The Nation (Kenya) articles from October 2009

The Nation (Kenya) archives from October 2009

It's Healthy for a Country to Debate Thorny Issues.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Cabral Pinto The marriage between two Kenyan men in Britain and under UK laws has sparked a great media debate that touches on issues of law, morality, human and constitutional rights and homophobia. It is always healthy when a...

Blaming the Past Won't Help Country.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Randall Smith President Jomo Kenyatta was the father of today's corrupt political system in Kenya. He opposed freedom of speech and squelched all critics. He amassed wealth with a group of cronies who remain in power. And he played a...

Is U.S. 'Benevolent Imperialism' Aiding Our Reform Agenda?
October 30, 2009... Byline: Wambua Samm The few times Johnnie Carson, the US head of the Bureau of African Affairs, was in town his bark was worse than the bite. Two weeks after his last howl, however, the American was back this week with a vicious bite. The...

News of Leaks Baffling.
October 30, 2009... Revelations that students sitting the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination have been accessing prior information on the papers despite the spirited denial by the Kenya National Examinations Council are baffling. Our...

Let's Leave Gay Couples Alone, It's None of Our Business.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Peter Mwaura The crime of sexual intercourse between two men or between a man and an animal was introduced in Kenya by the British at the beginning of the 20th century. It was based on the English law -- the Buggery Law of 1533 --...

Population - We Must Go Back to the Basics.
October 30, 2009... Population is a key factor in economic development. For years, Kenya, like other developing nations, had put a lot of emphasis on controlling population growth, with the understanding that through that, it would manage its economy better. ...

The Cutting Edge.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Watchman Nairobi resident Oscar Mann has a suggestion on how to end the Middle East conflict. Says he: "It would be a great idea for Jerusalem to become the capital of both Palestine and Israel, with both states maintaining their...

'Showmanship Helps Me Win Races'.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Charles Nyende His record-breaking runs aside, the world probably knows Usain Bolt for his pre-race antics that include the now patented "to the world" archer-like pose with one of his fingers pointed skywards. Or his cheeky faces...

3 Ministry Officials on Graft Charge.
October 30, 2009... Three ministry of Roads employees and a company on Friday appeared in court charged with corruption. Mr Richard Murigu, Ms Lucy Wanjiru, Mr Douglas Kiboi and Graw Enterprises denied the charges before Nairobi magistrate Cecilia Githua. Mr...

Resettling IDPs Becoming a Cropper.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Gabriel Dolan Resettling the Internally Displace Persons (IDPs) was never going to be an easy task, but with a transparent, consistent and professional approach, it was hoped that it could be done. However, reports in the past week...

Zeitz Foundation Launched.
October 30, 2009... The Zeitz Foundation was officially launched in Kenya on Friday by its founder Jochen Zeitz. Present at the launch were the foundation's global ambassador, Usain Bolt, and former hurdles champion, Colin Jackson who talked about using their...

Reduce Players 'To Control Grain Cost'.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Githua Kihara and Gitonga Marete The cost of bringing grain through the port of Mombasa can be slashed if the number of players is reduced, a parliamentary team was told on Friday. The committee on Finance, Planning and Trade was...

Country Should Target Obama in Responding to Visa Bans.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Kwamchetsi Makokha Having established that America is not heaven, Kenya should match fire with fire in responding to the US government's visa ban slapped on 16 of its officials in just a month. Kenya's reaction to the bans must be...

All Eyes on Relegation Battle.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Sammy Kitula Seven matches are lined up on Saturday as the 2009 Kenyan Premier League season comes to an end in a fortnight. While this year's title is within Sofapaka's reach, focus will be on the four teams at the bottom of the...

Three Mau Forest Settlers Hand Over Title Deeds.
October 30, 2009... Three Mau settlers surrendered their title deeds at the Nakuru lands office on Friday. They said they had done so on their own volition in support of efforts to reverse the damage caused to the water tower by illegal excision of the land. ...

Architects Seek Buildings Audit.
October 30, 2009... Byline: John Ngirachu and Muchemi Wachira All buildings in Kenya must be inspected immediately and those found to be unsafe pulled down. The Architectural Association of Kenya said this on Friday when it called on the government to...

Lawyers Push for Reforms at KACC.
October 30, 2009... Lawyers have opposed Garsen MP Danson Mungatana's Bill seeking to disband the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission. They argue that the move is premature and would be a blow to the gains made in the fight against corruption. Instead, the Law...

Women 'Need Unique Health Plan'.
October 30, 2009... Byline: John Ngirachu Governments and other health care providers have been urged to come up with women-specific approaches in promoting health. Health professionals and policymakers at the Global Health Conference, which ended in Nairobi...

New Cohesion and Integration Team Has Its Task Cut Out for It.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Fred Oluoch A new team set up to instil national cohesion and integration has started work amid fears of fresh ethnic tensions if post-poll violence suspects are taken to The Hague. But the question uppermost on the minds of many...

Water Agency Board Dissolved Over Scam.
October 30, 2009... The National Water Conservation and Pipeline Corporation's board of directors has been dissolved as a series of corruption allegations is investigated. The dissolution was announced on Friday by Water and Irrigation minister Charity Ngilu,...

Mudavadi Queries Cars Directive.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Kenneth Ogosia and Muchemi Wachira Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi on Friday questioned the directive by Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta requiring ministers and permanent secretaries to surrender their fuel-guzzling vehicles....

Wherever You Are, Watch Your Manners.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Walter Menya This is the question you may be confronted with over the next seven years as a new campaign to transform Kenyans' values and ethics kicked off on Friday. The line, perfected by veteran radio personality Leonard Mambo...

Bolt Takes It in His Stride.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Tim Kamuzu Banda Jamaican athlete Uasin Bolt has illuminated stadiums and excited sports fans around the world with his lightning speed. On Friday, Kenyans were lucky to see the fastest man in the world in person as he arrived in...

Go for Public Tests To Battle HIV, Resolve Clergymen.
October 30, 2009... Church leaders have been asked to be at the forefront in the fight against HIV and Aids by openly testing for the virus. In a meeting held in Nairobi, the men of the cloth expressed concern that in spite of a high awareness rate, HIV...

Wako - Failure, Strategist or Opportunist?
October 30, 2009... Byline: Paul Mwangi The commonest error made by almost all critics of Mr Amos Wako is to underrate him. Yet Mr Amos Shitswila Wako is one of the most intelligent people and a very smart lawyer indeed. And because people judge him by his...

Oil Exploration Could Hit Snag as Locals Protest.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Hassan Huka Exploration of Oil in Isiolo District might not go as expected, following protests by the local people. The residents in Merti division marched to the site of the exploration on Wednesday, accusing the government and...

Arm Profit Up Ahead of Expansion.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Jevans Nyabiage Cement maker, Athi River Mining's pre-tax profit for the first nine months of the year rose 33 per cent. The firm's pre-tax profit rose from Sh510.7million recorded over the similar period of 2008 to reach Sh677.4...

KRA Take Up in Quarter-One.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Kaburu Mugambi The Kenya Revenue Authority has collected Sh124 billion in the first three months of the current fiscal year. This year's collection is 14 per cent higher, compared to Sh108.8 billion collected during the same period...

KQ in Half-Year Profit Rebound.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Joseph Bonyo National carrier, Kenya Airways, has reported a 17 per cent increase in profit before tax for the first half of its financial year, going against the trend internationally, where airlines are reporting huge losses. The...

Met Says Rains to Increase by November.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Mazera Ndurya and Galgalo Bocha Kenyans should brace themselves for increased rains with heavier intensity from the month of November up to the beginning of February, the Meteorology department has said. Director of Meteorology...

Rains to Render More Than 200,000 Homeless.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Daniel Nyassy More than 200,000 people in the Coast will be marooned by floods if the current rains persist. Lamu, Tana River, Tana Delta, Malindi, Kwale and Taita Taveta will be hit hardest according to a Kenya Red Cross survey....

Minister Orders Bridge Rebuilt in Three Weeks.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Daniel Nyassy The minister for roads, Mr Franklin Bett has given engineers three weeks to build the broken road at Kanagoni that connects Mombasa and northern Kenya. Mr Bett said the Malindi-Lamu highway was an important road for...

Envoy to Brazil Collapses and Dies.
October 30, 2009... Kenya's envoy to Brazil, Mr Pius Namachanja, has collapsed and died. Reports indicate that the ambassador collapsed at a function in Uberaba, Brazil, following a suspected heart attack and was later pronounced dead after being rushed to to a...

Provincial Administration Bears Its Teeth against Drugs.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Gitonga Marete The coast provincial administration has ordered chiefs in Kisauni constituency to crack down on drug peddling to stem the rising drug abuse among the youth. Three illegal bars have been ordered shut and several video...

Defiant Bashir No Longer a Free Man.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Henry Owuor It is no longer business as usual for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. Eight months after the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Mr Luis Moreno-Ocampo called for the arrest of the charismatic...

World's Fastest Man Lands in Nairobi.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Elias Makori On a mission to preserve the planet, the Zeitz Foundation for Intercultural Ecosphere Safety has turned to celebrities to drive its agenda forward. Multiple world and Olympic sprints champion Usain Bolt of Jamaica and...

Country Faces Diamond Market Ban.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Kitsepile Nyathi Zimbabwe could be banned from the world diamond market if a report on human rights violations at one of the country's notorious diamond fields is considered. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) is...

Defiant Ministers Should Be Sacked.
October 29, 2009... Cabinet ministers intent on defying the government decision to replace their expensive fuel-guzzling cars with more modest official vehicles must either resign or be shown the door. A basic fundamental of any organisation -- whether that be a...

Nordic Experts to Advise Regional Army.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Fred Mukinda Military experts from four European countries are in Kenya with the aim of promoting peace in the eastern African region. The Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish offices will assist the region in the ongoing...

Step Up Peace Drive.
October 29, 2009... Nearly two years after the polls flare up, tension still runs deep in the North Rift. This was illustrated this week when death of a cyclist sparked protests, nearly escalating into full-blown fight between two ethnic groups. Fortunately, the...

MPs Accused of Ignoring Their Region.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Cosmas Butunyi Legislators from the Lake Victoria basin have been accused of lacking interest in the region's development. Mr Otieno Karan, a member of the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala), said MPs from the region were...

Borders Team Asked to Be Firm in Review.
October 29, 2009... Leaders in Murang'a have appealed to the Interim Independent Boundary Review Commission to be firm with politicians when conducting its business. The sentiments were made during consultations ahead of next week's meeting with the team in...

Police Search Home for Arms.
October 29, 2009... Detectives have raided a home in Trans Nzoia East District in search of weapons, signalling that the government was not taking lightly reports of re-arming in the Rift Valley. More than 10 CID officers from Nairobi searched the home in Maili...

The Cutting Edge.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Watchman Rogue City Council askaris (security officers) are preying on motorists by monitoring the zebra crossing near Jeevanjee Gardens for those who jump the traffic lights, says Nadeem Alibux, who fell victim on October 22. The...

Race Against Time to Stem Cholera.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Mike Mwaniki Health personnel are working around the clock to stem the spread of cholera which has killed 11 people in Nairobi. Embakasi district medical officer of health Atieno Adede said since the first case was reported five...

Illegal Migration Thriving at Far-Flung Border With Somalia.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Sammy Cheboi Along Kenya's border with Somalia is a point where illegal immigration thrives. At the Liboi Border Control in Lagdera, one should not be misled by the implied function of the Immigration office at this far-flung part of...

Two Linked to Sect Injured in Attack.
October 29, 2009... Byline: George Munene Two suspected members of the outlawed Mungiki sect were injured in an attack by vigilantes in Kirinyaga West District. One with serious injuries was admitted to Kerugoya District Hospital under tight security, while the...

So-Called Council of Elders Are No Way to Heal a Nation.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Jesse Masai I read a story (Nation, October 26) with great dismay. A new council of elders for the Kalenjin community had been assembled at the Reformed Church of East Africa's conference centre in Eldoret. First, let me declare my...

At This Rate, Uhuru Might Even Ask Our MPs to Take a Pay Cut.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Lucy Oriang' Have a heart for the top government officials who have been dragging their feet over the small matter of handing over their luxury vehicles. They are being asked to go against the grain, and who knows where all this...

Experts Upbeat on Economy.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Walter Menya The Kenya Economic Report 2009 just released exposes the challenges the country faces in fostering economic growth and also offers vital lessons for recovery. In conclusion, the report by the Kenya Institute of Public...

Rains Threaten KCSE Exams.
October 29, 2009... Heavy rains threatened to wreak havoc on the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination after roads in parts of the country became impassable. Supervisors, invigilators and security officers in Rachuonyo North, Mbita, Ndhiwa and...

Kenyan Minister Quizzed Over Espionage Claims.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Caroline Wafula The government has been asked to beef up security for Labour minister John Munyes as a diplomatic row over espionage claims involving Southern Sudan escalates. The Defence and Foreign Relations Committee, which has...

Note - No Agenda Four, No Country.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Allan Ngugi A lot of times, it is difficult for anyone to comprehend how government leaders think or why its officials operate at cross purposes. It is incomprehensible why, for instance, issues contained in the negotiated Agenda Four...

32 Ministers Still Cling to Their Prestige Limos.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Kenneth Ogosia Thirty two Cabinet ministers, 40 assistant ministers and 27 permanent secretaries were by Thursday yet to comply with a new government policy to use more economical vehicles. Seven Cabinet ministers on Thursday...

MPs 'Have Final Say' in Port Saga.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Gitonga Marete Parliament will, after all, have the final say on whether Mombasa port will be privatised or not, a House committee said on Thursday. This is contrary to remarks attributed to Mr Solomon Kitungu, the Privatisation...

MP's Relatives Furious After Killer Police Officer Gets 10 Years for Manslaughter.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Noah Cheploen The trial of a policeman accused of killing an MP and his companion on Thursday ended in tears of rage and disappointment for families of the victims. Cries of anger rang out when the court reduced charges against...

Country Blamed for U.S. Ban on Official's Visa.
October 29, 2009... Kenya is to blame for the action taken against a senior government official by the United States, Justice minister Mutula Kilonzo said on Thursday. The minister said that if Kenya had "kept its house in order" then the international community...

Help Us Fight Piracy, Comoros Asks Country.
October 29, 2009... The Comoros has asked Kenya to help it fight pirates threatening its port business. The Comorian Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier-General Salimou Amir, said at the port of Mombasa on Wednesday that the island nation could not fight piracy on...

Councils Reject Merger Plans.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Mazera Ndurya The proposal to merge water service companies in Coast Province to form only two came under heavy criticism during a critical shareholders' meeting held on Thursday. The merger, which was touted as being aimed at...

Plans to Link Cut-Off Areas in Pipeline.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Galgalo Bocha and Eunice Machuhi Engineers plan to build a temporary bridge on the Garsen-Malindi road after the one at Kanagoni was damaged by floods. The damage paralysed transport between Mombasa and Tana River, Tana Delta, Lamu...

Country to Get U.S.$17.5 Million for Polls.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Tamba Jean-Matthew The USAid has offered Liberia $17.5 million to finance the upcoming elections. The money will be channelled through the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) as a five-year subsidy. Among other...

Fire Guts Exclusive Garage in Malindi.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Daniel Nyassy The inadequacy of fire fighting fires in Malindi was evident when a fire gutted an exclusive motor garage in Malindi on Thursday. Vehicles and property worth millions of shillings went up in smoke as onlookers...

Fastest Man on Earth's Nairobi Date With Kibaki and Raila.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Elias Makori Usain Bolt, the world's fastest man, is in town. What was intended to be a private visit by the 23-year-old Jamaican multiple world sprints record holder will graduate to a celebrity tour when he meets with President...

House to Have Final Say On Privatisation.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Gitonga Marete Parliament will, after all, have the final say on whether Mombasa port will be privatised or not, a parliamentary committee said on Thursday. This is contrary to remarks attributed to Mr Solomon Kitungu the...

Bridge to Bring Relief to Croc-Infested Area.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Daniel Nyassy Four pupils, two parents and a baby are among those killed by crocodiles and hippos while crossing river Galana in Chakama division, Malindi district in the recent past. Among them was a Bombi Primary School standard...

Firm Demanding Sh100 Million From Municipal Council.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Eunice Machuhi A company which has been rendering services to the municipal council of Mombasa but has not been paid for close to three years has now threatened to take legal action against the institution. The council allegedly...

Evangelical Churches Shake Up the Social Order.
October 29, 2009... The fire of Pentecostal evangelism is burning through the continent scorching "sins" and shaking the religio-political status quo to its very foundation. Meanwhile, traditional churches are watching helplessly as their members defect en masse to...

Ghai Against Referendum On Draft Law.
October 29, 2009... The final draft constitution currently being developed by the Committee of Experts should not be subjected to a referendum, a law expert has suggested. Prof Yash Pal Ghai, a former chair of the defunct Constitution of Kenya Review Commission...

Lake Basin MPs Accused of Neglecting Development.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Cosmas Butunyi Legislators from the Lake Victoria basin were on Thursday criticised for their lack of interest in development matters in the region. A member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Otieno Karan said that...

U.S. Envoy Pushes for Consensus in Law Reform.
October 29, 2009... US ambassador Michael Ranneberger wants all Kenyans to be involved in implementing reforms in the country. According to Mr Ranneberger, Kenya is at crossroads and has "a historic opportunity", hence must adopt an all-inclusive approach in...

Policeman Jailed for Ten Years Over MP's Killing.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Noah Cheploen A former policeman who killed deceased Ainamoi MP David Too and a woman companion has been sentenced to 10 years in jail. Andrew Moeche Omwenga was charged with two counts of murder but the court found him guilty of...

HF Launches Pension Mortgage Scheme.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Wachira Kang'aru Kenyans can now secure a home loan that exceeds the value of house they are buying by using pension savings as security for additional financing. Launching the country's first pension backed mortgage, Housing...

Govt to Strengthen Microfinance Institutions.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Mwaniki Wahome The government is working on a legal framework that will enable commercial banks to transact business through third party agents. Speaking during the opening of three day conference organised by the microfinance...

Kimani to Lead Charges to This Year's Teams Golf Tourney.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Larry Ngala The Kenya Golf Union (KGU) on Thursday released the names of Kenya's team for the 2009 International Teams Golf Championship in South Africa next month. The four-man to be managed by KGU treasurer, Raymond Nyamweya,...

Tiny Island Nation Savours Its Turn With World Cup Trophy.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Ayumba Ayodi Their national team is struggling and they don't even feature in the Fifa World rankings, but football remains their favourite sport. Perhaps that's why Fifa and Coca Cola could not just ignore...

Give Hey More Time to Deliver, Raila Urges Fans.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Sammy Kitula The Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, has urged Kenyans to have faith in Harambee Stars head coach, Antoine Hey, despite the negative results the German coach has been producing. While giving a personal donation of Sh2...

Minister Quizzed Over Espionage Claims.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Caroline Wafula The government has been asked to beef up security for Labour minister John Munyes as a diplomatic row over espionage claims involving Southern Sudan escalates. The Defence and Foreign Relations Committee, which has...

AU to Discuss Darfur Report in Abuja.
October 28, 2009... Byline: Argaw Ashine African Union's Peace and Security Council member states are scheduled to meet in Nigeria, Abuja on Thursday to discuss the Darfur panel report on justice and reconciliation. The report seeks the establishment of an...

Officials Move to Avert Clashes.
October 28, 2009... Byline: Peter Ng'etich and Barnabas Bii Kenyan Government officials on Wednesday moved to prevent clashes between two communities embroiled in a dispute over the killing of a boda boda taxi man. Deputy PC for Eastern Rift Valley Wanyama...

KACC Barred From Going Through Firm's Accounts.
October 28, 2009... The Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission will not investigate an engineering firm's accounts after all. This is after the High Court barred the investigative body from looking into ABC Metallurgiacs' bank account. High Court judge David...

Group Lauds Calls for 'Coast President'.
October 28, 2009... Byline: Mazera Ndurya Calls for semi-autonomy of the Coast by politicians have received support from a human rights group. In a proposal by the Muslims for Human Rights (Muhuri), the Coast would still be a part of Kenya, but with its own...

Three Million Citizens Plunge Into Poverty.
October 28, 2009... More than three million Kenyans joined the ranks of the poor between 1997 and 2006, even as the government claimed it was winning the war against poverty. The number of those living below the poverty line increased from 13.4 million in 1997...

Citizens to Wait Longer for Draft Law.
October 28, 2009... Kenyans may have to wait a bit longer for a draft constitution after a parliamentary team urged the experts to prepare a water-tight document. The Daily Nation learnt that when the Committee of Experts met the Parliamentary Select Committee...

Testy Turn in Row Over Youth Fund Chief.
October 28, 2009... A fight between the board of the Youth Enterprise Fund executive officer intensified on Wednesday. The board placed notices in newspapers saying Mr Umuro Wario was no longer employed by the multi-billion fund. However, Mr Wario was still in...