City Hall is set to spend at least Sh400 million to upgrade community health centres across the county in a bid to boost access to health services at ward level.

This in addition to strengthening partnership with private health centres by enhancing engagement between the two parties.

SERVICE DELIVERY

The upgrade will see the centres acquire more medical equipment to improve their efficiency in service delivery as well as uplifting their capacity to handle more patients.

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko said that apart from ongoing upgrading of Nairobi County’s top four facilities including Mama Lucy Kibaki, Pumwani, Mbagathi and Mutuini Hospitals, his administration will also channel resources to community health centers across the 17 sub-Counties.

Besides the sub-County health centres, the City Hall boss, stated that the county government has taken stock of other health facilities that have been supplementing provision of health services to residents in informal settlements.

“We have private facilities within these places and because we have no adequate land to put up county hospitals, we must find a way of how we have work together to ensure residents have access to reliable and quality medical care,” said Sonko.

In the current financial year, the health sector was allocated Sh7.4 billion, forming the bulk of the more than Sh35 billion budget.

Governor Sonko further pointed out that the county is looking into various options to ensure that at least each of the top health centres in the 17 sub-Counties have ambulances, enough medical personnel as well as incorporating Community Health Volunteers into the sector.

AMBULANCES

In light of this, plans are underway to purchase at least 30 ambulances which will be distributed among the health centres with private health facilities and other community-based health centers operating in proximity set to benefit from such services once the partnership is sealed.

Over the past months, county hospitals have recorded an influx of patients, an improvement that the governor attributed to heavy investment in equipping county hospitals geared toward enhancing healthcare services provision.

“More patients are now seeking services from Nairobi County health facilities due to the intensified upgrade and equipping of the hospitals,” said Sonko.

Figures released by the county’s Health Sector revealed that the number of deliveries in Pumwani Maternity Hospital had nearly doubled from 11, 169 to 19, 267 annually. The facility was the first to be upgraded under Sonko’s administration.

At Mbagathi Hospital, the number of patients recorded in the outpatient department had risen from 98, 471 in June 2017 to 113, 916 at the time while at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, the number of patients had increased to 314, 000 from 214, 150 in 2017.

A similar increase in the number of patients seeking services at the county health facilities was also recorded in Level 2 and 3 facilities including Kayole I, Kayole II, Lunga Lunga, Eastleigh and Westlands Health Centres, among others.

Victoria Chelangat was reaching for her safety belt after putting away the three baskets filled with fresh fruits and vegetables she had bought at the roadside stalls in Emali township when a polite “Shikamoo!” startled her.

Upon looking up, she locked eyes with a pair of warm, brown smiling eyes on a scruffy face.

GUILT

“Tafadhali ni saidie na pesa ya chakula (Please give me some money for food),” the boy in a dirty vest and torn pants pleaded.

“Get off the street and go back to school,” Ms Chelangat lashed in disgust, as she rolled up her window.

“Asante. Uwe na safari njema (Thanks, have a safe journey,” he responded, evoking a deep sense of guilt in the mother of three.

“I rolled back the window and handed him a few coins, with a firmer admonition that he goes back to school,” the Nairobi medic told the Nation recently.

Her experience is common among motorists who shop at the town that straddles Makueni and Kajiado counties, whose street children have learnt to equate courtesy to survival.

There are between 200 and 400 street children in Makueni, a 2018 survey by the Department of Children’s Services found. More than 150 boys and girls aged 10 to 24 roam the streets of Emali.

TRUANTS

Interviews with some of the children found that some are truants from the neighbouring Emali, Ndwaani, and Nairattat primary schools. Others came from distant Nairobi and Mombasa to eke out a living in the busy township.

Some of the youngsters are talented dancers and musicians. They recently told the Nation that they would like to go back to school but are prevented from doing so by poverty, peer pressure, orphanhood, and lack of parental care.

“I found solace on the street after my parents started neglecting me following their separation,” said an eight-year-old boy.

Often, the older street boys recruit the younger ones into using drugs, the common ones being glue and marijuana.

The authorities and the local business community complain that the number of street children in Emali has been rising.

COURTESY

The attractive fresh fruits and vegetables displayed in stalls that line a section of the Nairobi-Mombasa highway that cuts through the busy township lure motorists. Besides, the town is a stopover for thousands of truck drivers heading to and from countries such as Rwanda.

Notably, Emali is the most economically vibrant town in Makueni County, going by the revenue it has been generating in recent years.

Interestingly, most motorists turn down the children’s pleas for cash until they wish them a safe journey. This calculated courtesy works miracles for the children.

“Shoppers who are initially hesitant to engage the children suddenly get interested in them because of their courtesy. They briefly tell the motorists about their backgrounds, and soon get money. Unfortunately, the young ones lose the money to their older colleagues. They spend some of the money on glue and drugs,” says Mr Reuben Mutua, the chairman of the Emali business community.

Some people feel that the children are a nuisance to motorists. Their approach provokes so much guilt that a motorist recently said he would stop buying commodities at the market after he felt constrained to offer them a full chicken meal he had bought for his family after they thanked and wished him a safe journey when he refused to give them money.

“He vowed not to stop here again until we get the children off the street,” said trader Jackline Muthoni.

Gaming firm Betin last Friday announced that it would close down 500 retail outlets, rendering another 2,500 Kenyans jobless.

The firm said in a statement that the government’s hard stance left it with no option but to issue its staff with redundancy notices.

LOST JOBS

They will join more than 2,000 others who have lost their jobs since July in a wave of layoffs by companies seeking to remain afloat.

The news has created fear among workers in the formal and informal sectors.

Things are unlikely to get better after the government announced that it will ban imports of second-hand electronic gadgets from January next year.

Mr Ayub Macharia, the director of environmental education in the Ministry of Environment, said Kenya has been used as a dumping ground for electronic waste from developed countries.

“We are putting in place strict regulations to deter imports of obsolete electronics and the move to ban imports of old electronic gadgets will be contained in the Extended Producer Responsibility Regulations,” he said.

ELECTRONIC GADGETS

The move will make importers and sellers of electronic gadgets, including television sets, radios and mobile phones, responsible for disposing of them when they can no longer be used.

“The sellers of the non-biodegradable equipment will have to adhere to a deposit return scheme,” he said.

This means that a certain fee will be added on top of the gadget price, which buyers will either get back when they return the product or top up to get a new product.

Mr Macharia added that the regulations will be in full force by March 2020.

ELECTRONIC WASTE

He accused government offices and parastatals of holding the largest consignment of electronic waste (e-waste) in the form of television sets, fridges and electric cables.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Centre (WEEE) General Manager Boniface Mbithi said Kenya generates over 44,000 tonnes of e-waste every year.

The gadgets end up polluting the environment as they are not properly disposed of.

“The e-waste is more because we do not have a framework to capture the data. Our institution only collects 25 tonnes monthly, though we have a capacity of 100 tonnes,” he said.

Among the firms legally licensed to recycle e-waste are Simonet Kenya, EWIK, Sintmund and WEEE, while Safaricom and the Communication Authority of Kenya serve as collection centres.

Former Wazito FC Technical Director, Stanley Okumbi, admits he had a public disagreement with coach Fred Ambani over team selection.

But Stanley Okumbi, who doubles up as U-20 national football team coach, has denied fighting Ambani – himself a former Harambee Stars striker.

As Nairobi News reported on Sunday, Okumbi and Ambani were fired by the Kenyan Premier League side on Monday, two days after owner Ricardo Badoer publicly complained over the poor spate of results.

“Our players played like there had spent the whole day at (fast food joint) KFC,” wrote Badoer on Twitter after the team’s 4-2 defeat to Kakamega Homeboyz.

But it is emerging there could be more to these dismissals than meets the eye, considering junior coach Dennis Hamisi survived the axe.

“It is not true that we fought. But there was a disagreement over fielding. Fred wanted (to field) a player who had just recovered from sickness. That was part of the problem,” Okumbi told Kahawa Tungu.

But multiple sources within the team suggest the two officials might have been involved in a physical altercation ahead of the Homeboyz game and were served with a verbal suspension after the game.

Wazito is in 13th position on the 18-team league standings on the league standings.

This is considered an underachieving record by fans and pundits considering Badoer and and club sporting director Solomon Alubala’s investment in the squad at the start of the season.

A sombre mood has engulfed Kamatungu estate on the suburbs of Marimanti town in Tharaka South Sub County after a man stabbed to death his friend following a scuffle over a meal of termites.

Mr Daniel Mutiria Cece, 36, who worked at a metal-welding workshop in Marimanti town, was stabbed four times on the stomach and chest by his friend Muriungi Kiyogere, 35, on Sunday night at around 11pm.

SHOCKING CRIME

Confirming the incident, Tharaka-South Police Commander, Kiprop Rutto, said after committing the shocking crime, the suspect surrendered himself to Marimanti Police Station as irate area residents bayed for his blood.

“The suspect escaped the wrath of the villagers and surrendered at the station where he confessed stabbing the deceased,” said Mr Rutto.

The suspect was immediately locked up as police officers rushed to the scene where they found the victim’s lifeless body lying on a pool of blood. The body was taken Chuka County Referral Hospital mortuary.

Mr Rutto said according to initial investigations, a disagreement arose after the deceased found the suspect picking termites at the door of his room and demanded that he surrenders the insects, which he claiming belonged to him.

DIED ON THE SPOT

A fist fight broke out between the two, before the suspect ran to his room and came out with a knife with which he stabbed the victim four times.

The victim died on the spot.

“We are looking forward at arraigning the suspect in a Marimanti court tomorrow (on Tuesday) for murder charges,” Rutto said.

According to eye witnesses, the suspect and the victim are longtime friends who had spend Mashujaa Day drinking liquor together.

“We are shocked by this incident because we have never witnessed such animosity in this area before,” said Mr Jane Muthoni, a resident of the area.

She said many residents peacefully pick termites for a meal during rainy season and they have never witnessed any other disagreement because the insects do not belong to anybody.

TABOO

Meanwhile, Mr Jacob M’Chabari, a Njuri Ncheke elder, said it is a taboo for circumcised men Ameru to eat termites.

He added that it’s a big shame for a man to kill another because of the insects that are only allowed to be eaten by children and women.

In the region, a glass of termite, which are mostly available during rainy season, is sold in supermarkets or on the streets at Sh100 .

Termites are eaten around the world, including in Africa, Asia and South America.

The insects which are rich in protein and fat are a sweet delicacy, especially when served with ugali.

Nigerian artiste Davido cannot just keep calm after becoming a dad.

Davido, whose real name is David Adedaji Adekele, recently shared on his Instagram page that his fiancée, Chioma Avril Rowland, had given birth to a baby boy.

“Omoba ti de!! Davido Adedaji Junior. The prince is here. Love you my strong wife,” Davido wrote.

The Skelewu hitmaker had earlier tweeted that his better half was in the labour ward.

The development comes barely a month after Davido told whoever cared to listen that he had proposed to his girlfriend after he had an introduction ceremony with the family of his wife-to-be.

Davido, who was born in the US but later relocated to his native Nigeria, is a Business Administration graduate who chose music for career.

Two years ago, he stunned his fans by splashing out an estimated Sh12 million to purchase a Porsche Cayenne for Chioma.

Not done, he composed and sang a song titled Assurance for his girlfriend.

Dennis Itumbi says he was awarded Head of State Commendation (HSC) for ‘attempting’ to connect free internet in Nakuru town.

The renowned blogger, who maintains he still operates from State House, has further said he was recognized by President Uhuru Kenyatta following his idea to introduce social media communication to all government ministries to enable them to communicate directly with the public.

Itumbi spoke on Sunday during an interview on the Punchline show which is aired on K24.

“This (award) was my boss just saying ‘Dennis, well done. The issues (which led to my consideration for this award) were two. One was the attempt to connect Nakuru to free wifi and the second one was introducing a digital infrastructure for government and that was both human and physical,” Itumbi said.

Itumbi went on to state that the attempt to install wifi in Nakuru was a temporary initiative that didn’t quite work, adding the success of it all was that ‘no public funds were used’.

“There was a contract with the County Government of Nakuru (about the wifi) then, for two years, the wifi worked in some places and didn’t work in other places. By the way, it was done without using public money so in essence, it was a good attempt,” he explained.

Itumbi was among several Kenyans who were awarded the Head of State Commendation (HSC) in 2017, sparking public debate over their suitability for the state honours.

Others are controversial blogger Robert Alai, gospel artiste Ben Githae of the infamous Jubilee Party campaign anthem Tano Tena, Martin Kimotho aka Githeri Man and TV journalist Jackie Maribe.

Congolese side Daring Club (DC) Motema Pembe has warned its players and the technical bench against engaging in witchcraft ahead this weekend’s continental showdown with Gor Mahia in Nairobi.

According to Lessential, the club president, Vidiye Tshimanga, has also ‘fired’ people he believes have been practicing witchcraft at the glamour club.

STERN WARNING

Tshimanga issued the stern warning following Saturday’s one-all draw against Saint-Éloi Lupopo in a league match at the Stadium Frederic Kibasa Maliba.

The draw came days after Motema Pembe lost to Jeunesse Sportive Groupe Bazano in another league match.

“Dear friends, know that I am very unhappy tonight,” Tshimenga is reported to have told Motema Pembe staff in the dressing room.

“I have seen everything. (If you) dream, I tell you ‘dream’. (I) never again (want) these kinds of practice here at Motema Pembe. Your fetishes, do it yourself. I only win with God and no one else.”

The match against Gor Mahia in a first leg fixture of the Caf Confederation Cup play-offs round will mark the first time the ‘Green and White’ – as the Kinshasha based team is famously referred to – will be visiting Kenya in two and a half decades.

In their last visit in 1994, Motema Pembe demolished a star-studded Kenya Breweries (now referred to as Tusker) 3-0 for a famous 5-2 aggregate win that saw them clinching the defunct Africa Cup Winners Cup (Mandela Cup).

The winner of the Gor Mahia and Motema Pembe game will qualify for the group stage of the Confederation Cup. This comes with Sh27 million in prize money. The tournament’s winner will pocket Sh150 million.

A school in India has apologized after photos emerged of students wearing cardboard boxes on their heads during an exam to discourage cheating.

The Bhagat Pre-University College in Haveri, in India’s southwestern Karnataka state, implemented a trial run of the new measure last Wednesday, according to school management head M.B. Sateesh.

CRITICISM

A staff member photographed the students sitting in neat rows, their heads obscured by cardboard boxes.

The front of the boxes had been cut out, allowing students to see their desks and exam sheets but restricting their vision, similar to blinkers used on a horse.

The photos were posted on Facebook by a staff member and promptly went viral, according to CNN affiliate CNN-News18.

Before long, the school was facing widespread criticism on social media. Even government officials weighed in – S. Suresh Kumar, the state education minister, said in a tweet that the school’s practice was “unacceptable.”

“Nobody has any right to treat anybody more so students like animals,” Kumar wrote. “This (perversion) will be dealt with aptly.”

BOX EXPERIMENT

The school has provided authorities with a written explanation of the trial and an apology, Sateesh said.

Sateesh emphasized that the trial was optional, the school had notified parents in advance – and only students with parental approval had been involved. Of the 72 students taking midterm exams that day, only 56 took part in the box experiment, he said.

“They said they were comfortable with the trial,” Sateesh said. “The college did not harass any student, it was optional and some (students) experimented, some did not.”

The students had brought their own boxes to school, and many took them off after 15 to 30 minutes, Sateesh said. The school asked all students to take off the boxes within an hour of the exam.

CHEATING SCANDAL

The school had faced a widespread and persistent cheating problem last year – leading to new anti-cheating experiments like the boxes, according to CNN-News18.

There has been a number of cheating scandals across India in recent years. One particularly prominent scandal in 2015 saw parents and family members in Bihar state scaling the exterior walls of school buildings to pass their children cheat sheets.

In a developing economy like India, education is a precious commodity – it could be the key for much of the population to get out of a vicious cycle of poverty. However, this also means many students are under heavy pressure not to just pass examinations, but to exceed expectations at all costs.

Critics have pointed to such pressure as a motivator to cheat, and a source of poor mental health among students – earlier this year, 19 students in the southern Indian state of Telangana took their own lives after the release of exam results.

Kenyan gospel songstress Size 8 (real name Linet Munyali Muraya) has finally confirmed that she is indeed expecting another baby.

The songwriter, who is married to Samwel Muraya better known as DJ Mo, has also revealed that she has been through a lot of complications.

“…God has been our protection our cover, thru tears and thru pain God has covered us under His mighty wing!!!! And I did not loose this pregnancy!!!! Soon and very soon I will hold my baby in my hands because this far God has fought for us!!!!! The journey this far has not been easy full of hurdles but His grace has been our strength!!!…”, Size 8 wrote on Instagram.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

And to God be the glory!!!!! This far I can testify of His grace ,His faithfulness, His mercy and love for me and my unborn baby……. though we ve walked thru the valley of the shadow of death God has been our protection our cover, thru tears and thru pain God has covered us under His mighty wing!!!! And I did not loose this pregnancy!!!! Soon and very soon I will hold my baby in my hands because this far God has fought for us!!!!! The journey this far has not been easy full of hurdles but His grace has been our strength!!! To all believing God for a child please dont give up no matter what medical reports say. HE WHO HAS KEPT ME AND MY BABY THIS FAR IS FAITHFUL even in the darkest hour keep the faith!!!!!!!! Close family and friends know the complications that I’ve gone thru while carrying this baby yani this is a miracle!!!! Tears of thanks giving run down my chics as I post this knowing that only God has made it possible……….. BEHOLD SEE THE MIGHTY HAND OF YAWEH!!!!!!!!!!!………………..#themurayas Dressed by @africanfabricanddesignske Location @swisslenana Pic by @infinity_clix Make up by @crownedbymakeup

A post shared by Size 8 Reborn (@size8reborn) on Oct 21, 2019 at 10:30am PDT

She also posted a photo of herself tenderly holding her baby bump while dressed in a flowing red evening dress.

To this, her hubby DJ Mo responded by saying: “Congrats babe, Glory to God, shukuru mzee kazi amefanya sio jokes…”

Just two months ago, Size 8 refused to confirm speculations from Kenyans that she was expectant, despite flaunting her baby bump.

In December 2018, Size 8 revealed through an emotional post that she miscarried her second pregnancy and thanked her friends and family for supporting her.

The celebrity couple, an inspiration to many Kenyans, has been married for six years and had their first child, Ladasha Belle Wambui, in November 2015.

Netizens, including several celebs, reacted to Size 8’s big announcement with sweet congratulatory messages.

“Congratulations mama wambo,” @dkkwenyebeat wrote.

“Congratulations,” @joyceomondi commented.

“Wow, congratulations, God’s speed!” @officialjanetmbugua said.

“Congratulations,” @willisraburu posted.

The matatu business has become instrumental in not only easing transportation, but also creating jobs.

Some world renowned celebrities, while on a visit to Kenya, have expressed amazement at Kenyans’ creativity in branding matatus.

DRUG TRAFFICKING

However, recent police investigations have established that the industry is being tainted by drug dealers keen on concealing their ill-gotten wealth.

Recent investigations by police attached to the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) have led to the arrest of Mrs Rose Musanda Monyani whose vast investment in the matatu sector has been linked to drug trafficking.

Mrs Monyani was charged at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport court on June 17 with trafficking narcotics.

Investigators had established that she had deployed part of the proceeds of the illegal trade to various businesses, including running matatus. They traced five buses to her.

“Mrs Monyani has not been able to give reasonable explanation to prove any legitimate source of the same. Our investigations have established that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the assets and funds in issue are proceeds of crime obtained through an illegitimate trade in narcotic drug substances,” police said in court papers.

A High Court order directed Mrs Monyani to hand over logbooks of her five buses and a saloon car to the DCI.

Officers searched her home in Kinoo, Kiambu County, and recovered Sh25 million and an unknown substance, which was sent to the Government Chemist for sampling, weighting, valuation and analysis. The substance was found to contain heroin at 40 per cent purity.

Investigations further established that Mrs Monyani had acquired a number of assets using proceeds from the illicit trade and registered them under her name and proxies so as to conceal the source of the funds.

PROCEEDS OF CRIME

There is an international obligation for every country to combat illegitimate trade in drugs and laundering of proceeds of crime.

In an effort to adhere to this obligation, state actors in the justice system have strived to wage a war against drug trafficking.

In March, for instance, Attorney-General Paul Kihara during a tour of Lamu, Hindi and Mpeketoni towns in the company of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji urged residents to reveal drug dealers.

“You have the police and administration departments here with you. Kindly co-operate with them and if they are the ones collaborating with the peddlers, inform us so that we can have them replaced by others who can work to end the vice,” Justice Kihara said.

Since drug peddlers use mules (third parties) to conduct their illegitimate business, they rarely get caught.

Instead drug users often face the full force of the law and are imprisoned for years.

In appreciating this fact, Chief Justice David Maraga had earlier in the year directed that judges and magistrates in Lamu County ensure that prosecuted drug users are sent to rehabilitation centres and not prisons.

He said the Judiciary should stop regarding drug users as criminals and instead treat them like patients who need urgent medical attention to recover from the menace.

DRUG MENACE

Established drug peddlers will not, however, receive the same treatment. They will be treated as the criminals that they are.

He spoke during the launch of the Lamu Rehabilitation Centre.

The National Agency for the Campaign Against Drug Abuse (Nacada) paints a grim picture of the drug menace, that more than five million Kenyans are addicted to drugs.

The office of the DPP has also introduced alternatives to trial, which include plea bargaining and diversion.

According to Deputy DPP Dorcas Oduor, drug users will only be required to accept that they have done something wrong then allowed to plead guilty for a lesser offence and can then be diverted to a rehabilitation centre.

Still pending before court is an application where police finally managed to pin down Joseph Wanjohi and his wife, Jane Wambui Wanjiru, after 14-year investigations on their involvement in drug trafficking.

In the matter, ARA is also seeking to recover what it terms proceeds of crime.

It’s emerging that drug traffickers have networks in more than one country and use close relatives and proxies to trade.

ILLEGAL TRADE

The mules acquire, convey, sell and distribute the drugs for and on behalf of barons within and outside Kenya. The drug barons then acquire massive assets and register them under their names and companies to disguise the source of the funds.

The couple was arrested on October 16, 2009 at their Muthaiga home while in possession of 1,274 grammes of heroin and were subsequently charged with trafficking in narcotics.

Elizabeth Njoki Wanjiru, and Kinyanjui Joseph, who are brother and sister to Jane, worked on behalf of the couple as mules. Meanwhile, Joseph and Jane also had a distributor and conveyor of narcotics, Nassoro Salim Said, who is Tanzanian.

Elizabeth and Nassoro were arrested at Mlolongo on the outskirts of Nairobi on September 2, 2016 while in possession of 3,921 grammes of heroin valued at Sh11,764,800. They were subsequently charged in court.

Kinyanjui was arrested on September 4, 2017 while in possession of 238 grammes of heroin valued of Sh714,600 and charged. He was later sentenced to 20 years imprisonment with a fine of Sh1 million.

“Our investigations further established that benefits derived from this illegal trade in narcotics drugs and wildlife trophies were subsequently delivered to Joseph and Jane by way of physical cash and deposits into their bank accounts by their agents, associates and conduit entities so as to conceal, hide and disguise the source of the funds,” police said in court papers.

In a scheme to disrupt investigations, Joseph and Jane registered two companies, Sidjoe Manufacturers and Suppliers, and Marudiono Zone Ltd.

Under the law, ARA is authorised to institute civil forfeiture proceedings against suspects if their case is proved. Government repossesses all assets acquired through proceeds of crime.

Former TV presenter, Jacque Maribe, is still single, just so you know.

Maribe has made her stand clear following days of speculation on social media after she recently confirmed that popular comedian Eric Omondi is the father of her 4-four-year old son Zahari.

The former Citizen TV news anchor set the internet on fire with the post on Instagram which captured the couple together with their son on his graduation day.

“Family first. Happy graduation day Zahari. We, mum and dad @ericomondi are proud of you!!,” she captioned the photo.

Eric also posted the same photo on his Instagram page with the simple caption “Family.”

The couple’s posts left many of their fans wondering who between murder suspect Jowie (currently in remand), blogger Dennis Itumbi or Omondi the TV journalist is going out with.

Commenting on the photo, one particular bewildered fan Danny Dunhillison challenged Maribe to make her stand clear on who between the three men she is dating.

FRIENDS

“… Mara sijui Jowie, mara Itumbi, sahii ni joker anaitwa Eric. I mean where does she lie? Tangaza standing madam!” Danny posted.

In response, Maribe wrote: “@Dannydunhillison nilitangaza hukuona. Niko single AF. Those are my friends.”

Maribe and Omondi dated back in 2014 in a short-lived relationship.

She would later flaunt her baby bump but remained coy on the father of her child.

Years later, she started seeing Jowie but she has seemingly dumped following his incarceration after being charged in the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani.

Maribe, who also spent some time behind bars over the same case, has lately been ‘tight’ with Itumbi, who has even been attending some of the court proceedings.

Former Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Chief Executive (CEO) Robert Muthomi has threatened to sue Kenyan Premier League (KPL) club Sofapaka president Elly Kalekwa for ‘tainting’ his name.

He spoke on Tuesday after FKF’s Disciplinary Committee cleared him of any wrongdoing in a case he was accused of abusing his office.

“I have asked my lawyers to look into it. I reserve my rights to the action and this (taking legal action) could go further in helping me clear my name,” Muthomi exclusively told Nairobi News.

Muthomi was forced to step aside as the federation’s CEO in July and has since been under investigation after Kalekwa accused him of attempting to aid Harambee Stars striker John Avire to terminate his contract with Sofapaka and travel to Egypt to sign a better deal with Tanta FC.

These allegations stem from a letter written by Muthomi in his position as an employee of the federation to Egypt Embassy in Nairobi, in which he requested the foreign mission to secure Avire and his ‘agent’ to travel to Cairo to watch the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations as ‘fans’.

NO EVIDENCE

But the disciplinary committee, led by chair Bernard Murunga, Lydia Mokaya, and Dorothy Jemator, has ruled that there was no sufficient evidence to nail Muthomi.

“Having considered all evidence laid before it, the committee is of the view that in the broad sense there was insufficient adduce evidence to the effect that the respondent (Muthomi) abused his office. The decision of the committee is unanimous,” the ruling reads in part.

FKF president Nick Mwendwa recently announced he had an agreement with Muthomi to relinquish his position regardless of the Disciplinary Committee’s ruling, and the former Chief Executive has confirmed he doesn’t want his job back.

McDonald Mariga appears to be encountering challenges in his bid to transition from a star footballer to a politician.

On Sunday, the former Harambee Stars player appeared to struggle to respond to questions from journalists while on the campaign trail.

Mariga had organised a football tournament involving the local teams and took that opportunity to push for his sports agenda in the event he is elected to office to succeed the late Ken Okoth on November 7.

It took the intervention of Langata lawmaker Nixon Korir to help the former Inter Milan midfielder to respond to a question from NTV journalist Seth Olale on live TV.

Seth Olale: Mariga, it is just three weeks to the by-election, so far, in terms of your strategy, is it working for you? And in terms of some of the issues raised by your campaign team in terms of security, have they been addressed? And so far how is the ground in Kibra?

Mariga (responds in Swahili): Ground iko poa but today ilikuwa mambo ya sports sitaki kuongelea mambo mingi. Nataka tulaunch sports Kibra, na tu-nurture talents. (The ground is okay, but we are focusing on sports today, my aim is to nurture talent).

At this point Koriri interjects and continues answering the question, despite indications from the journalists present that Mariga should field the questions.

Korir: Generally, we are doing well… you know where the violence is coming from. We are not a violent group. You can see right now all the players that are playing today are from different political parties but we’ve been unified today by football.

ODM’s Bernard ‘Imran’ Okoth, Eluid Owalo of ANC and Khamisi Butichi of Ford-Kenya alongside Mariga considered front runners in the Kibra race which has attracted a total of 26 contestants.

Taxes paid on used motor vehicles look set to drop significantly in the coming months after the High Court in Mombasa declared the current tax computation formula used by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) illegal.

The taxman has been using price quotations from dealers of new vehicles such as Toyota Kenya as the basis for calculating import duties and other levies on second-hand cars shipped in from overseas markets.

Used car dealers argued in court that the starting quotations, known as current retail selling prices (CRSP), are inflated and therefore result in unfairly higher taxes running into millions of shillings for those dealing in used imports.

They also say the process is unconstitutional since it locks them out, meaning that there is no public participation.

In a case filed by Car Importers Association of Kenya, the judge ruled in favour of the petitioners and found KRA’s taxation of used cars to be unfair and arbitrary.

Justice Eric Ogola last Wednesday declared that the CRSP is unconstitutional and ordered KRA to consult used car dealers when creating the next price list.

“A declaration that for purpose of continuity and in the interest of the public the transactions already effected via the said CRSP … shall continue to apply until such a time as the respondents will establish a new CRSP value in accordance with the law within 12 months from the date of this judgment,” he ruled.

Dealers in second-hand vehicles argue that the prices supplied by the new vehicle sellers to KRA are sometimes higher than actual showroom prices.

It is expected that by forcing public participation in the setting of the CRSP, the process will become more transparent and lead to lower taxes on models that have been unfairly overcharged in recent times.

“Taxes on some models have been unfairly high. We have been telling KRA that their sources of CRSP are interested parties who inflate the prices,” said Charles Munyori, the secretary-general of Kenya Auto Bazaar Association.

The current CRSP lists hundreds of vehicle models including Toyota Prado LJ running on a three-litre diesel engine whose showroom price is stated at Sh9.7 million. Others are Mercedes C200 Elegance with a 1.79-litre petrol engine (Sh7.3 million) and Toyota Vanguard 4WD with a two-litre petrol engine (Sh5.2 million).

The court case highlighted the arbitrary nature of the current tax system, which has seen some importers abandon their vehicles at the port after being hit with higher levies than they expected.

Al-Husnain Motors, for instance, imported a Toyota Land Cruiser V8 running on a 4.6-litre petrol engine. The used car dealer paid taxes of Sh4.1 million derived on the retail price of Sh14.4 million for a similar model in Kenya.

KRA, however, demanded more taxes from the dealer, arguing that the car should be taxed based on the higher selling price of Sh17.9 million for a Toyota Land Cruiser VX.

Taxman unfair

The judge found that the taxman was unfairly shifting goalposts to collect higher taxes, including by claiming that the car had been modified and gathering questionable data to justify its position.

“This court is satisfied that the respondents have no legal mandate to extract more taxes from Al-Husnain Motors on the basis of Facebook website data, or data offered in unclear circumstances by Toyota Kenya who are the petitioner’s competitors.

“Clearly, the basis of such taxation is guesswork whose result is ambiguity which has led to some importers being left off the hook while others being forced to pay.”

The judge added that the current motor vehicle tax process, if allowed to continue, will promote bias, unfairness and discrimination in assessment of tax due.

Used car dealers have long accused their formal counterparts of supplying the taxman with exorbitant prices of the models they sell, with KRA using this information as a base for calculating import duties.

The second-hand dealers estimate the losses brought by this price divergence at hundreds of thousands to millions of shillings for each imported car.

I first met Ann Kamoni in 2014 at the Nation Media Group after being hired to work for the defunct Nairobi News newspaper. We became instant friends!

Perhaps, she felt that I needed someone to hold my hand having just arrived in the big city for the first time as an adult, with no sense of direction. In my case, I was attracted to how easy she took life.

You see, when you really got to know Ann, it was impossible for you not to get hooked to her lively character, which was only known to those who were lucky enough to be in her inner circle.

‘Kamum’, as she was fondly called by her close friends, knew the city like the back of her hand, including people who preach water and drink wine, when they believe that no one is watching them.

If only she would have decided to author a tell-all book, I know some people would be sweating bullets as to what she would reveal. To those who did not get an opportunity to know her personally, Ann cuts the image of a timid girl who spooks easily.

But the truth of the matter is that she was courage personified and one of the toughest people I have ever met. A true believer of living today like it’s your last day. When times were tough and we had no idea where to get bus fare, she would always give me a smile and tell me not to worry. “Something will come up,” she always reassured. And indeed, the day would not end before our lady luck came calling.

KNOWLEDGE ON PHOTOGRAPHY

Her knowledge on photography was unmatched. She could be out all night with friends but still deliver the best pictures to the photo editor the next morning.

Ann’s soft spot was reserved for only one man in her life: Her son whom she loved unconditionally. Once she invited me to her house at Kinoo in Kiambu where she laid out well done chapati for me. That’s the day I got to witness first-hand what kind of a doting mum she was. Ann took her last click at life on Sunday on Mashujaa Day, for indeed she was a hero in her own right.

Before joining NMG, the East African School of Journalism alumnus had worked for The Standard newspaper. She left NMG and worked in the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s office.

Tributes poured in for the fallen photographer, led by friends and colleagues who were had the privilege of working with her.

“She will be greatly missed. She was sprightly with an infectious smile. She was a photographer par excellence and her contribution to the trade cannot be gainsaid. May she rest in peace,” said Daily Nation News Editor Francis Wanyonyi, who worked with her at Nairobi News newspaper.

“Ann was a jovial person, always ready to greet you with a smile. She was hardworking, with a bright future ahead of her. It’s unfortunate that she has left us so soon,” said Daily Nation Political and Parliamentary Editor Lucas Barasa.

“She loved listening to Judy Boucher Sadly she will never listen to that again Fare thee well Ann Kamoni This still looks like a bad dream,” said Don Victor. “Dennis Onyango, who had brought her to work briefly for Raila Odinga as a photographer, and from where I got acquainted to her, tells me she leaves behind a daughter (Ann leaves behind a son). Ann Kamoni is a good soul. I wish her rest,” said blogger Disembe Dikembe.

“May you rest in the arms of the Lord who formed you from the dust of the earth? My friend Ann Kamoni, may Christ who died for you admit you into His garden of paradise. May Christ, the true Shepherd, embrace you as one of His flock? May He forgive all your sins and set you among those he has chosen. RIP Ann Kamoni,” said Orange Democratic Movement (ODM)’s Director of Communications Philip Etale.

“Yenyewe death frees us from even ourselves. RIP Ann Kamoni,” said Daniel Muhuni.

Egypt’s Mohamed Salah and Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have made the 30-man shortlist for the 2019 Ballon d’Or.

Besides the duo, Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez, and Senegalese duo of Kalidou Koulibaly and Sadio Mane have also made the cut.

USUAL SUSPECTS

All these five African players were instrumental for their respective clubs and countries over the past year.

But they will face competition from the usual suspects Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, plus a host of other stars such as Karim Benzema, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, Sergio Aguero, Roberto Firmino, Virgil Van Dirk and Kevin de Bruyne.

Salah and Mane won the Champions League and the Uefa Super Cup last season with Liverpool who were runners-up in the Premier League.

Mane and Koulibaly were part of the Senegal national team that finished second at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Koulibaly also helped Italian club Napoli finish as runners up in Italy.

GOLDEN BOOT

Mahrez won the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations with Algeria and domestic treble with Manchester City.

Aubamayang on his part helped Arsenal reach the final of the Europa League and shared the Premier League Golden Boot in the 2018/2019 season with Salah and Mane.

Ballon d’Or is awarded to a footballer who is perceived to have been the best performer over the year.

The winner of the Ballon d’Or will be announced at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on December 2.

The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor Patrick Njoroge has been named the Central Bank Governor of the Year in Sub-Sahara Africa by Global Markets Magazine.

Dr Njoroge has been recognized for his work, especially during the period of consolidation within the Kenya banking sector that has helped clean up the country’s banks vastly improving oversight over the sector.

“Dr Njoroge has presided over a period of consolidation within the Kenya banking sector that has helped clean up the country’s banks vastly improving oversight over the sector. Under the Governors tenure the improvements in the banking sector are helping the expansion of Kenya’s domestic capital market,” wrote Global Markets Magazine.

Press release: CBK Governor Dr. Patrick Njoroge Named Central Bank Governor of the Year for Sub-Saharan Africa pic.twitter.com/nYIBy8ONoC

— Central Bank of Kenya (@CBKKenya) October 22, 2019

This is the second award Dr Njoroge is receiving the award after first receiving it in 2016, beating all the other Central Bank Governors in Africa.

Dr Njoroge was nominated to be the governor of the Central Bank of Kenya by President Uhuru Kenyatta, on June 2, 2015.

After vetting by the Parliamentary Committee on Finance, Trade and Planning on June 17, 2015 he was approved by the parliament of Kenya on 18 June 2015 and assumed office June 19 2015.

Civil servants will now be required to wear Kenyan-made outfits to work on Fridays and on public holidays.

The order was issued in a circular from the Office of the Attorney General dated October 17, 2019, by the Solicitor General, Ken Ogeto, as part of a scheme to achieve president Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big 4 Agenda that touches on manufacturing.

“Pursuant to the achievement of the Big 4 Agenda and specifically the expansion of Manufacturing Pillar by producing better goods and creating local employment, I direct that all members of staff shall on all Fridays be dressed in decent, smart casual Kenyan produced and tailored attire,” the circular signed by Ogeto read in part.

On Tuesday, Ogeto confirmed the authenticity of the circular. “The circular is authentic yes . It was issued in line with govt policy to spur growth of local manufacturing industry as one of the pillars of the big four, ” he said in a text message.

The directive took effect last Friday, October 18, and is expected to be part of the official dress code for government staff. The order was addressed to all heads of departments and regional heads and copied to the AG Kihara Kariuki.

During Mashujaa Day celebrations last Sunday in Mombasa, the usual dark suits worn by top officials were replaced by colourful African design attires.

LOCAL PRODUCTS

President Kenyatta, his Deputy William Ruto and Cabinet Secretaries all wore Kenyan made outfits in what was said to be setting an example for Kenyans to embrace local products.

Some of the local governors including Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi also wore similar attires.

The attires were reportedly made at Bedi Investment Limited, a textile firm based in Nakuru County.

This is not the first time the government has pushed for the adoption of Kenyan wear to boost local markets. During the commissioning of ultramodern textile industry Rivatex this year, President Kenyatta appealed to Kenyans to proudly wear “Made in Kenya” clothes.

“For government to lead by example, I urge all public servants to wear at least one piece of garment made in Kenya on Fridays,” he added. During the event, the President wore a shirt made at Rivatex. And in March last year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, declared Fridays as Kenyan attire day.

AFRICANNESS

In a memo to Directors, Heads of Departments and various units, Tom Amolo, the Political and Diplomatic Secretary in the ministry, said that “Africanness” should be used as a tool for diplomacy.

“We brand our nation as much through our choice of attire, as what we may say or do,” Amolo wrote.

Amolo called on state officers and all Kenyans to embrace the various African fabrics and fashion styles from wherever they are in Africa or outside.

“The ethos of this re-engagement speaks to an assertion of an affirmative African narrative that defines our Africaness and insists that at its core, its manifestations and reflections – being African is best,” he said.

He said that the initiative aimed at increasing awareness on Kenya’s culture as well as generate interest in the country’s heritage.

Past initiatives to come up with a quintessential Kenyan dress have however been fruitless.

Residents of Kahawa Wendani estate are slowly losing the trust they have had with boda boda operators following a series of robberies that involve the riders.

For the last two weeks, area residents have experienced an upsurge in crime and are now asking the police to step up and stop the spate of muggings that has hit the area.

STOLEN PHONE

Mr Jairus Kipkorir, who lives in the area, says last weekend he witnessed two men on a boda boda snatching a phone from a woman and then speeding off.

“They did it so fast and before the woman could do anything they had already disappeared,” Kipkorir told Nairobi News.

Such incidents have become common in recent times in the area, according to the residents.

Another area resident, Ishmael Makau, narrated to Nairobi News how on Thursday last week, two men on a motorbike snatched a handbag from another woman just a few meters from the Kahawa bus terminus.

“Some people saw the incident attempted to give chase but the thugs somehow managed to escape,” he said.

Lucky Summer residents have also raised similar concerns over a gang that is unleashing terror on them at night.

ATTACKED AND ROBBED

On Sunday night, a woman who was walking from Baba Dogo estate, was accosted, attacked and robbed by two men as members of the public watched in dismay.

Ms Tabitha Karungu said that her attackers wrestled her to the ground and stole and made away with her handbag.

“The number of touts famously known as Makanga is high in this estate. Something should be done about it,” she said.

She also narrated how on Sunday she saw touts beating up a man because he vomited in a bus.

“The man looked sick and we were forced to intervene and stop the touts from beating him up,” she said.