201505028 xnews

ThURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015 | www.x-news.co.ke

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in the news... india’s poor swelter as heat wave kills 1,424

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the industry Mineral wealth should benefit Africa - uhuru

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hip hop legend speaks bamboo on local content debate throws shade on haters

NEWS

AFC leopards chairman Allan Kasavuli jumps ship

benteke giving arsenal sleepless nights ahead of fa cup clash

Leaders in unity call against terror

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eaders have today appealed for peaceful co-existence among Kenyan communities and religions, saying unity is the only way to defeat various challenges facing the country.

They singled out terrorism, which has severely

tested the harmonious co-existence between Christians and Muslims in several deadly attacks.

Terrorists have often attempted to create divisions between the two religious factions of the Kenyan people by targeting Christians in

their attacks and sometimes inciting Muslims to attack fellow Kenyans who do not subscribe to their faith.

Deputy President William Ruto urged Kenyans to remain grateful to God that these machinations have failed.

“We need to thank God that we are still one united country,” he said today during the 13th National Prayer breakfast at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Bensouda: Evidence against Ruto is weak

PITCH PERFECT: National Assembly’s Bunge Choir Members sing a hymn at the Safari Park Hotel during today’s National Prayer Breakfast held in Nairobi.

International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has admitted that she has insufficient incriminating evidence against Deputy President William Ruto and journalist Joshua Arap Sang.

She told ICC judges that five witnesses, who had evidence that can incriminate Ruto, have since recanted their testimonies after they were either bribed or intimidated.

A sixth witness withdrew from the case due to similar influences.

“As a result, the Prosecution has been deprived of a significant portion of the incriminating evidence that it intended to present to Trial Chamber V (a) in support of its charges,” Bensouda stated in an application filed on May 21.

She asked the court to allow her to use statements recorded out of the courtroom.

She specifically wants the judges to admit initial statements of the six witnesses, who she argued had incriminating evidence to prove the criminal responsibility of both Ruto and Sang. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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NEWS

Leaders pray for national unity THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

From Page 1 President Uhuru Kenyatta who was the chief guest at the function acknowledged that Kenyans are living in very difficult times.

“We are living in very hard times,” he said.

The President called on leaders to remain true to what they preach in public and ask themselves if that which they do is good before God and the people of Kenya.

“We need to ask ourselves whether what we preach is the water we

drink. We need to ask ourselves if we are doing that which is right by our people and right by God,” he said.

The theme of this year’s prayer was “Examining Ourselves” and Mr Kenyatta asked leaders present to do a thorough self-reflection of their actions.

He singled out Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan for praise after the legislator delivered a moving personal experience about terrorism and its effect.

Mr Hassan survived a deadly attack at al-Hidaya community Center in Eastleigh on December 6, 2012 during which six people were killed.

He was left badly injured and his right leg had to be amputated.

He can however walk again after undergoing reconstructive surgery in South Africa.

“Hundreds of both Christians and Muslims streamed in to visit me at Agha Khan and am very grateful to the unity they showed in the face of terror,” he said when he spoke at the

prayer breakfast today.

Other leaders who spoke at the function included Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi, Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery and Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo who kicked off the prayer ceremony with a Bible verse.

Others were Governor David Nkedienye (Kajiado), Senator Zipporah Kittony and MP Samuel Chepkonga who delivered the theme of the prayer.

President Uhuru Kenyatta during today’s National Prayer breakfast today.

Medical charity group recalls workers over insecurity

INADEQUATE EVIDENCE: International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda (R). She has admitted that she has insufficient incriminating evidence against Deputy President William Ruto (L) and journalist Joshua Arap Sang.

Bensouda: Evidence against Ruto is weak From Page 1 “The Office of the Prosecutor requests the admission of the prior recorded testimony of the “corrupted witnesses” for the truth of their contents. These comprise written statements and transcripts of recorded interviews, and the annexes thereto,” she said.

Bensouda further explained to the ICC judges that there was a strategy to interfere with witnesses with a clear aim of diluting the prosecution’s evidence.

She alleged that the people behind witness interference did it on behalf of Ruto and Sang.

“The evidence already on record, together with that presented in support of this application, establishes the existence of an organised and effective scheme to persuade Prosecution witnesses to withdraw or recant their evidence, through a combination of

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intimidation and bribery,” she alleges.

“The evidence establishes further that those responsible for this improper interference were, at the very least, acting for the benefit of the accused,” she said. The Prosecutor said due to witness interference, the prosecution had no choice but to look for alternative ways of securing incriminating evidence to make her case water-tight.

She based her application on an amendment to Rule 68 which was subject of discussion during the Assembly of State Parties in 2013.

Rule 68 allows the court to allow the introduction of accept recorded testimony of a witness or other documented evidence.

But that can happen only ‘if the witness who gave the previously recorded testimony is not present before the Trial Chamber’ and that ‘both the Prosecutor and the Defence had the opportunity to examine the witness during the recording’.

Rule 68 can also be applied ‘if the witness

who gave the previously recorded testimony is present before the Trial Chamber’ and that ‘he or she does not object to the submission of the previously recorded testimony and the Prosecutor, the Defence and the Chamber have the opportunity to examine the witness during the proceedings.’

In response to the prosecutor’s application, Attorney General Githu Muigai on Wednesday sent an application to Trial Chamber V (a) asking to be allowed as amicus curie to explain circumstances under which Rule 68 was amended.

“We sought leave to intervene in an application we sent today. We are waiting for a decision so that we can make a substantive application intended to explain what was happening when the rule was amended.

The common understanding was not to be applied retrospectively,” he told Capital FM News.

Medical charity group Médecins Sans Frontières, famously known as Doctors without Borders (MSF) has withdrawn at least a third of its workers from North Eastern region over insecurity in the area.

The staff who were mostly based at the Dadaab refugee camp in Garissa County have been redeployed to Nairobi.

Although it acknowledged the move will affect assistance to refugees, the organization explained that the relocation of its 40 workers is a preventive caution that is necessary.

“MSF can confirm that following a series of recent incidents in the area of Dadaab, 40 staff members have been relocated to Nairobi. This is a preventive measure which will unfortunately have a direct impact on our ability to provide much-needed medical assistance to refugees,” read a statement from the Regional Information Officer for East and Central Africa Beatrice Debut.

Two out of four health posts have already been closed as a result, and some medical services, such as antenatal care, have been suspended.

MSF, however, says it will continue to evaluate the situation, hoping that security in the camps for the refugees and their staff can be assured.

“Once guarantees have been obtained, MSF can return to full activities as soon as possible,” Debut added in the statement.

The charity organization is the latest to quit Garissa after non-local teachers and a section of nurses working in the region refused to return to their work stations following increased incidences of terrorism.

Just on Monday, al-Shabaab militants attacked police officers in Yumbis, Garissa County leaving at least one with fatal injuries in the ensuing gun battle.

Garissa is one of the three northern counties bordering Somalia which have been worst hit by terror related attacks.

The scale of the threat of terror in the region was exposed when militants stormed Garissa University College early last month and massacred 148 people, most of them students.

A 6pm to 6am curfew is already imposed on the counties as security forces try to restore normalcy in the region.

The government has assured that it remains on top of things and that normalcy will soon be restored.

Meanwhile four women who had been arrested in Mandera for allegedly planning to leave the country to join the Islamic State militants in Syria were denied bail by a Mombasa court.

NEWS 3

CARTOONSPEAK

THURSDAY MAY 28, 2015

Africa has more mobile phone subscribers than the EU and the US Africa has more mobile phone subscribers than the EU and the US Africa has more mobile phone subscribers than the European Union and the United States, the World Bank has confirmed.

The lender says that if the current trend continues, Africa’s spending on computers, software, telecoms and ICT could jump up to 80 per cent higher in 2016 than it was in 2009.

China leads the world in mobile phone subscription, boasting nearly 1.2 billion users.

India comes second with 762 million mobile phone users while the UK and the US have more than 83 million and 327 million mobile phone subscriptions respectively.

NEWS BRIEFS Woman shot by gunman in Kayole A woman was last night shot and seriously wounded by a gunman who escaped without stealing anything from her in Kayole. Police say the lady was shot twice on her cheek and left for dead. She had just shopped from a local supermarket and walking to her house when the gunman who is said to have trailed the woman struck. Police said the motives of the attacker are yet to be established, and that the victim is in hospital in “a serious condition”.

In Kenya, roughly 88 per cent of the population had mobile phones in early 2015 (more than 32 million subscriptions), a recent study by research group, Pew Global has revealed.

Though 18 per cent of the population did not have phones, 67 per cent had smartphones while the rest had regular cellphones.

From the data, it was noted that young, educated, English-speaking individuals are more likely to own a smartphone than their less-educated counterparts.

The research surveyed thousands of respondents across East Africa.

World Bank data states this connectivity is bringing much-needed innovation to the continent.

Nigeria sacks cowardly soldiers

India heat wave kills 1,424

COOLING OFF: People bath to cool off using a water pipe in Kolkata, India on Wednesday, May 27.

Stifling heat has killed more than 1,100 people in India in less than a week.

At least 1, 424 people have died in a heat wave sweeping across Indian states, officials say.

Severe drought is being experienced in the states because of hot weather which have seen temperatures soar to as high as 47.5C. The head of relief operations DC Roshaisha said he feared the number of dead would rise as high temperatures and a shortage of drinking water lead to dehydration and sunstroke.

“The government is doing its best to educate people on the precautions to be taken to avoid sunstroke,” he said.

He said the situation was worst in the coastal district of East Godavari where 85 people were reported to have died. But no part of the state has been spared.

Some 1,020 people died in the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh, along with four in Odisha, taking the

national toll from this heat wave to 1,424.

The highest maximum temperature recorded on Wednesday was 47 C or 116.6 F, at Daltonganj in eastern state of Jharkhand and Titlagarh in Odisha.

Daytime temperatures were up to 7 C higher than average in coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh State, said meteorological chief B.P. Yadav. However, in coming days, temperatures in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were expected to fall up to 2 C, he said.

Earlier this week, it got so hot in Delhi that roads started showing signs of melting.

Last night, a light shower in Hyderabad brought some relief to millions who had been praying for rain.

Many were seen sleeping on footpaths, and on the concrete strips between roads in Delhi where tempratures remained between 35 and 37 C, or 95 to 98.6 F.

Nigeria’s army has sacked at least 200 soldiers for cowardice and failure to fight against Boko Haram militants, several soldiers have said. Up to 4,500 other rank and file soldiers could be dismissed, they say. A Nigerian military source confirmed the dismissals to the BBC, but would not give an exact figure. The army was widely criticised when the Islamist group Boko Haram captured vast areas in the country’s north-east last year, despite a military emergency. A video footage taken during the fall of Mubi town to Boko Haram showed the soldiers fleeing the militants, providing proof of their cowardice.

Scientists discover new species of ancient humans A new species of ancient humans has been unearthed in the Afar region of Ethiopia, scientists report in a new study published in the journal Nature. Researchers discovered jaw bones and teeth, which date to between 3.3m and 3.5m years old. It means this new hominin was alive at the same time as several other early human species, suggesting our family tree is more complicated than was thought. The new species has been called Australopithecus deyiremeda, which means “close relative” in the language spoken by the Afar people.

WHAT OTHERS SAID TODAY...

Uhuru popularity drops, Raila rises: Kenya’s confidence in President Uhuru Kenyatta dropped from 67 per cent to 48 per cent between December last year and April, a new poll by Ipsos Synovate suggests. This is despite the president remaining the best-ranked public figure in the country, behind his wife, FirstLady Margaret Kenyatta.

“Once again, the President is ‘bested’ only behind the First Lady in terms of the confidence the public has in senior officials, commissions, and state actors. However his rating was affected negatively by the al Shabaab attack at Garissa...

Terrorism blow to Uhuru popularity: President Uhuru Kenyatta’s popularity has dropped from 67 per cent last December to 48 per cent last month, a new opinion poll has revealed. The poll, conducted by Ipsos Ltd between March 28 and April 7, shows that Deputy President William Ruto’s rating dropped sharply, from 63 per cent in December to 35 per cent last month. By contrast, the approval rating for the three Cord leaders, Mr Raila Odinga, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka and Mr Moses Wetang’ula, improved marginally over the same period...

President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto ratings drop further, new survey shows: Public ratings of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto have fallen significantly in the last four months according to a new poll.

The confidence levels on the President have dramatically slid to a new low of 48 per cent, down from 67 per cent in December and a high of 71 per cent in October last year, says the opinion poll

by Ipsos. Ruto’s ratings have also tumbled to 35 per cent from 63 per cent in December last year.

This drop has been linked by Ipsos...

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xnews | THURsday, MAY 28, 2015 | www.x-news.co.ke

BIZ BRIEFS

BUSINESS

CBK EXCHANGE RATES 1 US DOLLAR 1 UK POUND 1 EURO 1 S.A RAND 1 KSH/USH 1 KSH/TSH

MEAN BUY SELL 98.2139 98.4118 98.3128 151.4150 151.7517 151.5833 107.2239 107.4506 107.3372 8.1401 8.1632 8.1516 30.6874 30.8510 30.7692 21.0036 21.1477 21.0757

APA launches micro-insurance cover against loss of job, hospitalisation and loss of life

Airtel to aid in community midwives programme

APA Insurance has unveiled a new micro-insurance product that provides financial relief to employees against loss of their jobs, hospitalisation or loss of life.

The service, dubbed Linda Salo, is designed to reduce economic degradation to the average worker in Kenya and their dependents, following

Bharti Airtel has partnered with Fountain Africa Trust to launch a community midwives program to support expectant women, new mothers and newborns in Bungoma County, Kenya.

The program will be launched early next month and will offer free calling and sms services to 57 midwives and staff from Fountain Africa Trust.

Airtel will also offer 24-hour free internet connectivity for the Fountain Africa Trust, giving them unlimited access to online information that will help them carry out their program effectively and interact with other midwives across the globe.

In a statement, Airtel Kenya CEO Adil El Youssefi said: “This program will help reduce risks of child and maternal mortality by ensuring women receive the right level of care when giving birth,” added Mr. El Youssefi.

the effects of a sudden job loss.

Clients who sign up for the new Linda Salo insurance cover will pay premiums as low as 820 Kenya shillings per year or around 70 shillings per month, for the lowest cover. In the event of job loss, the employee will enjoy compensation of

up to 150,000 shillings for three months. In case of illness, when hospitalisation takes place, the insured will receive up to 20,000 shillings in the form of an income supplement. “We are keen to rewrite the rules of insurance in the region,” Mr. Michael Oduor, CEO APA Insurance said.

Hyundai now offers Android Auto system in its sonata sedan model Hyundai is the first automobile firm to offer Google’s Android auto system in its cars.

Android smartphone users with a Hyundai 2015 Sonata Sedan model will be able to download the system for free. The system connects to the driver’s smartphone and allows them to access applications like Google maps by voice, steering wheel controls and a touchscreen on the

dashboard.

“The smartphone’s screen becomes locked, so drivers are not tempted to look down and interact with their phones directly while Android Auto is in use,” Hyundai said in a statement, adding that high technology experience like that will also improve the driver’s safety.

The Google Android auto system was first announced in 2014. Google

said it was working with automakers including Hyundai, Audi and Honda to integrate the system into their dashboards.

Apple has also signed similar deals with BMW, GM and Honda to have Apple auto systems in their cars, which is known as CarPlay. Hyundai says it will offer both systems in their cars once Apple’s version it is out.

Old Mutual partners with KNH to boost service delivery The Old Mutual Foundation, corporate social investment arm for Old Mutual companies including Faulu Microfinance bank, yesterday signed a sponsorship agreement with Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), allowing it to refurbish KNH’s Accident and Emergency unit as part of its 2015 social responsibility initiative.

The group through its Foundation, will inject Sh15 million in the project.

Old Mutual chair Dr. Peter W. Muthoka, noted the responsibility in investing back in society problems. “Our foundation’s mandate is to support the improvement of access to quality healthcare for the disadvantaged members of the community by funding the provision of medical equipment health and infrastructure

support. We are committing to being actively involved with KNH even after the refurbishment is completed,’’ said Dr. Muthoka.

Speaking during the signing of the agreement that marked the launch of the fundation’s inaugural project, Old Mutual Group Chief Executive Officer, Peter Mwangi highlighted the importance of having patient-friendly staff and efficient workflow environment in the A&E area of KNH which is not only the default for national disasters but also the largest referral hospital in the country.

Old Mutual Foundation will ensure a fast response and better attention to patients at Kenya’s largest national hospital and the biggest referral hospital in East and Central Africa.

the industry President Uhuru Kenyatta has urged the African mining organisation to develop policies that will make the continent reap maximum benefits from the mining industry.

He said the Southern and Eastern African Mineral Centre (SEAMIC) must ensure African countries are not short-changed by multinational corporations extracting minerals in

PEN TO PAPER: Dr. Peter W. Muthoka, Old Mutual Foundation Chairman and Lily Koros Tare, KNH CEO during the signing of the deal.

Mineral wealth should benefit Africa – Uhuru

the continent.

The president said this yesterday in a meeting with a delegation of 35th governing Council of the (SEAMIC), who had paid him a courtesy call at the State House, Nairobi.

“For far too long we have allowed our resources to be exploited to benefit other people. Time has come for us to change that narrative,”

President Kenyatta said.

SEAMIC is an international organisation under the umbrella of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa established in 1977 comprising eight Eastern and Southern Africa states Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Mozambique, Comoros, and Angola.

President Kenyatta said, there is need for Africa to set its own mining rules within the continent to safeguard the sector from unfair exploitation by foreign companies.

“We should not allow multinational companies to play us against one another by imposing unnecessary competition amongst us. They should be made to find the same

mining conditions across the continent,” President Kenyatta said.

Other members of SEAMIC Governing Council who attended the meeting included Tanzania’s Energy and Minerals Minister George Simbachawane, Ethiopia’s Minster for Mines Tewodros Egziabher and their Ugandan counterpart Peter Lokeris.

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BUSINESS THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

BIZ GADGET LG’s latest smartwatch has really impressed the android wear market when it comes to its design, the watch looks classy and very attractive. Does this mean that LG deserves a place on your wrist?

DESIGN The watch Urbane is classy and elegant and does look great. In fact it does not look like a smartwatch, but as a watch in general, has a

LG WATCH URBANE REVIEW

circular design, has thick watch lugs and the most impressive part of the design it the power button designed as a winder. Making it look exactly as a regular watch. The body is constructed with stainless steel which gives it a very nice appearance.

DISPLAY The watch comes with a 1.3 –inch P-OLED circular display with a 320

x 320 resolution, resulting to a pixel density of 245 ppi.

PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY The watch comes with the quadcore Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, clocked at 1.2 GHz and backed by 512 MB RAM. The processing package is a bit outdated but for a watch it does its job. The 410 mAh battery unit powers the watch up to two days, which is quite fair.

Stima Sacco launches M-Pawa mobile app Stima SACCO has launched a mobile app that will enable its member’s access micro-loans and undertake a wide order of banking transactions.

The innovative banking platform dubbed as ‘M-Pawa’, it allows its members to access micro-loans of up to Sh 10,000 with a repayment of one month The chief Executive officer, Stima Sacco society limited, Paul Wambua, says the financial solution platform will take services delivery to the next level and underline its services as the first growing.

The M-Pawa app launched two months ago, has already registered over 5,000 members, and pay loans worth Sh30 million in its pilot period. It aims at getting to 36,000 of its members.

“The mobile app offers our members the opportunity to easily access credit products as well as to save and repay their loans,” Wambua said.

The app is fast, convenient and easy as it allows all transactions done via M-PESA. It also offers salary advancement, accessing mini statements from the member’s account checking balances among other services.

“Services that would in the past require members to visit a Stima Sacco branch, fill in forms and wait for the processing

THIS WAY: Stima SACCO’s Eng. Albert Mugo, CEO Paul Wambua being shown how to use the M-Pawa mobile app.

of their requests are now right at their fingertips,” Wambua stated.

Speaking at the launch, Deputy Commissioner, Directorate of Cooperative Development, Ministry of Industrialization, Geoffrey Karuku said that the innovation was an excellent move of diversifying delivery channels that leverage on technology to cater to customer satisfaction.

The app, developed by Mobile Financial Solutions Limited, is set to see the Sacco widen its growing loan portfolio.

INFRA STRUCTURE

Already, the Sacco’s loan book has doubled to Sh14.8 billion in the last four years with its asset base standing at Sh17.4 billion.

The Sacco is set to acquire a core banking ICT infrastructure and a long lasting system that will be capable of offering a host of innovative solutions which will be achieved by partnering with key players in the industry.

M-Pawa app is available for download on Apple’s iTunes and Google Play store.

Power connection Fees drop to Sh15,000 Kenya, May 27 – President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday announced that the cost of connection to the electricity grid would come down to Sh15,000 from Sh35,000.

It is the second time the Jubilee administration has lowered the cost of connecting to the power grid, having first done so when it came into office in 2013 by subsidising the Sh70,000 cost.

When announcing the further reduction, President Kenyatta explained that it was the fruit of his government’s effort, over the two years they’ve been in office so far, to build the nation’s electricity production capacity.

“Standing here I am truly able to declare that by 2017, seventy percent of our country will have access to power, we shall surely be like the West in that regard,” he said at the launch of the Last Mile Connectivity Project in Machakos on Wednesday.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and World Bank funded Last Mile Connectivity Project is part of the Jubilee administration’s

effort to see three million more Kenyans connected to the power grid in the next three years.

“From 1922 to 2012, that is 90 years, 1.1 million customers connected. 2013 to 2015, three million customers which are connected,” Energy Principal Secretary Engineer Joseph Njoroge said of the progress made so far at the launch.

The AfDB partnership will see 5,320 transformers distributed to all the constituencies in Kenya making it possible for 314,200 customers to be connected to the low-voltage network.

The World Bank partnership will see a further 300,000 customers connected to both low and medium voltage power systems.

The Jubilee administration has often presented the argument that a low cost, easily accessible and reliable electricity connection is critical to its efforts to power Kenya’s industrialisation.

It is also critical to its manifesto pledge of putting every school in Kenya in a position to take advantage of technological advancements.

Vodafone Farmers Club initiative to help double profits

EVERYTHING’S MOBILE: Vodafone is set launch a Farmers’ Club initiative in Kenya in 2016 to help small-scale farmers in emerging markets that could boost the farm gate incomes.

Kenyan farmers are set to benefit from a Vodafone initiative that has seen other growers double their incomes in other parts of the world.

Local farmers will join Vodafone’s ‘Farmers’ Club’ initiative this year following the success of others in India and Turkey.

Vodafone has said that Kenya, Ghana and Tanzania will soon be part of the programme, which will exploit the region’s mobile infrastructure to provide farmers with financial services, including loans.

“The Vodafone Farmers’ Club is a social business model which offers a range of mobile services to help farmers boost productivity,” says a statement from the telecommunications services company.

The initiative was initially launched by Vodafone in 2009 in Turkey.

The country was chosen since roughly 25 per cent of the population deals in agriculture.

The move has proven to be successful since more than 1 million people have benefited from the Farmers’ Club programme.

Vodafone Group Regional CEO for Africa, the Middle East and Asia Pacific region Serpil Timuray explained in a recent address that mobile phones have played an important role in implementing the drive. Through Vodafone’s programme, farmers are able to make payments and get loans through a number of secure financial products and services, including M-Pesa.

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

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FASHION SCOOP

the nairobi hip hop rapsody has reignited hip hop in nairobi with sold out concerts featuring kenyan current rappers and international acts.

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yasiin bey

Khaligraph Jones curtain raising for Kweli.

HIP HOP I

Muthoni the Drummer Queen performing at the Talib Kweli concert last year.

f you are a true hip hop fan then you know American hip hop artiste Yasiin Bey is in town and he will be performing tonight at Ebony Lounge.

For the sake of those not in the know, Yasiin Bey, is the artiste formerly known as Mos Def. This one is not for those who think Future is a rapper, it is for those who knew, before this article, that Yasiin Bey was once in a rap duo known as Black Star with fellow hip hop artiste, Talib Kweli.

Yasiin is not a mainstream artiste, he does not rap about bling or guns and his rap style is referred to as social consciousness rap. In other words, his music is only for the select few, those who have a deep understanding of true hip hop!

“By bringing such kind of artistes to Kenya to perform, we wanted to show what rap is really about, it is not about bling and it does not have to be commercial,” says Buddha Blaze of

Nairobi Hip Hop Rapsody, the event’s organisers, “we want to tell its story and bring original hip hop to Kenya.”

Kalamashaka are considered the pioneers of hip hop in Kenya as they introduced it and were the first Kenyan artistes to perform abroad thanks to their uniqueness at the time. Since then, the genre has grown and the coming of international hip h o p artistes in the country just adds to that feat.

H i p hop popularity locally w a s evident at the King K a k a concert in March which was highly praised by music critics calling it the best concert in Kenya yet “I wanted to do something different form the other musicians and I wanted to show that hip hop does

talib kweli

Before

FINALLY GAINING GROUND IN 254 have a voice in our country,” said King Kaka.

The performances have been overwhelming, “the response to our events has been awesome and fans feel connected to the hip hop culture,” Buddha Blaze says, “if it had been bad we would have already called it quits.” Late last year, Talib Kweli, also organised by Nairobi Hip Hop Rapsody, performed in Kenya, the event was sold out.

Buddha clarifies how they select the Kenyan artiste to perform at the exclusive event. “We go for artistes who have an upcoming album or a new one.” In Yasiin Bey’s event, Wangechi, Bamboo, King Kaka and Xtatic will be performing, they all have new music out or coming out,” says Buddha Blaze.

Today the real hip hop fans can put their hands in the air because it will be hot at the Ebony Lounge.

8

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WEDNESDAY THURSDAY, MAY 26th 28, NOVEMBER 2015 2014

YOLO

When it comes to relationships, the blue sticks are breaking many and defining most.

HOT TOPICS

R

the Read ReceIpt snItch

ead receipts are the devil. Those blue ticks on Whatsapp have made life a bit more difficult for some people. Technology has made everything in the world simpler but with good things come with some not so good aspects. Texting has become a way of life. With platforms such as Whatsapp and Facebook messenger supporting it, everything seems so simple and carefree. At least that is until you send a message and see those read receipts and the person in question does not respond. Worse, they respond three days later with a common lie, “Oh sorry, I have just seen this now.”

Perhaps you are trying to avoid someone but Whatsapp cannot let you. We all have those moments where we feel

we cannot deal but someone insists on talking to you. You do not want to block them because you’ll need their help at some point. There is your undoing, those read receipts!

When it comes to relationships, the blue sticks are breaking many and defining most. Now, how fast someone responds to your text after reading it determines how important you are to them.

Others prefer to read the text and not respond.

They may be doing it on purpose to spite the other.

Some people would go as far as reading the text, and then start typing, when halfway through delete the text. So the chat will show that they were responding but changed their mind. Isn’t it irritating that people are always typing for

a whole day and never really send what they were saying?

Annoying!

The blue ticks speaks volumes, they can communicate a whole paragraph without someone responding.

Now with read receipts you cannot get away with excuses like, ‘I never got your text.” or “are you sure you sent to the right number?” None of that will hold water, because someone can clearly see the thread.

In a world where people are able to keep tabs on everyone through technology and ‘catch feelings’ over trivial matters, relationships are becoming increasingly hard. If you are in a relationship you better be prepared to text back within seconds or else you are courting fire! Damn those read receipts.

Wangechi

Rapper Wangechi is excited to be back Wangechi who recently released a new song, Cardiac Arrest is excited to be back. She will be performing today at Yasiin Bey’s concert. ‘I am excited to be back and it is great to start it off at a time when i have new stuff out. I cant wait to perform Cardiac Arrest for my fans,” she said. Wangechi was involved in a grisly road accident last year.

hot date

bamboo

It Is hIp hop paRadIse WIth YasIIn BeY xtatic

T

onight at the Ebony Lounge a Hip Hop legend will be performing live. Yasiin Bey formerly known as Mos Def will be performing at the Hip Hop Rapsody event alongside King Kaka, Bamboo, Wangechi and Xtatic. Hip Hop Rapsody is an event that brings together hip hop artistes in a bid to bring up the hip hop culture in Kenya. The Traveler hit maker promised a good show for fans. The event is Sh. 5000.

Wangechi

bamboo

Bamboo weighs in on local content debate Bamboo has added his voice to the local content debate.A legend in the hip hop industry in his own right having churned out hits in the early days, he thinks more needs to be done to bring up the industry. Bamboo feels that 80 percent should be allocated to local music content. “We need to protect the home industry. We are always importing, but must we import music and culture? We can make our own and export. We need to become a nation of producers,” he said.

Bamboo added that we need policy changes to protect the whole industry so that artistes can be able to benefit. The born again rapper has released a new jam Potential which he says is to test the waters.The video is in production.

ACCESS THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

all rounD news anD upDates from universities.

Eldoret ‘fresher’ robbed

A first year student at Eldoret University was robbed on Sunday as he was running his errands in town.

The student had left his hostel in the morning intact only to return to an empty room.

According to his friends the student was dropped off his hostel in Sogomo by a motor cycle in the evening. On arrival he looked dizzy and confused. On inquiry the security confirmed that he had lost all his belonging including a laptop, camera, cash, clothes and utensils.

Police are still investigating the incident while students have fundraised to help the still shell shocked fresher.

CAMPUSVIBE

miss University Kenya is on this weekend

The miss university Kenya contest is finally here.The big day will be on Sunday May 31st at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC). The much awaited event will be graced by many contestants from various universities.

Shocking: Kisii uni beauty is knowingly infecting students with aids

F

ear and shock gripped students at Kisii University after a first year student admitted to infecting 148 students with the deadly HIV/AIDS virus. She apparently did this during her first two semesters.

Daniella Zumla shamelessly posted the scary information in the university’s comrade’s forum. She also shared her intentions of ensuring that she infects more than five hundred students during her four year stay at the school.

In the post, Zumla alleges to have infected five male students during the fresher’s party alone.

Later however it emerged that the post was fake and the said Zumla has reported the matter to the police. XAccess however could not trace the OB number.

9

Daniella zumla

Egerton University hostels.

EgErton in hostEl crisis Desperation and anger filled the Egerton University main campus after some students realised that they had lost their booked rooms with no prior communication.

The students had just commenced their semester and had been moving up and down to settle for studies.

Information from Chief halls officer declared that Taifa hostel one of the ladies favourite hostel was unhygienic and out of bounds. Old hall and Hollywood were under renovations leaving the students cold, hungry and stranded.

cArEErchAt Shawn Osimbo is a fashionista, a sports lover and blogger all wrapped up to perfection.

Shawn thE pErFEct OSimbO EyE

What does your job entail?

My job entails putting together outfits and sharing tips on the internet on how to rock various fashion pieces.

How many hours do you work in a day?

It depends. The longest days are the ones I have shoots or I have been hired for a styling gig. The other ones include meetings and interacting with my audience online.

What qualifications do you need for your job?

Passion for fashion.

Was this your dream career?

No. I’m still a media practitioner and I also double up as a fashion blogger/stylist.

How did you start out?

I’ve always had a love for fashion.

I spend a lot of time

online where I get to interact with many people over the internet. Over time I got to pick up various international styles and decided why not? I posted a couple of them on my social media pages and many people were fascinated so I decided to start a fashion blog.

What achievements have you had so far?

For the five months we have been at it, my team and I have had several styling gigs across Kenya.

I have been on several TV shows talking about various aspects of the fashion industry. I have also been invited to various fashion events to cover them for my blog.

The love and support I have received from across the globe is immense.

Lastly, I also have plans to expand this business to other parts of the globe.

Any challenges you have experienced so far?

Starting up is not easy or cheap. They are so many things needed to be put into consideration when starting up.

Styling different personalities can

sometimes be challenging but hey that is why I am a fashion stylist.

Does your job interfere with your social life?

No. My job is about interacting with people and learning from their different styles.

What is the best part of your job?

Trying out different fashion outfits and getting to share them with the world.

What is the worst part of your job?

Dealing with online negativity.

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

God is the giver of the gift and you should put him first in all your endeavors. Be patient and never stop learning. Stay positive.

Parting shot?

Follow your dreams and never give up on them. Your gift will open doors you did not even expect to go through.

10

ACCESS THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

FASHIONScoop

It is not just a bridesmaid dress but also suitable for an evening party.

The bridesmaids might steal the show in this dress.

flash back on wk’s bridal collection 2014.

The detailed embroidery brings out the elegance.

what is in waMbUi MUkenYi’s bridal collection?

r

No bride to be can resist this dress.

TOP

enowned fashion designer, Wambui Mukenyi, is set to launch her 2015 bridal collection this Saturday. Judging from last year’s collection, we are expecting it to be classy and contemporary. Her bridal collections usually feature delicate laces, detailed embroidery, chiffon fabric, beading, and floral pieces that portray femininity. Will it be a white and ivory coloured collection for the wedding dresses? We have exclusively learnt however, that her bridesmaid collection will be colourful. Here is a reminder of her last year’s best looks.

richest celeb tots

This is a master piece!

Born into a life of fame and wealth North West is surely the ultimate celebrity child of the year, thanks to her famous parents Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. She has a net worth of Sh 18,098 million ($185 million).

Born to royal parents Kate Middleton and Prince William puts him at the heart of most people. He is one of the wealthiest kids of 2015 with Net worth of Sh 4,011 million ($41 million). He is the oldest child and first born, his great-grandma kind of owns a country that he will one day get to rule over!

prince george

Talk of a perfectly designed dress and this is it.

nortH-WeSt

Blue ivy carter

She is the daughter to celebrity parents Jay Z and Beyonce Knowles. Having been born into a life of luxury, fame, success and wealth it is no doubt she is a destined child. With a net worth of Sh 98 billion ($ 1 Billion) certainly she has a secured future and will never put that odd name on any job application.

PLAY 11 THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

WEATHERFORECAST

DAILYHOROSCOPES CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan19 It will be hard to deal with emotional issues that arise. A strong misleading force is feeding the illusion that things are fine when they really aren’t. Stop pretending that everything is going well, Capricorn. The sooner you face the truth, the sooner it will stop plaguing you.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18 Your emotions may be powerful today, and you could end up scaring people away instead of drawing them closer simply because you act irrationally and emotionally instead of reasonably and civilly. Be careful about targeting your frustration at the people who can help you the most.

PISCES Feb 19 - Mar 20 Your emotions run the show today, and you may jump from one extreme to the other. There’s a good chance that much of what you experience is based on misinformation. Don’t get so caught up in the drama that you fail to recognize the truth of the situation.

THURSday 28/05/2015

sunny

24

FRIday 29/05/2015

More sun than clouds

24

25ºC 62%

6:28 am 6:32pm

24ºC 63%

6:29 am 6:31 pm

Sudoku

TAURUS Apr 20 - May 20 You can use your sensitivity to cut to the heart of the matter and expose the truth. This kind of behavior probably won’t come without friction from others. You can almost guarantee that it will. Don’t let it faze you. It’s important to reveal the truth.

GEMINI May 21 - Jun 21 Control issues in your home are apt to be of concern today, Gemini. Be careful about feeding into others’ misconceptions of the situation. You’re dealing with powerful, opinionated forces that aren’t going to want to budge. Lay all the facts on the table before you start drawing any conclusions.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 21 Your mind will touch on emotional events that you may not have fully dealt with at the time they happened. Old feelings that you thought were gone could well up and bring tears to your eyes.

Honestly face these feelings now instead of stuffing them back down for another decade.

VIRGO Aug 23- Sep 22 If you’re experiencing emotional upheaval, Virgo, you may take heart in knowing that other people are going through their own emotional turmoil as well. Share your feelings with others instead of shutting them up inside. It will help you feel better.

MUSTREAD

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22 You sense that you’re being accused of something and that you need to defend your feelings and actions. Try not to fall into this trap. Don’t let self-doubt sneak into the situation just because someone else questions your way of life.

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21 You could find fault with others who haven’t dealt with the truth of a situation. Be careful about accusing someone of the very thing that you’re guilty of, Scorpio. Penetrating emotions will cut to the heart of the matter, and there will be no way to escape the hole you dig for yourself.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21 Facts are things you can grasp, categorize, and make rational sense of. Unfortunately, today some of your facts may be challenged by one of the things you fear most - intense emotions.

The ensuing friction is like dealing with apples and oranges.

INSTAMOMENTS 1 1

3 3

2

4

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

Yesterday’s Solution

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 19 You’d rather change the subject to something more lighthearted. This form of escapism is doing nothing to solve the problem. In fact, by avoiding the emotional topic, you’re only creating more friction than if you just approached the problem directly.

LEO Jul 23- Aug 22 You could be operating based on an assumption that’s only a partial representation of the truth.

In your effort to think about only the good side of the situation, Leo, you may not see the entire truth. There’s a downside to everything.

FRIday SATURday

Cion — by Zakes Mda

Professional mourner, Toloki leaves his homeland Africa and comes to live in America. While there, Toloki quickly makes friends with a young man who is always angry. The two meet at a Halloween parade and become fast friends. Toloki also falls in love with the young man’s sister. To keep himself busy, he joins a local quilting group. His quilting draws a story from the past. Two slave boys have escaped and are looking for freedom in Ohio. With nothing but their mother’s quilt as a map, the boys are seeking to find the Promised Land where blacks can live free. Will they ever be free? Will they find the Promised Land?

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

Yesterday’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.

winning captions

1. The 1. Trust Avengers me when were I tell notyou impressed I know what

by Ratchet I am doing-Martin Girl’s audition Jagero, - AliceNrb K. 2. My 2. Authentic swag level gun is holster-The this high - David power Mwangi is in the weapon-Caro Migiro, Nrb 3. When 3. The areal balloon African bursts Ranger on your ready stomach for action-Dennis but you justMwanzio, “go with it” Nrib - Brenda G.

12

PLAY

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

CROSSWORD Across 1. Collects abundantly 8. Barber’s device 13. Sleep inducer 14. Got out early, as a release 16. Off guard 17. Fur-bearing animal 18. Render ineffective 19. ROY G. BIV, for one 21. Like some Alps 22. Asian land, briefly 23. Western alliance, for short 24. “___ priest, a minister and a rabbi...”

25. Vow 26. Made crow sounds 27. Woman’s head cover 30. Prop finisher 31. Basic religious belief 33. 1999 Hall of Fame inductee Robin 35. “Good Burger” stars Kenan and ___ 36. Suggestive of the supernatural 40. “___ asleep!” (excuse for a missed meeting) 42. Put ____ on (try to win at auction) 43. Go quickly 46. 80’s robotic rock group 47. Pinnacle 48. Patriot Patrick 50. Actress Fran 52. DEA agents

53. Crabby 54. Raymond Burr detective series 56. Seat for two or more 57. More crafty 58. Boats seen on the Indian Ocean 59. Gordimer and others Down 1. Extends the loan 2. At a slow tempo 3. Big name in motorcycles 4. Les ___-Unis (the United States, in France) 5. “Your excellency” 6. “___ Got You Under My Skin” 7. Michael of The Monkees 8. Icy precipitation 9. ___ limits (election issue) 10. Beverly Cleary character 11. From a Ryukyu island 12. Remorseful 13. Lies on the beach 15. Read, as enemy messages 20. Classic soda 22. Wet/dry ___ 25. “Coffee, Tea ____?” (1973 film) 26. Corp. money VIPs 28. Fritz’s donkey 29. Leered at 31. Postponed, as a payment 32. ___ hour: Down to the wire

34. Is a precursor of 35. Boys and girls, informally 37. Ravishment 38. Europe’s ___ Peninsula 39. Invalidate 41. Get beaten by 44. Stir up 45. Wears away 47. “Now I get it!”

48. Vietnamese capital 49. Belgian river 51. ____-cut 52. Opposite of sud, on a French map 55. Nutrition label fig.

Yesterday’s answers

YOURSAY

National prayer Easy access to credit is good news budget? We can pray for free for the youth Equity Bank is now offering loan products tailor-made for the youth. That should translate to an increase in the number of enterprising young Kenyans since they now have easy access to credit.

Anyone aged 18 to 35 and holds an account with Equity bank can now borrow a loan through the micro-business loan product. This is targeting entrepreneurs who are ready to invest in businesses and

those branching to agribusinesses.

The song “hakuna kazi” meaning no employment, popularly loved by most youths as an excuse will now be a thing of the past.

Youths can now access financial services hence create employment not only for themselves but also for others.

— Odie Wakoba, Kawangware

Kenyans are distressed by the high cost of living (inflation) more than anything else according to an IPSOS Kenya report.

The report further reveals that third of Kenya’s population will go to bed hungry tonight. It’s appalling that the government has no plans or budgets to change the statistics, but the same government has budgets to put together a National Prayer Breakfast.

One sure way to die; illegal power connections

On the same morning, the average taxpayers yawn in traffic having not had any breakfast. Others only hope of breakfast is a mean cup of office tea – for those lucky to have jobs. The last time I checked, people could pray for free, in almost all religions, without setting aside any budgets for prayers. The government needs to prioritise issues! .

As a concerned citizen I always ask myself a question, when will people finally understand the dangers surrounding illegal power connections?

In the past one week there has been a total of four deaths in different locations due to electrocution. People should not put matters in their hands and start doing KPLC’s work and yet they do not have the right equipment for the job.

No matter your reasons for connecting power yourself, kindly just keep off those cables and transformers! Just let KPLC come and do their job, even if it will take days or months. — Juliet Musyoka, Nairobi

— Victor M, Kasarani

What crisis? Blatter will still be FIFA president come Friday Year in, year out, the allegations of corruption and naked greed swirl around FIFA and Sepp Blatter, its long-time president and the man who has long reigned as the most powerful person in sports.

The end of the most toxic figure in

world sport may now be in sight and it cannot come soon enough.

One thing we can be sure of: when nature finally takes its toll, whatever it is that Sepp Blatter dies from it will not be shame. As the organisation he had led for the past

20 years was plunged into turmoil by the dawn arrest of half a dozen senior officials on Wednesday, it was made clear that Blatter would not resign from the presidency of Fifa. He would not take executive responsibility, he was not going to

Of heels and other stories

In reference to yesterday’s story on X News’ Access about heels being banned at the Cannes Film Festival red carpet. Why would anyone dictate what a woman chooses to wear? Heels are painful. Women suffer in those shoes to just look nice. But when one day you decide to have an off day from wearing heels someone comes up with an insane rule about not having heels on the red carpet. Who are these people? Why do they want to make women’s

lives difficult? If it was men who made this regulation, they should be given heels to wear for the whole night. As long as the flats go well with my outfit for the red carpet, who cares?

People wear more ‘ghastlier’ attires than flats.

Lady Gaga showed up in a meat dress and nobody banned her from the red carpet, but something as small as flats and we all lose our minds?

—Ann Luvisia, Kilimani

do an Ed Miliband and fall on his own sword.

In fact, not only would he not surrender, he would continue to seek a further term in office in the presidential elections to be held on Friday. He goes by such names, “the

dark prince of football, the godfather, Don Blatterone” he’s a survivor,” Nothing ever sticks to him; there is always someone between him and the bribes and that is why he will remain president after Friday.

—John Kimani, Kiambu

We need serious security The government needs to step up its game and embrace pro-activeness instead of being a reactive administration.

Kenyans are tired of attacks by Al-shabaab, with the most recent one in Yumbis.

The government’s custom has been that of tough talk immediately after people lose their lives to terrorists, and most of the time this

tough talk is only empty threats.

The government needs to find ways of preventing such attacks altogether, instead of taking unreasonable actions such as sending police officers in places where an attack has just happened instead of ensuring regular patrols in all areas.

—Disgruntled Kenyan

Send your letters to news@x-news.co.ke | Letters will be edited for summary and clarity

SPORT 13

AFC Leopards chairman, Allan Kasavuli on Wednesday afternoon resigned from his post leaving the club at their worst possible financial predicament.

Kasavuli who has been under siege for failing to arrest the gripping financial crisis that has seen the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) titan’s players not paid salaries, allowances and bonuses for three months, brought his turbulent two-year reign to an anti-climactic end in a brief three paragraph quit letter. “It is with a heavy heart that I tender my resignation as the chairman of AFC Leopards SC with immediate effect to concentrate on my personal business.

“I enjoyed serving as the chairman for the past two years and discharged my responsibilities in a fair, impartial and transparent way. I appreciate the expression of confidence from AFC members for electing me to this position, which I shall miss.

“I will arrange a handover within seven days,” Kasavuli who signed off as Outgoing Chairman wrote.

County Assembly of Nairobi Speaker, Alex Ole Magelo, a longserving former chairman who is now a club patron, convened a meeting in the aftermath of the resignation where an interim management team under the

AFC chairman Allan Kasavuli jumps ship THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

I QUIT: Outgoing AFC chairman Allan Kasavuli (second R) addressing the press. Business Man Amin Walji (R) takes over as the interim chairman while Alex Ole Magelo (L) takes patron position in six months transitional period.

chairmanship of Amin Walji, a Nairobi based businessman of Asian extraction was installed.

However, the move caught

members of Leopard’s National Executive Committee cold with assistant secretary general, Prof.

Asava Kadima terming the

constitution of an interim office un-procedural. “Kasavuli did not inform NEC he was leaving as our constitution says and even if he

wants to leave, the interim office is null and void since we have to agree as an elected executive on how to manage the transition.”

TP Mazembe stars turn to politics DR Congo and TP Mazembe stars Robert Kidiaba and Jean Kasusula are both hoping to become politicians.

The two players were joined in filing nominations to be a members of parliament

by Mazembe’s assistant coach Pamphile Mihayo.

All three are standing for the opposition National Party for Democracy and Development in parliamentary elections later this year.

The trio aim to combine their political ambitions with their roles at Mazembe.

Flamboyant goalkeeper Kidiaba, famous for his bum-hop celebrations, and Mihayo will stand in Katanga’s provincial capital Lubumbashi, where Mazembe are based.

While Kasusula hopes to be elected in the city of Kisangani.

Mihayo, who was captain when Mazembe reached the final of the World Club championship in 2010, believes he has what it takes to be a legislator.

“I know the needs of the people, who can defend them better than a sportsman?,” he said.

Meanwhile two wonder goals from Madagascar continued the giant killing on Monday at the Southern African championship, the Cosafa Cup. Their last-gasp 2-1 victory over Ghana means that there will be a new name on the trophy after Saturday’s final.

Mozambique also progressed to the semifinals by beating Malawi on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

On Sunday champions Zambia lost to Namibia and hosts South Africa to Botswana, both games went to penalties.

It means Thursday’s semi-finals will see Madagascar will play Namibia and Botswana against Mozambique.

NOW TO POLITICS: DR Congo and TP Mazembe star Robert Kidiaba. Kidiaba and teammate Jean Kasusula are both hoping to become politicians.

HOT POTATO: Christian Benteke is Aston Villa’s biggest scoring threat for Arsenal ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley.

Benteke giving Arsenal ‘sleepless nights’ ahead of FA Cup final clash Arsenal’s players will be having “sleepless nights” over facing in-form striker Christian Benteke in Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley, Aston Villa’s Ashley Westwood has warned.

The Villa midfielder believes Belgium international Benteke - who has scored 12 goals in his last 12 games - is back to his best following injury problems.

“Christian is a real handful for anyone. He’s back to his best now, bullying defenders,” said Westwood.

“They won’t want to play against him.”

Benteke, 24, struggled earlier in the season, short of form and fitness before Tim Sherwood replaced Paul Lambert as manager.

“I’m sure they’ll be having sleepless nights about him,” Westwood, 25, continued.

“I think he’s back to full fitness now. He was struggling with his Achilles early on and people didn’t see that, they just expected him

to walk back in and fire in the goals.”

But Westwood, who joined Villa from Crewe in 2012, says his side has more than just Benteke on which to rely.

“We know how good we are, if we play like we can do we can match anyone. We’ve got internationals throughout the team, Fabs (Fabian Delph) and Clevs [Tom Cleverley] are on form,” he said.

Fellow midfielder Jack Grealish was also singled out for praise - the 19-year-old gave a man-of-the-match display as he set up Delph’s winner in his side’s 2-1 win over Liverpool in the semi-final.

“He’s a special talent,” added Westwood.

“I’m sure he could be our match winner at the end of the day. He believes in his ability and so he should, he’s a special talent and he’s got the world at his feet. If he can keep playing like that, he can go anywhere.”

14

SPORT THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

National 15s squad charged to take on Zimbabwe CHARGING: Collins Injera makes a break against South Africa Western Province in a past rugby 15s match.

The national 15s team is out for revenge against Zimbabwe when the two sides clash in the opening round of the 2015 African Cup in Harare on June 13.

The Sables of Zimbabwe ended Kenya’s dreams of making their maiden appearance at 2015 Rugby World Cup during last year’s qualifiers but team manager Wangila Simiyu send a strong warning saying they are out to reclaim the continental title held

by Namibia.

Simiyu was speaking on Tuesday when

naming a 23-man squad to face Portugal in “We have an innovative youthful side that Saturday’s International Rugby Board test we are also building for 2019 World Cup match against Portugal at Nairobi’s RFUEA qualification,” Simiyu who was on the Grounds. technical bench when his side was beaten “The hunger that we have tells it all, we are 27-10 by Zimbabwe declared. in contention for Africa Cup because we Head coach Jerome Paarwater who arrived want to reclaim want was ours. Sometimes on Wednesday from his native country, South Africa has handed KCB pair of Jacob in life when you are beaten, you pick up the pieces and move on; you don’t just sit and Ojee and Peter Karia as well as Impala RFC’s Sammy Oliech their test debuts in the say you have been defeated. We are fighting back to make sure we get where we were international friendly where Kenya will be READY FOR THE NEXT: Rotich celebrating before. seeking to Lucas improve on her 32nd worldwide after winning the Hamburg Marathon in April.

Samsung Cup tourney gets underway this Saturday The 9th edition of the annual Southern India cricket tournament christened the Samsung Cup will bat off on Saturday 30th May 2015 at the Nairobi Gymkhana grounds.

The tournament has once again attracted the four protagonists who each represent a state in South India; Masai Mara (Kerala state), Rift Valley Challengers (Karnataka state), Mount Kenya Chargers (Andhra Pradesh & Telangana states) and Coast Super Kings (Tamilnadu state).

Defending champions Masai Mara are expected to face stiff competition from the other three sides that have each rejuvenated their squads in preparation for this year’s campaign which will run until 13th of June when the finals will be held at the same venue.

The tournament has been divided into two categories, the main cup and the senior’s category for over 4o year’s players. There will be a curtain raising ladies friendly match on Saturday

morning.

The winners of the various categories of the tournament including man of the match, best batsman, best bowler and best fielder.

BAT OFF: Vikram Thampi of Mount Kenya Chargers hits the ball during their Samsung Cricket Cup match against Maasai Mara Tuskers at Nairobi Gymkhana in Nairobi on June 1, 2014.

ranking.

However, among the notable missing in the squad that is dominated by Kenya Cup Champions KCB, are skipper Wilson Kopondo, Western Bull’s Davis Chenge, KCB’s Max Adaka and Strathmore Leos flyhalf Kenny Andola who are reserved for the Africa Cup. After the Portugal match, Kenya will host Tunisia June 28 in Nairobi before facing Spain in another international friendly July 18.

Wales centre Davies ruled out of Rugby World Cup Wales centre Jonathan Davies has been ruled out of the Rugby World Cup by a knee injury.

Davies, 27, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament playing for his club side Clermont Auvergne against Montpellier on Saturday.

The Welsh Rugby Union says the 2013 British and Irish Lion will undergo surgery in the next few days.

It is estimated Davies, who has won 48 caps for Wales, will be out of action for six to seven months.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland said: “It’s a disappointment for Jonathan and for us, but the advice is for him to have the surgery straight away.

“Obviously the injury rules him out of the 2015 Rugby

END OF ‘WORLD’: Wales centre Jonathan Davies (right) in action.

World Cup but our focus is his long term career and we will be working closely with him during his recovery looking towards the 2016 Six Nations.”

Davies has been first choice in Wales’s midfield alongside

Jamie Roberts.

His injury could now present an opportunity for Scarlets back Scott Williams who pushed the pair hard for a starting place during the 2015 Six Nations.

FIFA presidential election to go ahead, no 2018 and 2022 World Cup re-votes The Fifa presidential election will take place on Friday as planned despite the arrest of seven Fifa officials on charges they received millions of US dollars in bribes.

Among those arrested are Fifa vicepresident Jeffrey Webb.

A separate criminal investigation into how the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were allocated has also begun.

Sepp Blatter faces Prince Ali bin alHussein in Friday’s election as he seeks a fifth term as Fifa president.

The seven Fifa officials were arrested after the US Department of Justice issued a 47-count indictment charging 14 defendants with racketeering,

wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies in a 24-year scheme.

“The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic and deep-rooted,” said New York attorney general Loretta Lynch.

“It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks.”

Those arrested in a dawn raid at the prestigious Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich were Webb, Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Eugenio Figueredo, Rafael Esquivel and Jose Maria Marin.

Fifa, world football’s governing body,

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has been dogged by allegations of corruption and wrongdoing in recent years.

The latest developments are another major blow, although Fifa communications director Walter De Gregorio insisted the organisation was continuing to reform.

“This is good for Fifa,” he told a news conference following news of the arrests. “It hurts, it is not easy, but it confirms we are on the right track.”

In a separate move, Swiss authorities also opened criminal proceedings over the awarding of the hosting rights to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

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MATCHES HIGHLIGHTS

“1” is HOME WIN “X” is DRAW “2” is AWAY TEAM WIN The teams in the game are always listed in the order: GAME ID, HOME TEAM and VISITING TEAM PREDICTIONS DATE

TIME

GAME ID

GAME

1

X

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LE PRÉSIDENT: World football governing body’s president Sepp Blatter during a FIFA Congress.

Bournemouth boss named League Manager of the year Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has been named the League Managers’ Association manager of the year.

Howe, 37, was honoured after leading the Cherries into the top flight for the first time in their history.

He also claimed the Championship award, with Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho

given the Premier League accolade.

Bristol City’s Steve Cotterill and Gareth Ainsworth of Wycombe took the League One and League Two honours respectively.

Howe is only the second manager from outside the top flight to win the award since 1992, emulating then-Reading

REWARDED: Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has been named the League Managers’ Association manager of the year.

boss Steve Coppell in 2006.

He said: “I can’t believe it, I’m so surprised.”

A former Bournemouth player, in two spells he has guided the club from Football League survival after a 17-point deduction in 2008-09 to the Premier League.

First appointed in 2008, he returned to the club in 2012 after nearly two years at Burnley.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, who presented the award, said: “He’s done a fine job, a remarkable job, and done it with style and humility.”

Mourinho received the Premier League award after winning the title with Chelsea for the third time in two spells at the club.

Cotterill, meanwhile, guided Bristol City to the League One title, while Ainsworth’s Wycombe finished fourth in League Two, losing to Southend in the play-off final on penalties.

Last season, the Chairboys only avoided relegation out of the Football League with a final-day victory over Torquay.

Several other managers were also recognised on the night.

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GOOD ENDING: Sevilla players celebrate with the UEFA Europa League trophy after beating Dnipro 3-2 in the finals held in Warsaw, Poland.

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Dnipro undone by Carlos Bacca double as Sevilla make history Sevilla won a record fourth Europa League trophy after beating Dnipro in a thrilling final in Warsaw on Wednesday.

The Spanish side had to come back from a goal down as Nikola Kalinic headed Ukrainians Dnipro into an early lead.

Sevilla responded with two quick goals as Grzegorz Krychowiak drove in before Carlos Bacca rounded the goalkeeper.

Ruslan Rotan’s clever free-kick made it 2-2, but Bacca broke through to seal victory for Sevilla and with it a place in next season’s Champions League.

Unai Emery’s side are the first to retain the Europa League trophy since it was rebranded in 2009, and they have now triumphed in the competition more times than any other team, having won the Uefa Cup in 2007 and 2008.

It was a far from comfortable victory though, as Dnipro belied their underdog tag with a spirited display in their first European final.

They had won just seven of their 16 matches en route to the final, scoring 13 goals in the process, but took a shock lead against Sevilla with their first attack.

A long ball was knocked on by former Blackburn striker Kalinic for Matheus, who waited for his team-mate to run into the area before sending in a cross for Kalinic to head home.

Sevilla immediately set about mounting a response, but found it difficult to break down a

Dnipro side that had retreated into their own half.

Their equaliser came when Dnipro failed to clear Ever Banega’s corner and Krychowiak drove a shot through a crowd and into the net.

Barely three minutes later, the game turned on its head when Sevilla took the lead. Former Arsenal forward Jose Antonio Reyes split open the Dnipro defence with a fine ball and sent Bacca clear, allowing him to round the goalkeeper and slot home.

Dnipro had not scored more than one goal in a Europa League game in their previous six fixtures in the competition, but responded superbly to Sevilla’s quick double to level matters before the break, Rotan expertly steering a 25-yard free-kick into the top corner.

That set things up nicely for more of the same after the restart, but ultimately the second half failed to match the tempo of the first and when Bacca was put through by Vitolo to slot home, there was no way back for Dnipro.

Sevilla coach Unai Emery said: “It has been a lot of work.

The whole side worked very well. We’ve had difficulties in all of the games.

“At half-time, we spoke about how this competition takes a lot out of you, and that we had to wait for our moment. We deserve this.

We have to enjoy it.”

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