The Nation (Kenya) articles from January 2010

The Nation (Kenya) archives from January 2010

Blatter Softens Stance On Video Technology.
January 30, 2010... Byline: Charles Nyende Fifa President Sepp Blatter has said video technology will be allowed in football only if it is 100 percent efficient. "The International Football Association Board will be presented with a system and if they find it...

Pharaohs Cross Swords With Black Stars.
January 30, 2010... Byline: Charles Nyende Egypt meet Ghana on Sunday in a fascinating final of the 27 African Nations Cup at the Estadio 11 de Novembro in Luanda . The Pharaohs, the most successive nation in the tournament with a record six titles, are going...

Council Askaris on the Spot over Bribe Claims.
January 29, 2010... Twenty City Council askaris (security officers) who were found demanding bribes from matatu operators will face disciplinary action. Nairobi Mayor Geoffrey Majiwa, who paraded the 20 askaris during a press conference held in his parlour, said...

60,000 Bags of Cheap Fertiliser to Be Imported.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Peter Ng'etich The National Cereals and Produce Board is to import 60,000 bags of cheap fertiliser for farmers this season to keep down the price of maize. The board has already imported 34,000 bags of the fertiliser, diammonium...

New System to Check Migrants - Kajwang'.
January 29, 2010... A modern border management system will be installed at all border points to prevent foreigners from entering Kenya illegally. Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang on Friday said the system would provide for thorough vetting of immigrants at...

Draft Law - Alterations Stir Up Hornet's Nest.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Fred Oluoch With some landmark amendments to the draft constitution, it will take time before the Parliamentary Select Committee convinces some Kenyans that they did not exceed their mandate. The question now is: Has the PSC...

Kenyan Firm to Benefit from Sh30 Million World Project.
January 29, 2010... Byline: John Kariuki Kenya's BlueSky Films is among 24 production companies around the world to benefit from this year's EU-Africa, Caribbean and Pacific support programme for films and the audio-visual sector. This is the first time that...

Cabinet Ministers Summoned over Tribal Comments.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Samwel Kumba Two Cabinet ministers, two senior politicians and a prominent personality are the first five people to answer summons for hate speech under a new law passed last year. They were called in -- some last week -- by the...

LSK Credibility Put to the Test.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Emeka-Mayaka Gekara The credibility of the Law Society of Kenya, one of the most vocal professional organisations, has been put to test following claims of rigging and interference by powerful politicians in its ongoing elections. ...

Minister Launches Committee to Improve Health Services.
January 29, 2010... Health services are set to improve with the launching of an oversight body to manage health centres. Public Health minister Beth Mugo on Friday inaugurated the Health Sector and Services Steering Committee, whose duty will be to oversee...

Ssepembwa Asks MPs to 'Reject' PSC Proposals.
January 29, 2010... As the Parliamentary Select Committee went about reviewing the harmonised draft constitution in Naivasha, it has emerged that a member of the Committee of Experts has been urging the rest to reject some of the MPs' proposals. It is said that,...

Tycoon Denies He's a Foreigner.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Richard Munguti A multi-millionaire was on Friday accused of being in Kenya illegally. The man, whose name was given as Unknown alias Ibrahim Noor Hillowly, is suspected to be from Somalia. He was arraigned before chief magistrate...

Bad Drivers to Pay Higher Premiums.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Muchiri Karanja Careless drivers will be penalised under the new motor vehicle insurance underwriting guidelines. Under the rules that are to come into effect on March 1, drivers who cause road accidents will be required to pay...

Kenyan Prisons Buy Vehicles as Reforms Kick Off.
January 29, 2010... The Kenya Prisons have bought 12 ambulances. The vehicles together with two water bowsers and 15 motor vehicles, all worth Sh80 million, are part of a reform programme to improve prisons services, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka said. He spoke...

Another Bomb Found in Dumpsite.
January 29, 2010... A second bomb has been found in Mombasa, a stone's throw away from where a live grenade was recovered four days ago. Residents found the explosive in a dumpsite at Flamingo in Magongo. Mr John Juma, one of the area residents, said they are...

Bongo Star's Latest Single a Big Hit.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Tim Kamuzu Banda Another hit release from Bongoland is taking the Kenyan music scene by storm. Enthusiasts of this popular Tanzanian music genre, and there are thousands in Kenya as well, are being swept to the dance floors by the...

U.S. Airlift Beneficiaries Meet for the First Time.
January 29, 2010... It was a day of joy and excitement when Kenyans who benefited from the Africa Airlift Programme in the 1960s gathered for the first time in Nairobi. The group, commonly known as the Airlift Alumni, mingled and shared experiences of the good old...

Kenyan Airline to Help Quake Victims.
January 29, 2010... Kenya Airways and the Kenya Red Cross Society have launched a fund-raising initiative in support of victims of the Haiti earthquake. Donations will be put into specially designed envelopes that will be collected by flight attendants at the...

All Set for Shipment of Sh1 Billion Ferries.
January 29, 2010... Mombasa's two new ferries are set to leave Germany for Kenya in two weeks as scheduled, the builders said in an interview. With Kenyan crewmen having received training in the handling of the Sh1 billion vessels, only the harsh winter weather...

Club Where Retired Relive Their Youth.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Billy Muiruri The pensioners stand at ease and then at attention, their eyes trained on their grey-haired trainer. They stretch their arms and bend backwards. They then revert to their earlier positions and bend forwards until some...

Draft Law - How 'Miracle' Deal Was Struck.
January 29, 2010... Members of the select team that delivered what is possibly Kenya's first unifying constitution draft on Friday spoke of the "magic formula" used to reach agreement on the difficult political issues. In separate interviews with the Saturday...

Company Bosses Fined for Contempt.
January 29, 2010... Two directors of a company have until Monday morning to pay a fine of Sh300,000 each or risk being jailed for disobeying court orders. Justice Ruth Sitati found the directors of Gemini Properties Ltd guilty of contempt of court, saying they...

Pirates Looted Sh45 Billion Last Year - Report.
January 29, 2010... Ship owners paid Somali pirates over Sh45 billion ($60 million) in ransom money last year, a report from a regional anti-piracy watchdog has revealed. The Seafarers' Assistance Programme report indicated that 47 vessels and nearly 300 crew...

Kibaki and Raila Upbeat over New Law Deal.
January 29, 2010... President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Friday welcomed the agreement reached by Members of Parliament during their retreat in Naivasha. Mr Odinga said the Committee of Experts (CoE), which received the MPs' draft on Friday, would...

PSC Plans Offices for MPs.
January 29, 2010... The Parliamentary Service Commission has invited contractors to apply for a tender to build a multi-storied office block for MPs. The Kenya National Assembly has already bought land for the offices next to County Hall. PSC on Friday asked...

PS Orders Action over Workers in Salt Firms.
January 29, 2010... The Coast provincial labour officer has been ordered to ensure that salt mining companies improve their employees' working conditions. Labour permanent secretary Beatrice Naliaka Kituyi also directed labour inspectors to make frequent visits...

Uchumi Heads Back to NSE.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Mwaniki Wahome Uchumi Supermarkets edged closer to returning to the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) on Friday, after the final plan to lift it from technical insolvency was approved. During an annual general meeting held at Kenyatta...

New Low-Cost Airline Set to Begin Flights.
January 29, 2010... Local airline OneJetOne is set to take to the skies in August, anchoring itself as a low cost outfit in Kenya. The airline is to begin its operations to Kisumu and Mombasa in what is expected to stir the domestic air fare competitions. ...

Wind Farm Deal to Trim Cost of Electricity.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Kaburu Mugambi Power prices could come down in the near future with the signing of an agreement between Kenya Power and Lighting Company and Lake Turkana Wind Power, where the power distributor will buy 300 megawatts from the firm's...

Mumias Sugar Profit Rises 561 Percent.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Jevans Nyabiage High sugar prices and cost cutting measures sweetened Mumias Sugar Co Ltd's pre-tax profit by 561 per cent in the first six months to December 31, 2009. The listed miller's pre-tax profit increased from Sh231...

New Constitution - Kenyans Have to Keep Their Eyes on the Prize.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Cabral Pinto Kenya seems to be on its way to the enactment of a new constitution. Kenyans must keep their eyes on this prize. We should constantly ask one fundamental question: In what ways is the new constitution better than the...

House Team Sowing Seeds of Discord Again.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Tom Sagwe We have been here before. In 2005, during a big retreat in Naivasha, a parliamentary select committee reached what was called the Naivasha Accord. But the document was a mutilation of the Bomas draft constitution, as had...

Media Rules Need Resitting.
January 29, 2010... The government's climb-down on the new media regulations is commendable. But doubts linger if Information permanent secretary Bitange Ndemo's pledge about the government's willingness to review the rules, was from the heart. Past experience...

Draft - Good Job, but Some Areas Need Revisiting.
January 29, 2010... The Parliamentary Select Committee on the constitution finalised its work in Naivasha this week, and handed over its recommendations to the Committee of Experts on Friday. And the labour was not in vain. A lot of progress had been made. Major...

The Cutting Edge.
January 29, 2010... Byline: The Watchman The Parliamentary Select Committee on constitution reform, which is meeting in Naivasha to forge a consensus, has impressed Wamahiu Muya, who has been keenly following reports from his base in Edison, New Jersey, US. Says...

Ghana Thump Chests After Win.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Charles Nyende Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac has defended his side's tactics at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament saying only the final result mattered and matches had gone his way. The Black Stars beat Nigeria 1-0 in the first...

Amodu Ready to Fly Eagles in World Cup.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Charles Nyende Nigeria coach Shaibu Amodu wants to serve out his contract and is looking ahead to the World Cup. "I told Nigerians we don't have the best team yet but we are building, match by match. There is a lot of work still to...

Kenyan Team to Leave After Regional Duel.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Larry Ngala Kenya's team for this year's Sunshine Tour which was due to leave this weekend for South Africa to feature in the "Summer Swing" events of the 2010 Tour, will now leave after the first leg of the KCB East African Golf Tour...

Politics of Boundaries and the Necessary Good Will for Reform.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Cyprian Orina-Wamwamu The presidency and the Parliamentary Select Committee on the constitution review have over the past week further fertilised the culture of disregard for the rule of law and due process. The two institutions...

From Naivasha with a Sense of Style and Fashion.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Sammy Wambua Have you noticed that the people who have been busy tweaking, moderating, harmonising or distorting the draft constitution at the Great Rift Valley Lodge, Naivasha, provided us with a fresh view of waheshimiwa? ...

Mariga Set to Join Man City.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Odindo Ayieko Parma have accepted a E10 million offer (about Sh722 million) from Manchester City for Kenyan international McDonald Mariga, according to reports from Italy and England. Mariga had been linked with Italian champions...

Yar'Adua 'Still Fully in Charge'.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Henry Owuor Nigeria's president may have spent over two months out of the country, but according to the Constitution he is still fully in charge and can only be sacked once the Cabinet decides that he can no longer perform the task of...

How Country Will Gain From China.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Randall Smith When I landed in Nairobi in 2006, the Chinese were rebuilding Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. At the time, their interests in Africa, which have grown exponentially in the past three years, were just starting to be...

Machine Up Against a Red Shirts Wall.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Ayumba Ayodi University of Nairobi's Mean Machine Bulldozers face a mammoth task in keeping alive their hopes for a record ninth Impala Floodlit victory against champions Impala in the semi-finals at 6pm on Saturday. In the other...

Education Chiefs Have Right to Eat Extra Donor Money.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Kwamchetsi Makokha Free primary education will never die. This is despite the many people who wish it ill because of their individual and even national jealousies towards the Kenyan success story that is a shining world example. ...

MPs Laud PSC Move On Draft Law.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Samwel Kumba A group of MPs have saluted the Parliamentary Select Committee for its bold step to put aside their interests and build consensus on the draft constitution. Led by Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, the 15 legislators could not...

Free Learning in No Danger.
January 29, 2010... Byline: Dave Opiyo Kenyans have been assured that the Free Primary Education programme is in no danger in the wake of suspended donor funding. Government Spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua said the the bulk of the money to finance the programme is...

Museveni Aims for 30 Years in Power.
January 28, 2010... On Wednesday Uganda celebrated two-and-a half decades of the National Resistance Movement rule under which the country has prospered. However, it has not escaped the fate of democratising republics in Africa where the present is at variance with...

What We Can Do to Grow Economy.
January 28, 2010... Experts have started making projections about the economic performance this year and the signs look positive. At least, there are indications that the economy can rise to 4.5 per cent, a leap from the disastrous 1.7 and 1.8 per cent of the past...

UN Bodies on the Spot.
January 28, 2010... Currently, global science is under intense scrutiny - for all the wrong reasons. For one, the World Health Organisation is under scrutiny over the way it handled the H1N1 flu outbreak, with allegations that its decisions were not based on solid...

Better Prospects for Jobs in 2010.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Jevans Nyabiage Most chief executives say they will recruit more employees in 2010, which will reverse the layoff trend that characterised last year, a survey conducted last year shows. According to the 13th Annual Global CEO...

New-Look Tusker Malt to Cost Slightly More.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Kaburu Mugambi East African Breweries, stepping up the battle for the beer market in Kenya, has launched a new bottle for Tusker Malt Lager in what the company says would make the brand measure up to global standards. The beer will...

Country to Host Global Micro-Credit Summit.
January 28, 2010... Craft Silicon, a leading global software solutions provider, has donated Sh9 million towards the Africa and Middle East Regional Microcredit Summit to be held at KICC, Nairobi, from April 7 to 10, 2010. The Nairobi summit is the 14th global...

All Must Pay for 3G, Safaricom Insists.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Jevans Nyabiage If the Communications Commission of Kenya decides to reduce or scrap the third-generation (3G) spectrum fees, then it will have to credit what we paid. That was the stern message from mobile phone service provider,...

Competition Healthy for Medicare.
January 28, 2010... Public hospitals should be strengthened to compete with private healthcare providers to bring the cost of medical care down, a medical insurance provider has said. Mr Peter Nduati, CEO Resolution Health East Africa, said the low quality...

The Cutting Edge.
January 28, 2010... Some people just like to make mountains out of molehills, remarks Kenya National Examinations Council official Ken Ramani, in response to S. M. Mukururi's claim on his daughter's KCPE exam results slip, which indicates that she was tested in...

Sharpshooters Oil Tools for Busy Year Ahead.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Larry Ngala This year is likely to be a busy one at the Kenya Regiment Rifle Club for its top marksmen, particularly those in the pistol section, going by the calendar of events just released by Riaz Abdulgani, the captain of the...

Envoys Set for Mau Tree Planting.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Lucas Barasa A number of envoys are expected in the Mau Friday to plant trees in a show of support for government's efforts to conserve Kenya's biggest water tower. British High Commissioner to Kenya Rob Macaire will lead the...

MPs Call for Crackdown on Global Graft.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Alphonce Shiundu The fight against global corruption has moved to an international Parliament with lawmakers calling for a crackdown on the tax havens in rich nations. There is also a resolution to prevent corrupt leaders in the...

Free Rally School Set for Launch.
January 28, 2010... The unveiling of the first rally navigating school in Kenya is set for Sunday at a Press luncheon hosted by the sponsors of the ground-breaking initiative in motorsports circles, San Valencia. A brainchild of Abdul Sidi, one of the most...

Country's Leader Sends Chipolopolo a Plane.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Elias Mbao Zambia's Chipolopolo Boys have received a heroic homecoming in Lusaka from the Orange Africa Cup of Nations in Angola where they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Nigeria's Super Eagles. Several football fans,...

South Accuses Khartoum of Plot.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Muchemi Wachira The Southern Sudanese government on Thursday accused their counterparts in Khartoum of sabotaging independence referendum scheduled to take place in their region next year. The referendum is meant to give people in...

Kenya Fall to Scots, Uganda Due for Series.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Richard Mwangi Kenya's lacklustre performance in their first innings of the ICC Intercontinental Cup, when they only managed 91 runs, handed them an eight-wicket defeat at the hands of Scotland at the Nairobi Gymkhana on Thursday. ...

Ugandan Peace Troops Cling to Mogadishu's K4 Crossroads.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Herve Bar Hiding from the sweltering sun and Islamist snipers behind sandbags, Ugandan troops obstinately defend a small but strategically crucial piece of tarmac: Mogadishu's K4 junction. "Whoever holds K4 controls Mogadishu" is a...

Youth Fund Board Illegally Picked.
January 28, 2010... Byline: E. Njoki Wamai The youth enterprise fund board was appointed through Gazette Notice No 390 on January 15. The minister for Youth appointed the six members against a backdrop of battles pitting her and the former board. These...

Nation Invests U.S. $240 Million in 2012 Soccer.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Charles Nyende Gabon has this year alone allocated a budget of $240 million (about Sh18 billion) to be used in infrastructure development ahead of the 2012 African Cup of Nations, the chairman of their tournament local organising...

No One Has a God-Given Right to Oppress Others.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Lucy Oriang' I have always known i should have studied law. A finer understanding of the nuances of the legal regime in Kenya might have helped me understand the difference between these two cases reported in yesterday's edition of...

All the President's Mess.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Clay Muganda Whenever I overhear Kenyans talking about the media and swearing that journalists never tell lies because they have impeccable sources which cannot give them wrong information, I stifle a laugh and silently congratulate...

House Team Scraps PM's Office.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Peter Leftie A president answerable to a robust parliament, the scrapping of the office of the Prime Minister and a 349 member National Assembly are the hallmarks of the proposed new constitution. The Parliamentary Select...

Govt Willing to Review Media Laws, Says Ndemo.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Walter Menya The Kenyan media may have earned a reprieve after the government said it was willing to review the new regulations for the industry. Information Permanent Secretary Dr Bitange Ndemo, citing what he described as...

Kenyans in Diaspora Want MP Position.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Dave Opiyo Kenyans living abroad are now demanding to be given an opportunity to elect one of their own to represent their interests in parliament. They have consequently asked the Committee of Experts to include a clause in the...

Kulei Denies Fraud Charges.
January 28, 2010... A former State House official Thursday denied fraud charges. Mr Joshua Kulei denied obtaining Sh17million by false pretences and he was later given a cash bail of one million. He was charged in court together with former Commissioner of Lands...

PM Tours West Kenya to Strengthen Party.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Peter Leftie and Lucas Barasa Prime Minister Raila Odinga heads to Western Province Friday to consolidate his support ahead of the controversial Simama Kenya rally set for Bungoma on Sunday. Organisers of the PM's visit to Kakamega...

Smaller Ports Key 'To Economic Growth'.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Anthony Kitimo Kenya has been challenged to develop its smaller ports and decongest the Mombasa one. Dr Ali Mohamed Shein, the Tanzanian vice president, on said there was need to invest in infrastructure to increase revenue earned...

Citizens Seek One Center of Power, Says Report.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Caroline Wafula More than 1.7 million Kenyans, in their scrutiny of the draft constitution said they wanted one centre of power to avoid instability. However, they were unable to make up their minds on the kind of chief executive...

State Rights Watchdog Rooted in Draft Law.
January 28, 2010... The Parliamentary Select Committee on the Constitution has rescinded its decision to expunge the State human rights watchdog from the harmonised draft constitution. And the decision was welcomed by officials of the Kenya National Human Rights...

Fears Over Free School Cash.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Dennis Odunga and Oliver Musembi Parents and teachers are worried that more donors will suspend support for free primary education (FPE) over misappropriation of funds. This follows the United States Government's suspension of a...

State Ponders Teacher's Sex Trial Options.
January 28, 2010... The government may appoint a special prosecutor to try a primary school headteacher in Makueni District who is accused of sexually molesting young girls under his charge. State counsel Moses O'Mirera said the case, which has been highlighted...

Security Threat Tied to Red Cross Volunteer's Death.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Benson Amadala The Simama Kenya Bungoma rally was cancelled because some groups were plotting to disrupt it, Western provincial police boss King'ori Mwangi confirmed to the Nation on Thursday. "We have received intelligence reports...

Fate of Ex-PSS' Graft Case Out in Two Weeks.
January 28, 2010... A magistrate's court is to decide whether a corruption case involving two former permanent secretaries will proceed. Former Public Works permanent secretaries Samson Teela Akute and Peter Maina Wakori are accused of irregularly awarding...

Govt Plays Down Railway Row.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Walter Menya Kenya has played down differences with Uganda over Citadel Capital, an Egyptian private equity firm battling for a controlling stake in Rift Valley Railways. Transport permanent secretary Cyrus Njiru also moved to...

No End to Matatu Woes.
January 28, 2010... Byline: Casper Waithaka and John Ngirachu An agreement between matatu operators and the government has not been implemented, the lobby groups that signed the deal two weeks ago have said. The groups said at a meeting called by the Nairobi...

Fear in Village as Lions Kill 20 Animals.
January 28, 2010... Residents of Ng'elecha in Marigat District fear for their lives after four lions, believed to have strayed from a Laikipia ranch, killed more than 20 animals. Arabal ward councillor Kimunyang' Meja told the Nation that 17 goats, four cows and...

City Residents to Sort Garbage for Recycling.
January 28, 2010... Nairobi residents could soon have separate bins for different types of garbage, which would ease the handling of waste and enable its recycling. If the Cabinet approves a paper that will soon be presented to it by the Local Government...