Korea), Alexander Pankin (Russia Federation), Eugene Richard Gasana (Rwanda)

President Uhuru Kenyatta

and Samantha Jane Power of US. Grant briefed the President on talks between his team and the rival parties in South Sudan. The council has threatened to impose harsh sanctions on the warring parties if they fail to agree on an end to hostilities.

He said instability caused by Al-Shabaab held out the risk of a humanitarian crisis.

The meeting was also

attended by UN UnderSecretary General and Director General of United Nations Office at Nairobi, Ms Sahle-Work Zewde, and UN Under-Secretary General and Special Envoy of Secretary General for Sudan and South Sudan, Haile Menkerios.

Later, the UN team met IGAD Council of Ministers at the same venue.

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NEWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2014

Israel, Hamas agree a 5-day ceasefire in Gaza Israel and the Palestinians have agreed a five-day extension of the temporary ceasefire in Gaza as they continue with talks for a possible lasting peace.

The extended ceasefire which was agreed at the end of a threeday truce began early today.

However, while the ceasefire was being announced, Israel launched airstrikes in response to an alleged rocket fire from Gaza.

There were no more reports of violence and the two sides were expected to continue indirect talks mediated by Egypt in Cairo.

The Israelis launched a military operation in Gaza on July 8 to stop militant attacks from Gaza.

Hamas, which controls Gaza and is involved in the Cairo talks, has denied its members launched rockets at Israel last night.

“No need to jump to conclusions. I don’t know who launched 10pm rocket at Israel,” Israeli military spokesman Peter Lerner said on Twitter.

There was no immediate report of casualties from either side.

Palestinian sources say the truce extension will create a window for further negotiations.

Officials from both sides have been communicating their demands through Egyptian

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intermediaries in Cairo.

The talks are aimed at finding a more durable solution to the conflict in Gaza.

The Palestinian side wants the blockade on Gaza to be lifted, while Israel wants the territory to be fully disarmed.

Israel has indicated it may agree to relax parts of the blockade, Egyptian and Palestinian sources intimated.

Other proposals under

discussion include reducing the “no-go” zone in Gaza, and increasing the offshore fishing zone for Gaza fishermen.

Egyptian mediators have proposed that discussion of other demands, such as the opening of a seaport in Gaza and the return of the remains of two dead Israeli soldiers, be postponed. About 2,000 people have died since the fighting in Gaza began inJuly.

UDF troops rescue girls, kids from LRA Ugandan troops have rescued 45 women and children held by fugitive Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels after battles with the elusive jungle insurgents, the army has said.

Ugandan People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) spokesman Paddy Ankunda said they were freed in two separate batches earlier this month in Digba, in the remote forests of northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

“We rescued from the LRA 45 people, the latest being 32 women and children,” General Ankunda said. He said another batch of 13 women and children had also been freed.

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NTSA officials enforce use of footbridges Officials from the National Transport and Safety Authority were today morning at the Nairobi Valley Road to compel pedestrians to use the footbridge when crossing the busy road.

Pedestrians who did not use the footbridge were

arrested and taken to court and charged with “wilful obstructing free flow of motor vehicle and putting one’s life at risk”.under section 90(2) (c) of Traffic Act. The law states that any person who fails to comply is guilty of an offence

and liable to a fine not exceeding Sh5,000.

The move is part of an initiative by the NTSA in partnership with the Kenya Police and Judiciary to strengthen rules on the use of footbridge, tunnels and zebra crossings.

What others said today...

Karua now joins Raila in push for referendum: Two former presidential candidates hae ganged up against Jubilee administration to support Cord;s push for referundum. Narck Kenya leader Martha Karua and her National Congress counterpart Peter kenneth pulled a surprise by throwing their weight behind the plebiscite, a brainchild of the opposition chiefs. “The referendum train has taken off,” said Raila Odinga...

WHO warns Kenya of Ebola spread risk: Kenya has been classified as a high risk country as the government Wednesday pledged to increase efforts to keep Ebola away from the country.

The World Health Organisation certified Kenya as a high risk country as complaints built up that the government response to the virus had been tepid and casual.

There is no cure for Ebola which kills most of its victims...

TSC sets togh rules for hiring 10,000 teachers: The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has set strict guidelines for the recruitment of 10,000 teachers and warned its county directors against flouting them. Governors and Members of Parliament will not be included in the two selection panels at sub-county and county levels. The new teachers will report to their workstations on September 15...

Referendum journey begins: The official outline for a referendum and the campaign to deliver it by the Opposition started to take shape yesterday, with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga hinting at a possible merger with the Council of Governors’, which is pushing for a similar initiative. After a spirited clamour that started with demands for national dialogue in June, Cord leaders yesterday appended their signatures on paper...

Police officers get life insurance cover

As many as 100,000 officers and dependants will benefit from a new life insurance cover.

As part of a move to improve living standards among police officers, the National Police Service will benefit from a life insurance cover from Pioneer Assurance Company.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku earlier this week presided over the signing of a life cover with the company.

Mutea Iringo, the Interior Principal Secretary, signed the contract for the Government along with David Kimaiyo, the Inspector General of Police.

The group life cover will be offered by Pioneer Assurance Company which won competitive bidding for provision of the service.

Lenku said the move will boost police morale in serving the country.

“It is part of the government’s commitment to improve the

welfare and living standards of police, prisons and other security officers in the country,” he said.

He said other measures have been put in place to improve the welfare of officers, including proper housing and mobility.

“The policy, which is a first in the history of the country’s police and prison services, covers all employees (uniformed and civilian staff) of the National Police Service and Kenya Prison

Services,” Lenku said.

The contract covers risks ranging from natural death, accidental death, permanent total disability, temporary total disability, critical illness and funeral expenses for principal members and declared dependants.

The country has about 80,000 officers and about 20,000 prison staff along with immediate dependants, all of whom will benefit from the cover.

risking for others: Police officers during the Westgate attack rescue mission. As many as 100,000 officers and dependants will benefit from a new life insurance cover for the officers.

Sony play station television set for launch in UK, US Sony has revealed that the PlayStation TV will go on sale in the US on October 14 and the UK on November 14.

They will cost $99 (Sh8712) in US and £78 (Sh1,1534) in Europe.

The offers includes three games.

The PlayStation TV has been available in Japan since last year. It is Sony’s effort to try and take on other streaming TV consoles like AppleTV and Amazon FireTV. Unlike AppleTV, Sony will enable users to access older PlayStation games. Other features include accessing Sony’s games library via Remote Play and it will also offer access to

third-party applications like Netflix.

The device is not intended to appeal to serious gamers but to those who are looking for a second-screen or the ability to play older PlayStation games.

Analysts have cautioned that simply appealing to gamers will not make the device a runaway success but are optimistic about the device’s prospects, despite earlier failed streaming games efforts, such as OnLive.

The PlayStation TV is an effort by Sony to introduce a broader audience to PlayStation by providing access to a huge library of games.

BUSiness | 7 THURsday, AUGUST 14, 2014

theindustry Soft drinks sector grows in tandem with awareness As consumers become more health-conscious, soft drinks are growing into popular choices for Kenyans out to quench their thirst.

Research by experts from Euromonitor, a global data mining firm, has found that in Kenya, the soft drinks market continued a positive growth rate in 2013. Some local bottling companies are known to make more than Sh4 billion profits every year.

“Rising health awareness also bolstered demand for juice, with manufacturers in all major soft drinks categories responding by diversifying their portfolios and joining the juice category,” says a researcher from the company.

Some markets, like Ruiru, have reported double sales as consumers drink as much as 15,000 litres of soft drinks a month in 2014

compared with 7,000 litres last year.

Euromonitor experts say stronger rivalry in the carbonated soft drinks sector benefits consumers since manufacturers are forced to lower prices and improve on the quality of products.

“2013 saw increasing competition in the soft drinks market following the return of PepsiCo to the Kenyan market,” says the report. This led to a price war with Coca-Cola, with PepsiCo offering a 350ml glass bottle for the price of a regular 300ml bottle.

Coca-Cola reacted by cutting the price of its 300ml soda by Sh2 to Sh23, and the price of its half-litre bottles by Sh3.00 to Sh37. This benefited consumers and positively impacted sales.

newsbriefs Students in UK shun degrees for Sh367,000 salary Leading firms in the UK are offering the brightest teenagers jobs straight from school by tempting them with training salaries of more than £30,000 (Sh4.4 million) a year.

This is equivalent to Sh367,700 a month.

Some companies are receiving more than 100 applications for each position as rising numbers of school leavers shun £9,000-a-year (Sh1.3 million) degree courses to move straight into a career.

Research shows that firms, including Pricewaterhouse-

Coopers (PwC), KPMG, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and National Grid, are taking on more school leavers this year.

Some places require applicants to score at least three Bs for a job.

Applications have soared 80 per cent since the scheme was introduced in 2012.

“We are seeing a generation of young people weighing up their career and training options differently, whether because of university fees, economic forecasts or reduced graduate employment,” said Gaenor Bagley, of PwC.

ECB customers to get new ATM cards to fight

smart device: PlayStation TVs have been available in Japan since last year. The devices will go on sale in the UK and the US on November 4.

Equatorial Commercial Bank says it has completed tests on the new Europay MasterCard Visa system as it moves to protect customers from ATM fraudsters. Customers will soon be issued with new safe and secure ATM cards.

Sammy Itemere, the Bank’s Managing Director, said all ECB customers can now

replace their old magnetic strips with new chip and pin cards.

“Fraudsters have found it easier to steal customer information stored on the magnetic strips, enabling them to execute illegal transactions,” he said earlier this week. “EMV technology is the surest way to prevent ATM fraud.”

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BUSINESS

THURSDAY, August 14, 2014

‘Mjengo’ agents find jobs for youth and take their cut Unemployed youth keen on working in the construction sector can now get jobs hustle free and earn up to Sh400 a day.

Construction agents source jobs for them and take a commission of Sh50, or even more, from each person they get hired on a day.

The agents are mostly well connected individuals with contacts in the construction industry popularly known as ‘mjengo’.

They are well linked with construction companies and individual contractors, who alert them of upcoming construction works.

A World Bank report says that Ken-

ya’s informal sector constitutes 98 per cent of all businesses in the country.

It takes in to half of all new informal job seekers annually.

Benson Mwanje, a seasoned painter, finds jobs for at least 30 people a day.

He earns at least Sh2,000 every day from commissions he gets for sourcing the jobs to unemployed youth.

“I live in Mathare where most people depend on informal jobs for survival,” he explains.

Mwanje’s house doubles as an office, where he has employed a relative to assist him in running the business.

James Ongere is running a bigger agency. With an office in the

expansive Huruma Estate, he not only sources for job opportunities for clients, he also rents tools to new recruits.

Having worked as a mason for 10 years, Ongere offers job opportunities to at least 100 people a day, earning a commission of at least Sh5,000. ‘’I have a lorry, which carries my clients to sites hence helping them to cut on transport costs,” he says.

A beneficiary of this platform is Tom Kevogo, who has embraced the system as it gains ground in Nairobi and other major towns across the country.

How to sell a car online with Kenya Car Bazaar One of the cheapest ways to sell a used car is to put a sticker with the owner’s contact information on the windscreen and hope for the best.

The problem with this method is that only those who see the car will consider buying it while thousands of other potential buyers will never know about the offer. l Kenya Car Bazaar has been selling cars online for over three years with what its agents describe as amazing results. As one of Kenya’s online market places, the platform allows sellers to register for the service for free. l The first step to selling a vehicle on their platform is to create a personal account by visiting kenyacarbazaar.com. l The site allows users to

upload photos of their vehicles. l “After placing your car advert, you can confirm the details and your advert goes live,” one Kenya Car Bazaar agent told X News. l The process takes a few minutes with Kenya Car Bazaar promising that the advert will be seen by over 5000 shoppers a day. l The site allows users to upload up to 5 images with full descriptions. l “You can login at any time to amend your advert and images,” says a spokesperson for the group. “Our team will be working with buyers from the beginning process all the way to the purchase.” l Kenya Car Bazaar takes a small cut from the seller’s earnings, which can be negotiated before the purchase.

infrastructure Upper Hill roads upgrade faces further delays

FROM SCRATCH: Construction workers on site. Agents make money from commissions they charge job seekers for whom they find work on building sites.

cityscape

business101

The construction of a 5.4 kilometre stretch of road in Nairobi’s Upper Hill area will not meet its August 27 deadline, Infrastructure Principal Secretary John Mosonik has said.

“At the moment, 60 per cent of the construction is completed,” Mosonik explained in a recent announcement. “In the next two or three months, we will have made significant progress.”

He absolved Mattan Contractors, the group responsible for the upgrade, from blame over the delays.

He said they were having a difficult time relocating

water, sewerage and power systems in the area, a fact that has slowed down construction.

The Sh2 billion project, which will include an upgrade on the Upper Hill, Hospital, Elgon, Bunyala and Kilimanjaro roads, started in May 2012 and should have been completed by now.

Those working in and around the area are therefore forced to deal with traffic jams. The jams get worse when it rains, causing motorists to lose their cool and evidently lead to even more gridlocks as they try to leave the city in groves.

Piedmont Plaza

—Know the buildings that shape the city

Piedmont Plaza is a 5-storey building located along Ngong Road in Nairobi. The building boasts green tinted windows and a water fountain on the ground floor. It houses the famous Brew Bistro Bar and Lounge, tech hub Startup Garage and an bridal wear shop among others.

Nairobi Startup Garage

5th Floor r Recours 4 Kenya Consultants th r 4 Floor Nairobi Startup Garage 3rd Floor r USAID-Kenya Horticulture Competitiveness Project r KCB Custody Services 2nd Floor r Veterinaires Sans Frontiers r Isolux Corsan 1st Floor r Brew Bistro Bar and Lounge r LG Customer Service Centre Mezzanine r Digital Distribution Centre r DHL Service Point

Bliss Beauty Parlour Toyota Genuine Parts Centre r Vemma Verve rThe Novel Golf Shop r Mary Kay Beauty Products r Infobip r Psychometrics Africa Ground Foor r The Wine Bar r Development Bank of Kenya r Marina Bridal Wear r RV Forex Bureau r Alimentari Italian Food Store r Discovery Village Africa r GT Bank Basement r Parking Bay r r

PLAY | 9

forecast capricorn Dec 22 - Jan 19

THURsday, AUGUST 14, 2014

HOROSCOPES

Money matters should be going well for you now, Capricorn, so today you might decide to make a long-desired expenditure for your home. You might decide to buy furniture, do some redecorating, or even purchase a new home. Land investments might also warrant some consideration.

aquarius Jan 20 - Feb

You should look especially good today, Aquarius, and feel outgoing and charming. Friends, neighbors, and strangers may comment on how great you look. Communication is apt to be warm, informative, and supportive.

Relationships of all kinds should strengthen.

pisces Feb 19 - Mar 20

cancer Jun 22 - Jul 22

Does your job have a good profit-sharing plan, Cancer, or do you own company stock? If so, expect to hear that its value has skyrocketed beyond what anyone had hoped. This is worthy of celebration. You and your colleagues should do just that.

leo Jul 23 - Aug 22

Romance should be going beautifully for you today, Leo. Your romantic partner looks especially attractive and probably is in a great mood. You might decide to attend a lecture together or plan a weekend getaway. Communication between you is open, honest, supportive, and loving.

You’ve worked hard for your money, Virgo, and today you should reap the benefits of your efforts. Earnings, investments, property values - all should be worth considerably more than they were a year ago. Love, sex, and romance should also be going well, although you might have a few difficulties coordinating your schedule with your partner’s.

Aries Mar 21 - Apr 19

libra Sep 23 - Oct 22

A love partner may have heard some great career news today and want to take you out to celebrate, Libra.

Go - no matter what you have to reschedule. Your friend is in a great mood, looks wonderful, and is feeling very passionate and sexy.

taurus Apr 20 - May 20

scorpio Oct 23 - Nov 21

gemini May 21 - Jun 21

sagittarius Nov 22 - Dec 21

Have you been pursuing a career involving the creative arts, Taurus?

If so, news of an upcoming success could come your way today. This is a gratifying day for you. Friends could phone or come by to congratulate you. Ideas for new projects could fill your head.

A friend who lives far away might call or email you today, Gemini. Your friend may be planning to visit your area and want to get together with you. This should make you very happy, although at first you may worry that job responsibilities will interfere.

1

2

’s o ayhot d r te g p s n i Ye nn i w

ng s i n n in tio W p ca

If you see colleagues outside of work, they could also be congenial and supportive. This might stem from the fact that the lines of communication between you are wide open and you’ve reached a new understanding.

Keep this going. It can only benefit everyone involved.

Words of love could be exchanged between you and your romantic interest today, Sagittarius. Obstacles to open and honest communication have been cleared away in the past few weeks.

You’ll both be more apt than usual to express your feelings.

sudoku

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

1. Begging the diplomatic way-Michael Mulemi, Kitisuru.

2. Maybe he needs to change careers, be a satirist maybe- Joe Kamau, Nairobi.

3. If only Kenyan beggars were this bright-Sharon Barongo, Kisumu Ndogo.

Yesterday’s solution

China Dolls — by Lisa See 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.

yoursay

3

virgo Aug 23 -Sep 22

Your imagination should be flying high today, Pisces, and your creative juices flowing freely. Exceptional ideas for projects involving writing, music, or painting could pop into your head during the day. Start on one and list the others so you can refer to them later. Don’t be surprised if you find your intuition increasing as well.

A social event could take place today involving a number of friends you may not have seen for a long time, Aries.

You’ll feel good about catching up and meeting exciting new people, too.

Interesting information could come your way.

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

‘National Dialogue’ The clamour for national dialogue is likely to hurt the strength of the shilling that received a boost after Kenya secured the Euro bond. Interestingly, those calling for or against do not feel the pain when poor economy bites our pockets. All issues raised for the dialogue are not political, but have been politicised to curve a fertile niche for those who want to show their might as they pull for or against.

What do the elites know about high cost of living since they do not shop locally? Dialogue or no dialogue, we need peace to alleviate ourselves, not them.— Mary Kadogo, Nairobi

In 1938, Ruby, Helen and Grace find themselves auditioning for a spot as exotic dancers at one of San Francisco’s exclusive clubs.

Helen comes from a family of Chinatown merchants, Grace escaped an abusive home in the Midwest. Ruby, a Japanese, passes as a Chinese. They become fast friends and pledge friendship to each other. As days go by, the girls grow to be dependent on each other in a hope to achieve their dreams.

Everything changes after the Japanese attack Pearl Harbour.

Suddenly all innocent Japanese are suspects and are rounded up and sent to camps by the US government. Ruby is one of them, but the question is, who squeaked?

mustread

Avoid dangerous zones with SketchFactor app The app uses crowd sourced information from users to show how safe or unsafe an area is.

SketchFactor, which was founded by Allison McGuire and Daniel Herrington, is a Manhattan, New York-based app that uses user experience to describe certain areas of the city. It is available on the Apple App store and will soon be made accessible on the Google Play Store.

Users report crimes, or as they are called, Sketchy incidents, of areas they have visited. Users can report sketchy incidents they see fit no matter how trivial. Other app users can read the sketchy incidents and get directions for alternative routes that do not have sketchy reports.

If a user does not like or agree with a sketchy report, they can down vote it.

But if they agree with a report, they can

up-vote it.

Launched in August 2014, the app has come under fire with claims that it is racially discriminating. Relying on people’s reports which are submitted anonymously has made the app look ‘sketchy’. But the founders downplay the claims, saying the app is a tool for everyone and anyone.

10 |

education

THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2014

UoN tops in East and Central Africa South Africa produced six out of the best 10 in Africa with the University of Cape Town on the lead

TOP: The University of Nairobi was ranked among the top 1,000 universities in the world.

77th in Africa and 3850th in the world. However, they were represented in Kenya’s finest 10. Moi, Strathmore, African Virtual University, KCA University, Maseno and Mount Kenya took position five to 10 in that order.

The University of Cape Town emerged as the top ranked instiution on the continent.

Webometric ranked more than 22, 000 universities per country, content and the globe.

The Spain-based ranking web considers, among other factors, the impact of the content offered by the university to the society, its presence, openness to institutional research repositories, academic excellence based on published research papers and their impact.

They aim at motivating institutions and scholars to have a web presence that accurately reflects their activities.

mustvisit...

coursesin...

Employ yourself and others with a diploma in horticulture Kenya is one of Africa’s leading exporter of horticultural products.

This makes agriculture a major foreign earner for the country. Consquently, agribusiness has gained a lot of emphasis lately. It does not need a lot of space but can make a big impact in yields.

A diploma in horticulture will equip you with skills, knowledge and the management abilities to be an expert in production of fruits, flowers, and other horticultural products. You can also employ yourself and others College: Egerton University Course category: Diploma in Horticulture Duration: three years Admission requirements: Applicants must have attained a minimum of C plain in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education or it

The University of Nairobi (UoN) has, for the first time, toppled Makerere University to become the leading academic institution in East and Central Africa after it was ranked 907 in the world’s top 1000 world universities.

August Webometric Ranking of World Universities placed Makerere 1134th.

UoN was ranked ninth in the top 100 African universities with Makerere four places down.

The African list was dominated by universities from South Africa, which was represented by six universities in Africa’s top 10.

Kenyatta University was placed 22nd, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology 45 while Egerton settled at 49 in Africa.

No local private university featured in the continent’s top 50. Strathmore University was the the best performer, ranked

equivalents.

They must also have a minimum score of C in English or Kiswahili, maths or Physics or agriculture.

A C+ in biology and chemistry or B- (minus) in the biological or physical sciences.

Fees: Tuition fees for one year is Sh70, 000. This translates to Sh210 for the three years.

Careers: With this qualifications, there are employment prospects in horticultural firms and government agricultural research institutes.

Opportunities Self-employment is the best part of it where you can establish your small scale farming on agricultural products, which are currently fetching well in the export.

It is a venture that can employ many others.

Discover Kenya’s cossy little travel destinations Rusinga Island Lake Victoria is Africa’s largest fresh water lake and the second largest in the world.

Rusinga Island is a beautiful piece of land that affords you a spectacular view of the lake in all its glory. The Island has resorts that offer a lot of peace and quiet far away from hustle and bustle of the city life. Rusinga is accessible by boat, road and air and there are usually not many people around, adding to the serenity of the isle.

Saiwa Swamp National Park Located in Trans Nzoia, 27 km from Kitale Town, the park has a forest and a swamp. It is the smallest national park in Kenya measuring only three square kilometres and home to the

rare Sitatung, a semi aquatic endangered antelope species.

One can also see other animals like the otters, genet cat, serval cat, mongoose, bushbuck and monkeys.

The park also has an abundance in bird life with 372 species being spotted.

Watamu Marine National Reserve Watamu Marine National Park is the closest you will get to interacting with the great sea life. It is home to different species of fish, turtles dugongs, crabs and many more. You can go snorkelling, ride in glass boats and get to see the marine life. There is also the Mida Creek mangrove forest in the reserve that has different species of mangrove and makes for great scenery.

EYECATCHING: Rusinga Island is one of the places you should visit if you are explorative.

online

Distractions a big drawback to mobile learning Mobile learning or mLearning is the new face of eLerning that is enabling one to study while on the go.

But constant distraction is one problem dogging mLearning with email and text messages alerts to some of the prominent nets disrupt the concentration of students.

Lack of supervision as that in

the formal classroom is likely to yield less fruit for students if content developers do not prepare it with this scenario in mind.

Luke Wroblewski, a US digital software producer says mLearning has to punch the learner at first sight.

The most important idea must be at the top. As they

skim through they will rack in the most prominent points even if they do not read to the end.

“Small screen sizes force you to prioritize what really matters to your audience.

There simply isn’t room for anything else,” Wroblewski mLearning must be interactive too. Learners will

be hogged in to read because it will be as interesting as the other things they read on the internet. They will find fun in this content.

As student get to search for more complementary materials, these factors will be important to consider for best results for their learning. mLearning must trend with

technology. If it does not take into account the new digital developments, it will be obsolete the following day it is out, as the government and the private sector are developing ICT content for digital learning in the entire learning system, it will be worth to consider these factors for quality.

CAREER |11 wantmyjob?

lineofwork

Daniel Laban is a vehicle doctor at Automotive Doctors Ltd. He spoke to XNews about his love for cars.

Sports turn into lucrative, honourable profession Sports has become an honourable profession compared with previous.

In the past, most parents expected children to pursue professions related to their studies instead of making something out of talent.

But times have changed.

There is room for sports which has become one of the world’s highest forms of employment.

Many young people have defied odds to make careers out of athletics and other sporting activities.

McDonald Mariga, Julius Yego and David Rudisha are among the country’s successful athletes.

They have outstanding records for their effort in this field.

Education is obviously

THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2014

important but there are those who did not acquire high academic levels but athletic talent has taken them places.

Financial constraints may frustrate one’s academic dreams but athletics can become a handy fall back alternative.

They can use it to generate cash to further studies.

So if your child decides to make tennis or football part of their life, support them.

Teach them to balance talent and academics.

Impart discipline so that they pay attention to both.

Direct, correct and motivate them into allround individuals.

Sports has generated some of the continent’s internationally acclaimed giants.

XN: What does your job entail?

DL: Motor vehicle diagnostics, mechanical repairs and maintenance of cars on regular basis.

XN: How many hours do you work in a day?

DL: 11hours.

XN: How much do you earn?

DL: Enough to settle my bills.

XN: What qualifications do you need for the job?

DL: More technical experience and a working understanding of how a car works. You also need to love your work.

XN: Was this your dream career?

DL: I wouldn’t say it is, but I am still not there yet. I want to be the leading auto world expert in Kenya and East Africa.

XN: Does your job interfere with social life?

No. I find a balance between

the two.

XN: What is the best part of your job?

DL: Doing diagnostics on a car, getting its symptoms and remedying the problem.

XN: The worst part of your job?

DL: When clients don’t pay in time for the job done.

XN: Advice for people who want to venture in to your line of work?

DL: Work hard; it pays.

Beware of swindlers With the number of jobseekers rising by the day, con artists use fake job vacancy adverts to lure unsuspecting victims.

As pressure for joblessness increases, frustration sets in making people gullible. Desperation makes the unemployed try every chance that comes their way, often leading to deceitful traps. Swindlers use posters to advertise “job vacancies”. Once you call the given numbers, you are asked to pay some cash for all manner of reasons.

Linet Wamuyu fell victim to such a ploy a year ago. “I was in search of a job to help pay for my studies when I came across a poster advertising vacancies.” She immediately called only to be told to pay Sh1,500 for registration. Without giving much thought,

she paid via Mpesa. Linet was put on hold for a week and when she tried to call, the number failed to go through.

Con artists give outrageous reasons for the money demanded. Either it is for registration, processing documents or a little something for speeding up the process. Before victims realise they are being duped, they will have lost a lot of money.

“A friend once gave me a number to call for free training as a caregiver but something was off about it,” said Jane.

Jane was told they were starting a training bureau for house helps. So they were recruiting members at Sh2500 fee before those registered could be notified at an indefinite date.

If you are searching for a job, you must be on guard to avoid being exploited.

Do not desperately run for a deal that seems too good to be true.

Question every bit of information provided before jumping into what could end up to be a trap.

bucketlist

Getting out of your comfort zone means starting to learn, grow

This week we venture in to comfort zones. That blanket you do not want to let go of.

Comfort zones US author Neale Donald Walsch once said: Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

Human beings always get comfortable and are resistant to change. We associate change with fear thus it takes us ages to take a leap of faith.

Nobody likes moving away from their comfort zones. Yet

when you close your eyes and jump, that’s when things start happening.

Getting out of the comfort zone means starting to learn and

grow. You become more open to different possibilities.

After you’ve taken that leap of faith, you ask yourself, why did I not do this sooner?

Go on an adventure, face your fears take risks and push yourself more than you ever have and things will fall into place. You will not feel overwhelmed or trapped by boredom and fear you will be free of all things holding you down. Your life will become more exciting and you

start feeling better about where you are at a certain point in time.

Start viewing your comfort zones as a prison not shelter.

Stop taking the safe path; choose the dangerous and unknown one. Set goals that are out of the comfort zone and work towards achieving them.

As you challenge your comfort zone, you will be happier and confident in your abilities.

Take that leap of faith and will eventually be fine.

12 |

FUN

The spine-chilling risk of ice climbing

THURsday, AUGUST 14, 2014

filmmenu What’s in the cinemas Theatres 2 iMax, Fox Cineplex, Century Transformers-Age of Extinction This is the fourth instalment of the Transformers film series.

As the earth tries to restore itself after an epic battle, a shadowy group from another world try to control the course of history by plotting the destruction of mankind.

In order to defeat them, the autobots join forces with a new group of resilient humans led Mark Wahlberg, who will fight in a battle that will determine the fate of the entire human race.

Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Kelsey Grammer Watch it at: Century Cinemax Junction at 9.40pm today | IMAX Theatres on Friday at 3:40 PM

Guardians of the Galaxy This is a superhero film based on the Marvel Comics comics book series by the same name.

Adventurer Peter Quill becomes a fugitive after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by a powerful villain, Ronan. To evade him, Quill is forced into a truce with a bunch of misfit but when he discovers the true power of the orb, he must do his best to keep it away from Ronan for the galaxy’s sake.

Stars: Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper Zoe Saldana, Dave Batista Watch it at: IMAX Theatres today at 4pm, 6:20pm and 8:40pm and on Friday at 9am, 1:20pm and 12:40am |Century Cinemax Junction at 2pm , 4.30pm, 7.00pm and 9.30pm today | Fox Cineplex Sarit Centre at 4pm today | Planet Media Prestige Plaza at 6.30pm and 9.00pm today and at 1.30 pm,6.30 pm and 9pm on Saturday and Sunday.

danger: Ice climbers doing their thing. Ice climbing is considered more dangerous than rock climbing.

killerdancemoves

drinkingcorner

Takes 10 minutes to prepare Ingredients: One lemon, one lime, one orange, ½ cup of sugar, 750ml of dry red wine (preferably Merlot).

The movie is based on the novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars The Greek demi-god, Hercules, is hired by the King of Thrace and his daughter to defeat a tyrannical warlord. After enduring 12 years of labour and the loss of his family, his only solace is in the bloody battle.

the hitlist

where the climbing will take place. For example, the texture of the ice will give one an indication of the kind of shoes to wear. On flat ice, any good hiking boots will suffice, but for vertical ice, double plastic mountaineering boots are usually used. They must be crampon compatible and stiff enough to support the climber and maintain ankle support.

Protection from the cold is also vital. Special warm clothing and dry gloves (those that don’t stick on the ice) and helmets are an absolute necessity.

Climbers should also carry first aid kits along with their gear.

Gadgets like a GPS device are also recommended.

The biggest risk in ice climbing is avalanches. They happen without warning and usually lead to death.

Hari Berger, an Austrian ice climber, died in 2006 after being trapped under tons of ice during a routine training session.

Classic Spanish Sangria

The Hip Lock

Hercules

Stars: Dwayne Johnson, John Hurt, Ian McShane, Rebecca Ferguson Watch it at: Fox Cineplex Sarit Centre at 2pm, 6.30pm, 8.50pm today | IMAX Theatre at 11pm today and on Friday at 7:00am, 11:20 am, 6:40 pm, 8:40 pm , 10:40 pm |Century Cinemax Junction at 5.20pm, 7.30pm and 9.40pm today

Rock climbing is dangerous enough. Dangling thousands of feet above ground with the risk of plunging to your death is truly scary. But with ice climbing, the danger is doubled.

Ice climbing is an extreme sport whereby one ascends inclined ice formations like ice mountains, ice falls, frozen waterfalls and cliffs.

What makes it more dangerous is that one is climbing a fragile formation that can collapse at any time.

Before embarking on an ascent, climbers need to first do a thorough survey of the area they intend climb. They should check the temperatures and look at whether the ice is strong enough to hold their body weight.

If the temperature is not right the whole formation could collapse under the climber’s weight. If it is too cold the ice can shatter and if it is too warm it will melt. Conditions must be just right for a safe climb.

The equipment used for the climb will also depend on

Step1

Step2

Stretch out your right arm, place your feet together and put your left palm on the back of your head. Pop your hip to the right.

Turn slightly to your left, lift your arms and slowly swing them down to your waist while you stand on the tip of your left toes.

Step3 Stretch out your left arm. Shift all of the first steps to your left now and pop your hips to the left. Repeat Steps 1, 2 and 3.

the mixture.

Let it settle then put it in the refrigerator for at least two hours so that it develops the flavours. Serve while cold.

Preparation: Slice the lemon, lime and orange into thin round pieces and put them in a glass pitcher. Pour in the rum and sugar then crush the fruits lightly with a wooden spoon.

Use only a quarter cup of sugar, if you want it to be less sweet. Add the red wine and stir

Industrail Area

Lavington

Kasarani

Upperhill

Magadi Road

Choices Pub

Ozone Club

Natives Bar

Shebeen Bar

Rhino Club

Thursday Nite Live featuring Aaron Rimbui

Ravish Rave night

Throwback Thursday with DJ Creepa

Project shame Karaoke hosted by Martin Kariuki

Campus night with shots going for sh 50 and beers at sh 150

Admission: Free Time: 8pm-11pm

Admission: Free Time:8pm-4am

Admission: Free Time: 7pm-6am

Admission: Free Time: 7pm onwards

Admission: Free Time: 6pm onwards

THURsday, august 14, 2014

Sport

done deal Liverpool have agreed a Sh1.8b fee with Sevilla for left-back Moreno P.15

Martino named Argentina boss Gerardo Martino was named coach of Argentina on Tuesday replacing Alejandro Sabella who stood down after they lost 1-0 to Germany in July’s World Cup final.

Martino, 51, gets the job despite a trophyless

season with Spanish giants Barcelona, which resulted in him being sacked.

“The coach Gerardo Daniel Martino will on Thursday take up his functions as technical director of the national side,” read a statement from the Argentinian Football Association (AFA).

“He replaces Alejandro Sabella, whose contract with AFA ended after the World Cup in Brazil.”

Martino’s first target will be next year’s Copa America in Chile.

Sabella guided Argentina to their first World Cup final since 1990.

But despite losing narrowly to the Germans, a Mario Goetze goal in extra-time proving the difference, Sabella refused AFA’s offer to sign a new contract taking him up to 2018.

Martino earned respect for his handling of the Paraguay national side whom he guided to the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals.

trophyless: Gerardo Martino was named coach of Argentina despite a trophyless season with Spanish giants Barcelona who sacked him.

Ambaka unveiled Ibrahimovic Sh4.4m donor at Western province to Sweden disabled athletes

Kenyan winger Willy Ambaka was on Tuesday unveiled as the Western Province player ahead of the Currie Cup starting next week.

Ambaka, who first rose to prominence as a Sevens player, has been plying his trade over in France with Lyon Olympique Universitaire.

After helping his side to the French Division II Championship earlier this year, he returns to Africa as he continues to build on a promising start to his 15-man career.

Standing 1,95m tall and weighing

100kg, Ambaka will add a different dynamic to the Province back three, something Coach Allister Coetzee is well aware of.

“He is a strong runner with plenty of pace and tremendous aerial skills. He’s an exciting addition to our playing ranks. But his onfield abilities aside, Willy is a true professional who is looking forward to stepping on the pitch with Western Province and being a part of the exciting brand of rugby being played here at Newlands.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has donated Sh4.4million to help Sweden’s learning difficulties national team travel to the INAS World Football Championships in Brazil.

The PSG forward, who failed to qualify for the World Cup with his national team, said he is willing to do anything to help the Swedish side play in the tournament.

The INAS World Football Championships are an international football competition held every four years for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

“Football should be played by anyone, regardless of gender, disability or not,” said the 32-year-old.

“When we (the Swedish national side) missed the World Cup, I was

deeply disappointed.

“So when I heard about “the unknown team” I said to myself that I wanted to do everything in my power to help them to experience a World Cup. “There was nothing to think about. It was a given.”

Assistant coach of the side Stefan Jonsson originally got in touch with the superstar to ask him to donate a shirt to auction off to raise the cash.

But Jonsson said: ‘(Ibrahimovic) said “What the hell are you doing with a jersey?

What does it cost to go?”

“When we said that we needed 350,000 Swedish krone (Sh4.4 million) he asked for the account number and deposited it.”

failure: Ibrahimovic failed to qualify for the World Cup with his Swiss national team.

14 |

SPORT

THURSDAY, AUgUST 14, 2014

youthfuL AmBition: the kenya u-18 sevens team to the youth olympics.

National U-18 sevens team off to youth Olympics Rooney’s pride at being named Man United captain Manchester United have named Wayne Rooney as their new captain, with the striker saying it’s an honour to captain the best club in the world.

The England international, 28, replaces Nemanja Vidic, who has left the club for Inter Milan , while Darren Fletcher has been named as vice-captain. Rooney will skipper United in the Premier League opener with Swansea at Old Trafford on 16 August.

“It is a huge honour and a role I will perform with great pride,” said Rooney.

“I am very grateful to the manager for the faith he has shown in me.”

Rooney - confirmed as captain after the 2-1 friendly win over Valencia

on Tuesday night - was one of the favourites for the job once Patrice Evra also asked to leave.

The former Everton man has skippered the Red Devils in the past.

And while Louis van Gaal’s close friendship with Robin van Persie led to suggestions United’s boss would hand his fellow Dutchman the armband, Rooney’s longevity, he joined in 2004 - made him a more obvious choice. “For me it’s always very important the choice of captain,” said Van Gaal.

“Wayne has shown a great attitude towards everything he does. I have been very impressed by his professionalism and his attitude to training and to my philosophy.

The Kenya U-18 sevens squad left the country on Monday evening to take part in the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.

The side, coached by Paul Murunga, will play preliminary round fixtures against the USA and France (17 August), Argentina and Japan (18th August) and Fiji (19th August).

“These are very young players, they have a lot to prove and learn from other great players out there and I do believe they will do well,” said Murunga, the Homeboyz RFC coach.

“The most important thing with upcoming players is that they are always ready to learn new things and willing to improve,” he said.

Meanwhile, Education, as well as testing, will play a big part in the anti-doping programme at the second Summer Youth Games to be officially opened on Saturday in China.

“Anti-doping activities have been planned during the games to educate the young athletes about the dangers of drug use, especially in sports,” said Zhao Jian of China, the executive deputy director of the anti-doping work team for the games organising committee.

Anti-doping activities Olympic village include WADA’s Play True Generation Programme which is delivered during major multi-national, multi-sport events for athletes under the age

of 18, and educates them about their rights and responsibilities with regard to anti-doping.

A computer game - Play True Challenge - was launched at the 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010, and similar activities will be held in Nanjing.

“These athletes are just starting their careers in sports and they need to understand that doping is not the answer. Of course, if anyone tests positive, action will be taken,” he added.

In-competition testing covers the period from 12 to 28 August 2014, during which approximately 300 urine tests will be conducted. Blood tests may also be carried out.

Pharrell curates soundtrack for ‘NBA 2K15’ the king: Cavalier’s LeBron James. he picked songs for the last nBA2k15 game.

Pharrell is teaming up with the world’s best-selling basketball video game franchise as a music curator.

2K Sports announced Wednesday that the Grammy-winning performer chose 27 tracks for the soundtrack of the upcoming “NBA 2K15.” He’s the second music performer to select songs for the popular video game, following Jay Z who served as executive producer in 2012. LeBron James picked out songs for last year’s instalment that sold 7 million copies. Pharrell said he wanted to create an “eclectic mix” of songs.

Three of his songs are featured on the soundtrack including “Hunt-

er,” “Can I Have It Like That” and “How Does It Feel?”

The soundtrack will also include songs from Lauryn Hill, One Republic, Snoop Dogg, Lorde, A Tribe Called Quest, Missy Elliott, Junior, Basement Jaxx, Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force, Clipse, Death from Above 1979, No Doubt, Public Enemy, Ratatat, Santigold, The Black Keys, The Rapture, The Strokes, Strafe, Depeche Mode and Red Hot Chili Peppers. “It was fun to include songs that I have always loved, like Strafe’s “Set it Off ” or Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario,” he said. “ The eclectic mix makes for a really cool vibe.” Pharrell also performed at this year’s NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans.

SPORT| 15

Liverpool strike deal for Moreno THURsday, AUGUST 14, 2014

Liverpool have agreed a Sh1.8billion fee with Sevilla for left-back Alberto Moreno.

The 22-year-old Spain international was withdrawn from Tuesday’s Uefa Super Cup defeat by Real Madrid and is due on Merseyside for a medical later in the week.

Martin Kelly is expected to leave Anfield to join Crystal Palace.

The 24 year-old England international will have a medical with the Eagles in 24 hours after the clubs agreed an initial fee of Sh219million.

Liverpool confirmed they had reached an agreement with Sevilla for Moreno and expect to complete the deal in the next few days.

Moreno was in tears at the end of Tuesday’s defeat by Real Madrid in Cardiff as he said goodbye to Sevilla supporters, staff and teammates.

After the match, Sevilla

boss Unai Emery said: “This has been in the offing for a month and a half.

“We are in England and close to teams that are interested in Alberto. We want to wish him all the best. Now we will have to look for another player to come in who is able to give big performances.”

Moreno will become Liverpool’s eighth signing this summer, and will vie with Jose Enrique to become Brendan Rodgers’ first choice on the left of defence.

Fellow Spaniard Enrique, 28, made just nine appearances at the start of last season before a knee surgery in November put a premature end to his campaign, with Glen Johnson and Jon Flanagan deputising in the left-back position.

Liverpool have also bought Southampton trio Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren, Benfica’s Lazar Markovic and Bayer Leverkusen’s Emre Can, while rightback Javier Manquillo has joined on a two-season loan from Atletico Madrid.

The Merseysiders also signed Belgium striker Divock Origi from Lille for Sh1.7billion, but have allowed the 19-year-old to return to the Ligue 1 side on loan for a season. withdrawn: The 22-year-old Spain international was withdrawn from Tuesday’s Uefa Super Cup fall to Real Madrid.

Ronaldo hails Fergie for Super Cup award Cristiano Ronaldo dedicated his man of the match award to Sir Alex Ferguson after scoring twice for Real Madrid to see them lift the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla on Tuesday.

Ferguson, who was at the game as part of UEFA’s technical committee, briefly spoke to the player he signed for Manchester United as a teenager as the reigning Ballon d’Or holder came down with the winner’s medal.

Ferguson named Ronaldo the man of the match for his performance in the 2-0 win at the Cardiff City Stadium as the Portuguese won the European showpiece for the first time in his career.

“I am happy because I scored these two goals and I want to thank Sir

Alex for handing me the man of the match trophy,” Ronaldo said. The European champions lifted the first of six trophies they will be fighting for in the season.

“He helped me a lot when I was just 18 in Manchester and I want to say I respect him and thank him so much for everything he did in my career.

“This was a trophy I wanted because I haven’t won it yet. I was nervous, but I managed to work well with the team and I am pleased.”

Ferguson, who signed Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon for Sh1.8billion in 2002 and sold him to Madrid for a then-world-record Sh11.7billion seven years later, said the decision to give Ronaldo the award was not a difficult one.

Safaricom Kisii half marathon for Friday More than 400 athletes are due for this year’s Kisii Half Marathon scheduled for Friday.

The 21-km race is anticipated to parade elite and amateur athletes and will be flagged off outside Gusii Stadium. The athletes will go through Kisii town and back to the stadium.

Silver medallist in the just concluded 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Last year’s winner, Caroline Kilel is expected to grace the event that draws elite athletes from the region and its environs.

Athletics Kenya Chairman for Nyanza South Peter Angwenyi said: “Kisii Half Marathon has grown to become a popular event for elite and amateur athletes… registration for this year’s race has kicked off at Sh100 and we expect to have a good turnout” Last year, the race was won

by Bernard Kitur in 1:4:1sec, while Caroline Kilele won the female category in 1: 38:8secs Kisii Half Marathon is the 5th race under the 2014 Safaricom Athletics series umbrella.

last winner: Last year’s winner Caroline Kilel will be in the race.

Guardiola’s swagger over Bayern strength

still my favourite: Sir Alex Ferguson presents the man of the match award to Cristiano Ronaldo after scoring twice in Real Madrid’s 2-0 victory in the European Super Cup against Sevilla.

confident: Guardiola feels he has enough forward options despite complaining of players’ fitness.

Bayern boss, Pep Guardiola insists he is happy with the strength of the squad despite rumours of interest in Borussia Dortmund ace Marco Reus.

The Bavarians have signed Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski from their Bundesliga rivals in successive summers and are heavily linked with the 25-year-old attacker.

But Guardiola feels he has more than enough forward options despite complaining of his players’ fitness on Tuesday.

“We already have eight

strikers,” the Catalan coach told a press conference.

“I do not need new players. I am pleased with this squad.”

Bayern, who won a domestic double last term, start their 2014-15 campaign on Wednesday with a DFL-Supercup clash with Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park.

BVB, who won the curtain-raiser last term, finished as runners-up to Bayern in both the DFBPokal and the Bundesliga last time out.

16 |

SPORT

THURSDAY, AUgUST 14, 2014

Chepkirui digs up more gold

gOlD DiggeR: Commonwealth games 10,000m champion Joyce Chepkirui won gold in Marakech yesterday.

thetimeline DjScrap@DjScrap My timeline gets distracted so fast. Filled with robin Williams yesterday , Disney channel today. #Distractions from the real Danny@Danny_Singham Jimmy Fallon’s Tearful Tribute To Robin Williams Will Give You Chills http://www.

Pam Finn, RN @ ColoradoMtnhome AWESOME!!! Watch Jimmy Fallon Pay Tribute To Robin Williams, ‘The Muhammad Ali

Of Comedy am @sayuumsam i understand how sad and unfortunate Robin Williams passing away is but can we PLEASE focus on & support the people of Ferguson MC Mikey @Cordxll Wow. People are trolling Robin Williams daughter. Y’all are sad.

Debra Slade @ DebraOrerubicon What is wrong in a world where msgs were sent 2 Robin Williams

daughter that were cruel and incomprehensible? No excuse 4 that type of hate.

Aliping Sagigilid@ingridybear RIP Madz. RIP Robin Williams.

RIP Ma’am Angeles. Hay naman this week Mike willard‫@‏‬ mikeroadmaster I am going to say this robin williams was a Master Just like dane cook and Steve Martain at there craft don’t make fun of Robin that’s rude!

Dortmund winners of Germany cup

Borussia Dortmund scored an early psychological blow ahead of the forthcoming Bundesliga season by beating bitter rivals Bayern Munich 2-0 in the curtain-raising German Super Cup. Bayern had beaten Dortmund in both the league and cup last season and also bossed the early exchanges.

But once Henrik Mkhitaryan put the home side ahead with his fierce drive, it was

all Dortmund - the excellent Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang capped a fine performance with the winning headed goal in the second half and he whipped out a Spiderman mask in celebration.

Despite notable absentees in the form of new Dortmund captain Mats Hummels and Marco Reus, there was an abundance of talent and World Cup winning stars on show with silverware at stake. But even with the likes

of Manuel Neuer, Thomas Mueller, Philipp Lahm, Mario Goetze and Robert Lewandowski, facing his former club, in their ranks, Bayern looked well off the pace and Dortmund were good value for the win.

What’s more, Bayern’s holding midfielder Javi Martinez suffered a suspected cruciate ligament injury in the first half and could face a long spell on the sidelines.

Joyce Chepkirui continued with her great season by winning gold in the women’s 10, 000m final yesterday night at the ongoing African Championships at the Grande Stade de Marrakech, Morocco.

She won the race in 32:45.27 as Emily Chebet, her teammate in the sweep of the 10,000m medals at the just-ended Glasgow Commonwealth Games, settled for silver in 32:45.28 ahead of Ethiopian Belaynesh Oljira (32:49.39).

It was a small field for the final with just Morocco (one runner), Kenya (two) and Ethiopia (three) represented.

“I am used to racing a big field which also makes it a lot easier than because with such few runners it is like you are at the end of the race when you are actually starting because the pace is quite competitive,” said Chepkirui, “I came here looking for the title.

It was a difficult race and my chest is just and burning from the unbearable heat.”

Chepkirui and Chebet, the two time world cross country champion, carried the country’s medal hopes against the Ethiopian trio of Oljira, the bronze medalist in Moscow last year, Yalew Genet, former world cross country junior silver winner and Abayechewe Tegest.

The other starter Moroccan Sammah Khadija could not endure the East Africans pace and the sweltering conditions with the temperatures recorded at 37 degrees, dropping just after the halfway mark.

Chepkirui and Yalew paced for most of the race alternating the lead of the single file of four with Tegest falling off the pace barely at the halfway mark. At the bell Chepkirui had it all wrapped up before Chebet eased past at the final bend. But in a repeat of the final at the Hampden Park the road, Chepkirui;s speed carried her through for the gold.

Copa champions JMJ Academy face elimination after second draw COPA Coca-Cola defending champions, JMJ Academy are close to elimination after they drew their second game on the trot in the ongoing national finals in Nairobi.

Kisumu Lakers and newcomers Kitale Youth became the first teams to qualify for the semifinals after winning their second group games. Lakers beat Young

Muslims 1-0 with a goal from Franklin Otieno. while Kitale thrashed Tharaka 4-0.

JMJ’s defence of their title may be over after the barren draw with Coast representatives Tana Boys in a tight encounter that epitomized the level of competition in this year’s showpiece.

JMJ’s best chance of scoring came early in the first half

teeNAge kiCkS: Action from the Copa Coca-Cola.

Champions JMJ Academy are on the brink of elimintation.

Published by Xtra Publishing Limited, Chancery Building, Valley Road. Printed by the Star, Lion Place, Waiyaki Way.

when they earned a penalty but Edwin ‘Drogba’ Okoth blasted his effort over the bar.

Buoyed by the presence of Garsen MP Ibrahim Feni, Tana kept the reigning champions at bay till full time. JMJ must now win their final match against Murhanda Boys to have any chance of making it to the semis.

Emily Kerubo scored twice in the second half as Nyamira Girls beat Mombasa Starlets 2-0 to qualify for the semis.

In the last games in the group, Tana will clash with Angaza Boys with both teams still having a chance of making it into the semis should either of them win and JMJ lose to Murhanda.

Kitale and Isaiah Opiyo’s Lakers will clash in the last game of the group.