The Nation (Kenya) articles from August 2008, page 3

The Nation (Kenya) archives from August 2008

Elders Hold Peace Talks to End Post-Poll Enmity.
August 27, 2008... A series of peace talks between members of various communities affected by post-election violence are being held in Kaptembwo through the support of the UN Development Programme. The coordinator of the district UN volunteer programme, Dr...

Makongeni Residents Get Tough Conditions to Stay.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Casper Waithaka Residents of Nairobi's Makongeni estate will have to pay two months' rent in advance and clear arrears for the months of July and August before September 2, this year. These are just some of the measures that...

Sugar Import Rules to Be Gazetted.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Abdulsamad Ali And Anthony Kitimo No sugar imports will be allowed into the country until new regulations are gazetted, the Government said on Wednesday. Importers have opposed the rules, which are meant to conform to the...

Murder Suspect's Freedom Dash Flops.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Richard Munguti It was high noon drama at the Nairobi law courts on Wednesday when one of the people charged with murdering former Embakasi MP Melitus Mugabe Were attempted to escape from a courtroom. The suspect was being...

Report Names Leaders Who Planned Polls Violence.
August 27, 2008... Details of how Cabinet ministers, among others, planned and promoted post-election violence can now be revealed. This follows a legal ruling by the Waki Commission into the mayhem that followed last year's General Election. It states...

Unep Report Says Fuel Subsidies Benefit Rich.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Peter Mwai Governments have been urged to stop offering fuel subsidies in order to help reduce emission of greenhouse gases. According to a United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) report released on Tuesday, scrapping of...

How Election Violence Was Financed.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Nation Reporter The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights report tabled at the Waki inquiry accuses ministers, assistant ministers and MPs of planning, inciting and financing the post-election violence. The following are...

Surgeons Sew Up Hole in Baby's Heart.
August 27, 2008... Byline: John Ngirachu Looking at little Samara Ngugi in her cot in the children's ward at Karen Hospital, one would not tell that the lovely girl was suffering from one of the rarest heart conditions. The 12-week-old quietly sucks on...

Courts to Adopt E-Banking in Graft War.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Githua Kihara And Eunice Machuhi The Judiciary in Kenya is poised to embrace IT in streamlining financial administration at the courts when a suitable financial institution that can jointly implement an e-banking facility is...

Nine Plans Approved to Help Increase Forest Cover.
August 27, 2008... The Government has approved nine participatory forest management plans in an effort to increase forest cover from 1.8 per cent to 10 per cent. The plans have been prepared by various communities neighbouring major forests that have been...

Former CEO Arraigned For Insider Trading.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Caroline Rwenji Former chief executive of Kenya Commercial Bank Terrence Davidson was on Wednesday arraigned in court on charges of insider trading. Mr Davidson denied the charges when he appeared before senior principal...

Sh3.7 Billion Set Aside to Upgrade Roads.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Mathias Ringa President Kibaki has said the Government had earmarked Sh3.7 billion for the improvement of roads in Coast Province to spur growth in the tourism industry. The Head of State said the Mariakani-Kilifi road was...

Teachers' 210 Percent Pay Raise Demand Rejected.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Muchiri Karanja And Peter Ngare The Government has rejected a 210 per cent pay raise demanded by teachers in public schools, the Nation has learnt. If it had been accepted, the increment would have cost the taxpayer Sh144...

Crucial File On Hotel Missing.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Muchemi Wachira A file containing documents of a company that surrendered Grand Regency Hotel before it was sold to a Libyan investor has gone missing, the Cockar Commission was told on Wednesday. So, names of directors of...

Kalonzo - Presidential Bid Caused Poll Chaos.
August 27, 2008... Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has said his candidature for presidency might have fuelled the chaos that rocked the country after the 2007 General Election. Addressing a parliamentary meeting at Windsor Hotel in Nairobi, he said the...

Climate Change a Threat to MDGs, Warn Experts.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Dave Opiyo Developing countries may not achieve their Millennium Development Goals targets by 2015 unless they address climate change concerns, experts have warned. And they are now telling these countries to urgently devise...

In Refusing to Sign Document, the Judiciary is Ill-Advised.
August 27, 2008... Byline: O J H Oswago Stable tenure and immunity must be relative, not inviolable, otherwise judicial immunity quickly equals judicial impunity, exercised not only in preserving its territory, but, in promoting ideological partiality. ...

Paralympics Team Leaves for Beijing.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Richard Mwangi The Kenya Paralympics squad leaves for Beijing on Thursday. The Beijing Paralympics will be held from September 6 to 17. The overall team coach, James Voga, said the athletes were ready for the big challenge....

Chairman Disowns Letter On Sugar Shortage.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Joseph Bonyo The chairman of the Kenya Sugar Board has disowned a letter warning about an impending sugar shortage in the country. The letter was allegedly addressed to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture...

Judges Must Embrace Probity.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Donald Mogenia NO PUBLIC INSTITUTION, OR even private institution dealing with the public, is exempt from accountability. Hence, the Judiciary must also be accountable. Freedom from political and external interference is a...

Ngigi, Indiza Lead Mumias International.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Larry Ngala Limuru Country Club's James Ngigi got off to a flying start in hunt for his first victory this season when he fired one under par at the tough playing Nyali Golf and Country Club Mombasa. He shared the first round...

Kamusinga Whip Uganda's City High in Kigali.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Nation Correspondents Friends School Kamusinga beat Uganda's City High School 7-0 in a one sided hockey match that attracted a big crowd in the on-going East and Central African schools games in Kigali. Kamusinga are likely...

Gor Mahia Goalkeeper to Miss Stars Tie.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Chris Musumba Harambee Stars coach Francis Kimanzi will have to do without goalkeeper Jackton Odhiambo, who has been recruited by the Armed Forces. Odhiambo, formerly of Gor Mahia, will now join Ulinzi Stars after enlisting...

Keroche Settles Stamps Row With Taxman.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Philip Wahome Keroche Breweries Limited seems to have finally settled its dispute with the Kenya Revenue Authority after the brewer managed to secure excise tax stamps for its alcoholic drinks operation. In a press statement...

Tourism - More Than Money is Required.
August 27, 2008... President Kibaki was spot-on when he pledged that the Government will provide more funds for tourism marketing. Unlike in the past, the tourism budget was slashed, and a mere Sh400 million earmarked for the purpose when more than Sh1...

Why American Politics is As African As It Gets.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Charles Onyango-Obbo OF ALL THE INDUSTRIALised democracies, the one whose politics could be most recognisable to Africans right now is the USA -- and Italy, some might argue. In the run-up, and in the first two days of the...

Agricultural Firms Facing Tough Times.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Joseph Bonyo Fortunes in the agricultural sector look headed for a lean period, at least going by the financial results being released by listed companies. A release by Kakuzi Limited shows that the agricultural-based...

Top Stars Fail to Arrive With Rest of the Squad.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Peter Ng'etich The last batch of Kenya's athletes who did duty for the country at the Beijing Olympics arrived home Wednesday night to a raptous welcome. Thousands of family members and the general public turned up at Jomo...

Red Carpet Welcome for Beijing Squad.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Chris Musumba The triumphant national team to the Beijing Olympic Games received a fitting reception at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Wednesday. Government dignitaries led by Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and the...

Chager Out to Defend Lead in Nanyuki.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Chris Musumba The Kenya Commercial Bank Easy Pay Loan Rally in Nanyuki this weekend promises to be a bruising three-way battle. Challenger Baldev Chager predicts a tough battle with Kenya National Rally Championship series...

Oil From Sudan Next Month.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Mugambi Kaburu Kenya could start importing low-priced crude oil from Sudan as early as next month. Further to a memorandum of understanding signed by the two countries in Khartoum last week, top National Oil Corporation of...

Obama Jets in to Accept Nomination At Massive Stadium Rally.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Samuel Siringi It is Obama's Day. Mountainous United States city Denver was yesterday preparing for one of its biggest ever public rallies as Presumptive presidential candidate Barack Obama jetted in to accept nomination as the...

Help Cement Producers.
August 27, 2008... The economy has in the past five years registered impressive growth. This has translated into surging consumer demand and, inevitably, demand-push inflation. Nowhere has this phenomenon manifested itself more than in the construction...

Mugabe Set to Form Cabinet.
August 27, 2008... Byline: Kitsepile Nyathi and Agencies Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe will form a new government soon but he says the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) does not want to join the new administration, state media reported...

Foes Attack Obama Over Brother.
August 26, 2008... Byline: Kevin J Kelley, with Philip Mwaniki in Nairobi Fringe foes of Barack Obama are again turning to Kenya in what appears to be increasingly desperate attempts to discredit the Democratic Party's presidential candidate. The...

Obama Would Help Continent, Says Conyers.
August 26, 2008... Byline: Kevin J Kelley A Democratic Party fringe meeting in Denver yesterday considered the question of whether having an American president with family in Africa will affect US policy toward Africa, particularly in regard to the Aids...

Kitale Council Faces Audit.
August 26, 2008... Byline: George Omonso TransNzoia leaders have welcomed Deputy Prime Minister's Musalia Mudavadi decision to send inspectors to Kitale municipal council. The leaders led by Democratic Party chairman Mr Joseph Njoroge, Mr Boniface...

Continent Urged On Self-Reliance.
August 26, 2008... Byline: Lucas Barasa A conference on climate change has started in Nairobi with calls on African countries to stop relying on development aid. Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang'ula has said research has shown no country has...

Political Parties Ordered to Give Evidence on Post-Election Violence.
August 26, 2008... Byline: Oliver Mathenge Two political parties have until Wednesday afternoon to give evidence to the Commission of Inquiry into Post-Election Violence. The parties- Party of National Unity (PNU) and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) -...

Breakthrough as Cure Found for Deadly TB.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Gatonye Gathura A tuberculosis strain initially thought to be untreatable because it was resistant to most drugs has now been conquered. But the cost of conquering the extra-drug resistant (XDR) TB strain, which appeared...

Riots Over Nairobi Evictions.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Casper Waithaka Nairobi's Makongeni residents have began paying rent arrears owed to the Kenya Railways Corporation after waging day-long battles against riot police in attempts to resist eviction. However, a number of...

Man Shot in City Eviction.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Casper Waithaka And Benjamin Muindi A man was shot when police and youths clashed in Nairobi's Makongeni Estate Monday when rent defaulters were being evicted after a 24-hour notice to vacate the houses expired. The clash...

KACC On the Spot Over PM's Queries.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Muchemi Wachira The Kenya Anti-Corruption Authority did not answer comprehensively questions posed by Prime Minister Raila Odinga regarding the controversial sale of the Grand Regency Hotel, the Cockar commission was told on...

Knut in Strike Threat After Row Over Teachers' Pay Rise.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Peter Ngare Teachers Monday threatened to go on strike over what they described as the Government's insincerity in the ongoing pay negotiations. The Kenya National Union of Teachers also said its members will only sign the...

Cash-Strapped Towns Set Eyes On Fund.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Samwel Kumba And Alphonce Shiundu The City Council is among worst performing local authorities, requiring more than Sh30 million to help offset its debts, according to a financial report released on Monday. Mombasa Council...

Man Shot As Police Raid Gang's Den.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Kennedy Masibo And Michael Mugwang'a Police shot dead a man at a gangsters' hideout in Nakuru. Area head of police Daniel Kimeu said another suspect was arrested in Kiti area on Sunday night. He said about 50 people in...

Bishop's Home Searched.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Macharia Mwangi Police have searched a home, church and business premises associated with a bishop being investigated for killings in Naivasha. The officers were looking for clues to support a testimony by the man accused of...

Another MP From Coast Backs Raila.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Nation Team A second Coast member of Parliament has supported Prime Minister Raila Odinga's call that the new Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) managing director should be competitively picked. Mr Amason Kingi dismissed reports...

Firm Warned Over Pace of Sugar Project.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Mathias Ringa The Government Monday gave Kwale International Sugar Company Limited a month's notice to explain their progress on the multi-billion-shilling sugar project in Msambweni District. Agriculture minister William...

Land Tops Coast MPs Wish-List for Kibaki.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Mazera Ndurya Coast MPs are preparing to welcome President Kibaki with a long list of past promises he has made for development of the region they say have not been fulfilled. Top on the list is the long-festering land issue...

Cost of ID Cards to Go Up.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Mwakera Mwajefa The cost of acquiring national identity cards is likely to go up by 500 per cent if a proposal to increase the charges is approved, the Nation has learnt. The current charges were way below the cost of...

Squatters May Not Be Settled On Criticos Farm.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Jonathan Manyindo The Settlement Fund Trustee may not accept the ownership of 15,000 acres of land the Government got from former Taveta MP Basil Criticos "because it was irregularly acquired". A senior Ministry of Lands...

Maize Prices Double Due to Shortage.
August 25, 2008... Byline: John Njagi A shortage of maize has hit Central Province. Consequently, maize prices have almost doubled with a bag of the cereal now costing Sh2,500, from Sh1,400. The shortage is a result of drought since March this...

Wako - No Mercy for Poll Violence Leaders.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Oliver Mathenge Politicians responsible for organising the post-election violence should be barred from public office; and none of those who participated in the mayhem should benefit from amnesty. That was the message from...

Patients 'Refused to Be Treated'.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Michael Njuguna Some patients refused to be treated by doctors and other medical staff from certain communities during and after the violence that followed the announcement of the disputed presidential results in last December's...

PS Defends Mudavadi Over Nominations.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Nation Correspondent A permanent secretary has defended Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi's decision to revoke the nomination of councillors. Local Government PS Sammy Kirui told the High Court that the nomination of...

New Links in Dreams From Obama's Father.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Kenneth Ogosia And Michael Mugwang'a As Barack Obama lives the dreams from his father in his White House bid, an American woman goes about her business in Nairobi's Lavington estate without attracting much attention. She...

Kitale Player Eyes Walker Trip to Perth.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Larry Ngala Kitale's Maria Litamoi stands a good chance of a back-to-back trip to the annual Johnnie Walker Classic International Pro-Am, to be held in Perth, Australia, next year. During the second leg of the 2008/2009...

Stock Market Proposes Shorter Payment Period.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Joseph Bonyo The Nairobi Stock Exchange board has proposed the reduction of the payment period for investors after the sale of their shares from five to three days. The move is an effort aimed at improving efficiency in the...

Gor in Crowd Trouble Again.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Chris Musumba Leaders Mathare United have to wait for a decision by the Kenya Premier League (KPL)disciplinary committee to see if they will go four points clear on the league standings. This follows the half time abandonment...

Woeful Team Fall to Ireland in First Odi.
August 25, 2008... Kenya went down to Ireland by 33 runs on Sunday in the opening game of the three-match one day series at Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont, Belfast, on Sunday. Kenya's top batsmen failed to click when their service was most needed...

The Wives of Key Leaders Don't Need This Money.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Macharia Gaitho PRESIDENT KIBAKI, VP MUSYoka and Prime Minister Odinga are no doubt the most pampered public servants in Kenya. In addition to princely salaries, courtesy of the rest of us ordinary mortals, they enjoy almost...

Local Talk-Show Presenters Promoting Dangerous Quacks.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Likoye Atwoli A LOT OF PROGRAMMES ON television have started a very disturbing trend. Segments with religious content and special programmes especially on health issues are commonly presented on weekend breakfast shows, and some...

Denver Finally Bursts Into Life.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Samuel Siringi One hundred years. That is how long it has taken for Democrats to have a convention in Denver. Denver last hosted a Democratic convention in 1908. But now, a son of a Kenyan, Barack Obama, has finally...

KRA Maintains Stance On Brewer.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Philip Wahome The Kenya Revenue Authority has declined to be drawn into a public dispute with a local brewer over its refusal to issue excise tax stamps citing taxpayer confidentiality. "KRA is committed to privacy and...

Raila, Kalonzo Congratulate Olympic Team.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Benjamin Muindi As the curtains came down on the Beijing Olympics, the Government sent congratulatory messages to the Kenya squad after putting up their best ever performance at the games. Prime Minister Raila Odinga and...

Mugabe Party Loses Election for Speaker.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Kitsepile Nyathi and Agencies Zimbabwe's main opposition on Monday captured the powerful post of Speaker of Parliament, inflicting a huge blow to President Robert Mugabe who appeared determined to form the next government with a...

Sh3bn Cement Factory Planned for Athi River.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Mike Mwaniki President Kibaki on Monday presided over the ground breaking ceremony of a new Sh3 billion cement manufacturing plant in Athi River, Kajiado District. Speaking during the inauguration of the National Cement...

What's Happening to Our Universities?
August 25, 2008... Debate about the quality of parallel degree programmes continues to dominate discourse in higher education circles. All agree that this is one of the major innovations in recent years, which has not only opened avenues for deserving...

Why Uhuru is Right.
August 25, 2008... Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta is justified in reminding Kenyans of the need to re-draw the boundaries of some constituencies. Unfortunately, he has always shied away from revealing the real politics behind the call. To begin...

Sh22 Million Bounty for Medallists.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Chris Musumba A total of Sh22.5 million will be paid out to the triumphant national Olympic team that returns from Beijing Wednesday. Kenya finished 15th overall in the medals standings of the Beijing Olympic Games, having...

The Cutting Edge.
August 25, 2008... As Public Service boss Francis Muthaura prepares to fork out Sh400,000 a month each to Prime Minister Raila Odinga's and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka's wives for "the critical role they play in projecting a positive image of the nation's...

Attorney General Says No Amnesty for Post Poll Violence.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Oliver Mathenge Attorney General Amos Wako has ruled out amnesty as an option for perpetrators of post election violence. The AG further told the Commission of Inquiry into the Post Election Violence that leaders who are...

LSK to Petition for Tribunal On Chief Justice.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Jevans Nyabiage The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) is expected to petition President Kibaki to form a tribunal to investigate the conduct of chief Justice Evan Gicheru. LSK Chairman Okong'o O'Mogeni said on Monday that they...

Chaos As Makongeni Residents Resist Eviction.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Casper Waithaka A man was shot as police and scores of youth clashed in Nairobi's Makongeni estate this morning. An eviction notice issued to the estate's residents triggered the riots, which spilled onto Jogoo road and...

Dar Blocks Foreigners From IPOs.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Washington Gikunju The Tanzanian Government shall limit all sale of national assets to its citizens in its privatization programmes, the Bank of Tanzania (BOT) Governor has said. Prof Beno Ndulu said on Monday that the...

NSE Proposes Seamless IPO Process.
August 25, 2008... Byline: Emmanuel Toili The Initial Public Offer (IPO) will in future be pegged on payment after shares allocation. However, retail investors will be required to provide bank statements guaranteeing a stakeholders ability to pay for...

Questions Over Tsvangirai's Change of Stance.
August 24, 2008... Byline: Kitsepile Nyathi Ever since he burst into the political scene on the back of swelling disgruntlement over President Robert Mugabe's disastrous economic policies ten years ago, Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has...

Two Journalists Kidnapped.
August 24, 2008... Byline: Abdulkadir Khalifnation And Agencies Two foreign journalists on a tour in Mogadishu have been abducted by gunmen The incident took at Eelasha Biyaha on, the outskirts of Mogadishu where most of those who fled the fighting in...

Wanjiru Describes Marathon Win.
August 24, 2008... Byline: Elias Makori Kenya's first Olympic Games marathon gold medallist, Samuel Kamau Wanjiru, spoke exclusively to the Daily Nation and NTV on how he won the Beijing Olympics marathon I could hardly sleep last (Saturday) night. I...

How Lagat Beat All the Odds.
August 24, 2008... Byline: Chris Musumba Twice before, she had high hopes of clinching gold for Kenya at the biggest stage, but was disappointed for not even making the finals. Yet when all expected the repeat of her experience, Nancy Jebet Lagat...

China Raise Bar for London 2012.
August 24, 2008... Byline: Elias Makori Thanks to a massive workforce and overwhelming public support, Beijing on Sunday night concluded a most successful Olympic Games that raised the bar very high up for the next hosts, London. Faced with massive...

Women's Sevens Squad Back in Training.
August 24, 2008... Byline: Eric Odanga The national women's rugby seven-a-side team resumed training on Sunday for the Africa Zone of the 2009 International Rugby Board Sevens tournament in Dubai. Sammy Kemmey, coach of the women's team said there was...

Marathon Gold Caps Best Ever Olympics.
August 24, 2008... Byline: Elias Makori Billions worldwide watched and applauded on Sunday as International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge presented Kenya's Samuel Kamau Wanjiru with a gold medal for winning the men's marathon race that brought...