201501015 xnew

THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015 | www.x-news.co.ke

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expose corrupt african leaders on newly launched website

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big promise china to work harder on africa railway

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new appointment babu owino elected chair of african students association

NEWS

elite kenyan runners eyeing london race top honours

Swansea blast Ivory Coast over Sh4.09b Bony transfer

PSVs fares stay up as fuel prices drop

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ommuter fares will not drop, at least in Nairobi, despite a huge cut in fuel prices announced by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on

Wednesday.

There was a sigh of relief after ERC released the latest price review which saw fuel prices cut by the biggest margins since 2010.

The fresh prices reduced petrol prices by Sh9 with the commodity retailing at Sh92.88 per litre in Nairobi.

Prices for diesel and kerosene fell by Sh7.50 and Sh5.78 to retail at Sh83.35 and Sh65.59 respectively.

And although many commuters expected bus fares to reduce, players in the matatu industry insist

fares will not fall merely because fuel prices have dropped.

“Fuel alone is a small fraction of expenses in the transport industry,” Matatu Owners Association Chairman Simon Kimutai was quoted as saying.

The union coordinator for Nairobi County Godfrey Akuma claimed:

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Court delays Kuria suit withdrawal by a month

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Socialite space getting crowded

Peninah Lema trying to break into the world of socialites, but it is proving to be a tough challenge

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The ugly side of KOT tweefs

Kenyans on Twitter are known for their opinionated tenacity, and they occasionally turn against each other

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Sophisticated NOT YET OFF THE HOOK: Gatundu South legislator Moses Kuria appeared in court earlier today and was ordered to report back on February 17, 2015 when prosecution will explain the outcome of a reconciliation process and possible withdrawal of hate-speech charges against him. STORY ON PAGE 2.

Jamil Walji’s display at Mozambique Fashion week is still the talk of town

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NEWS THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015

PSVs fares stay up as oil prices fall From Page 1

“There are other factors that determine what is charged as commuter fare. If you look at our infrastructure, the roads are poorly done. The cost of vehicles have also gone up.”

Akuma insists commuters should not expect a drop in fares even after six months of backto-back fall in fuel prices. The reduction has so also seen an overall drop in inflation.

Meanwhile, the Consumer Federation has criticised the review, saying it only met 50 per cent of expectations given the recent plummeting of international crude prices.

“Even when weighed against prevailing weaker shilling and fixed tax, the usual excuse of time lag between purchase and actual landing is unconvincing.

There is no proper reason as to why consumers should not pay less than Sh85 per litre of super petrol in Nairobi,” said Federation of Kenya Secretary General Stephen Mutoro.

ERC Director General Joe Ng’ang’a, who announced the cut on Tuesday, promised that Kenyans will feel the full effects of global price drops in the next review.

Ng’ang’a said some of the components of fuel products, including tax, gross margins of oil marketing companies and distribution costs, determine how fast the international oil prices reflect on the Kenyan rates.

“Because the imported products are already refined, the appropriate benchmark to track the trend of local prices against international prices is the platts for refined products, “he said.

we don’t know how to lower fares: A matatu conductor calls for passengers to his vehicle. Public Service Vehicles have vowed not to reduce fares even after the Energy Regulatory Commission lowered fuel pump prices by more than Sh9.

Court delays Kuria suit withdrawal by a month Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria will wait for at least another month to know whether charges of hate speech against him which are still pending in court will be withdrawn.

Senior Principal Magistrate Enock Cherono agreed to a request by prosecution for another month to enable parties iron out issues that were spelled out for the conciliatory process.

The lawmaker, who appeared in court earlier today, was ordered to report back on February 17, 2015 when prosecution will explain results of reconciliation efforts and possible withdrawal of charges.

Kuria is facing charges over hate remarks he made when he linked terrorism to certain communities.

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) had sued him over the utterances.

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), which took Kuria to court, demanded that he issues a public apology before the case can be withdrawn.

The legislator issued the apology early this week.

“The comments posted were inexcusable and I apologise to all Kenyans that were offended. I apologise to all Kenyans for my lapse in personal judgement for the comments made in the heat of the moment. It is important to note that the comments were made after a terrorist attack at Gikomba market and this elicited a lot of anger and frustrations amongst Kenyans including myself,” he said in the apology expressing his remorsefulness.

NCIC had required of Kuria to personally call a news conference and announce his public apology and foot all attendant bills accompanying the exercise.

Kuria is out on a Sh5 million bail.

While making the public apology at a news conference attended by NCIC and Law Society of Kenya, the MP vowed that he was committed to stopping the trading of words on social media.

Father, kidnapped son re-unite after 24 years A Chinese man who was abducted from his father’s vegetable stall 24 years ago has finally been reunited with his family.

Sun Bin was just four years old when he was taken from the market in a city of Chengdu in south-eastern China.

After he was kidnapped, Sun Bin, now 28, was sold to his adoptive

parents, a childless couple in the city of Xuzhou, almost 1,610 Kilometers away, for £250 (Sh35,000).

“I admit I grew to love them for their kindness as years went by,” Sun Bin says. “When I was old enough to start to look for my real parents on my own.”

Sun Bin started looking for his

biological parents in 2010, and as part of the search he supplied a DNA sample to a government backed database. He later found a match.

His father Ku, 45, and mother Lo, had spent four years travelling around China in the hope of finding their son, but gave up in 1995.

Ku and Lo finally stopped looking for Sun Bin when they had another child, a daughter, but Lo never got over losing him and she died in 2011, of a ‘broken heart’.

Ku said he had not expected much from the DNA database and was overjoyed when he got the call to say his son had been found.

emot i ona l moment: Sun Bin wipes away tears during his re-union with father Ku.

NEWS 3 THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015

NEWS BRIEFS

CARTOONSPEAK

KDF kills six al-shabaab fighters

Music is a universal language, experts confirm

One Kenyan soldier and five suspected Islamists insurgents loyal to Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-affiliated Shabaab fighters were killed in a battle in Kenya’s coastal Lamu district on Wednesday, the army said. Kenyan troops, part of the UN-backed African Union force in Somalia fighting the Islamists, were travelling northwards close to the Somali border when they were attacked. “A firefight ensued and five suspected Al-Shabaab militants were killed,” army spokesman David Obonyo said in a statement.

Music is in fact a universal language, new research has revealed.

By playing tunes from a range of different films, experts have found that the sounds invoke the same emotions from people of exceedingly different cultures.

Researchers from the Berlin Institute of Technology, and universities in Montreal, Canada came to this conclusion after they played music clips to pygmies in the Congolese rainforest and musicians in Canada.

They found that certain aspects of Western and pygmy tunes make people from different cultures feel similarly calm or excited.

But the groups of isolated pygmies and Canadians had different opinions on the musical clips that made them feel good or bad.

The western music, which included orchestral sounds and excerpts from films that included ‘Psycho’, ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Schindler’s List’, was designed to induce a range of emotions, including calm, excited, happy, anxious and sad.

The pygmy pieces were all upbeat polyphonic vocal pieces that are intended to be performed in ceremonial contexts.

At least 27 injured in city highway carjacking incidents

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At least 22 people were seriously injured last evening after a hijacked Kasarani-Mwiki bound bus overturned on Thika Superhighway near Roasters.

The accident occurred at about 10pm last night when carjackers, some of whom had boarded the bus in town, tried to take over control of the vehicle as it raced down a drift prompting a confrontation with the driver and other passengers who sustained injuries out of stabbing.

St John Ambulance Communications Manager Fred Majiwa says a gang of about four took charge of the bus and assaulted some passengers before it lost control on the service lane to roasters flyover.

“The incident took place at around 10pm, when a gang of around ten hijackers took control of the bus.

Some of them were in the bus when it left town for Mwiki,” he said. Three people were critically injured and rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital while the rest were taken to the nearby Neema-Uhai Hospital. The four gunmen managed to escape with the

injuries they had sustained during the confrontation.

“The suspected thugs immediately took off on foot after the incident, according to the watchmen who were around that area but police were not able to catch up with them,” Nairobi police boss Benson Kibue said.

No arrest has been made so far but police have commenced investigations into the incident.

The bus belonging to Nakasaki Sacco had left the city center some minutes to 10 pm with 53 passengers on board. In another related incident, five people were also injured last night in a separate carjacking case on a private car in Ruaka.

The owner of the car was getting into his compound when a gang of three took its control at gunpoint.

This prompted neighbours to raise alarm and alerted police who were on patrol. The officers shot at the car forcing it to overturn and in the process the five occupants were injured. Police say they are waiting for the victims to recover before interrogating them.

Suspected thugs lynched in Githurai 44 Four suspected thugs were lynched today morning by a mob in Githurai 44, Nairobi. The men were accused of having robbed a bodaboda rider of his motorbike after stabbing him to death.

The other bodaboda riders ganged up with locals and hunted down the four before lynching them by stoning and burning. Police say they arrived at the scene long after the four men had died. Police appealed to the public to desist from mob lynching and instead surrender suspects to them.

Hunt on for gang that killed man in Buruburu Police in Nairobi are looking for a gang of criminal suspects who shot dead a man in Buruburu last night. The deceased Emmanuel Ochieng was shot five times by two men whom he wanted to attend to after they came calling him in his house at around 9pm. The suspects who later on fled using a saloon car registration number KAP 082F, did not steal anything from the deceased.

WHAT OTHERS SAID TODAY...

Recovered body is not ICC witness Yebei’s — CID: Presumed ICC witness Meshack Yebei’s mutilated body was yesterday identified by police as that of one Hussein Yussuf Borai.CID officers told journalists the body, which has been at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary since Jauary1, and claimed by Yebei family, is not his.

Yebei’s relatives were left in shock at the morgue after Hussein’s family turned up to claim the same body. Ben Yebei insisted that the body is that of his brother...

It’s back to class as court brokers a deal: The two teachers unions yesterday agreed to call off the strike which entered the second week on Monday.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) agreed that they will officially call of the strike so that teachers can resume classes by 8am on Monday January 19, 2015.

The agreement was entered before Industrial Court Judge Nduma Nderi after intensive negotiations which were held in court...

Court stops teachers’ strike and takes over negotiations: The eight-day strike that shutdown learning in public schools has ended after the Industrial Court took over the pay negotiations and ordered teachers to return to class from Monday next week. The teachers’ unions did not get the increase in basic salary for their over288,000 members, they were demanding after the Teachers Service Commission TSC) refused to budge. The announcement followed a nine-hour discussion presided over by Justice Nduma Nderi...

It’s back to school: The Industrial Court managed to melt the ice between the two teachers’ unions and the government, convincing union chiefs to call off their national strike and the employer to drop all disciplinary threats, pending a determination of the dispute.

Parents and learners can now breathe a sigh of relief after the two rival teachers’ unions agreed to stop the industrial action and direct their members to resume duty next Monday....

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NEWS THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015

Whistle-blowing website to expose Africa’s corrupt dealers launched A whistle-blowing website which aims to expose politicians and businessmen who abuse power in Africa has been launched by media and campaign groups.

AfriLeaks will give people a chance to leak sensitive information incognito.

The site’s founders say it is an attempt to boost investigative journalism to expose widespread corruption and human rights abuses.

It will also help circumvent growing surveillance by governments and corporate firms, they say.

Afrileaks, made up of 19 media outlets and activist groups, says it is committed to “speaking truth to power”. “You will be able to send us documents and select which of our member organisations should investigate it,” it says.

“We’ve designed a system that helps you to share these materials while protecting your own identity, so that it becomes impossible to identify you as the source of the leak.”

Most of the 19 are newspapers and include South

Africa’s Mail & Guardian, Kenya’s Daily Nation and Nigeria’s Premium Times.

The Mail & Guardian newspapers say AfriLeaks is modelled along the lines of Europe’s GlobaLeaks with the aim of making whistle-blowing safer.

“In the post-Snowden world in which we live, with government and corporate surveillance a reality, it has become critically important for journalists and whistle-blowers to take every precaution to ensure their digital safety,” the paper reports. The US wants to put ex-security contractor Edward Snowden on trial for leaking to the media in 2013 details of mass surveillance programmes. He is exiled in Russia.

Correspondents say newspapers in multi-party democracies in Africa have often exposed corruption and human rights abuses.

The challenge AfriLeaks faces is to get whistle-blowers in repressive states like Eritrea and Sudan, where control over the internet is tight, they say.

UNMASKING TOOL: A screen grab of the AfriLeaks.org website. AfriLeaks will give people a chance to leak sensitive information incognito. The site’s founders say it is an attempt to boost investigative journalism to expose widespread corruption and human rights abuses.

It’s back to class on Monday as teachers’ strike is called off Teachers’ unions have finally called off their two-week strike and directed their members to resume work on Monday at 8am. The unions directive came after an order issued by Judge Nduma Nderi following day-long negotiations at the Industrial Court, which asked them to call off the strike as it took over the responsibility of setting ‘reasonable’ salaries for teachers.

“For the avoidance of doubt all teachers will resume teaching

by Monday, 19th January 2015.

TSC undertakes not to victimise any teacher, union official or the unions who may have participated in the strike including

payment of salaries,” ruled Justice Nderi.

In his ruling, the judge further directed the parties involved in the labour dispute to submit proposals on the expected pay to help the court determine salaries for teachers. “The unions KNUT and KUPPET to file their memorandum by 19th January, the Teachers Service Commission to file their memorandum by 25th January, the Central Planning and Monitoring Unit (CPMU) and the SRC to file their reports within 10 days from 26th January 2015.”

“This is a very historic day in this country for the judiciary to address the labour dispute that

has bedeviled this country for many years. We have developed what we think is in the best interest of this country of industrial relations in the teaching service and the public service, and we believe it is going to mark the end of confusion and will open a new dawn for proper construction of collective bargaining agreements at all times,” said Wilson Sossion, the KNUT Secretary General.

Sossion’s sentiments were reiterated by his counterpart from the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Akello Misori who praised the court’s willpower to resolve the teachers’ pay

dispute saying it was time the constant strikes over pay were addressed.

On his part, KNUT Chairman Mudzo Nzili acknowledged the success of the talks saying they were trusting that the court would consider the plight of teachers who have sacrificed for years to ensure pupils got an education despite the poor remuneration they were subjected to.

“They were giving us a 30-50 percent offer but we wanted a 100-150 percent increment. We don’t want them to give us 50 percent or 150 percent, we want them to give us something reasonable,” said Nzili.

BACK TO SCHOOL: High school students in a classroom. School resumes on Manday 19th January after the teachers’ unions KNUT and KUPPET called off the strike.

Great Lakes MPs to meet in Nairobi over regional security Members of Parliament from Great Lakes member states will meet in Nairobi next week to discuss political and security challenges in the region.

Kenya’s Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro said the Fifth Ordinary Plenary Assembly of the 12 member International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) will be held between January 20 and 22.

“Parliaments are Houses for debates when you have forums like this one, it’s basically to look at the situation within our region,” he added.

“So the meeting is in two formats, the Executive which mulls over the main issues of the forum then there is the reporting back mechanisms and also there will be a meeting of the Speakers and then they will be the plenary sessions.”

Angola, Zambia, Rwanda, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya are the member countries.

President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to inaugurate the regional conference while Kenya’s National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and his Senate counterpart Ethuro are among those listed to address the Assembly.

The meeting will focus on the Central African Republic, Dem-

ocratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and South Sudan that have been affected by endless conflicts between the states and rebel militias.

Ethuro says the forum will also discuss the political and security implications the Somalia militia Al Shabaab poses to the region.

“Most of the issues we are talking about are really politically instigated conflicts, the issue of Al Shabaab is a global issue about terrorism and of course we will discuss it in terms of the political and security situation in our respective countries. As you can appreciate it we seem to be doing much better at handling Ebola than terrorism,” said the Senate Speaker who is the conference convener.

Also expected to be laid on the table of the plenary is the role of Parliaments of member states of the ICGLR in the fight against the illegal exploitation of natural resources in the Great Lakes region and the implementation of related international and regional legal instruments.

The third challenge to be deliberated at the conference is the spiralling youth unemployment across the Great Lakes Region.

More on this www.capitalfm.co.ke

Oil firm drive to tame ‘me first’ road culture Kenyans have been urged to embrace courtesy as the most effective way of reducing traffic deaths.

The call comes even as the Government recently announced a 10 per cent fall in accident-related deaths in 2014.

Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau says the country saved 311 lives last year compared with 2013 through stricter enforcement of traffic rules.

He, however, warns that a lot still needs to be done to change the culture of road users.

“We need to go beyond just enforcing

road safety to changing the road culture and attitudes of road users in Kenya,” he said.

“Majority of accidents are attributable to a culture of recklessness and disregard for the rights of other road users, including pedestrians and cyclists. Road courtesy is often neglected yet it is one of the most effective ways of reducing road carnage,” Kamau said.

Kamau, a professional civil engineer, was speaking during the launch of a road safety campaign by National Oil dubbed ‘Give One, Take One’.

The campaign seeks to encourage respon-

sible behaviour among Kenyan motorists.

The initiative seeks to sensitise motorists and other road users on the importance and benefits of giving way.

National Oil chief executive Sumayya Athmani said the company will invest Sh10 million in road safety initiatives.

She said the campaign will focus on addressing the ‘me first’ attitude that is common among Kenyan motorists.

“Many traffic snarl-ups are caused by bad behaviour among motorists, including not giving way. Many motorists see other road users as obstacles and this needs to change,” she said.

BUSINESS 5 THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015

NEWS BRIEFS Farmer, 70, wins Sh5m, pick-up in Safaricom draw The 2015 Bonyeza na Safaricom grand prize winner has collected cash and car and is on his way to becoming one of Kenya’s many millionaires.

Ainea Buteta, 70, (inset) from Changara area, Bungoma, received his cheque on Wednesday at Safaricom House at Westlands, Nairobi.

The official draw was held on January 5, 2014. The country’s leading telephone service provider in market base staged a ceremony for Buteta, complete with traditional dancers, music, bouncers and confetti.

Each day saw one winner take home Sh1 million until Buteta, the proud father of 18 children and a farmer, claimed Sh5m and the Isuzu D-Max

pick-up truck.

Other winners include Angela Odinda, a housewife from Kakamega, Eric Mwaura, driver from Ruaraka, Gabriel Okoth, a casual labourer from Homa Bay. They also included Juliana Mina, farmer from Nyeri and Ruth Musau teacher from Lamu all of whom received Sh1m each.

Chinese man nabbed as he smuggles Sh4.5m iPhones

ROAD MONSTERS: Bus accidents like the one pictured above continue to take away innocent lives on Kenyan roads.

Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau says the country saved 311 lives last year through stricter enforcement of traffic rules.

Chinese customs officials on Sunday arrested a Hong Kong man as he tried to sneak 94 iPhones valued at $49,000 (Sh4.5 million) into the country’s mainland by strapping them on his body.

The man caught the attention of inspectors at Futian crossing in Shenzhen, a southern Chinese metropolis bordering Hong Kong. He was walking like someone carrying a heavy load despite appearing to travel light, customs officials told CNN earlier this

week.

Apple’s iPhones are immensely popular in mainland China and are more expensive in mainland than Hong Kong due to higher import tax.

An iPhone 6 with 64 gigabytes of storage, for instance, sells for almost $1,000 (Sh91,000) in mainland but only about $820 (Sh75,000) in Hong Kong. The price variation has created a huge and lucrative black market that is served by smugglers.

JP Morgan Chase bank suffers massive losses Legal costs has whittled down profits for US largest bank, JP Morgan Chase. The institution had warned earlier that possible losses from legal proceedings could total $5.9billion (Sh539.1b).

Last year, the bank paid $2.9b (Sh264.9b) and $11.1b (Sh1.01 tr) in 2013 in legal costs. They also agreed to a record $13billion (Sh1.2 tr) settlement with US authorities for misleading investors during the US housing crisis and collapse in prices.

The bank has also reported a 6.6 pc profit fall after paying almost $1billion (Sh91.4b) in costs because of the investigations.

They were being investigated for currency trading and have set aside more money to cover bad debts.

Their profits were held back by the US government penalties for failing to report suspicions of fraud by the Bernie Madoff, a former stockbroker sent to prison for fraud after running a Ponzi scheme.

JPMorgan’s revenue from fixed-income trading was also down 23 per cent at $2.5b (Sh228,415,000,000), net income was $4.93b (450.3 b) in the fourth quarter, down from $5.28b (482.25b) for the same period a year ago.

But JP Morgan is not the only bank that has suffered losses due to investigations. HSBC, Barclays, Citigroup among others, have also been under investigation over the alleged rigging of foreign exchange rates.

the industry

ON THE RUNWAY: Strong growth in the construction sector is directly linked to increased access to credit. The sector is set for further boom after an increase in development projects.

State in Sh3b boost to construction sector The construction sector is set for further growth due to booming development projects across the country.

In a move that is set to create hundreds of job opportunities in coming months, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich has said a State-owned company, the Numerical Machining Complex, will soon benefit from a Sh3 billion stimulus package to revive local industries.

NMC is a steel works firm that produces steel cast components and parts for

automotive and industrial applications.

The company will have capacity to produce 157,000 tonnes of steel products each year.

It is expected to go a long way towards providing affordable raw materials for the growing construction sector.

A company known as Top Steel Kenya Limited is spearheading the plans and will use the cash to set up a steel milling factory in Kwale once it wins approval from relevant regulators.

As of now, Kenya does not produce engineering grade steel despite its

capacity to do so. The country has relyied on imported products since it can only produce 40 per cent of what is required.

The balance of 60 pc is imported from China, raising the cost of construction and manufacturing to high levels.

The construction of Standard Gauge Railway, among other projects, has greatly increased demand for steel and, in turn, made the product more expensive. The steel mill is expected to lower the cost of construction and ensure projects are completed on time.

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BUSINESS THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015

BIZ GADGET Tecno Phantom Z The Tecno mobile and Tablet Company released a high-end spec device late last year dubbed the Tecno Phantom Z. This device has a number of specs that come close to matching the top performers in the high-end smartphone market.

DOWN LOW: Energy Regulation Commission, (ERC) slashed prices to the lowest levels in four years. Effective Wednesday midnight, super petrol went down by Sh9.13 to retail at Sh92.88 while diesel dropped by Sh50 to sell at Sh83.35.

Fuel prices slump to four-year lows Relief has hit the pump after the Energy Regulation Commission, (ERC) slashed prices to the lowest levels the country has ever experienced in four years.

Effective Wednesday midnight, super petrol went down by Sh9.13 to retail at Sh92.88 while diesel dropped by Sh7.50 to sell at Sh83.35. The maximum recommended price of kerosene went down by Sh5.78 to retail at Sh65.59 in Nairobi.

ERC Director General, Joseph Ng’ang’a said the drop was the biggest the country has ever experienced since 2010 and promised a further drop in fuel prices over the next few months due to a steady fall in global crude oil prices.

“These are the lowest fuel prices in four years. Global prices of crude oil have fallen drastically in the past few months and naturally Kenyans expect the retail prices

of petroleum to fall accordingly,” said Ng’ang’a.

Sh92.88 Price of super petrol in Nairobi after ERC slashed the price by Sh9.13

Mombasa will experience the greatest drop in fuel prices in Kenya with diesel will retail at

Display The Phantom Z has a display size of 6.0 inches, with 720 x 1280 pixels. The display is clear and bright. However, Tecno should have added more pixels due to the large screen size.

Performance On performance, the Phantom Z runs on the Snapdragon 800 system, powered with the Octacore CPU and has a RAM of 1GB. Applications therefore open and run smoothly with a little lag once in a while but

only when too many of them are running.

Software The device is powered by the Android 4.4 KITKAT Operating System.

Hardware The Phantom Z comes with a 4000mAh battery, which is a very good battery for its size and also lasts long even under heavy usage. The internal memory is 16GB and allows expansion of storage with a MicroSD of up to 64GB. Camera The Phantom Z comes with a 16 megapixel (MP) rear shooter that allows taking pictures with up to 4608x3456 pixels. It also comes with an LED flash.

Its secondary camera is 8MP, which is great for any selfie lovers out there.

Sh87.54, petrol at Sh98.68 and kerosene at Sh68.61.

Maximum prices will be charged in Mandera at Sh104.66 per litre of diesel while petrol will retail at Sh115.82.

The cut in fuel prices has come as a relief to the commission and industry players who were criticized for not lowering pump prices despite a significant drop in global fuel prices.

INFRA STRUCTURE

China is ready to ‘work hard’ to develop Africa’s high speed railway system

BULLET: A high-speed train travelling through Guangzhou province in China.

China has said it’s ready to ‘work hard’ to make Africa’s dream of building a high-speed railway networks come true.

China is ready to ‘work hard’ to make Africa’s dream of building a high-speed railway network come true.

According to Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, the cooperation between China and Kenya and other African countries is a mutually beneficial initiative.

Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi and Kenyan Foreign Minister, Amina Mohamed of Kenya jointly met the press after holding bilateral talks

CITY SCAPE City Hall, which houses the Nairobi County government offices is a building located along City Hall Way. Constructed in the 1950s, City Hall, was, at that time, the tallest building in Nairobi since its clock tower stood 165 feet high.

The building was later expanded in 1981 with

the addition of its 13 storey City Hall Annex.

City Hall Annex, a white building that boasts 13 floors and was completed in 1981.

Its height is estimated at 44.1 metres or 144.7 feet. It functions as a government building with a number of offices and departments that serve the city.

Nairobi City Hall

concerning a number of projects in the region.

Both confirmed that China would continue to assist Africa in building major transport networks in terms of railway, road and regional aviation infrastructure.

Wang Yi said that China would continue to invest in the MombasaNairobi standard gauge railway.

He added that China will first and foremost uphold the idea of “sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith” proposed by China’s

President Xi Jinping.

“At present, what Kenya needs most is the infrastructure and we are willing to give them a helping hand,” he said.

At the same time, the construction of the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway is an early harvest of the implementation of the consensus reached by Chinese and African state leaders on the construction of high-speed railway network in Africa.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015

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ENJOY SENSATIONAL MUSIC AT CHOICES PUB

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Bums,boobs,booze the serving seems to multiply with each passing year, have we had enough?

Huddah

Corazon Faith

Are Kenyans getting tired of

Pesh

S

SOCIALITES?

ince 2012, the number of the so-called socialites in the country has been on a steep rise. Last week, Peninah Lema, who prefers the name Pesh, became the latest on the block— after Corazon Kwamboka.

Pesh is said to be a model and claims her fame from appearances in several music videos And for her online debut she chose to break the internet the ‘Kim Kardashian’ way-by baring it for all to see. She got the attention alrigh, but not exactly as she had expected. She received a backlash from Kenyans, who at the moment seem fed up with socialites and their endless drama.

Pesh thought her massive derriere would automatically earn her a seat beside those who are already in the game, but she was wrong. Kenyans hurled tonnes of insults at the sight of her nudity on various social media platforms.

Pesh now knows she has a long tough run before she finds a place in this madness circle.

To rise above ranks of Vera Sidika aka Queen Vee, she will have to deal with strong criticism from Kenyans and stiff competition from other wannabes.

Is she just a passing wind or will she steal the show from Queen Vee, Huddah Monroe, Vanessa Chettle, Risper Faith and lawyer-cum-socialite Corazon Kwamboka? The veterans may have nothing to worry about afterall after seeing how vile Pesh’s welcome party was.

In the past two years, socialites across East Africa, and Kenya in particular, have been streaming out of an unknown channel in plenty.

They attend every party, splash their nudity and display every move of their lives on social media.

If they are not posting ratchet videos and photos on the internet, they are tearing each other down and involving themselves in scandalous affairs.

That is what their relevance feeds on. Because of the unpredictability of their ‘career’, they must

Huddah has new boobs

HOT TOPICS

Before

find a way to be heard and seen, thus their endless controversies.

Vera shot to fame in 2012 when she appeared in P-Unit’s and Collo’s video for the track ‘You Guy’.

The model and business lady has since become a highly sought after video vixen and club host in East Africa. Last year, she attained worldwide fame for her skin bleaching and boob enhancement stint.

But before vera,there was the former BBA contestant, model and fashion designer Huddah Monroe. She is known for her naughty moves and has been branded a ‘bad girl’.

Huddah, whose real name is Alhuda Njoroge, received attention when she entered BBA in 2013, where she only lasted a week.

She and Vera are constantly battling each other to the amusement of their fans. After demonizing Vera for getting a boob job last year, Huddah

After

Socialite Huddah Monroe has gotten new boobs, literally.

This was confirmed by photos she posted on her Instagram page showing her with a bigger bust than she had last year. Yes, you can spot the difference within seconds. No, those are not cutlets and no she did not wear an extremely padded bra.

The socialite is currently in Thailand, a country that is popular for cheap plastic surgery. The irony of it is that that she once called Vera Sidika fake for getting a boob-job.

Vera

recently followed suit and adjusted her bust to a bigger size.

Risper Faith gained fame after being featured by a well-known Kenyan entertainment site. She is a model, video vixen and a student. Last year, she was blasted for appearing in Black Money’s pathetic music video ‘Money Maker’.

Nairobi’s tiny wild girl Vanessa Chettle is known for her random partying lifestyle. She revealed that she is bisexual and photos of her in compromising embraces with fellow ladies are strewn all over the internet. Nudity and twerking, which she generously shares with the public, is her thing.

One of her photos was once used on a porn magazine cover but she had no qualms about it and took it as a compliment for her beauty.

With this line up and more probably coming up, does Pesh have what it takes to rise to the top or will she whittle down?

Anne Kansiime’s show takes a break

A

nne Kansiime has dominated TV screens with her rib-cracking antics for the last 12 months. Sadly, her show, Don’t Mess with Kansiime on Citizen has gone on sabbatical. In a statement on her Facebook page, the Comedian said that she was taking a creative break. The post read, in part: “I don’t ever want to take you for granted and it’s for that reason that am taking a creative break to reboot and create even more entertaining clips that will be coming soon.”

8

ACCESS

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY, JANUARY 26th NOVEMBER 15, 2015 2014

YOLO

Kenyans on twitter (Kot) also tweef amongst themselves, and it usually is messy.

HOT TOPICS

frasha

eric wainaina, frasha collabo hits the airwaves The ‘King Of Benga’ Eric Wainaina had intimated to XAccess that he was working on a new track with Frasha, and his promise was actualized yesterday, with the release of new song Disco was. Disco was first written by Wainaina’s former student Patoh Njuguna.

The new rendition was co-produced by Wainaina and Will Kennedy.

The ugly side of

K

enyans on Twitter, or KOT, are famous world over for their tenacity. They have a reputation for taking on corporations and countries.

They are a passionate lot and the streets of Twitter are always filled with their thoughts and feelings. Once they decide to take on a cause, they carry it to the end.

One such case is when Kenya took on Nigeria, a country that has a bigger population but came out winning. Nigeria had allegedly subjected the Harambee Stars to squalid conditions when they visited for an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

This greatly angered the Kenyans-never mind that not very many of them know more than one Harambee Stars

tanzanian tid wants to relocate to Kenya Tanzanian superstar TID will be moving to Kenya soon. The artiste feels that his music is well appreciated here than in his home country.

He recently collaborated with Nazizi on the song Presha, which he says is receiving good airplay in Kenya compared to Tanzania. He is joining a growing number of artistes who are trooping to Kenya to find market for their music.

During the launch of her music video for her song, Over You at club Tribeka on Tuesday, Nazizi lost an unspecified amount of money.

When she discovered her money missing, her mood changed considerably making her unable to give a good performance. We are assuming the amount must have been substantial for her to look sulky when her video was being launched.

The X Access ninjas also noticed that the singer had lost a considerable amount of weight and was looking good.

against each other and sometimes their tweefs (arguments via tweets) make it on to the news and dailies.

The tweefs regularly escalate to magnanimous proportions.

Recently KOT bigwigs had a mighty row over the brands they support. The tweef was so heated that people were scampering left, right and centre with nobody wanting to get involved.

The worst thing is, the internet and KOT never forget, so tweets posted eons were dug up and used against rivals.

A bigwig is an influential person on Twitter largely due to the number of followers they have and the tweets they post.

They have the power to

influence the thinking of the masses and that is why companies choose to use them to promote brands. So a bigwig can make or break your presence on twitter.

In another case a relatively well known Twitter user finally achieved 10,000 followers and as expected, he celebrated. However a certain bigwig felt that the user had gloated enough and decided to mobilise a viral unfollowing for the user.

KOT are like siblings, they fight and bicker amongst themselves but if somebody from outside attacks one of them they all unite and viciously turn against the intruder.

It follows that one is careful not to get in to unnecessary tweefs, it is mostly really ugly.

ENJOY SENSATIONAL MUSIC AT CHOICES PUB

T

hot dates

nazizi’s money stolen at tribeka

player. The mere thought of Kenyans being mistreated provoked their wrath.

KOT also famously took on South Africa and their minister of Sports for dismissing Kenyan swimmers as drowners.

South Africans had to apologise on behalf of their ‘incompetent’ minister. The minister, however, refused to apologise and tried to fight back.

Later, KOT took on an international news giant CNN after it reported wrong information about what was happening at the time. They have since spewed on CNN twice forcing the media powerhouse to eat humble pie.

But this is not a brotherly lot—KOT sometimes turn

TWEEFS

hursdays are considered boring because everyone is just waiting for the weekend.

But thanks to Choices Pub and Restaurant along Baricho Road, that is about to change.

For a return appearance, upcoming band, Yellow Light Machine (YLM) will be live on stage. Unlike other bands, in the country, YLM have a unique sound that seems to combine jazz, funk, blues, Lingala, afro-fusion, reggae rock, hip hop and RnB. The eight members; Loise, Ricky, Sam, Ngare, Wairimu, Mo, Samantha and Wangui bring a different ability to the band, making their sound excitingly unique.

The show is scheduled to start at pm and ends at 11pm.

Entry is absolutely free.

ACCESS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015

CAMPUSVIBE

Mbithi said his four priorities are nurturing holistic graduates and iMproving research.

UoN says bye to Magoha, welcomes Mbithi in style J

ust after his inauguration, the new University of Nairobi VC Prof Mbithi made a promise to turn the institution into a “topranked, sustainable, worldclass institution”.

Mbithi said his four priorities are nurturing holistic graduates, improving research, building academic and social facilities and professionalizing resources management. He said he is determined to ensure that the University becomes the ultimate choice for higher education.

He was speaking yesterday during his inauguration as the 7th VC at the university, which was for the first time aired live amidst pomp and colour.

Mbithi added that he will see the construction of a hostel housing more than 5000, a school of law tower,

9

a teaching and referral hospital and an incubation lab.

He said he will also ensure the completion of ongoing projects, among them the construction of the university towers.

Prof. Mbithi, a Professor of

Veterinary Medicine, has served as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, and Finance, having been appointed to the position in 2005.

He has also served as Principal, College of Agriculture

and Veterinary Sciences, Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Chairman, Department of Veterinary Studies. He is to serve the institution as Vice Chancellor for five years.

Babu taking over the world B

abu Owino, the flamboyant and outspoken chairman of the Students Organisation of Nairobi University (SONU), has been elected the Chair of African Universities Students Association.

Owino bragged of his new appointment on his social media platform, saying that he will soon be taking over the world.

The flamboyant leader promised to continue championing the rights of fellow comrades. It appears Mr Owino has shown Africa that he is an able, rational and legit leader. Congratulations are in order.

Out

In

Babu Owino

He is a sucker for movies and music videos, probably that is the reason why 24-year-old Hillary Mugendi decided to venture into the field of journalism hoping to be the brains behind some of the vibrant movies and music videos in the country.

The next big thing in

CAREERCHAT

FILM PRODUCTION

What does your job entail?

I shoot videos of any kind— weddings, events, features, and so on. I also get to edit the work that I have covered.

How did you start?

I started off as an intern at Epic Motion where I was mentored by my boss. After I finished my internship programme, he offered me the job!

How many hours do you work in a day?

I work from it is mostly regular, that’s roughly 8 hours.

How much do you earn?

I am not complaining—it depends at times on the number of events I have shot and edited for a specific month.

What qualifications do you need for your job?

You must have gone to school and enrolled for a course like mass communication in order to understand the key principles in those two fields. But passion for the job is the real qualification.

Was this your dream career?

No, I actually wanted to be a news anchor. I was, and still am, good at presentations. I think I’m on my way there.

Does your job interfere with your social life?

No, not at all. It is a matter of balancing the two.

What is the best part of your job?

The best part is actually shooting the events. It is fun and you get to interact with other people while still fully concentrating on your work.

What is the worst part of your job?

The worst part is carrying the equipment and their heavy bags. For example, the tripod bag, the lights needed for an event. can be a handful. You get the picture.

Any advice for people who want to venture in to your line of work?

My advice is to be passionate and patient because it can easily boring or tiring. The editing section, especially, can demotivate you.

Challenges so far?

Keeping up with the editing soft ware plus competition from other videography houses. It’s really stiff but I am up to the task.

Another foul mouthed comrade in trouble Nancy Mbindala was charged last Monday for allegedly insulting Governor, Martin Wambora on Facebook. Nancy is a 24-yearold student at Mount Kenya University and an intern at the Embu County Government’s Finance Department. Wambora says that Nancy had persistently insulted him alleging that he is corrupt and unfit for office. He sent a complaint to the acting County Secretary, Raymond Kinyua, who then forwarded it to the police, who later on arrested Nancy.

Kariuki Mate, the Embu Speaker said, via his Facebook page, that Nancy had been arrested on Saturday and charged on Monday for insulting and demeaning the Governor.

Can comrades mind their language, or is pushing the law, their new-found thrill?

Nancy Mbindala

10

ACCESS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015

FASHIONScoop

the MozaMbique Fashion Week.

IT CAN GET THIS SOPHISTICATED

J

amil Walji, one of the country’s finest designers, took Mozambique by storm when he launched his new collection at the Mozambique Fashion Week.

The female-only collection dubbed, Shimputai, only featured couture garments of high quality, bringing sophistication and

TOP

tRM

glamour to the runway, captured perfectly by photographer PlanetIvan. The fabrics used included: chiffon, lace, silk and net.

Jamil admitted to XAccess that he considers chiffon the best fabric because of its soft and delicate texture. Here is a peek at his bold and breath-taking designs.

ViLLaGe MaRket

malls Thika Road Mall is the new business hub along the Thika superhighway in Nairobi, and so far the coolest hang out joint around! Thika Road Mall is located in Roysambu area, approximately 5km from Nairobi city centre. TRM in Nairobi houses more than 50 renowned brands and the first ever 7D theatre in Kenya.

T the JunCtion

T

he Junction revolutionizes your lifestyle experience with its distinctive features in terms of comfort, luxury and modernity. It is the place with everything you could need – from the realistic to the positively distinctive – all under one roof.

he complex has office space in addition to a recreation facilities. It hosts The Tribe Hotel and many international brands. The mall essentially provides residents of the area with high-end shopping and entertainment, satisfying a niche that was not previously explored.

PLAY 11 THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015

WEATHERFORECAST

DAILYHOROSCOPES CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan19 Capricorn, making or receiving an important letter or call regarding money might be on your agenda today, but circumstances beyond your control could delay it. This could prove frustrating.

Take care of whatever you have to do. Distract yourself if you have to sit and wait.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18 Worries about money might plague you today, Aquarius. They might have little, if any, basis in fact, as you’re probably fretting over possibilities that aren’t likely to ever manifest. A little caution with regard to budgeting and spending today certainly won’t hurt you.

PISCES Feb 19 - Mar 20 Today you could look in the mirror and be appalled by what you see, activating your insecurity about the way you look. This could send you looking for various treatments. Go ahead if you want, Pisces, but your impressions are clouded right now and you probably look far better than you think.

THURSday 15/01/2015

sunny

28

26ºC 24%

FRIday 16/01/2015

More sun than clouds

29 6:36 am 6:48 pm

27ºC 27%

6:37 am 6:48 pm

SATURday

28

Fill in the blanks with the numbers 1-9. every row, column and 3x3 box must contain all nine digits with no repeated number.

Friday’s Solution

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 19 Artistic or spiritual inspiration could come your way today, Aries, although it might be muddled and you could be perplexed about how to deal with it. Don’t try to force the issue. Someone close might feel unwell, and you may want to spend some time with him or her.

Sudoku

TAURUS Apr 20 - May 20 The desire to spend time alone with a special someone may also interfere with plans you’ve already made to attend a social gathering or event involving a lot of people. You won’t want to give up either, so you might try to find a compromise of some kind. Think about it.

GEMINI May 21 - Jun 21 Various personal issues might be on your mind today, Gemini. You could want to work them all out without distractions, so you may decide to spend part of the day alone. Responsibilities from the outside world might make it impossible for you to take as much time as you’d like.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 21 You could be expecting an important letter, call, or email today, Cancer, and sit on the edge of your chair waiting for it. This might be from a friend or lover. It could be delayed, and this might get you flustered. Distract yourself and do something else while you wait.

LEO Jul 23- Aug 22 Unfounded worries about money could plague you today, Leo. Someone close may have given you some incorrect information, perhaps about your financial situation, but more likely regarding trends in the economy that could affect your finances. Don’t waste time worrying.

VIRGO Aug 23- Sep 22 You don’t worry too much, Virgo, but today might be different. Insecurity may arise about a partnership. This might be a current or potential romantic relationship. Perhaps there has been little if any communication between you and your insecurity is coming to the forefront.

MUSTREAD The Winter War, by Philip Teir

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22 Worries about health and work might be on your mind today, Libra. You could be stressed out over whatever you’re doing, and this might have you feeling less energetic than usual. This feeling is going to pass whatever you do. Try to rest a little and have some fun in spite of the stress.

The Pauls have an ideal life. They are a prosperous middle-class family and seem to enjoy a relatively easy life. Max is a sociology professor while the wife Katriina has a high-end job at the government health system.

Their two grown-up daughters, Helen and Eva, seem to be doing well for themselves. But things are not as they look and cracks start appearing in their seemingly calm life. Eva gets pregnant, Katriina suddenly says she has fallen out of love with Max while Max finds it hard to resist the advances of a young, beautiful journalist who has taken an unusual interest in his work.

Will the Paul’s ever pick themselves up and bring their life back on track?

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21 Other responsibilities could have you on your own, taking care of errands and other important matters. You may have the feeling of being lonely in a crowd. Don’t waste time feeling sorry for yourself. Take care of business and get back to your loved ones.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21 These could be related to your personal relationships. Whatever the nature of your tasks, Sagittarius, don’t be surprised if you find them confusing. You might be tempted to chuck it all and go out, but this isn’t a good idea. Better to try to make sense of the confusion than put it off.

INSTAMOMENTS 1

3

2

4

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

winning captions

Friday’s winning photo

YOURSAY

Send a caption for the photo above with your name and location to: play@x-news.co.ke .The winning caption gets published on this page.

Moon project proves Africa priorities are skewed Reading that Africa is working on a plan to spend millions to land a probe on the moon (Africa in ambitious bid to launch first moon mission, Wednesday, January 15,

2015) was both fascinating and saddening. Fascinating because this would be a great achievement for the continent, and saddening because there are millions in Africa suffering

starvation. They should be given priority over moon visits. But I am sure the researchers behind this mission are working on the premise that they can only do so much for the

continent, and they opted to go with what they do best. Let’s hope someone out there is working on a plan to end hunger, joblessness, crime and poverty in Africa.

—Moses Maranga, Nairobi

1. Now who will arrest the other,-Janet Muhati-Nairobi 2. Traffic offenders 1-0 Traffic police-Ben Mchoraji, Eastlands 3. Let’s settle this out of court-Moses Mibei, Nairobi.

Sport THURSday, JANUARY 15, 2015

Cameroon ex-soccer star to skip Soya awards Former African Footballer of the Year Patrick M’boma will not grace this year’s Soya awards on Friday in Nairobi.

The Cameroonian footballer was due in the country this week ahead of the awards. However, he cancelled the trip as the awards will be held a day before the opening of the African Cup of

Nations where he is working as a TV pundit.

He is likely to be replaced by another leading West African footballer.

Beyond Zero Marathon patron First Lady Margaret Kenyatta is also expected at the event.

On Tuesday, the awards received a shot in the arm after Kenya

Pipeline Company (KPC) gave Sh3m, New KCC gave Sh1m and Kenya Tourism Board Sh500,000.

Public voting for the sportsman, sportswoman and the sports teams of the year closed on January 10. A panel of judges has selected winners of various categories who will be awarded at the gala ceremony.

TO PLAY FOR JACKPOT, SMS TO 79079: JP#XNEWS#13 predictions E.G: JP#XNEWS#1X2X1XX2212X1 YOU WIN WHEN ALL YOUR 13 PREDICTIONS ARE CORRECT. JACKPOT IS EQUALLY SHARED AMONGST ALL WINNERS.

1. 17.01.15 18:00

ASTON VILLA vs LIVERPOOL

3.72

3.18

1.76

2. 17.01.15 18:00

BURNLEY vs CRYSTAL PALACE

2.20

3.03

2.74

2.36

2.99

2.55

3. 17.01.15 18:00

LEICESTER vs STOKE CITY

4. 17.01.15 19:00

EQUATORIAL GUINEA vs CONGO 2.12

2.81

3.10

5. 17.01.15 20:30

NEWCASTLE vs SOUTHAMPTON

2.92

3.07

2.08

2.45

2.80

2.60

6. 17.01.15 22:00 7. 17.01.15 22:45

BURKINA FASO vs GABON PALERMO vs ROMA

3.35

3.15

1.87

ESPANYOL vs CELTA VIGO

2.26

3.04

2.65

9. 18.01.15 14:30

LAZIO vs NAPOLI

2.36

3.05

2.51

10. 18.01.15 19:00

MAN. CITY vs ARSENAL

1.68

3.30

3.99

11. 18.01.15 19:00

ZAMBIA vs DR CONGO

2.30

2.79

2.79

12. 18.01.15 22:00

TUNISIA vs CAPE VERDE

1.97

2.95

3.30

13. 18.01.15 23:00

ELCHE vs LEVANTE

2.17

2.95

2.86

8. 18.01.15

0:00

SOYA SKIP: Paul Tergat presents the Most Promising Sports Personality trophy to Emily Muteti in 2013. Former Cameroonian African Footballer of the Year Patrick M’boma will skip this year’s Soya awards in Nairobi.

Officials forced player to strip to prove she’s woman Genoveva Anonma was used to the insults. For years, she had shrugged off the suspicions and ignored accusations.

But what she was not prepared for was the degrading ordeal that followed her starring performance for Equatorial Guinea in the 2008 African Women’s Championship.

Scorer of the winning goal on home soil as her country became the first team other than Nigeria to lift the tournament, Anonma should have been savouring the realisation of a dream. Instead she was plunged into a personal nightmare.

As her energetic and powerful performances prompted rival teams to accuse her of being a man, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) chose the crudest of methods to establish Anonma’s gender.

“They asked me to take all my clothes off in front

of officials from CAF and Equatorial Guinea team,” she recalls.

“I was really upset, my morale was low and I was crying. It was totally humiliating, but over time I have got over it.”

Growing up in Equatorial Guinea, where the 2015 Men’s Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on Saturday, her desire to become a footballer made her an outcast in school and at home.

“When I was five years old in my village the girls didn’t accept me because I just wanted to play football, so I always used to play with the boys,” says Anonma.

“My dad was living in another city with another woman and my mum didn’t want me to have anything to do with football. She wanted me to study for a Masters, become a teacher, or help children.”

0755 079 079 0709 079 079

14

SPORT THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015

World Half Marathon champion set for full marathon debut Kenya’s Gladys Cherono will make her marathon debut in this year’s Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon on January 23.

The world half marathon champion’s debut in the full marathon has been eagerly anticipated because of her World Championship win over the half marathon distance in March 2014 in Copenhagen but also because her performances on both track and road over the past years have been world-class.

Cherono, a 31-year-old, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) star – who holds a 10,000m personal best of 30:29.23, will at last make her marathon maiden appearance after an injury in the build-up forced her to withdraw from last year’s Berlin event.

And as the first woman to take gold

medals at both 5,000m and 10,000 in the African Championships in 2012, the eyes of the athletics world will be on her as she takes on a field of experienced marathon campaigners over one of the world’s quickest courses.

For Cherono who hopes to reclaim the KDF Cross-country Championships title tomorrow, it is the perfect opportunity to stamp her name on the marathon after many years of success at the shorter distances.

In 2013, she became the tenth fastest half marathon runner of all time when she set a personal best of 1:06:48 at the Prague Half Marathon, while in the same year she also claimed silver in Moscow at the 10,000m World Championships.

FOCUS: Gold medalist Gladys Cherono, silver medalist Mary Wacera Ngugi and bronze medalist Selly Chepyego Kaptich of Kenya compete in the Women’s Half Marathon during the IAAF/Al-Bank World Half Marathon Championships on March 29, 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Williams, Djokovic named top seeds for Australian open

Sampdoria want Eto’o Samuel Eto’o could leave Everton after he was left out of the team against West Ham in the FA Cup - amid interest from clubs including Sampdoria.

The Italian club have contacted Everton about the Cameroon striker, who only joined the club from Chelsea in August on a twoyear deal.

Eto’o, 33, has scored three goals in 14 league appearances this season.

“A couple of clubs contacted us in the last 12 hours so I decided to

leave him out,” manager Roberto Martinez said.

He added: “We will see what is best for him and us over the next few days.”

Eto’o would become the second striker to depart Goodison Park this month, after Hallam Hope moved to Bury for an undisclosed fee.

The veteran striker has previously played for Real Mallorca, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Anzhi Makhachkala during a nomadic career.

TOP SEEDS: World number ones Serena Williams (main picture) and Novak Djokovic (inset) were named the top seeds on Wednesday for next week’s Australian Open.

World number ones Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams were named the top seeds on Wednesday for next week’s Australian Open, but two-time champion Victoria Azarenka did not make the top 32.

Djokovic is bidding for a fifth title at Melbourne Park after crashing in the quarterfinals last year to eventual champion Stan Wawrinka, while Williams is gunning for a sixth Australian crown.

Britain’s Andy Murray, a three-time finalist, will be seeded sixth. In the women category Azarenka, who is ranked 41st in the world after an injury-hit 2014, is also unseeded.

The tournament, the first Grand Slam of the year, begins on Monday.

Spain’s David Ferrer is the ninth seed in the men’s draw after the withdrawal of US Open champion Marin Cilic, while world number 12 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s absence with a forearm strain means Ernests Gulbis moves up to 11th seed.

Britons Kyle Edmund and Liam Broady are two matches away from reaching the main draw after wins in the first round of qualification.

The seedings mirror the world rankings.

SPORT 15 THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015

Elite Kenyan rivals plan London race top honours Defending champion and twotime world champion Edna Kiplagat will take on fellow Kenyan Florence Kiplagat in this year’s London Marathon in April.

Edna beat Florence by only three seconds to clinch victory last year. Two more Kenyans, Priscah Jeptoo and Mary Keitany, who are former London Marathon champions, are also in the field.

The race will also witness world record holder Paula Radcliffe race her final marathon. The 41-year-old, who is a three-time winner of the track, last took part in the race nine years ago.

Edna Kiplagat sprinted to victory on The Mall last year

to beat half marathon world record holder Florence Kiplagat by three seconds. Kiplagat said: “Winning my first London Marathon title on my fourth attempt last year was a special moment for me. I have tasted success in London and I’m determined to win again. But I know it will be tougher than ever in 2015.

“Florence will be hungry to win after getting so close last year, and Priscah and Mary will do their best to regain the No1 spot. We have all had some great races in London in the past and I am sure it will be even better this year.”

Keitany’s return to London will be keenly anticipated by fans

after winning in 2:18:37, a time only Radcliffe has ever beaten on the London course.

Keitany made a spectacular return last year with a New York City Marathon win in November after a year out to have a second child. Undefeated over the London course, she is the quickest in this year’s lineup by more than a minute. She is determined to become only the fourth woman to win the London course three times.

“I am thrilled to be returning to the London Marathon this year,” said Keitany, who turns 33 on Sunday. “I have had great success in London before and will be training hard to win my third title.”

RIVAL COMPATRIOTS: Defending champion and two-time world champion Edna Kiplagat, will take on countrywoman Florence Kiplagat in this year’s marathon set for London in April.

Dope officials force Jordan player to take litres of water Jordan striker Ahmad Hayel developed hypothermia after being made to drink “several litres of water” by doping test officials at the Asian Cup, his country’s football association has revealed.

The 31-year-old had to drink huge volumes of water to help him deliver a urine sample after their 1-0 fall to Iraq.

Jordanian FA general secretary Fadi Zureikat said the procedure left Hayel in a “semi-coma and with hypothermia”.

Asian Cup officials said they were waiting for a report on the incident.

Zureikat claims Hayel was given no salts or minerals with the water and the forward was unconscious when he was returned to the team hotel in a private car.

Jordan manager Ray Wilkins, the former Chelsea coach and England midfielder, described the incident as “dangerous”. He could be without Hayel for Friday’s match against Palestine in Melbourne.

Jewell quits West Brom coach role Paul Jewell has left his joint-assistant head coach role at West Brom, only a week after he joined new boss Tony Pulis’ team.

Jewell, who arrived at The Hawthorns on January 6, was sharing the role with Pulis’ long-term assistant Dave Kemp.

Jewell, 50, last managed Ipswich Town before leaving the club in 2012.

As Jewell leaves, former QPR and Tottenham manager Gerry Francis has joined the backroom staff.

In a statement, West Brom said Jewell “decided he will not be continuing his recent assistance on a more formal

basis”.

Francis, 63, worked with Pulis at Stoke and Crystal Palace and has agreed personal terms to extend the duo’s partnership into a seventh year.

“Gerry and I have worked well together at both Stoke and Crystal Palace and it was always part of my plan for him to join me at Albion,” said Pulis.

“I value his insight and experience of the very highest levels of our game and I’m delighted that he is now on board. We have an agreement that we have employed in the past and suits us both.”

Swansea blast Ivory Coast over Sh4.09b Bony transfer Swansea City have criticised the Ivory Coast Football Federation for saying striker Wilfried Bony (left) has completed his Sh4.09b transfer to Manchester City.

The 26-year-old is on international duty with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Federation said: “Bony has signed with Manchester City 14 January.”

But a Swansea spokesman responded: “The club has not confirmed anything and Ivory Coast have no right to comment.”

The club added on Twitter that Bony “has NOT yet completed his move.”

When he does, it will be confirmed “via official channels - not the Ivory Coast FA”. SOYA SKIP: Paul Tergat awards the Most Promising Sports Personality trophy to Emily Muteti in 2013.

Former Cameroonian African Footballer of the Year Patrick M’boma will skip this year’s Soya awards in Nairobi.

16

sport

tHUrsDAY, JANUArY 15, 2015

Wanyama injury shadows Saints win

S

hane Long’s predatory finish edged Southampton through their FA Cup replay at Ipswich Town and into a fourth round tie against Crystal Palace.

The victory was ruined however by Victor Wanyama’s hamstring injury which will keep him in the side lines for a while.

Saints arrived at Portman Road riding the crest of a wave following Sunday’s impressive victory at Manchester United.

That win came at a cost, though, with influential centre-back Toby Alderweireld sustaining a hamstring strain which will see him miss up to four weeks.

It means Saints now have just two centre-backs available, while their defensive midfield options have been depleted by injuries to Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama.

Shane Long’s first half goal secured their place in the fourth round, with manager Ronald Koeman satisfied by his side’s display against Championship promotion chasers Ipswich.

“I think it was a very serious performance tonight,” the Dutchman said.

“It was lucky we scored out of the first chance we got in the game. After that, we defended well, had good organisation in the team,” he continued.

Koeman also mentioned that the team had some good opportunities in the second half in the first 10 or 15 minutes to create something out of that counter-attacking.

“But I am proud of the team, the players and how we showed our character today.

It was difficult, it was a typical English cup game - long balls, battles, but a great performance from the lads and that is very positive,” said Koeman.

AERIAL DUEL: Southampton and England defender Nathanial Clyne (left) competes in an aerial duel with Balint Bajner of Ipswich. INSET: Southampton’s Kenyan international Victor Wanyama went to the ground in the first half with a suspected hamstring injury.

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Angel Di Maria backs Van Gaal Manchester United midfielder Angel Di Maria (pictured) has given his full support to the new style of play boss Louis van Gaal has introduced.

The 26-year-old club record signing says the current squad is “beginning something new” under the Dutchman.

“There are some people saying we’re not playing in a particular good style or it’s not the old Manchester United but it’s not,” he said.

“We’ve got a new style.”

He added: “We’ve got a new manager and we’re all working hard to make sure we’re putting Manchester United back where it belongs.”

Argentine international Di Maria returned from injury to make a first start since November in the 1-0 defeat against Southampton on Sunday.

Van Gaal was appointed United’s manager in May 2014, succeeding ex-United boss David Moyes, who was sacked by the club a month before.

Women KBF playoffs to begin on Saturday The Kenya Basketball Federation women semi-final playoffs will be played starting on Saturday with four teams battling it out for the 2014 title.

The women’s finals had to be delayed as top two teams KPA and USIU were out representing Kenya at the 2014 FIBA Basketball Club Championships held in Sfax, Tunisia.

National league defending Champions KPA will

welcome Storms to Mombasa for the first match on Saturday while USIU Flames -last year’s finalists- take on Co-op Bank in Nairobi at the Nyayo gymnasium on the same day.

At the same time KBF has announced that the playoffs will be officiated under the 2014 rules of play.

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