2016010017 xnews

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MOnday, OCTOBeR 17, 2016 | www.x254.CO

SONKO GRILLED OVER ‘ACTING PRESIDENT’ REMARK

THE NAIROBI SENATOR HAD CLAIMED THAT HE WAS IN CHARGE OF THE COUNTY AT A BURIAL IN MACHAKOS COUNTY LAST WEEK

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NEWS

MUHORONI YOUTH STUN GOR MAHIA TO LIFT TOP 8 CUP IN CHAOTIC FINAL IN NAIROBI

AUSTIN SCORES A BRACE TO HELP SOUTHAMPTON MOVE TO EIGHTH IN PREMIER LEAGUE STANDINGS

Millions of voters risk 2017 elections lockout A

President Uhuru Kenyatta, then Deputy Prime Minister, casts his vote at his registered polling station in Gatundu, Kiambu County during the last general election on March 4, 2013. A new report suggest that five million potential voters could be locked out of the 2017 polls because they lack Identity Cards.

PHOTO: KABIR DHANJI/EPA

massive five million potential voters are at risk of being locked out from casting their ballots in next year’s general elections due to hurdles in getting National Identification cards.

A lobby group InformationAction (IFA) has identified 17 areas across six of Kenya’s eight regions where potential voters face hurdles in obtaining a national ID. This has rendered them unable to vote. They also as a result lose opportunities to work and are constantly vulnerable to police harassment for lacking the crucial document.

In its report titled Election Watch, the lobby pointed out that the greatest obstacle making people not to register as voters is the struggle to obtain prerequisite national ID and not lack of resources as had earlier been claimed by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

The Electoral Commission has cited lack of resources as the main reason for the failure of reaching their target of registering 4.1 million voters and only managed to register

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NEWS MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2016

Five million voters risk 2017 polls lockout From Page 1

about 1.4 million in the last mass voter registration in February.

“The definition of ‘border community’ is incredible broad. It applies to 17 counties spread across six of the Kenya’s eight regions affecting 25 percent of the population. This means that a staggering five million potential voters face hurdles in obtaining a national ID. Without an ID they cannot vote, and are constantly vulnerable to police harassment,” the report states.

In Western region, the affected areas include Bungoma, Teso and Mt Elgon.

In Rift Valley the areas include Trans Nzoia, Turkana, Kajiado, Narok, Trans Mara and West Pokot.

Taita Taveta, Kwale, Lamu and Tana River counties are the most affected in coast region while Suba, Migori and Kuria The whole of North Eastern region is affected by the hurdles in getting ID cards with Ijaara in Garissa County the worst.

Northern Kenya areas of Marsabit, Moyale and Isiolo are also in the fray.

In Isiolo, for instance, the report noted that youths still have waiting cards dating back from 2012.

It claims that they were denied registration even though waiting cards should have been sufficient for IEBC to register them as per section 5(3B) of the Elections Act. Speaking during the launch of the report, IFA Co-Director Maina Kiai said ID card in Kenya means citizenship

Maina Information Action (IFA) co-director Maina Kiai (second from left), then United Nations special rapporteur speaks as other panelist and US President Barack Obama (right) listens during the International Civil Society event in New York, USA, on September 23, 2013. An IFA report indicates that some five million potential voters in Kenya risk being locked out from next year’s general election.

PHOTO: JIN LEE/EPA

and nationality and is therefore a fundamental constitutional and human right.

“Disenfranchising Kenyans facilitates the predatory instincts of the security forces who use lack of an ID card to extort from Kenyans. If the right to the all-important ID is arbitrary and is turned into a privilege, it is exploited,”

Kiai said.

According to the report, a significant proportion of population are affected by discriminatory ‘special vetting processes which are an obstacle to acquiring national ID. The report also documented instances of individuals having their applications rejected on the basis of religious

attire and Muslim names. The report pointed out that border Counties such as Mandera, Wajir and Turkana have seen a dismal rate of voter registration compared to non-border counties particularly those in Central region.

Officials of the lobby group visited areas such as Kericho, Maralal, Kisii, Kisumu, Nyeri, Garissa and Mombasa.

“Given that voter registration issues have plagued several contested Kenyan elections and remain unresolved to date, IFA insists that it is critical to urgently address these registration problems so as to minimise further loss of public confidence in IEBC,” they concluded. @sam_x254

Calls to reduce of number of elective seats get MPs backing

Auditor General Edward Ouko (right) presents the Constitution Audit report to National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee chairman Mutava Musyimi last week. The report that calls for the reduction of the number of elected leaders has received support from some MPs.

The calls to reduce the number of elected leaders across the country has received a key boost after MPs expressed support for such a move.

Members of Parliament from Baringo County yesterday threw their weight behind a report that recommended the cutting of public expenditure necessitated by the increase in elective political positions with the promulgation of the Constitution in 2010.

Led by Baringo Central MP Sammy Mwaita, the leaders called for amendment of the Constitution to address the bloating wage bill that has seen Kenyans deprived of much needed development with more funds now being rerouted to recurrent expenditure caused by the increased positions.

“The current set-up of political leadership is unsustainable. Not more than 5 percent of leaders should be nominated to represent the interests of special groups,” Mr Mwaita said.

The lawmaker said that he was part of the No campaign team that opposed the draft constitution during the 2010 referendum after foreseeing adverse economic effects if it was adopted.

Barwesa MP Joseph Makilap echoed his Mr Mwaita’s sentiments saying that the country is crowded with leaders who are already working adequately without the need for further additions through nominations.

Previously MPs from both sides of the political divide have lent support for the

recommendations, led by Jakoyo Midiwo (Gem) and Aden Duale (Garissa Town).

The report, authored by a working committee led

by Auditor General Edward Ouko, found that Kenya is over-represented for a country of its size as compared to others with similar population and economy.

The audit recommended the reduction of MPs and MCAs without compromising national values on diversity, protection of vulnerable groups, and the marginalised.

Currently, Kenya has 416 lawmakers; 67 senators and 349 members of the National Assembly. It also has 2,526 MCAs. The report also called for a restructuring of the public service system with the removal of redundant staff who add no value.

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria had previously been at the forefront for calling for radical reforms in Kenya’s political landscape. He wanted the amendment of the constitution to encompass abolition of the Senate, scrapping of women representative seats and reduction of MPs and MCAs. His ‘Punguza Mzigo’ campaign has however endured a lull in its quest for one million signatures required to kickstart efforts for the wide-sweeping changes.

The report is scheduled to be tabled before Parliament for scrutiny before the House’s budget @harrison_x254 committee this week.

NE WS 3 NEWS MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2016

MPs express support as Maraga CJ nomination is set for debate

MPs will tomorrow debate to approve or reject Justice David Maraga (pictured) as the next Chief Justice.

The Parliamentary Justice and Legal Affairs committee chaired by Ainabkoi MP Samuel Chepkonga vetted Maraga on Thursday but requested the for more time write and table the report Tuesday afternoon.

The committee during its vetting thrashed three petitions challenging Maraga’s nomination.

It is widely expected that Maraga will sail through as he enjoys support from the opposition and ruling Jubilee coalitions, with Cord leader Raila Odinga and National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale having expressed their backing for the nominee.

“We have no issue with him, he has our support,” Duale said.

Duale’s sentiment were echoed by two opposition legislators who also backed Maraga for the top judiciary job.

“I will support his appointment. He is eminently qualified and has the necessary experience to move forward the reform agenda in the Judiciary,” Ugunja’s Opiyo Wandayi told XNews.

Wandayi said Maraga has had an impeccable record in his long legal career and therefore best suited to replace former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga.

“He has had an impeccable record in his long legal career. I urge my colleagues in the National Assembly to join me and support

him,” Wandayi said. Homa Bay Town’s Peter Kaluma said as Cord they have no problem with Maraga and they will support him tomorrow afternoon.

“It will be an easy walk for him, we will support him. I have also noticed he has goodwill from MPs from both Jubilee and Cord,” Kaluma said. If the House endorses Maraga for the positions, then he will succeed Willy Mutunga who retired in June as the head of Judiciary and President of the Supreme Court President.

During the vetting, he told the MPs that he will build a cordial relationship between the three arms of government, clear the backlog of cases in courts and deal with corruption in the Judiciary.

“I will liaise with other equal arms of government. We will work together through

Sonko questioned by police over acting President remark Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko has recorded a statement with the police over remarks he made last week to the effect that he was the ‘acting President’. Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet told Capital FM News that the “police are now finalising on his file before forwarding it to the Director of Public Prosecutions for further action.”

Sonko made the remarks in Athi River during the burial of former Kathiani MP Wavinya Ndeti’s husband, sparking sharp criticism from the public and leaders across the political divide. Some lawyers, including Ahmednassir Abdullahi, said the remarks amounted to treason and called for his arrest and prosecution.

Consequently, the Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko directed the Inspector General of Police to order an investigation. “He has been questioned and the file is almost complete,” the IG said today when asked about the investigation’s progress but did not specify when and where the statement was recorded. Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Ndegwa Muhoro did not respond to our queries on the same.

Sonko was addressing mourners when he stated that “President Uhuru Kenyatta is in Togo. Deputy President William Ruto is in France. I am Number Three in command, politically, influence-wise and socially. I am now the acting President of the Republic of Kenya.”

Ruto was already back from France at the time.

And even if the two leaders could have been away, it is not Sonko who becomes in charge constitutionally, as he claimed.

Sonko has since denied making the remarks, and accused the media of misquoting him or distorting the video that captured him. www.capitalfm.co.ke

dialogue, there are issues when the judiciary is called upon on the constitutionality passed by parliament while the executive implements, requires that the three arms dialogues to serve the people,” Maraga told the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee.

The committee chair Ainabkoi MP Samuel Chepkonga had sought to know from the nominee how he anticipates to create working harmony without affecting the independence of the three arms.

Kuresoi North MP Moses Cheboi had also asked Maraga to address himself to encroachment of turfs including instances where judiciary has prevented Parliament and the Executive from carrying out development projects through issuance of court orders.

In his response, Maraga said, “We are all accountable to the people, the three arms in all democracies when operating ideally and properly there are checks and balances you can’t have absolute power as parliament just like the judiciary and executive, if we have respected for each other and dialogues I don’t see a situation where summons are issued to parliament and the executive,” “It is all about the way a matter is dealt with.

We can’t have a situation where a judge summons the speaker in matters performed in his capacity as head of parliament, not even summoning the president, the same should be accorded to the Chief Justice,” he said. @hillary_x254

AND

@sam_x254

Kiir, Machar warned against fresh civil war in South Sudan Kenyan MPs have warned South Sudan leaders not to allow the country plunge into another round of civil war saying Kenya will not accept any more refugees from the young nation. Tiaty MP Asman Kamama, who chairs the National Assembly’s Administration and National Security committee, and Ndung’u Gethenji, who chairs the Defence and Foreign Relations committee, said the Kenya is working on plans to repatriate refugees and will therefore not take more. The two in a joint press conference urged President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar to work towards building peace in order to encourage more of their citizens to stay in their own country instead of running away as refugees.

“This message should be clear to both Kiir and Machar that as a country we are not ready to accept any more refugees from South Sudan if the two leaders are not ready to work towards lasting peace,” Kamama warned.

The MPs castigated Machar for not working towards getting a lasting peace hence subjecting its citizens to a lot of suffering.

“The South Sudanese also need to build their country therefore the two leaders should be working towards creating a conducive environment for them,” Kamama said. “We have started to feel the influx of the refugees at Kakuma refugee camp over the deteriorating security situation in South Sudan, but it should be clear that we are not ready for more refugees,” Kamama added.

Gethenji said the resolve for Kenya to repatriate refugees remains and even the South Sudanese should be aware of that.

“Kenya is working on repatriating refugees and therefore Machar should not create an environment where we get more refugees,” Gethenji said.

A new report released by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) last week criticized the returns process from Dadaab camp in Kenya to Somalia, as no longer being ‘voluntary, safe or dignified’. @sam_x254

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NEWS MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2016

‘Monumental’ deal reached to reduce global warming More than 150 countries have reached a deal described as “monumental” to phase out gases that are making global warming worse.

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are widely used in fridges, air conditioning and aerosol sprays.

Delegates meeting in Rwanda accepted a complex amendment to the Montreal Protocol that will see richer countries cut back their HFC use from 2019.

But some critics say the compromise may have less impact than expected.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, who helped forge the deal in a series of meetings in the Rwandan capital, said it was a major victory for the Earth.

“It’s a monumental step forward, that addresses the needs of individual nations but it will give us the opportunity to reduce the warming of the planet by an entire half a degree centigrade,” he told said.

The new agreement will see three separate pathways for different countries.

Richer economies like the European Union, the US and others will start to limit their use of HFCs within a few years and make a cut of at least 10% from 2019. Some developing countries like China, nations in Latin America and island states will freeze their use of HFCs from 2024.

Other developing countries, specifically India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and the Gulf states will not freeze their use until 2028.

China, the world’s largest producer of HFCs, will not actually start to cut their production or use until 2029.

India, will start even later, making its first 10% cut in use in 2032.

“Absolutely it’s a historic day,” said Durwood Zaelke, from the Institute for Government and Sustainable Development (IGSD), a long time participant in the Montreal Protocol talks.

“We came to get a half a degree of warming out of the system and we are going to walk away with about 90% from the Kigali amendment.”

Certainly if the agreement is implemented in full it will make a big difference to global warming.

Experts estimate it will remove the equivalent of about 70 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2050.

“HFCs posed an immediate threat to a safe climate due to their increasing use and high global warming potential, thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide,” said Christian Aid’s Senior Policy Advisor, Benson Ireri.

Freed Chibok girls reunite with families

Twenty-one schoolgirls who had been kidnapped by the Islamist group Boko Haram in the Nigerian town of Chibok have been reunited with their families.

In an emotional ceremony in the capital Abuja, one of the girls said they had survived for 40 days without food and narrowly escaped death at least once.

It is unclear how the release was negotiated, but an official says talks are under way to free some more girls.

Of the 276 students kidnapped in April 2014, 197 are still missing.

One of the girls freed said during a Christian ceremony in Abuja: “I was... in the woods when the plane dropped a bomb near me but I wasn’t hurt.

“We had no food for one month and 10 days but we did not die. We thank God,” she added, speaking in the local Hausa language.

Many of the kidnapped students were Christian but had been forcibly converted to Islam during captivity.

Another girl said: “We never imagined that we would see this day but, with the help of God, we were able to come out of enslavement.”

Excited relatives were waiting to be reunited with the girls, who were released last Thursday.

One parent said: “We thank God. I never thought I was going to see my daughter again but here she is... Those who are still out there may God bring them back to be reunited with their parents.”

Nigerian authorities have denied reports that captured Boko Haram fighters were swapped for the girls. But one security official told the BBC that four commanders had been freed.

The AP news agency also reported that a “handsome ransom”, in the millions of dollars, was paid by the Swiss government on behalf of the Nigerian government.

Nigeria’s Information Minister Lai Mohammed said Thursday’s release was “the first step” for the liberation of all the remaining girls.

“Already we are on phase two and we are already in discussions,” he told journalists on Vice President of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo (left) consoles one of the 21 released Chibok girls Sunday. “But of course you know these are very in Abuja, Nigeria, on October 13, 2016. The girls were yesterday reunited with their families in an emotional ceremony in the capital.

PHOTO: EPA delicate negotiations, there are some promises we made also about the confidentiality of the mostly by jumping off lorries and running into have died in captivity. And reports say that, following more than two years in captivity and nearby bushes. entire exercise and we intend to keep them.”

In total, 219 girls were captured and taken after being married off to Boko Haram fighters, Some of the kidnapped girls managed to escape within hours of their kidnapping, away. But it appears that some of the girls may some of the girls do not want to go home.

Donald Trump (pictured) and his surrogates amplified their argument over the weekend that the election is “rigged,” leaving the Republican nominee more isolated as top members of the GOP -- including his own running mate -declared their faith in the political system.

Trump opened Sunday with a series of tweets sowing doubt about the legitimacy of the election.

“The election is absolutely being rigged by the dishonest and distorted media pushing Crooked Hillary - but also at many polling places - SAD” But Trump’s own vice presidential nominee, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, disagreed during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” saying he will accept the Election Day results.

“We will absolutely accept the result of the

election,” he said. “Look, the American people will speak in an election that will culminate on November the 8. But the American people are tired of the obvious bias in the national media.

That’s where the sense of a rigged election goes here, Chuck.”

That stood in contrast to Trump’s top surrogates.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani claimed that Democrats could steal a close election by having dead people vote in inner cities.

“I’m sorry, dead people generally vote for Democrats rather than Republicans,” Giuliani told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”

“You want me to (say) that I think the election in Philadelphia and Chicago is going to be fair? I would have to be a moron to say that.”

NEWS 5

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2016

Morning newspaper summaries Listen to my side as well, Radical proposals to Varsity fees shocker for Machar tells Kenyan MPs: reform schools: Students in parents, students: Public After surviving 37 days on the run with South Sudan government soldiers shooting and detonating bombs at him, former vice president Riek Machar is appealing to Kenyan MPs not to condemn him unheard. Machar is in South Africa, from where he said in a telephone interview that the most important thing now is for regional heads of state to restart the political process that collapsed, leading to a return to fighting between President Salva Kiir’s supporters and those loyal to him.

secondary school will specialise in the subjects they wish to pursue in tertiary institutions should the radical reforms contained in the latest curriculum review proposals take effect. In a new structure of subjects prepared by Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), learning areas have been divided into three categories — arts and sports; social sciences; and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem).

universities may be forced to increase fees by Sh8, 000 to shake off financial constraints that have left them broke. The 32 universities want annual fees paid by students increased from Sh16,000 to Sh24,000, and the Government to also raise the average contribution per student to Sh250,000, from an average of Sh129,058. They argue the current funding model is outdated and blame it for the financial stress that has seen a majority of public universities sink into huge debts with negative working capital.

Munya gives Sh1.3 trillion Kenya Airways cancels Treasury borrows Sh226 counties’ spending update: flights as workers stay billion in six months flat: Despite reported cases of mega corruption in away: National carrier Kenya Airways In a period of six months this year, the Jubilee government acquired a foreign debt of Sh226 counties, governors have said devolution has had positive achievements since its inception in 2013. The 47 counties have so far received approximately Sh1.3 trillion for both recurrent and development expenditure. On Friday Council of Governors chairman Peter Munya said there is positive change in all the devolved functions. He said the county governments have built 1,566 new health centres and dispensaries.

was last evening counting the huge cost of a go-slow by outsourced staff as workers snubbed a meeting to solve a simmering pay dispute. The carrier was in the morning forced to cancel at least six flights due to a lack of sufficient cabin crew, and by the afternoon, the disruptions, mainly affecting its African routes, looked set to mark the start of what is likely to be a turbulent week.

billion. With that, Kenya’s total foreign debt has reached over Sh3 trillion, the highest in the region. A document tabled before the National Assembly last week showed that during the six-month period, the country signed 18 loan agreements to finance various projects, including Sh60 billion from the Chinese ‘to ease the cost of doing business’ in the country.

Pilots, state meet as KQ Raila warns against KQ finally back in the sky: Airways (KQ) faces further turbulent cancels 5 flights: The government second Eurobond: Opposition Kenya times.Airline finally resumes cancelled flights is this morning meeting the Kenya Airline Pilots Association and Kenya Airways management to resolve the stalemate between the airline and its pilots, a day before tomorrow’s planned strike. Labour Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie on Friday wrote to the two parties, where she also appointed a five-member committee to resolve the standoff. KALPA has called for the immediate resignation of Kenya Airways CEO Mbuvi Ngunze and chairman Ambasador Dennis Awori.

leader Raila Odinga has warned international lending institutions and investors against participating in a second International Sovereign Bond (Eurobond) proposed by Kenya. In the cautionary statement issued Sunday, Mr Odinga said the government had proposed to issue the bond to be listed on the Irish Stock Exchange by last Friday.

The statement warned that the government had failed to account for the first Eurobond issued on June 24, 2014, that raised $2 billion.

but pilots insist strike still on from tomorrow.

Yesterday, the airline had cancelled five flights to various African countries as go-slow by its outsourced staff begun to weigh on its operations. And last evening, the airline announced that operations had returned to normalcy adding that 67 flights had taken off “from the around the network as at 4pm Kenyan time.” The flight cancellations were occasioned by a strike by at least 500 employees outsourced

by KQ who began work boycott last Friday.

Shock as consumers pay for fake electricity connections: Rogue contractors

are taking advantage of long customer waiting periods to illegally connect applicants to the national electricity grid, putting lives and property at risk in a syndicate that is also costing Kenya Power millions of shillings. Technicians behind the dodgy scheme are said to be stealing prepaid meters from Kenya Power and siphoning wooden poles from treatment centres to connect households with fake electricity.

KQ reschedules flights as contract staff start goslow: National carrier Kenya Airways

was yesterday hit by a fresh round of turbulence after its outsourced employees went on a go-slow, causing the cancellation of at least six flights. KQ, as the airline is popularly known, said in a statement that morning flights to Arusha, Juba, Harare, Maputo, Moroni in the Comoros and Mombasa were cancelled, while those destined for Cape Town delayed.

Kenyans pay higher for South African goods on stronger rand: The South African

rand’s 14.5 per cent exchange rate gain to the dollar this year compared to a one per cent gain for the Kenya shilling is exposing local importers of SA goods to higher costs.

At the same time, the rand has appreciated by 16.8 per cent in exchange rate to the shilling year-to-date, with one rand now the equivalent of Sh7.10 compared to Sh6.08 in January. KNBS data show that in the first six months, Kenya imported goods worth Sh22.9 billion from SA.

Top stories from X News global partners Iraqi and Kurdish forces Iraq Begins Long-Awaited MBAs under pressure: The that the secrets of commerce launch assault on Isis Battle to Retake ISIS Conviction can be taught in a classroom, whether real stronghold: A long-awaited offensive Stronghold: Mosul’s residents are or virtual, shows little sign of fading. In

to seize back Mosul after two years of Isis control has begun with columns of armour and military starting to move on the Northern Iraqi city. The start of the offensive, which has been months in the planning, was announced in an address on state television by Iraq’s prime inster in the early hours of Monday morning.

Haider al-Abadi said: “We have been battling Isis for more than two years. We started fighting Isis in the outskirts of Baghdad, and thank God we are now fighting them in the outskirts of Mosul, and God willing the decisive battle will be soon.” After a month-long buildup, the last urban stronghold of Islamic State in Iraq has for several days been almost completely surrounded by a 30,000-strong force. www.theguardian.com

hoarding food and furtively scrawling resistance slogans on walls, while the city’s Islamic State rulers have feverishly expanded their underground tunnel network and tried to dodge American drones. After months of maneuvering, the Iraqi government’s battle to reclaim Mosul, the sprawling city whose million-plus population lent the most credence to the Islamic State’s claim to rule a fledgling nation, has finally begun. In the early hours Monday, an announcement

by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of the campaign’s opening was accompanied by artillery barrages and a rush of armored vehicles toward the front a few miles from the city’s limits. www.nytimes.com

America, more master’s degrees are awarded in business than in any other discipline— over 189,000 in the 2013-14 academic year, the latest for which figures are available.

Business is the most sought-after master’s qualification in the world. The majority are masters of business administration (MBA), covering a broad range of business skills, a qualification that is close to a mandatory requirement for a budding tycoon. At any one time, around two-fifths of chief executives at Fortune 500 companies are likely to hold an MBA. Yet a fresh case study on the MBA may be in the making. Interest in the full-time variety has waned markedly in recent years.

Donald Trump redoubles ‘rigged election’ claims:

Donald Trump and his allies on Sunday stepped up claims that the US election is being rigged against him, as a new poll showed the Republican presidential candidate drifting further behind his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. Mr Trump said on Twitter that the US media was engaged in a co-ordinated effort with the Clinton campaign to undermine his prospects at the polls by running what he claimed were untrue stories of sexual misconduct. Newt Gingrich, a Trump backer and former House speaker, said on ABC News that without the media’s “unending one-sided assault”, Mr Trump would be 15 points ahead. He added that voters should monitor polling stations.

www.economist.com

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xnews | MONday, OCTOBER 17, 2016 | www.x254.co

BUSINESS

of Friday CBK EXCHANGE RATES (As October 14/2016)

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

CBA now targets growth in Sh807 trillion SME market The Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA) has introduced a revamped Business Banking proposition, aimed at strengthening the banks position in the Sh807 trillion Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) market. The bank, which is the largest in Kenya by customer base, is targeting the suppliers and distributors of its corporate customers, traders, manufacturers and entrepreneurs in the growing real estate sector, with a range of differentiated services that suit dynamic SME customer needs.

“CBA has had a long and successful track record within the Corporate and Retail market segments. We are leveraging on the success in these categories to introduce discernible customer value propositions that will help SME’s with easily accessible, affordable and relevant services,” said Jeremy Ngunze, CBA’s Chief Executive Officer for Kenya.

The bank has also introduced a realdata credit appraisal methodology that reduces the loan processing period to two days and ensures that SME’s that have been diligent in servicing their previous loans enjoy more favourable credit terms whenever they apply for a loan.

“Our revamped proposition has entailed the opening of a new SME-only branch on Kirinyaga Road, dedicated personnel to support SME customers at branches, introduction of new products to our SME portfolio, and the revision of our customer management strategy that enables us offer the required support to

CBA CEO Jeremy Ngunze (Right) during a field event to promote the bank’s drive to support SMEs. the dynamic sector,” Ngunze said.

Each of the SME’s banking with CBA has been assigned a Relationship Manager, responsible for providing counsel to customers and streamlining processes to ensure ease of banking. Ngunze said as part of the new proposition, select CBA branches will remain open for longer hours and customers will also be introduced to 24/7 access through online

and mobile banking platforms.

Recently, CBA partnered with the Kenya Revenue Authority to launch the Common Cash Receipting System (CCRS) that makes it possible for business and individuals who import goods from other countries to pay the requisite taxes through CBA branches across the country, in a move that has been well received by SME’s.

Three out of every four people in gainful employment in Kenya, work in the SME sector which also contributes nearly 20 per cent of Kenya’s GDP. Government statistics indicate that the sector is growing faster than other’s in the economy, and currently accounts for over 92 per cent of all new jobs created annually. @kevin_x254

MEAN 101.2892 123.7372 111.6369 7.0346 33.8142 21.5621

BUY SELL 101.1961 101.3822 123.6050 123.8694 111.5161 111.7578 7.0258 7.0434 33.7337 33.8946 21.4929 21.6313

Consumers set to benefit from Competition Amendment Bill Kenyans are set to benefit from the Competition (Amendment) Bill 2016 as the new law seeks to enhance consumer protection from unfair and misleading market conduct.

“Any conduct that amounts to abuse of buyer power in a market in Kenya, or a substantial part of Kenya is prohibited,” read the new Bill in part.

The Bill, which was submitted by the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich, further gives buyers power to provide information regarding business players who are exploiting them.

“Every person, undertaking, trade association or body shall be under an obligation to provide information requested by the authority in fulfilment of its statutory mandate for conducting an inquiry or sectoral study regulated by this section,” proposes the Bill.

To reduce the administrative burden of the authority and facilitate investment, the Bill proposes to amend the Act thus allowing the authority to merge with minimum impact on competition from the provision of the Act in line with regional and international best practices.

To ensure both parties abide to the terms and conditions of the merger, the new Bill proposes a fine of not more than Sh10 million or 5 years in jail or both to a person who disseminates misleading information and fails to comply with any condition attached to the approval for the merger. @enock_x254

BuSINESS DIARY Kenya Airways announces new winter

Networking event at 14 Riverside Drive

Mettā, an entrepreneurs’ club that connects people, ideas and resources will host an event dubbed F**k Up Night (FUN) on Friday October 21, 2016 to celebrate failure as a mark of entrepreneurship and risk-taking.

The affair will run from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM and will be held at the Mettā headquarters along, 14 Riverside Drive in Nairobi. The event will be an interactive moderated session and proposes that failure is a part of leadership, innovation, and risk-taking in pushing the boundaries of what is possible in scaling ideas from pilots to sustainable programs. Audience participation is mandatory.

Finance Workshop at NPC Valley Road

Sinapis, an organization that seeks to empower aspiring entrepreneurs in the developing world with innovative, scalable business ideas, will host a finance workshop on Saturday October 22, 2016 from 8:00am-1:00pm at CITAM/NPC Valley Road in Nairobi.

At the workshop, attendees will learn how to manage their money to ensure they have sustainable cash flows throughout the year, as well as how to minimize their costs and maximize profits Sidian Bank and Faulu microfinance will be present as special guests and will share their advice on how to access working capital finance.

schedule amidst management storm Kenya Airways has announced its 2016 winter schedule that will see changes to the route network as well as frequencies to suit customers’ needs in various KQ destinations during the season. The winter schedule comes into effect from October 30, 2016.

The airline will increase its flight frequency to the recently launched Cape Town route that goes via Livingston, from the current three to four per week and eventually to six times per week around Christmas to meet demand.

In line with its Winning in Africa strategy, the airline will also increase its frequencies in East Africa with a new midday flight to Kigali and Bujumbura making it 25 flights per week. In addition, Kenya Airways will add night flights to Comoros and Madagascar in a bid to offer reliable connectivity to these Indian Ocean destinations. This brings the frequencies to 7 and 10 times during peak for Comoros

and 14 flights per week for Madagascar.

Entebbe and Dar es Salaam both remain to be served with 5 daily flights each, providing the best travel options in the region.

As part of its network restructuring, flights to Abuja, in Nigeria, and Gaborone, Botswana, will be suspended as offline destinations effective November 15.

Gaborone will continue to be served multiple times a day together with partners via Johannesburg. Kenya Airways flies three times a day to the South Africa city.

The new schedule comes on the back of a newly launched intra-Africa campaign targeted at leisure travelers on the continent.

Kenya Airways serves more than 40 cities in Africa and continues to invest in the region.

Africa accounts for 60 percent of the airline’s turnover, for the year ending March 2016, and the airline is looking to increase this in the current financial year.

“As we go into the winter season we have

made changes to our flight schedule with the aim of strengthening our network in Africa and more importantly optimizing our services to selected destinations in response to passenger demands. We are constantly relooking at our schedule to ensure we offer our guest reliable connectivity through our hub, Nairobi. I am happy to affirm that the improved connectivity over the summer season has seen intra Africa traffic increase by 14 per cent” said Kenya Airways Managing Director and Chief Executive Mbuvi Ngunze.

On the intercontinental network, Mumbai and Dubai will both go to full double daily flights, increasing the frequency to these destinations to 14 per week. The network in Europe and Asia will remain unchanged, with daily flights to most destinations. All destinations in Europe and Far East are served by the B787 Dreamliner. @kevin_x254

BUSINESS 7

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2016

Agribusiness alliance signs Sh6 billion deal to support smallholder farmers At least 2,000 small scale farmers in Kilifi County are set to benefit from a Sh6 billion deal between the Kenya Agribusiness and Agro Industry Alliance (KAAA) and Kilifi County.

Speaking during the just-concluded Kilifi Investment Forum, Ms. Lucy Muchoki, Chief Executive Officer of KAAA said a lack of co-operation between farmers and policy makers has slowed down development in the agricultural sector, which is the backbone of the economy and employs majority of Kenyans both directly and indirectly.

“The disorganization in the private sector in agriculture has made engagement with the government difficult. The devolution of government, makes it easy for farmers to engage under our umbrella,” said Muchoki.

KAAA brings together stakeholders in the dairy, cereals, traditional cash crop and horticulture sectors.

Muchoki said the grant will be channeled through China African Bank (CAB). She added that the alliance is not in competition with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) as it will only cover agribusiness.

Ms. Muchoki said the partnership

therise

East Africa Portland Co. Ltd East Africa Portland Co. Ltd was the week’s top gainer after edging upwards by 29.0 per cent.. The share price was up to Sh30.00 from the previous week’s close of Sh23.25.

The stock moved only 1,400 shares during the week as local investors took speculative positions to gain from the discounted price. Yearto-date, its share price has declined by 35.8 per cent.

thefall

Deacons (East Africa) Plc

Deacons (East Africa) Plc was the week’s top laggard for the second consecutive after plummeting by 26.3 per cent over the course of the week’s trading. The shares closed at a price of Sh6.30 from their previous closing price of Sh8.55. The retailer, which listed in August, is down 58 per cent from its listing price.

Analysis by Amana Capital info@ amanacapital.co.ke

between agribusiness stakeholders and the County government would help tackle issues affecting the industry.

“The move is expected to ease the process of engagement due to a single reference point and ensure

representation of private sector issues in consultative government forums,’’ she said. “Partnerships between the public and private sectors can help poor rural people lift themselves out of poverty.”

The KAAA CEO said stakeholders

in the agricultural sector have had to deal with their problems exclusively but with the alliance, they will have a stronger voice.

She said public and private partnership in the industry are critical because of the

complementary role played by both sectors in agriculture and also because such partnerships are in line with the government’s Vision 2030 blueprint. @enock_x254

8

BUSINESS

Kenya to host UNCCD forum as state moves to mitigate drought

Hotel occupancy remains low as insecurity disrupts sector MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2016

A Cytonn Hospitality Report has established that despite increased supply of hotel accommodation, average hotel occupancy for all regions in Kenya remains low at an average of 33 per cent for 3, 4 & 5 Star rated hotels, with revenue per available room at an average of $98 (Sh9,900). The low occupancy is attributed to insecurity brought about by terrorist attacks, which in turn has led to issuance of negative travel advisories, and heightened competition from both local and emerging markets in the region such as Ethiopia, with relatively low room rates.

“The report themed ‘Sailing through the storm’ focuses on hotels in Kenya and serviced apartments in Nairobi is aimed to allow us inform our partners on the best investment segments in the hospitality sector. ’’ said Elizabeth Nkukuu, Cytonn’s Chief Investment Officer.

According to the report, Nairobi and Mombasa led the way in the total supply of both hotel rooms with a combined market share of 63.4 per cent with Nairobi having the highest occupancy levels in the market at 51%. The Maasai Mara Region is the best performing as measured by the total revenue per room, due to higher room rates as a result of the Maasai Mara game reserve attraction.

From the findings of the report, as of 2015 Kenya had a supply of approximately 58,000 beds, majority of which are found in the coast region, which has a 39.8 per cent market share, with approximately

Cytonn Investments Head of Research and Acquisitions Mr Johnston Denge during the release of 2016 Hospitality Report today.

Photo:Gitobu X-news 22,000 beds. Nairobi has the second highest supply at 13,104 beds or 23.7 per cent of the market share. This translates to an annual bed capacity of 21 million, against an occupied bed capacity of 5.8 million, resulting in an occupancy rate of 27.6 per cent.

This is an indication of oversupply in the market, and Investors not focusing on

capturing local demand with affordable rates. With the insecurity in the coast region, occupancies are low at 29.0 per cent and revenues per available room at $57 (Sh5,800). This is in contrast to Nairobi, withhigher revenues at $149 (15,000) per available room, and occupancy at 51 per cent. Driving occupancy and higher rates in Nairobi

Turkana power project will meet 2017 deadline, says GM The Lake Turkana Wind Power project has achieved a new milestone, having installed 155 turbines of 365 turbines in the past six months.

The 310 MW turbines, which are attached to 52 meter rotors are hoisted on towers stretching up to 44 meters high across the arid Sarima Village, in Marsabit County. Once completed, the project will be the largest wind farm in Africa “By managing to hoist these turbines within the stipulated time, the team has not only achieved a technological feat, but also navigated through a logistical challenge of getting all the turbines here in Loiyangalani, which is 1200 KM from the port of Mombasa. This is a clear demonstration that we are on course to launching the largest wind farm in Africa on time,” said Lake Turkana Wind Power General Manager, Phylip Leferink.

The company states that the Vestas turbines are already being tested for power generation. Lake Turkana Wind Power is expected to complete the installation process by June 2017 with a turbine being installed daily. The assembly of the turbines began in March 2016 after the civil works on the foundations of the first batch of turbines had been completed. The various parts, including the blades were transported by road to the site from the port of Mombasa.

The turbine technology is of Danish origin but the production of the turbines, blades and towers was done in the Vestas manufacturing facilities in

China.

“We are impressed with the progress that we have made so far; we are working with our project partners to ensure that we complete this wind farm within the stipulated time. This will ensure that we will soon be able to play a key role in Kenya’s energy supply and make a significant contribution towards the country’s economic growth,” Leferink explained.

The firm targets to inject the first 90 MW of wind power into the national grid by the second quarter of 2017. When operating at full capacity, Lake Turkana Wind Power will add 310 MW of renewable generation capacity to Kenya’s grid.

This output from the wind farm will be enough to power more than 1 million Kenyan households.

The Marsabit-based wind firm has a 20-year deal to sell electricity at Sh8.6 per kilowatt/hour (kWh) to Kenya Power. The farm sits on 40,000 acres of land in an area that receives steady winds throughout the year.

The power will be evacuated and transmitted to the national grid through a double circuit 400kV, 438km transmission line that is currently being constructed by Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco). Kenya, which relies heavily on renewables such as geothermal and hydropower, aims to expand installed capacity to about 6,700 MW by 2017, up from 1,700 MW in 2013. @kevin_x254

is the Meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) segment of hospitality, which has continued to improve, indicated by a 3.3 per cent and 20.9 per cent growth in the number of local and international delegates to Kenya, respectively, between 2011 and 2015. @kevin_x254

Kenya is set to host more than 1,000 delegates, who will congregate in Nairobi from tomorrow for the 15th session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

The delegates will include civil societies and development partners.

The Conference will be hosted by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.

Supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements in the framework of an integrated approach to help achieve sustainable development, the forum will further mitigate effects of drought in the countries through effective action on all levels.

The session that will be graced by Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources Prof Judi Wakhungu, who will further guide UNCCD in mainstreaming the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Conference, in particular will be embracing Goal 15, which articulates the issues of protecting, restoring and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems to sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation.

Others are halting biodiversity loss and sub-target 15.3, which spell out the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) that is at the heart of food security. @enock_x254

Standard & Poor’s lowers Kenya’s credit rating outlook from stable to negative American financial services company, Standard & Poor’s has lowered Kenya’s credit rating to negative from stable due to elevated risks from currency depreciation and a widening budget deficit. The country’s rating was set at B+, four levels below investment grade, the New Yorkbased company said in a statement.

Meanwhile, financial services group, Moody’s last set Kenya’s credit rating at B1 with a stable outlook. Fitch’s credit rating for Kenya was last reported at B+ with negative outlook. . In general, a credit rating is used by sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and other investors to gauge the credit worthiness of Kenya thus having a big impact on the country’s borrowing costs.

“The negative outlook reflects our opinion that Kenya’s fiscal position is structurally weakening and that this will feed into a mounting debt stock, which could also increase external vulnerabilities,” S&P said in its statement.

Kenya’s government and the World Bank both reduced their growth forecasts for the economy on Thursday. The World Bank estimates an

expansion of 5.4 per cent this year, compared with an estimate of 6 per cent in December.

Currently, Kenya’s debt is equivalent to 45 per cent of its GDP. This figure that could swell to 60 per cent by the fiscal year through June 2017, said Standard & Poor’s. Kenya, East Africa’s most prominent economy, sold an inaugural Eurobond last year, raising a total of $2.75 billion (Sh278.9 billion). The government expects a $750 million (Sh76 billion) syndicated loan will come through by the end of October.

The government has also tapped two loan agreements with China worth $3.6 billion (Sh365 billion), Standard & Poor’s said.

On Friday, Standard & Poor’s revised its budget deficit forecast to 9.4 per cent of GDP for 201415, from a previous estimate of 7.3 per cent in April.

Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has increased its benchmark interest rate by 300 basis points this year to support the shilling and the resulting rise in interest rates has made government borrowing on the local markets more expensive.

Rwanda launches world’s first national drone delivery service

BUSINESS 9

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2016

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has launched the world’s first national drone delivery service during a ceremony in the country’s centrally located Muhanga District.

The Rwandan government began using drones last Friday to make up to 150 on-demand, emergency deliveries per day of life-saving blood to 21 transfusing facilities located in the western half of the country.

The move comes after a Swiss university drew up plans for a futuristic drone delivery project for Kenya called Flying Donkey about three years ago. The service was to operate fixed-wing drones in northern Kenya to supplement postal services.

However, authorities saw it as a threat to security and months later, they used the same reason to shut down a conservation project that was to monitor elephants in a conservancy to protect them from poaching.

Rwanda’a drones and delivery service are built and operated

by Zipline, a California-based robotics company. While Rwanda’s drone delivery service will initially focus on blood, an international partnership between UPS, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and Zipline will help the country quickly expand the types of medicines and lifesaving vaccines that can be delivered.

“Drones are very useful, both commercially and for improving services in the health sector. We are happy to be launching this innovative technology and to continue working with partners to develop it further,” said Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

Throughout the developing world, access to lifesaving and critical health products is hampered by what is known as the last-mile problem: the inability to deliver

needed medicine from a city to rural or remote locations due to lack of adequate transportation, communication and supply chain infrastructure.

In Rwanda, postpartum hemorrhaging is the leading cause of death for pregnant women.

Blood requires storage and transport at safe temperatures and spoils quickly. Because there are many different blood products and no way to accurately project future needs, many transfusion clinics do not keep all the blood they may need in stock.

During Rwanda’s lengthy rainy season, many roads wash out becoming impassible or nonexistent. The result is that all too often someone in need of a lifesaving transfusion cannot access the blood they need to survive.

Rwanda’s national drone delivery program enables blood transfusion clinics across the Western half of the

country to place emergency orders by cell phone text message. The orders are then received by Zipline at its distribution center located in the country’s Muhanga region where the company maintains a fleet of 15 drones, called Zips.

Each Zip can fly up to 150 km round trip—even in wind and rain—and carry 1.5kg of blood, which is enough to save a person’s life. Zips take off and land at the distribution center, and make deliveries by descending close to the ground and air dropping medicine to a designated spot called a “mailbox” near the health centers they serve. Zipline will make 50150 emergency flights a day to 21 transfusion clinics across the Western Half of Rwanda and can fulfill orders in around 30 minutes.

Rwanda plans to expand Zipline’s drone delivery service to the Eastern half of the country in early 2017, putting almost every one of

the country’s 11 million citizens within reach of instant delivery of lifesaving medicines.

“The inability to deliver life saving medicines to the people who need them the most causes millions of preventable deaths each year around the world. Zipline will help solve that problem once and for all,” said Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo.

“We’ve built an instant delivery system for the world, allowing medicine to be delivered ondemand and at low-cost, anywhere.”

Over the course of the next year, and with the support of the partnership with UPS and Gavi, Zipline plans to expand drone delivery services to countries across Africa and the Americas.

Additionally, Zipline recently announced plans at the White House to expand it service to the United States, where it will serve Indian reservations in Maryland, Nevada, and Washington State.

Over the course of the next year, and with the support of the partnership with UPS and Gavi, Zipline plans to expand drone delivery services to countries across Africa.

Epson appoints sales specialist as firm moves to improve on service delivery

Epson Kenya has announced the appointment of Charles Muhuko as the new Pre and Post Sales Specialist for East Africa. The appointment is part of Epson’s efforts to further elevate their service levels to a higher standard to ensure customers receive the best service experience possible. Epson hopes to recruit two more staff under the sales department, effectively growing the team to five staff in the Kenya office by the end of the year.

In his new role, he will be responsible for highlevel technical pre-sales support to the local sales teams, customers and channel partners.

He will be tasked with understanding customer requirements with the aim of aligning and putting them in scope with Epson’s product portfolio to provide solutions that meet and exceed the customer needs.

Furthermore, his role will involve planning, coordinating and controlling the Post Sales and Customer Service activities of the Kenyan business. Charles will also work with third party service providers, Epson sales channel and internal stake holders to maintain the Epson service network and meet organizational and operational objectives.

He recently joined Epson after working as a presales engineer with Novel Technologies East Africa Limited where he amassed a wealth of experience in tech sales. He has also worked at Unilever ESA as the IT Systems Administrator where he grew to become a Territory Manager.

Speaking on the appointment, Mukesh Bector, regional sales manager, Epson East Africa said: “Charles is a good asset, great team player and is knowledgeable in his area of expertise and we are very glad he has joined us. His appointment came about due to the need locally build up our Epson certified technicians in our service centers with the trainings and knowledge, which in turn will ensure they are able to assist our customers as needed.”

Charles has keen interest in the Visual Imaging products and how Epson’s interactive projectors can provide an unmatched interactive learning solution in line with the Kenyan government’s recent move to embrace digital learning. @enock_x254

Uhuru calls on African leaders to combat drug trafficking President Uhuru Kenyatta has called on African leaders to combat piracy, terrorism, drug and human trafficking as governments across the continent move to sign a historic charter that will boost security within the region.

The Charter on Maritime Security and Safety and Development in Africa, which was signed during the African Union Extraordinary Summit on Maritime Security, Safety and Development in Lome, Togo, provides a framework for addressing challenges facing the continent’s maritime domain.

The challenges range from piracy, terrorism to human and drug

trafficking.

The Charter also deals with the unregulated and illegal exploitation of marine resources, and dumping of toxic waste.

The Head of State said the signing of the charter could be cited as Africa’s endeavor to contribute to international peace and security, particularly in the maritime domain.

“The Charter will also build on the 2050 Integrated Maritime Strategy for Africa, paving the way for further initiatives and actions,” the President said.

Speaking at the Maritime Summit in Lome, Togo, Kenyatta called

for consistent support for robust African security strategies that will secure the continent’s maritime sector, noting that it has the potential to create employment and wealth to alleviate poverty, hasten economic growth and promote development.

“The scope and severity of the threats facing our maritime domain require that we not only secure the collaboration of African states, but that we also enlist the support of the entire community of nations,” said the Head of State.

The President underscored the need for Africa to enter into international partnerships to

boost its efforts in protecting and preserving the continent’s maritime resources.

He observed that many of the challenges in the maritime arena are global in nature.

“We have seen at first hand the positive results that international partnership can bring. It is through such multinational, global partnership that we, for example arrested piracy off the Somali Coast,” President Kenyatta said.

Togolese President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé said Africa’s focus on addressing the challenges facing its maritime sector would help in harnessing resources vital

to the continent’s development.

President Gnassingbé urged African leaders should continue pulling in the same direction in the search for solutions to the continents problems.

“Our actions must translate into positive results that will consolidate our efforts to protect our maritime resources and safeguard the continent’s future,” President Gnassingbé said.

Chad’s President Idriss Déby said the charter is a legal instrument that will boost trade and promote the continent’s exploitation of its maritime resources.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2016

ACCESS @christine_x254

SAUTI ACADEMY KEEPS PRODUCING SOME OF THE GREATEST TALENT IN THE COUNTRY.

KALAHI’s sound is an amalgamation of everything that it

SERRO

new acts to watch out for

takes to make a big star great. It is a combination of RnB, jazz, soul and a little bit of pop. The singer who has her origins in the famed Sauti Academy is taking on a weary music industry with a bright spark and a fresh sound. Her debut single ‘Kitunguu’ which is a play on the concept the tears cutting onions inevitably bring and the correlation with a broken heart, is not only clever but it’s also a moving and a soulful introduction.

The singer draws inspiration from life experienceS and the truth is apparent from her sound.

MS KEMUNTO

Sauti Academy keeps producing some of the greatest talent in the country. Ms Kemunto is no exception, the singer has a sound that is equal parts jazzy, nostalgic and idyllic. An artiste with a distinct point of view and a sadly sweet voice, which is just as powerful as it is poignant. Her singles all available on SoundCloud tell stories of love lost and love found while remaining relatable and easy to consume on the whole. Her biggest triumph is the way she merges different genres to create something original and compelling.

SERRO

Her YouTube channel is filled with stirring covers of big hits and acoustic renditions. Another alumnus of Penya Africa and thus Sauti Academy, this songstress has produced one of the biggest slow-burners of the year so far. The voice behind ‘Rongai’, now an anthem, celebrating the settlement and its vibrant matatu culture, has had a smashing hit on her hands with the single. Produced by Sauti Sol guitarist Polycarp Otieno, the song is a sure winner.

Teaming up with Kalahi earlier this year, the singers performed at Kasha, their own creation and it was a soulful endevour.

ROSA

The sensual Rosa is not a new name among some circles. The songstress has been hustling since she was a teenager. Signed to label Flag 42, her sound is described as Afro-fusion and RnB, with a playful voice and killer looks to boot the singer is going nowhere but up. Her debut album known as ‘Original Copy’ contains the hit single ‘Rudi Nyumbani’, a big band infused love song, which she coos and belts out through and takes full advantage of her vocal prowess.

KALAHI

ACCESS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2016

11

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REVEIEW OF THE WEEK’S EVENTS

An uplifting and inspiring journey

HOT TOPICS

Radio queen ropes in stars on Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

T

@

op radio presenter and social activist Adelle Onyango has roped in celebrities from Kenya and South Africa for a social media campaign on breast cancer. “To honour my mum I got a bunch of celebrities from Kenya and South Africa to share messages of hope around breast cancer.” Adelle says it took her a “little over a week. Just to reach out to different personalities and now the collection continues as we roll out the different messages,” adding, “I want survivors to know that we celebrate them, breast cancer patients and family members to know we recognize their battle and we are with them in strength and prayers.

R

he third edition of the Women in Music concert went down last Saturday at the Goethe Institut and it brought something

many Nairobi stages. Opening act Atieno Makossiri performed a number of original compositions that included elements of her native Dholuo, Swahili and English.

AFRIMA nominee Liron was accompanied by musical maestro Michel Ongaro on the guitar and trumpeter Emi Kitasako on the horns. Her jazzy set touched on self-discovery and heartbreak with songs such as ‘Mind Games,’ ‘Awakening’ and ‘Intense’ on the list.

Song bird Ythera followed suit with an electric but soulful playlist with ‘Hot Blooded Man’, ‘Awake’, ‘Kinky Hair’ and a rendition

lashes out at Kenrazy over hit song ownership

apper Majirani, has come out to clarify once and for all that he is the sole owner of the hit song, ‘Hivo Ndio Kunaendaga.’ “... I’m not starting any beef, but I won’t allow him to underate me anymore...I’m over that ...” he said in a statement on social media. “According to Kenrazy, Hivo Ndio Kunaendaga was the cheapest collabo he ever charged for a verse but according to me, it’s the only collabo he was ever paid,” Majirani said in a statement. “Stop acting expensive, stop acting holy. I lost my respect for you when you went on

@christine_x254

T

in Music

experiencing success in the industry as both an actress and a singer.

Her soulful, bluesy sound has launched her career with the debut album ‘Magic in the Air’ being released late last year. Accompanied

by Joe Were on the keys she performed covers of ‘Strength, Courage and Wisdom’ by India Arie, and ‘Nobody’ by Moonchild including the title track ‘Magic in the Air’ from her album.

@christine_x254

Singer and actress Mayonde on stage

is a song I wrote while in prison,’’ he charged.

acts ‘swiftly’ to save Louisiana flood victims

Ythera had a moving atmosperic set.

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the remainder of her $1 million pledge to four charities the

devastating

Louisiana

singer, 26, pledged to help the victims of the historic million to deserving causes across the state.

Now, she has allocated the funds to Convoy a Single Mom and YWCA Greater Baton to Habitat for Humanity, which hopes to rebuild 100 homes in Baton Rouge by the end of 2017.

Liron with Michel Ongaro and Emi Kitasako take the stage.

Scenes from the crowd at ‘Women in Music’.

12 12

ACCESS ACCESS

ACCESS ACCESS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2016 MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016 MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2016

2016 PARIS FASHION WEEK 2016 2016 Paris PARIS Fashion FASHION Week WEEK

KARLIE KLOSS showed just enough skin.

SARA SAMPAIO fused sheer and lace tastefully.

HAILEY BALDWIN threw in a tease of metallic.

L’ORÉAL GOLD OBSESSION PARTY

ELSA HOSK was flirty in shimmery black.

Although it’s it’sa new a new month, our month, our focus focus thetoback back is still isonstill the on back back to fashion fashion weeks around the world and weeks around the world and most currently, are in France recently, fashion fashionlovers lovers were in for the all-chic Fashion France for the Paris all-chic Paris Week.

Fashion From catwalks, catwalks, glorious Week. stunning From stunning red carpets admirable style, glorious redto carpets to street admirable Paris it all and has we have golden streethas style, Paris it all aand we treat the L’Oréal Goldthe Obsession have from a golden treat from L’Oréal Party with the ongoing Gold intertwined Obsession Party intertwined PFW. with the just concluded PFW. Check out how the stars chose to shine: @mercy_x254 @mercy_x254

SOPHIA RESING tempted us to look twice.

@christine_x254 @christine_x254

KAMBUA

DADDY OWEN FT. RIGAN SARKOZI DADDY OWEN FT. RIGAN SARKOZI

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WEWE NI MUNGU

In this praise tune, Daddy Owen andand In this praise tune, Daddy Owen Congo-bred Rigan Sarkozi perform Congo-bred Rigan Sarkozi perform a rendition of aoftraditional African a rendition a traditional African hymn, of course updated for for a modern hymn, of course updated a modern audience.

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SIZE 8

PALE PALE

ize 8 is back at it with a gospel ize 8 is back at it with a gospel anthem that’s sure to melt even the anthem that’s sure to melt even the hardest of hearts. The singer takes the hardest of hearts. The singer takes the viewer through her musical and life viewer through her musical and life journey from her childhood to being journey from her childhood to being the other half of the gospel power the other half of the gospel power couple that she has turned into in couple that she has turned into in present day. She gives God the present day. She gives God the glory by thanking Him for the far glory by thanking Him for the far that His power has taken her. The that His power has taken her. The video also features a cameo by her video also features a cameo by her husband, DJ Mo and a couple of husband, DJ Mo and a couple of other gospel music heavy hitters. other gospel music heavy hitters.

ANATIMIZA

AA

songsong thatthat is sure to betoabe comeback for gospel songstress is sure a comeback for gospel songstress Kambua, ‘Anatimiza’ is cinematic in itsinscale but but stillstill Kambua, ‘Anatimiza’ is cinematic its scale somewhat grounded and and relatable.

TheThe worship songsong seessees somewhat grounded relatable. worship Kambua back in fighting asexplains she explains Kambua back in fighting formform as she ‘God’s ‘God’s Word is inerrant and infallible.’

Word is inerrant and infallible.’

The The inspirational True inspirationalvideo videoshot shotbyby TrueDD features featuressome somecelebrity celebritycameos cameosinin the theway wayofofKanze KanzeDena Denaand andJanet Janet Kanini Kaniniwho whorecently recentlyovercame overcameher her battle battlewith withcancer. cancer.It’s It’saagreat great song to to listen listen to to when when you you song need needsome someinspiration inspiration your your way. way.

KAMBUA

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MONDAY 17/10/2016

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SPORT

Chaos as Muhoroni stun K’ogallo to lift Top 8 Cup MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2016

The stadium sunk into deafening silence as Kennedy Rono sprinted to the corner flag to celebrate what would later turn out to be the winening goal as Muhoroni Youth upset holders Gor Mahia FC to lift this year’s KPL Top Eight Cup. In a match where the defending champions commanded most of the possession, had the best of chances, football’s unpredictable head showed its face at the Nyayo National Stadium.

With only their second shot on target the entire game, Muhoroni, playing in their first ever cup final managed to conquer, and more sweetly being the first time ever they are beating K’Ogalo.

And now, as the Premier League title seemingly slides away from their faces and having been ousted from the GOtv Shield by second tier side Nzoia United, this might be the first time in five years Gor is finishing a season with no trophy in their cabinet.

The match was halted for close to ten minutes as a section of the fans from the ‘Russia’ side of the stadium started throwing projectiles into the pitch, but the game would later wind down as calm was restored.

Gor head coach Jose ‘Ze Maria’ Marcelo handed Jerim Onyango a start in goal in place of Boniface Oluoch while youngster Amos Nondi also started, playing in a three-man midfield that had Ernest Wendo and Francis Kahata.

All through the opening half, it was the holders who had the better chances, and played most of the ball in the Muhoroni third.

Gor had the first opportunity in the 8th minute with Meddie Kagere slicing in a wonderful low cross from the right but Jacques Tuyisenge missed to connect a few yards from goal with Muhoroni keeper Farouk Shikhalo managing to pick the ball before George Odhiambo could land on it.

Two minutes later, it was guilty of a missed chance having shot meekly at Shikhalo after Tuyisenge won the ball from Kevin Omondi and squared it to his fellow Rwandese international.

Musa Mohammed missed a sitter with a header unmarked at the edge of the six yard box from an

Inter’s Mauro Icardi reacts after missing the penalty against Cagliari yesterday.

Inter fans angry at ‘clown’ Icardi

Inter Milan fans have called for leading scorer Mauro Icardi to be stripped of the captaincy following a heated row with the Argentina forward. Inter’s hardcore ‘ultras’ called Icardi a “clown” before Sunday’s 2-1 home loss to Cagliari - and cheered when he missed a penalty during the match. Icardi, 23, had criticised the fans in a recently published autobiography. Club president and ex-captain Javier Zanetti said: “We cannot accept this kind of behaviour from an employee.” Icardi, who claimed in his book he had been “hailed as a hero” in the dressing room for challenging a section of supporters after a defeat at Sassuolo in February 2015, had attempted to diffuse the situation with a social media post before the game against Cagliari. But fans jeered him and displayed a banner criticising the player, who had scored six goals this season but missed from the spot with the score at 0-0 before Cagliari went on to secure their first away win since securing promotion back to Serie A last season.

The result also added to the pressure on manager Frank de Boer, who has seen his side win only one home game - against champions Juventus - since being appointed in the summer.

Gor Mahia stewards attack Kenya Premier League head of security GMT Otieno during their during their KPL Top 8 final match against Muhoroni Youth at the Nyayo National Stadium last evening. Muhoroni won the match 1-0.

PHOTO: WAMBUGU MAINA

Amos Nondi delivery a minute later as Gor continued their dominance.

Muhoroni’s first and only chance of the opening half came on the quarter hour mark from Samuel Ndung’u’s half volley after picking up a long ball which Jerim parried away.

The Muhoroni winger took up the rebound but his effort at picking out Moses Arita inside the box was thwarted with Jerim diving strongly to his left to pick up.

Gor continued to dominate the match with Muhoroni forced to play on the back-foot and the tight closing in done by the Gor men forced the sugar belt side to do long clearances as opposed to playing it short from the back.

The defending champions came very close once again in the 21st minute when Kagere missed a chance harder to miss than score and his reaction of punching the ground hard in anger told of his frustration.

Tuyisenge had done well on the right to deliver in a cross from very tight marking but Kagere could not nod the ball into the net a yard out with a gaping goalmouth and Shikhalo nowhere in the vicinity.

The Muhoroni keeper then pulled off a great save two minutes later parrying away an Odhiambo effort after the winger played a swift onetwo interchange of passes with Nondi before breaking into the box.

Erick ‘Marcelo’ Ouma should

have taken responsibility upon himself ten minutes to the breather having found the ball with acres of space on the left after Yussuf Mohammed’s attempted clearance hit his own team mate and fell graciously in Ouma’s path.

However, the 20-year old’s decision to try and square back to Tuyisenge inside the box was thwarted with Mohammed Abdallah making a huge clearance for a corner.

With five minutes to go, Ferreira was forced into his first change, midfielder Wendo coming off having picked up a knock earlier and in his place came Ugandan international Godfrey Walusimbi who surprisingly slotted into defensive midfield.

MORE ON THIS STORY www.capitalfm.co.ke

Milan end Chievo home run to go third

AC Milan ended Chievo’s 12-match unbeaten home run to move up to third place in Serie A with a fourth win in five games.

Juraj Kucka put Milan ahead just before half-time with a 25-yard shot into the top corner before M’Baye Niang drove home the second in the 46th minute.

Ex-Milan midfielder Valter Birsa curled home a free-kick to pull a goal back.

But Dario Dainelli’s own goal in injury-time sealed the win for Milan, who last lost to Chievo in 2005.

Chievo, who would have gone third in the table themselves with a victory, had failed to score in their five previous home games against Milan in a barren run stretching back to 2011.

Birsa’s third goal of the season ended that sequence but Milan would have won more comfortably but for fine second-half saves from Stefano Sorrentino, who kept out a Niang free-kick and denied Gianluca Lapadula a first Serie A goal.

SPORT 15

Austin double lifts Southampton to eighth MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2016

Southampton moved to eighth in the Premier League as goals from Charlie Austin and Nathan Redmond punished Burnley’s poor second-half defending.

Austin broke the deadlock by poking home at the near post after Virgil van Dijk was allowed to head across the face of the goal from a corner.

Burnley’s defence was at fault again as Redmond beat Tom Heaton with a low strike from another corner.

Austin scored from the spot before a Sam Vokes penalty reduced the arrears.

Burnley’s defence has crumbled on a number of occasions in the second half of games this season, though it was thanks to a series of fine saves from Heaton that the score remained goalless for as long as it did.

The injury to influential midfielder Steven Defour before the break also hampered the visitors’ cause against a Southampton side who are now unbeaten in four league matches and still unbeaten at home this season.

Southampton, without first-choice full-backs Cedric Soares and Ryan Bertrand, suffered a further defensive set-back early on. Matt Targett, Bertrand’s replacement, injured his hamstring - but 21-year-old academy product Sam McQueen came on and performed well.

The Saints’ defence was organised despite the changes - although they did

concede their first goal in 612 minutes of play - and the hosts created plenty of chances, troubling Heaton with 34 shots, the highest total by any team in a Premier League game this season.

Heaton has made more saves than any goalkeeper in the league - including 11 yesterday. His most spectacular of them all arguably came in the fourth minute as he dived low towards the bottom right corner to stop Austin’s closerange header.

But Burnley were caught out after the break when Van Dijk headed Dusan Tadic’s corner towards Austin, who was standing two yards from goal. The former Burnley player needed two attempts, with his first effort blocked on the line by Vokes before he poked in the rebound.

Moments after Heaton had made a brilliant save from Tadic, Burnley’s defence folded again as Steven Davis’ corner found the unmarked Redmond, who fired low beyond Heaton at his near post.

The visitors were rattled and it was no surprise that Southampton added to the scoreline, with Austin converting from the spot after Johann Berg Gudmundsson was deemed to have made contact with McQueen in the box.

Southampton, particularly impressive in the closing stages as they charged

Southampton’s Charlie Austin reacts after scoring his team’s first goals against Burnley last evening. PHOTO: COURTESY

forward in search of a fourth, came close to scoring again on a number of occasions with Davis, Jose Fonte, Jordy Clasie and Jay Rodriguez going close but they could not get past the overworked Heaton.

The visitors had strong cause to appeal for a penalty in the first half after Gudmundsson was felled by Van Dijk

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but referee Mike Dean, standing yards in front of the challenge, ignored their pleas.

Manager Sean Dyche said after the match that it was a decision which could have changed the course of the game.

The Burnley manager argued that there was “minimal contact” between

Gudmundsson and McQueen for Southampton’s penalty. However, it was also questionable whether Tadic’s brush with Ben Mee for the visitors’ spot-kick should have been punished.

Earlier, Watford won 1-0 away to Middlesbrough, thanks to a fine Jose Holebas’ strike to lift them to the top half of the league table.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2016 | WWW.X254.CO

CHAOS AS MUHORONI SHOCK CHAMPIONS GOR MAHIA TO WIN KPL TOP 8 CUP AT NYAYO STADIUM P14

Paul Scholes: Man United lack identity

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp (left) and Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho react during past league matches. the tow clash at Anfield tonight in another English Premier League match.

PHOTOs: EPA

Fireworks at Anfield

Liverpool host Manchester United tonight in one of the most explosive fixtures in the Premier League.

The hosts could go top of the table if they can beat their opponents by a margin of three goals after Manchester City dropped points at home against Everton on Saturday.

United go into the match without any major injury concerns after both Henrikh Mkhitaryan and defender Luke Shaw were declared fit for the trip to Anfield. That means Phil Jones is the only player sidelined in an otherwise fully fit squad.

However, Liverpool will be without two of their midfielders who have started in all their Premier League matches so far this season.

A groin problem means Adam Lallana is set to miss out, along with Georginio Wijnaldum after he was injured playing for the Netherlands.

However, defenders Nathaniel Clyne and Dejan Lovren are back in contention and fit-again Emre Can could make a first league start of the season.

“Apart from the table, it’s a very important game.

I know about the history, I like the special stories.

The whole world will watch this game, it’s a big honour to be part of it,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said ahead of the encounter.

Liverpool have not gone into many recent games against Manchester United as favourites. But they do tonight, having won away at both Arsenal and Chelsea so far. United have won their past four meetings in the Premier League, but the mood feels different at Anfield at the moment.

Liverpool have made a great start to the season and their manager Jurgen Klopp deserves huge credit for that because many did not think they would have progressed so much as a team, so

early in the campaign. They are playing exactly how Klopp wants them to - their tempo is good, their pressing is great, and everyone seems to be on the same wavelength. And Klopp feels they are ready for tonight’s battle.

“At the end, it’s up to us to perform to our best.

You cannot and should not ignore the special circumstance of a game like this. You have to be ready,” said the German tactician.

Tonight’s clash with Manchester United is a great yardstick for Liverpool’s prospects this season because, although United’s recent form has been mixed, they have got some brilliant players and possess enough quality to win any game. Then there is United manager Jose Mourinho, who has a pretty decent record at Anfield too of course.

There is every chance his United side could go to Liverpool and frustrate them in the way his Chelsea teams have got results at Anfield in the past. The Blues’ 2-0 win in 2014 that stopped Liverpool from winning the title is the most famous of his wins there and, domestically, Mourinho has only been beaten once in eight visits. United are well capable of doing something similar, but the difference this time is what they will have to contend with, because this Liverpool side are absolutely flying after winning five games in a row in all competitions.

“They have big quality and we have to respect this, as we do. But this is Anfield. We have to show this. We have had a few nice atmospheres but I’m open for the best atmosphere. We need everybody in a Liverpool shirt in this game,” a buoyant Klopp added. The Reds are full of confidence and will go on the attack. Defensively it is going to be a real test for United, who are

going to have to play really well to leave Anfield with anything. The choice of referee Anthony Taylor to take charge of the clash has dominated discussions prior to the encounter and Jose Mourinho belives such talk will make it difficult for the official to officiate the match.

The appointment of Manchester-based Taylor for the game was criticised by Keith Hackett, the ex-head of the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd. The decision has also been questioned by Liverpool fans on social media.

Mourinho says “somebody with intention is putting such a pressure” on Taylor, who supports non-league Altrincham.

Similar scrutiny last season led to the removal of Leicester-based official Kevin Friend from Tottenham’s game at Stoke, when Spurs and the Foxes were both going for the title.

Mourinho, who replaced Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford in the summer, described Taylor, 37, as “a very good referee”.

However, the 53-year-old Portuguese added: “I feel that it will be difficult for him to have a very good performance.”

Mourinho is not concerned about his side’s discipline heading into the fixture at Anfield, which kicks off at 10pm “Our disciplinary record is really, really good we don’t have problems at all at this level,” he said.

“We are a team that plays with discipline, that is following everything that was told to us in the meetings that we had with the representatives of the Premier League and the referees. We don’t press referees, we behave on the touchline so that’s a point that we are very comfortable with.” @peter_x254

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Manchester United lack “identity” under new manager Jose Mourinho, making Liverpool favourites for Monday’s Premier League match, says Old Trafford legend Paul Scholes.

United, seventh in the table, go to Anfield three points behind Liverpool.

Scholes says there is still “confusion” over Mourinho’s best side, whereas Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has “stamped his way of playing football” on his team.

“If you were betting, you would be betting on Liverpool,” he said.

Former Chelsea manager Mourinho replaced Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford in the summer and made four major signings. Ivory Coast defender Eric Bailly was brought in for about £30m, Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived on a free transfer, Armenia midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan came in for an undisclosed fee and France midfielder Paul Pogba was re-signed for a world record fee of £89m. In United’s seven Premier League games so far, 15 outfield players have started - and Scholes believes this has led to mixed results, including two defeats and a draw.

In contrast, Mourinho used 21 outfield players in the whole of his 2004-05 and 2005-06 titlewinning campaigns with Chelsea. In 2014-15, when he won the league with the Blues for a third time, the figure was 19. “He was not ruthless enough in the off season,” said Scholes, who made 718 appearances for United after making his debut in 1994. “There is so much confusion about who should play.

“What I saw of Mourinho at Chelsea, he had 13 or 14 players who played every week. He never rested players even in the League Cup or whatever competition he was in. “With United it is still a settling-in period - it is going to take a bit of time for them to knit together and see what they are about. “Is there an identity to the team yet? I don’t think there is.”

Liverpool have had longer to get used to their manager Klopp, who succeeded Brendan Rodgers in October 2015.

Fourth in the table, they are on a run of five straight wins in all competitions and have scored 18 goals in seven Premier League games this season, including victories at Arsenal and Chelsea. And with their high-pressing style, Scholes - who won 11 top-flight titles with United - can see a pattern emerging he says is absent from his former club. “You can see Jurgen Klopp has stamped his way of playing football on the team,” said the 41-year-old. “There is a definite way about them. You know how they are going to play. They are going to be quick, they are going to try to take the ball off you and try to score goals by flooding the box.

“I was worried about them defensively - but they have already played some of the big teams and they are a real threat. “The form they are in, they look as good as any team in the league.”