20150806 xnews

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015 | www.x-news.co.ke

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IEBC PLANS EARLY VOTER LISTING TO AVOID ERRORS OF LAST ELECTIONS ELECTORAL BODY’S CHIEF EXECUTIVE SAYS THIS WILL HELP THEM COMPILE THE REGISTER IN GOOD TIME AND AVOID PROBLEMS OCCASIONED BY LAST MINUTE RUSHES

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NEWS

KRU disbands national sevens team plus technical bench

Sportpesa kicks EABL out of Premier League sponsorship

Uhuru attacks opposition on Obama agenda P

resident Uhuru Kenyatta has criticised the opposition for failing to put the country’s interests first before theirs, during the visit by US President Barack Obama more than a week ago.

Mr Kenyatta said the opposition leaders whom he said ‘were lucky’ to have been

accorded the opportunity to meet President Obama, wasted the golden opportunity they had to contribute to Kenya’s progress.

The opposition used their time with Obama to persuade him to put pressure on the Jubilee administration on areas of good governance, corruption and limitation of basic human rights.

But President Kenyatta feels the leaders ought to have used their time to lobby for more investments by US firms in Kenya.

“Even when we have visitors you want to wash your dirty linen in public. You do not invite visitors to your house and start quarreling with your spouse,” said the President.

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Poor services

Customers claim loan service has poor coordination

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Breast feeding

We celebrate women breast feeding their babies as world marks day

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PATRIOTISM: President Uhuru Kenyatta addresses wananchi at the Makongeni grounds in Thika yesterday. Mr Kenyatta has hit out at the opposition for failure to market the country during president obama’s visit

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Social media Nos Big numbers on social sites is now the in thing as people capitalise

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NEWS THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

Mudavadi rules out joining JAP Former Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi has ruled out joining the Jubilee government in any capacity, stating he is instead concentrating in his 2017 Presidential plans under his newfound Amani National Congress (ANC) Party.

Mudavadi dismissed claims that he has been courting President Uhuru Kenyatta after losing in the 2013 general elections so as to be considered for a Cabinet slot in the government.

He cautioned pundits not to read much from his close association with President Uhuru, stating that his joining the government has never been an item in the many deliberations they have had with Uhuru after the 2013 polls.

“I want to make it clear that I was a competitor in the last elections seeking Presidency of this country, I want it to be clear that I am not seeking and have not been seeking any public appointment even when I will be interacting with him (Uhuru),” said Mudavadi.

“I also want to declare that I will be vying for the position of the Country’s Presidency on ANC,” he added Even as Mudavadi renewed his 2017 Presidential bid, it emerged that his 2013 Presidential contest running mate Jeremiah Kioni ditched him immediately he announced his new political vehicle, ANC, in June.

Mudavadi ditched United Democratic Forum (UDF) on June 25, a party he used to contest in the 2013 general elections, and joined ANC after months of power battles with officials of UDF. “We have had discussions with him (Kioni) over main issues (including ditching UDF) and he excused himself for now as he wants to reflect on a few issues, a plea that I respected and will be happy to support him any time,” stated Mudavadi when asked if he had parted ways with Kioni.

The ANC leader however disclosed that a number of current MPs who won on UDF ticket have expressed support to his new political move and will use the new vehicle to defend their seats come 2017.

Mudavadi accompanied by Lugari MP Ayub Savula among other party leaders,

president REJECTS BILL TO SEND EACC BOSSES HOME

NOT NOW: Amani National Congress party leader Musalia Mudavadi. The former minister says will not join the Jubilee alliance party but will seek to strenthen his own as he prepares for another attempt at the presidency.

was speaking yesterday at the party’s headquarters in Nairobi.

He said that he will soon embark on popularisation in every corner of the country in preparation for the 2017 contest.

“We expect to launch the party later in the year after which the party shall

conduct grassroots elections to establish our structures,” he noted.

Mudavadi also called for strengthening of constitutional institutions like the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and Auditor General’s office saying persistent attacks on such bodies is not good for the country’s growth.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has rejected the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Amendment Bill, which would have seen the commission’s CEO Halakhe Waqo and his deputy Michael Mubea kicked out.

While rejecting the Bill, President Kenyatta said the proposed provision as passed by the MPs is contrary to the Constitution which confers on all persons the right to administrative action which is expeditious, effective, lawful and procedurally fair.

“It requires that any person who is likely to be adversely affected by such action be given written reasons for the action,” Uhuru said.

The President recommends the bill be amended by deleting the offending clause and substitute with a new one stating that, “every person who immediately before the commencement of the Act was an employee of the Commission, shall upon such commencement continue to serve in his or her respective position.

In a memorandum explaining his refusal to assent to the bill, the President wants the offices of the secretary and the deputy secretary to the commission be declared vacant upon the commencement of the Act. “Until the new members of the commission are appointed, the secretary and the deputy shall continue to hold office in an acting capacity.” Uhuru writes.

Further within the

period of one year after the appointment of commissioners under the Act, using criteria determined by the commission, vet such employee to ensure that he or she is fit and proper to continue serving as such.

The Bill, sponsored by Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa, was passed by Parliament last month, with 70 members voting in support of the amendments while 39 voted against it.

Wamalwa had sought to have the offices of EACC secretary and the deputy become vacant upon the enactment of the bill.

Majority Leader in the National Assembly Aden Duale, opposed the amendment when it was brought to the floor of the house last month saying the secretary to the commission was an appointee of the House which approves the office bearer and so the House could not take away the powers it had allocated.

Duale argued that, by removing the secretariat, Parliament would be denying the officials a fundamental right by failing to give them hearing as enshrined in the law The anti-graft body has faced several challenges complicated by the suspension of Mubea by the then chair Mumo Matemu for allegedly delaying investigations into multiple corruption cases.

The suspension was later revoked by Waqo, who claimed that he had not been consulted on the matter.

Uhuru attacks opposition on Obama agenda From Page 1 He said the current crop of opposition politicians should understand that opposition politics is not about standing in the way of development and progress that is meant to benefit Kenyans.

“Opposition is about difference of opinion but does not mean enmity,” he said.

He said the role of the opposition is to air their views democratically on issues they have a difference of

opinion on and to support what is right.

“If something is good put the country first and support it. When the visitor goes we can continue sorting our differences,” he said.

“Sometimes we can agree to agree and sometimes we can agree to disagree on some issues like we did with President Obama (on gay issues).”

The President was speaking at Makongeni in Thika after attending

a security meeting at the KDF Engineers Brigade barracks.

“Instead of asking for more investments in Kenya and putting the country first, the opposition leaders chose to put their selfish interests first,” he said.

He said political leaders should be motivated by progress in the country and not by personal fights.

President Obama visited Kenya for development related issues including the Global Entrepreneurship

Summit and also to hold bilateral meetings with the government.

Uhuru also told the opposition to realize that Kenya is an established democracy and they should know that elections will come at the stipulated time.

He also censured the opposition for creating controversy over Government plans to support unemployed youth through projects managed by the National Youth Service.

He said those opposing the initiatives to allocate more money for improving the welfare of the youth, who are the majority of the Kenyan population, were betraying their preference for poverty as a tool for political benefit.

“They only want the youth to continue living in poverty so that they can exploit them for political support,” he said.

NEWS 3

CARTOONSPEAK

THURSDAY AUGUST 6, 2015

Men have better lives than women, gender equality survey indicates In Kenya, 36 per cent of the population says men have a better life than their female counterparts while 28 per cent say it is women who have it better.

About a third of the population says the quality of life between men and women is basically the same while 2 per cent say they don’t know the difference.

Based on a study by Pew Global, one of the world’s leading research think tanks, opinions about which of the sexes has a better life are varied.

However, in 10 of 22 nations surveyed, most people say that, “all things considered, men have the better life in their countries.”

The opinion that men have the

NEWS BRIEFS

Kitui man commits suicide after squandering son’s dowry

better life is especially widespread in countries like France where 3 out of 4 people believe that the statement is true.

The same opinions are strong in Nigeria, the United States, Germany, Spain, India and Brazil.

On the other hand, most people in Russia and a large portion of others in China and Argentina think that life is the same for men and women.

“Across much of the world, female respondents are considerably more likely than male respondents to say that men have the better life in their country,” says an excerpt from the study, dubbed “Gender Equality Universally Embraced, But Inequalities Acknowledged.”

Kuppet issues strike threats over pay rise Kuppet secretary general akelo misori.

Knut secretary general Wilson sossion.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers yesterday joined their counterparts in putting the government on notice about a strike next month if the government does not honour pay rise.

Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori said the government should pay teachers 50 -60 per cent pay increment as awarded by the Industrial and Labour Relations Court in June.

Misori said the only way of averting the next month’s strike by Teachers Service Commission to pay teachers the amount by end of this month.

“We will not relent on this one, teachers must be given their rights as the courts ruled, should this directive is

ignored then we will disrupt learning when school’s reopen next month for the third term” Misori said yesterday in Nairobi during a press conference.

On Sunday, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) threatened to call for a nationwide strike should the government moves to Supreme Court to appeal against a salary increase awarded to them by the courts. KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion said the government has failed to honor a court ruling that granted teachers a 60 percent pay increase leaving the union with no option but to call for a nationwide teachers strike. “All teachers want to see in their salaries for

this month is the 60 percent increase that was awarded by the court, anything less than that will result into an industrial action when schools re-open for the third term” Sossion said.

The yesterday’s support of the strike by Kuppet now presents a headache to the government a head of school re-opening for the third term.

The Teachers Service Commission was ordered by the Court of Appeal to pay teachers the salary increase as awarded last month by the Employment and Labour Relations Court.

TSC has instead argued that they have no money at the moment to implement the salary increase as ordered by the Court.

WHAT OTHERS SAID TODAY... auditor gener threatened oVer probe: Auditor General Edward Ouko said yesterday his life is in danger, following the much-publicised audit report in which he reported Sh66.8 billion had not been accounted for by government. Ouko said some of his staff as well as the chairman of the Public Account Committee of the National Assembly have also been threatened after the report on the Sb1.59 trillion 2013/2014 Budget was released last week. “We have...

preacher quizzed in death crash probe: Pastor James Ng’ang’a Wednesday denied that he was driving a Range Rover involved in an accident leading to the death of a woman two weeks ago.

Mr Ng’ang’a, a TV preacher and founder of Neno Evangelism Centre, was reported by eyewitnesses to have been driving the vehicle at the time of the accident. Speaking through his lawyers yesterday, Mr Ng’ang’a claimed he was “shocked at the...

eacc secretariat bosses get a lifeline from uhuru but...: President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday rejected attempts by Members of Parliament to fire two top officials running the anticorruption agency currently working on cases involving suspended Cabinet secretaries, principal secretaries, governors and MPs. The President refused to assent to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (Amendment) Bill,...

An elderly man at Maluma village in Kitui County committed suicide by taking poison to avoid questioning after he allegedly squandered Sh10, 000 meant for his son’s dowry. The decomposing body of James Kailu, 60, was in a maize plantation on Wednesday, days after he returned from Nairobi. According to neighbours, the deceased fled to Nairobi with his village girlfriend only to return home empty-handed. Confirming the incident, Ikutha Sub County OCPD Kingsford Nyanga said that the body has been moved to Kitui Mortuary.

Police ban night travel after Lake Victoria boat collision Police in Homa Bay have banned night travel on Lake Victoria after two boats collided at Remba Island claiming the lives of two children.

The victims aged, two and four years old were among 23 people on board a passenger which collided with a stationery fishing boat in what police have attributed to poor visibility.

Emergency workers from the Kenya Red Cross and local fishermen rescued the 21 people and recovered the bodies of the two children who were traveling with their mother to Kisumu when the accident occurred.

Man stabs friend to death over Sh50 A man has been arrested after he killed his friend in an argument over Sh50 in Huruma. The two had been in a social joint with others when an argument broke out. The assailant used a knife to stab the deceased before he tried to escape. Police say they were called and informed of the incident long after the victim had died and when the suspect had been subdued by locals. He is expected in court today.

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NEWS THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

NEWS BRIEFS Corrupt Brazilian executives jailed Two former executives of Brazilian construction giant OAS have been sentenced to 16 years in jail for corruption. A judge in Brazil said former OAS president Jose Aldemario Pinheiro and Agenor Medeiros were involved in a major corruption scandal at the state-owned oil company, Petrobras. Three other former OAS employees have been sentenced to shorter jail terms. The scandal broke last year, implicating senior politicians. Pinheiro and Medeiros were found guilty of bribing government officials, money laundering and conspiracy to commit crimes.

Suspect dead after cinema attack in Nashville A man brandishing an axe and pepper spray has been killed by police after attacking people in a cinema in suburban Nashville, Tennessee.

With a rucksack on his chest and wearing a surgical mask, the man was shot dead by officers while trying to escape after carrying out the attack.

One person suffered a “superficial” hatchet wound and three people were treated for exposure to pepper spray.

The man was later named as a 29-year-old local, Vincente David Montano.

Police spokesperson, Don Aaron said Montano had “significant” psychological issues and had been committed to psychiatric care four times.

Sudan court clears South Sudan pastors of spying A court in Sudan has freed two South Sudanese Christian pastors after acquitting them of charges that include spying and crimes against the state.

Outside the court in the capital, Khartoum, the men’s families rejoiced and sang, AFP reports.

Yat Michael and Peter Yen Reith had faced a possible death sentence if convicted.

Sudan has a majority Muslim population governed by Islamic law, and Christians often complain of persecution.

Last year there was global condemnation when a Sudanese woman was sentenced to hang for apostasy - renouncing her religion - after marrying a Christian man.

Her sentence was overturned by an appeals court and she is now living in the US with her husband.

OBAMA VISIT

IEBC plans early voter listing for less errors The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will conduct nationwide voter registration starting November this year.

The commission’s CEO Ezra Chiloba says they will kick off the exercise early to ensure there is sufficient time to compile the register and minimise errors as those witnessed in the last General Election.

“We are getting into voter registration phase and we will be taking a nationwide voter registration exercise in November and December,” said Chiloba.

While appearing before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee to respond to questions over the procurement of voter registration equipment used in the last election, Chiloba noted that many young people had been left out of the process initially, saying the commission had since learnt from mistakes arising from the 2013 poll.

He said the commission would deploy election clerks who can speak local dialects to ensure every prospective voter gets the message so as to make the exercise successful.

“We said perhaps the best way to attend to this was to use the social capital of the staff where we send them to their county because they can speak the local language and basically understand the terrain to be able to mobilise people to turn up and register,” he added.

He further clarified that staff who will be deployed will be transferred

PLAN B: IEBC CEO Ezra Chiloba (centre) says that voter listing exercise will start early to minimise errors.

to other areas come the election date to reduce familiarity which has been blamed in some cased for ‘alleged’ tampering of election results. It was during his appearance that Chiloba also admitted to approving the payment of Sh252 million for the purchase of an extra 4,600 Electronic Voter Identification Devices not approved by the tender committee.

Chiloba noted the mistake but defended himself saying by the time joined the commission, the negotiations were at an advanced stage and already the equipment had been delivered and used by IEBC. “The irregularity had happened and action taken, but as an accounting officer, you must strengthen your internal mechanism and systems and

TwIN TraIN dEraIlmENTS lEavE 24 dEad IN PradESh STaTE, INdIa

TRAGIC: S: The trains were passing each other near the town of Harda, and some coaches fell into a river.

At least 24 people were killed after two passenger trains in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh derailed minutes apart on a partially flooded bridge. The trains were passing each other near the town of Harda, and some coaches fell into a river.

A railway spokesman said that heavy rain had caused river levels to rise, submerging the track.

Officials say at least 25 people have been injured and another 300 rescued. The Kamayani Express travelling from Varanasi to Mumbai derailed first, while the Janata Express travelling in the opposite direction derailed

shortly after. Another passenger said there had been “a sudden jerk” and “the carriage broke apart and people were crushed”. Reports say the trains were crossing a bridge over the rain-swollen Machak River, about 950km from India’s capital, Delhi. “This unfortunate accident took place because of the flash floods on the tracks and the track caved in and resulted in the derailment of the last six coaches of the Kamayani Express,” railways spokesperson Anil Saksena said.

The death toll could rise slightly.

It was not clear if any passengers remained unaccounted for.

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

punish those responsible,” said Chiloba. He pointed out that the extra EVIDs were needed following an addition of the number of polling stations.

He also indicated that although the initial payment was adjusted from $16 million to $21 million, he only approved payment for $2.5 million and dismissed the rest as the reasons given by the company supplying the equipment were unjustified.

Former CEO James Oswago had initially told the committee that he declined to authorise payment of the monies. As part of the changes to redeem public confidence, Chiloba said the commission had established an ICT laboratory which will be exploring the current technology, test it and make sure what was procured was effective since in the last election a number of Biometric Voter Registration kits (BVR) and

EVIDs failed. The CEO who has been in office for six months now said he had set the ball rolling and his team was charged and ready to deliver to Kenyans a free, fair and transparent election.

“I came at a time when there was very low morale by the staff following the challenges of the 2013 elections; for me the challenge was to mobilise people towards a common cause,” he said.

He stated that the commission now engages with the staff on a regular basis to understand the challenges they undergo and also to get ideas on how to improve service delivery to the people.

“We have local experts who we want to work with to come up with solution to the technological problems that may arise. We experienced challenges with the system we had, we are since making deliberate steps to ensure this does not happen again,” added the CEO. Chiloba while responding to a question over why the cost of elections in Kenya was so high said this was determined by the trust of the public. He attributed the mistrust to social experience over the years saying this was process and mostly common in post conflict countries and would fade with time.

“The higher the level of trust in the systems the lesser the cost.

I will not be looking for a ballot paper with a security feature if I trust that if I cast my vote, it will be counted,” said Chiloba.

Hopes fade for missing migrants

Search teams in the Mediterranean say they don’t expect to find any more survivors from a boat carrying around 600 migrants which sank off Libya.

Officials initially feared hundreds had drowned but the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said 400 people were rescued.

The Italian coast guard said 25 bodies have been recovered so far but it is unclear how many people are missing.

More than 2,000 migrants are said to have died in 2015 trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe. Wednesday’s incident occurred when the packed fishing boat ran into rough weather about 15 miles (25km) from Libya’s coast.

A distress call was picked up in Sicily and one of the first ships on the scene was an Irish navy vessel, the LE Niamh. But as she

launched her boats, the migrants apparently moved to one side of the fishing boat, causing it to capsize.

“Those that were on deck would have managed to jump, some of them drowned and some of them were saved,” said Martin Xuereb of the Migrant Offshore Aid Station in Malta, one the groups involved in the rescue effort.

“I think it’s unlikely that any additional survivors will be picked up.”

Cmdr Filippo Marini of the Italian coast guard said survivors had indicated that between 400 and 600 people were on board the boat when it capsized. Melissa Fleming, a UN refugee agency (UNHCR) spokeswoman, said about 100 people are thought to have been travelling in the boat’s hull at the time, adding: “The boat capsized very fast”.

xnews | THURsday, AUGUST 6, 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 101.1118 101.0172 101.2065 157.1022 156.9261 157.2783 109.8478 109.7322 109.9633 7.9242 7.9121 7.9363 34.3680 34.2863 34.4496 20.8977 20.8287 20.9667

Foreign direct investment to boost job opportunities: Central Bank The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has reported that the coming months will offer more opportunities for foreign direct investment and the recovery of key sectors within the economy.

Due to favourable marketing conditions, the improvements are set to create thousands of employment opportunities,

especially in the tourism sector, which suffered heavy losses as a result of terror attacks across the country.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met on August 5, 2015 to review market developments and the outcomes of its previous monetary policy decisions.

It noted that overall inflation, which is a

general increase in prices and a fall in the purchasing value of money, decreased in July 2015.

The MPC noted that it remained within the Government’s target range of 2.5 percent on either side of the 5 percent target.

The CBK’s Market Perceptions Survey of

July 2015 showed optimism for increased foreign direct investment and recovery of key sectors of the economy,” said MPC Chairman Dr. Patrick Njoroge said in a recent statement.

“Early indications point to improved performance in tourism and agriculture,” he explained.

KCB|MPesa inefficiency claims raise concerns Subscribers to Safaricom and Kenya Commercial Bank’s mobile banking platform dubbed ‘KCB Mpesa’, have complained—faulting the two companies for inefficiency in services.

KCB M-Pesa, unveiled early this year is a product that enables subscribers access to loans of between Sh50 and Sh1 million repayable for between one and six months.

Even though mobile banking has become a competitive edge for Kenyan lenders, giving them easier and broader access to customers, challenges have hit this mode of transactions raising concerns if the future of the platform is secure.

Some complaints lodged by users

include delays in responding to loan request, slow processing and remittance of loans and poor communication.

Others also complained of poor coordination and communication between KCB and M-Pesa systems.

A case in study put a customer at loggerheads with KCB, they had requested for a loan at the beginning of a certain month and KCB processed it without notification.

The said customer was only shocked to receive an SMS prompting her to repay back a loan she had not received.

‘I was bombarded with a text message that clearly stated I had five days to repay a Sh.10,000 loan

the industry The country’s tourism industry is set for its latest boost as the Kenya government makes plans to leverage on the new flights between Guangzhou and Nairobi launched by the China Southern Airlines (CZ) to market the country as an investment, trade and tourism destination.

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) Managing Director Muriithi Ndegwa says the flights launched on Wednesday will see increased

whereas I had not received the loan’, she said.

The subscriber further reveals that despite having applied for the loan on Third of July 2015, she received no response from either KCB or M-Pesa and concluded that perhaps she had been denied the loan. On seeking clarification on the matter.

KCB bluntly apologized.

In normal circumstances, when a subscriber requests for a loan and it gets approval, KCB M-Pesa is obligated to notify the customer immediately via SMS of the amount the customer will receive and when the loan is due for repayment.

This notification followed by a message in form of an SMS to notify

THEN: KCB and Safaricom CEOs, Bob Collymore and Joshua Oigara pose for a selfie with blogger Kachwanya and Maina Kageni at the launch of KCB|MPesa.

Now, users are complaining the service is inefficient.

the customer that funds have been deposited to their mobile phones via the MPesa platform into the KCB M-pesa account.

In a number of cases reviewed by X-News Business desk, none of the above processes took place.

‘I have requested a loan from KCB M-Pesa on four occasions and not even once have I received a response, I am not even sure whether the product works or not,’ another subscriber claimed.

Direct China flights expected to lift crippled tourism sector

bilateral ties between China and Kenya. Ndegwa noted that China is the fastest growing tourism market in the world and more flights between the two countries will increase tourists from China.

China Southern Airlines made its maiden flight from Guangzhou to Nairobi on Wednesday with the new service having a frequency of three flights a week.

The airline will fly to and from Nairobi every Monday, Wednesday

and Friday. However, under a code-share agreement with Kenya Airways, both airlines will provide 20 flights on the new route.

Ndegwa added that KTB would be signing a joint marketing agreement with the airline.

“The new route will make it more convenient for passengers on transit to and from other African countries to China, South East Asia, and North East Asia among others through our extensive route network,” said

China Southern Airlines Chairman Si Xianmin. The airline signed a Memorandum of Understanding with both KQ and the Kenya Airports Authority detailing their proposed commercial relationship.

“KQ customers will now be able to connect to other destinations in China and Asia given China Southern’s extensive presence in those markets,” said KQ Chief Executive Officer Mbuvi Ngunze.

Ngunze admitted the KQ results

that recorded a Sh25.7bn net loss in its 2015 results have raised concerns about the airline both locally and internationally.

“We have prioritised to put the airline back on its profitability. We are working very hard with our key stakeholders to see this come true,” Ngunze added.

MORE ON THIS STORY www.capitalfm.co.ke

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BUSINESS THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

BIZ GADGET LG Electronics (LG) recently announced plans to roll out the “Bello II”, its newest midrange 3G smartphone.

“The LG Bello II brings unprecedented value to 3G markets, which still account for a significant 40 per cent of smartphone markets,” said Juno Cho, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.

The LG Bello II is the successor to last year’s

TechThisOut: The LG Bello II popular L Bello and features a large 5.0-inch display and a more powerful 5 megapixel (MP) selfie camera.

“With its 5MP selfie camera, large display and familiar features, the LG Bello II is a great balance of form, function and price, which is why we expect to be even more successful than its predecessor,” he added, speaking during a previous address The handset boasts a “best-in-class” 2,540mAh

replaceable battery that provides ample power for all of its advanced features. LG also made it easy to snap quality selfies with proprietary features like the Gesture Shot and the Selfie Flash, carried over from its G Series.

The phone has a Quad-Core chipset clocked at 1.3GHz, 8GB worth of memory 1GB worth of RAM and runs on Androids 5.1.1 Lollipop Operating System.

Some users, according to gsmarena.com, have

expressed their thoughts regarding the phone already as it is likely to arrive in Kenya by the end of this year’s Q3.

A reviewer said: “I don’t see any difference from the original LG L Bello (except there are no backside buttons), so what’s the point? The original is better than this.”

As more and more smartphones hit the Kenyan market, local retailers have already pegged the price of the phone at Sh29,400.

Bidco Oil cleared by Ugandan government in land claim The Ugandan Government has released a statement to disprove allegations levelled against Kenya’s Bidco Oil Company over land.

Uganda accused Bidco and Vegetable Oil Development Project (VODP) of land grabbing in Kalangala District, Uganda displacing thousands of residents.

The permanent Secretary Agriculture, Animal Industry and fisheries, V.R. Rubarema has defended the company despite the accusation that the

company grabbed the land to plant palm trees used to manufacture edible oils.

“The Government of Uganda purchased 5,500 hectares of land from landlords in Kalangala District.

It then allocated 3,000 hectares out of public land in the same district for this project,” said Rubarema in a statement.

“Under the Public Private Partnership agreement, the Government of Uganda undertook the sole

responsibility of acquiring land for oil palm development,” the Permanent Secretary’s statement added.

According to the Ugandan government, VODP has enhanced infrastructure and sub-substantial prosperity to the said Kalangala’s community. “Out grower farmers whose crop reached maturity are currently earning an average of UGX 600,000 per hectare per month from sale of their oil palm fruits to the palm oil factory.”

The statement further said, Bidco Company paid UGX 120bn in tax and has employed over 3,500 Ugandans in the Oil Palm Plantation, Palm Oil Milling and Jinja Oil Refinery.

“Kalangala Island has risen from a very low position of 71 out of 76 districts (2005) in poverty rankings; it is rated to be among the higher income top 10 districts out of 112 districts in per capita income levels in Uganda in 2014,” said Rubarema in the statement.

In accordance to this statement, since the year 2000, dispute between tenants and private landowners of 25 hectares out of 8,500 hectares has never been resolved.

To clear the said allegations, the permanent secretary has ascertained that details of land transactions are available at the Project Office in Kampala and at Kalangala District Agriculture Office.

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Report: Airtel controls 21 per cent of Kenyan mobile market Airtel Kenya’s market share has grown to 21.0 per cent up from 16.2 percent over a span of three months.

According to a recent performance announcement by the company, Airtel is the only operator that has shown consistent growth in SMS traffic over the last four quarters under review.

The mobile phone service operator’s voice traffic increased by a substantial margin during the last quarter under review. The telco posted a total of 1.8 billion minutes up from 1.2 billion minutes during the preceding quarter.

Reports show that Kenya’s data market has continued to expand over the period with increased growth in subscriptions witnessed during the quarter under review.

Airtel’s growth is linked to their UnlimiNET product.

Airtel Kenya CEO Adil El Youssefi said, “The growth may also be attributed to our 3G network upgrade exercise in major towns such as Mombasa and Kitale in the month of January in which we deployed the latest wireless technologies that significantly enhanced network signals, data speeds and improved voice quality for our customers.”

Airtel Kenya’s acquisition of YuMobile subscribers has also contributed to this growth in data, Voice and SMS traffic.

MORE ON THIS STORY www.capitalfm.co.ke

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

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With the modern woman trying to balance her life between her career and her family, many mothers are often overwhelmed by their professions, getting forced to put their babies on milk formula or pumped breast milk even when they are willing to breastfeed in a bid to get their office work done on time.

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Before

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The breasT feeding debaTe was alive This week yeT again wiTh celebriTies and experTs aiming aT making The pracTice cool.

ountless global celebration days, weeks and months have sprung up in the recent past, usually set aside to symbolize and commemorate different milestones and issue-awareness ranging from the traditional Christmas and New Year celebrations to downright absurd celebrations such as the No Socks Day and the International Nude Day. Luckily, part of the modern society has managed to keep their sanity, and holds meaningful celebrations such as the World Breastfeeding Week which kicked off Saturday.

Among the most advocated for issues in both the developed and developing nations is that of reducing high infant mortality especially when it is brought on by maternal neglect. Health focused NGOs and governments have delved into intensive campaigns to encourage mothers to feed their infants exclusively on breast milk in the first six months of the child’s life before moving on to wean the child. This follows the boost in sales of baby milk formula used by mothers, some who find breastfeeding appalling, mostly due to the perceived negative cosmetic outcome of breast feeding.

With the modern woman trying to balance her life between her career and her family, many mothers are often overwhelmed by their professions, getting forced to put their babies on milk formula or pumped breast milk even when they are willing to breastfeed in a bid to get their office work done on time. This is the source of inspiration for this year’s breastfeeding week theme: Breastfeeding and work, let’s make it work! his year, the focus is majorly on employers, with the aim of compelling them to create an environment that is breastfeeding-friendly at workplaces such as setting up breastfeeding booths and baby nurseries so that mothers can carry their babies to work instead of leaving them hungry at home. Some local companies have also increased maternity leave days for their female employees from the traditional three months to a longer four months to enable mothers to cater for their babies to the maximum, with child care experts suggesting that this duration be extended to six months to allow mothers to complete the recommended exclusive breastfeeding cycle.

Kenya is a fast growing

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FASHION parade

Hail the

feeding mothers

as the world marks World Breast feeding Week

and open minded nation with many NGOs and human rights societies working towards empowering women in society, and the organizations working in the health sector have played an active role in encouraging women to claim their babies’ right to breastfeed. These efforts alongside government child-health campaigns have led to a sharp increase in the number of Kenyan mothers who breastfeed their children to the six months mark from 32% in 2008 to 61% in 2014. part from NGO and human rights societies’ efforts, the rise in number of mothers who are exclusively breast feeding can also be attributed to the paradigm shift in our culture regarding showing skin in public. Before, mothers were embarrassed to breastfeed in public spaces but nowadays, women bare more than just their breasts for all and sundry in the form of modern scanty dressing.

This has helped breast feeding mothers gain confidence to breastfeed in public instead of hiding away in washrooms when away from the privacy of their homes. After all, no one eats in toilets and much less public toilets, so why should your baby?

As the breastfeeding week approaches its end, women are encouraged to cater for their new born babies by feeding them the natural and nutritious breast milk which according to the Health Cabinet Secretary, James Macharia, is “vital to the growth and health of our babies and is thereby the very foundation of a healthy and productive Kenya and key to achieving our Vision 2030.”

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WEDNESDAY THURSDAY, AUGUST6, 26th NOVEMBER 2015 2014

YOLO

Yes it is important to keep growing those numbers, but mostlY to make sure theY work in Your favour.

HOT It has become so serious that friends have gone their separate ways because one of them did not follow back.

Xtian Dela.

Khaligraph reinvents his flow

Afrobeat Wednesdays at K1 last night showcased Khaligraph Jones’ new rhyme. With DJ Creme de la Creme launching his latest song, I Am King, the bad boy of rap wowed the audience with his great flow clearly making him ‘king’ momentarily. Gospel artiste DK Kwenye Beat was also at the same venue where he launched his

H All About big numbers on

sociAl mediA

TOPICS

aving a large number of followers on social media is enough to give you a great job with a nice retirement scheme. Everybody wants to follow and be followed back. It has even sort of become a form of greeting at events. You meet someone and as you start getting to know them, the next logical thing is to ask for their handles on Instagram to follow them then begin the long wait for when they will follow you back!

You might be lucky if the person follows you back in a minute. If a person has not been followed back he or she will make sure to mention it when they meet again. The first greeting would be “Why did you not follow me back?” It has become so serious that friends have gone their separate ways because one of them did not follow the other back.

In this day and age having many followers is important. We are told for some, it is even on a bucket list.

But lets face it ,numbers on social media especially for celebrities and opinion leaders can give you a source of income.

Take Xtian Dela for example. He is currently one of the biggest Twitter personalities in the country.

Companies approach him and ask him to advertise their products for them. He does it at a fee and at the end of the day he has something in his pocket.

His huge numbers have also been known to start trending topics online in just a few hours.

Yes it is important to keep growing those numbers, but mostly to make sure they work in your favour. What is your handle? I follow you and you follow me back!

octopizzo Album lAuncH

hot date

owago

latest

video

Pakacha.

colonel Mustafa finds love, again!!

Ogopa deejays’ Colonel Mustafa has failed to wow us with great music and has of late resorted to controversy as his main tool to remaining relevant in the industry. The singer yesterday got to social media to announce that he had finally found love, again! This is what he had to say on his Facebook update: ‘Love is not about finding the right person, but creating a right relationship.

It’s not about how much love you have in the beginning but how much love you build till the end. I have fallen in love once again guys, with someone who loves n appreciate me and supports all I do. I never knew love will hit me hard as it just did kwanza. True love is amazing.

Akothee releases shengerera video

octopiZZo

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ctopizzo will this Saturday launch his L.P.D.C album at the K.I.C.C from 2pm . The launch promises to be one for the books with Octo releasing new music from his album. There will be many celebrities in the house from comedians like Eric Omondi, Obinna, Jalang’o, Chipukeezy and Owago. The DJs on the decks will be DJ Zaq, DJ Krowbar and DJ Pierra.

Pointblank is the MC for the event. Tickets are Sh. 300 per person and Sh, 1000 for a group of 5.

Akothee has finally dropped the much anticipated ‘Shengerera Mama’ video that is said to be one of the most expensive videos in Kenya done abroad.

‘Shengerera mama’ is a song that appreciates all mothers in the world. All women, guardians and every other woman out there taking care of kids and families.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

all round news and updates from universities.

CAMPUSVIBE

kenyatta University to LaUnch schooL of architectUre and spatiaL pLanning With the emergence of new institutions of higher learning.

Competition between the universities is on the rise with all institutions trying to prove that they are the best in the industry.

Kenyatta University is planning to broaden its curriculum with the addition of a school of architecture and spatial planning.

The branch will be based in Ruiru and its aim is to train and develop

more skilled individuals in the building environment.

The course will run for six years and will consist of two phases.

The first one being full time class work which will run for four years. After which a student will graduate with a degree in the field.

The next two years will see students graduate with a masters in the same field.

Tribalism in institutions of higher learning killing student leadership

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riginally, education was meant to make us better people. Apart from getting knowledge from the books and other related sources, our interactions with others from different races and tribes was also meant for us to co-exist and learn how to accommodate others.

Moi University recently conducted an election where they voted in a new team of student leaders. These elections were documented as the most controversial elections in the history of the university as the tribal lines were clearly drawn during

hat does your job entail?

It mostly entails online booking for hotels. Jovago has partnered with over 25, 000 hotels in Africa.

I manage the East and Southern Jovago branches in Africa; it is tasking but also fun. Basically I oversee the Jovago operations in these countries and ensure that all teams under me perform well.

How many hours do you work in a day?

I work from 8am- 7pm and make sure that I make time for my little family; husband and daughter.

What qualifications do you need for your job?

One needs to have a lot of pragmatism and to also be a go getter. One should not be afraid to make decisions. A lot of passion is also needed.

Being an MD in the travel industry requires a lot of passion.

Was this your dream career?

Not really, I studied Political Science.

But having a

passion for travelling, when this opportunity came about, I took it.

How did you start out?

I was recruited by investors of this country. Having had a bad experience the first time I came to Kenya as a tourist, I gladly took up this opportunity hoping to bring change to the Tourism and travel industry in Kenya.

What achievements have you had so far?

I am proud of where Jovago is now! We have grown a lot.

We have had many repetitive customers which means Jovago is doing a good job.

We have also managed to educate the market/ industry on online hotel bookings.

Any challenges you have experienced so far?

At the beginning it was hard to develop a service that people are not familiar with. We have also had major telecommunication challenges.

Does your job interfere with your social life?

No. It is a matter of organization. I make time for my family and friends.

Laikipia University stUdents in moUrning The students and the entire fraternity of Laikipia University continue to be in a sad mood as they received the news about the death of their Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Robert K. Obura. It is said that he died after suffering a heart attack. For many at the university, everything remains a blur as the incident was sudden. Many referred to him as a hero as he influenced the students positively and always showed concern. He will be remembered for the great roles that he played in the relatively young university. May God rest his soul in eternal peace.

What is the best part of your job?

Everything!

I get to create social relationships often and I get to travel.

What is the worst part of your job?

Finding the best people is challenging.

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

Be flexible, open to adaptations and customer satisfaction is very important.

28 year old Estelle Verdier-Watine is all about travelling.

She is the MD at Jovago East Africa and is succeeding at changing the Tourism and Travel Industry in Kenya. She tells us all about how to remain on top of her grind.

EsTEllE VErdiEr -WaTinE

careerchat

W

the whole process. Unlike the ideal process where all the candidates come up and present their manifestos and vision for the student government, the candidates in this elections used their influence and money to win the hearts of the voters. The more money you had, the better it was for you as one could easily use it to buy food and alcohol for the other students. As for influence, this meant that you only had to convince one other influential person who would then get the word out to another and the cycle would continue.

Professor Robert K. Obura

TraVEllinG THE WOrld

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

FASHIONparade

EdiE’s Fashion CoLLECTion.

A fresh twist to the peplum.

The zip is a perfect touch.

Scarf or collar?

Perfect for all occasions.

Simply flawless.

inTroduCing EdiE’s Fashion;

The high-waist flatters any figure.

E

ComForT and CLass

very woman’s desire is to be unique, especially when it comes to their dressing, and Edie Odette has stepped up to bridge this gap in the fashion world through her recently launched women collection “Edie’s Fashion” She describes her collection as vibrant, exceptional and high class, terming the designs as those that you can only get custom made,

TOP a

khLoE kardashian and ambEr rosE

TrEnding CELEb bEEFs

mber Rose seems to always have a bone to pick with the Kardashians. She started off beefing with Kim Kardashian over Kanye West and recently she has been all over Kylie Jenner’s case, dissing her for dating Tyga who used to date Blac Chyna, Amber’s BFF. Luckily for Kylie, no one messes with the Kardashians and gets away with it as proved

by Kylie’s half-sister Khloe Kardashian, who has taken it up with Amber on Twitter for almost three months now.

with the advantage being that the design is yours alone. “Love inspired me; Love for my family,” she tells X Access. “I prefer soft material for women clothes because they are comfortable,” she adds, explaining that she used African prints, suede, chiffon and lace. Here are our best picks from the Edie’s Fashion collection.

T

i

f you haven’t heard of this beef, then you must live in the remotest place on earth. Drake and Meek Mill have been at loggerheads since late July over the originality of Drake’s rap lyrics and who between them ‘hit it first,’ the ‘it’ in this case being Nicki Minaj. Drake is currently at the top of this war, having pulled off a sly stunt at the Ovo Fest last weekend where he incorporated memes dissing Meek Mill during his performance. The world is now waiting for Meek Mill’s comeback.

drakE and mEEk miLL

niCki minaj and TayLor swiFT

hese two divas are famous for their on and off relationship and currently, they are at a bad place. Their beef begun when Nicki posted a tweet about women with slim bodies which petite Taylor Swift misunderstood and retorted at Nicki, sparking a twitter war of words which eventually led to Taylor Swift’s music being branded racist.

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WEATHERFORECAST

DAILYHOROSCOPES CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan19 You may soon want to give your life a fundamentally different orientation that will be valid for several years. It isn’t just your profession that will be affected but every domain in your life - where you live, relationships, and children.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18 Anyone who tries to hold you back had better watch out, Aquarius, because you won’t be in the mood to tolerate objections. You can’t be restrained! This is an excellent time to reinforce your reputation as an excellent coach or the captain of your crew!

THURSday 6/08/2015

sunny

21

20ºC 62%

FRIday 7/08/2015

19 6:37 am 6:41pm

19ºC 71%

6:37 am 6:40 pm

SATURday

19

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

PISCES Feb 19 - Mar 20 Today you may be influenced by a person (probably a man) who exudes the kind of determination that is produced by a combination of spiritual and intellectual strength and faith. This is what they’re talking about when people speak of a leader of great integrity.

Sudoku

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 19 You may have had a tendency to go about your daily routine lethargically lately, Aries. But today the alarm clock wakes you up. You may understand that your help is urgently needed and there’s no time to waste. You can expect to pour a great deal of energy into a single, well-defined goal.

TAURUS Apr 20 - May 20 People’s comments may seem harsh even if they may mean well. Your best defense against the critical tone of the day is to use other people’s criticisms as constructively as you can in order to build a stronger framework from which to work. Process this energy in a positive frame of mind.

GEMINI May 21 - Jun 21 You will have a fire raging inside. You may have a speech to deliver or a private performance to put on for your loved ones. In any case, you will have to prove yourself, and you will spare no energy in the attempt. You will be completely drained by the end of the day. Plan to rest.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 21 Don’t schedule anything extra! Your home, family, or mate is likely to demand a great deal of you.

In fact, your energy may be stretched to the breaking point, so be careful to keep some strength in reserve. If you give yourself to them completely, your nerves will be shot!

More sun than clouds

MUSTREAD

LEO Jul 23- Aug 22 It’s easy to imagine a friend coming to your house to have a cup of coffee and ending up transmitting all of their energy to you. Let’s hope this doesn’t happen too late in the evening, Leo, because you will then have trouble going to sleep! This energy is going to give your projects a great boost.

VIRGO Aug 23- Sep 22 You may feel an urgent need to use your physical energy, which brings up the question of sports in your life, Virgo. Do you get enough exercise? If not, this could be a good time to join a gym. Even better would be participating in a group sports activity. Find one you like and get moving.

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22 A day like today should give you the perfect demonstration of an old truth - people quickly forget the difficulties they’ve had in life and remember periods of happiness for a long time. You will be brimming with energy, Libra. The question now is what are you going to do with it?

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21 Do you have a desire to take a trip far from where you live, Scorpio? Would you like to live in Europe or Asia? These are desires that you may have at the moment because you’re in the process of widening your field of possibilities. See if you can seriously set up a project of this kind.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 What’s happening in your usually amicable relationships, Sagittarius? It seems you’re looking for a fight. Could it be that someone has stolen a leadership position from you that you wanted? You tend to like being at the head of the group, and now you’re confronted by resistance.

Houseboy — by Ferdinand Oyono

Toundi Ondoua has had enough of his father’s mistreatment. He escapes his father’s blows and goes to live with the local European Priest. Before long, the priest passes on suddenly and Toundi is left at the hands and mercies of the other Europeans. He becomes the chief European boy. He wants to learn more and experience more. This opens his eyes up to realities he was not paying attention to.

He struggles to identify himself in a world that is constantly changing.

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PLAY

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

CROSSWORD Across 1. Chime sound 5. Unfamiliar with 10. Credit card issuer 14. Dr. Seuss’s “And to Think That ____ It on Mulberry Street” 15. “Greed” director Von Stroheim 16. Yankee nickname 17. Mere rhetoric 19. Having no value 20. Kelp 21. Like a beach 22. Desert feature 26. Acts the accomplice 30. Street sign 34. The Red Baron, e.g.

35. Goldfinger portrayer Fröbe 36. Prefix meaning muscle 37. Reveal 39. Shipwreck locale 42. Koop, Satcher and Elders (abbr.)

43. Construction support 47. Popeye’s husky foe 48. Tough issue to handle 51. Smiled on from above 52. Open to influence 54. Fix, as software 57. Brittle pancake 62. Nagasaki noodles 63. Seamstress’s accessory 66. Cleo wooer 67. “That’s ___ excuse for …”

68. Make ____ dash for 69. Indian nanny

70. ___-Loompa (Dahl creation) 71. “There ____ god but Allah” Down 1. Formal accessories 2. “All You Need ___” (Morrissey single) 3. Wine district name 4. Margaret Mitchell classic, for short 5. More innovative 6. Washing away 7. We, in Germany 8. Creator of Holmes and Watson (inits.)

9. Ordinal suffixes 10. “Any questions? You ____ me anything” 11. Keith Urban’s “Whenever ____” 12. Informed 13. Without doing much 18. Risers 21. Lith., formerly 23. Anonymous John 24. “Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me!” airer 25. Breaks bread 26. ____ in the right direction 27. Dog in a children’s song 28. Scary movie locale: Abbr.

29. Percy Bysshe Shelley ode “____ Skylark” 31. Permeate 32. Russian objections 33. Vladimir and Estragon waited for him 38. Small hawk 40. Dodgers’ old field 41. Everyone

44. Roll-on brand 45. One thing ___ time 46. Mechanical officer of film 49. Potbelly 50. Chatter’s “Holy cow!”

53. Dern or Ashley 54. Russian assembly 55. Certain cheese 56. When doubled, an island near Tahiti 58. Spiced drink 59. Uses one’s sight 60. Paradoxical riddle 61. Prefix with scope 63. Kung ___ chicken 64. Wall St. debut 65. ___ de plume

Yesterday’s answers

YOURSAY

Solving students unrest by banning mock exams implausible I find the Education CS’ explanation and diagnosis for the prevalent unrests in high schools quite hollow and ambiguous. Mock exams cannot be an adequate, anterior and sufficient cause for the frequent student’s

strikes we witness in school these days, neither can banning mock be the ideal diagnosis as Mr. Kaimenyi wants us believe. Mr. Kaimenyi seems to be relying on hypothetical and prima facie evidence verbosely

presented to him by his underlings and school managements and not well researched and tested empirical evidence to ascertain the primal cause of this anomaly The minister needs more explanation

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than that which school management and teachers possible give because definitely they will provide weird and lopsided reasons for their favor.

It is rational to try listen to students and work with their explanation too

in pursuit of tactical approach that seek to end these strikes once and for all, otherwise Mr Kaimenyi will run into inconceivable labyrinths and contradictions of his own manufacture.

—Phabian Paul Jr, Nairobi

Bridle your social media tongues Kenyans

I partly concur with my fellow philosophers that there is no such a thing as “bad”, though I disagree on the idea that the concept of “bad” or “good” is deterministic and relativistic.

The “badness’ of something is nothing but the “goodness” of something inside-out. Every good thing therefore, comes with its badness attached.

Technological development is good and helpful in all aspects of life.

Social network is one of the diverse tenets begotten by such development as we have witnessed lately, and it’s good.

We can tweet, Skype, Facebook and email at

will, whenever, wherever and however because everyone enjoys the freedom to do exactly that.

However, I don’t think we have the freedom to abuse those services, and anyone thinking that freedom is liberation from any ethical codes is naive at this point.

We have the laws of our own mind, of our own brains and of our own conscious to set our wondering habits aright. We are making the goodness of those services obscured by the bad, nasty languages we use many a times on social networks please — Phabian Paul Jr., Huruma

Opposition leaders need to stop politicising everything It has emerged that opposition leaders are fighting policies that benefit Kenyans for the sake of furthering their personal goals. This has got to stop! These buggers can politicize anything if they are allowed to roam free.

Some of these fools act like they need a shot in the head from a Minnesota Dentist (rest in peace Cecil the lion).

Our MPs and opposition leaders need to understand that getting elected is not about putting down good policies and dog-piling on sustainable initiatives. They need to see that their politics should take a back seat when the needs of the less fortunate are at stake.

—Dennis L., Nairobi

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

SPORT 13

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

Mariga, Oliech could make Stars’ return against Zambia ​ ormer Harambee Stars Captain, Dennis Oliech F may make a return to the squad when Bobby Williamson names his squad for the Africa Nations Cup against Zambia next week.

Stars will take on Chipolopolo on September 4th, 2015 and a clubless Oliech, who left French side Ajax last season and Mariga, also looking for a club after his side, Parma FC was declared bankrupt following their relegation from the Italian Serie A may find their way back to the national team after being out for a year.

The last time Oliech played for the national was when Kenya failed to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Lesotho at Nyanyo national stadium. That painful crash out at the preliminary round qualifiers of this championship would result in the entire technical bench being sent packing.

The duo who were both present in the Lesotho match missed Stars’ 1-1 draw against Congo and of interest will be to see who Oliech, specifically will bench with red hot Gor Mahia wonder kid Michael Olunga on op of his form.

Stars are expected to begin their preparation after August 20th according to Milton Nyakundi, who sits in Football Kenya Federation communication office. “The official ​squad will be named next week and training possibly after 20th,” said Nyakundi.

After Zambia, Stars will then head to Mauritius for the first leg of the FIFA world Cup, Russia 2018​qualifiers on October 7th.

DENNIS THE MENACE: Dennis Oliech of Kenya in action during the International friendly match between South Africa and Kenya at Royal Bafokeng Stadium on February 09, 2011 in Rustenburg, South Africa.

Russian freediver with 41 records feared dead​

FALLEN HEROINE: Natalia Molchanova, freediver, poses for the photographer at the A.I.D.A. Freediving World Championships, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France, 11 September 2012. Natalia is Russian and is the world’s most successful female freediver ever.

Natalia Molchanova, a 53-year-old Russian champion freediver, is feared dead after going missing on Sunday.

Ms Molchanova, who holds 41 world records, was diving for fun off Formentera, a Spanish island near Ibiza, when she failed to surface.

Search efforts have been continuing but it is feared she may have been caught up in strong underwater currents.

Her passion for freediving “burned so deep inside of her that she dedicated her life to it”, her family said.

She was a competitive swimmer as a young woman but left the sport to have a family, going on to take up freediving - underwater diving while holding one’s breath - some 20 years later.

She became “the most decorated competitive freediver in the world”, with 41 world records, becoming a 23-time

world champion in freediving, said her family and the global freediving federation AIDA. “Natalia trained hard for her sport, she had a nine-minute breath hold, could dive to a depth of 101m [331ft] using a fin and swim a distance of 234m with a fin.”

She was also the creator and current president of the Freediving Federation of Russia and “has created one of the most vibrant recreational freediving communities in the world”.

“The world has lost its greatest freediver,” Will Trubridge, a 15-time world-record holder in the sport, was quoted on the BBC.​ “I don’t think anybody would dispute that.”

Ms Molchanova had two grown-up children, son Alexey - himself a champion freediver - and daughter Oksana.

Nairobi, Mombasa tennis dominance to end as action heads to grassroots Britam Junior Tennis Championship​ is expected to draw players from at least eight counties when the games serve off on August 8-11 at the Nairobi Club. ​The new development programme adopted by Tennis Kenya will end Nairobi and Mombasa counties’ dominance when players from Migori, ​Kisumu, Nakuru, Kiambu, Uasin Ngishu and Machakos

parade in Nairobi next week. The programme was adopted following the successful launch of County Training Programmes last year.

The aforementioned counties are expected to have players picked to travel to Nairobi for the championship. The talented players selected by the National Coordinator will be provided assistance in traveling and participating by

Tennis Kenya.

It is from such initiative that Mombasa in earlier years produced some of the best juniors as evidenced in the composition of the All Africa Games team, which has all the male players from Mombasa.

Britam Junior championship will further incorporate a Development Category. This will be for beginner players who are aged below 10 years.

The main objective will be to provide the youngsters with opportunities for match play and those who are highly talented will continue being trained during the remainder of the August School Holidays.

In addition to this, Tennis Kenya has also identified talented players who will continue having all year round training and regular exposure to tournaments at the national level.

Earlier in July, Tennis Kenya sent its national coaches for a training clinic in Migori and Mombasa. The clinic was to train coaches drawn from clubs and schools and certify them under the Tennis Kenya Certification. The coaches will be required to continue training players at the local level with periodic visits of the national coaches to ensure the programmes are on course.​

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SPORT THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

​ nly two beach O volleyball​ teams for All Africa Games

Kenya will ​ field only one​on the format to be used in Beach Volleyball​team in each selecting the team to Congo. gender ​​in ​the​ ​forthcoming There has been tremendous African Games ​​ set for growth in Kenya beach Congo Brazzaville between Volleyball with new crop of September 4-19. players like Nairobi Water Six teams (three in each duo of James Mwaniki and gender) a​ re​expected to begin his setter Elijah Bosire ​posting their residential training positive result in the Olympics camp next week in Mombasa’s qualifiers first round where Jambori Beach Resort where they booked a ticket the second they will go through another round to be staged in Rwanda. trial with the top teams​Another Nairobi Water progressing​​to the September (women) player Gaudencia Games in Congo Brazzaville.

Makhoha also posted an There had been confusion impressive performance after from players who, until this she replaced Eunice Maiyo week were kept in the dark (Kenya Commercial Bank)

veteran in the last minute during the African Games qualifiers to book a ticket to Congo. ​ Maiyo pulled out of the qualifiers after she lost her father. But she was called back to the team after Makhoa, who replaced her was called to the indoor Volleyball squad currently preparing for the African Games at Kasarani.​ Makhoha who got the call up alongside her team mate Naomi Too has since been replaced by the pair of Miheso/ Doreen Khaemba​. The camp will run for three weeks. ​​Meanwhile Kenya’s ​Abednego

L-R; Maxwell Ekuinoit, Joshua Kipchirchir (Kenya) and Karthbeth Malinga (Uganda) during the U-19 CAVB Beach Volleyball Cup competition 2014 at Lido Beach- Entebbe, Uganda.

Nzinga ​ beat 15 other candidates to be the first​ Kenya​n ​Beach Volleyball International Referee after​ a successfully completion of the just-ended Beach Volleyball International Referees Candidates Course

held in Dakar,Senegal. Provisional squad​ Abednego topped the class ​ Elijah Bosire/James of 16 candidates from eleven Men: Ibrahim Oduor/Sila countries. Three women out Mwaniki, Makisi, Donald Miyeso/Evans of the xis who participated in Bera​. the course passed. The course ​Women: Ednah Rotich/Eunice Maiyo, Salome Wanja/Gladys started on July 28 through to Wangoi, Jecinta Miheso/Doreen August.

Khaemba​.

KRU disbands national 7s team and technical bench Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) has reached a verdict of dissolving the national sevens team together with the entire technical bench on grounds of gross indiscipline.

This is after the union and the players failed to agree over unpaid salaries and allowances, an issue that led to a go-slow engineered by some of the senior players.

The premature conclusion was reached on Wednesday morning after a KRU met members of the playing unit a day before in what was referred to as disciplinary hearing.

Changes were expected to ring but disbandment might have come as a surprise especially for a ​ team preparing to represent the country in next year’s Rio Olympics Games. Kenya are seeded first in the November Africa Olympics qualifiers.

On Tuesday the National Olympics Committee-Kenya (NOC-K) said they are banking on the sevens outfit to represent the nation at next year’s Rio Olympics and they expressed concerns over the stand-off between the players and the union “I urge the union to put their house in order. The qualification process is important and they should put enough efforts to it and ensure the team goes through.

SEND PACKING: Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) has reached a verdict of dissolving the national sevens team together with the entire technical bench on grounds of gross indiscipline.

“As time approaches, we are banking on rugby sevens to qualify. It is the first time rugby will be at the Summer Olympics programme and representation by our team will

give other team sports. They need to get adequate exposure,” Kenya’s Chef-de-Mission to Rio Olympics, Stephen Soi was quote by Capital Sports.

KRU chairman Richard

Omwela has said plans are underway to contract new players for the coming assignments with Olympics qualifiers the priority.

United cleared to seal Sh3.5bn Pedro deal Manchester United are clear to sign Pedro but Barcelona will wait until after the European Super Cup clash with Sevilla before releasing him.

United must stump up the £22million release clause to take their summer spending to the £100m mark after the arrivals of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin and Matteo Darmian.

The signing completes the end of a summerlong chase for United who have agreed to let Angel di Maria move to Paris Saint-Germain for almost £45m. The deal represents a £15m loss for the Old Trafford club, but they have filled the attacking void left by the departure of the Argentine with one of Europe’s most highlysought after forwards.

Barca face Roma in the traditional Gamper Trophy match at the Nou Camp on

PEDRO: United will wait until after the European Super Cup clash between Sevilla and Barcelona before he can be released.

Wednesday night, before next Tuesday’s clash with Sevilla.

United will then be clear to make their move, despite boss Luis Enrique’s desire to keep him.

Enrique said this week: ‘Pedro is a high-level player and as a coach I want him to stay here, but is his decision.

‘There will only be exits if someone wants to leave and at the moment we don’t have news about this.’

Reports in Spain suggest Pedro is wary of leaving his beloved club as they won’t be able to replace him due to the transfer embargo hanging over the Catalan giants until 2016.

However, the winger also know his chances in the first team will be limited as long as Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar are the club’s front three.

SPORT 15

Youngster Kimathi to make KNRC debut in Machakos McRae Kimathi will be the newest​ driver​to join the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) ​when he takes off in a Subaru GC8 this Saturday in the Machakos leg.

McRae, named after the legendary WRC driver the late Colin McRae, is son of former 2WD Champion Phineas Kimathi who has taken a racing sabbatical to concentrate on rally organisation and administration.

The young Kimathi will be navigated

by George Mwangi who incidentally is the only black indigenous to win the Safari Rally with Azar Anwar. Mwangi is returning from retirement to help boost the young driver.

“I have received several calls from established drivers to navigate them but declined all offers. I have seen McRae grow his passion for the sport and couldn’t decline his request as he is like a

son to me. I am overly excited to groom young budding talent,” said Mwangi who was a teammate to Phineas in the Hyundai Team. Mwangi also navigated Kimathi senior in Meru 2010 and Safari 2011.

Other drivers entering the weekend’s event are former British and Finland Champion Tapio Laukkanen and two times Ugandan Champion Jas Mangat who finished third overall in last month’s Machakos Rally. Mangat is tackling the full season of the 2015 Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) and this is what he had to say about his participation in the KNRC. Tejveer Rai has rested his Evo 10 and resorted to the Porsche 911 he will be driving in the EA Classic Safari Rally.

“Its difficult to do two championships- so this year I have decided to do one.

There is more competition in Kenya so I

am doing the full season,” said Mangat.

In a related development, AEA Limited, formerly (Avery East Africa) has unveiled a sponsorship with James Kirimiand Evans Mwenda driving car No. 44 a Subaru GC8 in this year’s 2015 KCB Rally.

This move has been made necessary in an era where compliance of axle roads in our roads is still a challenge and the drive is to push for transporters to own the process to save the roads for our Children. The team is currently in the lead on S Class after Eldoret Rally ahead of Waigwa Murage and Chandrakhant Chhabhadia Devji “Chandu” from Kisumu.

Kirimi who is the 2011 2WD champion has entered the rally in a Subaru GC8 and is looking at a podium finish in 2015 S class category. The AEA Rally team runs under the innovative slogan “Championing axle loads compliance”

EARTHEN ASSAULT: Quentin Mitchell’s Skoda S2000 navigates through the Voi Rally. PHOTO/CapitalFM

Sportpesa kicks EABL out of Premier League sponsorship The Kenyan Premier League (KPL) Company has landed a new four-year sponsorship with sports betting company Sportpesa, who will from August 1 2015 be the title sponsors of Kenya’s topflight football.

Sportpesa has hence acquired immediate naming rights for KPL, taking over from East Africa Breweries (EABL) who through their brand Tusker has been sponsoring the league since September 6 2012. However, the threeyear deal expired on Tuesday June 30 2015, meaning that the league has been running without a sponsor since then.

SportsPesa comes in with what is believed to be around Sh450million, Sh180million

more than what EABL was offering.

The League will now be renamed to “The SportPesa Premier League” or simply, “the #SPL”, with Sportpesa and KPL brand logos inscribed on sleeve badges on the playing kits of all KPL teams.

KPL chairman, Mr. Ambrose Rachier said: “I would like to warmly welcome Sportpesa to the KPL family and also to thank them for their kind generosity in accepting to sponsor and partner with us on this marvelous endeavor, we will ensure the ongoing success of our vibrant League and help it maintain the level of influence that it has enjoyed in the region since its establishment several years ago.”

KPL CEO, Jack Oguda noted that: “Sportpesa’s entry into the league opens a new chapter of sports sponsorship in Kenya and the region. We are proud to have partnered with a brand that not only lives football, it is its lifeline.” SportPesa CEO, Mr. Ronald Karauri said: “In line with our mission, SportPesa is committed to promoting sporting activities in Kenya and beyond, nurturing talent and a sporting culture as well as offering opportunities to Kenyan youth to profit from their passion for sports. It is in this regard that SportPesa has continued to sponsor several sports and now the SportPesa Premier League”.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

xnews | THURsDAY, AUGUsT 6, 2015 | www.x-news.co.ke

NAIROBI, MOMBASA TENNIS dOMINANCE TO ENd AS ACTION HEAdS TO GRASSROOTS

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Bayern Munich’s new signing Arturo Vidal celebrates with his teammates after winning the Audi Cup.

Bayern beat Real to win Audi Cup

read p13 OLIECH, MARIGA TO MAKE HARAMBEE STARS RETURN AGAINST ZAMBIA

B read p15 YOUNGSTER KIMATHI TO MAKE KNRC dEBUT IN MACHAKOS

ayern Munich have won the Audi Cup after Robert Lewandowski scored a late winner against Real Madrid in the final at the Allianz Arena.

Lewandowski missed a sitter midway through the second half but made no mistake in the closing stages and Bayern were worthy of their victory.

The hosts did the majority of the attacking in the match, created the better chances, and had

the star performer in the shape of their new signing Douglas Costa, a Brazilian international.

The 2015/16 season is looming but the tackles were flying in nonetheless during a competitive first half, Marcelo and Xabi Alonso both picking up bookings.

Keylor Navas had a good night in the Real goal and kept out first half efforts from David Alaba and Mario Gotze, who was

brilliantly set up by Costa.

Navas was wrong-footed at one point when a Thomas Muller shot deflected off Sergio Ramos but the post came to Real’s rescue. Bayern continued to hold sway after the break, although Manuel Neuer did have to pull off a pair of good saves to deny his Germany team-mate Toni Kroos. At the other end, Costa surged down the left and crossed low to Lewandowski but the

Pole somehow missed the target with the goal gaping.

But he was more clinical two minutes from time, getting on the end of Costa’s well-delivered free-kick and turning the ball past Navas from close range to delight the Bayern support.

Real were without Cristiano Ronaldo, who did not travel to Munich for the tournament, and Gareth Bale, who did not come off the bench.

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