Kenya's Chief Justice Joins Twitter and Facebook

Kenya’s new Chief Justice, Dr. Willy Mutunga has joined Twitter and Facebook social sites respectively. The new CJ got one of the biggest welcome any famous person has ever gotten while having a first time on the social networking site.

 It might also not be that the Kenyans on Twitter would like just to follow him but maybe the expectation out there is so high. You could see from the comments directed at the new CJ’s twitter handle that many were looking for justice on stalled cases.

The new CJ also announced his presence on Facebook. Within one hour of joining Twitter, the new Cj’s account has gained more than 1,100 and it is still counting. Going through the new Cj’s followers, you will realise that there are a good number of them who are also new on Twitter.

There are also CNN, Reuters and some Aljazeera journalists as well.
CJ Willy Mutunga’s appointment has been controversial with some religious and political leaders seeing him as immoral considering that he wears studs on his left ear. He has also been suspected to be gay with church leaders questioning his family values. He later said that he is not gay at the last parliamentary committee’s grilling.

Dr Willy Mutunga’s foray onto the social media to engage with the citizens is such a boost to the online community. Though there were doubts on the authenticity of the account, we did confirm from one of his close friends who says that it is the CJ himself who has joined Twitter.

On the main photo, the CJ can be spotted with an iPad on the table. The CJ is said to be one of the most tech savvy individuals out there. What do you think of the new CJ joining Twitter?

LOVE BITE

 By Aquinas Nyakundi

Why is it that most ladies claim they have been misused when guys dump them? Is it any way supposed to be called dumping?
I believe, in a relationship, each contributes equally. When a lady is taken out, the bill is squarely laid on the gentleman, and when it comes to sharing the bed, the lady comes out claiming she has been UTILIZED.

It is high time you realize that there is no utility of the female counterpart rather a mindset that when in a relationship, the man is the one who take precedence in driving the relationship.
Ladies, wake up and realize that some of your colleagues have started relationships and they are running them. That is why men nowadays are dumped but they always defend themselves in the open while in the closed they are crying.

A lady ought to be treated well but the man too ought to be treated well. Marriage is a major task and it is through a relationship that you get to realize who actually you want to settle down with.
If you have never fought in your relationship of get angry with one another, think twice before you get into marriage.

The lady who takes rice with a toothpick when you take her out might actually take half a goat alone when you marry her. It is called surety of custody.

On a lighter note:
Adult male and female rats leave drops of pee everywhere to advertise their sexual availability. Pee contains a lot of information about the rat who made it! It's like a personal resumé. It tells another rat one's species, sex, age, social status, reproductive status, and individual.


The following urine marks say the following about the rat that left it behind:

Hot, healthy adult alpha male rat seeks any female rat. I'm a high testosterone, high fecundity guy! Let me father your offspring! (pee is two days old)

Beta male rat seeks any female rat. I've lost a lot of fights recently, so my testosterone is kinda low, and I have a tapeworm, but I'd still loooove to meet you! (pee is five days old)

Sexy female rat seeks handsome, experienced, dominant male to sire next litter. I'm gonna be in heat tomorrow, so hurry! (pee is fifteen minutes old)

FIRE DESTROYS STUDENT PROPERTY AT KERERI GIRLS

By Aquinas Nyakundi and Shadrack Mbaka

 

Student property worth thousands of shillings reduced to ashes when fire razed the upper block of a form one dormitory on Sunday evening at Kereri Girls High School in Kisii central.

 

The fire that started at 8pm paralyzed the evening preps at the institution as students rushed to rescue their property but the inferno overpowered them.

 

The fire brigade from G4S and the Municipal Council who arrived an hour later battled with the fire with the help of villagers, which they managed to contain three hours later.

There were no casualties in the incident as students were still in class for their preps apart from less than ten unconscious students rushed to hospital following the aftershock of the incident.

 

 

 

Speaking to Craze Utility  and Nairobi Matters at the scene, the Director of Jomo Kenyatta University Kisii campus, Professor John Memba Ochora, who is also a parent at the school hailed the emergence response saying both public hospital and private ambulances rushed to the scene.

Professor Ochora described the dormitory structure as incompetently designed as it could be hard to carry out an evacuation exercise incase students happened to be caught up in the inferno.

He added that access to emergence exits be made easy to facilitate rescue operations in case of such incidences.

 

The congested dormitory houses more than 160 students with cubes carrying up to 30 students some of whom sleep on triple decker beds.

Valentine Kerubo, a student in form 1E said all her property were destroyed in the fire and the uniform she was wearing and a few books in class was what was left.

 

Parents who arrived in the institution to check on their children protested against a proposal by the BOG to have only form one students of other forms continue with studies, as the incident did not affect them.

The Principal was not available for comment, as she was attending a Principals seminar at the coast.

The cause of the fire was yet to be established by the time of going to press.

Kenyan Porous Boarders likely to court More Insecurity

Shadrack Mbaka

Kenyan Porous Boarders likely to court More Insecurity

 Insecurity cases being witnessed in the country for the past few years desires quick action, there is little doubt that our borders are somehow porous and this makes Kenya a vulnerable prey for neighboring militia groups and even terrorists. 

The death of the Al-Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden, came as a sigh of relief to many people across the world thanks to the US navy seals and the Obama administration.It is all interesting to note that the US was securing its boarders, that prompted them to go for Osama Bin Laden, miles away from their territory.

Kenyan boarders remain porous and the government remains reluctant to secure its boarders. It is unfortunate that the government would just watch as the Merrile and Topasa Militia groups from neighboring countries would enter into Kenya on free will kill,maim and steal livestock and walk out through our boarder points that are said to be under a 24-hour surveillance.

I believe in the spirit of the East African Community and the close diplomatic ties connecting the five countries, but it is ammusing at the way President Kibaki would declare on  Madaraka that the islands of Migingo and Ugingo belong to KENYA only  for Uganda to send their police to the islands a few days later,What would you call this? Bullying?

Many questions have been raised about how Al-Qaeda managed to launch their attacks in Kenya and then disappeared without a trace.This begs the question, how could there be an Al-Qaeda recruiter serving in the Kenyan army fail to be noticed by our security forces with all the intelligence resources at their disposal?

Security Lapse?

In another incident, the Al-shabab militia raided Mandera, North East of Kenya, a long Kenya-Somali border, and abducted a government officer and two missionary nuns.

The above incidents and others, like the grenade attacks on Uhuru Park Nairobi last year, the numerous narcotic consignments being impounded far away from the border, and the firearms impounded in Narok town near Kenya-Tanzania border, are a clear indication of porous borders that makes Kenya an easy target for terrorists.

Is there a security lapse along the borders of Kenya? And are we safe?

Insecurity has gigantically negative implications on both the country’s political and economical fronts.

In a bid to make the country and the citizens secure, the government may do well to consider reinforcing the security at key entry points and also use modern technology in detecting firearms, illegal immigrants and narcotics. But as far as I am concerned we are not out of the woods yet on matters of national security.

Youthful leaders have grand plans for NEP

By BONFACE ONGERI


As next year's General Election draws nearer by the day, North Eastern Province politics, which for over four decades had been dominated by clanism, is set for major transformation following increased participation by elitist youthful leaders.

In the past, ethnic homogeneity has been the cause of bitter albeit simmering clan competition right from the constituency level to the national level, instead of engendering a common political front, as one would expect.
This time round, however, all indications are that political Old Guard in the region are set for a bruising battle with the young turks come next year’s poll, following an intense political interest by the youth in the various elective positions created under the new Constitution.

The trend was first set in the 2007 General Election when seven out of the 11 elected MPs in the region were youthful, among them the chairman of the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee, Mandera Central’s Abdikadir Mohammed.

Youthful leaders in the region claim the Somali community had for a long time tethered its fate and aspirations on clan-based politics, poor leadership and social apathy, which had made the region lag behind in development.

Succession politics
"We have stagnated with politics of succession as the rest of the country made progress in politics, education and infrastructure. We have been spectators as the rest of the country progressed and this can change through youthful leadership," said Ahmednadhir Omar Sheikh, who has declared interest in the Garissa governor’s seat.
Mr Omar explained that political leaders in the region have for a long time been viewed as ‘demigods’.

"For so long the youth have been disenfranchised. Since Independence, we have laboured under corrupt and clan-based politics. We have underperformed in education, agriculture and business and we want to put a stop to all these through active participation in leadership," added Omar.

The Mayor of Garissa, Mohamed Gabow Kharbat, says youth in the region were now taking an active role in politics like has never been witnessed before.
"We have the determination and commitment. Young people have discovered that the power lies with people and have come out strongly to take active roles in leadership," says the youthful mayor, who is aged 28.

In the region, youthful leaders elected into political positions are being viewed as a yardstick to determine whether they can deliver better than the older generation of leaders. At a recent workshop for the province’s councillors, youthful councillors said they joined civic politics after realising there was need to inject youthful and literate leadership in the running of the local authorities.

"Initially we thought it as demeaning to vie for the positions and dismissed the seats as reserved for the illiterate in the society, but this has changed," Khalif Omar Bullow, the Kulaley Ward Councillor says.
The youth, however, still face numerous challenges ranging from lack of financial resources to wrestle leadership from the Old Guard.

Some residents say certain youth elected into leadership roles have failed to meet expectations.
"They had the opportunity to prove to the skeptics that they were up to the challenge but some have been a big disappointment and embarrassment to the youth fraternity," Khalif Abdi Farah, the coordinator of Northern Forum for Democracy said.

Questionable wealth
Khalif explains the difference between the old guard and the youth was that the elderly leaders were easily accessible and selfless, but the youth were selfish and poor managers.
"Some of the youthful leaders are already under probe for misuse of funds while others have accumulated questionable wealth and are living beyond their paltry pay," Khalif added. 

Northern Development Minister Mohamed Elmi said while the youth are welcome to assume leadership positions, the definition of who qualifies to be called a youth matters.
"The Constitution has defined youth and those contesting in that category need to meet the requirement and expectations of the people.

Mr Elmi and Ijara MP Yusuf Haji are the only two ministers from the region, but both of them are viewed to belong to the old guard.
ODM-Kenya Nominated MP Mohammed Affey says more youth should be encouraged to take up leadership positions. "The future belongs to them especially professionals. They have energy and vigour, which could be lacking in some of the old guard," says Affey, who became Wajir South MP at 27.

BLAST IN NAIROBI...

A man is reported to have died and more than 36 others are fighting for their lives in various hospitals in Nairobi after an explosion near a petrol station in downtown Nairobi on Sunday.

The impact blasted two 20-ft containers full of second-hand auto parts metres away and flung vehicles across the street.

The scene of the explosion was a condemned building which, because of the street slope, was like the basement of Kirinyaga Road Shell Petrol Station.

The building reeked of petrol, possibly suggesting leaking underground tanks. The explosion set fire to the fuel pumps at the station, which was quickly put out by the fire department.

One man died at Guru Nanak Hospital where he had been rushed for treatment for multiple injuries, according to Nairobi Provincial Police boss Anthony Kibuchi.

Ballistic experts were still combing the scene to establish its cause. There were conflicting reports with some eyewitnesses claiming the explosion was caused by a gas cylinder, while others said it was a missile.

The district has one of the biggest concentrations of illegal immigrants in the city. One apartment block was packed with Pakistani immigrants.

Police and rescue officials said 36 people were being treated at Kenyatta National Hospital, MP Shah Hospital, Nairobi Hospital, Guru Nanak and Park Road Nursing Home.

Of those injured, five were in serious condition on Sunday. (IN PICTURES: Nairobi blast)

Among those injured was Ayaan Altaf, aged just one and half months, who sustained cuts on the head from broken glass.

Several others suffered burns to the face and head, fractures and cuts from the broken glass and metal.

A doctor at Kenyatta where most of the injured were taken said most of them had sustained second degree burns and tissue injuries.

Second-hand car part dealers lost property in the blast. At least ten vehicles, including five saloon cars, were extensively damaged.

The explosion occurred near Grogan Garage on lower Kirinyaga Road between Kirinyaga Road Shell Petrol Station and Shabir Centre, a six-floor residential block.

Some of the injured were tenants of the building, which was also damaged. Glass windows were shattered in most of the nearby buildings.

Eyewitnesses, describing the power of the explosion, said it lifted shipping containers and cars in the air and slammed them onto the pavement across the street. Prime Minister Raila Odinga has promised speedy investigations into the real cause of the blast.