Sen.Sonko rubbishes Mt.Kenya mps' endorsement for Wamalwa for Nairobi Governorship

Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko has dismissed Water CS Eugene Wamalwa's endorsement for the city governor seat. Sonko, who will vie for the post held by Evans Kidero, asked his rivals not to be afraid of Wamalwa despite the endorsement by a section of Mt Kenya MPs. He said in Kiswahili on Monday: " Nimeskia pale Kiambu watu wamendorse Wamalwa.Tusipinge, lakini siasa ya Nairobi itaamuliwa na wananchi wa Nairobi ...sio akina Waitutu." This translates to: "I have heard that Kiambu politicians have endorsed Wamalwa. We cannot reject that but they should know city politics is decided by Nairobi residents...not Waititu and his group)." Ferdinand Waititu, Kabete MP, vied for the seat in the March 4, 2013 general election. He and his counterparts Kanini Kega (Kieni), Jude Njomo (Kiambu) and Mpuru Aburi (Tigania East) said they will support Wamalwa. Sonko continued: " Tusiogope wamalwa. Kura ya Nairobi haiko na wabunge, kura ya Nairobi haiko na wamalwa, kura ya Nairobi haiko na serikali wala opposition, kura ya Nairobi iko na nyinyi wanainchi." "Let us not fear Wamalwa. Nairobi's votes are not with MPs, Wamalwa, the government of the opposition. The vote lies with citizens." But the Senator welcomed the Cabinet Secretary to the race saying they should face each other at the ballot. "Wabunge wenzangu wale wameanza kujiharia kwa sababu wamesikia Wamalwa anakuja Nairobi... Wamalwa ni mkenya..si msupport. Mimi namkaribisha Wamalwa... ako na haki yake," said Sonko. "My colleagues have started feeling jittery just on learning that Wamalwa will vie in Nairobi. He is a Kenyan and should be supported. I welcome him... he has a right to vie." The Mt Kenya MPs publicly announced their support for the CS on Monday suggesting the regions' leaders are keen on rewarding Western for supporting the Jubilee government. The group said, at St Peter and Paul Catholic Church, that Wamalwa was best suited for the job owing to his wealth of experience. "Wamalwa is a friend of President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto. We know that if he takes the mantle in Nairobi, we are going to feel the benefits in Kiambu," Waititu asaid. The CS served as a Justice minister in the coalition government. His endorsement is likely to put bishop Margaret Wanjiru and Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru's bids for governor in disarray.

IPOA officer arrested for trying to probe OCPD at police station

An IPOA investigator is expected in court on Tuesday to answer to charges of causing disturbance at Kayole police station in Nairobi. The officer was arrested on Monday evening at the station where he had gone for a statement from the area OCPD on a complaint lodged against him. The man who was with colleagues had wanted to interrogate the OCPD. He was released but asked to appear in court today. The OCPD is being investigated over three complaints lodged against him with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority.

NO DISBARNMENT OF IEBC, JUBILEE SAYS

Jubillee has strongly oppossed the disbarnment of IEBC. Although it is alleged that many of its members were involved in the kitchen gate saga that saw the culprits in United kingdom put behind bars. Confirming this is the parliament majority leader Aden Duale. The CORD coalition does not intend to see the body conducting next general election.

RADICAL MEASURES TO CURB CHEATING IN EXAMS

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has introducedmeasures to manage this year’s national examinations in an attempt to restore confidence eroded by exam malpractice. Dr Matiang'i, who early this year stated that examinations had been clearly mismanaged in past years, began with the disbandment of the Kenya National Examinations Board in April. This was the first step in instituting radical changes in the Education sector. Unlike previous years when the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) would dispatch a supervisor to manage respective examination centres, this year will see principals of schools that are also examination centres take charge of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams. School principals will be directly responsible for whatever happens in the centres and will be assisted by teachers in Job Group M and above. In previous years, a principal would hand over the centre to a Knec supervisor who would be charged with the exam process. KCSE candidates would be the only students in school as the rest would go home for holidays ahead of the National exams.
“We are comfortable with the changes and believe they will help achieve efficiency. We accept them as we watch what unfolds,” said one high school principal.
The KCSE examination period that normally starts around October 22 and ends mid-November was pushed forward as the CS adjusted the second and third term programmes. However, practical examinations that include agriculture will go on as usual.
The planned merger of examination centres that would see candidates registered in smaller centres brought together in one central point has now been pushed to next year.
This comes amid a wave of arson in schools across the country. The Education ministry resorted to shortening the examination period, changing the exam timetable, suspending general meetings and social activities including prayers and visits, and scrapping half-time breaks in third term to seal any loopholes to exam leaks that have led to cancelled exam results in the past.
Activities such as general meetings, prayer and prize giving days, according to the ministry can only be held in the first and second terms to minimise cheating through contacts and the use of mobile phones. In the changes announced by the CS, the second term programme that normally comes to a close on August 5, will be extended by one week to August 12. Students will break for about two weeks before resuming on August 29 for the start of the third term.
Third term will close on October 28 for Standard One to Seven and Form One to Three so that exam candidates are left alone, ready for the start of the Kenya Certificate of
Primary Education (KCPE) exams on November 1 to November 3 and KCSE exam between November 7 and November 30.

When he released the 2015 KCSE results in March this year, Matiang’i expressed disappointment with the increased irregularities and promised drastic measures to curb my them in future. A total of 522,870 candidates sat for the 2015 KCSE exams in the country 279,289 males and 243,581 females spread across 8,646 examination centres. Of these, 165,766 attained the minimum university entry qualification of C-plus and above. During the period, the number of candidates with an overall mean grade of A was 2,636.

Five Imperial Bank branches open today

Five Imperial Bank branches will open for the first time in nine months today to help process payments for the bank’s large depositors. The clients whose money is still held up at the bank will be allowed to access a maximum of Sh1.5 million only in the second phase of payouts to depositors of the collapsed lender. Four of the five branches to be opened are in the Coast region while only one is in Nairobi. The five are Watamu, Diani, Kilifi, Malindi and Parklands branches. The payments are being managed by NIC Bank which was appointed by receiver manager Kenya Deposit Insurance Corporation as asset and liability consultant for Imperial Bank. Under the deal, NIC Bank is expected to assess and determine the quality of Imperial Bank’s assets and liabilities and give the mandate to process and manage payouts to depositors. To access their locked funds, claimants will have to complete the KDIC/NIC Bank claim forms, which are available online at the two institutions’ websites and at NIC Bank branches. Last Wednesday, Imperial Bank shareholders supported the move to pay depositors up to Sh1.5 million but asked the KDIC and the Central Bank of Kenya to conduct the collapsed bank’s operations in a transparent manner. “The shareholders of Imperial Bank Limited (in receivership) have given their consent for the Kenya Depositors Insurance Corporation to liquidate the bank’s treasury bills to facilitate the Sh1.5million payout announced by CBK,” said the bank’s directors in a statement issued on July 20. “We have had the depositors at the heart of our fight for the bank. In spite of all the legal proceedings, it is our priority that the depositors are not inconvenienced further or even worse than they have already endured,” said Vishnu Dhutia, a representative of one of the shareholders. A forensic audit of Imperial Bank commissioned by the CBK is ongoing. The probe by US-based firm FTI Consulting has reportedly an intricate web of fraud, linking various companies associated with companies owned or operated by associates of the bank’s late managing director Abdulmalek Janmohamed.

WHEN THE SWEET "FRUIT" BECOMES BITTER

The rate at which lovers are killing each other over domestic squabbles in the country is alarming. On Sunday, a Kenyatta University student was murdered in cold blood by her boyfriend in Kahawa Wendani, in an incident that has left Kenyans shocked. Maxwell Ochieng, 36, who is a former KDF soldier mercilessly stabbed 22-year-old Edinas Nyainda after she reportedly told him that they should break up. The ex-military did not take the breakup news lightly, prompting him to tie the lady to the bed and then proceed to heartlessly stabbing her on the neck and chest repeatedly. After killing Edinas, who had just graduated from KU a week ago, Ochieng attempted to take his life by stabbing himself on the stomach severally to no avail, even as police broke into the house after three hours. Ochieng being carried away after he tried to kill himself Police were forced to use teargas to access the house, where they lived with the deceased after the killer threatened to kill anyone attempting to get inside. The suspect was arrested, as an angry mob bayed for his blood, and is being held at Ruiru Police Station while the body was taken to City Mortuary. Ruiru MP Esther Gathogo, visited the scene of the murder and condemned the attack urging lovers to part ways peacefully if their relationships are not working out.

POLICE SEARCH FOR 300 SCHOOL GIRLS IN A BUSH

      Police officers in Meru County had a hard time trying to trace about 400 school girls on Sunday night. The girls are said to be from Ruiga Girls Secondary School in Meru County. They had descended to the nearby bushes after their school caught fire at around 5 pm. The whereabouts of some of their colleagues remains unknown.
     Police officers from the neighboring police stations spent the better part of the cold night searching for the girls while teachers helped to put out the fire. However, the efforts bore no fruit as they did not find any student in the night search. According to Imenti Central OCPD Boniface Lisiolo, some of the girls sort refuge at the nearby police station while others are believed to have gone to their homes.
     A dormitory, dining hall and science laboratory were torched down yesterday night making Ruiga girls school among the schools that were burnt Sunday night as the arson attacks continues. The other schools that suffered the arson menace include Liai secondary school, Kijabe High school, Kapsara Secondary in Trans Nzoia and Ndanai girls in Bomet.