201601021 xnews

THursday, JANUARY 21, 2016 | www.x254.co

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EACC detectives raid governor wa Iria’s home

Residences of the county chief’s close aides in kiambu, Muranga and nairobi have also been searched in the Thursday morning operation

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NEWS

Hosts rwanda sails through to chan quarters with win over gabon

kcb plot pipeline’s downfall as women’s volleyball continues

Nkaissery warns politicians ahead of 2017 elections STORY ON PAGE 2

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery (left) at a past function. He has warned politicians against inciting Kenyans, saying they risk being arrested and prosecuted.

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Kenyatta family gives out 2, 000 acres of Taveta land to squatters

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s family has voluntarily given out 2000 acres of its land in Taita Taveta County to be allocated to squatters.

While making the announcement today, State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu said the move is in line with Mr Kenyatta’s pledge to resolve land issues at the larger coast region.

The land has been given out for the resettlement of squatters who will get their titles in a few months’ time according to Esipisu.

“The president has promised to deliver the land answer to the land question, and has further promised to look at cases involving 21 settlements with similar issues as the Waitiki land,” he said.

The announcement came just weeks after former Wundanyi MP Mwandawiro Mghanga threatened to lead locals into the parcel to invade it as pressure mounted on the first family to forfeit the land to the local communities.

Mr Esipisu who was recapping the President’s tour of the coast said Mr Kenyatta is now winding up his stay in the region and would return to visit Kwale, Tana River and Taita Taveta Counties where he did not set foot.

“The main objective will be to meet the people and listen to their development concerns with a view to addressing them. He will also issue title deeds, commission water and road projects,” Esipisu added. hillary_x254

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NEWS THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016

Nkaissery’s warning to politicians as 2017 General Election nears At least two governors and two MPs have been summoned by Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery over clashes attributed to politics as the minister warned he will crack down on politicians inciting Kenyans as the country gears up for the General Election next year.

Already, the CS has asked Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet to arrest and charge any elected leader found inciting Kenyans against each other. Nkaissery said many of them are pitting Kenyans against each other in a bid to win elections due next year.

He says this will not be tolerated, adding that authorities will enforce the law even as he urged Kenyans to be law abiding citizens.

“The temperatures of 2017 have started to rise, it is high-time we dealt with people who are going to break the law because we don’t want the country to go back to 2007-2008. We will deal with individuals and so long as, I am the CS, I want to be very clear on this; we will never allow any citizen to lose his life because someone wants to be re-elected,” he said.

The CS has summoned Governors Ahmed Abdullahi (Wajir) and Nathif Jama (Garissa) alongside MPs Ibrahim Saney (Wajir North) and Adan Keynan (Eldas)

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery. He says the government will not tolerate politicians who incite Kenyans for their own political survival.

over the recent inter-communal clashes in their areas.

“We have a problem between the Ajuran community and the Degodia and we are not going to accept that. I want the two MPs and the governors to come to my office so that we can resolve the issue. We will not accept to lose lives, just because someone wants to be re-elected.”

Last week, MP Saney asked the National government to intervene and stop “senseless killings” in Wajir County.

He said the inter-clan clashes along the borders of Eldas and Wajir North constituencies have left scores dead and several others injured in the last couple of days.

Saney threatened to lead Wajir North residents in seeking refuge in Ethiopia should the government fail to stop the clashes.

“When new boundaries were created, Eldas (Constituency) was curved from Wajir West Constituency and now stands

as a constituency, but it seems some leaders are not satisfied with the demarcation done,” he said, adding that they are now “hell-bent on extending their territory thus affecting Wajir North Constituency”.

He accused the political leaders from Eldas of allegedly violating an agreement reached in effort to bring harmony between the two communities.

“Senior politicians who have mastered the art of manipulation and misinterpretation of

facts have continued to use government institutions for their own selfish interests,” he charged.

Nkaissery on Wednesday appealed to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to start correcting anomalies in North Eastern region boundaries, saying they are a source of conflict between communities.

Speaking during a meeting with North Eastern leaders to discuss security in the region, Nkaissery said the resolutions passed to curb insecurity will be gazetted and any politicians who infringe on other communities for political gains will be dealt with accordingly.

“Just because the 2010 Constitution has given us devolution it does not mean that you start coming up with big ideas, Kenya is a unitary State.

The passage of the Constitution did not change the Act of 1992; what was Wajir District is now Wajir County the boundaries have not changed,” he stated.

Governor Abdullahi blamed the IEBC for creating political boundaries that have contributed to conflicts in the region, use of advanced weapons and lack of formal settlement as well as lack of enough security agents in the region.

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Report: Police yet to appreciate reforms five years on The mindset and institutional culture of police officers is yet to change despite reforms that were initiated five years ago, a new report has said.

The report by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights further indicates that even the merger of the Regular and Administration Police units as was envisaged in the National Police Service Act, 2011 has not taken off smoothly on the ground five years down the line.

The report that was scheduled to be launched in Nairobi today afternoon indicates that only cooperation and not a merger as was envisaged exists within the National Police Service.

In its findings, KNCHR says that in all police offices and stations visited across the country, different scenarios emerged.

“The Administration Police stations for instance displayed the portrait of their national commander-Deputy Inspector General while Kenya Police stations have the portrait of the Inspector General,”

reads the report.

The differences in the operations according to the report indicates underlying misgivings about the merger.

“It is apparently clear that resistance to reforms at ground level is still abound although at the headquarter level there appears to be support, yet police need to talk the same language. This disconnect in the service is not healthy,” reads the report.

The report titled ‘audit of the status of police reforms in Kenya 2015’, also paints a different picture in the physical location of the police offices.

The offices of the Kenya Police Service and Administration Police Service are physically located in different places in each county and the officers also live in different police lines a situation the commission says does not reflect the spirit of merger.

“In Nairobi for instance the headquarters of the National Police Service is at Jogoo House that of the Administration Police

is at Nyayo House, that of the Kenya Police is at Vigilance House and the DCI headquarters is at Mazingira House,” reads part of the report.

The same trend of autonomy and differences within the service is also replicated on their vehicles, uniforms and service flags another indicator of the lack of merger between the services.

The joint audit report was conducted in 16 counties in August last year and both police officers (Kenya Police Service and Administration Police Service officers were interviewed on their perception towards the merger.

The findings indicated that 45 per cent of the officers said they belonged to the Kenya Police Service, 51.3 per cent said they belonged to the Administration Police while only 1.3 per cent said they belonged to the National Police Service (NPS). When asked to identify the officer from whom they take commands at County level, 54.2 per cent said they take command from the AP commandant, 17

per cent from the OCPD, and 25 per cent from the County Police Commandant while 3.8 per cent took commands from the County Commissioner.

The findings reveal that under the merged command structure, the officers are not aware who their County Commandant is.

According to section 7(1) of the National Police Service Act, 2011 all officers or employees who were members of the Kenya Police Force, Administration Police and DCI including their functions were to automatically merged into National Police Service.

The overall commander of the National Police Service is the Inspector General of Police who is also in charge of both the Kenya Police and the Administration Police.

The Kenya Police and the Administration Police officers, however report to their respective commandants who hold the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police. sam_x254

NEWS 3 THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016

Ministry, board differ over Netflix regulation A showdown looms over the control of the US internet streaming media, Netflix after ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru dismissed the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) move to censor its content.

Mucheru argued that KFCB will not go far with the plan to regulate Over the Top (OTT) businesses such as Netflix, considering that they are virtual private network and Internet protocol-based adding that such regulations can only be handled by the ministry. He said his ministry is formulating a policy discussion paper to guide on the regulations that would still keep OTT service providers in Kenya. “You can set rules like any other board, but how do you enforce it? There are areas of overlap, but we as the ministry need to make sure that we make relevant policies and my office will be sending out a policy discussion on OTTs before end of January,” said the CS. KFCB on Wednesday had censored Netflix, arguing that the film content being streamed by the provider fails to conform to national values, ratings, and classifications regulations.

“The board notes with great concern that the films being circulated

on Netflix’s platforms are classified and rated on the basis of guidelines enforced in other jurisdictions, and which are totally at odds with Kenya’s regulatory standards,” said KFCB chairman Jackson Kosgei.

“Some of the movies sampled from the network have ratings of suitability for 13-year-old, yet they contain classifiable elements such as extreme violence, nudity, promotion of irresponsible sexual behaviours, inappropriate language and drug abuse,” argued Kosgei. On the contrary CS Mucheru asserted that if Netflix is regulated, then all the other content on the Internet ought to be subjected to the same scrutiny. “If you regulate the content of Netflix, then all other content on the internet including what google offers should be regulated,” asserted the CS. KFCB chief executive Ezekiel Mutua said their communication with Netflix is at an advanced stage and that the latter admitted that the maturity standard rating guiding them in other territories is not yet in Africa, but that they were working on it.

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) had also differed with the classification board over the

Kenya Film Classification Board CEO Ezekiel Mutua. ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru has disagreed with the board’s intention top have Netflix regulated in Kenya.

handling of American online movie streaming service provider, which launched early this year. CA held that Netflix will not be asked to apply for a local broadcasting licence, meaning the US firm is exempt from local broadcasting regulations that

Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria.

EACC detectioves today raided his home in Thika in an operation belived to be linked to graft cases.

are part of the licensing conditions.

The decision stood in contrast with KFCB’s position that Netflix must be regulated and subjected to Kenya film classifications before it is allowed to sell content locally.

KFCB accused Netflx of being a

threat to national security, adding that the streaming service a threat to the country’s moral values and said yesterday that it would seek to block the service if inappropriate content was not dealt with. @hillary_x254

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Murang’a Governor’s home raided by EACC detectives Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission detectives carried out a coordinated raid on Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria’s home in Thika and those of his associates in Murang’a, Nairobi and Kiambu on Thursday morning.

It was not immediately clear what the raid was about, but the Governor was in April last year taken into custody by EACC detectives for lying to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission when he sought clearance to contest the Murang’a gubernatorial seat.

He also faced impeachment last year after the Murang’a County Assembly passed a motion recommending to the Senate, his removal from office.

The assembly sought his removal on the grounds that he had entered the county into

unreasonable debt. “I rise to move this motion on the following grounds: lack of accountability for the use of county resources by incurring unsustainable debts to the tune of Sh2.5 billion,” the sponsor of the impeachment motion, nominated County Assembly Representative Mary Waithira-Wamauwa, said.

She also accused Iria of flouting the law on procurement and management of public funds and set expenditure ceilings. She also cited the Auditor General’s queries over Sh28 million allocated to the Murang’a Investment Co-operative Society, to make her case.

Wa Iria however survived impeachment after the Senate found that the accusations levelled against him did not meet the threshold set out in law.

MORE ON THIS STORY www.capitalfm.co.ke

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NEWS THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016

Iran: Saudi Arabia is ‘panicking’ Iran’s foreign minister says Saudi Arabia is “panicking” over the potential for reduced tensions between Tehran and the West, that he is happy for the families of Americans previously imprisoned in Iran, and that the U.S. is “addicted” to sanctions.

“We do not have a fight to pick with Saudi Arabia,” Javad Zarif told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive TV interview.

“We believe that Iran and Saudi Arabia can be two important players who can accommodate each other, who can complement each other, in the region.”

“Unfortunately, the Saudis have had the illusion that backed by their Western allies, they could push Iran out of the equation in the region.”

Zarif said that the alliance between Saudi Arabia and Western nations, and the tension between those nations and Iran, provided a “smoke screen” that allowed Saudi Arabia to “export this Wahhabi ideology of extremism.”

(Wahhabism is the branch of Sunni Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia.)

Hopes for relations between Iran and the West are high after last weekend’s implementation of a hard-won deal, agreed to last July, to swap relief of sanctions on Iran for guarantees about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.

The foreign minister emphasized, as he did in an op-ed for The New York Times earlier this month, that 15 of the 19 September 11 hijackers were Saudis, and blamed the “Wahhabi ideology” for much of the violent extremism now seen in the region and indeed in the West.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday that his country was deeply skeptical of the Iran nuclear deal.

“We don’t have confidence in Iran,” he said.

“We have confidence in the United States.”

Long-simmering tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia have been on the rise recently.

Since last year, the two have been fighting a proxy war of sorts over Yemen, where Saudi Arabia has intervened.

But the problems really flared just after the new

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. He has said his country has no problems with Saudi Arabia.

year, when Saudi Arabia executed 47 people, including a prominent Shiite cleric.

The Iranian government expressed indignation, and protesters in Tehran attacked the Saudi Arabian Embassy. Six Middle Eastern nations decried Iran’s failure to protect the embassy, and Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic relations. Days later, Iran accused Saudi Arabia of intentionally striking its embassy in Yemen.

Zarif told CNN: “We don’t expect, or we’re not interested even, in pushing Saudi Arabia out of

this region, because Saudi Arabia is an important player in this region.”

“We were always in the community of nations.

Now their allies have recognized that Iran is a serious partner.”

Zarif was at the center of a high-stakes deal between the United States and Iran over the weekend to swap prisoners.

America won the release of five citizens, including Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, and in turn released seven Iranians the country

held on charges relating to the sanctions that have now been lifted.

But the deal was almost thrown off at the last minute when Iran tried to prevent Rezaian’s wife and mother from boarding the Swiss plane that was to ferry them to freedom. It was only after a personal call from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, with whom Zarif had developed a personal relationship over the long nuclear talks, that the matter was resolved.

Case made for ‘ninth’ planet

Seeking solutions to perennial water scarcity

Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, Principal Secretary Fred Sigor and Nairobi water CEO Gichuki during a press briefing at Maji house today on the forthcoming Africa Water Association Conference to be held in Nairobi on 22nd to 25th of February 2016. Mr Wamalwa said that the conference will help to solve the Water and sanitations problems in Kenya.

American astronomers say they have strong evidence that there is a ninth planet in our Solar System orbiting far beyond even the dwarf world Pluto.

The team, from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), has no direct observations to confirm its presence just yet. Rather, the scientists make the claim based on the way other far-flung objects are seen to move. But if proven, the putative planet would have 10 times the mass of Earth. The Caltech astronomers have a vague idea where it ought to be on the sky, and their work is sure to fire a campaign to try to track it down. “There are many telescopes on the Earth that actually have a chance of being able to find it,” said Dr Mike Brown. “And I’m really hoping that as we announce this, people start a worldwide search to go find this ninth planet.”

The group’s calculations suggest the object orbits 20 times farther from the Sun on average than does the eighth - and currently outermost - planet, Neptune, which moves about 4.5 billion km from our star. But unlike the near-circular paths traced by the main planets, this novel object would be in a highly elliptical

trajectory, taking between 10,000 and 20,000 years to complete one full lap around the Sun. The Caltech group has analysed the movements of objects in a band of far-off icy material known as the Kuiper Belt. It is in this band that Pluto resides. The scientists say they see distinct alignments among some members of the Kuiper Belt - and in particular two of its larger members known as Sedna and 2012 VP113. These alignments, they argue, are best explained by the existence of a hitherto unidentified large planet.

“The most distant objects all swing out in one direction in a very strange way that shouldn’t happen, and we realised the only way we could get them to swing in one direction is if there is a massive planet, also very distant in the Solar System, keeping them in place while they all go around the Sun,” explained Dr Brown.

“I went from trying very hard to be sceptical that what we were talking about was true, to suddenly thinking, ‘this might actually be true’.” The idea that there might be a so-called Planet X moving in the distant reaches of the Solar System has been debated for more than a hundred years. It has fallen in and out of vogue.

NEWS 5

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016

Morning newspaper summaries Waiguru sues Muthama Families’ agony in Inside El Adde: 10 hours KRA reverses order to over Uhuru ‘affair’: Former wait for missing KDF of blasts and fierce gun close Chinese motor Devolution CS Anne Waiguru has sued soldiers: Several families whose battle: Gallant survivors of the terror assembler Foton: The two Cord politicians caught on video suggesting she was having a clandestine affair with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Waiguru, who resigned in November following months of sustained pressure over corruption allegations in her ministry, is seeking unspecified millions of shillings as compensation from Senators Johnstone Muthama (Machakos) and Bonny Khalwale (Kakamega).

relatives were serving with the Kenyan military in Somalia have been asked to travel to Nairobi and help identify the bodies of their loved ones. Two other families in Nandi County were yesterday still anxiously waiting for the government to confirm the names of soldiers killed in the deadly attack with leaders also calling for military commanders and the government to brief them.

attack on Kenya Defence Forces camp in Somalia have pieced together a blowby-blow account of Friday’s deadly dawn attack. The 10-hour mission by the Al Shabaab terrorists – that started at the crack of dawn and was only degraded after 2pm - was fronted by three rows of suicide bombers, Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices and hardened alShabaab foot soldiers.

taxman has lifted its suspension of motor dealer Foton East Africa’s bonded warehouse licence, sparing the Chinese firm the pain of closure and saving scores of jobs. The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) on December 14 suspended Foton’s bonded warehouse licence over unpaid taxes, effectively stopping the Chinese firm from importing more vehicle parts for assembly in Kenya.

Captured KDF soldiers Fraudster ‘forged his way Certificate cheat among Central bank holds moved to new hideout: to top police job’: A senior seven senior police interest rates steady at The fate of at least 12 Kenyan soldiers officer conned his way to the top of police officers The Central Bank of Kenya sacked: Charles 9.8pc: held by al-Shabaab remains unknown, ranks for 22 years using forged papers, on Wednesday kept its benchmark almost a week after the attack on the KDF El Adde base inside Somalia. Sources in Somalia said the militants have moved the hostages from a village towards Jilib in the Middle Juba region on the main road from the capital Mogadishu. A top commander only identified as Major Obuoge is said to be among those captured.

the National Police Service Commission revealed yesterday. It also said that vetting had revealed an intricate web of mobile money transfers involving junior officers sending cash to their bosses through M-Pesa on a regular basis.

Nyakeri used his cousin Nelson Omwenga Nyakundi’s academic certificate to get recruited into the police force over two decades ago. For the last 22 years, Mr Nyakeri alias Nyakundi rose through the ranks in the Administration Police to the position of superintendent before the ongoing vetting smoked him out.

interest rate steady, sparing borrowers another increase in the cost of loans even as the decision left the market wondering whether the regulator had abandoned a formula for setting the minimum cost of loans it established two years ago to ensure stability in the money market.

Raila heads for Coast to 30,000 more to join Jubilee, CORD trade Oil explorers freeze counter Uhuru: The Coast Form One: Pupils who sat the barbs over electoral projects on falling region is proving to be a key battleground Kenya Certificate of Primary Education team: The ruling coalition has crude prices: A sharp drop in for Jubilee and Cord, with opposition exams last year will from today know leader Raila Odinga expected there this weekend. The Cord leader lands at the Coast as President Uhuru Kenyatta continues his working tour of the region that kicked off on December 24. The two political camps will be fighting it out for the Malindi by-election, with Raila expected to kick off ODM candidate Willy Mtengo’s run on Friday. Uhuru has already campaigned for Jubilee candidate.

which secondary schools they will join this year. Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i will today launch Form One selection, which will see 30,000 more pupils join Form One compared to last year. About 730,000 pupils are expected to join secondary schools this year compared to 696,000 last year. The minister will also spell out new education reforms meant to tackle corruption.

endorsed the electoral commission’s verdict to keep Opposition co-principal Moses Wetang’ula on the voters’ register.

Jubilee politicians said the decision was “proof ” of the commission’s independence. Water CS Eugene Wamalwa, Aden Duale and the Senate’s Deputy Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen said the team’s verdict, despite a judicial indictment of electoral bribery, pointed to its independence.

crude prices has forced a number of oil explorers in Kenya to scale down operations and trim staff as parent firms cut their budgets. The oil explorers say key financiers have revised upward the risk profile of their activity, leaving them to rely solely on their headquarters to finance their operations even as they downplay the tumble as a temporary problem.

Top stories from X News global partners At least 30 killed in 2015 Was Hottest Year on Xi Jinping’s tour of EU to shift refugee terror raid at Pakistani Record by Far, Scientists the Middle East shows burden to northern University: A group of militants Say: Scientists reported Wednesday China’s growing stake states: Brussels is to scrap rules has stormed a university in north-west that 2015 was the hottest year in the make the first country a refugee there: Since he took over as China’s that Pakistan, killing at least 30 people and historical record by far, breaking a mark enters responsible for any asylum claim, leaving dozens injured. The gunmen entered Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, at about 9.30am (4.30am GMT), apparently using the cover of thick morning fog, and opened fire on students and teachers in classrooms and accommodation blocks. A gun battle ensued between the attackers and Pakistan security forces, with television footage showing soldiers entering the campus as ambulances lined up outside the main gate and anxious parents consoled each other. www.theguardian.com

set only the year before — a burst of heat that has continued into the new year and is roiling weather patterns all over the world.In the contiguous United States, the year was the second-warmest on record, punctuated by a December that was both the hottest and the wettest since recordkeeping began. One result has been a wave of unusual winter floods coursing down the Mississippi River watershed. Scientists started predicting a global temperature record months ago, in part because an El Niño weather patter.

www.nytimes.com

leader in 2012, Xi Jinping has been a busy globetrotter. Last year he visited more countries than Barack Obama, the American president. Heedless of whether his hosts are powerful, puny or pariah, he has flown everywhere from America to the Maldives and Zimbabwe. Mr Xi’s aim is to project China’s rising power— and his central role in promoting that— to both foreign and domestic audiences.

But until this week, he had not set foot as president in the Middle East. The trip, still under way, began in Saudi Arabia and will also include visits to Egypt and Iran.

www.economist.com

revolutionising the bloc’s migration policy and shifting the burden from its southern flank to its wealthier northern members. The “first-country” requirement is the linchpin of the EU refugee system. But it has become politically toxic for EU leaders as Germany and other states criticise frontier countries such as Greece and Italy for failing to register and shelter the 1.1m people that have poured into Europe from the Middle East and North Africa.

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BUSINESS

Illegal TV cable operators to face suits as CA cracks whip The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has threatened to confiscate equipment and sue illegal television cable operators flouting its regulations.

The regulator’s acting director for consumer and public affairs Christopher Wambua said there is an increased number of illegal television cable operators in the market conducting underground businesses.

“We are aware of those businesses that are in contravention of section 46C of the Kenya Information and Communication Act, 1998 which prohibits broadcasting without a valid licence,” said Wambua in a statement.

This comes in the wake of several raids conducted in the country where several operators were found operating without valid licences to broadcast.

In his statement, Wambua cited Matuchhaya Cable Limited in Eldoret, where more than 60-satellite decoders and receivers, a fibre optic transmitter, about 13 encoders and 52 modulators were confiscated during a recent raid in Eldoret.

He said contravention of this law attracts a fine not exceeding Sh1 million or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or both.

“The suspects have been arraigned before an Eldoret court and charged with operating a

Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Director General Francis Wangusi at a past press conference. CA has vowed to crack down on illegal cable television operators. television cable station without a licence contrary to Section 24 (b) of the Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998,” said Wambua. Pay-television operators have also claimed that they are losing millions to illegal providers, calling for the regulator to intervene.

The high cost of pay-TV services has created the underground business that charges households

Economy to grow by 5.8pc despite pressure: StanChart

Standard Chartered Bank market analysts have projected a 5.8 economic growth this year Data from StanChart reveals that Kenya’s economy will remain strong despite a strengthening US economy, sluggish growth in China growth as well as a slump in the global commodity market.

Speaking to the press yesterday in Nairobi, Standard Chartered Chief Economist for Africa Razia Khan said interest rates will remain fairly stable in the medium term and will begin to drop in the second half of 2016.

She said slowdown of Chinese growing economy won’t affect the economy since Kenya exports only one per cent of its exports to China. She says Kenya’s current fiscal policy will drive the country to absorb huge portion of the global economic headwinds thus attracting foreign exchange.

However, she said the economy would take time to catch up due to the current drop in oil prices. International crude oil prices fell below 30 dollars a barrel for the first time since December 2003.

a fee ranging between Sh500 to Sh1,000 per month, which pales in comparison to the DStv charges of Sh9,400 for its premium content monthly.

Startimes charges between Sh899 and Sh1,799.

Previous raids have been conducted mainly by Kenya Copyright Board (Kecobo) and have targeted tenants connected illegally, but it has now stepped up the game to include the landlords.

In 2013 a joint operation by Kecobo, DStv, Zuku and Kenya power confiscated illegal satellite equipment from various Nairobi estates.

About 60 decoders were seized in an operation that targeted Umoja, Buruburu and Donholm estates.

The copyright watchdog said it is now going for landlords whose properties have been used to mount the equipment.

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

MEAN 102.4013 144.9433 112.1617 6.0697 33.9352 21.3377

BUY SELL 102.3056 102.4971 144.7839 145.1028 112.0400 112.2833 6.0630 6.0765 33.8546 34.0157 21.2689 21.4065

NSSF gets ISO nod, rolls out plans to expand operation

National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has become the first organisation in Kenya to achieve ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System Certification.

The certification focuses on performance and is based on quality management principle including strong customer focus, motivation and implication of top leadership, the process approach, and continual improvement and review.Speaking during the signing on the certification contract by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), NSSF chief executive Dr Anthony Omerikwa said: “We are extremely honoured to be the first organisation in the country to attain the ISO 9001:2015 certification. Being ISO certified means our customers can have confidence that we are committed to quality and outstanding customer service.”

KEBS managing director Charles Ongwae said the certification demonstrates that NSSF has effective implementation of a management system and provides evidence to customers, suppliers, employees, and all interested parties of its commitment to exceeding customer satisfaction.”

Omerikwa said NSSF has put in place a quality management strategy to ensure it adequately serves Kenyans in its new role as prescribed by the NSSF Act 2013. He said the Fund has invested in automation of its services which not only helps in offering services, but also gives greater access to information by customers, higher performance and improved decision making.

In order to expand reach, NSSF has partnered with other social partners such as NHIF in data sharing to ensure all workers are covered. NSSF is also ensuring ease of doing business by offering her services at every Hudumacentre. This has eased accessibility of NSSF services by many Kenyans.

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KCB sets lending rate at 11.5pc to maintain prices The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has set its benchmark lending rate at 11.5 per cent, the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) said in a statement on Wednesday.

The committee, which met yesterday, said the CBK would keep on using instruments at its disposal to maintain overall price steadiness to ensure consistency in the financial sector.

The bank also maintained the Kenya Banks’ Reference Rate (KBRR) at 9.87 per cent.

“The committee concluded that the current inflation pressures are temporary, and that the monetary policy measures currently in place are containing any demand pressures in the economy,” a statement by Central Bank Governor Dr Patrick Njoroge who chairs the MPC said Inflation in East Africa’s largest economy breached the 7.5 per cent upper limit of the

government’s target when it hit 8 per cent in December, a trend the National Treasury says is unlikely to continue.

However, CBK said higher prices of several food items, contributed 2.3 per cent to overall inflation whereas new taxes on alcohol and tobacco on December 1 last year further contributed 0.3 per cent points to inflation.

Non-food-non-fuel inflation (NFNF) inflation had only risen to 5.6 per cent in December from 4.8 percent, with no signs of adverse demand pressure in the economy, the CBK said. According to MPC, the increase was mainly driven by largely food prices including Irish potatoes, tomatoes, kales, carrots, cabbages, onions, beef with bones and avocadoes.

The MPC explained that the foreign exchange market has remained stable since November 2015, despite the rise in US interest rates, impact of the

Central Bank of Kenya Governor Dr Patrick Njoroge. slowdown in China, and volatility in other global financial markets.

“Stability in the foreign exchange market continues to be supported by a narrowing current account deficit largely due to a lower import bill for petroleum products, recovery in tourism,

tea and horticulture exports, and Diaspora remittances.”

The committee remains optimistic about Kenyans economy despite expectations that global economic growth is likely to be bumpy across advanced and emerging economy.

Barclays begins trading in NSE after system testing Barclays Bank of Kenya Limited’s subsidiary, Barclays Financial Services Limited has commenced trading in the Stock Exchange following extensive system testing and integration, since its admission as a trading participant.

Barclays Financial Services limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Barclays Bank of Kenya Limited, one of Kenya’s leading financial institutions. The bank has presence in 38 counties and is listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

“The Exchange remains committed to providing investors with broader access to the market through new membership,” said Nairobi Securities Exchange chief executive Geoffrey Odundo in an announcement as he congratulated Barclays.

“The participation of Barclays in our markets is a clear indication of the Exchange’s attractiveness as an investment destination, further entrenching Kenya’s position as the gateway to financial services in East Africa,” he added.

The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) licensed Barclays Financial Services limited as an Investment Bank under the Capital Markets Act and Regulations.

The admission of Barclays is expected to attract previously untapped local and foreign investors.

The announcement comes just as Barclays Bank Plc is mulling over plans to leave the African market as the international lender continues with an ongoing restructuring drive.

The announcement comes barely a week after Barclays Africa Group Limited (BAGL), a South African subsidiary of Barclays Bank Plc, said it will in March, close its

regional management office based in Nairobi shifting its operations to its South Africa premises as a result of redundancy.

The move is expected to see the redeployment of more than 30 staff based here in Kenya but will not affect Barclays Bank Kenya employees, the Group had said.

Though the Barclays Africa Group had said it will continue its investment strategy in the Africa, a Wall Street Journal report states that Barclays Bank PLC may pull out after a century in the continent.

The lender is planning to dispose

its 62 percent stake in the JSElisted Barclays Africa Group Ltd as it seeks to redirect the bank’s efforts to more profitable divisions.

Barclays Africa Group has over 40,000 staff spread in 12 countries including Kenya, Uganda, Seychelles, Mauritius, Zambia, South Africa and Botswana.

It is understood Barclays will sell its retail banking operations but maintain its corporate and investment banking activities.

Barclays is currently preparing to announce more than 1,000 job cuts across its investment bank

BUSINESS 7

as new chief executive Jes Staley makes his first big strategic move.

“Our strategy is based on the strength of our franchise – an African bank that is fully international, fully regional and fully local. These results demonstrate that we are on track to achieve the commitments we made. I remain excited by the potential for our business on our continent,” said BAGL chief executive Maria Ramos in a statement included in the financial results ending June 2015.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016

BIZ BRIEFS Uchumi now given nod to refinance restructuring bid

Retail giant Uchumi Supermarkets has secured approval from its shareholders to re-finance the business to finance a turnaround plan for the chain, which has been faced with dire losses in the recent past. The new capital will aid the retailer in clearing its supplier debt and bank loans. It will also be used to fund branch expansion, Uchumi chief executive Julius Kipng’etich said on Wednesday. Uchumi’s shareholders authorised the board to seek a strategic investor to inject up to Sh5 billion into the business through debt capital by issuing convertible debt instruments or equity capital by way of a private transfer of Uchumi shares to the investor or a combination of both. The stakeholders have also mandated the board to do whatever is necessary to successfully conclude civil and criminal cases pending in court in respect of the Kasarani property to pave way for its sale. The retailer has been undergoing a restructuring which has seen it replace top management, close some outlets and renegotiate contracts with suppliers.

Kenya Tea auction set for automated trading in 2016

Barclays Group chief executive officer Jes Staley is set to announce more than 10,000 job cuts in his first strategic move.

Amazing Infinix Zero 3, new gadget to own The Infinix Zero 3, which is also known as the Infinix X552, a successor of the Zero 2 is designed for breathtaking viewing and amazing image-capturing capability as well as jaw-dropping performance and superb sound quality.

Display and Camera The sleek and portable Infinix Zero 3 packs a huge 5.5-inch IPS display with Full HD resolution, which translates into a high pixel density of about 401 pixels per inch.

Users should expect impressive viewing experience on this one. The screen is protected by a rugged Corning Gorilla Glass that protects it from scratches and breaking.

The phablet is decked out to serve up breathtaking images with a combo of 20.7-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The main shooter is a SONY IMX230 CMOS sensor with 6P Largan lens, dual LED flash, autofocus, HDR and face detection, for eye-catching

images.The camera also offers improved light sensitivity and 4k ultra HD video recording.

Hardware and Software Users should expect to enjoy robust performance with the new Infinix Zero 3, at least, on paper. It is fitted with an octa-core MediaTek processor which rocks along at impressive speeds of up to 2.2GHz.The 64bit chip is paired with ample 3 GB of RAM for high responsiveness when using multiple apps at the same time.

The device comes with onboard storage of either 16 GB or 32 GB, expandable up to a whopping 2 TB with an SD card. Android 5.1 Lollipop is the software of choice here.

The Infinix Zero 3 supports dualSIM, dual-standby functionality

for simultaneous use of two SIM cards. It is accompanied by a powerful 3030mAh non-removable, Li-Polymer battery.

It supports fast charging and can deliver up to 11 hours of talk time on a charge. This model is designed for quality sound with high-sensitivity audio/twin microphones.

The Infinix Zero 3 features high-speed 3G connectivity for download speeds of up to 21 Mbps. Connectivity options also include microUSB 2.0 port, Bluetooth 4.1 with A2DP and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with Wi-Fi Direct and Hotspot.

Launched last week in Kenya, the Infinix Zero 3 X552 is now available in the local market and can be bought from leading online smartphone dealers and retail stores.

Kenya will begin to automate trading at its weekly tea auction of regional produce to increase transparency in dealings, the chairman of the East African Tea Traders Association (EATTA), which runs the sale, said on Wednesday.

The process is set to kick off later this year.

Kenya’s hosts the world’s biggest tea auction, selling produce from nine African nations, including Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Malawi and Mozambique though Ethiopia is due to join in March, Reuters reports.

Kenya, which is the world’s top producer of black tea, earns about Sh102 billion a year from exports, according to EATTA. Tea is therefore one of the country’s main sources of foreign exchange.

Shilling steady despite CBK 11% lending rate The Kenya shilling has remained steady despite the Central Bank of Kenya’s (CBK) move to maintain its benchmark lending rate. The shilling was steady on Thursday and traders said there was little market reaction to CBK’s decision a day earlier, Reuters reports. Earlier this morning, commercial banks quoted the shilling at 102.35/45, the same as Wednesday’s close. Market analysts have stated that they expect the shilling to be less volatile in 2016, in spite of the fact that the Kenyan currency fell 13 per cent against the dollar in 2015. The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) on Wednesday set its benchmark lending rate at 11.5 per cent, the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) aid the CBK would keep on using instruments at its disposal to maintain overall price steadiness to ensure consistency in the financial sector.

8

BUSINESS

World Bank relaunches new gender data portal THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016

The World Bank Group has relaunched its popular Gender Data Portal, comprising current and historical data on topics ranging from health and education to jobs, assets, and political participation, broken down by sex.

The portal allows users to explore tools for data visualisation and assess the availability of indicators at the country level.

The relaunch comes at a time when a survey by Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) indicate that women in Kenya are some of the worst hit by gender inequality in the African region.

Statistics from the Foundation indicate that the Kenya government consistently fails to provide resources for the empowerment of women.

FSD and its partner organisations have since opted to set up initiatives across the country in order to supply training, education, micro-finance, health care, and other resources for women and their families.

“The untapped potential of women and girls is gaining greater attention in Kenya,” says a report from the United States Agency for International Development (USaid). The Agency adds that Kenya’s new Constitution, passed in 2010,

provides a powerful framework for addressing gender equality.

“It marks a new beginning for women’s rights in Kenya, seeking to remedy the traditional exclusion of women and promote their full involvement in every aspect of growth and development. When Kenyan women have the freedom to reach their potential, all Kenyan families and communities will grow stronger,” stated the Agency.

Meanwhile, the Bank Group

phone accounts, the percentage of men and women who saved any money over the preceding year, and the proportion of women in ministerial-level government posts.

“The Bank Group’s new Gender Equality Strategy 2016-2023 prioritises more and better sexdisaggregated and gender data.

Smart, effective development demands good country-level data, but its availability varies widely,” the global lender said in a statement released yesterday.

The new products are meant to bridge the gender inequality gaps in developing countries.

Sh511m vaccine deal to fight Ebola announced The Vaccine Alliance, Gavi has signed a Sh 511 million ($5m) deal for an Ebola vaccine to guard against future outbreaks of the deadly disease.

The deal commits pharmaceutical company Merck to keeping 300,000 vaccines ready for emergency use or further clinical trials.

It will submit an application to license the vaccine by the end of 2017, which would be the next step towards enabling Gavi to prepare a global stockpile.

More than 11,000 people have died in the latest outbreak in West Africa alone.

The sheer scale of the outbreak is the largest in history leading to an unprecedented push on vaccines, which condensed a decade’s work into less than a year. Merck has led trials of the VSV-EBOV vaccine, which combines a fragment of the Ebola virus with another safer virus in order to train the immune system to counter the disease. Early evidence from studies in West Africa suggest

will also launch its Little Data Book on Gender 2016 alongside new online tables to be updated quarterly. These will be linked to the latest World Development Indicators, making it easier than ever to see how women and men are faring across a range of global indicators.

New data from the Bank’s portal will include the percentage of women in a given economy that own businesses or represent top management, the percentage of men and women holding mobile

that the vaccine might give 100 per cent protection, although more data is still being collected.

Dr Seth Berkley, the chief executive of Gavi, said: “The suffering caused by the Ebola crisis was a wake-up call to many in the global health community.

“New threats require smart solutions, and our innovative financing agreement with Merck will ensure that we are ahead of the curve for future Ebola outbreaks.”

Gavi is an alliance of public bodies and companies committed to saving lives through vaccination where it announced the advancedpurchase commitment at the World Economic Forum held at Davos in the Swiss Alps. Sh511 million paid to Merck will be offset against any vaccines Gavi orders once the shot is licensed.

The World Health Organisation declared West Africa Ebola-free last week, after all of the affected countries had gone 42 days without a case.

New Yorkers now charge phones, access free Wi-Fi via LinkNYC The city of New York’s public Wi-Fi network has gone live spreading across four hubs on Third Avenue and between 15th and 19th Streets. The first LinkNYC hub was installed in December 2015 and is now functional. New Yorkers have been able to use the LinkNYC hubs to connect to the internet for free.

The rollout is also a test of the LinkNYC network, which provides newly laid fiber to each hub. The network is still officially in beta, and the group anticipates some changes as the network expands, but the current version is significantly faster than many commercially available connections.

A Verge test found both upload and download speeds faster than 300 Mbps.

“The device is usually the bottleneck,” said Miles Green, head of network engineering at Intersection.

Connecting to the network takes users to a login screen, where they are asked to provide their email. LinkNYC officials say emails are collected for informational purposes only and will not be sold or shared, in accordance with the system’s privacy policy. Notably, that single login will keep users connected across the entire system, regardless of which hub is closest at a given time.

The current rollout is proceeding up Third Avenue, but organizers say LinkNYC booths will begin the trek up Eighth Avenue over the next several weeks. By mid-July, the city plans to have 500 such hubs installed throughout the city. When the project is complete, it will include more than 7,500 hubs throughout the five boroughs. Each hub will include two USB charging ports, touchscreen web browsing, and two 55-inch ad displays.

UN now seeks Sh133 billion in humanitarian aid for South Sudan The United Nations is seeking Sh 133 billion ($1.3 billion) in humanitarian aid for South Sudan with over 2.3 million people being displaced during the two years of conflict.

Furthermore, more than 10,000 people have been killed since the civil war broke out in December 2013 between soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar.

UN Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan Eugene Owusu said Sh133 billion would be the “bare minimum” needed to support 5.1 million people in the country facing life-threatening circumstances.

“The challenge we face is unprecedented,” he said.

According to UN, more than 680,000 children below the age of five are believed to be acutely malnourished.

Much of the fighting has been along ethnic lines between Kiir’s Dinka community and Machar’s Nuer people.

Progress on a peace deal signed last year has been slow, with both sides accusing each other of violating the agreement and dragging their heels

over plans to form a government of national unity.

The war has also devastated South

Sudan’s economy, slashing the oil production that funds most public spending.

A UN helicopter delivers aid to remote villages of South Sudan.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016

ACCESS topstory

FASHION scoop

11

Don’t base the quality of your interaction on the numbers another blogger has

BLOGGING ETTIQUETTE

2016 has started in earnest especially for bloggers. If you have been following politics, then you know the online wars between Jubilee and Cord. Just yesterday Nyakundi was arrested. Last week it was Robert Alai and we reckon many more will be nabbed for questioning in the coming weeks.

However, it got us thinking about the bloggers behind the posts. Since the BAKE awards 2016 was launched how about we school you on blogging 101?

6. Similarly, visit other blogs as often as possible, and leave a meaningful comment.

1. Share and share alike

This is something that will forge connections with others .However, when leaving a comment, be careful not to be too aggressive in what you’re saying. Similarly, if you disagree with what someone has written, don’t launch in there with guns blazing and be rude – just delete any disrespectful comments without responding to them.

It’s important to promote and interact with others if you want to build a community and expecting others to do your promotion work for you if you aren’t going to reciprocate is just plain rude

2. Credit others where credit is due

Used someone else’s photograph? Been inspired by a particular idea? It’s always important to ask permission to use others content, and leave a link to their blog or website as part of your post.

7. Don’t belittle the work of others

The beauty of blogging is that each one is unique, and therefore every post is valid. Of course, we all have our personal preferences but it isn’t anyone’s place to decide on what is valid and what isn’t.

Constructive criticism may be given if requested, but, again, should be done so in a polite and respectful manner

3. Don’t drop a link somewhere and then leave

The biggest annoyance is when a blogger shares a number of links from their site in a very short space of time, then leaves without reading and promoting anyone else.

8. Having a blog does not mean that you know everything about it

4. It’s not about the numbers

Don’t base the quality of your interaction on the numbers another blogger has.

In the blogging world – a judgement is made about the validity of the blog based on the size of the readership before a single word is even read.

Admittedly, numbers are important, however, they should never be used as a point of comparison to anyone else

Don’t take every opportunity to tell everyone how brilliant you are, while putting others down.

9. Don’t blog when angry

Blogging is a wonderful platform to vent, however, take some time to calm down first, construct your post carefully, get a trusted person to proof read, and avoid throwing your toys out of the pram. You’re guaranteed to regret an aggressive post later on.

5. Be polite: reply to comments

If someone leaves a comment on your blog, do your best to reply, even if it takes a little time and all that needs to be said is ‘thank you.’

Vera Sidika says she is addicted to twerking

Socialite Vera Sidika has more show to throw to her fans than just her curves. Sidika revealed that she is a twerk addict. She posted the confession in a tell all video admitting that her and twerking are joined at the hip and given that she has the curves, why not shake them?

TOPICS

DIAMOND

VERA SIDIKA

HOT

Does Diamond have another child?

Popular Tanzanian artiste Diamond Platinumz, seem to be in a limbo as to whether he fathered another child or not.

Diamond says that he had a one night stand with a lady who later claimed that they had a child then later denied.

At the interview Diamond seemed determined to prove paternity.

Lupita disappointed by white Oscars Lupita Nyongo’ has added her voice on the ongoing debate about the Oscars list.

The actress who in 2013 scooped an Oscar for the best supporting role in 12 years a Slave said lack of inclusion in this year’s Academy Awards nominations makes her think that there is unconscious prejudice and what merits prestige. Meanwhile, other black actors are now calling on Chris Rock to boycott the show as he is slated to host.

LUPITA NYONG’O

@duncan_x254

10

ACCESS

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY, JANUARY 26th NOVEMBER 21, 2016 2014

CAMPUSVIBE USIU VC launches student’s baraza USIU new VC Prof.

Zeleza has settled down to business.

He has organized a baraza for the USIU community to air their views. The Baraza dubbed Talk2theVC, is scheduled to take place today from mid-day.

Prof Zeleza

all round news and updates from universities

JKUAT inspected

The medical capabilities of JKUAT were under scrutiny on Tuesday by the EAC Medical and Dental board. The University is seeking accreditation to offer medical classes to other students in the region.

The team were welcomed by JKUAT’s Vice Chancellor, Prof.

Mabel Imbuga and had members from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi led by Prof David Ngassapa of Tanzania.

The board was evaluating the teaching facilities in terms of lecture halls and laboratories, lecturer-student ratio and patient

Strathmore Leos crush KU

Strathmore Leos emerged victorious after beating KU 62-O in a rugby series, The Cage last weekend at their school’s grounds. The Leos crossed the line 10 times with Tonny Owuor ringing home 4 tries with Fly half and Vice-captain Humphrey Owuor put 5 conversions through. The Leos will play Kibras RFC in the next game to be played in Kakamega this weekend.

Daystar’s Yung Nnoiz in concert Dr. Serah-Kaggia-right-explain a point to the board chair Prof Ngassapa, third left. Looking on from left is Dr. Thuo Prof. Magoha and-Prof Imbuga.

load in the teaching hospitals.

The purpose is to ascertain whether the University complies with the developed

regional guidelines that were approved by the Ministers of health from the East African Community.

Kisii University branches closed

Daystar University’s Daniel Chikwaza, aka Yung Nnoiz is set to perform this Saturday at the Safaricom’s Michael Joseph Center.

Daniel, the winner of the second edition of Samsung Ziki Stars, will be featuring and hosting 45: Revealed Overflow, a gig crafted to have a full live hip hop band. Also set to perform is Billy Nasarthe, the Poet.

UoN students new lecture friendly app

A team of students from the University of Nairobi’s Mechanical and Manufacturing department have developed a computer driven application that is friendly to both the lecturer and the student.

The app dubbed ‘The Student’ is a socio-education platform for both to interact. The platform seeks to epitomize knowledge and ability of the students by providing

Ten out of thirteen Kisii Universities have been ordered to shut down their business by the Commission for University Education (CUE). The Universities mainly located in Nyanza and Rift valley regions have just 90 days to wind up and relocated students.

The ten fell below expected threshold of being a university after an inspection by the commission which submitted a report to Education CS Fred Matiangi. Laikipia University’s campus in Nyahururu is also facing closure and inspection is ongoing on other parts of the country including Central, Eastern and the Coat Region.

access to lectures’ class notes, books and past papers.

Users can also get the latest school news updates and important information such as scholarships and internship opportunities from the notices section.

hot date

HOW STRONG IS YOUR Chefs Delight

GAlA AWARDS Kenya

T

he Chef Delight Awards presents an awarding ceremony where winners of the Chefs delight and Bar and Mixology awards 2015 (Audited and researched by leading global auditing and research companies) will be crowned. This event will provide a space for the participants to showcase their establishment and an array of their menu selections will be on display.

Tomorrow (Friday) from 6pm.

PASSWORD?

Y

ou must have noticed that most old sites have been prompting their users to update their passwords to a stronger version because lets face it, some of us are just lazy, in coming up with sensible passwords. You now might get more password update commands after security applications and services company, Splash Data, this week released a list of the top worst passwords of 2015 and the finalists are as terrible as it gets.

‘123456’ is the type of password a toddler would come up with but this was the most popular of all the terrible passwords of 2015.

Taking up the second spot was the word ‘password’ probably due to its obvious appeal to memory,

followed by ‘12345678.’

Coming in at fourth position was the word ‘qwerty’ while ‘12345’ and ‘123456789’ clinched the fifth and sixth positions. ‘1234’ was the seventh used bad password while ‘football’ took the eighth position. At ninth position was ‘1234567’ while the word ‘baseball’ closed off the top ten section of the list.

Unlike most top 10 compilations, you have nothing to be proud of if your password is among the ones mentioned, keeping in mind the vulnerability of digital devices to smart hackers in this tech age, you need to immediately go online, get creative and create a more secure and sensible password for your privacy’s sake.

11

ACCESS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016

FASHIONscoop

Fashion must haves

anklet: Brightens up the idle day at home or at the beach.

DiamonD stuDs: Diamonds are a girl’s best friends!

Designer watCh: Because what a man can do, a woman can do better.

statement earrings: For when you need to bring out the boss in you.

header aba Pearl neCklaCe: To accessorize that cleavage.

every woman should own The world of fashion is a diverse one, ranging from clothes, hair, and fragrances to accessories. Of all the components, jewelry stands out because it will never go out of fashion, especially for the stylish woman. If you are one of those then you recognize the somehow naked feeling when you go without at least one piece of jewelry to compliment an outfit. That said, here are the six must have timeless jewelry pieces that every woman should by all means possible, own.

Charm braCelet: To enhance your femininity.

@mercy_x254

TOP

Glenn Frey

stars we have lost in 2016 After Bowie’s death, the rock music world suffered yet another blow after Glenn, one of the founding members of the band ‘The Eagles’ passed away at the age of 67 on January 16 due to intestinal and pneumonia complications.

The music legend who was famous for his movie and fashion roles died on the 10th of January just two days after his 69th birthday with reports of having been undergoing a secret 18 month battle with cancer.

header david bowie dbd

January 14 was a sad day at Hogwarts when Alan Rickman AKA Professor Severus Snape from Harry Potter took his last breath after a long battle with cancer. Alan died at the age of 69 and despite portraying a villain character on screen; he was sweet in real life.

alan rickman

CLASSIFIED

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016

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commercial courses English languagE hotEl and catEring ManagEMEnt l food & bEvEragE Production l Pastry & baKing l accounting and auditing l coMPutEr EnginEEring l EntrEPrEnEurshiP and industrial ManagEMEnt l salEsManshiP l booK-KEEPing and accountancy l huMan rEsourcE ManagEMEnt l ProcurEMEnt and logistics l businEss adMinistration l storE ManagEMEnt l Public rElations l Early childhood dEvEloPMEnt Education (EcdE) l dschool World lEarning gaMEs (juMP start E-lEarning) l l

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WEATHERFORECAST

DAILYHOROSCOPES CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan19 That’s all right, but you may want to take a look at your financial situation even if that’s not really your thing. You tend to resent having to deal with these lowly material questions, but if you don’t, you could severely restrict your freedom to live life to its fullest. Be reasonable about things.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18 Today is a good day to take chances, Aquarius. You may be quite successful if you’re ready to defend the things you really care about. Pretend that you’re the director of a film and that you’ve just met a potential producer for your movie. You just happen to have your script in hand.

THURSday 21/1/2016

sunny

24

24ºC 68%

FRIday 22/1/2016

More sun than clouds

25 6:38 am 6:49 pm

25ºC 55%

6:39 am 6:50 pm

SATURday

26

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 How are you going to go about expressing this rich creativity that abounds inside of you? If your environment doesn’t allow you to express this creativity, change environments and try to make a new reality for yourself. This is the only way you’ll be able to use this incredible energy productively.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 19 Try and pretend that you’re with your banker and describing your situation as objectively as possible, without overestimating what you bring in or underestimating what you spend. You won’t regret this process, since it could prevent you from making some big mistakes later on.

Sudoku

12

TAURUS Apr 20 - May 20 Today you’ll discover that all that worrying was for nothing. The reality you’ve been trying to run away from lately will be right before your eyes and you’ll see that it isn’t so bad after all. You’ll be rewarded for all your hard work, as if life were trying to give you a lesson about being optimistic.

GEMINI May 21 - Jun 21 Today you could feel like putting your friendships in some kind of order and getting a bit of perspective on things. It’s time to figure which of your friends are really there for you when you need them, which of them show you how much they care about you, and which ones do not.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 21 You can’t help it. That great project you’ve been thinking about for a while is just beginning to take shape. Today you may find some of the materials you needed to really get things going! A financial gift or the gift of someone’s time? Someone’s generosity could really make your day!

LEO Jul 23- Aug 22 You want to be able to understand everything from the simplest to the most complicated. Nothing could get in the way of your thirst for knowledge. So get a good supply of books about the things you would like to learn about and try and meet some new people.

VIRGO Aug 23-Sep 21 This is one of the great dilemmas facing a lot of people these days. It’s as if you have to hide your real personality in order to live up to what other people expect of you. Some advice for today: don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re only human.

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22 Don’t keep these feelings inside or they’ll eat away at you, Libra. Take advantage of your day today to put all your cards on the table and forget about revenge, because it could just turn against you.

Instead, why don’t you try to reach out to that person and explain your feelings to him or her?

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21 And why not, if this allows you to get the perspective you need on things? Use this period in your life to give things their real value and to see where certain people actually fit into your world. You’re a very lucky person to be able to find this kind of balance in your life.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 Take advantage of your day today to tell your partner exactly what you expect from him or her and to share some of your worries. You’re someone who is lucky enough to know what you want, but it isn’t always easy for you to tell other people what that is. Be strong.

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

KENYAN HITS! Dumbala Remix Msaidizi Fundamentals Mungu Baba Uwepo Wako Milele Dongo Dongo Ulibeba Sobei Cheiso Worship You Sambaza Defender Tosheka Kereka Ningwendete Queen Ahuirania Ti Mundu Ndirakurekie

KENRAZY Visita, Madtraxx, DNA & Jay A

GLORIA MULIRO KEN WAMARIA RUFFTONE & GSU MERCYLINAH MARION SHAKO GERALDINE ODUOR EUNICE NJERI EMMY KOSGEI BMF FT MERCY WAIREGI ALICE KAMANDE DADDY OWEN MOG DK KWENYE BEAT JOAN WAIRIMU LOISE KIM N.D GITHUKA BETTY BAYO & MR SEED SIMON

KEN4 GM4 KT4 RUFF4 LIN4 SHA4 GER4 EN4 KOS4 BMF4 KAM4 DAD4 MOG4 DK4 VAN4 LK4 GAK4 BET4 SIM4

Kinyukia Kahora

JOAN WAIRIMU

VAN4

Barua Muganga Nipe Nafasi Glory to Glory Nanena Adonai Zawadi Sitalia Tena Bongo Lala Sitalia Tena Hatarudi Nyuma Mapenzi Solo Penzi Langu Matokeo Born Again Lingala Ya Yesu Fanya Kitendo Muziki Ni Dawa Makeke Kitanzi Miss Hizo Naona Mbali Nime Wasamehe Hakuna Silaha

Ex: HC4 to 22333

BAHATI DJ LAPOZE JEMMO & DENNO BEN GITHAE HADASSAH PAUL EMMA OMONGE MASSMASILYA LAURENT MUGISHO MR. BISCUIT SIMON KIDUM & JULIANI KIDUM NGANGALITO KIDIS GLORIA MULIRO EKO DYDDA PITSON BEN GITHAE RINGTONE JIMMY GAIT GLORIA M & WILLY P ALA C DENNO SOLOMON MUKUBWA SARAH KIARIE

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13

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016

CROSSWORD Across 1. Address pts.

5. Popular Volkswagen 10. Thong-like sandal with a straw sole 14. Ginger Spice’s real first name 15. English philosopher William of ____ 16. Yoko and namesakes 17. Sydney sight 19. Ark. neighbor 20. Motel chain since 1970 21. In a sufficient way 22. Gullets 26. Long work of fiction 30. Coldest time, often 34. On ___ (having good luck) 35. Harvard rival 36. Derisive laugh 37. Gait of a horse 39. Hebrew speaker 42. Internet shorthand for “I’m leaving” 43. Tomato type 47. Chief port of Italy 48. School catalogs, of sorts 51. Singer Stefani et al.

52. Laundry needs, once 54. Massage 57. ___ Heights (NJ borough) 62. Playing piece 63. Taught by repetition 66. Make ____ dash 67. Make more lean

68. O. Henry’s “The ____ of the Magi” 69. TV’s warrior princess 70. They each equal one-sixth of a drachma 71. Being aired, as a sitcom Down 1. “There is ____!”

2. Rap’s Salt-n-____ 3. Deuce taker 4. Knighted ones 5. ___ Hopkins 6. Airline seating class 7. Home of the Horned Frogs, briefly 8. Profs’ help 9. With “mad,” a lady in Lyons 10. Adjust the lens, maybe 11. Like a pvt. washing dishes 12. Bakery product 13. Stereotypical British interjection 18. Danny _____ (actor) 21. Form 1040 calc.

23. Entertainer Zadora 24. The “good” cholesterol 25. Inspires wonder 26. Fault-finding 27. Talk from the soapbox 28. Largest river of Europe 29. Pipe bend 31. Yours, once 32. “Goldfinger” actress Shirley 33. Flightless South American birds 38. They aren’t amateurs

40. Thing spun by a spider 41. Copy a cat 44. “—— la la!”

45. Shopping ctr.

46. Like always 49. Congo neighbor 50. “Thriller” follower 53. Karate acquisitions 54. 2001 Spacey film 55. Christen 56. McGregor of the “Star Wars” films 58. Kind of tropical palm 59. Words after pack or rub 60. Dexterous 61. Ron Howard media satire 63. Wedding words 64. Great Plains st.

65. Corp. V.I.P.

Yesterday’s answers

YOURSAY Uhuru must join families to mourn fallen soldiers It has now been close to a week since the horrific ambush of Kenya Defence soldiers at El Adde base in Somalia Gedo region.

Many Kenyans continue to question President Uhuru Kenyatta’s conspicuous absence at Wilson Airport to receive the bodies of the slain soldiers as witnessed in other countries.

However, of more concerns to many is the President’s ‘working’ tour at the Kenyan coast.

Personally, I cannot understand nor contemplate of the President insistence that he is ‘working’ for Kenyans as others mourn.

President Uhuru should immediately cancel his ‘working’ tours and refrain from any other job to join the bereaved Kenyans in mourning.

In Abagusii culture, where I come from, they say that you should and can’t go ploughing land or work when a neighbour has been bereaved. Simply because you will seem to be ignorant of the suffering of your neighbour.

I feel like the President has abandoned our slain heroes and he seems to be oblivious of the pain of those suffering.

His actions has spoken louder than words. His yesterday’s speech makes no sense at least to me as it is the case to many Kenyans.

In other countries, the President would have been the one receiving the slain soldiers.

He should have been the one receiving the surviving soldiers.

As the commander in chief of the armed forces, he should have even went to the scene where the massacre occurred. A commander who sit tight and pretty when his junior officers are being wiped out is either not fit to be a commander or is ignorant of the situation.

May God comfort those affected.

— Mageka, Utawala

No smooth ride for new EACC commissioners Newly appointed Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) commissioners should report to office in cognition of the robust duties awaiting them.

The tale of the anti-graft body since it was first established in 1997 has been marked with greed, dirty politics and vested interests.

All previous commissioners were somehow forced to leave office under unclear circumstances. Some of them like the immediate former chairman Mumo Matemu left in ignominy where the president had set up a commission of inquiry to investigate his conduct.

This should serve as a warning to the new commissioners that it won’t be a walk in the park at the Integrity Centre.

Corruption, as often said, fights back and the team must be prepared for a tough war with people who stand to lose if corruption is effectively tackled.

Like Chief Justice Willy Mutunga said, we are living in a bandit economy where cartels rule and fight whoever stands on their path.

The commissioners must also understand that there is little or no political and societal will to tame graft in the country and as such they should expect no support. They are

soldiers commanding their own battle front.

They should be ready to deal with the ghost of Eurobond, the famous ‘chicken scandal’, numerous National Youth Service (NYS) saga and any other emerging scandals.

Notably they understand they are assuming office amid sagging public trust given the inability of EACC to go after the big fish in corruption scandals that have bedeviled the country in the recent past.

The Kenyan populace expects them to unravel the mystery of corruption that has robbed our economy for so long.

— Nderitu, Makongeni

Change of guard at NYS ray of hope for youths The change of guard at the National Youth Service (NYS) is commendable, bearing in mind that the much-needed transformations that were intended during its revamp

by President Uhuru Kenyatta when he assumed office.

President Kenyatta wanted the NYS to be a source of job for millions of jobless youths, but it later turned out to be a den of robbers, robbing not only money, but also the integrity of the institution.

NYS has been marred with

corruption allegations where over Sh900 million were recently lost, leading to the suspension of top officials.

Latest revelations indicate that the young men and women who were engaged in the famous youth empowerment drive are owed close to Sh900 million. The money deducted from their daily wages, which is supposed to help set up a savings and credit organisation has not been released neither the organisation established.

The newly-appointed Director General, Richard Ndubai must set heads rolling to clean up the mess and of at most importance pay the youths their unpaid dues.

He should be ready to weed out corruption and streamline the tendering processes where if not he will find himself cornered like his predecessors.

He must make sure the dream and hopes of many have been realised.

— Nderitu, Kawangware

NCA must reign in on rogue city contractors The National Construction Authority (NCA) move to supervise buildings and raise alarm over the increasing number of substandard housing facilities deemed unfit for human habitation in Nairobi is long overdue.

The revelation that close to 5,000 houses within Nairobi County used for both commercial and residential purposes do not meet the set standards is shocking. More sites under construction have been identified to have contravened the Authority’s regulations.

The authority deserves praise for directing the owners and contractors of the buildings to comply with the regulations or have them

brought down.

Failure by contractors to consider the regulations have led to the recent incidents of buildings under construction collapsing and killing people.

If not checked contractors will continue to do shoddy jobs that just sets up potential death traps, with more devastating consequences, once these buildings are occupied.

NCA should continuously monitor, supervise and enforce building regulations which is absolutely essential for the safety of occupants — Kamotho, Kamkunji

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

14

SPORT THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016

SPORTS BRIEFS UK drugs boss wants to meet Wenger The chief of UK Anti-Doping would “value the opportunity” to talk to Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger about his comments on doping in football. Wenger spoke out on the topic last year, saying he believed football was not immune to doping issues. In an interview with the BBC, Nicole Sapstead also revealed Ukad was looking at helping Russia’s anti-doping agency to run testing programmes. The move comes in the wake of last year’s doping scandal in athletics.

Russia is currently banned from all athletics competitions following accusations of widespread doping. Wenger, the longestserving manager in the Premier League, has long been an advocate of advances in drug testing in football. In November, the Frenchman criticised Uefa’s drug regulations after Dinamo Zagreb’s Arijan Ademi was banned for four years for failing a test following his side’s Champions League win over Arsenal in September.

KCB plot Pipeline’s downfall The last time Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) women’s Volleyball club won the Africa Club championship was in the 2006, the same year five times winners, Kenya Prisons was formed. Since then, Prisons have gone ahead to win five of Kenya’s 13 titles including a record seven by Kenya Pipeline.

Despite the negative history tightly stuffed on their back, Vernon Khainga KCB tactician who took over the club in 2012 believe that time has come for the once Africa Volleyball powerhouse to reclaim their lost glory.

“When you’ve trained, anything is possible,” said Khainga after one of his training at the Railways Club Ground.

While it may take some time before KCB get back their horns to gore opponents like they used to do, Khainga who beat Prisons at the

National playoffs last year, their first in so many years has turned his eyes on Pipeline before he can start thinking of winning the league and club championship.

“We achieved most of our target last season which included beating Kenya Prisons. This year the target moves to Kenya Pipeline,” he said as he look back to a rather successful season that saw them qualify for five of seven local tournaments, stunning Prisons at the playoffs and finish third in the national league.

This year’s continental championship will be held in Nairobi between April 20 and 30.

‘This year we must inflict a painful defeat to Pipeline, even if it’s at the club championship or the league,” he emphasised.

To do this, Khainga must strengthen his squad, especially his centre-blocks and to realise his

objective, Khainga is currently scouting two centre-blockers to replace Jackline Baraza who is yet to get a release from work. Baraza is a Kenya Defence Forces and chances are she will not be released (in time) to take part in the league.

The coach got a boost with the return of Pauline Nyongesa who is back from maternity.

Nyongesa, who is on loan from Prisons will add depth on the left which also has Valentine Jepkoech and Valentine Awuor, a former National Talent Academy player.

Khainga who is yet to name his final 18 member squad will also be banking his hopes on another Talent Academy graduate Dorine Marani who is expected to fill the void left by Naomi Too who has since moved to Pipeline.

Konta in Austrlia Open third round after win British number one Jo Konta went through to the third round of the Australian Open with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Saisai Zheng, the world No 83. Having made the fourth round of the US Open in September the 24-yearold now has one match off replicating that in what is the first time she has ever played in the main draw at Melbourne Park. Konta will now face Denise Allertova, the world No 66 from the Czech Republic, who upset former Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki 6-3, 2-6, 6-4. Allertova outpointed Konta in an epic first round at the French Open last year that featured a tiebreak which the Czech won. While China has made little headway in men’s tennis Zheng is typical of the efficient baseliners now reaching the higher levels of the women’s game in the wake of now retired superstar Li Na. In contrast to her first round against Venus Williams, the Eastbournebased player found herself exiled to outer court No 8, rather than the high profile of the Rod Laver Arena.

Spurs beat Leicester in FA to go through Son Heung-min scored a stunning goal and set up another as Tottenham booked their place in the FA Cup fourth round at the expense of Leicester. With both sides flying high in the Premier League, it promised to be a closely fought replay after the sides drew the first match. But Spurs were barely troubled and took the lead in the 39th minute when Son’s 18-yard strike beat Kasper Schmeichel. Nacer Chadli made it 2-0 when he converted Son’s precise through-ball. The north London side travel to League One strugglers Colchester United in the fourth round. Meanwhile, Liverpool set up a fourth-round FA Cup tie against West Ham as they easily saw off League Two Exeter at Anfield. It was one-way traffic as the hosts dominated, monopolising possession and their pace was too much for Exeter. Joe Allen put the Reds ahead, sweeping home from close range after good work by Brad Smith and Christian Benteke. Sheyi Ojo, put through by Jordon Ibe, brilliantly curled in beyond Robert Olejnik, while Joao Teixeira sealed the victory with a calm finish.

Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) women’s volleyball team pose for a group photo. The team currently headed by Vernon Khainga has vowed to get back to the top, but will have to face big guns such as Prisons and Pipeline.

India collapse to hand Australia whitewash hopes

Australian cricket players celebrate after a remarkable fightback that saw them beat India the fourth one-day international in Canberra.

India lost nine wickets for 46 runs as Australia staged a remarkable fightback to win the fourth oneday international in Canberra.

India were cruising to their target of 349 - and the highest successful run-chase in Australia - as both Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli made hundreds.

But India collapsed from 277-1 to 323 all out as Australia pace bowler Kane Richardson took 5-68.

Aaron Finch made 107 and David Warner 93 in Australia’s 348-8.

The home side had already sealed the five-match series and now lead 4-0, targeting a whitewash in Saturday’s final match in Sydney.

The World Cup holders have also

now won 18 consecutive ODIs on home soil.

That run was in severe peril at the Manuka Oval as Kohli and Dhawan added 212 for the second wicket, with Kohli, 27, compiling a 25th one-day hundred to go joint-fourth on the all-time list.

But after Dhawan cut John Hastings to point, India imploded.

Captain MS Dhoni edged Hastings behind for a secondball duck and, when Kohli lobbed Richardson to mid-off, India had lost three wickets for one run.

Of the rest, only Ravi Jadeja made double figures, with Richardson and Mitchell Marsh running through the tail.

SPORT 15 THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016

Rwanda players celebrate a goal against Gabon during the ongoing 2016 CHAN football match in Kigali, Rwanda. They won 2-1 to book a quarter-final berth.

Host Rwanda beat Gabon to reach CHAN quarters Hosts Rwanda earned a place in the quarter-finals of the 2016 African Nations Championship with a 2-1 win over Gabon in Kigali as Ivory Coast secured their first points of the campaign with a 1-0 win over Morocco.

Ernest Sugira scored both of Rwanda’s goals in an eventful game, whilst Yannick Zakri Krahire proved to be Ivory Coast’s match-winner from the penalty spot.

Rwanda went top of Group A with a maximum six points as Ivory Coast moved up to second, three points adrift.

Rwanda, coached by Johnny Mckinstry, took the lead against Gabon shortly before half-time through Ernest Sugira.

He then grabbed a second moments after the break, firing a superb shot into the top

corner from an angle.

Aaron Boupendza pulled one back for the Panthers, heading home in the 53rd minute.

Gabon’s hopes of finding an equaliser were dented just four minutes later when Tchen Kabi was sent off for a second yellow card after he fouled Dominique Nshuti.

Despite being a man down, Gabon pushed for an equaliser and hit the woodwork shortly before the end of the match and then also squandered a good chance in injury time.

Rwanda held on to become the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals at the tournament for locally-based players who play in their own domestic leagues.

The second Group A fixture in Kigali

proved to be much tighter, with Ivory Coast sealing the win over Morocco with a solitary goal on the stroke of half-time.

After both sides missed opportunities early in the first half, it was Ivory Coast who took the decisive lead.

Yannick Zakri Krahire scored from the penalty-spot to earn Ivory Coast the win and boost their campaign.

The victory brought them their first points of the 2016 tournament, afterthey lost 1-0 to Rwanda in their opening match.

Morocco fell to the foot of the table, having already drawn 0-0 with Gabon in their Group A opener.

The final Group A matches are on Sunday, with Rwanda playing Morocco while Ivory Coast play Gabon at the same time.

Barcelona ease past Bilbao in Copa del Rey first leg quarter-final match Barcelona claimed the initiative in their Copa del Rey quarter-final tie with Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday after a 2-1 victory at the San Mames in the first leg.

Munir El Haddadi and Neymar gave the visitors a comfortable lead in the first half, but Aritz Aduriz’s late strike means Athletic head into next week’s second leg with just a one-goal deficit to make up.

The hosts made a bright start, but it was Neymar who forced the first save, with Iago Herrerin tipping away the Brazilian’s effort after 15 minutes.

Barca then put the ball in the back of the net a few minutes later. Munir turned home Ivan Rakitic’s perfect low cross after good work from Arda Turan.

Some calamitous Athletic defending then gifted Neymar the second goal in the 24th minute.

Herrerin came out fast to attempt to clear but bungled his tackle on the 23-yearold, leaving the goalmouth open and his hapless defenders diving in despairingly as Neymar rolled home a composed finish.

The second half was a much tighter affair, Herrerin redeeming himself somewhat with a save from Munir’s effort.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen was then called into action from Sabin Merino’s header, and the German impressively kept the score at 2-0 as the clock ticked on.

However, there was to be a final twist as Dani Alves got caught in possession dribbling out from the back. He gifted the ball back to Athletic, and Aduriz turned home a cut-back to half the deficit with a minute remaining.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016 | www.254.co

hosts Rwanda advance to chan quaRteRs with win oveR gabon

p15

Manchester United striker Martial celebrates a premier league goal. Professional firm Deloitte has tipped Manchester to overtake Barcelona and Real Madrid as football’s biggest earners in the next 12 months.

United tipped for biggest earnings Manchester United are expected to become world football’s biggest earners in the next 12 months.

Spanish giants Real Madrid have topped Deloitte’s Football Money League for the 11th consecutive year, generating 577m euro (£439m) in 2014-15.

Champions League winners Barcelona are second with 560.8m euro (£426.6m), with United third on 519.5m euro (£395.2m).

But Deloitte said there was a “strong possibility” United would overtake the La Liga sides in next year’s edition.

The professional services firm’s sports business group produce an annual table of the clubs with the highest revenues.

The combined revenue for the top 20 clubs in the table rose by 8% from last year to 6.6bn euro, a new record.

Manchester United slipped from second to third in the table following a year-on-year drop in revenue, but Deloitte said the Premier League club’s “strong commercial growth” and “ability to agree impressive new sponsorship deals” such as the £75m-a-year Adidas kit agreement, compensated for a lack of European football last season.

United’s position “emphasised the strength of their business model”, added Deloitte and with the new £5.1bn television rights deal starting from 2016-17 season, Real Madrid would come “under increasing

pressure” next season and in future years. The wealth of the Premier League - mainly due to strong broadcasting deals - means 17 Premier League clubs feature in the top 30, with West Ham making the top 20 for the first time since 200506, with revenues of 160.9m euro (£122.4m).

Manchester United topped the first Deloitte Football Money League in 1998, with an overall revenue of £87.9m. The report’s author, Deloitte partner Dan Jones, was part of the team that compiled that table 18 years ago, and recalls being asked then whether football’s financial model was sustainable.

“I still think this is a growth market,”

he said. “If anything, there will be a small acceleration of growth in the next few years. It might level off a little bit, but that is what it will be rather than any sort of decline.”

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Bayern Munich have been a constant presence in the top five since 2008, while runaway French league leaders Paris St-Germain have been in the top five for the past three years.

Bayern slipped two places to fourth this year, while the Premier League’s bigger clubs pack the next level.

Manchester City remain in sixth place, while Arsenal moved above Chelsea into seventh and Liverpool sit ninth.

Champions League runners-up and

Serie A winners Juventus complete the top 10. AC Milan were regulars in the top five in the early years of the report, taking third position in three successive years from 2003 to 2005.

However, the Italian club dropped out of the top 10 two years ago and slipped two further places to 14th this year.

Germany’s Borrusia Dortmund is ranked at eleventh place followed by Tottenham Hospur and Schalke 04 at thirteenth place.

Atletico Madrid are 15th followed by AS Roma and Newcastle at number 17. Everton, ranked 20th last year has moved two places up to 18th while Inter Milan has dropped a further two into position 19.

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