201502017 xnew

TUESday, FEBRUARY 17, 2015 | www.x-news.co.ke

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e.africa standoff kenya, tanzania row could derail integration – eac boss

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water supply Kiambu launches Sh95m farmers water project

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new season kansiime’s show goes to dstv’s maisha magic

NEWS

Shabana boss lauds team’s FKF league winning start

man United whip Preston to book date with the gunners

Kenyans demand lower PSVs fares

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he latest reduction in fuel prices by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is piling pressure on Passenger Service Vehicles (PSVs) to reduce fares. And angry commuters have asked the Government to

intervene and give direction on the issue.

Fuel prices dropped to a 39-month low during the weekend with a reduction of at least Sh8 that lowered the price of super petrol to Sh84.71 a litre. Diesel and kerosene are selling at Sh75.52

and Sh52.40 respectively.

The move by the Energy Regulatory Commission followed another round of massive drops last month, which saw fuel prices fall by at least Sh9 per litre. The drop has been occasioned by falling global crude oil prices, which

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has also affected the local energy sector. With the drastic fall in the oil prices, commuters have accused PSV operators of fleecing travelers and have demanded that fares be reduced to reflect the growing changes.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Learn all about wine tasting It’s a foreign hobby, which some have made careers out of. You need to try it sometime.

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Fashion scoop NOT CONFORMING: Touts beckon for travellers to board vehicle. Matatu fares have not been adjusted even after petrol prices fell by up to Sh8.

wambui Mukenyi, one of Kenya’s mostcelebrated designers, is set to launch a new Fall/winter collection

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NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2015

Kenyans demand lower PSVs fares From Page 1

“It is unfair that when fuel prices go up, PSV operators quickly increase commuter fares. But the same players don’t want to reduce the charges when petrol prices drop,” Nairobi commuter Duncan Makau told X News today, a view shared by many travellers.

“Fuel prices have dropped but buses and matatus are still overcharging. President Uhuru should deploy uniformed officers at bus stops to enforce price reduction,” activist Boniface Mwangi tweeted while pleading with the President to step in.

Last month, the Ministry of Transport asked all public transport vehicle companies to pass the benefit of lower fuel prices to passengers lest the Government intervenes.

Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau in a statement to newsrooms said the reduction should be done “as a demonstration of the industry’s maturity, customer focus and capacity to selfregulate”.

“Should the transport operators fail to voluntary effect this reduction, the Government may consider the legal

options to protect consumers and ensure fair and reasonable practice in the public service vehicle industry,” Kamau said.

He issued the threat after the Matatu Owners Association chairman Simon Kimutai ruled out any reduction in fares, saying lower fuel prices was “too marginal” to pass any benefit to travellers.

PSV operators have always been blamed for being too “quick to raise fares” whenever pump prices rise but never reduce fares whenever prices drop, a practice Kamau said is “unacceptable”.

Matatu owners claim fuel constitutes

about 30 per cent of their expenses with costly spare parts, lubricants and condition of the roads the other factors determining fares charged.

Nairobi MOA coordinator Godfrey Akumu told X News the union is still studying the fluctuations in oil prices to determine its stability before making any reductions in fares.

“There are many things we have to consider, like for instance, we must be sure the reduction in fuel prices is not a one-month thing but that which will last for some time,” he claimed.

Kimutai

KNH medics use maggots to eat dead tissue in patients’ wounds A new treatment method involving the use of maggots to eat dead tissues in wounds, is gaining popularity in Kenyan hospitals.

Maggot Debridement Therapy, or MDT, has been used to successfully treat a number of patients at Kenyatta National Hospital.

“They showed remarkable improvement in terms of wound healing and removal of dead tissues from wounds which impede healing. It was remarkable,” Dr Kimani Wanjeri, who has treated a number of patients using the method told ABC. The maggots in use are being

specifically bred for the purpose of consuming necrotic tissue.

The Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) is home to several cages about the size of a carton.

They are encircled by fly screen mesh and a low buzz is audible during the entire treatment period, reports ABC. To get maggots you need flies to lay eggs. And to boost the chances, one needs a foul-smelling mixture of beef liver combined with wheat germ placed in a dish in the cages.

The flies lay eggs in the mixture before maggots are extracted 24 hours later.

KARI entomologist Pheobe Mukiria explains just why the maggots are so effective in treating necrotic wounds.

“That maggot is the one that will now start secreting saliva on the tissue. That saliva has got properties that liquefy that tissue. And it sucks that liquid. In the process, it cleans up the wound. It’s remarkable,” she says.

Wanjeri says the maggots have a tool that no drug or surgeon has been able to replicate. The saliva has anti-bacterial properties that eliminate the need for antibiotics.

After the maggots stay wrapped in

the wound for two days, doctors use tweezers to remove the wriggling larvae from the cavities.

Wanjeri says a second treatment will be needed to clean up all dead black flesh.

MDT saves valuable resources.

“There’s no going into the operating room to use implements with many personnel to remove tissue,” he says.

“There’s none of that. It’s cheaper.

You only need one person, probably two at the most to clean the wound and apply the maggots.

“So that cuts down on the costs significantly. And time too.”

Upgrade moves JKIA to fifth best airport in Africa Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) was ranked the fifth best airport in Africa during the prestigious 2014 Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards.

The ACI ASQ Survey captured passengers’ experience at all passenger contact points at more than 300 airports across the globe. The recognition comes months after the opening of JKIA’s new Terminal 1A. The Airport management says Terminal 1A has improved customer experience. The upgrade has also guaranteed operational efficiency, boosted security and improved

voxpop....

quality of service to users, Kenya Airports Authority’s MD, Ms Lucy Mbugua, said the recognition has been timely especially because JKIA is undergoing major upgrading and modernisation works which are expected to boost its position as a regional hub.

“The stature of JKIA has grown significantly in recent years with increased passenger numbers and cargo traffic into and out of the facility. We expect further growth going forward as more capacity is unlocked by on-going works which will improve level of service, security and controlled

access to meet international standards, thus taking advantage of its strategic location of JKIA to position it as the premier aviation hub of Africa.” Ms Mbugua said.

On-going works include construction of Terminal 2 which is expected to be opened at the end of the month. The new prefab terminal has a capacity to handle 2.5 million passengers annually and will cater for international, domestic departures and arrivals.

The new terminal is expected to bring the overall capacity of JKIA to 7.5 million passengers annually. JKIA handles more than 6.5 million passengers annually.

IMPROVEMENT: Personnel walk through the revamped JKIA. The rehabilitation has upgraded the airport to the fifth-best in Africa.

What do you think of the quality of our current education systems?

David Muia

Esther Waithera Our education system is not in the best shape. The media has informed us about Nairobi Aviation College where students get empty degree certificates. It is clear that in Kenya you can buy anything. Teachers are always on strike over pay, disrupting learning in schools.

Jose Maria Wanjau Our education system has both good and bad aspects. The system is a confirmation that students are not serious.

Students are not learning the necessary skills and attitudes in school.

On the other hand, we are advancing in various technological disciplines.

Nelly Kibaru Our education system is not sufficient and lacks direction.

Students are overloaded with information from books and other material that may not be essential. That is why graduates are jacks of all trades who do not specialise in areas they are good at.

Our system is 50/50.

The Government has been unfair in allocation of Form 1 places to candidates from private schools and this has discouraged pupils who hoped to join secondary school. There should be balance in the allocation of positions. Students are ready to work hard to achieve their dreams.

NEWS 3 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2015

NEWS BRIEFS

CARTOONSPEAK

19 injured in late night highway accident

Facebook launches experts’ threat network to clamp down hackers Facebook has teamed up with ThreatExchange to fight online-related crimes carried out by conmen and hackers.

As one of the world’s leading social media sites, Facebook will join the ranks of other platforms including Bitly, Dropbox, Tumblr, Twitter, and Yahoo in the fight against online fraud.

ThreatExchange is a software builds on tools already used by Facebook to assess risks. It lets participants share threat information and therefore make their systems safer.

“A successful attack at one place makes it easier to take over systems elsewhere,” A spokesperson for Facebook said in a recent address. “We share in each other’s fate.”

ThreatExchange flags up malware and phishing attacks, including bad URLs. Facebook’s spokes-

person said: “We have a vested interest in making the internet safer and giving people better ways to connect and share.”

Mark Hammell, Manager of the Threat Infrastructure team at Facebook said: “A little over a year ago, a group of technology companies came together to discuss a botnet that was spreading a malware-based spam attack on all of our services.” He added: “We quickly learnt that sharing with one another was key to beating the botnet because parts of it were hosted on our respective services and none of us had the complete picture.” After working with a number of similar companies to refine the structure and implementation, Hammell says Facebook is ready to introduce ThreatExchange and see what these firms can learn from each other.

Kenya, Tanzania row could derail integration, EAC warns The stand-off between Kenya and Tanzania over a travel dispute which has since seen the former ban tour vans from the latter from accessing Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and national parks in the country could hamper efforts to for a speedy integration in the region.

The East African Community (EAC) secretariat today warned that the dispute could see a backtrack in the efforts to have the region united if not quickly resolved.

While addressing Private Sector Chief Executives in Nairobi today morning, EAC secretary general Richard Sezibera noted that the hicks on tourism between the two countries is not part of the common market.

East African Affairs and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie earlier this month while announcing the ban on Tanzania tour vans accused Tanzanian authorities of not being keen on ending the stalemate.

She said that a three-week window requested by Tanzania to end the travel dispute elapsed without any plans for talks.

“Three weeks have now expired without our Tanzanian counterparts convening a meeting for negotiations,” Ms Kandie she said on February 6, adding that the failure pushed Kenya to revert to the 1985 bilateral trade agreement which now means that Tanzanian registered tour vans will no longer be allowed to access the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and game parks in Kenya.

However, the ministry’s Principal Secretary John Konchellah said the two countries were looking into the issue.

Meanwhile the EAC secretariat has tabled a compulsory non-tariff barrier bill at the East African Legislative Assembly which will ensure that member countries comply with the regulations that will see easier movement of goods and services across the boarders in the region, Sezibera said.

NO FREE MOVEMENT: The government of Tanzania has expressed serious concerns over Kenya’s decision to ban vehicles registered in Tanzania from accessing Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)

Nineteen people were seriously injured after a passenger bus collided head-on with a lorry in Limuru on the busy Nairobi-Nakuru Highway last night. According to St. John Ambulance who responded to the accident, the 10 pm accident has been attributed to poor visibility caused by fog along that road. “Five casualties in critical condition were transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital, while 14 others were stabilized at the nearby Lari Sub County Hospital,” St. John’s communication manager Fred Majiwa said. The bus belonging to Bus-car Company was heading to Nairobi from Bungoma, while the lorry was going in the opposite direction.

Banned movie thrills US audience Erotic film adaptation Fifty Shades of Grey which is banned in Kenya, sizzled at North American box offices last weekend, taking an estimated $81.7m (Sh7.4 billion) to become the second-highest February debut ever, behind The Passion of the Christ’s $83.9m (Sh7.6 billion) opening in 2004.

Based on EL James’ best-selling novel, Fifty Shades of Grey the film is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and stars Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson. According to Universal Pictures, North American audiences were 68 percent female. Around the world, Fifty Shades of Grey took an estimated $158m (Sh14.22 billion) from 58 countries. James’s trilogy of Fifty Shades books have reportedly sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 50 languages. The film, which contains “strong sex and nudity”, is R-rated in the US, meaning those under 17 years old can watch it .

WHAT OTHERS SAID TODAY...

Why we killed Muchai, says five: The carjackers who murdered Kabete MP George Muchai have told police they fired because they saw one of his bodyguards reach for a gun. They claimed they were on nightlong robbery mission and took an interest in the MP’s car only because they saw it packed. They only made a paltry Sh6,000 all night, most of which they forced two women they had carjacked to withdraw from an ATM in Kikuyu town. The suspects said they were on Uhuru Highway heading to Lang’ata...

Lawyers battle it out for Mau Mau billions: Battle lines have been drawn between the Law Society of Kenya and British law firms over billions of shillings awarded to Mau Mau victims as reparation for atrocities committed by the British Government during the state of emergency in the 1950s. Although Britain awarded Sh2.5 billion in 2013 for the compensation of 5,228 Mau Mau survivors, a suit filed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) — which is still awaiting determination – has raised major concerns regarding the identities of the would-be beneficiaries...

Kajiado campaign heats up as Uhuru, Raila take charge: Even before official campaigns begin tomorrow, top leaders of rival coalitions converged in Kajiado Central constituency yesterday during clearance of candidates, heralding a bitter political contest between Cord and Jubilee. President Uhuru Kenyatta and Cord and ODM leader Raila Odinga have both indicated the outcome of National Assembly by-election has a bearing on their political game plans for the 2017 General Election. For Uhuru, it’s a chance to gauge public reception to his new party JAP...

NO COPY BY PRESS TIME

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NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2015

Union wants TV impasse solved quickly to save journalists’ jobs The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) has asked the government and media owners to resolve the digital migration standoff to avert possible loss of jobs for those working in the media industry.

Union leaders including Secretary General Erick Oduor, Chairman Oscar Obonyo and organising secretary John Atambo have appealed to relevant stakeholders in the matter to meet and agree on the way forwards so that journalists can resume duty.

The switching off of four TV stations namely Citizen, NTV, KTN and QTV means journalists working in those stations have now been rendered jobless.

“There is no employer in the world who will keep somebody in office if this person has got nothing to do,” Oduor said.

“While we appreciate the importance of digital migration, we call upon the government to listen to the cries of journalists who have been caught up in the cross fire,” he added during a press briefing yester-

day in Nairobi. According to the union, about 2, 000 journalists have been affected by the stand-off.

The union has therefore called on the Communications Authority of Kenya to allow the television stations continue broadcasting on an analogue platform for the three months it will take them to be fully operational on a digital platform in order to preserve the jobs of the journalists.

The international deadline for migrating to the digital platform is June 2015 meaning there are some slightly three more months to migrate.

He cited Nigeria and South Africa as some of the other countries still grappling with digital migration and called on the authority to consider their plea. “The Kenyan media has grown over the past two decades and we should not lose these gains. In Africa, Kenya, alongside South Africa and Nigeria, has witnessed the growth of media following enormous investments that have been put in,” said Mr Oduor.

PROBLEM SOLVING: Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) Secretary General Erick Oduor (left), Chairman Oscar Obonyo (center) and organising Secretary John Atambo (right) addressing a press conference yesterday. They urged the government and media owners to end the digital migration stalemate.

Kinangop farmers march to OP over compensations

QUICK CHECK: Students having their temperatures taken as they arrive at school. Many schools in Liberia have reopened, six months after they were closed to try to curb the spread of Ebola.

A group of farmers from Kinangop marched to Harambee House to protest the construction of the 100 MW wind power project in the area. The farmers say they have not been properly compensated and want to petition the president to intervene in the row pitting them and the General Electric, the company that is contracted for the project.

They braced the morning breeze and claimed to have begun their journey from Nyandarua at 2am.

Chairman John Ndemenge says the local administration has refused to listen to their grievances hence their coming to Nairobi. Police were at the scene and provided the group with security as they walked to Office of the President.

The Sh26.7 billion project for the Kipeto Wind Farm is projected to

be completed in 18 months.

The wind farm project will contribute 60 MW to the national grid. Kenya is pushing to expand its power generation capacity by 5,000 MW by 2017 from about 1,700 MW. General Electric in collaboration with Kenya Power and other stakeholders are committed to increase the number of people who will access electricity, at a cheaper cost, from the current 24 per cent to a higher percentage by 2017.

Big companies that are dependent on consistent supply of power, like cement, bottling, oil and gas companies, hospitals and printing industries, among others, will be the biggest beneficiaries of distributed power projects. It will also provide grid stability in cases of power surge.

SchoolS REopEN AFTER 6 moNThS iN liBERiA AS EBolA SpREAD DEcliNES Many schools in Liberia have reopened, six months after they were closed to try to curb the spread of Ebola.

Pupils welcomed the move, but some raised fears that the deadly disease had not yet been totally eradicated.

Staff at school gates were equipped with thermometers to take pupils’ temperatures and buckets of chlorinated water for them to wash their hands.

Liberia was one of three West

African states worst affected by the Ebola outbreak, identified in March 2013.

More than 9,000 people have been killed by the virus, but there has been a general decline in the number of cases in recent weeks.

‘Rural schools still shut’ Only three new confirmed cases were reported in Liberia in the week leading to 8 February, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The leaders of the three states Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Guinea’s Alpha Conde and Sierra Leone’s Ernest Bai Koroma pledged at a meeting in Guinea’s capital Conakry on Sunday to achieve “zero Ebola infections within 60 days”.

Guinea reopened its schools a month ago and Sierra Leone plans to do so at the end of March. Many schools in rural areas are not yet ready to open as they lack basic equipment

such as chairs and soap, says the BBC’s Jonathan Paye-Layleh in the capital, Monrovia.

Deputy Education Minister Remses Kumbuyah told our reporter he was confident the schools would reopen in the next two weeks.

“We are asking all the school administrators to ensure that a classroom should not have more than 45 or 50 students. In the past they used to have 100 or more,” Mr Kumbuyah said.

WIND ENERGY: The Ngong II wind farm, with an installed capacity of 13.6 MW. A similar project in Kinangop is nearing completion but farmers are claiming they have not been properly compensated for their land.

xnews | Tuesday, FEBRuary 17, 2015 | www.x-news.co.ke

MAIN STORY

BUSINESS

CBK EXCHANGE RATES MEAN BUY SELL 1 US DOLLAR 91.4872 91.62619 91.5567 1 UK POUND 141.17781 141.4239 141.3008 1 EURO 104.3972 104.5933 104.4953 1 S.A RAND 7.8378 7.8565 7.8472 1 KSH/USH 31.2684 31.4252 31.3468 1 KSH/TSH 19.8633 20.0028 19.9331

Kiambu launches Sh95m farmers water programme More than 2,000 farmers in Kiambu will benefit from Sh95m irrigation projects initiated by the county government to enhance production in semi-arid areas.

Speaking in Kiambu, Governor William Kabogo said the projects are spread across the 12 sub-counties and target more than 20,000 hectares of land.

Kabogo said there are adequate water

stocks from pans, river diversions and boreholes.

“The agriculture and livestock department has done hydrological studies to establish the sustainability of underground water and the projects are viable,” said Kabogo.

He said the move will boost the national food basket and asked other governors to

advise Kenyans to stop over-reliance on rain fed farming. “weather patterns keep changing and farmers should shift from rain-fed agriculture to other alternatives,” he said.

County Agriculture Executive Member Dr Monicah Waiganjo said drilling of canals and boreholes will be completed

by March.

scare resource: Parts of Kiambu suffer perennial water shortage and the Sh95m irrigation project is expected to adddress farmers requirements and basic household needs.

Google Webmaster Tools As many small business owners continue to realise benefits of posting goods and services online, software developers have developed quicker ways of reaching their goal.

Google, one of the biggest tech companies in the world, has developed Google Webmaster Tools, a free-to-use service allowing users to optimise the visibility of websites.

The tools help anyone planning to market products and services to do so effectively.

The user runs a website that provides data

on visitors to the page.

A statement from Google says Webmaster Tools help “check your site’s health for potential issues that Google has detected, understand your search traffic and learn how users are finding your site and make optimisations to help Google better understand and represent your site.”

The tools, available through one’s Gmail account, are simple to use. They come with a short video tutorial for those who may need assistance.

BOOST: The Children Health Foundation has set aside a Sh485,000 fund for health staff, investigators, community organisations and innovative projects that boost health conditions for infants, children, and pregnant mothers.

Children support group floats Sh458,000 for NGOs The Children Health Foundation is offering ($5,000) Sh485,000 funding to health workers, investigators, community organisations and innovative service projects aimed at improving health conditions for children and pregnant women.

Those planning to apply have been asked to send a letter of application to ‘contact@childhealthfoundation.org’.

Deadline for applications is April 30, 2015.

The Foundation has been supporting

innovative approaches to health care projects around the globe.

This year’s focus countries are Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Ghana and South Africa, among others across the globe.

Projects areas of priority in 2015 include development of sustainable biomedical and social technologies, adaptation and implementation of technologies in local situations. Others are projects on malnutrition, water and sanitation and respiratory diseases.

CITY PLANS

The project has already helped Kossoye Development Programme in Ethiopia which was involved in curriculum development, equipment purchase and workshops for school teachers and children.

This year’s applicants for grants can be health staff, investigators or community groups involved in innovative research.

They can also be innovative service projects directed at improving children’s health, and pregnant women from any country in the list.

Nairobi property boom drives up housing prices

HOUSES everywhere: Experts say Nairobi will soon be teeming with residential homes as property developers rush to cash in on the booming market.

Nairobi will soon be awash with residential homes as property developers rush to cash in on a booming market. As demand for homes grows at a rapid rate, property owners have hiked prices.

With the majority of the population condemned to paying rent instead of investing in owning homes, the rise in the value of land is pushing up the cost of residential and commercial properties.

“Nairobi will soon be full of houses only,” says Antony Kuyo of Avent Properties in Nairobi.

“The rate at which houses are being constructed is alarming,” he says. “If you look around, every space is being filled with residential units.”

Property experts such as HassConsult have revealed that though there is growing demand for residential property and selfcontained houses, many Kenyans are still unable to buy a home

without a bank loan.

Recent reports show that a three bedroom maisonette in middleincome Nairobi suburbs costs about Sh10 million.

And although business is booming for consultants like Kuyo, he says the sector needs regulation.

Landlords and property owners are charging tenants high prices, there will be more houses and apartments than there are people to rent or buy.

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BUSINESS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2015

Emirates to hire 11,000 new workers worldwide Emirates Group has announced plans to hire over 11,000 new staff worldwide this year to meet its expansion plans.

Emirates Airline and Group Executive Vice President Human Resources, Abdulaziz Ali said the move was in line with the company’s growth plans and it will increase their staff size by six per cent by March next year.

Aziz said the Group’s past

successes have made it attractive to thousands of job seekers who are guaranteed growth and fulfilling careers in international and multi-cultural environments.

“Our brand, our financial success and stability, and our growth, makes Emirates Group an attractive employer in the global arena for the best talent, and that’s why each month we receive thousands of applications

from candidates across the world looking to join our dynamic team,” he said.

Aziz revealed that currently the company has over 75,000 employees and encouraged aspiring ones to visit the careers portal to check out the latest vacancies.

“More than 12,000 of our employees have been with the Group for over 10 years, and

almost 3,000 have worked with us for over 20 years. More than anything, these facts illustrate the type of employer we are and the opportunities that we can offer.”

Last year, the company received nearly 483,944 online applications for over 2,000 jobs, from over 227 countries. It also received an average of 1,500 career-related enquiries each month on its social media channels.

HIRING SPREE: Emirates Group has announced plans to hire over 11,000 new staff worldwide this year to meet its expansion plans.

EXPORT OPP

Coffee farmers will suffer losses due to poor government policies, say AFCA delegates Coffee farmers may suffer major losses due to poor government policies, delegates at this year’s African Fine Coffee Association (AFCA) conference have warned.

Kenyan coffee growers and stakeholders from within the sector are already making major losses in the export market, despite the fact that the brew has grown more popular in recent years.

Reuters reports that Africa’s share of global coffee production is dropping at a time when consumption is growing.

The situation is so dire that farmers need government support to ensure the continent does not miss out on potential higher earnings in the future, delegates at a coffee conference said late last week.

Coffee is an important crop on the continent, bringing in hard currency and creating jobs in

producer nations including Kenya, Rwanda and the Ivory Coast.

Africa’s share of world coffee production has slipped to 14 per cent in the 2012/13 crop year from a 25 per cent in 1989, Kenya Minister for Agriculture, Felix Koskei told a regional conference.

Producers on the continent, who grow both Arabica and Robusta, harvested 16.7 million bags of coffee in the 2012/2013 period, down from 19.1 million bags in 1989, Koskei said.

“The decline in our production is happening against a backdrop of an increase in world coffee consumption which is growing at an average of 2 per cent,” Koskei told the annual AFCA conference.

Africa could therefore miss out on a potential boom in prices warned Abdullah Bagersh, Chairman of AFCA’s board.

PRICE DRIVER

Cost of electricity to fall 30 pc in 2015 The cost of electricity is meant to reduce by 30 per cent by the end of 2015, recent numbers and market trends have shown.

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has reported a drop in the cost of food, electricity and fuel.

Between September and October 2014, which is the Bureau’s period under review, the cost of housing, water, electricity, gas

and other fuels’ has decreased by 0.23 per cent.

“Contributing to the fall of electricity was fuel cost adjustment which decreased from Sh5.71 per Kilowatt-hour (KWh) in September to Sh4.79 per KWh in October 2014,” said a spokesperson for KNBS in a recent statement.

The cost of power is expected to continue falling as the country

adopts cheaper alternatives to producing electricity. Kenya heavily relies on hydroelectricity (water-powered systems), which cannot cater to the country’s energy demand.

Other sources of power like wind energy and biogas are currently being implemented in parts of the country and will drive down the cost of electricity for consumers.

Eurozone ministers still not optimistic over Greek debt deal

SOLIDARITY: Protesters showing their solidarity with Greece at a rally in Trafalgar Square, London at the weekend.

European finance ministers will meet in Brussels later amid increasing scepticism that a deal over Greece’s debt problems can be reached.

Greece wants to restructure its debt repayments and economic targets in order to curb the debt but both IMF and European Union say there should be no change to the country’s €240bn (Sh25.1 trillion) bailout. They have proposed a

new bailout programme that involves a bridging loan to keep the country going for six months and help it repay €7billion (Sh731.3 billion) of maturing bonds.

The German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said that he was sceptical that a deal would be reached from the talks that were held over the weekend.

He however said that he did not want Greece to leave the Eurozone but that

the new government had to fulfil the minimum of the claims. Greece has been living beyond its means for a long time and at the moment, it has become very hard for them to get loans. Alexis Tsipras, the Greek prime minister said that his government needed time to carry out reform. He added that he was confident that within six months Greece will have transformed.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2015

ACCESS topstory

fashion

SCOOP

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The source material for the movie 50 Shades of Grey suggested that the series’ story line should be taken with a pinch of salt.

O Let's throw some light oN

THe 50 SHadeS Of grey

SHall we?

Caroline blasts the switched off stations

Over the weekend NTV, QTV, KTN and Citizen’s broadcasting signals were switched off. The media outlets have been fighting the directive by the government to move to a digital platform. Memes have been appearing online about their predicament and now queen of radio, Caroline Mutoko has added her voice to the issue. Caroline maintained t h a t the media outlets needed to get with the times and n o t pull others behind because they do not want to develop. Harsh!

HOT TOPIC

x-news.co.ke

n Valentine’s Day weekend the first film of the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy was released to the thrill of bored housewives and lonely single women everywhere.It was probably the most anticipated film of the decade—movie hysteria has only been this strong since the release of the Twilight series.

50 Shades of Grey follows the sexual exploits Anastasia Steele, a clumsy, young virgin who seems to be mostly guilty of trying to deceive the audience that she is somehow relatable, and Christian Grey, a 27-year-old billionaire, whose sexual preferences would leave most women alarmed, to say the least.

There was an entire campaign about who would play the main characters in the movie before plans for the production were even underway. Admittedly there was more pressure on the titular Mr.Grey than any of the other actors involved in the movie because of what he represented and who he was in the hearts and minds of fans everywhere.

When it was announced that actor Jamie Dorner was the final and overall decision public outcry had never been louder. Everybody sort of asked ‘who’s that?’ Some felt that first choice and ruggedly handsome, English actor Charlie Hunnam, was probably the better option but unfortunately he pulled out of the movie before anything

was set in stone.

And there we were, presented with Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders.

The entire premise of 50 Shades of Grey lies on the element of escape.

The book started out as Twilight fanfiction and this should show anyone that maybe viewers were not take the screen adaptation of the book as an exposition of The Godfather. This movie was not trying to win any Academy Awards and in that respect it was honest, but in other ways it was not.

I’m sure the author of the books E L James is an intelligent woman but the storyline of a 27-year-old billionaire would be interested in the mousy, lip-biting escapades of a college student does not entirely make sense. Even if we for a minute decide to digest that maybe Christian Grey’s tastes are just that ‘singular’ and he does find this woman absolutely irresistible, does doing what he does with a virgin in the movie seem just a tad manipulative?

But what does this mean when one of the few times that a movie that touches on BDSM practice actually makes into the mainstream? And is this a display of true BDSM that the viewer has to sit through?

The exchange of power in a relationship is something that happens every day, maybe not as blatantly as in the BDSM

arena but it does happen. There is usually one partner who has the ‘upper hand’ and in Bondage and Discipline, Sadism and Masochism one partner has ‘all the hands’ so to speak.

One of the criticisms of 50 Shades of Grey is that what the movie depicts is not a submissive handing over power to a dominant but sexual abuse. In essence when a submissive agrees to fill that role what they are gaining in handing over control is power. In that way, they are in fact stronger than the dominant in the relationship because they are not afraid to do this.

The sleek shots and cool disposition does its bit to class up the movie, although it does feel a bit sterile at times, which might just be Mr. Grey’s prevailing mood.

Both the actors, that is Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, do a decent job carrying the entire undertaking on their backs and discounting the heavy-handed script and awkward chemistry the movie is still watchable.

Everybody wants to escape whatever situation they are in, in one way or another and who wouldn’t want to be swept off their feet by a young, handsome billionaire. And if 50 Shades of Grey should be accountable for anything it would be testing the limits that a person’s imagination can stretch to. Because, if the box office numbers are any indication, our imaginations have no limits.

8

ACCESS

WEDNESDAY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26th NOVEMBER 17, 2015 2014

ARTWORLD

creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes — art is knowing which one to keep.

OUR R00TS

Ayie- Luo bridal ceremony

THE TASTY art OF wine

Tasting W

hat pops into your mind when you hear the word wine? For some people, images of vast chateaus, experienced sommeliers swirling wine glasses, rich aromas, expensive cutlery and food is what comes to mind. For others nothing much. Wine is just fermented grape juice. They would rather indulge in the hard liquors and leave wines to ladies.

Wrong. Wine is an art in itself.

Wine tasting is a beautiful art to be mastered.

It does not have to be as complicated as we are led to believe. Wine tasting is a fulfilling adventure in which one gets incorporated deep into the world of wine for them to understand the aromas, distinguish the grape varieties in the wine, recognize the different color shades and appreciate the taste.

Vladimir Prosin, an experienced sommelier and wine importer from Moldova encourages people to embrace wine and take their time to enjoy one of nature’s perfect gifts. He says there is usually a misconception that wine tasting secrets are just for the high and mighty in society.

“Anybody can learn the tricks of wine tasting.

It is purely a matter of passion and keen interest and one is on their way to enjoying a glass of wine,” he says. He encourages people to discover their own taste and preferences and take time to know what works for them. “People should not go with the notion that red wines should be paired with red meats and white wines with seafood and chicken. There are other factors that come into play like flavors of the meals you intend to pair the

wines with,” he says.

The first thing that one should have when tasting wine is a transparent wine glass which enables you see the colour of the wine. He advise one to observe the colours over a white napkin for more clarity.

Next step is to swirl the wine to observe the legs. The legs are the streaks of wine that roll down the sides of the glass after swirling the wine. A wine’s legs help determine the sweetness and alcohol content of a wine.

“Do not fill your glass to the brim.

Leave some space for swirling the wine to aerate it and break down the aromas. Sweet wines have more pronounced legs than dry ones due to the higher sugar content. Wines with a higher alcohol percentage also have more legs than those with lower percentage,” says Vladimir. After swirling, one should take deep

whiffs of the wine to try and guess which aromas are present in the wine.

Are the smells fruity, earthy, chocolaty, spicy or oaky? The last step in the process is the actual wine tasting.

“Take a sip of the wine, swish it around your mouth to determine the flavors and then swallow. Take note of the after taste, if it lingers for long in your mouth, it is good quality wine,” explains Vladimir.

The key to understanding wine is in your reach. With passion and interest you are on your way to a mind blowing wine experience.

Dowry payment among the Luo never ends. You do not pay bride price once and forget about it. One is constantly paying and taking bride price to the wife’s home. It is considered as a token of appreciation to the girl’s family.

Once a couple has decided to get married, they start the process of introducing each other to their respective families.

The groom begins by paying Ayie to the bride’s family. Ayie means “I agree” in Luo. The first trip the groom makes to the bride’s home is to know her family.

He comes alone and is introduced to everybody and states his intentions.

This visit is considered an unofficial visit and not taken seriously.

On the second visit, the groom comes with two or three of his friends to ask for permission for his girl’s hand in marriage by paying dowry.

His friends come with him to offer moral support and to see where their friend has gotten a wife.

The home of the bride’s parents is the ideal setting for the Ayie. The siblings, aunties, uncles and cousins to the bride are present at the ceremony. The most important aspect of the ceremony is the food. It has to be in plenty and be good. The bride’s family always makes sure the food is good so that their in-laws do not go away disappointed and with tales of how bad the food was.

The bride price is never set high and sometimes, some families let the groom decide how much money and cows he is comfortable with paying.

This is because in Luo tradition, bride price is recoverable in the event of a divorce. So it is always unlikely for an unreasonable high bride price to be because refunding bride price would be a huge embarrassment to the family of the bride. Once the ceremony is finished, the groom is at liberty to leave with his bride and they are considered to be man and wife.

As is expected of this community feasting, dancing and singing always accompany such a ceremony.

artshock

FRUIT ART

T

he medium through which art is expressed varies. Anything and everything can be used to make art and it can come out looking great. Fruits are great and everybody loves them. Fruit can be eaten at anytime but who knew fruit could be turned into a work of art?Though the shelf life of the art work is limited due to

the perishable nature of the art medium, it still manages to wow. Artists all over the world have carved out their creativity on fruits. There have also been countless carving competitions to see who would come out with the best art. The are also tutorials online on how best to carve and achieve the best with fruit.

9

ACCESS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2015

The firST Thing To noTe WoulD be ThAT MArriAge iS A poliTicAl eXpreSSion.

hot

U

sually, when people take their matrimonial vows, they do so under civil or religious settings. This is not to say that these are the only circumstances that people promise their lives to each other.

Whether it is for financial security, children or even love marriage happens to the best of us and with a 50% success rate, the odds are stacked against newlyweds. Taking into consideration that the first two years of any marriage are commonly regarded as the toughest, prevailing factors and other concerns end up stifling couples.

Religion is traditionally supposed to be a point of connection between couples but the contemporary world’s standing on the matter changes from time to time.

There are couples who flourish and are from different religious backgrounds, similarly there are couples with comparable religious backgrounds but with marriages that crumble.

So, how important is religion in marriage, bearing in mind both terms adopt an increasingly malleable definition?

The first thing to note would be that marriage is a political expression. Being married to someone affords you benefits and rights that a single person does not enjoy.

That being the case, politicians are usually taken with more seriousness when they married even more so if they belong to a mainstream religious group. When Quincy Timberlake expressed his desire to run for public office a few years ago everyone gave an exasperated sigh, Finger of God Church notwithstanding.

Interfaith marriage, or marriage between couples of different religious backgrounds, is becoming more widespread and so are the complications that go along with such unions.

Which religion the children are supposed to be brought up practicing, the importance

aboutLove toPICS

Don’t mess with Kansiime back on Maisha Magic Popular comedy show Dont Mess with Kansiime was pulled down from Citizen a few weeks back and replaced by soap opera, Santalal.Comedian Anne Kansiime had stated that she was taking a break and regrouping to get more material for her fans. Well her show will be back but not on Citizen TV this time but on MNET’’s Maisha Magic.

making interreligious

marriages work

The results of an interfaith marriage solely depends on the individuals involved in the marriage.

ASK Dr X

of religion in their lives, and is this an indication of each partner’s standing in the marriage?

In some religions interfaith marriage is outlawed but this does not mean that people still do not practice it. In these cases the couples involved face a fair amount of stigma and discrimination which might actually lead to the dissolution of their marriage.

It has been stated that in the Islam doctrine Muslims should strive to marry only fellow Muslims but if it just so happens that they marry non-Muslims their potential spouses should pass a certain criteria.

They should be chaste, until marriage that is, the children of the interfaith marriage should be brought up Muslim

and the issue of divorce remains very sketchy at best.

It should also be noted that these rules apply to a Muslim man marrying a non-Muslim woman.

The results of an interfaith marriage solely depends on the individuals involved in the marriage. The level of practice and dedication with which the participants will commit to their specific religions will probably go a long way in deciding the success of the union.

This not to say that slacking off on spiritual duties directly translates to a strong marriage but moderation is key.

When it comes to children there have been numerous cases reported that one of the consequences of such marriages is not only confusion over which religious

doctrine to follow but also uncertainty about their cultural and ethnic background.

Adopting the identity of the head of the household seems to be an easy way outwhenever the problem arises but shouldn’t they be allowed to choose their own uniqueness, because they are the product of a unique bond.

Religion can be a beautiful thing but it can also be a cause of division.

Stepping into any marriage should be a decision that is arrived at after a long period of reflection and discussion. It should also go without saying that compromise is a major aspect of any relationship.

The question of whether interfaith marriage is worth it is a question of whether or not marriage in general is worth it.

Who took the Kempinsky offer?

Valentines happen ed over the weekend and peo ple are still reeling from the aft ermath. Before Valentines Kempinski had advertised its presidential sui te offer that was going for a wh ooping Sh2.34 million. Reports sur faced that a certain Spencer Okach had copped up the offer. However , it was later realized that the said Okatch was just joking and was actual ly at Mojos the entire Valentine’s Da y! It has now emerged that was former TV girl Cynthia Nyamai res erved the offer for her and her man for a later day.

I am not ready to be a father Dear Dr X,

Two weeks ago, my girlfriend told me she is pregnant. I still can’t believe it but if it is true I’m sure the baby is mine.

The problem is I am 19 years and she is 21. I am just out of high school and have no means to support a child. I really love my girlfriend but a baby in the picture is coming in the way of this.

I suggested she terminates the pregnancy but she is against it. She says she will raise the child on her own if I do not want to be part of it. What should I do?

—Preston

Dear Preston,

You have put yourself in a very compromising position which will alter the rest of your life. Abstinence is the best mode of protection but in your case, condoms should have been in your wallet! Condoms are not the safest but are used to prevent contraction of sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. You failed to observe that and now you have a baby on the way. It’s a responsibility you can’t dodge.

Fatherhood changes many things. Perhaps you should inform your family and find ways to look after your own child. But if you walk away then be ready to shoulder tons of guilt and regrets for the rest of your life.

It is time to zip up or wrap it if the former is hard.

Send your agonising queries to drx@x-news.co.ke

Dr X

10

ACCESS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2015

FASHIONScoop

WAMBUI MUKENYI’S 2015 FALL/WINTER COLLECTION.

From the holiday collection, a short flirty dress for a night out.

The perfect Little Black Dress that works for the ofiice and a cocktail party

A comfortable dress for all occasions-that will be the envy of all your girlfriends.

A maxi dress that highlights the woman’s figure, always a must-have in your wardrobe .

From last season’s, hoiday collection, the long dress for an official evening party.

A dress fit for breakfast with the boyfriend, brunch with the girlfriends and a diner with the parents.

cOMING SOON:

RED&Black

BY WAMBUI MUKENYI

Wambui Mukenyi, one of the most celebrated fashion designers in the country, is launching yet another collection. The Fall/Winter 2015 collection incorporates the colours black and red with hand embroidered designs that match perfectly with the fabric.

She uses the stretch fabric so as to appeal to women of all shapes and sizes flattering the

filmlab

Our rating: H H

Rating: Adults only Cast: Gerald Langiri, Kalekye Mumo and Lizz Njagah Genre: Comedy

Big Eyes BEST...

Rating: PG13 Cast: Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz and Kristen Ritter Genre: Drama Time: 1 hr. 46 min.

A Rating: PG 13 Cast: Abel Jafri, Toulou Kiki and Salem Dendou Genre: Drama Time: 1 hr. 37 min.

and try to impose their religious fanaticism on them.

Timbuktu

The movie manages to pass across a message through simple and powerful storytelling.

Ibrahim is a proud cattle herder who goes about his business peacefully together with his family in the dunes of Timbuktu, Mali. Things are disrupted when the Jihadists appear

African woman’s figure. Compared to her previous collection, The Holiday Collection launched late last year, she tones down the colours and makes it a little official and classy.

It features dresses; short and long, that are perfect for the office and a night out.

The collection is still in the workshop but we got a sneak peek.

well acted biopic that fully represents the struggles the characters went through at the time.

Based on a true story, the movie follows the life of Walter Keane who was once one of the most successful artists in the early 1960s. Only that he did not do the paintings, his wife did and she takes him to task for claiming her work as his resulting in major legal difficulties.

Our rating: H H H

A

hilarious film that will leave you clutching at your sides and fighting for air. The film connects beautifully with the experiences Kenyans have had in the hands of conniving fundis.

Joseph and his assistant Moses are the best fundis in Kinoo. At least that is what they think they are. To them, the customer is not always the boss, they are. They use unusual methods to fix your problems that always end up in disastrous results.

An international company enters the foray and now Joseph and Moses feel threatened because their

Fundi-Mentals

business is at risk. They must do something quickly to salvage the situation.

Our rating: H H

PLAY 11 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2015

WEATHERFORECAST

DAILYHOROSCOPES CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan19 Your warm, sensitive nature is perfectly suited to today’s aspects, Capricorn. Your emotional energy is strongly tied to your heart, and you will find that there’s a longing to be close to others.

Indulge in conversation with close friends and let your imagination run wild.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18 You will enjoy a great deal of affection from others today, Aquarius. You radiate an air of love and beauty. Love will come in strong, erratic bursts and you should be on the alert to expect the unexpected. New people will pop out of the woodwork to share their feelings.

PISCES Feb 19 - Mar 20 Your heart may be especially sensitive today, Pisces. You may feel a bit vulnerable. Your romantic nature is particularly strong, so treat yourself to a pampered evening, including a good meal with someone you love. All relationships with women will go smoothly now.

TUESday 17/02/2015

sunny

25

WEDNEsday 18/02/2015

More sun than clouds

26

25ºC 57%

6:42 am 6:51 pm

26ºC 49%

6:42 am 6:51 pm

THURSday

27

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 You might take this opportunity to make a bold move toward the object of your affection. Go with an unconventional approach and move fearlessly. Your relationships will go well. Nurture your romantic side and communicate your feelings. Love will act suddenly and unexpectedly.

Sudoku

TAURUS Apr 20 - May 20 Your connection with others is especially strong today, Taurus. You will enjoy an important nurturing role. Reconnect with your mother and let her know how you’re feeling. Curl up with loved ones tonight and surprise someone with a romantic gesture. If so, do it.

GEMINI May 21 - Jun 21 Be aware that you will have a strong tendency to indulge in food and drink, so try to keep things in moderation. You may have an aversion to work and lack self-discipline. Overcome this by looking forward to intimate plans with someone tonight.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 21 Don’t sweat it. Focus on your romantic nature and incredibly nurturing heart. Use your instinctive healing abilities to care for a close friend in need. Today is an especially good day to connect with others and openly share your feelings. Confide in people you trust.

LEO Jul 23- Aug 22 You will be in an especially affectionate and loving mood today, Leo. Your romantic nature is heightened and your nurturing qualities are strong. You’re extra sensitive and receptive. You might find that you have no problem communicating your truest feelings to others.

VIRGO Aug 23- Sep 22 Annoyances of daily life may rub you the wrong way today, Virgo. Other people’s strong opinions and odd quirks may be difficult to swallow and your fuse may be a bit shorter than usual. Emotions could also run high, and you may do battle with the feelings in your own heart.

MUSTREAD

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22 Your receptive nature should be ready. Take a break and let others come to you. Unexpected events may pop out of nowhere. Opportunities for new growth in love and romance are definitely at your fingertips as long as you’re ready to receive them. Let it flow.

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21 Your heart beats extra strong today, Scorpio, but it may not seem like anyone knows it but you. You may feel like you aren’t really fitting in with the energy of the day. Don’t get down on yourself for it. Realize that not everything is going to go according to your plans.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21 This is a chance to begin a new cycle of romance. Reflect on past relationship problems, examine their causes, and toss them away so you can invite in a new, uplifting energy for the next cycle of romance. Start a new relationship or strengthen the one you’re in.

INSTAMOMENTS 1

3

2

4

YOURSAY

— by Zukiswa Wanner

The year is 1994 and South Africa is holding its first democratic election. As the world watches, South Africans who are in exile are watching and waiting.

But Martin O’Malley is not one of those watching.

He does not even know, or seem to be aware of, the pivotal shift his mother’s land is experiencing. Born to a South African mother and an Irish father, Martin has little interest in what is happening in South Africa. He is focused on trying to figure out if Germaine Spencer is the girl for him. Things suddenly change when Germaine falls pregnant. Now Martin has to consider going to his mother’s land which he knows nothing about.

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

Friday’s winning photo

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.

Let TV stations stay off air as long as they wish The Government has promised to punish all TV stations that have pulled off their analogue signals.

I, however, think the ultimate punishment will be to let them stay

London, Cape Town, Jo’burg

off air for as long as they feel. Lack of advertisements will be enough to make them come crawling back. As Kenyans, we only watch so much TV. Besides, only 30 per

cent of Kenyans have TV sets. The absence of local broadcasts is not a national crisis as the broadcasters want us to believe.

— Wangui Kate, Nairobi

winning captions

1. Business is booming brother- Morris Mghala, Nairobi 2. when you forget the fake experience you added on your CV-PK 3. ‘see’ you in the evening man, I am on the grind-Dorcas Kimeu.

12

PLAY

TUESDAY, FEBUARY 17, 2015

CROSSWORD Across 1. ____ and proper 5. “Harold and Maude” director Hal 10. Punxsutawney ____ 14. Start of a selection process 15. Doubly 16. She’s crazy 17. Resort on the southern tip of Baja 18. Morning eye-opener 20. Duel prelude 21. Christmas or Easter (abbr.)

22. Customers 23. Ruined 25. “___ Ba Yah” (campfire song) 26. Blue book filler 28. Set 33. Water measurement (abbr.)

34. Sort of situation 36. Germ 37. Aim 39. Kremlin denials 41. Mrs. David Bowie 42. Rhino’s relative 44. Munched, biblically 46. Rock’s ___ Fighters 47. Boot with a blade 49. Reward 51. Liable 52. Stereo unit 53. San Luis ___, California 57. LI x II 58. Rounded mass 61. Some sci-fi creatures 63. “____ Only Just Begun” (Carpenters song) 64. Tabula description 65. In ___ (stuck) 66. Incensed 67. Nose-in-the-air type 68. Disturbs the peace, maybe 69. Jane of fiction

Down 1. They’re above abs 2. Actual 3. Obese, maybe 4. Nearsightedness 5. Kansas town famous in railroad history 6. Get lightheaded 7. Funny Benny 8. Three less-than-perfect grades 9. “Agreed, however...”

10. Clever strategy 11. Yes guitarist Steve 12. Cake decorator 13. Ulrich of Metallica 19. Rich soil component 24. “___-o-mite!”

25. Kunta ____ 26. Series of five, after the first four 27. Displaying no emotion 28. Seven in Seville 29. Beekeeper’s prefix 30. Shenanigans 31. ___ Good Feelings 32. ___ iniquity 35. Gunfighter Earp 38. CD predecessors 40. Fallacious reasoners 43. Giraffe’s kin 45. Start of a toy store name 48. Having no radiating processes, as nerve cells 50. Mr. Malmsteen 52. ____ noir (wine) 53. Bobby and others 54. ___ counter 55. ___ facto 56. Blind guess 57. Underboss 59. Again 60. Saint referred to as “Venerable” 62. “It ___” (formal response to “Who’s there?”)

DAILY WISDOM “It’s not good to focus on one person or two persons about being your rivals. The important thing is just to train hard and be ready for the competition and to prepare for the races so that in case of anything that comes out, you are able to handle it.”

— David Rudisha “While their competition is asleep, world-class leaders are up and they’re not watching the news or reading the paper. They are thinking, planning and practicing.”

— Robin S. Sharma “Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best; it removes all that is base. All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood.”

— George S. Patton “There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there.”

— Indira Gandhi. Leader “You wanna know what scares people? Success. When you don’t make moves and when you don’t climb up the ladder, everybody loves you because you’re not competition.”

— Nicki Minaj “Competition is always a good thing. It forces us to do our best.

A monopoly renders people complacent and satisfied with mediocrity.”

— Nancy Percy

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS

Sport TUESday, FEBRUARY 17, 2015

Italian athletics agent in Kenya for the long haul Controversial athletics agent Federico Rosa says he will not escape after he was cleared

by Athletics Kenya and the Government of any wrongdoing in Kenyan athletes’ doping saga.

The agent, who handles a number of Kenyan runners, says he has been cleared of any involvement in doping cases and will be in Kenya “for the next quarter of a century.”

Rosa has been associated with marathoner Rita Jeptoo who has been banned for two years after testing positive for the banned Erythropoietin (EPO) drug.

He also managed Mathew Kisorio who has since served a similar ban after testing positive for the same drug.

“Athletics Kenya saw the evidence and said I have nothing to do with that. As a matter of fact I have not done anything wrong… Kenya is like my other home. I’m here to stay,” he said.

“The most important thing is to

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.

PREDICTIONS DATE

TIME

GAME

1

here to stay: Controversial agent Federico Rosa says he won’t leave the country after he was cleared by Athletics Kenya and the Government of any wrongdoing in Kenyan athletes’ doping saga. fight together because this will affect Kenya and its athletes even the innocent ones.

There is no pointing fingers now that it has happened. We need to find those involved, investigate them and stop the vice,” Rosa said.

In an attempt to fight doping, his

company has installed a Sh1.2 million blood testing facility in Eldoret with the capacity to test and give blood volumes that will then be kept in athletes’ biological passports.

“It will be open to anybody who wants to see the result,” said Rosa.

FIND THE KEYWORD IN RED AND SMS IT TO 22333 Barua Muganga RINGTONES: 30 KSHS PER DAY Nipe Nafasi You will receive a sms “2 download. . . ”Go to this Glory to Glory link using GPRS or WAP & download your content.

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TIB4 HC4 GON4 GIT4 WT4 JC4 HOB4 HOK4 JAG4 SIM4 DUM4 DUM4 LIT4 PIG4 GM4 KEB4 BOM4 GIT4 RING4 JG4 GM4 ALA4 GON4 SOL4 SK4

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Phone must be WAP/GPRS ENABLED to download ringtones. Errors will be billed. To DEACTIVATE OR UNSUBSCRIBE, SMS STOP followed by the keyword i.e. STOP HC4 to 22333 or *100#. A deactivation fee of KES 30 will be charged unless passive deactivation is requested.Customer Support: 0711035333 or 0734488668 , SUN - FRI, 8:30AM - 6pm, SAT 9am - 5pm. or email: ke@smshelp.info.

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14

SPORT TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2015

Kenya thrash Nigeria in junior World Cup qualifiers

Kenya under-19 opened their campaign in the International Cricket Council’s junior World Cup qualifier when they beat Nigeria by seven wickets in the opening match in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

After restricting Nigeria to 95 in the 38th over, Kenya reached their target in the 34th over with Captain Gurdeep Singh top scoring with 49 and opener Amand Gandhi remaining unbeaten on 28.

Kenya’s chase didn’t start well after losing Rahul Seedhar for a second ball duck to leave Kenya on 1 for 1 after two balls. They were in danger in the third over when Kavi Dosaja was run out for a duck to leave Kenya on 10 for 2.

Paramveer Singh was Nigeria’s chief destroyer with four scalps as Nigeria batsmen failed to make any import

match partnerships in the inning. He got the wickets of Christopher Okhide (5), Joel Joseph (0), Mustapaha Yusuf (1) and Alfred Tay (0) to finish with 4 for 32.

Kenya’s other wicket takers were Snehil Gajparia (2 for 10), Peterson Kamau (1 for 14) and Gautam Bhudia (1 for 9).

Singh credited his side’s tight fielding for setting the platform for victory.

“It was probably the best we’ve seen all summer and that creates so much intensity and allows the seamers to be able to really get into the game,” he said.

“Obviously the run chase was very well planned after an early loss of wickets.

In the first few overs we were nowhere, we had no momentum,” he recalled.

“They bowled really well and we just kept our confidence.”

POWERPLAY: Kenya’s senior team in action. The under-19 team opened their campaign in the ICC junior World Cup qualifier when they beat Nigeria by seven wickets in the opening match in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Fannemel leaps 251.5 metres to break world Ski jumping record in two days The ski jumping world record was broken for the second successive day as Norway’s Anders Fannemel leapt 251.5 metres at the World Cup event in front of his home crowd in Vikersund.

Fannemel’s first round effort was 1.5m further than Slovenian Peter Prevc managed yesterday but despite the achievement, it was not enough to give him victory as a poor second jump saw him finish 42.7 points shy of winner Severin Freund of Germany.

Vikersund is seemingly conducive to record-breaking as Freund also got in on the act, smashing the German record with his second attempt of 245m.

He amassed a haul of 436.7 points to take the win ahead of Fannemel, while Norway’s Johann André Forfang was third.

It proved to be a disappointing afternoon for Prevc on two fronts as he saw his record that he had held for no more than 24 hours beaten, and he then languished down in 16th following a second round attempt of just 110m.

“I thought it would not be possible to jump longer than 250,” Fannemel said.

“The conditions were perfect for long flights and I made the best jump of my life.”

SOARING: Anders Fannemel of Norway competes on day 1 of the Four Hills Tournament Ski Jumping event at Schattenberg-Schanze Erdinger Arena on December 27, 2014 in Oberstdorf, Germany.

Kenya Cup: KCB ready to fry Nakuru after flattening Monks KCB stayed top of the log heading into the final round of action with a 64-9 win over Catholic Monks in a matchday 12 fixture played at the KCB Sports Club over the weekend.

The bankers have now opened a one point lead over defending champions Top Fry Nakuru who failed to garner a bonus point in their 17-6 win over Pan Africa Strathmore Leos.

The two sides are both unbeaten with 12 wins from 12 outings, KCB on 58 points, Nakuru on 57 and they face off in Nakuru next weekend to determine who tops the log and earns the right to host the league semi-

final playoffs on 7th March.

There were also wins for Total Nondies who beat Mean Machine 36-12 while Homeboyz were awarded a 20-0 walkover after Mombasa failed to honor their fixture.

KCB coach Curtis Olago says Saturday match will be crucial as he side works towards wrestling the national title from Nakuru who have won the title in the last two seasons.

“We want to top the league which an advantage as we head to the semi-finals.

Of course playing at home in the semi-finals is an advantage itself,” said Olago.

SPORT 15 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2015

Burnley chief wants striker to stay in EPL

MY BALL: Nakumatt’s Kennedy Odinga (right) and Sunday Wambua of Shabana struggle for the ball in their Football Kenya Federation Premier League clash at Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos, at the weekend.

Shabana boss lauds team’s FKF league winning start Shabana chairman Jared Nivaton has praised the team’s fighting spirit during the 1-0 win over Nakumatt as 2015 FKF Premier League season got underway at Machakos Stadium on Sunday.

Nivaton said the boys are rising above the negative energy that has swept

through local football to get their campaign on a dream start.

“That is the kind of spirit we expect from the boys for this season. Our talking should be in the pitch and not exchanging words,” Nivaton said.

“We have to start preparing for our next match, we entrust the technical

bench will get the team ready for our next match,” the tactician said.

Shabana, whose return to top-flight football since 2006 was marred by controversy, refused to be entangled in the fight and have instead vowed to continue working hard through the season.

Burnley manager Sean Dyche says striker Danny Ings (pictured below) should remain in the Premier League to help him improve his game.

Ings, 22, is out of contract with the Clarets in the summer and is rumoured to have signed a pre-contract agreement with David Moyes’s Real Sociedad.

The former Bournemouth player was linked with moves to Liverpool or Tottenham during the transfer window.

“For his development he wants to be in the top end of the Premier League,” Dyche said.

“It is the most powerful league in the world.

His aspirations need to be top end of the Premier League. The middle of La Liga is no use.

“That is not doing us down, it is the reality of the market we are in. If I had seen him play at Manchester United on Wednesday, I would be knocking on the door to try and get him.”

In an interview last week, Moyes, whose side are currently 11th in La Liga, said Ings was a player “anyone would like to have”.

Reports emerged at the weekend, claiming Ings was flying to Spain for a short visit.

Isaac Mutanga’s own goal was the difference as the 18-team FKF league got underway.

Attention shifts on the row over whether the 16-team Kenyan Premier League will get underway next week.

United pip Preston to book Arsenal date

MATCH DAY: Bradford City’s Billy Clarke (L) is challenged by Sunderland’s Sebastian Larsson. Gus Poyet has brushed-off criticism from Sunderland supporters after his side were knocked out of FA Cup by League One side Bradford City.

Sunderland fans living in past, declares Poyet Gus Poyet has brushed-off criticism from Sunderland supporters after his side was knocked out of FA Cup by League One side Bradford City.

The Black Cats became City’s second Premier League scalp of the competition after losing 2-0 at Valley Parade.

Many of the 4,000 Sunderland fans voiced frustrations at the end.

Black Cats boss Poyet said: “I have no issue with fans. I never hide and I am the one who’ll pay the price because the only one who can get sacked is me.”

Poyet’s relationship with Sunderland supporters has

become strained in recent weeks.

The Uruguayan upset many fans after the fourth round draw with Fulham. He claimed the supporters were ‘living in the past’ and intent on a return to the ‘kick and rush’ style under former manager Peter Reid.

Sunderland failed to recover from John O’Shea’s third-minute own goal. Former Black Cats striker Jon Stead doubled the lead in the second-half to seal Bradford’s place in the last eight for the first time in 39 years. Poyet claimed the media hadn’t helped his side’s cause. “When we let you (the press) in and you get (back) out and say what you want, then we’ve

got a problem.

“The problem is you (the media) not me. If you write what I say the fans would be on my side. If we close Sunderland - if we put a China Wall around the city - it would be fantastic.”

Sunderland face a Premier League relegation battle for the remaining three months of the season.

Defending his players, Poyet said: “Don’t think for a minute that the players did not try their best, they adapted to the pitch and went for it.

“Unfortunately, Kevin Friend again did not give us what we deserved and it became a tough task from then.”

Manchester United saw off Preston to set up an FA Cup quarter-final tie with holders Arsenal.

A season of high-profile cup upsets looked like it could claim yet another victim when Scott Laird fired the League One side ahead soon after the break.

But United’s disjointed attack finally found some fluidity when loan signing Radamel Falcao was replaced after an hour as midfielder Ander Herrera led the revival.

Herrera, making only his third start in three months, squeezed home the equaliser with Wayne Rooney avoiding contact with the ball in an offside position. Marouane Fellaini’s closerange finish gave United the lead in a thrilling tie.

Rooney, back playing in a more advanced role, made certain of victory with a late penalty he won and converted.

If United boss Louis van Gaal did not quite restore Rooney to his front line for this tie, he did at least push his captain higher up the pitch from the deeper midfield position he has occupied recently.

United were frustrated in their struggle to break down a well-drilled and hard-working North End side who were roared on by a noisy home support.

Angel Di Maria bent a free-kick a few inches wide but that was the closest the 11-times winners came to making the breakthrough before the interval.

Quarter draw

Aston Villa v West Brom Bradford City v Reading Liverpool v Blackburn Manchester United v Arsenal

xnews | tuesday, february 17, 2015 | www.x-news.co.ke

UNITED BEAT PRESTON TO SET UP FA CUP DATE WITH ARSENAL read P15

WHOSE DAY IS IT: Chelsea’s Diego Costa (L) and PSG’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic (R) will both start for their teams in tonight’s UCL clash.

J Costa returns for Chelsea, PSG clash

ose Mourinho will bring Diego Costa back into his Chelsea starting lineup for tonight’s Champions League last-16 first-leg trip to Paris St-Germain.

Costa is available after serving a threegame ban for standing on Liverpool’s Emre Can on 27 January.

Paris St-Germain have a number of injury concerns for the visit of Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

Four players suffered injuries in the 2-2 draw with Caen at the weekend, as Yohan Cabaye, Marquinhos and Serge Aurier all went off injured in the game, while Lucas had a groin problem.

“Yes, I’ll start him,” said Mourinho. “But it’s not good for a player to be three

PARIS SG vS CHELSEA Champions League Round of 16 KICK Off: Today, 9:45 PM PARC DES PRInCES STADIUM

matches without starting a game. So he’s not in the best of condition.”

Costa has scored 17 goals in 19 Premier League games this season.

Chelsea defeated PSG at the quarter-final stage of last year’s competition, since when David Luiz has left Stamford Bridge for the French champions in a £50m transfer.

Chelsea lost the first leg at Parc de Princes and needed a late goal from Demba Ba in the second to take them through.

Mourinho says he feels it is his team who have changed more since that tie.

“Paris is a great team - basically the same team as last season, with David Luiz,” he said.

“When you have stability you can al-

ways improve. “Chelsea is a different team. We have some different players and we have changed the profile of our game a little bit.” In the other match, War refugees Shaktar Donetsk go into a Champions League clash with high-flying Bayern Munich on tonight starved of competition and support and far from home.

With shells falling regularly on their state-of-the art stadium, Donetsk have been condemned for the past year to play homes games far from the Donbass Arena. Donetsk will host Bayern in the last 16 Champions League home tie more than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) away in Lviv, close to the western border with Poland.

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