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By STANDARD TEAM

Over 30 Rift Valley MPs met in Nairobi to rally sup-port for a planned Motion to censure Devolution Cabi-net Secretary Anne Waiguru. The MPs allied to Deputy President William Ruto’s United Republican Party met at

Biblica Hotel on Tuesday night and backed calls for Waiguru’s sack-

ing. Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi has sponsored the Motion that 103 MPs, a ma-jority from President Uhuru Kenyatta’s TNA party, have signed. But Waiguru denied claims of intimidating and threatening public servants

and asked that the matter not be politicised.

Amid the row over Anglo Leasing pay-off, serious cash-fl ow crisis in Treasury and uncertainty over borrowing to plug Sh342 billion hole in the budget,

CORD releases its assessment of Jubilee’s one year in offi ce, and is as unfl at-tering in its criticism as it is dismissive of the ‘digital’ government

STORY ON PAGE 6

By GEOFFREY MOSOKU

An admission by the Government that it paid two An-glo Leasing companies a total of Sh1.4 billion without Parliament’s approval has embarrassed the National Assembly. Treasury Principal Secretary Kamau Thug-

ge let the cat out of the bag when he appeared be-fore the Public Accounts Committee of the Na-tional Assembly yesterday. The payment swiftly followed President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive that the funds be dispatched to Universal Satspace and First Mercantile Securities Corporation, de-spite public outrage. Treasury promptly wired the

cash on Monday to the respective accounts of the ghosts of the Anglo Leasing scandal once

the much-awaited instruction from State House

reached Treasury building.

TREASURY: Yes, we paid Anglo Leasing on Monday

CONTESTED PAY

Raila party’s new verdict on

Uhuru, Ruto

STORY PAGE 2 STORY PAGE 4

2014 EDITIONInside Today

STANDARDThursday, May 22, 2014

Rift MPs join bid to remove

Waiguru

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Page 2 / NATIONAL NEWS Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

URP rallies support for Waiguru ouster

By STANDARD TEAM

Rift Valley MPs held a secret meet-ing in Nairobi to rally support for a planned Motion to censure Devolu-tion Cabinet Secretary Ann Waiguru.

Over 30 MPs allied to Deputy Pres-ident William Ruto’s URP present dur-ing the Tuesday night meeting at the Biblica hotel reportedly resolved to lobby for Waiguru’s sacking.

The MPs discussed unease in the governing Jubilee Coalition over pub-lic appointments that they felt did not reflect the 50:50 agreement between URP and President Uhuru Kenyatta’s TNA.

Four senators and more than 30 members of the National Assembly, including women representatives, re-portedly attended the meeting that lasted for about two hours.

Resolutions made by the leaders were sent to the DP through Kericho Senator Charles Keter who was in at-tendance.

Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi on Tuesday proposed Waiguru’s sack-ing filing a Motion accusing her of failure “to respect, uphold, defend and obey Articles 3, 152 and the Third Schedule of the Constitution, which anchors strong grounds for the dis-missal of the Cabinet Secretary.”

URP/TNA RElATioNSThe Standard established by then,

103 MPs had signed the petition, ex-ceeding the constitutional threshold of one-quarter of all National Assem-bly members, required for the peti-tion to be admitted by the Speaker.

Surprisingly, majority of the MPs who had signed to support the move – a list which was seen by The Stan-dard – were from TNA.

Yesterday, the Rift Valley MPs said the meeting was prompted by the re-moval of Kiplimo Rugut as National Youth Service (NYS) Director General. “We were more united by the replace-ment of Mr Rugut from office because he is an experienced administrator. The meeting at Biblica hotel deliber-ated on many issues affecting the community,” said an MP who did not wish to be named.

Sources said the meeting had ini-tially been called to discuss the im-peachment of Waiguru over Rugut’s replacement in NYS.

They supported the impeachment

of the CS and noted that they also have the support of leaders from oth-er regions

They accused Waiguru of “making decisions without consultations”.

“The meeting then moved into mending our house. It gave an oppor-tunity to reflect on what has trans-pired in URP/TNA relations and what has happened to the community,” added the MP.

The legislator also said the re-de-ployment of Rugut elicited sharp re-actions at the grassroots with URP supporters feeling “they have been short-changed” by their partners in the Government.

Another MP, who also attended, revealed that they have lately been ex-periencing difficulties in accessing

Ruto when they want to raise the con-cerns of their supporters.

He complained of “being barred by some orderlies”.

The MP stated that leaders in at-tendance reiterated that they are ready to defend the DP by telling him the truth.

At the same time, the MP said URP leaders vowed to read from the same script and that the entire Rift Valley should be addressed as one during discussions on matters touching on the region.

He said the leaders vowed not “to beg for any favours because their par-ty is an equal partner in Jubilee gov-ernment”.

Although the vocal Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter was not present, his influ-ence in the region was also felt in the meeting.

Leaders reportedly stated that people at the grassroots are demand-ing MPs speak as openly as Keter on issues touching on governance.

Ruto is expected to attend the homecoming function of Eric Keter, the MP for Belgut and Hellen Chepk-wony, women representative Kericho, at the weekend.

Keter (Alfred), who spoke to The Standard yesterday on phone, said leaders from the region have realised that the current 50:50 relations be-tween URP and TNA is turning sour.

He defended his absence and said he was aware of the meeting but had to attend to some personal matters.

Keter, who earlier spoke during the Kass FM morning talk show, proposed that the President and the DP inter-change power after every five years citing ‘mistrust’.

Meanwhile, five Jubilee MPs have blamed some cabinet secretaries for making decisions likely to wreck the coalition.

“Cabinet secretaries should not make decisions that may bring down the Government or cause jitters in the coalition. Though they are not politi-cians, they should be alive to the fact that irrational decisions have the po-tential of causing mistrust between the two partners that will definitely lead to a major political fallout,” said Benjamin Langat, the Ainamoi MP.

Speaking in Narok yesterday in the company of Patrick Ntutu (Narok West), Joseph Limo (Kipkelion East), Moses Sakuda (Kajiado West) and Ste-phen Ngare (Ndia), he alleged that Devolution CS Ann Waiguru has run into problems because of the decision to replace Rugut without consulting the partners in the coalition.

–Reports by Kipchumba Kemei, Charles Ngeno, Titus Too, Silah Koskei and Geoffrey Mosoku

Devolution Cabinet Secretary Ann Waiguru during the UN Women’s Beijing + 20 forum at the Hilton Hotel, Nairobi, yesterday. She defended herself against threats to impeach her over allegations she violated the Constitution. [PHOTO: MBUGUA KIBERA/STANDARD]

Over 30 MPs hold meeting where they say CS failed to consult and raise concerns on power-sharing deal

DISPUTED APPOINTMENTS• Documents obtained by The Standard suggest the appoint-ments were done by the Cen-tral Human Resource Manage-ment Postings under a circular signed by Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua• Other affected officers in-clude James Chepsongol, moved from Foreign Affairs ministry to Labour, Kimeu Maingi (Interior to Tourism), John Kusimba (AG’s office to Infrastructure) and Eric Ronge (EAC to Treasury).• Others were Moses Wandi-ema (Agriculture to Energy), Katelo Badu (Mining to Interi-or), MacDonald Oguya (EAC to AG’s office), Joel Makori (Inte-rior to Agriculture) and Charles Begi (AG’s office to Devolution)

By ABigAEl SUM

Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru has said she has done no wrong and is ready to defend her-self against a planned move by MPs to censure her.

Waiguru has denied claims of in-timidating and threatening public servants under her jurisdiction, say-ing the ministry has complied with the provisions of the law.

Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi wants the CS to be dismissed from of-fice over alleged gross misconduct and gross violation of the Constitu-tion.

In the Motion submitted to the Of-fice of the Clerk of the National As-sembly, the MP accused Waiguru of abusing, intimidating and threaten-ing public servants, citing the sacking of former Chairperson of the Youth Enterprise Fund Evans Gor Semelang’o and re-deployment of National Youth Service (NYS) Director General Kipli-mo Rugut.

Speaking in Nairobi yesterday, Waiguru denied the claim saying there was need to stop politicising the issue. “The exact same way Rugut was ap-pointed to that position, was the exact same way used to appoint the new NYS director including the confirma-tion by the Public Service Commis-sion,” she said.

woMEN DEfEND CSShe added: “That procedure was

followed to the letter using the Central Posting Unit. Rugut was only one of the 11 civil servants moved that day. If my ministry made a mistake, so did all other cabinet secretaries.”

Waiguru noted that there have been 104 movements within the pub-lic service by the Central Posting Unit since the Jubilee Government took over office to allow for the implemen-tation of the five-point plan. “We are willing to respond to the issues that have been raised,” she said.

Women MPs rallied behind Waig-uru noting that she is one of the best performing cabinet secretaries add-ing that the impeachment Motion is an onslaught against women leaders. “We have looked at the facts and we find them very weak. We do not want this to set a precedent that will see the removal of other women from office,” said Senator Elizabeth Ongoro.

Kenyan Women Parliamentary As-sociation Chairperson Cecily Mbarire also claimed the move is an effort to frustrate women in leadership. “When CS Charity Ngilu was targeted we thought it was over, now it is Waigu-ru,” she said.

Changes made were within law, says CS

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Russian, owner of French soccer club AS Monaco, will also part with prime property in ‘the biggest divorce settlement ever’

Court orders wealthy man to pay his former wife Sh395bn

A Swiss court has ordered a Russian billionaire to pay more than $4.5 billion (Sh395.5 billion) to his ex-wife in what could be-come the biggest divorce settle-ment in history.

In papers delivered Monday to both parties, the Geneva Tri-bunal of First Instance said Dmit-ry Rybolovlev, an owner of the French soccer club AS Monaco, must pay 4,020,555,987.80 Swiss francs ($4,509,375,184.80) to ex-wife Elena Rybolovleva of Gene-va. Both are aged 47.

The judgment also granted his ex-wife property worth 130.5 million francs ($146 million) in property in Gstaad, Switzerland, where the couple owned two swanky chalets.

It awarded his ex-wife two other pieces of real estate in the ultra-wealthy area of Geneva known as Cologny, where the couple once lived together, but listed no value for either address. And it confi rmed her custody of their 13-year-old daughter, An-na. The couple also has an adult daughter, Ekaterina.

Her lawyer Marc Bonnant called it “the most expensive di-

vorce in history,” an unheard-of amount for Switzerland and for Russian oligarchs. But Rybolov-lev’s lawyer said that the judg-ment’s cash order was likely to be whittled down in coming ap-peals.

RECORD JUDGMENT“There will defi nitely be a

new appellate review and there-fore this judgment is not fi nal given the existence of two levels of appeal in Switzerland,” said Tetiana Bersheda.

A separate statement by Bon-nant and two other lawyers in the case, Corinne Corminboeuf Harari and Caroline Schumach-er, called the record judgment “a complete victory” for her and said that under Swiss law she was entitled to half the fortune he made during their marriage. Most of that fortune was trans-ferred to Cyprus-based trusts in 2005.

The three lawyers said Mon-day’s ruling demonstrated that “no one — not even a Russian ty-

coon who put his fabulous for-tune into legal structures such as trusts and offshore companies — is above the law.”

His ex-wife had demanded $6 billion from the man known as the “fertilizer king,” whose for-tune from potash mining once made him the world’s 79th rich-est person.

He is now ranked 147th on the Forbes list of billionaires, with an estimated fortune of $8.8 billion.

—AP

President of AS Monaco Dmitry Ry-bolovlev, left, and Prince Albert II of Monaco. A court has ordered Rybolovlev to pay his ex-wife Sh395 billion. [PHOTO: AP]

NATIONAL NEWS / Page 3Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

Family LIFEStudy: Young women ‘crave more for non-

food items’ By MAUREEN ABWAO and

JOSPHAT THIONG’ONew research shows that the

craving for non-food substances is higher among young pregnant mothers aged between 16-20 than in older women.

The study disapproves the belief that older women tend to lack the mineral components found in non-food substances such as Zinc and Iron and hence are more likely to nimble away at the stuff than their younger col-leagues.

The non-food craving is ex-pected in most women during pregnancy where a woman craves for substance such as stones, clay, laundry soap, sand and charcoal among other items.

The research showed that the percentage of cravings among the pregnant women aged be-tween 16 and 20 stood at 77.9 per cent and 17 per cent for those aged between 21 and 25. For those in the 26-30 age bracket, the craving was at a low of 13.1 per cent.

The non-food craving habit, otherwise known as pica, is usu-ally experienced by at least 68 per cent of women during preg-nancy.

The research, which sought to determine the correlation be-tween pregnancy and a child’s cognitive ability, revealed that 42.1 per cent of children whose mothers had pica had a weak cognitive ability, 32.3 per cent had medium ability and 3.4 per cent had a high ability.

The study was commissioned by the African Federation for the Gifted and Talented.

Treasury snubs Parliament order, pays Sh1.4b to two Anglo Leasing companies

By GEOFFREy MOSOKU

It has now been revealed that the National Treasury ignored Parliament and moved to settle the Sh1.4 billion owed to two controversial Anglo Leas-ing contracts.

Treasury Principal Secretary Ka-mau Thugge yesterday said the money was wired last Monday to a UK-based law firm following a directive from President Uhuru Kenyatta.

On Thursday last week, President Kenyatta directed Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich to clear the payments in order to float an interna-tional sovereign bond.

However, Dr Thugge shocked the MPs when he revealed that the pay-ments were made without a written directive from Uhuru, as required by Article 135 of the Constitution, only saying they relied on word from State House that a letter had been dis-patched on the matter.

He told the MPs that Treasury act-ed on an email communication from the Head of the Presidential Strategic Communication Unit, Manoah Esip-isu.

“At the point of payment, we did not have written authorisation from the President. We were acting on an email communication from Mr Esip-isu,” said Thugge.

However, Public Accounts Com-mittee chairman Ababu Namwamba and Suna East MP Junet Mohamed

The money was wired to UK-based law firm on behalf of clients after Uhuru gave oral directive to ministry

faulted the move, saying it was a con-stitutional requirement that the Pres-ident gives such directives in writing.

“This is a matter that required the President to officially write to the Na-tional Treasury. I have served as a Cabinet minister before and I will tell you that the Treasury is not like any

By WAHOME THUKU

East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) Managing Direc-tor Kephar Tande risks contempt of court proceedings over failure to transfer land worth Sh750 million the company sold to a private developer.

Mr Tande has been ordered by the the High Court in Nairobi to appear before it to show why he should not be committed to jail for failing to transfer the 337 acres as ordered.

The order was issued by Environ-mental Court judge Pauline Nyam-weya following an application by the developers, Superior Homes (Kenya) Ltd.

The company also wants EAPCC compelled to release documents in its possession for the completion of the transfer of the land located in Athi River, Machakos County.

EAPCC has been involved in a pro-tracted legal battle with Superior Homes over the land deal, which dates back to 2012. The cement firm had agreed on December 17, 2012, to transfer the land to Superior Homes (Kenya) and the court recorded the agreement and issued a decree to that effect.

The parties were to complete the transaction within 145 days from the date of the decree. Superior Homes paid Sh100 million as deposit in ac-cordance with the agreement and provided a letter of credit from a local bank guaranteeing that they would pay the balance, Sh650 million, on completion of the deal.

TRAnSFER pApERSThe company claims that EAPCC

completely refused to release the transfer papers and other documents required to complete the transfer pro-cess.

Consequently, the 145 days elapsed before the deal could be sealed and the cement firm began threatening to sell the property to another buyer at a higher value.

Superior Homes took the matter back to court and on March 11, the parties were given another 120 days within which to complete the pro-cess.

Superior Homes Managing Direc-tor Ian Hazlitt Hernderson said the or-der was extracted and served on Tande on the same day.

Through their lawyer Philip Nya-choti, the company told the court that despite the orders having been served, and several reminders being sent to them, EAPCC has declined, failed or refused to release the documents to enable them complete the transaction within the given timeframe.

By RAWLInGS OTIEnO

Transport Cabinet Secretary Mi-chael Kamau has maintained that the night travel ban on public service ve-hicles (PSVs) is still in force.

Eng Kamau dismissed media re-ports that the courts had lifted the ban, claiming that he has not received any order and promising to abide by any directive from the courts.

The CS has also directed that all

heavy commercial vehicles be fitted with the new digital speed governors

He instructed the National Trans-port and Safety Authority (NTSA) and the police to impound any vehicle found without the gadget.

“All heavy vehicles must be in-stalled with the new digital speed gov-ernors, and I am also instructing NT-SA and the police to ensure that this is done,” said Kamau.

Other PSV operators have also

been warned that they risk having their licences revoked if they do not belong to a registered Sacco.

Kamau insisted that all PSVs in the country must belong to a Sacco, add-ing that the traffic police are on the alert and will be conducting im-promptu inspection to weed out ve-hicles without proper registration and not belonging to genuine Saccos.

Addressing the Press in his office before flagging off six NTSA vehicles

to patrol accident-prone areas, Ka-mau said the vehicles would carry da-ta of all Saccos and companies that have been registered.

The vehicles, purchased at a cost of Sh21 million, are equipped with a speed camera and a breathalyser.

They will be manned by a special team of NTSA and police officers whose main task will be to apprehend traffic law offenders.

Cement firm CEO risks jail over

court contempt

Night travel ban on PSVs still stands, CS insists

Deputy Solicitor General Muthoni Kimani and Treasury PS Kamau Thugge yes-terday when they appeared before PAC. [PHOTO: bOnface OkendO/sTandard]

other Government ministry; it is an Executive ministry. A form of email communication from his communi-cation head is not acceptable. The au-thorisation should have been in writ-ing before the payments could be made,” Mr Namwamba said.

Mr Junet warned the PS that he would be criminally liable for presid-ing over the payments without follow-ing the Constitution.

cRIMInAL OFFEncE“What happened is a criminal cul-

pability and you will be held account-able when the day comes,” Junet warned.

The money was wired to Anglo Leasing architect Anura Perrera’s agents through a NatWest Bank ac-count in the United Kingdom under the account name Traverse Smith LLP,

Page 4 / NATIONAL NEWS Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

and number 00859185.Thugge told PAC that Mr Perrera

has a local contact in the name of AH Malik and Company Associates that was used in the transaction.

The PS, who was hard-pressed to explain details of the deal, told the Namwamba-led committee to sum-mon former ministers and techno-crats at the Treasury and ministries of Internal Security and Home Affairs who knew more about it.

Namwamba accused the Govern-ment of handling the matter in a ca-sual manner even though it involved a lot of taxpayers’ money.

Treasury was also tasked to explain if the payment had met the constitu-tional requirement of Parliamentary approval in transactions involving huge amounts.

treasury versus controller of budget • Treasury had written to Con-troller of Budget Agnes Odhia-mbo last week seeking authority to pay the controversial debts to settle court judgement on pay-ments to First Mercantile Securi-ties Corporation and Universal Satspace • However, the head of budget only said the payments could be effected in the case of an approv-al from Parliament or a written directive from the President, two documents that Treasury does not have

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Page 5Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

ODM slams Jubilee’s first year in officePage 6 / NATIONAL NEWS: AUDIT Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

By JAMES MBAKA

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM party has given a sting-ing indictment of the Jubilee govern-ment’s performance, citing insecurity, yet-to-be met promises, the high cost of living and skewed public appoint-ments as its highlights.

In its audit of Jubilee’s performance after one year in office, ODM accuses President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto of playing poli-tics of exclusion and deepening eth-nicity in public service, painting a gloomy future of the country amid terror threats and high cost of living.

The report, titled The Lies That Jubilee Tells, is the coalition’s ‘honest’ examination of the implementation of the ruling coalition’s manifesto over the last one year.

The party cites the stalled and controversy ridden laptop project for Class One pupils and free maternity care for expectant mothers, which it says was hurriedly launched without proper funding.

ODM also pointed at rampant in-security fuelled by terror attacks, divi-sive politics and those of exclusion as the hallmarks of the ‘failed’ Jubilee administration.

The report was launched by ODM acting party leader Anyang’ Nyong’o and nominated Senator Dr Agnes Zani, who is the joint secretary to the party at Orange House.

The party says the Jubilee Govern-ment had resorted to open lies and truth shadow-boxing antics to fool Kenyans into believing the State was pursuing the implementation of the campaign manifesto.

“Jubilee’s ‘know-it-all’ and ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ attitudes are bad for na-tional development,” said the report.

ODM took a swipe of Jubilee’s re-cent national wage bill dialogue, say-ing it sought to serve a short-term interest rather than finding lasting solutions to problems to move the country forward in the next five years.

OLD-FASHIONED“A responsible government does

not around the country ‘assuring’ communities that they will be in-cluded in the Government’s develop-ment programming irrespective of how they voted. That is patronising and old-fashioned,” the report notes.

The party says instead the State ought to convene and facilitate a na-tional discussion to deliberate on the proposals of the Jubilee Government,” Nyong’o said.

In the report, ODM paints a grim future under the Jubilee leadership, with most of the election campaign

AREAS RAILA PARTY HAS ouTLInEd In REPoRT• Agriculture – Galana irriga-tion project launched prema-turely• Energy – Jubilee failed to bring down cost of electricity connection• Infrastructure – says Stan-dard Gauge Railway project was controversial and actual cost unknown• Education – the stalled and controversy ridden laptop proj-ect for Class One pupils and free maternity care for expect-ant mothers• Security – rampant insecurity fuelled by terror attacks• Economy – recent national wage bill dialogue, saying it sought to serve a short-term interest• Promises – election campaign pledges have been reneged on

ODM acting party leader Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o (centre), nominated Senator Dr Agnes Zani and ODM Nairobi party lead-er Reuben Ndolo (right) during the press conference at Orange House yesterday. The party delivered a less than flatter-ing review of the Jubilee government’s performance after its one year in office. [PHOTO: GOVEDI ASUTSA/STANDARD]

pledges reneged on. ODM noted that Kenya is becoming more isolated from the international community, saying development partners had started pulling out due to lack of positive engagement.

“Our development partners have been humiliated by a stance in inter-national relations laced with arro-gance and nationalistic jingoism, which brings with it self-inflicted wounds and missed opportunities in development in Kenya’s global inter-ests,” the report suggests.

ODM,, which delivered a harsh verdict of the progress made by Jubi-lee a year on, notes that the ‘isolation-

ist’ diplomacy at play by the Uhuru leadership would soon begin to hurt critical social sectors that make liveli-hood meaningful.

Some of the social sectors pillars include health, education and water provision, whose flagship projects the Jubilee administration touted would positively impact on the lives of poor Kenyans, majority of who are living below the breadline.

Unlike past regimes, ODM notes, the current regime has perfected the art of politics of exclusion as evi-denced by ethnicised State appoint-ments while being insensitive of the potential danger posed to other social diversities.

In justifying the deep ethnicisation Government, ODM noted that some of the 2007/2008 post-election vio-lence victims, especially from Western Kenya and Nyanza, had not received compensation close to seven years now while those from Rift Valley and Central regions received Sh400,000.

“Just like the Jubilee alliance is an alliance of two ethnic blocks, so is the composition of Government. The Government’s net is cast so narrowly in public appointments, in the worst cases leading to the Government’s lists comprised from only one tribe,” says the report.

The party reaffirms that Jubilee was hell-bent on scuttling the full re-alisation of devolution – the dream system of governance with 47 county governments – hitherto billed to ad-

dress historical injustices, imbalances and bring services close to wanan-chi.

ODM says Jubilee leaders have an entrenched faith in an authoritarian rule borne mainly out of their histori-cal socialisation.

“Rather than wind up the provin-cial administration as constitution-ally required, Jubilee is creating a powerful structure of presidential authoritarianism in the counties, in the name of executive county com-missioners,” ODM says in the report launched yesterday.

POLITICAL TENSIONThe party regrets that the new

structure is tantamount to further increasing the wage bill, escalating constitutional crises and engendering unnecessary political tension in the country.

ODM said the Jubilee leadership should accept the will of the people for self-governance not as a favour but a choice made with the promulga-tion of the Constitution.

The party says the Jubilee admin-istration’s security operation to weed out terrorists, a crackdown which the opposition regrets targets to further entrench marginalisation and dis-crimination of some communities, especially the Somali, was testimony that the Government had failed on its primary responsibility to provide se-curity.

“Security swoops in selected

neighbourhoods are very poor re-sponses to sophisticated planners of terrorist activities. Negative prejudice on immigrants and ethnic profiling are not the best strategies to fight ter-rorism,” ODM observed in the re-port.

The party observed that the Jubilee proposal to increase workers’ contri-butions to the State managed pension scheme was a deliberate strategy to shift economic power from the private sector to politicians and their cro-nies.

In their sector-by-sector review of development progress under the Ju-bilee leadership in agriculture, land, energy and infrastructure, the opposi-tion says the ability by the Govern-ment’s management of the sectors that will drive the economy was want-ing and worrying.

ODM says the Government had failed to repossess illegally acquired land as promised, intervene to bring down the unjustifiable high costs of electricity production and comple-tion of major energy projects like the Nairobi transmission ring and the Mombasa-Nairobi transmission line.

The party observes that the Gov-ernment had also failed to reign in suspect high costs of public projects in infrastructure such as the standard gauge railway project whose funding was launched recently by the Chinese Government.

Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama (left) and his Bungoma counterpart Moses Wetangula address reporters at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi yesterday. They accused the Government of deceiving Ke-nyans. [PHOTO: GOVEDI ASUTSA/STANDARD]DARD]

CORD says Government pushing Kenya into leadership anarchy

By MOSES NJAGIH

CORD legislators have accused Jubilee of plunging the country into a leadership crisis, saying President Uhuru Kenyatta is culpable for key failures.

The opposition lawmakers, com-prising both Senators and MPs, said the Uhuru administration has failed Kenyans, citing the manner in which the Government is handling security, the payment of Anglo Leasing type contracts and alleged frosty diplo-matic relations with the West.

At a press conference at Kenyatta International Convention Centre yes-terday, the leaders said there were systematic failures under the Jubilee Government, which they said had disillusioned Kenyans.

“The centre cannot hold and the ship of State is bursting at its seams. The sea is too big for the President to swim and he must not drown with the nation,” said the legislators, as they announced plans to hold rallies across the country to “provide the nation with a message of hope”.

“Amidst the blunders, the trans-gressions and systemic failures, the

Jubilee regime has placed the country in a political trajectory of disaster and economic pain and social injustice,” they said in a speech read by nomi-nated Senator Agnes Zani.

Those who addressed the Press included Senate Majority Leader Mo-ses Wetangula (Ford-K), Minority chief whip Johnstone Muthama, Kisumu Senator Anyang’ Nyong’o, Boni Khalwale (Kakamega), Zani (Nominated) and Elizabeth Ongoro (Nominated).

They accused the Government of duping Kenyans to believe that paying Anglo leasing related contracts would clear the country to float the euro bond, terming the reason as “a defeat-ing fallacy”.

NO GuArANtEE Nyong’o said paying for the Anglo

Leasing contracts is no guarantee that the Europeans will invest their money when the bond is floated.

“Europeans have expressed their lack of confidence with this Govern-ment and that is why they are asking their citizens to leave. They have no confidence in this economy. How will they invest their money where they

over graft, tribalismThursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard NATIONAL NEWS / Page 7

have no confidence? Asked Nyong’o.He said the Government is increas-

ingly getting isolated and is bankrupt. Khalwale said using the floating of the soevereign bond as an excuse to pay Anglo Leasing related contracts was meant to hoodwink Kenyans that the Government had their best interests at heart.

“The sovereign bond is only worth Sh135 billion, yet the budget deficit is over Sh300 billion. Where will they get the difference?” he claimed.

The legislators warned Treasury officials making payments that they would be held personally liable for their mistakes. The lawmakers further criticised the President’s move to for-mally re-designate the defunct Pro-vincial Administration as national Government administration officers, saying sending them to the counties with more powers was meant to frus-trate devolution.

They claimed that there was a sys-tematic and widespread pattern to frustrate county Governments in ev-ery way including underfunding them by using out dated audited financial accounts instead of those of a previ-ous year.

By BrIGID CHEMWENO and ELEANOr NANDWA

The Marsabit Conflict Mediation Committee led by former House Speaker, Francis ole Kaparo (pictured), has announced that peace has been restored in Marsabit County.

Addressing the Press in Nairobi, Kaparo pointed out that major inter-ventions undertaken by the national and county governments have led to the relative peace in the county.

“Now that peace has been restored, we would like the residents to work with the Government in maintaining it,” said Kaparo.

In February 2014, the national government approved and conse-quently released Sh397,122,472 for peace, security and humanitarian intervention in the Marsabit conflict. These funds were channelled to the Interior ministry.

Some major interventions includ-ed the Government increasing secu-rity forces on the ground to ensure that residents went on with their lives uninterrupted.

The officers stationed use vehicle and aerial surveillance and security has been beefed up at the border.

He said the Devolution ministry has spent Sh68,702,466 on procure-ment and distribution of food and non-food items adding that, the Health ministry, through the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency has so far

distributed drugs worth Sh6,088,170 to Moyale, Isiolo and Marsabit sub-county hospitals.

“A number of dispensaries that had been looted, vandalised and burnt down have been rehabilitated and are now operational. These in-clude, Mansile, Kinisa, Odda, Butiye, Arosa and Heilu,” said the former Speaker.

During the inter-agency mission to Moyale conducted on March 29-30, the Interior Cabinet Secretary directed that all health Institutions be opened.

Kaparo announced that all the health workers are back to work and rendering services without interrup-tions.

The team’s co-chairman andMar-sabit Senator Mohamed Yusuf Haji said mediators remain committed to the Marsabit peace process and would endeavour to include all stakehold-ers.

By PrOtuS ONYANGO

The University of Nairobi has asked parents not to be alarmed over a number of affiliate colleges missing in the Commission for University Education (CUE) list.

The institution’s Public Relations Manager Charles Sikulu said the pub-lic should not be worried over the list published in the local dailies.

“University constituent colleges are those that accredited universities are babysitting before they become fully fledged universities,” Sikulu said.

He added: “They are different from campuses which are part of a main university and do not need registra-tion to operate. Examples are our campuses in Kikuyu, Kisumu and Mombasa.”

His Maseno counterpart Jasper Otieno supported his sentiments, noting that students learning in Kisumu city’s Maseno campus which

was not listed should not be worried.“Maseno was a constituent college

of Moi University before it became a fully chartered university. Constituent colleges are different from campuses and are semi-autonomous and affili-ated to fully fledged universities. With time, they become fully chartered universities,” Otieno said.

Some students and their parents were alarmed that some of the univer-sities have not been listed by CUE.

They were reacting to information appearing in a section of the Press yesterday in which CUE listed accred-ited universities in the country.

According to the advert, there are 22 public chartered universities, nine public university constituent colleges, 17 private chartered universities, five private university constituent colleges and 11 institutions with letter of in-terim authority.

Parents who called the newsroom expressed shock that some of the in-stitutions had not been listed.

Peace has been restored in Marsabit, says Kaparo

Varsity reassures parents on missing affiliate colleges

Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The StandardPage 8 / NATIONAL NEWS

Coast region hit by mosquito

transmitted fever

By STANLEY MWAHANGA

Mombasa County health authori-ties have announced the outbreak of dengue fever in the region.

The officers say the disease has hit the county and other surrounding counties, but denied any deaths.

The authorities last week warned that the onset of the long rains could spur water and vector borne disease including diarrhea, malaria and dys-entery.

More than 100 cases of dengue fever have been confirmed in various hospitals since beginning of the year

facts about dengue fever and its transmission• Dengue is a mosquito borne viral infec-tion • The infection causes flu-like illness, and occasionally develops into a potentially lethal complication called severe dengue• Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas• The disease was first detected in Mom-basa last year by medical research ex-perts from the Kenya Medical Research Institute

The Standard has also learnt that the number of infections could be high, as all Government hospitals and medical institutions lack the capacity to diagnose the fever and have to transfer samples to private laborato-ries for tests.

According to estimates from the county government’s health depart-ment, more than 100 cases of dengue fever have been confirmed in various hospitals since the beginning of the year.

County Health Executive Binti Omar said most of the reported cases are of elderly and young residents in the county.

Dr Omar said despite the outbreak, nobody has succumbed to the dis-ease, which is regarded as fatal tropi-cal fever. It however, killed three peo-ple in Mombasa last year.

She said her office has no records showing prevalence rates in specific

areas adding that the vector transmit-ting the fever tends to bite in many ar-eas during the day but is more preva-lent in areas that are crowded and unhygienic.

Omar added that most patients have been diagnosed with mild cases, unlike last year where three people succumbed.

Most of the cases diagnosed were detected in private institutions, whose surveillance system to screen and de-tect the fever is functioning.

SAMpLE TESTSSamples from public facilities have

been taken to the Centre for Disease and Control in Nairobi for further test and screening.

“We have had more than 100 cases of the disease since January but they have mainly been mild,” said Omar.

Medical experts say there is no

vaccine against and have similar symptoms as malaria.

Mombasa County Director of Med-ical Services Khadija Shikelly told The Standard last week that cases of den-gue fever in the Coast region are not new.

Symptoms of the disease include severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands or rash.

The disease was first detected in Mombasa last year by medical re-search experts from the Kenya Medi-cal Research Institute (Kemri).

Heavy rains in the region are said to have created new breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which are the vectors transmitting the disease to humans.

Omar said the county had begun sensitising the residents through community health workers on the im-portance of hygiene.

Task force to probe historical land

injustices formedhistorical injustices and recommend appropriate legislation to benefit Ke-nyans, especially the minority com-munities such as the Ogiek,” said Dr Tororei.

Inaugurated under NLC, it aims at addressing land matters in a different way — in that it will have active par-ticipation of the citizenry as it plans to go across the country, collecting views from the affected communi-ties.

“We are planning to visit different counties where land injustices have been committed and have the citizens in those areas participate so that we can have divergent views and sugges-tions for possible adoption in the draft Constitution that is to be tabled be-fore Parliament,” said Tororei.

Speaking at the launch, the Kenya Land Alliance National Co-ordinator Odenda Lumumba said the alliance supports the Government’s land re-form efforts, but should be done un-der the stated laws.

He also challenged all commis-sions such as the Gender Commission to be in the forefront in land reforms, as women are among the most affect-ed victims of land injustices.

“The task force needs to come up with new strategies to be employed in land reforms in order for land issues to be properly dealt with,” said Oden-da.

Some of the communities that have suffered land injustices present at the function were the Ogiek, Ilcha-mus, Sengwer and also a community from Lamu County.

National Land Commission Chairman Mohammed Swazuri (right) with Com-missioner Samuel Tororei during the launch of the task force in Nairobi, yes-terday. [PHOTO: GOVEDI ASUTSA/STANDARD]

BY MAUREEN ABWAO and ELEANOR NANDWA

A task force to look into the land historical injustices has been com-missioned.

The 14-member task force was commissioned yesterday and is ex-pected to come up with a legislation that will help in addressing land griev-ances that have bedeviled the country for many years.

The task force headed by Samuel Tororei is also expected to spearhead discussions that will come up with a draft Bill on land issues to be present-ed to Parliament in the next eight months.

Members include Rose Musyoka, Emma Njogu, Clement Olenashuru, Gichira Kibara, Ken Nyaundi, Wilber-force Kisiero, Grace Mwailemi and Christine Kanini.

Others are a Mr Nixon, Daniel Koilel, Amina Hashi, Augustine Mas-inde, and Kassim Mwamzandi.

The formation of the task force is in line with Article 68(2) of the Consti-tution, which requires investigations into land injustices be conducted and appropriate action recommended by the National Land Commission (NLC). The task force was gazetted on May 9.

Through the drafting of the legal framework, the task force hopes to have all the land historical injustices addressed under the confines of the law.

“As a task force, we hope to be able to initiate investigations into the land

RoundUpCourt stops Chinese firm from developing commercial land

A Chinese company has been stopped by the High Court from developing commercial houses on a prime property in Nairobi. Justice Lucy Gacheru ordered that the development of residential houses on the plot of land located alongside Ndemi Road be halted until the case filed in court is heard and determined. Samvo Limited, through lawyer Stephen Mwenesi is seeking orders to protect the land, which is said to be under construction by the Catham Company. However, Mr Mwenesi said it is not clear whether the said development on the land under dispute has planning approval from the Lands Ministry.

Name signatories of Anglo Leasing cheques, AG told

An MP has asked Attorney General Githu Muigai to name the signatories of

the cheques that processed payments for the Anglo leasing firms. South Mugirango MP Manson Nyamweya says it is in public interest that Kenyans get to know the individuals who appended their signatures to sanction part of the payments to the controversial companies. He also demanded to know the officers who signed inventories to accept receipt of the goods and services, which he said, were never offered by the companies now demanding sh1.4 billion payment.

Kenyan contests council election in Britain

Nairobi-born Josiah Kimani, a former soldier in the British Army, is among the growing number of Kenyans contesting in Britain’s Local Government elections today. Mr Kimani, 34, has lived in Slough, Berkshire, for three-and-half years and is contesting the Colnbrook seat on a Labour Party ticket. He works as a data analyst for a local telecommunications company. The former Strathmore University student is passionate about education, and is a school governor at Claycots Primary School in Britwell. He says he is keen to secure environmental improvements for Colnbrook village, and tougher action to combat fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour. Slough has a big community from East Africa.

Nyamira senator slams CORD over plans to impeach Uhuru

A CORD legislator has warned his colleagues against calls to impeach President Uhuru Kenyatta saying such a move would be premature and not in the interest of Kenyans. Nyamira Senator Monga’re Bwo’Okongo, instead urged the opposition to engage the ruling Jubilee alliance in constructive and objective debate to provide alternatives solutions to the raging insecurity in the country. Saying the debate would further ethnic division, the senator faulted his bandwagon of legislators as being too insensitive with the plight of Kenyans and the aftermath of the 2007 post election violence.

Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard NATIONAL NEWS / Page 9

By STANDARD REPORTER

The National Housing Corporation (NHC) has completed construction of the Ruai Police Project.

NHC management and treasury offi cials scheduled a visit to the site before the offi cial presidential open-ing.

The corporation completed the construction of 44 housing units at the Ruai Police Station in three months.

This is the fi rst large-scale Govern-ment project to adopt modern build-ing technologies, which signifi cantly reduced the project duration.

Kofa Oisebe of the treasury depart-ment has expressed satisfaction in the scheme since its inception.

A committee, which he heads, was formed in November last year to en-sure management and completion of the initiative.

The EPS panels which are manu-factured in NHC’s factory located within Machakos County are a supe-rior material for construction with di-verse benefi ts.

“The project was conceptualised on two key basics; affordability and the short time taken to construct the houses,” said Oisebe.

NHC completes 44 housing

units for police

>>Other storiesinsideWikiLeaks: US eavesdrops on Kenyans’ calls.

p11

>>Other storiesinside

How bid to unmask local Anglo Leasing ghosts failed.

p17

Court orders fresh vetting on two top offi cers and (3) which stipulate that members of the National Police Service shall undergo vetting to assess their suit-ability and competence.

The applicable vetting standards include offi cers’ satisfaction of entry and training requirements, their pro-fessional conduct and discipline, in-tegrity, fi nancial probity, and respect

for human rights. Yesterday, commis-sion chairman Johnston Kavuludi said they will heed the court order and probe the offi cers afresh.

RESULTS“We have been informed of the

court decision and we will honour the orders,” said Kavuludi. He was chair-

ing a team that vetted 165 senior offi -cers whose results will be known Fri-day.

NPSC is compiling the results un-til Friday when offi cers of the ranks of assistant commissioner of police and senior assistant commissioner of po-lice will be told about their perfor-mance. The offi cers will be informed

of their performance and later award-ed certifi cates before the public is in-formed.

“There will be a Press conference on Saturday on the performance of the offi cers. The law requires us to in-form them fi rst before we inform you,” said a senior offi cer who asked not to be named.

By CYRUS OMBATI and KURIAN MUSA

A court has ordered that two se-nior police offi cers dismissed from the service be vetted afresh to assess their suitability.

High Court judge George Odunga ordered the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) to probe once again Senior Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of reforms Jonathan Koskei and Senior Deputy Commis-sioner of Police in the offi ce of the In-spector General of Police Peter Ere-gae.

The two were retired after being found unsuitable following the vet-ting exercise in January. They then moved to court through their lawyer, Alloys Apell, saying they were not pre-pared for the exercise and sought to annul the whole process.

They also demanded to be rein-stated since there were no regulations when they were vetted by the same commission. Yesterday, Justice Odun-ga ordered for fresh vetting for fair-ness to both parties.

NPSC announced their outcome on January 3 after an analysis of the fi rst batch of seven senior police offi -cers who were vetted on December 17 and 18, last year.

The probe is being conducted pur-suant to the provisions of Article 246 of the Constitution and National Po-lice Service Act (2011) Section 7(2)

How bid to How bid to unmask local How bid to

Senior policemen had sought legal redress after NPSC probe found them unsuitable to hold offi ce

Page 10 / NATIONAL NEWS Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

an alleged increase in fees and cuts in the maximum loan awarded to them by the Higher Education Loans Board.

The students took to the streets on Tuesday to protest the planned fees increment. Police used teargas to dis-perse the students who were march-ing to Jogoo House to seek audience with Education Cabinet Secretary Ja-cob Kaimenyi.

Running battlesFollowing the protests in Nairobi,

Uhuru Highway and University Way were closed as the students engaged police in running battles.

Prof Kaimenyi has, however, dis-missed claims that he ordered a fees increment for all public universities.

More than 100 students were ar-

rested during the protest and booked at Central Police Station before being arraigned in court yesterday. The case will be heard on July 3.

On Monday, UoN student leaders warned motorists to avoid major roads leading to the city due to Tues-day’s nationwide student demonstra-tions.

Students Organisation of Nairobi University (Sonu) chairman Babu Owino urged motorists to stay away from University Way, Nairobi central business district, Moi Avenue, Park-lands, Kikuyu Road and Thika Super-highway.

“If you work within Nairobi and you own a vehicle, please leave it at home. We are further warning motor-ist to stay away from major roads” Owino said.

24 students charged with rioting, released on bailby FaitH KaRanJa

Twenty-four University of Nairobi (UoN) students were yesterday charged with rioting in a Nairobi court, following a strike that paralysed learning in some public universities.

They all denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndwiga and were released on a Sh500 cash bail each.

Mr Ndwiga issued a warrant of ar-rest against six students who never turned up to take their plea in relation to the unrest that paralysed business and disrupted traffic.

The court heard that on May 20, in Nairobi, a directive by IP John Kimtai Kemei to the rioting students to dis-perse was ignored.

The students were protesting over

University of Nairobi

Students in a Nairobi court

where they were charged

with rioting during Tues-day’s strike.

They were released on a

Sh500 cash bail each. [PHOTO:

Fidelis Kabunyi/

sTandaRd]

by isaiaH luCHeli

The High Court has barred police from impounding private vehicles with tinted windows, saying the law only applies to Public Service Vehicles (PSV).

Judge George Odunga restrained the Inspector General of Police from impounding private vehicles with tinted windows until a suit filed by a motorist is heard and determined.

Okola Akitch has challenged the new regulation, arguing that it was contrary to the traffic rules of 1953, which provide that a person shall not operate a PSV vehicle that is fitted with tinted windows or windscreen.

The rule further states that tinted means shaded, coloured or treated in a similar manner so that the person or objects inside are not seen clearly from outside.

exClusively pRoHibitsAkitch argues that the law exclu-

sively prohibits the use of tinted win-dows with regard to PSVs and added that the order made by Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo was unlawful and irrational.

“The directive by the IG to im-pound all vehicles with tinted win-dows is grounded on gross error of fact by purporting to state that pri-vately owned vehicles are also subject to the directive,” he said.

The applicant added that the IG, in making the directive as he did, was actually going against his mandate as spelt out in the National Police Ser-vice Act.

“The respondent’s decision to di-rect the impounding of all vehicles with tinted windows is based on a fundamental error of law,” he said.

Court stops Kimaiyo

order on tints

RoundUpnaiRobi: Woman charged with defrauding man

A woman was yesterday charged in a Milimani court with fraudulently obtaining Sh20,000. Erique Lawllode Munyekeye’s charge read that on May 6, at the Milimani law courts in Nairobi, she obtained the cash from Richard Makau Nyilu on the pretence that she would bail out his relative, Zacharia Mumase. Mumase, who was then in custody, had been arrested by traffic police and charged with various traffic offences at the Milimani courts. His bail had been set at Sh40,000. The case will be heard on May 27.

naiRobi: police boss denies gun-leasing claims

Shauri Moyo Police boss Augustine Mutembei (pictured) was summoned in court over allegations that some officers at his station were hiring out guns to criminals. Mutembei appeared before a Makadara court to respond to the allegations that one officer, Jonah Ng’eno, was using minors to ferry firearms to criminals. He told the court he was the custodian of all firearms at the station, adding that he counter- checks them before they leave at 6am and again at 6pm when they are returned. The said minors were accused of violently robbing Harrison Maina of his mobile phone and cash. They were remanded at Kabete Juvenile Remand Home until May 26.

SUBMISSION OF MEMORANDAPursuant to Article 196(1) of the Constitution of Kenya and Standing Order No. 121(3), the committees invite members of the public to submit their representations on the following Bills:

1. The Nakuru County supplementary Appropriations Bill, 20142. The Nakuru county Revenue Administration Bill, 20143. The Nakuru County Vetting and Appointments of Public Officers Bill,

20144. The Nakuru County Assembly Service Bill, 20145. The Nakuru County Water Bill, 20146. The Nakuru solid waste management fund Bill, 2014

Copies of the Bills can be obtained from the office of the Clerk or can be downloaded from the Assembly website-: www.nakurucountyassembly.or.ke.Written representations may be forwarded to:

The Clerk of the County AssemblyP.O Box 907-20100

Nakuru.

Or

Hand delivered to the office of the Clerk, County Assembly of Nakuru Buildings or emailed to clerk@nakurucountyassembly.or.ke/ info@nakurucountyassembly.or.keto be received on or before 31st May, 2014.

COUNTY ASSEMBLY OF NAKURU

Email: clerk@nakurucountyassembly.or.keWebsite: www.nakurucountyassembly.or.ke

COUNTY ASSEMBLYP O BOX 907-20100NAKURU

TEL: 0722-590098FAX: (051) 2216473

COUNTY ASSEMBLY OF NAKURU

Email: clerk@nakurucountyassembly.or.keWebsite: www.nakurucountyassembly.or.ke

COUNTY ASSEMBLYP O BOX 907-20100NAKURU

TEL: 0722-590098FAX: (051) 2216473

PUBLIC PARTICIPATIONPursuant to Article 196(1) of the Constitution of Kenya and Standing Order No. 121(3), members of the public are invited to give their views on the following Bills:1. The Nakuru County Agricultural Development Bill, 20142. The Nakuru county Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Bill, 20143. The Nakuru County Village Polytechnic Bill, 20144. The Nakuru County Early Childhood Education Bill,20145. The Nakuru County Public Entertainment and Amenities, 2014 6. The Nakuru County Rating Bill, 20147. The Nakuru County Nuisance Bill, 2014The venues, dates and time are as follows:

DATE SUBCOUNTY VENUE26/5/2014

KURESOI SOUTH KERINGETRONGAI KAMPI YA MOTOSUBUKIA DC’S OFFICENAIVASHA TOWN HALL

27/5/2014 NJORO HOMECRAFTBAHATI DC’S OFFICEGILGIL DC’S OFFICEKURESOI NORTH MAU SUMMIT SUB-COUNTY HQ

28/5/2014 MOLO TOWN HALLNAKURU WEST SHABAAB GROUNDNAKURU EAST OLD TOWN HALL

The public may also submit written representations they may have on the Bills. Copies of the Bills can be obtained from the office of the Clerk or can be downloaded from the Assembly website-: www.nakurucountyassembly.or.ke. The representations may be forwarded to

The Clerk of the County AssemblyP.O Box 907-20100, Nakuru.

Orclerk@nakurucountyassembly.or.keinfo@nakurucountyassembly.or.ke County Assembly of Nakuru

Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard NATIONAL NEWS / Page 11

BY CYRUS OMBATI

Three suspected thugs were on Tuesday night shot dead in two differ-ent robberies in the city.

The fi rst shooting in Mwiki Estate, Nairobi, involved two men while the second one took place near St Peters Claver in downtown Nairobi.

The suspects were part of a group that had been mugging the public when police were alerted. Police say they recovered a homemade gun from the two Mwiki suspects.

Nairobi police boss Benson Kibue said the slain suspects were part of a larger gang that has been terrorising city residents.

“Let these muggers know that we now have an anti-mugging squad that is taking care of city security,” said Mr Kibue. He added that the city has more police offi cers to reinforce resi-dents’ security.

Kibue warned muggers targeting pedestrians that they would be arrest-ed if they resisted police orders. The killings brought to 11 the number of suspects killed since Monday this week. Three were killed along Brooke-side Drive in Westlands, two in Githu-rai 44, four in Mwiki and two in Em-bakasi.

Three suspected thugs killed in city robberies

>>Other storiesinsideMinistry develops automated performance tracking system.

p40

>>Other storiesinsideDisplaced Kilelengwani residents return home.

p24

WikiLeaks: US eavesdrops on Kenyans’ callswith the US have been lukewarm at best.

Kenya has not granted permission to any country for such surveillance, while such tapping could make up a criminal offence. The Constitution guarantees freedom to privacy that includes communication.

The Intercept, an online publica-tion that releases the US’ classifi ed in-

formation leaked by Snowden, alleges that the NSA secret programme, Mys-tic, collects information and content from all phone networks in Kenya and three other countries.

“All told, the NSA is using Mystic to gather personal data on mobile calls placed in countries with a combined population of more than 250 million people,” The Intercept reported yes-

terday. Mystic listens in on mobile net-

works for information that reveals the time, source, and destination of calls. Somalget is a cutting-edge tool that enables the NSA to vacuum and store the actual content of every conversa-tion in an entire country. The docu-ments claim the spy operation in Ke-nya is “sponsored” by the CIA, which

collects GSM metadata with the po-tential for content at a later date.

“It is believed the focus of the local operation is to intercept phone com-munication relating to terror since the US works closely with local security forces in combating the militant fun-damentalist group Al-Shabaab, based in neighbouring Somalia,” reports The Intercept.

BY MOSES MICHIRA

A US intelligence agency is alleg-edly tapping all phone calls made in Kenya, possibly informing the recent travel advisories and the heightened alert at its Embassy in Nairobi.

The spying claim that could be a major breach of privacy for millions of Kenyans is contained in a WikiLeaks exposé by the global whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Already, the US embassy in Nairo-bi has announced plans to cut down its staff following what it termed in-formation on potential terror threats. Britain has also evacuated its holiday-ing citizens over what it terms credi-ble terror threats.

Documents leaked by Mr Snowden reveal that the National Security Agency is recording millions of phone communications made on mobile and even fi xed lines, with the inten-tion of spying and possibly thwarting any terror threats.

Further, NSA archives and replays specifi c conversations of interest for up to a month in a secret surveillance system code-named Somalget. There is no indication, however, whether the information collected could be abused.

But the surveillance could be a major concern for ordinary citizens minding their own business. It is ex-pected that the claims, if confi rmed, could unsettle Kenya whose relations

National Security Agency is recording millions of phone calls on mobile and even fi xed lines

Page 12 / NATIONAL NEWS Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

Uhuru suspends demolitions on disputed land

By ISAAC MESO and IMMACULATE AKELLO

President Uhuru Kenyatta has suspended the demolition of hous-es in South B said to be built on a piece of land belonging to Live-stock and Fisheries ministry.

Over 20 new residential houses, which were still under construc-tion at Executive Housing phase 2 estates, had been demolished by yesterday morning.

Cabinet Secretary for Agricul-ture, Livestock and Fisheries Felix Kosgey said after consultations with the President, they had decid-ed to suspend the demolitions to give investors and home owners time to relocate.

“We have talked with the Presi-dent and decided as a ministry that for now we are going to sus-pend the demolitions to give time to the residents to relocate. As you have witnessed this morning, we have started the repossession pro-

Minister says this will give investors, home owners time to move from city plot

cess and this shall continue relent-lessly,” Kosgey said.

Nairobi Senator Mike Mbuvi said he had requested the President to stop the exercise as the owners had not been served with an eviction no-tice.

Mbuvi’s remarks were echoed by investors and home owners occupy-ing the disputed land who were infu-riated by the ministry’s decision to bring down their buildings. They ac-cused the Government of being in-sensitive to their plight.

Kosgey, however, refuted Mbuvi’s claims and said that they had served the investors and home owners with a notice to relocate from the land, which he claimed belonged to Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Production Insti-tute (KEVEVAPI), but they ignored.

gEnUInE dOCUMEnTSBeatrice Karanja, one of the own-

ers of the houses marked for demoli-tion, said they bought the land and have all genuine documents to prove that they did not acquire it illegally.

She added that they have been paying land rent to the Government and that they had not been notified about the intended demolitions.

“We have been here since 2009 and we have been paying land rents to the Government ever since. If the land was illegally acquired, why does the

the parcels of land from Diamond Park Housing Company occupying 25.212ha, Winners Chapel Interna-tional (2.984ha), Executive Housing Company (9.7095ha), Kenya Bankers’ Sacco Ltd (4.0470ha) and Modern ventures Ltd (4.047ha).

According to documents released by the ministry, the institutions which sold the land included, National So-cial Security Fund, M/s Chonda Ltd, Tilley Ltd and SAMU Ltd. Kenya Bank-ers Sacco Ltd obtained a piece of land from Anne Nyambura, who was Sec-retary to the former Commissioner of Lands Wilson Gachanja.

Government accept the rent?” Bea-trice asked.

The Cabinet Secretary said that, on March 14 this year, KEVEVAPI asked the current occupants to demolish any developments in a bid to reposes

investors count their lossesOver 20 new residential hous-es, which were still under con-struction at Executive Housing phase 2 estates, South B, had been demolished by yesterday morningThe Government says the houses are built on a piece of land belonging to Livestock and Fisheries ministry

Bulldozers demolish houses built on the disputed land in South B, Nairo-bi. [PHOTO: GEORGE NJUNGE/STANA-DARD]

By BEnARd SAngA

Five files containing the names of 20 individuals highly culpable for scandal-ridden Anglo-leasing proj-ects are complete, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has said.

EACC chairman Mumo Matemu yesterday revealed that his office had started consultations with the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) “to make sure that the cases are prosecutable” before arrests are made.

Though he did not mention names, Matemu said that some of the sus-pects were foreigners and that EACC was seeking some “few remaining documents and witnesses who are out of the country key to the successful prosecution of the culprits.”

The revelation came even as the Institute of Certified Public Account of Kenya (ICPAK) supported President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive to the Trea-sury to pay up the Sh1.4 billion to two companies’ associated with Anglo Leasing-type contracts.

ICPAK chairman, Benson Okundi said in Mombasa that the payment was key to the success of the interna-tional bond which the Government plans to float in its bid to raise at least $1.5 billion.

20 under EACC microscope over

Anglo Leasing

Elders demand action on Mungiki

By POnCIAnO OdOngO and PETERSOn gITHAIgA

Maasai elders yesterday asked the Government to quickly deal with members of the proscribed Mungiki sect in Kitengela following the latest killings in the town.

The elders who held the meeting with the sub county security commit-tee led by Isinya Deputy County Com-missioner Hassan Bule complained that the gang had badly affected the peaceful town.

“We demand that the minister for Interior and Co-ordination Joseph ole Lenku conduct a security operation to be led by general service unit in Kitengela and its environs to weed out all the followers of Mungiki sect and their leaders,” said David Parseina.

UK denies claims it’s evacuating its citizensBy nIKKO TAnUI

The British government has de-nied claims that it is evacuating its citizens from Kenya over terror threats.

Speaking during the launch of a one mega watt solar energy project at George Williamson Tea Company in Konoin Constituency, Bomet County, British High Commissioner Christian Turner, denied that his government had issued travel advisories to its citi-zens against travelling to Kenya.

“There has been a lot of noise over

the security situation in Kenya and that the British government has is-sued travel advisories to its citizens against visiting the country and that we also evacuated our citizens last week but that is not the truth,” said Dr Turner.

He clarified that his government had issued a travel advisory on Mom-basa but not to the entire country.

“There had been a travel advisory on Mombasa but not Kenya as a whole,” said Turner.

The British High Commissioner pledged that he would play his role to

strengthen bilateral relationship be-tween Kenya and United Kingdom (UK) and would also work towards bringing in more UK investors and tourists to the country.

Speaking during the same func-tion, Bomet governor Isaac Ruto, not-ed that Kenya and UK have a long his-tory in various sectors such as the tea and tourism.

He nonetheless, called on the UK government to review its advisory against Mombasa Island saying the Kenyan government was working hard to eliminate terror threats.

By RAWLIngS OTIEnOTalks aimed at merging the three

teachers’ unions stalled after one par-ty walked out of the meeting alleging insincerity and a plot to kill other unions.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) yesterday failed to agree on the modalities of forming a strong umbrella union to face the Govern-ment over issues facing the education sector.

Kuppet officials walked out of the closed-door meeting alleging that

Knut was using under hand tactics to dissolve their union. Kuppet National Chairman Omboko Milemba stormed out in protest alleging that the talks were not in good taste.

However, the steering committee chairperson Sammy Kubasu said the meeting of the unions was meant to address teachers unity from early childhood education to the university level.

“We have issues affecting us as the teacher’s fraternity. We have similar problems and we must address them as a united entity. As far as we are con-cerned everything is on well,” said Prof Kubasu.

The steering committee, whose other members include Knut Secre-tary General Wilson Sossion, Uasu Secretary Muga K’Olale and his Kup-pet counterpart Akello Misori, seeks to address the unity of teachers and a possible merger.

According to Kubasu, the terms of reference of the committee would be to plan and co-ordinate unity talks between the three unions, create and package information to stakeholders, develop and propose structural framework within which the union will work.

Asked whether the unions had agreed to dissolve and form one

union, Kubasu dismissed the propo-sition and clarified that talks and con-sultations were still ongoing and if the members of the steering committee agree to the idea, it will be taken to the members for approval.

“In our talks, we have not agreed to merge or dissolve, but if the mem-bers of the committee agree to that proposition, who am I to refuse. We simply take it to the members for adoption,” said Kubasu.

Kubasu, Uasu national chairman, said that it is only through unity that they will be able to face the Govern-ment and get the best for the welfare of their members.

Kuppet walkout mars teachers’ unions merger talks

Christian Turner

Omboko Milemba

Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard NATIONAL NEWS / Page 13

By STANDARD REPORTER

Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) boss Francis Atwoli (pictured) yesterday warned of plans by powerful people to dismantle the workers’ representative body.

Addressing the third International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) congress in Berlin, Germany, Mr At-woli, who is the vice-president, said

Cotu “has lately been under attack by certain individuals in the Govern-ment” because of his refusal to com-promise his stand on workers’ rights.

He said when he was elected pres-ident of the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU) in March, the Ministry of Labour intensified its efforts to weaken Cotu by promoting the Public Service Trade Unions of Ke-nya (Pusetu) to sit on the boards of

National Social Security Fund and Na-tional Hospital Insurance Fund, alleg-edly to “siphon out” workers savings.

“Cotu shall never allow this to hap-pen,” said Atwoli.

“They have marshalled three pub-lic service unions, namely the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), Kenya University Staff Union (Kusu) and Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS). Ask yourself how three unions

from one employer can form a federa-tion, as opposed to Cotu with 41 affil-iated trade unions representing all sectors of Kenya’s economic activi-ties,” said Atwoli.

The three unions fall under Pusetu.

But Atwoli claimed that Cotu won after it successfully organised the La-bour Day celebrations on May 1 after a heated court tussle with Pusetu.

Atwoli claims ‘powerful people’ out to scuttle Cotu

Suspect in Thika Road

blasts charged

By FRED MAKANA

A man accused of blowing up two buses along the Thika Superhighway over two weeks ago was yesterday charged in a Nairobi court with committing a terrorist attack.

The court heard that the suspect, Warque Dejene Sar, received terrorism training in Kismayu, Somalia.

But Sar denied blowing up the two buses, which plied the Githurai 45 route. The attack killed two passengers and left scores others injured.

The court heard that the ac-cused was traced through mo-bile phone communication on recovery of a Yu Sim card at the scene by hawk-eyed crime busters investigating terrorism activities in the country.

The prosecutor told Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndwiga that Sar was recruited alongside other Kenyan youths who sneaked through the bor-der town of Mandera to the home of Al-Shabaab in Kism-ayu where they were trained in terrorism.

The prosecutor further in-formed the court that investi-gations conducted by officers from the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) established that the Sim card recovered at the scene was bought from a Yu agent shop in Nairobi’s Kayole area.

According to a charge sheet produced in court, two pas-sengers, Anthony Nganga and Anthony Miriti, died in the bus explosions, while other pas-sengers were seriously wound-ed.

Sar’s charge read that on May 4, jointly with his accom-plices, he placed improvised explosive devices in the two buses, which went off at Allsops

Court heard that the man had received training in terrorism in Kismayu, Somalia

and Homeland areas along the superhighway.

The court also heard that on May 12, at ATPU offices, Sar professed to be a member of outlawed Al-Shabaab terrorist group.

Five crew members of the two buses were arrested and charged at the Makadara law courts and later released on a Sh5 million bond each, which caused a hue and cry from public service vehicle opera-tors in Nairobi.

CRIMINAL CHARGESThis prompted Director of

Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko to terminate the crimi-nal charges facing the matatu crew who had been charged with failure to prevent murder in the twin blasts.

He noted that after perus-ing the files, the prosecution found no evidence to show that the accused persons knew there was a design by any of the passengers to blow up the buses.

The magistrate was asked by the prosecution to remand Sar in custody to enable him give crucial leads to ATPU offi-cers as to where the accused and his accomplices assem-bled the explosive devices.

He urged the court to de-cline any request to admit the accused to bail pending police investigations.

Sar was remanded at the Kilimani Police Station where he will undergo thorough screening and is scheduled to appear in court on June 4 for further directions.

Page 14 / EDITORIALS Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

Resolve mystery of mass graves

The Standard is printed and published by the proprietors,

THE STANDARD GROUPNewsdesk: 3222111 | Fax: 2213108Email: oped@standardmedia.co.ke

Group Managing Editor (Print): Kipkoech Tanui

Registered at the GPO as a newspaper.

Jubilee political wrangles call for fi rm leadership

WHAT OTHER MEDIA SAY...

Our sister paper The Standard on Sunday reported that a hyena had unearthed bodies from a shallow grave in Athi River, Machakos

County. Following this report, a team of experts from the Forensics Department exhumed seven bodies from the area.

Preliminary reports by the Chief Government Pathologist based on the state of the bodies, indicate they had been interred for periods of between two and four weeks. How could this have happened? Who carried out the killings and for what reason?

It is saddening that it was only after the expose that the Athi River, Kitengela and Machakos security teams resolved to form a joint team to investigate a spate of recent killings in the areas.

Even before investigations have been conclusively conducted, there are claims linking the killings to the outlawed Mungiki sect.

Could Mungiki, that band of suspected criminals known for their macabre killings in Nairobi, Central and central Rift Valley be making a comeback? The Government waged a ruthless campaign to wipe out the sect in 2009 that was condemned by the UN. The discovery of the graves might point to the existence of others elsewhere. The number of people who have disappeared without trace is very high across the country.

Yet the fact is that several cases of disappearance might remain unresolved because of the absence of a forensic laboratory or at times, lack of will by the authorities to investigate unexplained disappearance.

The police resolve the mystery of the deaths before they become another statistic in the country’s long list of unexplained disappearances and deaths. Those found culpable should be brought to justice.

What started as a routine dismissal and transfer of two high-ranking civil servants is

quickly becoming one of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s political crisis of the year.

At the centre of the simmering contro-versy is the Cabinet Secretary for Devolu-tion, Ms Anne Waiguru who is being accused of abuse of office, intimidation and threatening public servants in her ministry.

Waiguru’s sacking of Mr Evans Gor Semelango who was the chairman of the National Youth Enterprise Fund raised eyebrows by the manner and circumstanc-es under which it was done.

Since the Cabinet Secretary did not see it necessary to offer an explanation for the dismissal, social media, the platform where disgruntled Kenyans take their wars, went viral with all manner of allegations and speculation.

The furore caused by this had hardly settled down when she transferred the Director-General of the National Youth

Service to the Ministry of Sports. Ordinar-ily, this should have been treated as a normal transfer except that it had far-reaching political connotations that threaten to tear apart the Jubilee coalition and set the country on a campaign mode.

The Jubilee coalition exists on the premise of a 50/50 sharing pact of govern-ment positions between the partners.

Igembe South MP, Mr Mithika Linturi has filed a motion seeking to have the Cabinet Secretary relieved of her job.

The political undertones are heavy given that Linturi and a majority of those who have supported the motion, are members of the Jubilee coalition.

Waiguru could be a pawn in the game of power politics. Or her alleged actions could mirror the absence of leadership at the centre.

No doubt, Waiguru’s star was rising. Her panache, style and steely confidence is admirable. After her appointment in April 2013, Waiguru quickly became the face of Jubilee’s mostly technocratic and lean

Cabinet. She was an inspiration to many young girls and career women.

If she could make it to the top in the labyrinthine Civil Service, who couldn’t? After all, she brought great attributes to the job. But then, the brouhaha over two of her decisions (some might term them bad decisions) could dim the star of one woman who represented the freshness of President Kenyatta’s Cabinet.

Perhaps hers was a genuine oversight, but the question being asked is whether she acted alone without consulting her bosses; the president and his deputy and therefore disregarded the tetchy political situation or that she has been left to stew in the soup alone? Her bosses have been quiet to say the least.

While the impeachment of a Cabinet Secretary is provided for in the law should the threshold be attained, Waiguru’s impeachment should be dispensed with expeditiously without tearing the national fabric along tribal and party lines.

Be that as it may, the President is

duty-bound to honour the resolutions of a duly-executed parliamentary process without protecting his appointees espe-cially after letting matters get this far.

What those in Jubilee should remember also is that Kenya is not a preserve of TNA and URP, it belongs to 42 million Kenyans who are crying for better services from a government seemingly immersed in scandals and lacking political leadership.

This saga and the Sh1.4 billion pay-ments for Anglo Leasing-related contracts have triggered subtle political realign-ments and thrust the country into a campaign mode. That is not necessary. Especially with insecurity that has trig-gered travel advisories from Western countries and a mass exodus of tourists, imperilling the fragile economy further.

Compounding this with unnecessary political wrangles and intrigues and State mandarins who are wont to overplay their hand, will only worsen the situation.

The president needs to show firm leadership.

A critical election in UkraineIt is risky to see hopeful trends in the

Ukrainian crisis. But a degree of calm seems to have settled over the rebellious southeast, which may bode well for the presidential election scheduled for Sunday. There are many things Moscow and its minions in Ukraine can still do to derail the election, of course, but President Vladimir Putin of Russia has refrained from publicly endorsing the “people’s republics” proclaimed by secessionists. His spokesman said on Monday that he had ordered Russian troops to pull back from the Ukrainian border, though NATO has not seen any change yet.

A voice in EuropeIn its crudest, most regrettable form, the

question being asked of voters ahead of tomorrow’s European Parliament election is this: are you worried about the possibility of a Romanian family moving in next door? The data shows that only a vanishingly small percentage of the country would fi nd themselves in that position (the number of migrants from Bulgaria and Romania in the workforce in fact dropped since restrictions were lifted last year). But that is the prospect that Nigel Farage has highlighted in order to scare up the anti-immigration, anti-EU vote. It is alarming that such tactics may well work, given the rather hazy understanding in the broader electorate of what exactly the EU Parliament gets up to in Strasbourg.

Kick-starting IndiaIndia’s mammoth, fi ve-week election, involving

hundreds of millions of voters, is over. Offi cial results were due as The Economist went to press. A new government will be formed in the coming days. Exit polls point to the Bharatiya Janata Party swooping back to power after a decade in opposition. Narendra Modi, its leader, is set to be prime minister. Investors are excited by that prospect. They like his past in running the business-friendly state of Gujarat and his talk of vikas (development) in the campaign. Whoever becomes prime minister faces a long to-do list that includes everything from getting along with Pakistan to dealing with iron-ore mafi as.

OPINION / Page 15

HADIJAH NANNYOMO} TA X E X E M P T I O N S PalaverGithu Muigai

(aka the undertaker), is a clever one, no doubt about that. He is that type of a honcho that you don’t tie down so easily, he will squirm free. So it was that when the Law Society of Kenya wanted to have him by the neck, he threw mud at them. And he did not stop at that; he passed the buck of Anglo Leasing contract’s payment so cleverly, the way Lionnel Messi passes a through ball! The good thing is, he did not deny Anglo Leasing was fleecing Kenyans.

Why bother repatriating Soma-lis back to their homeland? First, their country is not yet safe, and to some, Somalia is more alien than Kenya. Secondly, the man in charge of the police says his ‘mboys’ are a disgrace; he might just give up the fight. The secu-rity officers at border points and roadblocks are letting in aliens faster than a sieve leaks water.

If someone asks you to explain the meaning of the word resilience, it might be easy to just quip WAMBORA! This guy is hard as nails, he is a fighter alright, saying ‘DIE’ is not part of his lexicon. One would be forgiven for assuming he has a ‘till death do us part’ with officialdom.

Let us look East, was Jubilee’s mantra in the campaigns leading to last year’s election. In fact, one of the aide of the Jubilee principals told Americans and the West to go away with their dollars. The chickens have come home to roost now. Apparently the country’s foreign debt com-position is telling us something the politicians never told us as they solicited for our vote. Debts held in Euros and US dollar is three-quarters hence the panic in the corridors of power. Indeed, choices have consequences.

Devolution Cabinet Secre-tary Anne Waiguru attacked her job with so much gusto she eclipsed her colleagues. Her panache and style is admirable. But according to Mithika Linturi, the Igembe South MP, Waiguru has been “intimidating and threatening public servants”. Incensed, a section of the “tyr-anny of numbers” ilk think she must exit the scene, and go she might. Let’s wait and see. Be sure, the fall will not be silent.

oped@standardmedia.co.ke

head may have significant effects on another tax head.

Economists and researchers ar-gue that if a government wants to eliminate tax exemptions, it should consider lowering tax rates and wid-ening the tax base and net.

If the Government is, therefore, aiming at enhancing revenues, re-moving tax exemptions without lowering the tax rates and widening the tax base, may not actually achieve this goal.

wAy fOrwArdThe challenge with most devel-

oping countries is that, thanks to corruption and bribery, tax evasion, smuggling and political interfer-ence, the tax base and tax net is nev-er the same.

The tax base includes all those persons who should be paying taxes whereas the tax net includes those who actually pay.

The Government should there-fore focus on widening the tax net – ensuring everyone who should be paying tax pays their share of tax.

If this is achieved together with a reduction in tax rates, then the re-moval of tax exemptions by the Government may yield the required higher revenues both in the short and long term.

The writer is a Tax Consultant with EY’s Tax Department.

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Ernst &

Younghadijah.nannyomo@ke.ey.com

East African governments have recently been under sustained pressure from

international development part-ners, particularly the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to remove or reduce the tax exemptions given to taxpayers. This pressure has been piled in order to improve these countries’ revenue collection efforts and re-duce reliance on donor funding.

But it is questionable whether the reduction or removal of tax ex-emptions, remissions or waivers will actually yield more revenue for especially the Kenyan Govern-ment.

In the Budget Options 2013/14 publication, the Parliamentary Bud-get Office made a recommendation to the Government to develop a cri-terion for tax exemptions, waivers and remissions in order to enhance its revenue collection.

SPOrTS PErSONS Accordingly, the Value Added

Tax (VAT) Act 2013 removed a sig-nificant proportion of the goods and services that were either ex-empt or zero-rated, as well as remis-sions in the previous Act.

The Kenya Revenue Authority has also recently demanded taxes from sports clubs and sports per-sons, among other groups that have traditionally been exempt from tax.

As per last year’s budget proposals, the remission of excise duty on pro-duction of beer made from local raw materials was reduced by half.

This clearly highlights the gov-ernment’s resolve to focus on rais-ing more revenue to sustain the growth momentum of the econo-my.

Tax exemptions, waivers and re-missions apply to direct taxes (that is; corporate tax, withholding tax, Pay As You Earn) and indirect taxes (VAT, excise duty, import duty) alike.

Exemptions on direct taxes are mainly aimed at organisations and individuals that are of a public or diplomatic character.

Indirect tax exemptions, on the other hand, are aimed at goods and services that are deemed to be ne-cessities for the mwananchi and should therefore be affordable.

Indirect tax exemptions are also extended to investors with signifi-cant investments in certain sectors that have bearing on public inter-est.

The challenge, however, with in-direct taxes is that these taxes are borne by the final consumer nor-mally the mwananchi and not nec-essarily by the seller or producer, even though the latter acts as a gov-ernment agent.

When an exemption is removed, the seller can either decide to re-

duce their profit margins and retain the same price or leave their margin at the same level and increase the price.

This implies that when an ex-emption on such a tax is removed, the extra tax payable will be borne by the final consumer.

This has been evident with the removal/reduction of VAT exemp-tions or excise duty remissions on certain goods.

The extra cost has been pushed to the final consumer through high-er prices.

ShOrT TErMSo it is possible that the Govern-

ment may collect more revenue from the extra tax as a result of the removal of the exemption in the short term.

But in the long term, the in-crease in prices of the affected goods and services may lead to a reduction in the levels of consumption of these goods which will in turn re-duce turnover.

This will, in turn, lead to reduced profits and therefore lower corpo-rate taxes collected by the Govern-ment.

In extreme cases, some busi-nesses will find it prudent to reduce their staff numbers leading to lower PAYE collections by the Govern-ment. Taxes are intertwined and any changes in the rates of one tax

Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

Widen tax base to raise more revenue“The chal-lenge with

most devel-oping coun-tries is that,

thanks to corruption

and bribery, tax evasion, smuggling

and political interference, the tax base and tax net is never the

same”

Immediately after it came to office, the Jubilee adminis-tration embarked on a wide

range of reforms in parastatals to improve service delivery and spur economic growth.

The reforms are intended to transform the management of the state corporations by removing du-plications, overlaps and redundan-cies which have been the bane of these public entities.

President Uhuru Kenyatta ap-pointed a task force to spearhead the reforms. The team, led by Ab-dikadir Mohamed and Isaac Awuondo, made far-reaching rec-ommendations which, when fully implemented, will see some 75 state firms merged, split, disband-ed and, in some instances, new in-dependent entities established.

The task force proposed the cre-ation of a new outfit dubbed Gov-ernment Investment Company (GIC), which incorporates all the state-owned commercial enter-prises.

The new arm will for instance handle commercial functions of the National Cereals and Produce Board that have been delinked from the Strategic Grain Reserve. It will also coordinate operations of all commercial entities currently

under the investment division of the National Treasury.

The new model is heavily bor-rowed from Singapore where a gov-ernment corporation, which is di-rectly supervised by the Presidency, is mandated to supervise all the state corporations.

Under Jubilee’s proposed re-forms, the role of parastatal’s parent ministries will be limited to policy formulation and advising.

The appointments of the corpo-rations’ CEOs will be done by the respective boards in consultation with the GIC.

This arrangement will reduce bureaucracy and enhance service delivery in the state corporations. Besides, the reforms will make the corporations more accountable and transparent. Effectiveness and efficiency will also be the hallmark of the parastatals once the changes are comprehensively implement-ed.

This will be a complete depar-ture from the current situation where corruption, rot, lethargy, wastage of resources and ineffi-ciencies have almost crippled the operations of government corpo-rations.

The task force recommended the establishment of the Financial

Supervisory Council which would bring under one management the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), Retirement Benefits Author-ity (RBA), Capital Markets Author-ity (CMA), and Sacco Societies Reg-ulatory Authority (SASRA).

The same thinking is replicated in the merger of Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest), the Export Promotion Council (EPC), Kenya Tourist Board (KTB) and Brand Ke-nya Board (BKB) to form Kenya In-vestment Corporation (KIC).

Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Authority (AFFA) brings together Tea Board, Coffee Board, Sisal Board, Sugar Board. The Bio-Safety Authority is merged with the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis).

The Youth Enterprise Develop-ment Fund, Uwezo Fund, SME fund and women Fund have been consolidated under Biashara Fund.

Strategic state agencies and re-search institutions that are non-commercial will be supervised by the National and County Agencies Oversight Office (NACAOO).

This agency, headed by a board appointed by the president, will oversee the operations of state agencies including research insti-

tutions and public universities. It is worth noting some non-

commercial state agencies also generate substantial revenues and NACAOO will formulate policies and strategies that will ensure cap-itation to these agencies is supple-mented by the revenue generated internally.

Another major reform is the creation of the Sovereign Wealth Fund will oversee the sharing of proceeds from natural resources, especially oil and minerals, among local communities, county govern-ments and national government.

The process to realise these crit-ical changes is ongoing and initia-tives to achieve these objectives are at various development stages.

Successful implementation of these reforms heralds a new dawn in which government corporations will be the key pillars of economic growth.

The changes will also lead to significant reduction in wastage of public resources, a critical factor now that the debate on how to cut the sky-high public wage bill is rag-ing.

Mr Bitok, a professor of Finance, is an advisor at the

Presidency.

“This will be a com-

plete depar-ture from the current situ-ation where corruption, rot, lethar-gy, wastage of resourc-

es and ineffi-ciencies have almost crip-pled the op-erations of

government corporations”

JULIUS BITOK} Parastatal reforms will stimulate economic growth

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Nyumba Kumi initiative may not end insecurity

The Nyumba Kumi initiative introduced by the Government, though well intentioned, may not bear fruits for the simple reason that Kenyans are not in that ‘mood’. I believe that to curb insecurity and terrorism, the Government should lay down appropriate grounds for it to be agreeable to all Kenyans. Massive awareness campaigns need to be carried out to show citizens that it’s a good concept, and it’s for their own security. Otherwise it will remain crippled and will never be actualised. - Joel Onyango

Offi cers linked to extortion should be shown the door

The story of the three young men arrested by rogue policemen at the Kencom bus stage in Nairobi, and forced to withdraw money from ATMs to bribe them in order to be freed, was very disturbing. The offi cers’ actions were deliberate. They chose to use the authority bestowed on them to protect citizens to instead put them in a situation of extreme agony. I therefore hope the Government will ensure that the full force of the law is brought to bear on the errant offi cers. - Franklin Thuranira

More companies should come up with methods of fi ghting insecurity

Safaricom’s move to join the Government in the fi ght against terrorism is applaudable. It has shown that this fi ght is not only a Government affair but also includes all those who live and work in Kenya. Although the deal, which will see the Government part with Sh12.3 billion is welcome, the question one needs to ask is if it will be useful even in slum areas and other estates far from the city centre. Only time will tell, but all of us need security – national leaders, the police and even sukuma wiki vendors in the estates. - George Kajilwa

Comrade power a waste of time

The public university students’ demonstration cannot be justifi ed as the last step in the quest to attract the Government’s attention. The unsustainable peaceful demonstrations, particularly at the expense of students of Nairobi and Maseno universities are unbearable due to the infringement to other citizens’ rights. Tuesday’s events signifi ed a society that is cultivating looters of public coffers in the name of activism. The aggrieved students must be taught how to handle issues better. - Neptone Aduma

Varsity fees increase in line with current living standards The rationale behind raising

university fees needs to be looked at before condemning the move. When was the last time university fees were raised? Is it directly pro-portional to the increase of living costs such as food? I don’t think this is the case.

The learned of society must set a good example for the rest of Ke-nya. Change is like a revolution – street protests, destruction of prop-erty, looting, stealing, robbing and all other manner of unrest cannot stop change.

It is undeniable that the best ed-ucation is for the rich. Children of the haves attend the best prepara-tory schools, institutions whose fees mock higher education costs.

The trend transcends to primary schools. At secondary school level, the scramble is for the best ranked national schools.

Here too, enrollment and re-cruitment are based on the pocket. Yet, ironically, you don’t fi nd the students there rioting; in fact, par-

ents will go to great lengths to en-sure that their children’s education is secured. Reason – they are as-sured of the best grades and ulti-mately careers of their choice.

ALTERNATIVE SUPPORTInstead of bickering about uni-

versity fees, we need to redress these foundational injustices. Do all Kenyan children have equal op-portunities to realise their dreams and expectations? This is absolute-ly not the case.

Let the professionals invent eq-uitable academic systems that will ensure that no child’s dream is shat-tered despite their clarity of vi-sion.

I see no malice in raising educa-tion fees, particularly if it will lead to improved education standards. If we can afford to do whatever is needed to acquire basic education, how about when it comes to higher education?

Let those who can pay do so while the remaining seek alterna-

tives. Already, the national govern-

ment has released billions of shil-lings to county governments to help needy students. The funds are besides other kitties that have been put in place by constituency legis-lators in the form of bursaries and the Constituency Development Fund.

At the end of the day, it is hypo-critical to demonstrate on our streets purporting to be fi ghting for the rights of the poor.

The reality is that with the high cost of living and the desire for the best education, increasing univer-sity fees is inevitable. If we need the best, we must be prepared to pay for it.

If through increased fees we will herald the quality of higher educa-tion, then let us join hands to sup-port this noble cause. If the situa-tions descends into squalor, then let the students protest as much as they can. {Nickson Magak, Kisumu}

Page 16 / READERS’ DIALOGUE Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

Attorney General Githu Muigai is being accused of a crime he ought not to be defending himself against, had the whole Anglo Leasing issue been resolved long ago.

The Government legal advisor has been accused of allegedly mis-advising the Government into pay-ing off the Sh1.4 million debt owed to Anglo Leasing fi rms.

The AG is suffering at the mo-ment and has chosen not to shoul-der all the blame alone. He is now shifting blame to the former Attor-ney General Amos Wako, now the senator of Busia County.

Considering that this whole is-sue came to light in 2002, and had

been a concern even during past re-gimes, Anglo Leasing would not be dominating the headlines every now and then, as it has done in the recent past, if the matter had been resolved.

Several leaders have termed the decision to pay off the debt a means to misuse public funds. What most of us are not taking into consider-ation is that if we postpone this debt, we shall forever have to fi ght with the saga.

The Sh1.4 billion amount owed is huge, bearing in mind that Kenya is struggling to improve its eco-nomic status, even to the point of accepting Sh3.5 billion from the

Chinese government to improve our railway system and decongest our cities.

The consequences of doing what is right might be painful, but other than postponing the debt, it would be wiser to pay it off. For progress to be realised in all sectors, there is need to let those in power do what is right.

The criticism should end now because even if another person was to be President tomorrow, he or she would be faced with the same di-lemma that is facing President Uhuru Kenyatta now.

{Benard Amaya, Nairobi}

How to write us: Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Letters, P O Box 30080, Nairobi, Kenya or e-mail letters@standardmedia.co.ke The views expressed on this page are not those of The Standard. The Editor reserves the right to edit the letters. Correspondents should give their names and

address as a sign of good faith, though not necessarily for publication.www.standardmedia.co.ke

YOUR SAY

FeedbackWhy the Nacada advert on alcoholism lost itAs Kenya comes to terms with the aftermath of the incident that left more than 80 people dead due to consumption of the infamous sip of death, heads have continued to roll among various stakeholders. The riot act has been read and vigilance stepped up. However, amid all these non-proactive interventions,

questions still abound as to where the buck ultimately stops. The National Authority for Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) moved with speed and launched a campaign to sensitise Kenyans about the harm that comes with loving the bottle. This could have been done with the best intentions, but the strategy employed is wanting. The written message on the advert is indeed apt, but there is a disturbing component. The youthful man painstakingly struggles to unshackle himself

from a pool of muddy water with little success, falling back and forth as curious onlookers watch from a distance. One might even think the clip is a comic act, but what does this achieve? Does this even

begin to solve the problem? I doubt this approach will register success by any stretch of the imagination. Subjecting Kenyans to this ad would only serve to add insult to injury. The ad only cultivates a pessimistic attitude against drunks by implying that there is no hope for such people, and once they get to that level,

there can only be one outcome – death!{Okora Abnery, Narok}

Relax, county commissioners not

that powerful The move by President Uhuru

Kenyatta to give county commission-ers more powers elicited mixed reac-tions. Sensing that this may be a plot to weaken their infl uence, the Council of Governors has indicated that it will move to court to challenge the Presi-dential Executive Order.

However, someone should tell the governors that the rebranded county commissioners are not that powerful, for a number of reasons.

First, since the promulgation of the current Constitution in 2010, the whole Provincial Administration as it was known has been a bewildered and dis-illusioned lot.

None of them rightly fi gured out what restructuring of this system to ac-cord respect to devolved governance meant. The drafters of the National Po-lice Service Act of 2011 had long con-nived to reduce the county commis-sioners to bystanders of the new constitutional dispensation.

Section 47 of the National Police Service Act provides for the establish-ment of the County Policing Authority to be chaired by the governor and should comprise the county police chiefs, head of the National Intelli-gence Service, county commissioner, two members nominated by the Coun-ty Assembly and at least six other peo-ple representing special interest groups.

This set up gives the governor im-mense control over issues. Fundamen-tally, the President delegated executive authority to the county commission-ers without necessarily delegating commensurate resources (budget).

{John Chumo, Nairobi}

Stop politicking during funerals

It is absurd to see politicians and high-ranking Government offi cials ex-change abusive words at funeral.

As much as politics is part and par-cel of any democratic nation, politi-cians should know their limits to avoid gaining a bad reputation in the public’s eyes.

It’s quite unfortunate that when they attend funerals, politicians take the chance to attack their rivals rather than comfort and console the be-reaved families and friends.

The recent incident in which a re-nowned politician was forced to leave before the funeral service was over af-ter he used ‘hate speech’ against rivals should teach his counterparts a les-son.

If politicians feel the need to ad-dress the public, let us see them hire stadia, which are always available at a fee, and say whatever they wish.

We beseech them to do the right thing, in the right place, and stop tar-nishing their own names in public.

{Jack Mwaniki, Masinde Muliro}

Kenyans suffering from mistakes of forefathers

Church organises free medical clinic

By standard correspondent

Ten American medical doctors have arrived in the country to con-duct a three-day free medical camp starting next week.

Led by Dr Patricia Oladute, the team will set up a free clinic at the DC’s grounds in Kibera and aims to screen more than 3,000 patients in Nairobi’s largest slum.

“These people are in need of ur-gent medical attention and we found it befitting to call our friends from Houston, Texas, to walk through this social mission,” said Pastor David Ad-eoye of Transformers’ Chapel, which is behind the programme.

The free clinic is part of week-long activities by the chapel to mark its launch in Nairobi.

Transformers’ Chapel is originally registered in Houston and in its one-year existence in Nairobi has had over 2,000 faithful.

“Besides the spiritual nourishment of our flock, we also take keen interest in the social and economic needs of our people,” said Pastor Adeoye.

Friday October 21, 2008 / The StandardFriday October 21, 2008 / The StandardPage 21 / COUNTY NEWSThursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard NATIONAL NEWS / Page 17

How bid to unmask local Anglo Leasing

ghosts failed

By GeoFFreY MosoKU

It has emerged that the anti-corrup-tion agency wrote to Swiss authorities in 2007 seeking help to unmask the identities of people behind the fraudu-lent Anglo Leasing deals.

In the letter, the Kenyan Anti-Cor-ruption Commission (KACC) named 20 people and companies under investi-gation over Anglo Leasing for “the con-tracts that were signed by corrupt Ke-nyan officials named in return for financial or other inducements”.

KACC was the predecessor of the

Security contracts were executed by shadowy figures, anti-graft boss revealed

RingeRa named some of the PeoPle linked to deals• KACC Director Aaron Ringera identified Anu-ra Perreira, AN Guzman, Singh Thetthy, Brian Scott, David Whiteley, Yiannaris Yianakis, Edy De Paoli, Robin Luissier, Avraham Ziv-Tal and Michael Allan as foreigners who were involved in the deal.• The then Postmaster General Francis Chaho-nyo, then Permanent Financial Secretary to the Treasury Samuel Bundotich, former ministers Musalia Mudavadi (Transport), Chris Obure (Fi-nance), ex-PS Sammy Kyungu and Dan Ameyo, (then State counsel) were also under investiga-tions for their various roles in the scam.

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commis-sion (EACC).

KACC Director Aaron Ringera, in a dossier sent to Federal Office of Justice and Police in Geneva dated May 3, 2007, informed the Swiss authorities that contracts between Universal Satspace and First Mercantile Securi-ties Corporation on one hand, and Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) on the other, were obtained through fraud and misrepresentation.

Lost casesIt is the two contracts for which the

Government will fork out Sh1.4 billion after it lost civil cases under controver-sial circumstances.

Mr Ringera insisted that the Minis-try of Information and Communication signed the tender on behalf of PCK to acquire broadband yet under law, PCK is a legal entity that is mandated to en-ter into contracts. The parent ministry’s

role is only to guarantee loans and pro-cure on behalf of an entity by present-ing a Cabinet memo.

“Government procurement regula-tions (which have the force of law) and procedures were not followed. No due diligence was conducted to ascertain if the financiers and suppliers had capac-ity to deliver. Interviews by KACC found that GoK officials neither met the fi-nanciers (FMSC) or the supplier, nor did they meet Universal Satspace rep-resentatives to discuss or negotiate the contracts.

“The contract seems to have been executed by shadowy figures whose identities cannot be established.”

KACC investigations also revealed that the process of the contracts was in-flated while documents revealed that Michael Allan, who was allegedly the sales manager for Satspace Africa re-gion, did not appear anywhere as a di-

rector or employee of the US firm.“No power of attorney was pro-

duced by the person claiming to be Mi-chael Allan to show that he could nego-tiate on behalf of FMSC and Universal Satspace. No person of that name ap-pears as director or employee. This shows that he was an impostor and a fraudster who falsely presented himself as an employee of a company that had no involvement with the project.”

Kacc dossierAccording to KACC dossier, Univer-

sal Satspace was only registered in Del-aware, US, two months prior to signing of the contract with the Ministry of In-formation and Communication while the alleged financier, FMSC, was not registered in Switzerland at the time of signing the contract and was only in-troduced to the Kenya Government by Michael Allan.

All governors rally behind Uhuru in fight

against terrorismmost counties depend on, the gover-nors proposed that a forum be sched-uled to elevate the security issue to na-tional level without politicising it.

“The issue of security should be a bipartisan national issue,’ said Makue-ni Governor Kivutha Kibwana.

The Governor of Bomet Isaac Ruto, who is also chairman of the Council of Governors, said: “We have no problem working with Executive orders that are intended to streamline national gov-ernment activities.”

The meeting agreed that both na-tional and county governments were serving the interests of Kenyans and therefore there was need to work har-moniously together without causing friction.

HarMonise proGraMMes“We are all working for the same

people and the same country. Let us synchronise and harmonise our pro-grammes to build a better nation,” they said.

President Kenyatta expressed his gratitude to the county leaders for working closely with the Government in dealing with insecurity.

He said security was not a concern of the national government alone but for all leaders who have the interests of the country at heart.

Also present were Deputy President William Ruto, Cabinet secretaries, Commission for the Implementation the Constitution Chairman Charles Ny-achae and Chairman of the Commis-sion on Revenue Allocation Micah Cheserem.

By pscU

Governors of the 47 counties have rallied behind President Uhuru Ke-nyatta in the fight against terrorism to restore security in the country.

The governors also said they had no problem working with county com-missioners as long as they adhered to the law of the land.

At a summit at State House in Nai-robi, which lasted over five hours and brought together leaders of the nation-al and county governments, governors said they supported all efforts by Presi-dent Kenyatta to deliver stability.

“On this issue of security, we are working together. If we share informa-tion and move together, then we are able to make our country safe,” said the chairman of the security commit-tee of the Council of Governors who is also Tana River Governor Hussein Da-do.

The governors said they under-stood the challenges facing the coun-try and that as leaders they were keen to ensure that the country was safe for efficient and prompt service delivery.

They urged the national govern-ment to formulate a policy on how to deal with radicalisation so as to sensi-tise the youth on the importance of national cohesion.

“Given the situation of the coun-try’s security, we feel we need to have a proper structure that will help us have a foundation on which to help our youth,” Dado said.

Saying insecurity has adversely af-fected the tourism industry, which

By WiLFred aYaGa

Information released by online site WikiLeaks in 2011 showed that cor-rupt individuals took advantage of America’s fear of terrorism to turn the Anglo Leasing security-related con-tracts into a cash cow.

Information gleaned from US em-bassy secret communications revealed that the progressive exposure of Kenya to terrorism was as a direct result of corruption within the security sector.

“Kenya has suffered multiple mass casualties from Al-Qaeda terrorist at-tacks in recent years and active Al-Qaeda plotting here continues apace. The continuation of high-level cor-ruption sends the signal that the GoK, and particularly the security sector, can be bought,” says the US commu-nication.

The WikiLeaks cables said former Attorney General Amos Wako did not do enough on prosecution of officials in the former Government implicated in the signing of the contracts.

Five ministers and three perma-nent secretaries were then implicated in five Anglo Leasing-type projects to-talling Sh22 billion ($293 million).

Wako has been involved in a spat of words with his successor Githu Muigai on who between them should take responsibility for the Anglo Leas-ing debacle.

The cables quoted unnamed sourc-es in Government telling former Eth-ics and Governance Permanent Secre-tary John Githongo that some officials “took advantage of American terror-ism-related fears to expand what was a small project into a cash cow.”

Githongo himself told The Stan-dard last week that the current wave of terrorism could have been avoided if the contracts had been properly ex-ecuted.

The Uhuru Kenyatta government is under pressure to reverse a decision to pay shadowy companies up to Sh1.4 billion for Anglo Leasing contracts that were never delivered.

America’s fear of terrorism ‘led to fraud’

Uniforms variety

Constable Judith Mumbua (left) and SSP Agnes Mwanyigha arrive at the KICC in Nairobi yesterday during the launch of the National Police Service draft strategic plan. [PHOTO: COLLINS KWEYU/STANDARD]

Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The StandardPage 18 / NATIONAL: FEATURE

Our phones buzzed with text messages from loved-ones back home. “Are you ok? Explosions in Nairobi! Are you leaving?” they asked. Having landed in Kenya just days earlier and having wo-ken to the news that hundreds of British tourists had been evacu-ated from coastal tourist hotspots, the most sensible thing to do, we decided, was head back to our apartment and find out exactly what was going on.

We turned on the TV to see the President, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta giving a nation-al address. “Terrorism is not an evil that was born in Kenya. Ter-rorism is a worldwide phenom-enon,” President Kenyatta pro-claimed. It is true. As a Londoner - a city hit many times by terror attacks, from IRA bombings in the 70s through to the early nine-ties to 7/7 and Al Qaeda’s multi-ple attacks -and international professional, working in rapidly-growing markets, from Lagos to the South Pacific, the Middle

tent, Nairobi is becoming a mag-net for innovation and entrepre-neurialism.

And as my colleague, Busi-ness Outlook Project Co-ordina-tor, Katya Van Liebergen, and I flicked to the devastating scenes in Gikomba market near down-town Nairobi on television, we heard the request for blood do-nations. Twelve people had been killed and 70 more injured, many of whom had lost blood. As I sat there, taking in the news, en-sconced in a safe haven, my heart went out to them. Inno-cent people, bloodied and bruised: Why them? I looked at Katya and asked: “Fancy giving some blood to people who really need it?” She smiled.

So we gathered ourselves and headed down to Kenyatta Na-tional Hospital, amidst the din and whir of rushing ambulances. We watched on as the injured were carried on stretchers into the hospital. Helpless, shaking and pale, it was a difficult sight to watch.

As the medical centre’s CEO, Lily Koros, relayed information about the casualties and the need for blood, the full gravity of what happened started to set it in. The decision to give blood was not taken lightly: I was in-volved in a near-death event just a few years ago and had lost blood, but battled back to full

health. Katya, too, is not fond of needles, but she was courageous in offering her help. As we ex-plained on national television last Friday, if some of the 50ml of blood we individually donated - as well as our kindly driver - helped even one person, it will have been well worth it.

In the days after Friday’s trag-ic events, we have been touched by local well-wishers who saw us on TV, keen to send us their best, stopping us in the street and tell-ing us they are happy we are in town. We, too, are happy to be here.

news agendaNo one entity or media or-

ganisation has a monopoly on the perception of a country; that privilege belongs to the nation being talked about. In our roles as communications specialists, we understand the urgency re-quired to seize the news agenda. Communication is the currency of the world and, just as Kenya needs to start rewriting head-lines, so we require local co-op-eration from Government repre-sentatives and business leaders to send a powerful and interna-tional message of confidence that Kenya is resilient and will not be cowed.

Part of our job is to counter-balance the occasionally sensa-tionalised news perspective of

emerging markets by shining a light on the realities on-the-ground; yes, there are challeng-es. Nobody denies that. But there are also real business opportuni-ties, from the growing ICT hub to industry to manufacturing, ar-eas primed for investment; there is the world-famous Kenyan hospitality, which we have expe-rienced already; and there is the country’s tourist industry, flow-ering with safaris, rich in wildlife and jaw-dropping savannahs and landscapes.

Terrorists can never dictate the way free societies live. A global threat exists today, from London to New York, from Chi-bok to China. As we continue our work in Kenya, profiling the country to a British and interna-tional audience, the Swahili word Harambee springs to mind: “pulling together”.

We stand shoulder-to-shoul-der and hand-in-hand with those affected by the scourge of terrorism because, as Europe-ans, we have lived through it, too. We hope some day soon those tourists who left will re-turn to Kenya and, like us, see first-hand how East Africa’s giant will smile again.

Kevin Widdop is Project Di-rector, Business Outlook – Pro-ducing Special Sections in TIME Magazine

East to the Caribbean, I know on-ly too well about global security challenges.

We had met President Ke-nyatta days earlier, when he had given us the thumbs up to the work we are doing in the country, promoting investment opportu-nities to an international audi-ence for a Business Outlook Spe-cial Section in TIME Magazine. His eyes lit up as he breathed in the prospect of Kenya becoming “Africa’s gateway”.

technology hubThis followed a meeting with

the Cabinet Secretary for ICT, Dr Fred Matiang’i, who had talked so eloquently and passionately about Kenya’s plans to become the technology hub of the region. Testament to this is that global tech giants like Cisco, Microsoft and Google have their East Afri-can headquarters in Nairobi; IBM has a research centre here, too. Instead of being a lightning rod for those with malicious in-

A victim of Gikomba bomb attack is assisted at KNH. ABOVE: Mr Kevin Widdop with his colleague Katya Van Liebergen and, left, with a medical worker at KNH after they donated blood for Gikomba attack victims. [PHOTO: COURTESY AND TABITHA OTWORI/STANDARD]

The decision to give blood was not taken lightly: I was involved in a near-death event just a few years ago and had lost blood — Kevin Widdop

Days after he arrived in Nairobi, Al Shabaab hit Gikomba. But instead of taking the next flight home, Kevin Widdop headed to KNH to donate blood. He explains why terror attacks won’t cow him into leaving Kenya

Briton moved but unbowed by terrorist attacks against Kenya

BY MALKHADIR MUHUMED

Nairobi-based journalists could not be any happier. Their February campaign for the release of fellow Al Jazeera journalists languishing in Egyptian cells has caught fi re, global-ly.

In the last 12 weeks, more than 60,000 people around the world have been actively involved in the cam-paign; over 110,000 tweets have been sent out in the same period, reaching 100,000,000 social media users.

Colleagues around the world have also held silent protests.

HOTEL RAIDCNN’s well-known foreign corre-

spondent, Christiane Amanpour, held up the #FreeAJStaff sign live on air, the same hashtag popularised by Nairobi-based journalists.

Calls for the journalists’ release have also poured in from the White House, London, Sydney and from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and others.

“All these campaigns speak vol-

Calls for release of jailed journalists go globalWhite House, London, Sydney and UN boss join clamour to have Al Jazeera scribes arrested in Egypt freed

umes about just how respected the jailed Al Jazeera journalists are,” said Robyn Kriel, the East Africa Bureau Chief of eNews Channel Africa, who spent hundreds of hours organising the February 2 campaign amid break-ing stories in the continent, especial-ly in the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Somalia and the Oscar Pistorious trial in South Africa.

“What this campaign taught us is that,” Kriel said, “if we all work togeth-er, then our hashtags can really cause waves or even revolutions.”

The signifi cance of the protests was not also lost on the leaders of Al

Journalists have held silent protests against the arrest of their colleagues in Egypt for allegedly spreading false infor-mation and siding with the banned Muslim Brotherhood. [PHOTO: FILE]

NATIONAL NEWS / Page 19 Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

Jazeera English. The channel’s man-aging director, Al Anstey, was in Nai-robi this month with two simple but powerful messages: To pay tribute to the campaigners and urge them to keep the pressure on Egypt.

“The campaign that followed the detention of our journalists has gone global. It has been felt by all corners of the globe,” he said after meeting some of them at a Nairobi hotel.

The three – Nairobi-based Peter Greste, Cairo Bureau Chief Mohamed Adel Fahmy and Producer Baher Mo-hamed – were arrested last December in a raid on a hotel in Cairo, and later

charged with allegedly spreading false information and siding with the banned Muslim Brotherhood. Al Jazeera denied the charges and de-manded their release.

These Nairobi-based journalists now have their own organisation, For-eign Correspondents Association of East Africa, a group of about 200 jour-nalists.

Carrying banners reading, “Being a Journalist Is Not a Crime” and “We Are All Peter Greste”, the journalists and their sympathisers have also held their Global Day of Action with the hashtag #FREEAJSTAFF outside the

Egyptian embassy in Nairobi.In his remarks on World Press

Freedom Day, the UN Secretary Gen-eral said journalists, who face kid-napping, detention, beatings and murder, are singled out for speaking or writing uncomfortable truths.

“Such treatment is completely un-acceptable in a world ever more reli-ant on global news outlets and the journalists who serve them,” he said, calling on governments “to actively defend this fundamental right”.

In a letter from Tora prison, Greste thanked those who are campaigning for their release saying such efforts have “become emblematic of the freedom of the press worldwide”.

CONVEY CONCERNS“We are deeply moved and

strengthened by the outpouring of support, but we also understand that this isn’t just about the three of us,” he wrote.

A spokeswoman for US Depart-ment of State, Jen Psaki, said last month that her country is “watching closely the trial and continues to con-vey our deep concerns directly to the Government of Egypt”.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has also expressed concern over the detention of the journalists in Egypt, while the US White House condemned journalists’ detention and called for their release.

It is however unclear whether such a huge outpouring of reaction from around the world will force Egypt to release them.

GCA/TENDER/PROC/2014(14)

20th May, 2014

CORRECTION

The Garissa County Assembly Service Board hereby wishes to correct the following typographical errors in the advertized tender number GCA/T/1/2013-2014 for the proposed construction of 40 office unit’s prefabricated building.

1. Contractors bidding for these works must be registered with the National Construction Authority in category (NCA 5) and above

2. The closing date shall be 28th and NOT 26th of May 2014 as previously indicated and that opening shall be done immediately thereafter

The County Assembly Service Board reserves the right to reject any tender or all tenders without giving reasons for the rejections and does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender bidder.

The Secretary,County Assembly Service BoardP. o Box 57-70100GARISSA.

COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF GARISSA

GARISSA COUNTY ASSEMBLY

Shock as MP collapses and diesPresident grieves over death of Gatundu South legislator, consoles bereaved family

ABOVE: Gatundu South Member of Parliament Joseph Ngugi Nyumu waves to his constituents during a past meet-the-people tour. BELOW: Residents of Gitare village in Gatundu South Constituency converge at the late Nyumu’s rural home after learning of the MP’s sudden death. [PHOTO: KAMAU MAICHUHIE/STANDARD]

By BRIGID CHEMWENO Gatundu South Member of Par-

liament Joseph Ngugi Nyumu has died.

Nyumu, who was well known by his constituents and colleagues as Jossy, collapsed at 6am yesterday in his Runda home bathroom and was rushed to Nairobi Hospital’s Unep branch where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

His body was moved to Lee Fu-neral Home.

Gatanga MP Humphrey Kimani Njuguna, who addressed the Press at the late MP’s home, expressed his grief, terming the death untimely.

“We have communicated the news to the President and Members of Parliament, and formed a com-mittee to organise a decent send-off for him,” he added.

President Uhuru Kenyatta sent a message of condolence to the family, relatives and friends of the late Nyu-mu. The President said he had learnt with deep sorrow and shock about the untimely death of his area MP and friend.

DEEp GRIEf“With deep grief, I join his wife

Joyce, children and entire family as well as the people of Gatundu South in morning the loss,” said President Kenyatta.

He said death had robbed the county and the entire country of a dependable leader in his prime and whose leadership skills in develop-ment were still required in his coun-ty and the country.

He said the late MP was a suc-cessful businessman and a political leader, a community and national mobiliser, as well as a prudent man-ager of resources.

Despite his success, Uhuru said, the late MP had learnt the virtues of humility and selflessness, which made him accessible to both ordi-nary folks as well as the most power-ful in society.

The Gatanga MP announced yes-terday that he had been picked to chair the parliamentary committee

to organise the MP’s funeral.“Gatundu has lost a very impor-

tant person. He was a great and hardworking leader who is worthy of emulation,” said Kimani.

He said the doctor’s preliminary report indicated that the MP suf-fered cardiac arrest and added that a full report would be ready in two or three days’ time.

Kiambu Governor William Kabo-go also visited the late MP’s home to console the bereaved family.

He termed Nyumu as a quiet per-son who worked hard for his constit-uents and also a gentle family man.

Kieni MP Kanini Kega, who was also present, termed the death as unfortunate and promised to stand with the family during this trying time.

Kiambu County Co-ordinator for The National Alliance Gladys Chania said Gatundu constituents had lost a leader who always fought for their rights.

“The late Nyumu was a quiet and strong man. He had a fighting spirit even though he was not vocal like other political leaders. He was al-ways systematic in his undertak-ings,” she said.

Mbooni MP Michael Munyao al-so conveyed his condolences to the family, saying the late MP was an en-

By CYRUS OMBATI A police officer has been arrested

over the mysterious disappearance of Embu County Assembly Speaker Jus-tus Kariuki Mate in Nairobi.

The officer attached to the Starehe CID offices was being held at the Kili-mani Police Station. The officer has been grilled alongside Mate’s driver and personal assistant.

An officer with information on the case said the CID officer confirmed that he and Mate had agreed to meet at Choma Zone along Thika Road in Nairobi, but the Speaker did not show up.

NO ClUENairobi head of CID Nicholas

Kamwende said yesterday they did not have any clues on Mate’s where-abouts.

Some Members of the Embu Coun-ty Assembly want police to investigate how Mate went missing on Monday from a Nairobi hotel where they were meeting.

Embu County Deputy Speaker Ibrahim Swaleh alleged that prior to Mate’s disappearance, the Speaker had received a phone call at 4:30pm from a CID officer based at Pangani, Nairobi, and thereafter walked out of an ongoing workshop.

“He walked out without his phone, driver or car and that is not normal,” said Swaleh.

CID officer held over missing

Embu Speaker

93 Somalis deported

By CYRUS OMBATI

More than 90 Somalis were on Tues-day deported after they were found to be in Kenya illegally.

The 93 were booked on a Mogadi-shu-bound flight at Jomo Kenyatta In-ternational Airport in an event wit-nessed by police and immigration officials.

Somalia ambassador to Kenya Mo-hamed Ali Nur said a 93-year-old man was among those deported.

Fifty-two other foreigners were also slated for deportation from JKIA.

Police boss David Kimaiyo said the operation on illegal immigrants was still going on.

“We are determined to deport them safely. We will deport more once they are caught,” said Kimaiyo.

Some 442 people have been deport-ed so far.

He said 782 people have also been repatriated to their designated refugee camps after they were found to have left.

He added that 2,456 people have been screened, 295 taken to court and 885 released.

The same information, with data on the people handled so far, was commu-nicated to heads of missions in the country from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Political and Diplomatic Secretary RM Ngesu said in the letter that the op-eration is not targeted at any specific community.

Those targeted include Somalis, Ethiopians, Congolese, Ugandans and Sudanese nationals.

Businessman loses bid to stop trial for forgeryBy pAMElA CHEpKEMEI

A businessman has lost a bid to

stop his criminal trial for forgery and fraud surrounding the ownership of a multi-billion shilling family business empire.

Mohan Galot, one of the directors of Galot Industries, is accused of un-lawfully transferring shares to his wife and daughter and altering director-ship of the holding company.

The criminal charges were pre-ferred against him in 2012 after his relatives complained to the police that he had illegally transferred shares and changed the directorship without involving other directors.

Mohan argues that the criminal process is being used to serve ulterior

motives.He argues that the matter should

be resolved through a civil case.Two nephews of Mohan claim that

they were kicked out of the company through illegal charges of director-ship.

The investigations were conduct-ed by officers from the Capital Mar-kets Authority.

Mohan and his wife Santosh Galot were arrested and charges preferred against them.

They subsequently moved to the High Court to challenge the decision and the trial was temporarily sus-pended.

The couple filed an application on March 8, 2014, to stop their arrest and prosecution but High Court judge

Mumbi Ngugi declined to issue the orders.

The judge ordered him to appear in court and answer to the charges of forgery and fraud.

“The petitioner (Mohan) shall take plea and make the appropriate ap-plication for bail,” said Justice Ngu-gi.

NINE COUNTSMohan will be tried for obtaining

registration of directorship falsely and forging transfer of grant. He faces a total of nine charges.

However, the criminal proceed-ings will be suspended until the peti-tion seeking to quash the charges is determined, Ms Ngugi ruled.

The Galot family has several com-

panies under Galot Industries, which is the holding company.

The business empire was estab-lished by the late Pusharam Galot who had four sons – Mohan, Ganesh, Lalchand, who is deceased, and So-han, also deceased.

Mohan, in the petition, has sued the Director of Public Prosecutions and his two nephews, Pravin Galot and Rajesh Galot.

He claims that his prosecution has been driven by ulterior motives be-cause the dispute is of a civil nature.

But the DPP in response argues that there is evidence of commission of criminal offence allegedly by Mo-han.

The petition will be mentioned on June 20 before Justice Ngugi.

ergetic member of Kiambu County.“I was seated next to him yester-

day (Tuesday) in Parliament and we had a chat. He was very healthy and I was not expecting this to happen,” said Munyao.

NON-CONTROvERSIAlKigumo MP Jamleck Kamau said

Nyumu was a non-controversial leader who stood by his own princi-ples and loved his people.

“He was outgoing, sociable and always stood for the truth. He would

sometimes advise Members of Par-liament and urge them to avoid too much controversy,” said Mr Kamau.

The first-time MP won the Gatun-du seat, which was formerly held by President Uhuru Kenyatta, on a TNA ticket.

Nyumu graduated from Egerton University with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture.

He continuously engaged young people, urging them to participate in farming activities to improve their livelihoods.

Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The StandardPage 20 / NATIONAL NEWS

NOTICES / Page 21Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

Statement of Comprehensive Income2013 2012

Shs’000 Shs’000Gross written premium 540,968 443,527Gross earned premium 494,038 517,170Reinsurance premium ceded (77,897) (57,753)Net earned premium 416,141 459,417Investment and other income 195,993 147,424Commissions earned 28,253 5,466Net income 640,387 612,306Claims incurred 138,864 317,800Management expenses 264,100 241,800Commission paid 63,478 39,384Finance cost 1,625 - Total out go 468,066 598,984Profit before taxation 172,321 13,323Tax credit/ (charge) (22,405) 5,201 Profit for the year 149,916 18,524Other comprehensive income:Fair value gains on available for sale financial assets- Available for sale 7,433 56,610Surplus on revaluation of land and buildings 15,000 21,179Total other comprehensive income 22,433 77,789Total comprehensive income for the year 172,349 96,313

Statement of Financial Position2013 2012

Shs’000 Shs’000CAPITAL EMPLOYEDShare capital 313,225 300,000Share premium 135 135Revaluation reserve 228,830 206,397Retained earnings 325,362 175,446Shareholders’ funds 867,552 681,978REPRESENTED BY:AssetsProperty, plant and equipment 231,447 212,019Intangible assets 7,251 5,816Deferred tax asset 4,498 9,281Investment properties 975,400 846,900Financial assets - available for sale 58,916 122,863Receivables arising out of direct insurances 120,724 88,778Reinsurers’ share of liabilities and reserves 139,681 221,261Receivables arising from reinsurances 44,883 7,234Other receivables 62,115 58,128Government securities held to maturity 169,950 182,200Secured loans to employees 7,654 6,442Deposits with financial institutions 268,753 264,590Cash and bank balances 16,068 7,693Total assets 2,107,341 2,033,204LiabilitiesInsurance contract liabilities 996,146 1,179,742Provision for unearned premium 144,034 101,753Payables arising from reinsurances 29,592 12,039Other payables 15,405 37,664Dividend payable 2,406 7,945Tax payable 21,232 3,611Borrowings 30,974 8,473Total liabilities 1,239,789 1,351,226Net assets 867,552 681,978Key Ratios

Capital Adequacy Ratio 100% 100%Solvency Ratio 1390% 990%Claims Ratio 33% 69%Expense Ratio 49% 55%

Gateway InsuranceYour Partner in Insurance

HighlightsThe Company’s trading results improved over 2012. This was driven by a number of factors such as;

a top line growth of 22% over prior year,17% average growth in general insurance premium for 2013,an improved motor to non-motor product mix that is now in line with industry,reduced claims ratio driven down by an improved product mixstrong investment returns driven by rental income, interest and revaluation of investment properties.

Financial HighlightsThe Company reported a gross premium income of KShs.540 million. This is 22% above the premium recorded in 2012 of KShs.443 million. The top line was mainly driven by contributions from non-motor business, including medical which the Company wrote for the first time in 2013.

Claims incurred were KShs.138 million. This is a significant drop from incurred claims of KShs.317million in 2012.Man-agement expenses grew by 10% to KShs.265 million. This was mainly on account of higher management expenses and a one off branch refurbishment costs incurred during the year

As a result of continued prudent reserving and increase in management expenses, the underwriting results was a loss of KShs.23m which was a significant improvement over the loss of KShs.134 million incurred in 2012.The after tax profit for the year was KShs.150 million with a comprehensive net income of KShs.172 million.

The net assets of the Company grew by 27% amounting to KShs.867 million. Total assets are in excess of KShs.2.1 bil-lion.

Future OutlookWe are pleased with the continued improvement of our key business drivers which include growth in premium income, business mix, claims and management expenses ratios. We look forward to a successful 2014.

The statement of comprehensive income and the statement of financial position are extracts from the financial state-ments of the company which were approved on 24th April 2014 and were signed on its behalf by:

Eng. Isaac Wanjohi Mumo Mwendwa Godfrey KioiChairman Director CEO/Principal Officer

COMMENTARY ON THE 2013 TRADING PERFORMANCE

Gateway Insurance Company Limited

Branches: Nairobi-Corporate, Rehani&Kimathi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Machakos, Nyeri, Malindi,Nakuru, Kisii, Thika, Kericho, Embu, Eldoret and Nyahururu

P.O. Box 60656 - 00200, NAIROBI Tel : +254 20 2713131-7 Mobile : 0719 035 000 Fax : +254 20 2713138Email: customerservice@gateway-insurance.co.ke, Website : gateway-insurance.co.ke

The Board of Directors of Gateway Insurance Company Limited are pleased to announce the following results for the year ended 31st December 2013

Page 22 / NATIONAL NEWS Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

By FRED KIBOR

From a tender age, Peris Jebiwot wanted to be a judge. However, her hopes were dashed when she was forced to drop out of school in Class One because of her inability to walk to school, several kilometres away.

Everyday, she watched helplessly as her friends left for school, leaving her at home. When she was just about to lose hope of ever going back to school, lady luck smiled at her.

Jebiwot was among a dozen other beneficiaries who in 2011 received wheelchairs, special seats, tricycles and crutches from Kenya Re in part-nership with the Standard Group in a campaign dubbed Niko Fiti that seeks to alleviate the challenges the dis-abled face.

This enabled her continue with her education at Kobil Small Home in Elgeyo Marakwet County.

When the Standard Group and Ke-nya Re visited the Small Home yester-day, we found a different Jebiwot. She and her peers were now filled with hope for a better future.

“Words alone cannot describe how grateful I am for this warm ges-

ture from Kenya Re. I can now move around with ease at school and I at-tend lessons and preps on time with minimal dependency from others,” said the ever-smiling Jebiwot.

Before she got the wheelchair, she used to crawl around even when vis-iting the toilet, exposing her to dis-ease.

“Since I received the wheelchair, my life has been completely trans-formed and I feel niko fiti (I am well) despite my physical challenges,” she said.

However, when the school closes for holidays, Jebiwot has to resign to her former life since they are not al-lowed to take the wheelchairs home.

“My plea is that we are allowed to

go home with the wheelchairs so that our mobility is not challenging and we can enjoy our holidays,” she said.

Jebiwot, who is among the top three pupils in her class, wants to be a judge when she grows up.

Emmanuel Chepsoi, another ben-eficiary of the Niko Fiti campaign re-ceived a tricycle. Chepsoi, a Standard Eight pupil, is completely paralysed.

FOOtBall cOmmEntatORHis teachers describe him as the

future football commentator, owing to his mastery of the sport and orato-ry ability.

“I want to be a journalist after completing school,” he says.

The pupils appealed to other com-panies to assist them with material and monetary support.

“There are still many of us that do not have these devices. Other corpo-rate institutions should come to our aid,” said Jebiwot.

Andrew Ongicha, Kenya Re Com-munication assistant said the cam-paign’s objective is to provide assistive mobility devices to people living with disabilities to improve the quality of their lives.

Firm’s campaign yielding fruits

Peris Jebiwot, a pupil at Kobil Small home, is among beneficiaries of the Niko Fiti Campaign mooted by the Standard Group and Kenya Re. [PHOTO: FRED KIBOR/STANDARD]

Since I received the wheel chair, my life has been completely transformed and I feel niko fiti (I am well) despite my physical challenges

The rate of transmis-sion of HIV from mother to child has also been on a steady decline

HIV/Aids prevalence declined by 7.4pc

By FaItH ROnOH

Kenya recorded a drastic decline in the prevalence of communicable dis-eases between 2000 and 2013 even as non-communicable ones continue to wreak havoc.

Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia revealed that HIV/Aids prevalence declined from 13 per cent in 2000 to 5.6 per cent in 2013. The number of new cases of HIV, accord-ing to Macharia equally declined from 166,000 in 2000 to 91,000 in 2013.

“The rate of transmission of HIV from mother to child has also been on a steady decline even as we aim at achieving our national goal of elimi-nating mother to child transmission of HIV to ensure a HIV free genera-tion,” said Macharia yesterday while addressing members of the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Despite the decline, Macharia said non-communicable and infectious diseases remain a burden. He said the polio virus found its way into the country last year, resulting in 14 cases but reiterated that Kenya is on the right track towards polio eradication.

He assured the global community that the Government has declared po-lio a public health emergency, saying his ministry has since conducted nine rounds of polio vaccination at nation-al and sub-national levels.

“During the vaccination exer-cise, the immunisation targets were surpassed. We appreciate the sup-

Health Cabinet Secretary says the threat of communicable diseases has reduced but non-communicable ones remain a challenge

port of partners including World Health Organisation, Unicef and Bill and Melinda Gates foundation dur-ing the recent polio outbreaks,” Macharia added.

The key issues being discussed in this year’s WHA summit include the post 2015 global health agenda and the health goals and targets that need to be set after the deadline of the current millennium develop-ment goals.

Also to be tabled for discussion is yellow fever vaccination, which, if ad-opted, will see the issuance of a life-time vaccine as opposed to the cur-rent 10-year limit.

Macharia said Kenya is leading the African region in drafting 18 resolu-tions on the global vaccine plan, which will be tabled for consideration and possible adoption.

Those accompanying the CS in the summit include Health Principal Sec-retary Fred Sigor and members from the Parliamentary and Senate health committees led by James Nyikal and Mohamed Kuti.

on the right track•HIV/Aids prevalence in Kenya has declined from 13 per cent in 2000 to 5.6 per cent in 2013• The number of new cases equally declined from 166,000 in 2000 to 91,000 in 2013• Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia, who is attend-ing the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, said de-spite the polio virus finding its way to Kenya last year, the min-istry has since carried out nine vaccination drives

PREQUALIFICATION AND TENDER NOTICEThe Anti – Counterfeit Agency invites applications for annual and prequalification of suppliers for 2014/2015. Interested eligible firms are invited to apply for prequalification and tenders indicating the category of goods, works or services they wish to supply/ provide.

A. SUPPLY OF GOODSCATEGORY NO. ITEM DESCRIPTION TARGET GROUPACA/PQS/001/2014/2015 Supply Of General Office Stationery And Computer Consumables Youth, Women & PWDACA/PQS/002/2014/2015 Supply Of Office Furniture, Furnishings And Fittings Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/003/2014/2015 Supply Of Computer Hardware, Printers, Lcd Projectors And Associated ICT

AccessoriesYouth, Women & PWD

ACA/PQS/004/2014/2015 Supply of Newspapers, Magazines, and Journals Youth, Women & PWDACA/PQS/005/2014/2015 Supply Of Computer Software Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/006/2014/2015 Supply Of Telephone/Telecommunication Equipment Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/007/2014/2015 Supply Of Motor Vehicle Tyres, Tubes And Batteries Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/008/2014/2015 Supply Of Staff Uniforms Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/009/2014/2015 Printing Of Office Stationery & Reports Youth, Women & PWDACA/PQS/010/2014/2015 Design & Printing Of Branded Promotional Materials Youth, Women & PWDACA/PQS/011/2014/2015 Supply of Drinking Water Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/012/2014/2015 Supply of Network Equipment & Structured Cabling (LAN,WAN etc) Citizen Suppliers

B. PROVISION OF SERVICESACA/PQS/013/2014/2015 Repair And Maintenance Of Motor Vehicles - Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/014/2014/2015 Repair And Maintenance Of Office Furniture ,Fittings & Electrical Items Etc Youth, Women & PWDACA/PQS/015/2014/2015 Repair And Maintenance Of Water Dispensers Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/016/2014/2015 Provision Of Asset Tagging/Coding Services Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/017/2014/2015 Provision Of Air Ticketing Services (IATA Registered) Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/018/2014/2015 Provision Of Internet Services Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/019/2014/2015 Provision Of Small Works Services (Mopw Registered) Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/020/2014/2015 Provision Of Asset Valuations Services – Movable Assets Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/021/2014/2015 Provision Of Medical, Group Personal Accident & Wiba Covers –Brokerage

ServicesCitizen Suppliers

ACA/PQS/022/2014/2015 Repair & Maintenance Of ICT Equipment; Computers, Printers, Shredders, Servers And Scanners

Youth, Women & PWD

ACA/PQS/023/2014/2015 Repair & Maintenance Of PABX, Switchboard, Fax Machines And Other Telecommunication Equipment

Citizen Suppliers

ACA/PQS/024/2014/2015 Provision Of General Insurance Motor Vehicles & Other Assets – Brokerage Services

Citizen Suppliers

ACA/PQS/025/2014/2015 Provision Of Air Conditioner Maintenance (Mombasa Office) Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/026/2014/2015 Disposal of Counterfeit Goods Impounded for Destruction Citizen Suppliers

C. PROVISION OF PROFESSIONAL/CONSULTANCY SERVICESACA/PQS/027/2014/2015 Provision Of Legal Services Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/028/2014/2015 Provision Of Research Consultancy Services Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/029/2014/2015 Provision Of Public Relations & Media Management Services Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/030/2014/2015 Provision Of Interior Design And Decorative Services – Events Management Youth, Women & PWDACA/PQS/031/2014/2015 Provision Of Human Resource Consultancy/Recruitment Services Citizen SuppliersACA/PQS/032/2014/2015 Provision Of Team Building Services/Training Services Citizen Suppliers

D. ANNUAL TENDERSACA/AT/001/2014/2015 Provision Of Security Guard Services For Headquarter & Warehouse

Kyang’ombeCitizen Suppliers

ACA/AT/002/2014/2015 Provision Of Office Cleaning/Fumigation Services For Headquarter Citizen Suppliers

Tender documents may be obtained from the Procurement Office on the 4th floor of Telposta Towers upon payment of a non refundable fee of Kshs. 1,000/= payable at the Cash office.

Prequalification documents should be downloaded from the ACA website www.aca.go.ke for free.

Suppliers currently prequalified for the period 2013-2014 must re-apply for prequalification.

Duly completed Tender and prequalification Document sealed envelope clearly marked with tender reference number and addressed to:

THE CEO& EXECUTIVE DIRECTORANTI -COUNTERFEIT AGENCY

P.O BOX 47771, 00100, NAIROBI.

And be deposited in the tender box on the 4th floor reception so as to reach him not later than 10.00 a.m on 4th June 2014. Opening will be done immediately thereafter in the presence of bidders or their representatives.

Late bids will not be accepted.

AG. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/ CEO

County offi cials to be probed over performanceAll CEC and Public Service Board members will be grilled by various county assembly committees

By RENSON MNYAMWEZI

All Taita-Taveta County Executive Committee (CEC) and Public Service Board (PSB) members have been summoned by the county assembly to account for performance in their dockets.

The 11 CEC members, among them Deputy Governor Mary Ndiga, who holds the Lands portfolio in the county, will be grilled by various county assembly committees next week.

A letter from the assembly Speaker’s offi ce said the CECs will appear before their respective committees while the PSB will be grilled by the joint committee sitting of Labour, County Employment and Manpower Development, and Liaison.

The letters signed by Speaker Maghanga Meshack Maghanga say that all CECs are to appear before the committees in person.

SPEAKER’S LETTER“Pursuant to provisions of the

County Government Act, 2012, Section 39(2), the Taita-Taveta County Assembly Committee on Transport, Public Works, ICT and Infrastructure requires you to appear before its sitting on May 26, at 8am,” said the Speaker’s letter dated May 19.

The letters are copied to the governor and various county committee members.

The PSB will be required to shed light on massive irregularities in the appointment of county staff, which have led to calls for disbandment of the board by residents and leaders alike.

“We want to know the number of county staff so far appointed and the areas they represent. The appoint-ments have been skewed in favour of certain areas of the county,” claimed Rong’ee Juu Ward Representative Harrison Keke.

Mr Keke said the Board will be required to recruit people in a way that honours the county’s cosmo-politan nature.

“We want to see all communities represented. We do not want to see a situation where certain communities are left out of key appointments,” he said.

Orange Democratic Movement Chief Whip Jason Tuja said the CECs will be required to explain to the assembly committees what they had done in terms of project implemen-tation since they were appointed by governor John Mruttu.

PERFORMANCE WANTINGHe claimed there has been

growing public concern over the performance of some of the CECs in project implementation.

“The performance of some of them has been wanting. We want to

know from them how many development projects they have so far implemented in their respective ministries and the amounts used,” said Tuja, who is also the Werugha Ward Representative.

Speaking to The Standard yesterday, ward representatives threatened to recommend the sacking of those CEC members whose performance is wanting.

“We passed the Appropriations Bill in July 2013 but there is little to show in terms of project implemen-tation. Disciplinary action will be taken against those who fail to explain why they have not imple-mented development projects in the region,” Keke said.

Nominated County Representa-tive Mercy Mwakera said the governor should not be blamed for the slow pace of development.

“CEC members are the ones

tasked with implementation of the projects, not the governor. Those who have been blaming him should stop,” she said.

DERAIL IMPLEMENTATIONMwakera said political infi ghting

among local leaders would further derail the implementation of projects in the area.

“Some leaders have been complaining that the county administration has done little in terms of development. They have been challenging the governor to tell locals how Sh2.8 billion allocated to the county for the 2013/2014 fi scal year has been used. Such leaders should go to the ground and see for themselves the development projects the county government has initiated,” she said.

Some CEC members confi rmed having received the summons.

Page 23

SPONSOR: County sets aside funds for bright, needy pupils

The Taita-Taveta County government will disburse Sh45 million for needy students in universities, colleges and secondary schools this year.

Of this amount, Sh20 million will be given as loans to university and college students and Sh 25million will go towards bursaries.

According to Voi Sub-county Administrator Victor Mchana, all the four sub-counties – Voi, Mwatate, Wundanyi and Taveta – will disburse the funds according to wards.

“Although there has been an overwhelming number of applicants, we have been able to ensure that at least a majority are awarded loans and bursaries,” Mr Mchana said.

He said the deadline for returning application forms was April 4 and those whose applications were fi led late were not considered.

AGRICULTURE: Sh209m given to boost food production

The Ministry of Agriculture yesterday disbursed Sh209 million to support agriculture-based projects in Kenya.

Speaking during the national launch of the Njaa Marufuku Kenya programme in Mpeketoni, Lamu, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei (pictured above) said the money would be distributed in all the 47 counties in a bid to boost food production.

Koskei said the money would be given to 16 primary schools, 28 community-based organisations and poor farmers countrywide.

The CS said the funds are meant to empower communities for economic development and boost the country’s food basket.

He said the Government was committed to supporting local farmers by ensuring that farm inputs were not only available but were sold at subsidised rates.

Page 23

TAITA TAVETA COUNTY

TAITA TAVETA COUNTY

LAMU COUNTY

Monday, March 24, 2014

By KEPHER OTIENO

The Municipal Council of Kisumu

in conjunction with the traffic police

department has successfully locked

public transport out of the town’s

centre.Thanks to the combined forces,

no 14-seater matatu and boda boda

operates in the central business

district now.

And residents have praised the

effort, arguing sanity has been

restored in the CBD and traffic flow

was now smooth.

No matatus or boda bodas are

allowed to pick or drop passengers

at the CBD. The ban also applies to

tricycles and it has been in effect for

the past one week, though amid

protests.

Distances shortened

The authorities have also blocked

Oginga Odinga Avenue up to

Standard Chartered Bank junction to

ease traffic flow.

Passengers are now being

dropped at Jomo Kenyatta Highway

and trek to town.

The move follows successful

negotiations between the authority

and matatu operators whose

distances have now been cut short.

“We are happy because the plans

have reduced our distance by

one-and-a-half kilometres,” said a

matatu operator George Onyango.

According to the town authorities

the plan aims to decongest the city

and will remain in force until 2013.

Thereafter the council will

develop fresh plans to accommodate

the increased number of private cars

in town, a source from the council

said.Already, the number of private

cars streaming in the town has

peaked and the traffic department

anticipates the figure will rise.

The council’s enforcement officer

in charge of the traffic order Adrian

Ouma said they would not back

down on the move.

WIN-win situation

Eng Ouma said matatu owners

appreciated the directive because

they still charge the same bus fare

despite the distance being short-

ened. “It is a win-win situation, the

matatu operators have all the

reasons to smile same as the

council,” he said, as he asked them

to co-operate.

Kisumu Mayor Sam Okello

thanked the residents for allowing

them to bring sanity within the CBD.

There have been complaints of

matatu disorder within the CBD,

which have been disrupting smooth

operations of businesses.

With the new measures in force

people can now go about their

business easily without disruptions

by blaring sounds.

Nyanza PPO Njue Njagi promised

to support the council to restore

sanity and warned that those who

resist change would be arrested and

charged.

Eng Ouma said matatu owners

appreciated the directive because

they still charge the same bus fare

despite the distance being short-

ened. “It is a win-win situation, the

matatu operators have all the

reasons to smile same as the

Traffic Police officer redirects a matatu driver at Kisumu Bus Park entry, yes-

terday. Kisumu Municipal Council has re-routed traffic from the central busi-

ness district to de-congest the town. [PHOTO: TITUS MUNALA/STANDARD]

WHAT WAS AT STAKE

Page 23

TANZANIA: Two suspects

flashed out of hotel, killed

Two suspected notorious

criminals who have been

terrorising tourists in Masai Mara

have been lynched by a mob

in Musoma, Tanzania. Nelson

Segeria and his accomplice were

ambushed inside a guesthouse in

the town and attacked by an irate

mob, which had identified them

as known gangsters. According

to Mara Triangle Chief Executive

Officer Brian Heath, two other

members of the gang escaped, but

security officers recovered one

AK-47 rifle with 427 bullets.

Two suspected notorious

criminals who have been

terrorising tourists in Masai Mara

have been lynched by a mob

in Musoma, Tanzania. Nelson

Segeria and his accomplice were

ambushed inside a guesthouse in

the town and attacked by an irate

CORNERED: Two suspects

flashed out of hotel, killed

Two suspected notorious

criminals who have been

terrorising tourists in Masai Mara

have been lynched by a mob

in Musoma, Tanzania. Nelson

Segeria and his accomplice were

ambushed inside a guesthouse in

the town and attacked by an irate

mob, which had identified them

as known gangsters. According

to Mara Triangle Chief Executive

Officer Brian Heath, two other

members of the gang escaped, but

security officers recovered one

AK-47 rifle with 427 bullets.

Two suspected notorious

criminals who have been

terrorising tourists in Masai Mara

have been lynched by a mob

in Musoma, Tanzania. Nelson

Segeria and his accomplice were

PAGE XX

FROM

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Counties FROM THEMonday, March 24, 2014

FROM

Coast & Eastern News

President Uhuru Kenyatta with Phyllis Kandie (right), Cabinet Secretary for East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism, when she visited him at his Harambee House offi ce in Nairobi. She was with governors from the Mombasa Cluster who include Amason Kingi (Kilifi ), Ali Hassan Joho (Mombasa), John Mruttu (Taita-Taveta), Salim Mvurya (Kwale) and Hussein Dado (Tana River) and members of the Kenya Hotel Keepers and Caterers Association led by chairman Jaideep S. Vohra (second left). [PHOTO: SHEMUEL MULUNGUNIPA/STANDARD]

Duty calls

Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The StandardPage 24 / COAST NEWS

Retired Makerere University Lecturer Joel Bertrand when he visited the Mom-basa Standard Group offices. [PHOTO: KELVIN KARANI/STANDARD]

A resident arms himself after his house was burnt down following clashes at Tana Delta. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]

By PATRICK BEJA

Frenchman Joel Bertrand, 63, came to East Africa in 1975 and fell in love with the region.

He was posted as a literature lec-turer at the prestigious Makerere University in Uganda and has since cherished the region’s past and pres-ent alike.

To keep memories alive, the re-tired teacher, who bought a holiday home in Lamu in 1986, embarked on collecting old East Africa post cards as a hobby.

The rare and fascinating post card collection covers Kenya, Uganda and Zanzibar, and are a sort of travel through the past since they bear stun-ning images of various aspects of life before the second world war.

UNSTOPPABLE PASSION“I first came up with the idea to

collect post cards while still in France when I saw people selling old post cards and I thought of keeping them as a collection,” Bertrand says.

The man of cards said what ini-tially begun as something to pass time for him and his wife Genevieve soon developed into an unstoppable pas-sion.

Bertrand says postcards were bought and sold by people who in the past travelled by sea eventually flood-ing Europe with materials from across the world.

“Travellers, mainly using ships, would stop over in many port towns and buy the post cards. That is how post cards with photographs taken in East Africa ended up in European gal-leries for sale,” Bertrand explained.

He said post cards were mainly published by Christian missions to promote their work in Africa and for fund-raising to assist the poor.

Bertrand’s cards provide a glimpse of life in the old villages and in ancient settlements such as Mombasa’s Old Town and Lamu’s Stone Town.

For instance, there are cards show-ing the Port of Mombasa in1909, Mombasa old port dhows before 1909, slaves in chains rescued by a ship in 1893, Swahili gamblers in 1904 and

Frenchman with passion for post cards has 1,600 pieces

the Mackinnon Square. Some post cards bear pictures of the rulers of Coast (liwali) who represented the Sultan of Zanzibar.

The post cards also give us a glimpse of how Lamu looked like in the 1920s.

There is another selection that shows life of the Kavirondo people in Kisumu and the Buganda in neigh-bouring Uganda. There are also mas-terpieces from the clove island, that is Zanzibar.

PICTURE STORIES In total, the Frenchman and his

wife have collected more than 1,600 old post cards telling great stories in pictures and reliving East Africa.

The old postcards capture many aspects of the past years including the colonial times.

In many instances, places and faces have changed and yet in others they look similar particularly Mom-basa and Lamu towns.

Bertrand has spent the last six months developing a website with 100 pages of galleries organised in themes for easy browsing.

“You can view slideshows or en-large thumbnails. Each postcard pro-vides information about its publisher, the date it was published or sent. When written you can read the cor-respondence at the back of the post-card,” he explains.

Bertrand says for many years, he has shared his post card collection with family and friends and is glad because the internet now gives him a bigger audience.

The gallery can be found on: www.oldeastafricapostcards.com

There are also cards from Central Kenya depicting Kikuyu soldiers in traditional regalia long before they engaged the British in Mau Mau.

This collection also has a range of pictures of women and children in traditional settings.

By PAUL MUTUA

Kitui County Criminal Investiga-tion boss Julius ole Sunkuli has said they will unearth the culprits making death threats to a Mwingi-based jour-nalist.

Sunkuli said every effort will be made to unmask the masterminds of the threats on The Star journalist Lydia Musangi Ngoolo over her story that a building in Mwingi town is al-legedly believed to be a terrorists’ haven.

“We will soon get to the bottom of this situation and identify those who made the telephone call to threaten the journalist. Harassment and in-timidation is against the law and we will not allow it,” he said.

IN DANGERThe detective urged Ngoolo to re-

cord a statement with his officers to facilitate comprehensive investiga-tions.

Sunkuli also asked another jour-nalist with Mediamax, whom the caller threatened thinking she was Ngoolo, to also record a statement saying it would help in investigations.Ngoolo has gone into hiding claiming her life is in danger after some people allegedly including police, adminis-tration officials, businessmen and an MP threatened her over the exposé published by The Star on April 28.

By DENNIS OCHIENG

Residents of Mororo township slums in Tana County scrambled to take a sip of the illicit makole brew during an operation yesterday.

Mororo Chief Mohamed Lokha led Kenya Police Reserve (KPR) personnel to raid 48 stores and confiscate 2,430 litres of assorted illicit brews during the exercise.

Lokha said KPR identified secret illicit brew stores and dens where they confiscated the beer but patrons and management were able to flee.

STRANGE EVENTSHowever, in a strange turn of

events, residents rushed to the scene and begun to scoop the brew being poured by the KPR.

“The absence of regular police ap-peared to have emboldened residents and many came to have a sip of the brew,” he said.

Lokha said makole not only makes people lazy, but it also leads to crime, violence and philandering ways, that end up breaking homes and reckless parenthood.

However, the residents had noth-ing but praise for the brew saying it has never caused any deaths.

CID probe journalist’s

death threats

Police seize 2,430 litres

of illicit brew

By STANDARD TEAM

Police and rescue teams have said about 1,000 people displaced due to tribal tension between Orma and Pokomo are now returning to their homes in Kilelengwani, Tana Delta.

Kenya Red Cross has now sent out an alert saying the people need shel-ter, seeds, restocking of animals and reliable security.

Local Kenya Red Cross co-ordina-tor Hassan Musa said after he toured Kilengwani on Monday he discovered that residents who fled recently had returned and were trying to rebuild their homes.

“Tension has now gone down and this has encouraged the people to return,” he said.

Musa said Red Cross has estab-lished shelters that will cater for at least 118 families of those who have returned.

He said residents fled the village due to rumours of war and sudden withdrawal of police officers but were beginning to return after being as-sured of their security and safety.

COMING HOMEThe returnees are people who wit-

nessed some of the worst violence during the 2012/2013 tribal war. In one violent episode 68 people were killed by militiamen.

The region has had a lot of tension for much of this month following three ethnic based murders at Kipini in Tana Delta and Witu in Lamu County that sparked fears of resump-tion of violence.

The anxiety was heightened when General Service Unit GSU officers, posted in several villages, were sud-denly withdrawn and the tension peaked on Friday when four men, ac-cused of contributing to the violence, were sentenced to hang by a court in Garsen.

Tana Delta Deputy County Com-missioner Mike Kimoko yesterday criticised the withdrawal of forces claiming it was abruptly done without his input and neither was his security committee given advance notice.

“The withdrawal of security agents came when we were least expecting it. The abruptness caused a dent in the gains we had made. Nonetheless, we have stabilised the situation and this is what has led to the resident’s re-turn,” he said.

By PATRICK BEJA

Mombasa County is banking on the proposed Sh100 million World Bank aided electronic project to weed out corrupt elements in the construc-tion industry.

The county has already signed an agreement with the World Bank and done a feasibility study for the project that will make online approval of building plans possible as a way of eradicating fraud.

The county will buy the hardware at about Sh50 million while the World Bank will provide the software.

SIMILAR PROJECTLast week, some county officials,

led by Lands and Physical Planning county executive Francis Thoya and chief officer Salim Jabu toured Nai-robi where the WB facilitated a similar project.

“The digital platform will process building plans faster and also elimi-

nate bogus architects, engineers, brokers and their agents,” Thoya said.

The ambitious project will be completed in the next 12 months and members of the Architectural Asso-ciation of Kenya, building engineers and their agents will have to be regis-tered to use the system.

In Nairobi, the digital platform has increased the number of building plans processed from 1,500 to about 3,500 a year.

Displaced Kilelengwani residents return home

County to buy Sh100m digital platform

TANA RIVER COUNTY

KITUI COUNTY

TANA RIVER COUNTY

MOMBASA COUNTY

MOMBASA COUNTY

COAST NEWS / Page 25 Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

Empty beaches in Diani, Kwale. Travel advisories issued by Western countries have left some hotels practically empty. [PHOTO: TOBIAS CHANJI/STANDARD]

By TOBIAS CHANJI

Kwale residents have proposed that the national budget should focus on improving education, health, security, infrastructure and agriculture to provide basic needs to the poor who they say are the majority in Kenya.

The residents were making their submissions on the 2014-2015 financial national budget after the Parliamentary Committee on Budget toured the region yesterday.

The parliamentary committee was led by Lungalunga MP Khatib Mwashetani and Embakasi South MP Irshad Sumra.

NOT ENOUGHMost said providing funding for

these key areas will help fight poverty and underdevelopment in the region.

Salim Mwakurichwa said the current bursary allocation is very little and this has led to an increase

Kwale residents give views on

national budgetin school dropout due to lack of funds.

“Many of us depend on bursaries but the amount we get is very minimal. Our children are forced to stay out of school once the allocated bursary is over,” he said.

VERY DISSATISFIEDLocals also proposed that the

national government should consider increasing the agriculture budget and give counties tractors so as to complement what county governments are doing.

Saumu Mupa said Sh2.9 billion allocation for recruitment of 10,000 security officers is too much and must include more youth.

“We are not seeing our children being employed yet the allocation made for recruiting is quite size-able,” she said.

Yet another resident, Mohamed Mwamrezi, said the national Government should support the Nyumba Kumi leaders known as Balozi by giving them resources to ensure they are able to provide security information.

Osongo also proposed that the 2014-2015 budget should include two centres of excellence to be found in schools in every constitu-ency.

Elderly people were also not forgotten as Nyamawi Mwandia complained that the budget has always featured youth and women sidelining the older citizens.

HEALTH CAREFatuma Masito said the budget

should also feature upgrading of health centres, especially colonial district hospitals like Msambweni, Kwale and Kinango among others.

A politician from Msambweni, Richard Onsongo, said the national Government should consider setting aside cash for supporting the girl child’s education by providing them with sanitary towels.

LEARNING AFFECTEDHe said most girls fail to attend

lessons during menstruation since they cannot afford anitary towels.

“Let the budget feature aspects that will help our girls stay in school. We want them to attend all lessons like boys because at the end of the day, they will have to sit for similar examinations” he said.

By TOBIAS CHANJI

A Kwale court has charged a pastor with rape, defilement and impregnating a minor, who worked as his housemaid, in a 26-day ordeal last year.

The pastor, Joseph Jawa, denied the charges when he appeared before Kwale Resident Magistrate Paul Mutai on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Joseph Omwandho, said Jawa used Sh300 to lure the 17-year-old to a room at Ngathini village while his wife was away at a seminar. This then led to other episodes described as defilement between August 5 and August 31 last year.

DNA TESTThe charge sheet further alleges

that the pastor impregnated the girl causing her to abandon her employment.

Judge Mutai ordered a DNA test to confirm whether or not he is the baby’s father.

The court released him on a bond of Sh100,000 and surety of a similar amount pending investigation.

The case will be mentioned on June 3, 2014 and heard on August 14, 2014.

Pastor denies defilement and rape charges

KWALE COUNTY

KWALE COUNTY

No visitors here

TENDER NO. EURBS/001/2014-2015: PROVISION OFINSURANCES & ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

Egerton University Retirement Benefits Scheme invites sealed tenders from eligible Insurance Firms for the Provision of Insurance & Administrative Services to the Scheme.

Tender No. Description Tender Security Closing Date

EURBS/001/2014-2015 Provision of Insurance Services: KES. 100,000.00 11th June, 2014

Group Life & Group Personal (a) Accident

Terrorism & Sabotage for Unga (b) House Westlands Nairobi-Kenya

EURBS/002/2014-2015 (a ) Provision of fund Administrative services

KES. 100,000.00 11th June, 2014

Bidding will be conducted through the procedures specified in the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005 and Public Procurement and Disposal Regulations 2006 as revised and is open to all bidders.

Interested and eligible candidates may inspect and obtain Tender Document from Pensions & Insurance Office at Egerton University – Njoro Campus upon payment of a Non-Refundable fee of KES. 3,000.00 payable to Egerton University Retirement Benefit Scheme KCB A/c No. 1101909943 and receipted at the Pensions & Insurance Office.

Completed documents one in original and a copy in plain sealed envelopes clearly marked on top with the Tender Number and description and accompanied by a Bid Security of KES. 100,000.00 should be addressed to:-

The Trust SecretaryEgerton University Retirement Benefits Scheme

P.O Box 536 - 20115EGERTON

or placed in the Tender Box at the Pensions & Insurance Office, Njoro Campus not later than Wednesday 11th June, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. Bids will be opened thereafter at the Pensions & Insurance Boardroom, Njoro Campus in the presence of bidders/their representatives who wish to attend. Egerton University Retirement Benefits Scheme reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids without incurring liability to the affected tenderers.

TENDER NOTICE

UNIVERSITY

RETIREMENT BENEFITS SCHEME

TEL.: (051) 2217929FAX: (051) 2217827

P.O. BOX 536, 20115 EGERTON

EGERTON

Page 26 / ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT / Page 27Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The StandardPage 28 / COAST & N.EASTERN NEWS

TERROR: Governor says county will foot bills of grenade attack victims

The Garissa County government will foot all medical bills for victims of the Tuesday evening grenade attack, Garissa Governor Nathif Jama has said.

Speaking after visiting the victims, the governor said the county government would also pay transport bills, including for one of the victims who was transferred to Nairobi in critical condition.

Mr Jama urged county residents to be vigilant and expose those among them who wished to disturb the peace.

“These cowards who hurl grenades at members of the public should be burnt alive because they do not have any sense of humanity in them and have no good intentions for the county. I want all residents to be on the lookout for such people,” he said.

By JOSEPH MASHA

Education Principal Secretary Be-lio Kipsang has dismissed claims that university students were incited by politicians to strike over proposals to increase university fees.

Speaking in Malindi, Kilifi County, when he presided over the official opening of Light Academy, Mr Kip-sang said although the strike was il-legal, there were no indications that it had been influenced by politicians.

The PS was referring to a state-ment made at the same event by Chairman of the Parliamentary Com-mittee on Education, Selina Chege, who claimed that the students’ strike was engineered by some politicians.

Ms Chege, who did not name the alleged strike masterminds, said the students’ actions were illegal and urged them to return to class.

YOUTH EDUCATIONShe said the Jubilee government

was committed to youth education so it would not increase university fees.

“The strike by university students appears to have been engineered by some politicians. The allegations of

No proof politicians incited students to strike, PS says

increased university fees are false see-ing as the Jubilee government is com-mitted to creating a conducive learn-ing environment for students,” she said.

However, Kipsang contradicted Chege, saying the statements were being spoken out of turn as she had no proof to back the allegation.

“I can confirm that as the PS in charge of the Ministry of Education, I have no reason to believe politicians were involved. For the chairperson to make these allegations, maybe she knows something we don’t,” he said.

FEES INCREMENTKipsang insisted that the Govern-

ment had not increased school fees for Government-sponsored university students, adding that it was the uni-versities’ mandate to do so.

“The issue of reviewing fees for students in public universities can only be done by the respective univer-sity councils. The State has no hand in that,” he said.

The PS also urged parents to guide their children and ensure that they remained on the right religious track, away from radicalisation doctrines that have blamed for some of the ter-rorist acts being witnessed in the country.

Education PS Belio Kipsang at the opening of Light Academy School in Malindi town. [PHOTO: GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD]

“We have information that some school-going children from certain reli-gious sects have been involved in radi-calisation activities. We need parents to provide guidance to their children and curb this menace,” he said.

KILIFI COUNTY

GARISSA COUNTY

WHAT HE SAID• The PS dismissed claims that university students were influenced by politicians to strike• He said such allega-tions had no merit since his Ministry had found no proof to suggest poli-ticians’ involvement

COUNTY ASSEMBLY OF KERICHO

REPUBLIC OF KENYA

Article 196 (1) (b) of the constitution provides that “A County Assembly shall facilitate Public Participation and involvement in the legislative and other business of the assembly and its committees”.

Standing order No. 121 (3) states that “The Sectoral Committee to which the Bill is committed shall facilitate the public participation and shall take into account the views and recommendations of the public when the committee makes its report to the County Assembly”

SUBMISSION OF MEMORANDUM/PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

THE Kericho County Trade and Markets Bill 2014, Enterprise Fund Bill 2014 and Agricultural Development Fund Bill 2014 underwent the fi rst reading on Wednesday 21st May 2014. The Bills having been read the fi rst time stood committed to the relevant sectoral committees for consideration and thereafter submission of the report to the Assembly within twenty days.

Pursuant to Article 196 (1) (b) and standing order No 121 (3), the respective committees invite relevant stakeholders and interested members of the public to submit any representations or views they may have on the Three Bills on the dates, venue and time indicated below:

Trade and Markets Bill 2014 and Enterprise Fund Bill 2014 (Trade committee)1.

Date Venue Time Thursday 29th May 2014 Assembly Hall 10.00AM

Agriculture Development Fund Bill 2014 (Agriculture Committee)2.

Date Venue Time Friday 30th May 2014 Assembly Hall 10.00am

Copies of the Bills can be obtained from the offi ce of the Clerk or can be downloaded from the Assembly’s Website www. kerichocountyassembly.co.ke.

The representations may be forwarded to: Clerk of the County Assembly

P.O Bok 1526, Kericho Or

Hand delivered to the offi ce of the Clerk - Kericho County Assembly Buildings or Emailed to kcoassembly@gmail.com to be received on or before 28th May 2014 at 5.00pm.

Martin EpusClerk to the County Assembly

All correspondence to be addressed to the Clerk County Assembly

Tel. 052 20746. Email: kcoassembly@gmail.com

Telephone:P.O.BOX 1526, KERICHO

In reply please quote Ref: No. KCA/Gover/Vol.1And date: 21st May, 2014

IN THE MATTER OF CONSIDERATION BY THE COUNTY ASSEMBLY OF KERICHO, OF THE TRADE AND MARKETS BILL 2014, ENTERPRISE

FUND BILL 2014 AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT FUND BILL 2014

PRE- QUALIFICATION OF SUPPLIERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2014/2015

Women Enterprise Fund (herein after referred to as The Fund) is a Semi- Autonomous Government Agency under the Ministry of Devolution and Planning established in August 2007, to provide accessible and affordable credit to support women start and/ or expand business for wealth and employment creation.

The Fund invites interested and eligible fi rms for the prequalifi cation / Registration of suppliers for the 2014/2015 fi nancial year under the categories:

Category A - Supply and delivery of Goods Category B - Provision of Services

Full details and documents can be downloaded from our website www.wef.co.ke

Completed pre-qualifi cation documents should be submitted in enclosed plain sealed envelopes clearly marked “Prequalifi cation of Suppliers for 2014/15’, indicating Number and category. This should be addressed to:

The Chief Executive Offi cer /DirectorWomen Enterprise Fund

P.O Box 17126-00100NAIROBI

and deposited into the tender box located at NSSF building, Eastern wing Block A 11th fl oor so as to be received on or before 4th June, 2014 at 10.00 am. Tender documents will be opened immediately thereafter in the 12th fl oor boardroom in the presence of candidates or their representatives who choose to attend. Late applications will not be accepted.

NB: Companies owned by youth, women and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply as 30% of our procurement will be set aside exclusively for them. Only those registered with the National Treasury will be considered.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE / DIRECTOR.

“When you empower a woman you empower a family and a whole nation”

Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard RIFT VALLEY NEWS / Page 29

Leaders tour school hit by pregnancies

By MICHAEL OLLINGA

Five teenage girls with melancholic stares are seated on a bench outside a teachers’ staff room.

They are rocking babies who are crying and anybody visiting the school for the first time would be forgiven for imagining that it also offers post-natal services.

This was the spectacle that greeted Uasin Gishu County officials who visited the school following reports about the high rate of teenage pregnancies at the institution

One of the girls aged 16, who has a four-month-old son, told The Standard amid sobs how she was allegedly impregnated by her Kiswahili teacher who had promised to marry her once she turned 18 years.

Last year alone, nine pupils quit school after they became pregnant.

According to the school’s headmaster, Lawrence Tuwei, seven of the girls were Kenya Certificate of Primary Education candidates while two were in Standard Seven.

“Girls who knew they were pregnant absconded school and we managed to trace only two to their homes. Six others quietly quit school,” Mr Tuwei said.

He said parents have contributed to the high incidence of teenage pregnancies in the area as they don’t report the cases to concerned authorities.

Area Chief Gilbert Songok echoed Tuwei’s sentiments, saying parents have frustrated efforts to curb the vice as they are often unwilling to talk

Parents of affected girls on the spot for colluding with perpetrators to defeat justice

UASIN GISHU COUNTY

about it.“The headmaster has been

working closely with my office and we have arrested some suspects,” he said.

He added: “It is wrong for parents to negotiate with suspects to marry their daughters even before they reach the required age.”

The chief cited two cases that are still pending in court as parents of the girls have been compromised to settle the matter out of court.

SEx prEdATOrSJulius Kemboi, the county

director of children services, says cases of parents striking out-of-court deals with perpetrators were rampant in the area. “Parents should make efforts to protect their girls from sex predators,” he added.

Women leaders from the county led by Environment County Executive Committee Member Mary Njogu advised parents to counsel their children regularly, especially when they reach puberty.

“The days when discus-sions about sex were taboo

are long gone,” she stated.County Health Executive

Eunice Siria called on parents to provide their girls with basics like sanitary towels to avoid cases where they were offered basic items by people who only wanted to take advantage of their situation.

Deputy Governor Daniel Chemno called on parents to be at the forefront in the campaign against teenage pregnancies.

“A campaign to have zero pregnancies in schools across this county has begun and we are not going to leave the perpetrators to walk free. Parents who do not want to co-operate will be pros-ecuted,” he said.

He added that schools should only hire board teachers registered by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to make it easy to track those who impregnate school girls. He also called on the county education office to ensure schools have teachers to offer affected girls counsel-ling to, especially those wishing to continue with school.

Uasin Gishu Deputy Governor Daniel Chemno and local leaders at Boinet Primary School where 15 girls dropped out of school after they were impregnated, allegedly by teachers. [PHOTO: MICHAEL OLLINGA /STANDARD]

By NIKKO TANUI

A cook who raped a hotel guest has been sentenced to 10 years in jail by a Kericho court.

Kibet Towet, 29, was arraigned before Senior Resident Magistrate Lilian Kiniale and charged that on January 17, 2012, at around 2pm at Ripples Guesthouse in Kericho town, he raped a 29-year-old woman who was a guest at the hotel.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecution presented five witnesses before the court who gave collaborating evidence against the accused person.

Towet is said to entered the woman’s room at 11pm, and raped her. The room was reportedly not locked.

However, the manager and the waiter caught up with him and detained the

accused until police arrived and took him away.

The complainant was taken to Kericho District Hospital where she was examined and a P3 form was issued confirming evidence of rape.

In mitigation, the accused pleaded for leniency, claiming he was a father of two and the family’s only breadwinner.

BAd BLOOdHe told the court that he had prepared a

meal for a guest before retiring to bed only to be woken up by a commotion.

He claimed that there was bad blood between him and the hotel manager, which had led to his being framed.

A total of 26 exhibits were presented in court to prove the case.

The court gave the accused 14 days to file an appeal.

Cook gets 10 years for raping guest KErICHO COUNTY

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCES

A Vision 2030 Project

ATHI WATER SERVICES BOARD

Invitation for Bids

CONSTRUCTION OF THETA DAM WATER TREATMENT WORKS

1. The Government of Kenya has allocated funds to Athi Water Services Board for the Construction of Theta Dam Water Treatment Works.

2. The Athi Water Services Board now invites sealed bids from eligible bidders for the construction and completion of Theta Dam Water Treatment Works (“the Works”) involving the following works:

i. 4000m³/day Treatment works at Theta consisting of 4 flocculation tanks, 4 units of sedimentation basins, 4 rapid sand filter units, Chemical Building, Chlorination building and 1000m3/day composite treatment unit;

ii. Utility Building, 48m3 steel elevated pressed steel backwash tank, backwash pump house and installation of backwash pumping units, and 150 cubic meters masonry clear water tank;

iii. Ancillary works at the treatment works consisting of power mains supply, staff house building, access roads, street lighting, site drainage and site water supply.

iv. Approximately 30Km of DN 150 - 350mm uPVC, treated water transmission pipeline;

v. Miscellaneous works including Fencing of treatment site.

3. Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information from Athi Water Services Board, Chief Executive Officer, info@awsboard.go.ke and inspect the bidding documents during office hours from 0800 hours to 1700 hours local time from Monday to Friday, except during lunch hour (1300 hours to 1400 hours), during weekends and public holidays at the address given below.

4. A complete set of bidding documents in English may be purchased by interested eligible bidders upon the submission of a written application to the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee of KSh. 1,000 (Kenya Shillings One Thousand). The method of payment will be cash or banker’s cheque. The document will be collected from the below address. Domestic preference of 15% will apply.

5. All bids must be accompanied by an unconditional bank Bid Security of KSh.4,000,000 (Kenya Shillings Four Million).

6. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before 12.00 East African Time on 22nd June 2014. Late bids will be rejected. Bids will be publicly opened in the presence of the bidders’ designated representatives and anyone who choose to attend at the address below 22nd June 2014 at 12.05 East African Time.

Chief Executive Officer Athi Water Services Board 3rd Floor, Africa Re Centre, Hospital Road, Upper HillP.O. Box 45283-00100Nairobi, KenyaFax: 254-20-2724295Email : info@awsboard.go.ke.

Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The StandardPage 30 / RIFT VALLEY NEWS

AGRICULTURE: Sector needs extra funds, State told

Cereal farmers want the Government to increase budgetary allocation to the agriculture sector in the next financial year.

A Kenya Farmers Association director Kipkorir Menjo said more funds should be directed to agriculture to boost food production.

He further said the erratic rain patterns currently experienced in the North Rift region may force farmers to seek support from financial institutions to replant their crops.

“Because of the erratic rains, majority of farmers may reap less this year. Agricultural institutions should be allocated adequate funds to enable farmers access loans next year,” said Menjo.

TERROR THREATS: Traders complain of slow business

Manufactures have started feeling the effects of terror threats and travel bans imposed by Western countries.

The manufacturers said sales have dropped significantly in the wake of the travel advisories.

According to Chloride Exide the General Manager Tim Jessop, the terror threats and travel advisories had negatively impacted on their turnover.

He was addressing the Press in Ubbink Solar Factory in Naivasha which was celebrating the production of its 100,000 photovoltic solar panel.

He said that the sector grew by 49 per cent in the last financial year.

Ubbink Managing Director Haijo Kuper expressed concern over the move by the Government to exempt solar panels from VAT.

He said the move could lock out many local manufacturers and raise the price of solar panels and batteries.

By SILAH KOSKEI

Residents of Moiben constituency in Uasin Gishu County have decried the rundown state of roads in the ar-ea.

Led by their MP Silas Tiren, the angry residents drawn from Tuiyoluk and Karandili complained of shoddy work by various contractors rehabili-tating roads in the region.

Tiren said county and government officials overseeing the upgrades owe residents an explanation over the poor workmanship.

“The work is substandard and rel-evant authorities should re-evaluate it before paying the contractors,” he said.

He added: “Apparently, it is farm-ers who depend on the feeder roads to transport their produce to the mar-ket who are bearing the brunt of the shoddy work. Most of them have suf-fered huge losses due to the current condition of the roads.”

The legislator said construction of

Residents accuse road contractors of shoddy work

handling of the road projects.“The contractors should be inves-

tigated to end misuse of tax payers’ money and smoke out briefcase com-panies who are out to defraud the public,” he stated.

Tens of families rendered homeless as fire razes houses By MERCY KAHENDA

More than 60 families have been rendered homeless after a fire gutted down their houses on Tuesday night at Kasarani slum in Elbergon town, Molo District.

Mary Wambui, a resident, said she lost all her property during the incident.

“Though all my three children are safe, I have nothing to feed them, no shelter and clothing,” said Wambui.

Efforts by the residents and well-wishers to put out the fire hit a snag

after strong winds fanned the flames and the fire spread fast, razing all the wooden structures.

John Waweru, another victim, said lack of fire-fighting equipment also contributed to the spread of the fire.

“Residents tried to put the fire out using whatever means to no avail,” said Waweru.

Representatives from Red Cross led by Simon Ngatia said they are supplying those affected with food and other necessities as they wait for further assistance.

“Though the cause of fire is under investigation, Red Cross is working with well-wishers to ensure victims have food and clothing,” said Nga-tia.

Ngatia said Red Cross officials will also provide counseling to vic-tims.

CLEAn wATERHe added that most estates in the

area do not have clean water, elec-tricity and modern sewerage system which he said had led to outbreak of waterborne diseases.

“The living conditions in the es-tates are very poor should be im-proved to ensure each individual live safely from often disasters experi-enced,” he added.

Molo MP Jacob Macharia said through his representative Simon Musoti that they will team up with the Nakuru county government to buy fire-fighting equipment.

Residents also accused Deputy President William Ruto of not hon-ouring a promise to relocate some of them.

nAKURU COUnTY

UASIn GISHU COUnTY

nAKURU COUnTY

Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu (in a red tie) signs seven Bills into law yester-day in Nanyuki town. [PHOTO: JAMES MUNYEKI/STANDARD]

The residents vowed to block re-pairs of the roads until their griev-ances are addressed.

Meanwhile, Uasin Gishu County government in partnership with Ari-zona University College of Medicine in the US is set to build a paediatric children’s referral facility in North Rift.

CURB dEATHSSpeaking during the signing of a

Memorandum of Understanding be-tween the county and the institution, Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago said the facility is expected to help reduce the high infant mortal-ity rate in the region.

He said the facility, which will have a bed capacity of 500, is expected to cost Sh5 billion.

“The partnership with Arizona comes at a time when there is a high number of children who require spe-cialised treatment,” he said.

Prof David Beyda, who represented the university, challenged the county government to take advantage of the planned facility to train more pedia-tricians.

the Chepkoilel Bridge that connects the residents to Eldoret main highway, especially, was unsatisfactory.

The MP called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to in-vestigate possible improprieties in

UASIn COUnTY

SPECIAL OFFER

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Law making

Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard RIFT VALLEY NEWS / Page 31

Mbugua tells off senator over funds

By Antony GitonGA and LeonArd KuLei

Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua has hit out at County Senator James Mungai as the war of words between the two went a notch higher.

An incensed Mbugua accused Mungai of engaging in a smear cam-paign.

“A politician who is always in Nairobi is going around inciting members of the public on the funds allocated to this county,” he said.

In a thinly veiled attack on Mungai, the governor called on the senator to concentrate on his duties and leave county affairs to him.

He said the Sh5.9 billion allocated to the county was its share of funds given to the devolved units by the national Government and the senator did not play any role in its disbursement.

“I may be a quiet person but I am not a coward,” he said.

On Monday, the senator took the county government to task over a drop in revenue collection.

But addressing the Press after touring the Mai Mahiu health centre in Naivasha, Mbugua said his concern was the county’s ballooning wage bill.

inherited stAffHe noted that of the Sh5.9 billion

allocated to the county, Sh4.2 billion had gone towards paying salaries for workers inherited from former councils.

“We have seen other counties going for bigger things but in Nakuru we are concerned with the things that affect the electorate directly,” he said.

He said the county had set aside Sh60 million to procure drugs.

“We have managed to resume water supply to the Mai Mahiu health centre and the sanitation issues in Mai Mahiu town will be addressed,” he said.

On IDP woes, Mbugua said he would take up the matter with the national government after former chairman of the defunct Nakuru County Council John Murigo informed him that some were still in camps.

“We have close to 100 IDPs who have documents to prove that they are genuine but are yet to resettled,” he said.

Meanwhile, Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi yesterday suspended the on-going eviction of residents from Kamnarok National Reserve by the Kenya Wildlife Service pending a report by a task force on a boundary tussle that has threatened implementation of a 1983 gazette notice.

“I have commissioned a task-force comprising members of the public, county government officials, conserva-tionists and interest groups to look into the matter,” he told The Standard on phone.

Governor says leader misleading public over Sh5.9 billion allocated to the county by the national Government

nAKuru County

It is sad that a politician who is always in Nairobi is going around inciting members of the public on the funds allocated to this county

— nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua

Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The StandardPage 32 / RIFT VALLEY NEWS

Former President Daniel Moi receives a copy of former Cabinet minister Jeremiah Nyaga’s biography from his son, ex-Co-operative Minister Joe Nyaga at his Kabarnet Gardens residence in Nairobi. Moi wrote the foreword to the book. [PHOTO: PPS/STANDARD]

By ROBERT KIPLAGAT

Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi has said he is ready to face the Senate Committee on Agricul-ture over the hunger crisis in the region.

Mr Cheboi is set to appear before the Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi-led team on June 6 to explain the steps his administration has taken to mitigate the biting famine in the area occasioned by persistent drought.

Speaking to The Standard, Cheboi said staving off hunger was the responsibility of both the national and county governments, but promised to honour the summons to set the record straight.

STARvInG RESIdEnTS“I will honour the summons as

we all grapple with hunger from time to time,” said Cheboi.

The governor said his adminis-tration has distributed over 3,000 bags of maize to starving residents in East Pokot, Baringo North and Marigat, and a further 3,000 bags were on the way.

“As we speak, we have distrib-uted food to all parts in East Pokot, parts of Baringo North and Marigat, and we are collaborating with the national government to roll out the school-feeding programme in affected areas,” said Cheboi.

The county chief added that a further 600 bags of beans have been distributed to those in need of food

Cheboi says he will honour

Senate team summons

aid and appealed to well-wishers to help the famine relief efforts.

“This county needs up to 17,000 bags a month to feed the hunger-stricken families as we wait to initiate irrigation projects to address the problem once and for all,” he said.

Residents in the mainly pastoral region are also reported to have lost their livestock as the dry spell persists.

Buy LIvESTOcKRecently, the national govern-

ment said it had set aside Sh600 million to buy livestock in hunger-stricken areas in the country to cushion pastoral communities from losses.

Devolution Principal Secretary Gideon Konchellah made the

Konchellah said the Govern-ment has spent Sh220 million on relief food distribution in the area since February this year.

The summons for the Baringo governor to appear before the Senate team comes barely a week after area Senator Gideon Moi challenged him to address the famine crisis before it got out of hand.

announcement in East Pokot District in Baringo County where over 50,000 residents are in dire need of emergency food and more than 2,000 goats have died due to lack of water and pasture.

“For many years, drought has killed numerous livestock and as a Government, we have set aside the money to buy the animals from affected residents,” said Konchella.

By MIchAEL WESOnGA

Moi University has commis-sioned the construction of a 26-storey complex in Eldoret town.

The building, to be known as Moi University Pension Scheme (Mups) Plaza, is set to cost a whopping Sh3.1 billion.

The new building will also provide office space, which has been a big challenge in the town.

Mups Trustee Chebutuk Rotich said the iconic establishment will have parking for 600 vehicles excluding external parking lots.

“The building is expected to help address the parking crisis in the central business district as it will have three basement sections and another two above the mezzanine floor,” he observed.

The building is expected to be ready for occupation by December next year.

InTERnET cOnnEcTIvITyRotich said the complex would

have all the amenities expected in a modern building.

“It will host a restaurant on the 16th floor with a gym and swim-ming pool besides. In addition, every floor will have self-sufficient Internet connectivity,” he explained.

He noted that doctors had already expressed interest in occupying one floor.

The building will also have three dedicated standby generators and a borehole.

Clients will access the building either using access cards or finger biometric readings, besides screening at the main gate, and every floor will have CCTV cameras for enhanced security.

The Standard has also learnt that members of the county executive commiteee as well as Transition Authority and former local authori-ties staff will be housed in the building.

Varsity to put up Sh3.1b complex in Eldoret town

By CHARLES NGENO

Emurrwa Dikirr MP Johana Ngeno has appealed to the Department of Immigration Services in the Ministry of Interior and Co-ordination of National Government to open an office in Trans Mara East District.

Ngeno said residents were forced to travel to Kilgoris, several kilometres away, in search of birth and death certificates because the

ministry does not have an office in the area.

“It sad that while services have been brought closer to the people, residents of Trans Mara East are still forced to travel several kilometres for the documents,” said Ngeno.

He said most students whose parents had died could not access bursaries because they did not have the necessary documentation to prove their status.

Speaking in Emurrwa Dikirr

yesterday, Ngeno wondered how a district could not have a registra-tion office.

“We appeal to the relevant ministry to move fast and ensure that we have this office,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Trans Mara East Sub-county Director of Education, Anthony Barasa, warned teachers against forcing pupils to repeat classes, saying it was illegal. He said his office had also banned purchase of external exams by schools.

MP: Open Immigration office in Trans Mara

uASIn GIShu cOunTy

BARInGO cOunTy

nAROK cOunTy

This is for you, Sir

To get a copy, call:Geraldine - 0738 144 091

AVAILABLE IN ALL LEADING STORES AND SUPERMARKETS COUNTRYWIDE.

MAY ISSUENOW AVAILABLE

NOTICES / Page 33Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

STA

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AT 31 DECEMBER 2013 2013 2012 Kes’000 Kes’000ASSETS

Intangible assets 50,568 63,571Equipment 7,948 3,255Financial instruments:

- Designated as at fair value through profit or loss 415,113 325,570- Loans and receivables 33,511 25,595

Insurance receivables 42,027 8,558Reinsurance contracts 7,934 12,676Current income tax 922 564Cash and cash equivalents 116,870 167,665

Total assets 674,893 607,454 EQUITY Equity attributable to the owners of the company

Share capital 416,726 407,635Share premium 491,068 400,158Retained earnings (658,178) (581,878)

Total equity 249,616 225,915 LIABILITIES

Long-term insurance contract liabilities 224,336 203,248Investments Contracts at fair value through Income 156,265 132,372Other payables 44,676 45,919

Total liabilities 425,277 381,539

Total equity and liabilities 674,893 607,454

INCOME STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2013

2013 2012 Kes’000 Kes’000 Insurance premium 166,709 115,794Insurance premium ceded to reinsurers (43,698) (43,510)Net insurance premiums 123,011 72,284

Fee income 8,803 32,561Investment income 43,322 47,154Fair value gains 21,555 57,279Net income 196,691 209,278

Insurance benefits and claims 115,588 34,983Insurance claims recovered from reinsurers (58,803) (13,448)

Net insurance benefits and claims 56,785 21,535

Change in liabilities 25,830 95,580- Change in insurance contract liabilities 21,088 104,853- Change in re-insurance contract provision 4,742 (9,273)

Fair value adjustments on investment contract liabilities 20,851 31,884Depreciation, amortisation and impairment expenses 13,078 13,043Employee benefit expenses 66,594 57,353Sales remuneration 19,584 22,340Other expenses 59,411 58,749Expenses 262,133 300,484 Loss before tax (65,442) (91,206)Income tax expense (10,858) (11,740)Loss for year (76,300) (102,946) Attributable to:

Owners of the company (76,300) (102,946)

STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2013 2013 2012 Kes’000 Kes’000 Loss for year (76,300) (102,946)Other comprehensive income for the year, net of tax - -Total comprehensive income for the year (76,300) (102,946)Total comprehensive loss attributable to: Owners of the company (76,300) (102,946)

Earnings/(Loss) Per share:Loss per share: Normal (0.16) (0.21)Loss per share: Diluted (0.15) (0.21)

Movement in Investment Contract Holder liabilities: (Unit linked) Balance at beginning of year 132,372 95,233 Movements in Investment Contracts: 23,893 37,139Deposits received 37,617 34,141Contract benefit payments (22,423) (13,794)Fees on investment contracts (12,152) (14,891)Fair value adjustments to Investment contract liabilities 20,851 31,884 Balance at end of year 156,265 132,372

Ratios: 2013 2012 % % Capital Adequacy 166 151Solvency 642 698Claims 68 33Expense 78 101

The annual financial statements were audited by PWC and approved by the Board of Directors on 7th April 2014 and are signed on its behalf by:

Desterio Oyatsi Tom OmaribaChairman Director

REPUBLIC OF KENYA

THE PRESIDENCYMINISTRY OF DEVOLUTION AND PLANNINGREQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

FOR THE RE-BRANDING OF THE NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE (NYS)

A. Background Information1. The Government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Devolution and Planning, is restructuring

the National Youth Service (NYS). Part of this undertaking includes rebranding the NYS.

Transformative Youth Empowerment” as articulated in the Government’s Youth Agenda.2. The purpose of this call is to invite reputable branding agencies to express their interest

in providing the requested services. The selected agency should have an understanding of the security sector in Kenya and the unique background processes that will be required to

3. All brand concepts and materials developed under this EOI and eventual contract will be the intellectual property of the National Youth Service and the Government of Kenya.

B. Objectives

B.1 Overall Objective

4. In consultation with the Ministry, the Branding Agency will conceptualize and execute a strategy that tackles the branding, public relations and communication components of the restructuring process.

B.2 Scope of Work

a) The Conceptualization of a new brand identity, logo, tagline and brand guidelines and the development of a brand manual for the NYS.

on the new NYS brand and propel recruitment drives.

c) The Production of Documentaries and Informercials that highlight the achievement

the new brand identity.e) The development and implementation of a Digital Media strategy.f) The conceptualization and development of Publicity Materials for the new brand.

h) The planning and management of the Launch event for the unveiling of the new brand.

i) The design and implementation of collateral for the various NYS units e.g. vector control and dam construction.

6. The Branding Agency will be a locally and internationally reputable Communications and

nationwide publicity campaigns.b) Must submit proof of capability and experience in carrying out successful at least

c) Must be a currently registered member of MSK (Marketing Society of Kenya) or other internationally recognized professional marketing bodies.

d) Must submit at least three (3) references with full contact as well as physical addresses of previous clients procuring similar service. These references must be accompanied by a letter of timely and satisfactory completion of contract.

calendar months of the date of this Expression of Interest.

Incorporation.

7. Completed Expression of Interest (EOI), one original and two copies in plain sealed

The Principal Secretary/PlanningMinistry of Devolution and PlanningTreasury Building

Nairobi

And be deposited in the th Floor, Treasury Building, so as to be received on or before th Kenyan Local time.

716 in the same building.

documents will be issued thereafter to shortlisted candidates only.

Head/Supply Chain Management ServicesFor: Principal Secretary

B A F C 15

G B D A 25

C H G E 20

25 23 24 13

H J H D 25

Solution No. 1835

5 9 6 2 1 3 4 8 78 2 4 6 7 5 3 1 91 3 7 9 4 8 2 5 67 8 1 3 2 6 5 9 46 4 2 5 9 1 7 3 83 5 9 4 8 7 6 2 14 1 5 8 6 2 9 7 39 7 3 1 5 4 8 6 22 6 8 7 3 9 1 4 5

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

STANDOKU © Imejin 1836 MEDIUM

6 3 4 1 9

9 2 6 4 5 38 9

9 14 2 6 88 3 2 1

9 31 8

Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

puzzling34

Using all the letters of the alphabet, fi ll in the grid. To help you, there are three cryptic cross-word-style clues:Top line: Totally na-ked for a fi eld Mar-shall? (3, 4, 5) Middle line: The mat scam I devel-oped into an ab-stract science. (11) Bottom line: A stu-dent - in terribly sour mood - smells bad. (2, 10)To start you off, here is one of the letters.

By Rosy Russell

All rows, columns and 3 by 3 grids (defi ned by bold lines ) have the numbers 1 to 9 appearing only once.

Some of the numbers have been en-tered. Complete the whole table by inserting the correct numbers.

Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 20)This is a vital day. There are lots of en-ergy and lots of action surrounding your activities. You could find yourself in great demand and really communicate–making yourself understood.

Aquarius (Jan 21 - Feb 19)You may feel frustrated emotionally by someone or by your own life situation. Take it easy this morning–by the after-noon you will recover those frustrations and gain insight into your emotions.

Pisces (Feb 20 - Mar 20) Work, achievement and ambition mean a lot to you. This is a perfect time to be assertive and move forward in your ca-reer decisions. You have enthusiasm to gain those wonderful successful results.

Taurus (April 21 - May 20)Needing to feel secure in your business is very important to you. There is noth-ing better than knowing you are useful and needed in the profession that you have chosen. If you have been looking for a special job, today just might be your lucky day.

Aries (Mar 21 - May 20)Although routine matters at work go well, this may not the best time for ca-reer or vocational decisions that would cause a big change in your life. You may be moved to appreciate and discover the beauty in your life.

Cancer(June 22 - July 22) Avoid the tendency to be fooled by oth-ers as you may sometimes find yourself ignoring what is underneath a conver-sation. Use your intuition today–it may lead to new insights.

Courtesy: dailyhoroscopes.com

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS

Horoscopes Sudoku

Codeword Puzzle

(May 21 - June 21) You could spend a great deal of time helping others this thurs-day. If you let this get out of hand you could feel used–hav-ing little time left for your own progress.

DIFFICULTThe letters have a distinct value between 1 to 9. The to-tals vertically and horizontally have been given. Solve all the values.

© NO 5196

NO 5195

A B C D E F G H J

4 8 2 6 3 5 1 9 7

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

M

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

XO L D C T I P V E

R G S W H U M Z KY

B

F

A

Q

J

N

Leo (July 23 - Aug 22)Correct choices and what seems to be the best path for you may be at odds with your sense of values. You may not appreciate the easy way or a clear-cut option–you may choose instead a more di� cult path.

Virgo(Aug 23 - Sept 23) You set the example for others at a time some co-workers might become bored. You are at your best today and can assuage any futile activity. Events line up in your favour to help push you over the top to new heights.

Libra (Sept 24 - Oct 23)You will fi nd yourself ready and interested in the work today. Professional decisions are straightforward and easy to make. You make your way through ideas, concepts and your ability to communicate and express them to others.

Scorpio(Oct 24 - Nov 22)Work moves along smoothly this thursday and you have a talent for fi nding and work-ing through problems. You may feel more at ease this month and fi nd it easy to balance fi nances, emotions and responsibilities.

Sagittarius(Nov 23 - Dec 21)Each time you get a bad feeling about your-self, cancel it out with positive thoughts. Your self-esteem is as high as what you think of yourself. You’ll fi nd improvement in your conversations and your day turn into a more lighthearted situation.

(May 21 - June 21)

Gemini

35Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

puzzlingAcross4 Noisy confused situation (6)7 Brown sugar (8)8 Guides (6)10 Heavenly messenger (5)13 Watch face (4)14 Lacking fat (4)15 Abode of Satan (4)16 Vegetable (3)17 Peruse writing (4)19 Epochs (4)21 Active at night (9)23 Prison room (4)24 Glasgow, for example (4)26 Uncooked (3)27 Elderly (4)

29 Norse god (4)32 Prejudice (4)33 rap (5)34 Freshwater mammals (6)35 Sweat (8)36 Population count (6)

Down1 Perfect (5)2 Greek letter (5)3 Spoken, verbal (4)4 Herb (5)5 Single combat (4)6 Concurs (6)9 Above average ability (6)11 Born (3)

12 Enlist (5)13 Infers (7)15 Head covering (3)16 Close friend (3)18 Chocolate finger cake (6)20 Synthetic fibre (5)21 Novel (3)22 To free (3)23 Cows, bulls, etc. (6)25 Tree (3)28 Pants (5)30 Boy’s name (5)31 Not ever (5)32 Flying insects (4)33 Cummerbund (4)

ACROSS: 1, Custom 7, Astonish 8, Bass 10, Status 11, Finale 14, Gin 16, Dices 17, Lass 19, Rival 21, Decay 22, Pupil 23, Hens 26, Cabin 28, Lad 29, Allege 30, Pirate 31, Ream 32, Anaconda 33, Mister.

DOWN: 1, Chisel 2, That is 3, Mass 4, Holiday 5, Lilac 6, Shoes 8, Bags 9, Sun 12, Nil 13, Lemon 15, Licit 18, Appal 19, Rep 20, Val 21, Dungeon 22, Pie 23, Harass 24, Edam 25, Skewer 26, Carat 27, Bleak 28, Lie 30, Pram.

YESTErDAY’S EASY SoluTionS

Easy Puzzle

ACROSS 4 Little chap confronted about

a nasty dig (6) 7 Oust from the position of

Detective Inspector (8)8 Find a new coat in the “re-

duced by half” sale (6)10 Figure to be supported as

virtuous (5)13 Beaten hollow! (4)14 It means plenty to the Poles

(4)15 The miseries of disheart-

ened Wombles (4)16 She cackles in the night (3)17 Ring a friend out East (4)19 An article in white marble

(4)21 Dog reminding one of the

sun on a fine evening? (3,6)23 A list men turn to (4)24 Think to charge a pound (4)26 It’s best to finish up (3)27 Helpful information, as from

a clause (4)

29 False witness to a rail crash (4)

32 A mark we all have (4)33 Hardy monster? (5)34 Slack engineers fail to make

connection (6)35 Built-up area wrongly shown

surrounded with rubbish (8)36 Birds with wooden legs? (6)

DOWN1 Proclamation freely cited (5)2 Pallid as a female at a par-

ty? (5)3 Layout of the esplanade (4)4 In a fight, you won’t find me

on the windy side (5)5 A passage conductors take

to their heart (4)6 Meets up with an egghead

to honour (6)9 Where repairs, etc., would

not be out of place (2,4)11 A set for sale? (3)12 Panes broken by something

trembling (5)13 Unhappy though generously

benefited? (7)15 What one did in the past (3)16 The washerwoman? Not

she! (3)18 Draws information from let-

ters about Mussolini (6)20 Narrate the end of the story

on the box (5)21 The stuff of drama? (3)22 Whence to drive a fair way

(3)23 Tom’s upset about Des being

merely middling (6)25 The big fight (3)28 Persists in taking a girl

round the West End (5)30 State the name on the

house (5)31 Nominally a beginner in

harp playing (5)32 Is bound to be bad at West

Point (4)33 To take one is helpful (4)

ACROSS: 1, Retain 7, Estim-ate 8, Etna 10, G-et o-ut 11, Regent 14, Orb 16, Rides 17, Runs 19, Hum-an 21, Ho-V-el 22, Towel 23, Cert 26, Recap 28, Gum 29, Us-ur-er 30, Hating 31, Yser 32, Gestured 33, Ex-tras.

DOWN: 1, Ringer 2, Actors 3, Neat 4, Miner-Al 5, Mated 6, Ge-n-ts 8, E-ton 9, Nub 12, Gin 13, Neve-r 15, Du-V-et 18, Urges 19, How 20, Mel 21, Hop-eful 22, Tar 23, Cut-est. 24, Emir 25, Tights 26, Ru-N-gs 27, Curse 28, Gas 30, Hyde.

YESTErDAY’S CrYPTiC SoluTionS

Cryptic Puzzle

weird news

what is forgiven is usually well remembered.

— Louis dudek

A poisonous plant which makes sheep behave like ‘heroin addicts’ is causing them to bash their own skulls open on rocks.The darling pea is a highly addictive plant which is killing the farm animals across the region, making them act ‘drunk’ and out of control - leading to their death.Local veterinarian Bob McKin-non said: “They lose weight and then get staggery, the progression gets worse, they get uncoordinated and

depressed, they don’t know where their feet are.”He also said they displayed symptoms of ‘staring eyes’, ‘head pressing’ and ‘muscle tremors’ until they eventually ‘just go to a post and bang their head on it till they crack their heads open’.Farmers, Stephen and Louise Knight have lost 800 sheep to the deadly plant, from the Swainsona family of desert peas.

— Mirror online

Deadly plant makes sheep suicidal

ThoughT for Today

FOX CINEPLEX SARIT CENT RE, WESTLANDSSCREEN I GODZILLA IN 3D (TBA) At 11.00am, 1.45pm, 6.55pm, AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2 IN 3D (PG) At 4.10pm, THE OTHER WOMAN (U16) At 9.00pm.SCREEN II AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2 IN 3D (PG) At 11.00am, 1.45pm, 6.40pm, 9.15pm, THE OTHER WOMAN (U16) At 4.30pmPLANET MEDIA CINEMAS - KISUMUSCREEN I “RIO 2” (GE) At 11.30am, 1.30pm. NON STOP (PG 13) At 3.30pm, THE OTHER WOMAN (16) At 6.00pm, 8.40pm, SCREEN II “THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY ” (PG) At 3.00pm, 6.00pm, 8.30pm NYALI CINEMAX – MOMBASASCREEN I THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2 IN 3D At 6.30pm, GODZILLA IN 3D At 6.45 GODZILLA IN 2D At 9.15pm, REVOLVER RANI At 9.15pm.

Cinema Guide

Now

Showing

07:00 Myth Busters07:50 Dirty Jobs08:45 Ultimate Survival09:40 Border Security10:05 Auction Hunters10:30 Auction Kings10:55 How Do They Do It?11:25 How It’s Made11:50 Dynamo12:45 The Big Brain Theory01:40 MythBusters02:35 Border Security

A Carthaginian general leads an army, com-plete with war elephants, across the Alps to attack Rome in the 3rd Century BC. But Vin Diesel seems determined to carry out the project. He has apparently been scouting loca-tions, and has even recently met with Director Tony Scott.

YESTERDAY’S TRIVIA: Hancock 2

TV Quiz03:05 Auction Hunters03:30 Auction Kings04:00 Dirty Jobs04:55 Ultimate Survival05:50 MythBusters05:45 How Do They Do It?07:10 How It’s Made07:40 Sons of Guns08:35 Auction Hunters09:00 Storage Hunters09:30 Sons of Guns

DStv Highlights

Today’s Schedule

Cinema Guide

5:00 Pambazuka6:00 Powerbreakfast9:00 Afrosinema 11:30 Naswa12:00 Gabriela 13:00 Live at 114:00 African leadership dialogue rpt14:30 Afrosinema16:00 Citizen alasiri16:10 Mseto east africa17:00 Pavitra Rishta

18:00 Un refugio 19:00 Citizen nipashe 19:35 Papa shirandula 20:05 Wild at heart 21:00 Citizen news at 9 22:00 The Tempest 23:00 Afrosinema 0.00 Citizen late night news 1.00 Afro-sinema

4:30 BBC4:55 Morning Prayer5:00 Aerobics5:30 Damka 8:00 Good Morning Kenya9:00 Parliament Live11:00 Daytime Movie11:00 KBCc Lunch Time News1:30 Moving The Masses1:30 Grapevine2:30 Parliament Live4:30 Spider Riders

5:00 Club 16:00 Spiders7:00 Darubini Live7:30 Road To Success8:05 The Platform Live9:00 Channel 1 News9:45 National Cohesion Live10:30 Bold & Beautiful 11:30 You Are The One12:00 Club 112:45 BBC

5:00 Password Repeat6:00 AM Live 9:00 Irrational Heart 10.00 Maid In Manhattan11:15 The Young & The Restless12:00 Rhythm City 12:30 Scandal 1:00 NTV at 11:30 Backstage2:00 Golden Heart

3.00 Password4:00 NTV at 44:15 Password Reloaded5:00 The Beat 6:00 Dyesebel7:00 NTV Jioni7:30 La Patrona8:30 Churchill Raw9:00 NTV Tonight10:00 Movie12:00 NTV Late Night12:15 CNN

5.00 Command Your Morning

6:00 Morning Express9.00 Tendereza10:00 My Eternal11.00 National Geographic12.00 Drive It12.30 Property Show1.00 Newsdesk1.30 Kick off Bundesliga2:00 Afri-sinema4.00 Mbiu Ya KTN

4.10 Scooby Doo4.30 Wizards of Waverly

Place5.00 Baseline6.00 Her Mother’s Daughter7:00 KTN LEO7:30 Mama Duka8.00 Los Rey9.00 KTN PRIME 10.05 Jeff Koinange Live11.00 The Diary12.00 Kick off Bundesliga

Pick Of The Day 7.30PM

5.00 Praize6.00 K24 alfairi9.00 Lady of the rose rpt10.00 Naijasinema12.00 Al jazeera news13.00 K24 newscut13.30 Kelele FM rpt15.00 Young Rich rpt16.00 Mchipuko wa alasiri16.10 Team raha18.00 Soul’d out18.30 K24 Mashinani

19.00 K24 saa moja19.35 Kelele fm20.05 Young rich21.00 K24 evening edition22.00 Business central22.30 Murugu herbal programme23.00 Alfajiri social hour rpt00.00 Al jazeera

Nairobi 102.7 I Nyeri 105.7 Meru 105.1 I Kericho 90.5 Kisumu 105.3 I Mombasa 105.1 Nakuru 104.5 I Eldoret 91.1Kitui: 93.8 I Kisii: 91.3

4:00AM Safari na Antony Ndiema

6:00AM Maisha Asubuhi na Alex and Jalas

10:00AM Staarabika na Ann Njogu

1:00PM Konnect na Mwende and Clemo

4:00PM Maisha Jioni na Tina and Zuleka

7:00PM Rhumba Attencion na Mwashumbe

10:00PM Maji Makuu na Ali Hassan and Babu

12:00AM Hakuna Kulala

In this week’s episode: Mama Duka brings guidance and messages to various people who come to her shop often at a crossroads in their lives. She regales all who enter the Duka with moral tales and stories designed to inspire and motivate them to overcome their present dilemma by making the moral choice.

The Standard / Thursday, May 22, 2014

tv guide36

NOTICES / Page 37Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF BUNGOMA

H.E. THE GOVERNOR

OFFICE OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE MEMBER

ROADS AND PUBLIC WORKS

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI) FOR UPGRADING LOW VOLUME ROADS

REPUBLIC OF KENYA

The County Government of Bungoma is established by the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and also the County Governments Act 2012, Cap. 17 Laws of Kenya. The County Government is charged with the responsibility of providing devolved services to citizens and residents of Bungoma County. This mandate of the County Government is enshrined in the Constitution and is also provided for in law.

The County Government of Bungoma in discharging its mandate and as provided for in legislation is inviting qualifi ed and interested companies with tested technology in soil stabilizers, hardeners and sealants to upgrade County Gravel and earth Roads to Bituminous standards.

INTERESTED FIRMS MUST:

Provide information demonstrating that they have relevant experience 1. in application of their technology in upgrading Low Volume Gravel and earth roads to bituminous standards.

Demonstrate ability to fi nance or offer fi nancing solutions towards 2. upgrading of 250 KM of road network within Bungoma County.

Provide life cycle pavement design, including compliance checks and 3. conformity to minimum standards as per ministry of transport and infrastructure on Low Volume Seals pavement design.

Provide 4. warranty /guarantee on workmanship.

Provide a proposal including cost of upgrading 1 km of 8 metre wide 5. road including minor earthworks with an average of 5 No.900mm ID culverts crossings and service ducts.

THE EOI DOCUMENTS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY COPIES OF THE FOLLOWING:

Company profi lea)

Certifi cate of business incorporationb)

Valid Tax Compliance Certifi catec)

Audited fi nancial statements for the last three years.d)

List of at least three similar projects undertaken in the last fi ve years.e)

List of at least three references of organizations to which your fi rm has f) offered similar services.

Interested fi rms must submit an original and two copies of the EOI with all the necessary documentation in a plain envelop clearly labeled on the top left side “EXPRESSION OF INTEREST – ROADS AND PUBLIC WORKS along with the covering letter duly signed by an authorized signatory so as to reach/ be received by the undersigned on or before Friday, 6th June 2014 at 10.00am.

The documents should be deposited in the tender box situated on the ground fl oor of County Government Headquarters and addressed as shown below:

THE COUNTY SECRETARYCOUNTY GOVERNMENT OF BUNGOMA

P.O BOX 437- 50200BUNGOMA

The EOI shall be opened soon thereafter at the County Chambers located on the

ground fl oor at the headquarters in the presence of bidders or representative who choose to attend.

REPUBLIC OF KENYA

NYAMIRA COUNTY GOVERNMENT

The County Government of Nyamira, established by the constitution of Kenya 2010, Article 176 wishes to execute its development plan on housing under the department of land, housing and physical planning. The County Government now calls upon its citizens to actively express their support by partnering with the County Government in fi nding ways of economical utilization of the existing land for maximum productivity.

In order to carry out this assignment, the County Government wishes to purchase parcels of land from willing citizens for the aforesaid developments. QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

For the parcels of land within a range of fi ve kilometers from the � Central Business District, they must be a minimum of one acre.For parcels of land outside the Central Business District, they � must be a minimum of fi ve acres.The ideal parcels of land� must be well accessible.There must be proof of ownership� The said parcels of land must be� without any encumbrance.There must be be a quotation on each parcel of land.�

All interested sellers must attach to their applications the following documents:

A copy of title deedCopy of national ID Copy of search certifi cate

Applications should be delivered and placed in the tender box situated at the procurement offi ces or sent to the address below:

The County Secretary,Nyamira County Government,

P.o Box 434-40500,Nyamira.

So as to reach us not later than 13th June 2014 noon at which time the documents will be opened.

The Nyamira County Government reserves the right to accept or reject any application and not obliged to give any reasons therof.

NOTE: All applicants must attach a quoted price which will remain valid upto 90 days after the opening date.

Chief Officer, Land, Housing & Physical Planning

LAND, HOUSING AND PHYSICAL PLANNING DEPARTMENT

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST TO SELL DEVELOPMENT LAND TO THE COUNTY

GOVERNMENT OF NYAMIRA

Page 38

sories have affected other tourism circuits that have nothing to do with the coast. Nairobi has for instance lost $400 000 in the few days owing to the advisories. There has been a ripple effect and we have seen it af-fecting areas that have nothing to do with the coast.”

Though Macharia said hoteliers are yet to start laying off staff due to low occupancy levels at their facili-ties, he noted that it was inevitable if the situation does not improve. Al-ready hotel owners are asking staff to take their annual leaves now in a bid to cut on costs.

“We have not gotten there yet and we are hoping the advisories are re-versed,” he said.

key commodity buyersThe tourism industry is estimat-

ed to employ between 300,000 and 350,000 directly and indirectly, but it is also a key buyer for commodities produced locally.

Players note that this year could be the worse than 2008, when the country was recovering from the post-election violence when tourists shunned Kenya.

Senior state officials, including the president reacted angrily to the travel bans, almost telling off the

Uhuru holds crisis talks with hoteliers over tourism slump

by macharia kamau

The country’s battered hoteliers yesterday met President Uhuru Ke-nyatta, as the Government makes frantic, but late efforts to salvage the industry from total collapse.

Government officials, the Kenya Tourist Board and governors from the coastal region also attended the meeting at Harambee House, the Of-fice of the President.

The meeting agreed on the need to embark on a recovery strategy im-mediately. A follow up meeting be-tween the president and industry players is expected to take place to-morrow (Friday) morning, with the private sector expected to table pro-posals on how to go about resusci-tating the country’s second largest foreign exchange earner.

major losses sufferedThe effort by the State comes on

the back of major losses suffered by the industry over the last one week.

Hoteliers say they have lost over Sh650 million in just a few days fol-lowing the escalation of travel advi-sories by key tourist source markets. It is feared that the losses could go as high as Sh5 billion in the coming weeks if the situation does not im-prove.

Players estimate that the num-bers – arrivals and earnings – since the beginning of the year to date could have dipped by as much as 40 per cent compared to last year. There were 255 000 tourists to Kenya in the first quarter of last year, which was in itself a bad year for tourism as it was an election year.

“Tourism is in dire straits… if we do not do a recovery now, it is sunk and we will have to do a lot of work to get it where it was,” explained Fred Kaigua, the chief executive Ke-nya Association of Tour Operators (KATO).

“We are currently in deep talks with the Government on how to get the industry back on track.”

The sector crisis comes weeks be-fore the high season. The season

Industry counts close to Sh650 million in losses in just few days after key source market issued travel advisories

runs from July through to October, when the country gets most of its tourism revenues. The season also coincides with the Wildebeest Mi-gration in Masai Mara, a major at-traction.

Tens of thousands of hotel staff and employers along the tourism value chain including suppliers are also staring at layoffs as the coun-try’s second largest foreign exchange grinds to a near halt.

Hoteliers say they are yet to start laying off staff, but note that it is in-evitable if things do not improve.

Mike Macharia chief executive Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers said hoteliers have lost hundreds of millions of shillings of confirmed business in the less than one week since the advisories were issued.

He added that there is risk of los-ing a further Sh5 billion if the situa-tion does not change in the coming months.

“This has come at a bad time giv-en that it is the pre-high season and the high season and without doubt, the sector is likely to take a direct blow if the situation remains as it is,” said Macharia.

“It is not just the coastal tourism that has been affected but the advi-

Hospitality sector

Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

QuickStopbanks embrace new calculation for loans

Commercial banks have begun pilot implementation of the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) pricing mechanism, which will enable consumers to compare different bank loan costs based on standardised parameters and a common computation model. In addition to conducting training of bank employees, including loan officers, banks are currently modifying their systems and loan application procedures in readiness for the industry’s adoption of the APR disclosure needs. APR is one of the industry interventions spearheaded by Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) with Central Bank of Kenya. KBA Chief Executive Officer Habil Olaka said the industry is enhancing pricing disclosures in order to enable bank customers to make more informed choices. “This is one of the mechanisms embraced by banks to address issues relating to easing access to credit,” he said.

britam plans bond to drive regional growth strategy

British-American Investments Company (K) Ltd (Britam) has announced plans to raise funds through a corporate bond issue. Board Chairman Francis Muthaura said that the transaction, which is still subject to regulatory approvals, would enable the group continue its expansion efforts across all markets it is operating in. He said proceeds of the issue would be used to provide long term funding for Britam’s future strategic growth through local and regional expansion, private equity investments and Property Investments. Group Managing Director Benson Wairegi said the new funding would help the firm tap emerging opportunities across the region in tandem with its business strategy.

coalition: climate change reversing economic gains

Kenya’s development goals under Vision 2030 are being undermined by effects of global warming, a coalition of civil society organisations has warned. Nairobi-based Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), which advocates for sustainable and climate-friendly development, says that impacts of climate change should be factored in national and county government budgets. PACJA Secretary General Mithika Mwenda said failure to adequately address effects of climate change through the budgetary process could have adverse effects on the country’s mega infrastructure projects. “Already the rains have failed and as a consequence funds that were initially allocated for development will be diverted to address the effects of the looming famine,’’ he added.

BusinessBlogs, archives, reader forums and more:

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TODAY IN

Tourism is in dire straits… if we do not recover now, it is sunk and we will have to do a lot of work to reverse the trend.”

Front view of a Beach in North Coast. Many foreign tourists left after travel advisories issued by the US, UK, Austra-lia and France. {PICTURE:BY OMONDI ONYANGO/STANDARD}

West and North American countries that make up the bulk of traditional tourist source markets.

But there have been queries as to whether Chinese tourists can save Kenya’s ailing tourism sector.

According to the Statistics by the ministry in charge of tourism, Chi-nese visitors to Kenya declined to 37,062 in 2013, up from 41,303 in 2012 (which presents a 10 per cent decline).

In the year 2013, the industry earned Kenya Sh93.97 billion com-pared to Sh96.2 billion recorded in the previous year (2012), 2011 fig-ures stood at Sh97.9 billion.

Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard TODAY IN BUSINESS / Page 39

It expects to have the first nuclear-fired electricity generation plant by around 2022.

Previous estimates have put the cost of setting up a 1,000 megawatts (mw) nuclear plant at $3.5 billion.

Nuclear energy has been market-ed as cleaner and also cheaper, along-side other sources like geothermal, wind and solar.

Kenya forges ahead with plan to invest in nuclear energy

By MACHARIA KAMAU

The body charged with develop-ment of nuclear electricity in the country is planning a study on the na-tional electricity grid to establish its compatibility with nuclear electrici-ty.

The Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board (KNEB) yesterday said it was looking for a consultant that would undertake a technical evaluation, which would include an analysis of the electric grid requirements to sup-port proposed nuclear power plants.

“The proposed grid system study will build on the studies already car-ried out but with a specific emphasis

Body charged with developing the power source is looking for a consultant to evaluate grid compatibility

The proposed grid system study will build on the studies already carried out but with a specific emphasis on the nuclear power plants,” —Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board statement.

By MARGARET KANINI

National Bank will spend approx-imately Sh350 million to set up 10 new branches countrywide before the end of this year as part of its turnaround strategy.

Managing Director Munir Ahmed said the new branches will comple-ment their non-branch channels and that the amount spent on each branch would vary from about Sh25 to 35 million depending on size and location.

“This will provide easy and con-venient access to unlimited banking services and boost our presence in the country,” he said.

Mr Ahmed made the remarks when he signed an agency bank agreement with Post Bank and Ken-switch in a deal that will allow its customers access services through Post Bank agents and increase its reach across the country.

However, the announcement comes at a time when many banks are embracing agency banking in place of the brick and mortar model, which is considered expensive.

Since he took over, Ahmed has embarked on a turnaround strategy and aims to become a top tier bank in the region by 2017. The bank re-branded early last year.

National Bank to spend Sh350m on branch expansion

on the nuclear power plants and is ex-pected to take 12 months,” said KNEB in a statement.

The board also expects the consul-tant to develop plans to improve the current grid, including having a re-serve capacity on the grid to support the use of nuclear power plants.

The Ochilo Ayacko-led board is al-so pushing for local content in the process of developing nuclear elec-tricity in the country.

Requirements it has set for the consultant include having a team composed of both local and foreign experts for the study.

powER dEMANdKNEB expects nuclear electricity

to play a critical part in meeting pow-er demand, which has been projected to hit 15,000 megawatts over the next 16 years, from the current 1,400MW.

The board was formed in 2010 and has been exploring possibilities of the country generating electricity using nuclear energy in the long term.

While it is capital intensive and re-quires high levels of technical exper-tise, which is currently scarce in Ke-nya, it is also cheaper once initial installations are in place.

Kenya’s electricity infrastructure is used for the evacuation of electricity generated through hydro, geother-mal, wind and diesel fired thermal sources. Coal and natural gas are ex-pected to form part of the electricity generation mix in the coming years.

“The annual demand has reached seven per cent in the past and this will progressively increase to 15 per cent as Vision 2030 projects are imple-mented. Demand is expected to reach 15 000mw by 2030,” said KNEB.

Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board Executive Chairman Ochillo Ayacko.

US DOLLAR EURO BUY SELL MARG BUY SELL MARGA B C 87.70 87.90 0.20 120.19 120.49 0.30 EQUITY 87.70 87.90 0.20 120.19 120.49 0.30 I & M 87.60 87.80 0.20 120.06 120.36 0.30 DIAMOND TRUST 87.75 87.95 0.20 120.27 120.56 0.29 N I C 87.70 87.90 0.20 120.19 120.49 0.30 ECOBANK 87.70 87.95 0.25 120.27 120.56 0.29 1ST COMMUNITY 87.80 87.90 0.10 120.34 120.49 0.15 PRIME 87.80 87.90 0.10 120.34 120.48 0.14 MIDDLE EAST 87.70 87.90 0.20 120.34 120.48 0.14 CFC STANBIC 87.70 87.90 0.20 120.20 120.49 0.29 CITIBANK 87.60 87.80 0.20 120.20 120.49 0.29 C B A 87.75 87.95 0.20 120.22 120.61 0.39 N B K 87.75 87.95 0.20 120.27 120.56 0.29 BARCLAYS 87.75 87.95 0.20 120.27 120.56 0.29 STANDARD 87.75 87.95 0.20 120.23 120.51 0.28 K C B 87.60 87.70 0.10 120.05 120.22 0.17 BOA 87.80 87.90 0.10 120.34 120.48 0.14 CO-OP 87.70 87.90 0.20 120.20 120.49 0.29

US DOLLAR 87.8042

STG POUND 147.8883

EURO 120.3569

SA RAND 8.4026

KES / USHS 28.9737

KES / TSHS 18.8147

KES / RWF 7.6990

KES / BIF 17.6521

AE DIRHAM 23.9050

CAN $ 80.5131

S FRANC 98.5239

JPY(100) 86.7400

SW KRONER 13.3912

NOR KRONER 14.7403

DAN KRONER 16.1240

IND RUPEE 1.4937

HONGKONG DOLLAR 11.3269

SINGAPORE DOLLAR 70.1956

SAUDI RIYAL 23.4110

CHINESE YUAN 14.0722

AUSTRALIAN $ 82.0793

Source: Central Bank

exchange rates

bank rates

forex bureau

Last 12 Months sector Prices Previous shares

MaIn InVestMent Market

naIrobI stocks

nse all share index. Down 0.20 points to close at 150.31.

nse 20-share index. Down 17.99 points to close at 4902.62.

21/05/14

21/05/14

21/05/14

Per us DoLLar Per euro buY seLL Marg buY seLL MargAlpha Forex Bureau Ltd 87.50 88.50 1.00 119.50 122.00 2.50Amal Express Forex Bureau 87.30 87.90 0.60 116.00 120.00 4.00Amana Forex Bureau Ltd 87.00 88.50 1.50 119.00 120.70 1.70Arcade Forex Bureau Ltd 87.20 87.90 0.70 119.00 121.00 2.00Aristocrats Forex Bureau 86.50 89.00 2.50 119.00 121.00 2.00Bamburi Forex Bureau Ltd 87.00 89.00 2.00 118.00 122.00 4.00Bay Forex Bureau (NBI) Ltd 87.60 88.20 0.60 119.30 121.50 2.20Bogani Forex Bureau Ltd 85.60 89.60 4.00 117.40 122.50 5.10Capital Hill Forex Bureau 87.00 88.50 1.50 118.20 121.00 2.80Cashline Forex Bureau Ltd 87.00 89.50 2.50 118.00 123.00 5.00Central Forex Bureau Ltd 87.60 88.60 1.00 119.00 120.30 1.30Classic Forex Bureau Ltd 87.00 88.50 1.50 118.20 121.80 3.60Commercial Forex Bureau 87.50 88.20 0.70 119.00 122.00 3.00Continental Forex Bureau 87.70 88.00 0.30 119.50 120.50 1.00Cosmos Forex Bureau Ltd 87.90 88.50 0.60 119.40 120.50 1.10Crater Forex Bureau Ltd 86.70 88.70 2.00 119.30 122.30 3.00Crown Bureau De Change 86.50 88.50 2.00 118.50 121.50 3.00Forex Bureau Afro Ltd 87.50 88.20 0.70 118.50 121.50 3.00Gateway Forex Bureau Ltd 87.70 88.50 0.80 119.20 121.00 1.80Giant Forex Bureau Ltd 86.00 88.00 2.00 115.00 122.00 7.00Give and Take Forex Bureau 87.30 87.80 0.50 118.50 120.50 2.00Glory Forex Bureau Ltd 87.70 88.50 0.80 119.00 122.00 3.00GNK Forex Bureau Ltd 86.00 87.50 1.50 118.00 121.00 3.00Hodan Global Forex Bureau 87.20 87.80 0.60 120.00 122.00 2.00Hurlingham Forex Bureau 86.00 88.30 2.30 116.50 122.00 5.50Industrial Area Forex Ltd 86.00 90.00 4.00 114.50 122.50 8.00Island Forex Bureau Ltd 87.50 88.00 0.50 119.90 120.60 0.70Junction Forex Bureau Ltd 86.70 88.20 1.50 118.00 121.50 3.50Kaah Forex Bureau Ltd 86.60 87.20 0.60 115.00 120.00 5.00Kenza Exchange Bureau 86.50 89.00 2.50 119.00 121.50 2.50Lache Forex Bureau Ltd 87.00 88.50 1.50 118.00 121.00 3.00Leo Forex Bureau Ltd 87.00 88.30 1.30 119.20 120.85 1.65Link Forex Bureau Ltd 87.50 88.20 0.70 119.20 121.00 1.80Maritime Forex Bureau Ltd 87.45 88.35 0.90 119.30 121.10 1.80Metropolitan Bureau Ltd 86.50 89.00 2.50 117.00 123.00 6.00Mona Bureau De Change 86.50 88.00 1.50 118.00 122.00 4.00Moneypoint Forex Bureau 87.00 88.00 1.00 116.00 122.00 6.00Morgan Forex Bureau 87.70 88.20 0.50 120.00 120.50 0.50Nairobi Bureau De Change 86.00 88.00 2.00 119.00 123.00 4.00Namanga Forex Bureau 84.00 88.00 4.00 115.00 125.00 10.00Nawal Forex Bureau Ltd 86.50 88.00 1.50 118.50 122.00 3.50Net Forex Bureau Ltd 87.50 88.20 0.70 119.50 120.50 1.00Offshore Forex Bureau Ltd 87.40 88.00 0.60 119.00 121.00 2.00Pacific Forex Bureau Ltd 87.60 88.20 0.60 119.30 121.00 1.70PeakTop Exchange Bureau 87.60 88.20 0.60 119.30 121.50 2.20Pearl Forex Bureau Ltd 87.30 87.70 0.40 119.00 119.90 0.90Pel Forex Bureau Ltd 86.50 89.00 2.50 119.00 121.00 2.00Penguin Forex Bureau Ltd 87.00 87.70 0.70 118.00 122.00 4.00Princess Forex Bureau Ltd 87.60 88.20 0.60 119.00 121.50 2.50

unIt trusts 20/05/14

HIGH LOW AGRICULTURAL

31.00 21.00 Eaagads Ltd Ord 1.25 AIMS 29.50 -

132.00 80.00 Kakuzi Ltd Ord.5.00 125.00 123.00 1,100

167.00 110.00 Kapchorua Tea Co. Ltd Ord Ord 5.00 AIMS 144.00 -

670.00 450.00 The Limuru Tea Co. Ltd Ord 20.00 AIMS 670.00 -

30.00 19.40 Rea Vipingo Plantations Ltd Ord 5.00 27.50 -

19.95 11.25 Sasini Ltd Ord 1.00 16.90 17.10 42,300

350.00 210.00 Williamson Tea Kenya Ltd Ord 5.00 AIMS 278.00 -

autoMoBiLes & accessories

50.00 21.00 Car & General (K) Ltd Ord 5.00 33.50 33.75 700

- - CMC Holdings Ltd Ord 0.50 13.50 -

13.50 9.00 Marshalls (E.A.) Ltd Ord 5.00 9.40 -

9.40 4.50 Sameer Africa Ltd Ord 5.00 8.20 7.75 138,100

BanKinG

19.15 15.00 Barclays Bank of Kenya Ltd Ord 0.50 17.00 17.00 383,400

155.00 54.00 CFC Stanbic of Kenya Holdings Ltd ord.5.00 140.00 140.00 25,600

248.00 141.00 Diamond Trust Bank Kenya Ltd Ord 4.00 234.00 235.00 75,200

42.25 29.50 Equity Bank Ltd Ord 0.50 38.00 37.75 2,092,000

42.50 22.00 Housing Finance Co.Kenya Ltd Ord 5.00 38.50 38.00 124,300

145.00 85.00 I&M Holdings Ltd Ord 1.00 129.00 127.00 100

51.00 35.50 Kenya Commercial Bank Ltd Ord 1.00 46.50 46.75 5,288,100

39.25 18.50 National Bank of Kenya Ltd Ord 5.00 32.00 32.50 110,600

68.00 48.50 NIC Bank Ltd Ord 5.00 59.00 59.00 42,900

340.00 271.00 Standard Chartered Bank Kenya Ord 5.00 312.00 310.00 16,100

25.00 14.50 The Co-operative Bank of Kenya Ltd Ord 1.00 22.25 22.25 927,600

coMMerciaL anD services

5.50 3.40 Express Kenya Ltd Ord 5.00 AIMS 5.50 5.25 800

- - Hutchings Biemer Ltd Ord 5.00 20.25 -

14.70 8.30 Kenya Airways Ltd Ord 5.00 12.00 12.15 488,500

16.50 5.00 Longhorn Kenya Ltd Ord 1.00 AIMS 13.25 12.95 300

400.00 271.00 Nation Media Group Ltd Ord. 2.50 311.00 310.00 2,200

247.00 44.00 Scangroup Ltd Ord 1.00 48.00 47.75 8,500

39.00 24.50 Standard Group Ltd Ord 5.00 33.75 34.00 6,700

56.50 40.00 TPS Eastern Africa Ltd Ord 1.00 40.50 41.00 2,900

24.00 13.05 Uchumi Supermarket Ltd Ord 5.00 13.35 13.60 60,900

construction & aLLieD

98.50 60.00 ARM Cement Ltd Ord 1.00 81.50 81.50 507,100

225.00 170.00 Bamburi Cement Ltd Ord 5.00 172.00 177.00 204,500

98.00 75.00 Crown Paints Kenya Ltd Ord 5.00 96.50 93.00 25,800

18.00 13.80 E.A.Cables Ltd Ord 0.50 14.80 14.65 17,200

110.00 56.50 E.A.Portland Cement Co. Ltd Ord 5.00 92.50 -

enerGY & PetroLeuM

17.90 10.00 KenGen Co. Ltd Ord. 2.50 10.95 10.95 221,900

11.80 7.90 KenolKobil Ltd Ord 0.05 9.15 9.10 497,100

20.75 13.50 Kenya Power & Lighting Co Ltd Ord 2.50 14.85 14.90 129,700

- - Kenya Power & Lighting Ltd 4% Pref 20.00 8.00

5.50 5.50 Kenya Power & Lighting Ltd 7% Pref 20.00 5.50

28.75 12.65 Total Kenya Ltd Ord 5.00 26.25 25.50 10,700

13.00 13.00 Umeme Ltd Ord 0.50 13.00

insurance

20.00 7.30 British-American Investments Co Ord 0.10 17.40 17.50 184,200

12.20 4.20 CIC Insurance Group Ltd Ord.1.00 10.15 10.60 822,200

335.00 217.00 Jubilee Holdings Ltd Ord 5.00 333.00 331.00 6,800

21.00 13.10 Kenya Re Insurance Corporation Ltd Ord 2.50 19.60 19.65 202,700

23.00 9.20 Liberty Kenya Holdings Ltd Ord.1.00 20.75 21.00 353,100

145.00 51.50 Pan Africa Insurance Holdings Ltd Ord 5.00 124.00 124.00 2,500

investMent

41.00 17.05 Centum Investment Co Ltd Ord 0.50 39.75 39.75 42,700

6.00 3.50 Olympia Capital Holdings Ltd Ord 5.00 4.75 -

37.75 20.00 Trans-Century Ltd Ord 0.50 AIMS 23.50 23.25 3,700

ManuFacturinG & aLLieD

- - A.Baumann & Co Ltd Ord 5.00 AIMS 11.10 -

190.00 100.00 B.O.C Kenya Ltd Ord 5.00 142.00 141.00 400

635.00 521.00 British American Tobacco Kenya Ord 10.00 600.00 600.00 400

67.50 30.50 Carbacid Investments Ltd Ord 1.00 31.00 32.75 344,800

426.00 212.00 East African Breweries Ltd Ord 2.00 291.00 292.00 779,600

4.00 1.90 Eveready East Africa Ltd Ord.1.00 3.55 3.60 38,800

8.60 4.40 Kenya Orchards Ltd Ord 5.00 AIMS 8.60 -

5.05 2.85 Mumias Sugar Co. Ltd Ord 2.00 3.00 3.10 3,194,300

29.00 14.00 Unga Group Ltd Ord 5.00 29.00 28.50 800

teLecoMMunication & technoLoGY

13.40 6.15 Safaricom Ltd Ord 0.05 13.05 13.05 55,250,100

GroWth enterPrise MarKet seGMent (GeMs)

25.00 4.40 Home Afrika Ltd Ord 1.00 5.10 5.15 403,000

20/05/14

Page 40 / TODAY IN BUSINESS Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

MONEY FUNDS Daily Yield E. A. RateBritish-American Money Market Fund 8.99% 9.40%CIC Money Market Fund 9.75% 10.20%GenCap Hela Fund 11.09% 11.52%ICEA MONEY MARKET FUND 8.18% 8.52%Madison Asset Money Market Fund 9.05% 9.45%STANLIB Money Market Fund 7.33% 7.59% OTHER FUNDS Buy SellBritish-American Equity Fund 198.37 204.68British-American Balanced Fund 190.99 196.57British-American Bond Plus Fund 145.25 148.21British-American Managed Retirement Fund 133.61 134.74CIC Fixed Income Fund 9.18 9.42CIC Equity Fund 13.23 13.93CIC Balanced Fund 12.92 13.53GenCap Eneza Fund 124.23 119.88GenCap Iman Fund 116.16 110.36GenCap Hazina Fund 119.01 114.84GenCap Hisa Fund 126.54 122.11ICEA BOND FUND 98.80 99.80 ICEA EQUITY FUND 138.50 145.79 ICEA GROWTH FUND 139.44 146.78 Madison Asset Balanced Fund 70.51 74.41Madison Asset Equity Fund 59.05 62.69STANLIB Balanced fund 129.35 129.35

STANLIB Equity Fund 167.75 167.75

STANLIB Bond Fund B1 105.72 105.72

STANLIB Bond Fund A 105.25 105.25

Africa investors looking beyond negative labels

World Bank says investors are now able to see beyond negative headlines of violence in nations like Nigeria and Kenya

JOHANNESBURG, TUESDAY

Investors in Africa are increasingly able to see beyond negative headlines of violence in nations like South Sudan, Nigeria and Kenya.

According to a senior World Bank official, they also seek more protection against risk for their business ventures.

“There was a time when Africa for many in-vestors was just like a big, big country,” Michel Wormser, Vice President and Chief Operating Of-ficer of the World Bank’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) said.

“When something happened in one side of Africa, it seemed to affect perceptions of the whole continent,” he told Reuters in Johannes-burg during a visit to South Africa and Namibia.

“This is not the case today. Many investors understand the difference between countries and even understand the difference within a country between regions and sectors,” he said.

The World Bank agency provides political risk insurance and credit cover for investors in devel-oping nations often emerging from years of con-flict. Wormser said most investors in Africa now had enough sophistication to discern long-term opportunities despite a flurry of negative news.

Such news, he stated, range from civil war in the world’s newest nation, South Sudan, to bombs by suspected Islamist militants in Kenya and abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria by Islamist group Boko Haram.

“There is more understanding of the riski-ness and more ability from investors to distin-guish between what is media hype and what is the reality on the ground, and the likeliness of their investment to yield what they expect,” he added. “Africa continues to be a land of great opportunities,” Wormser pointed out.

RECENT REFORmSIn Nigeria, for example, where President

Goodluck Jonathan has sought international help to combat a five-year-old Boko Haram in-surgency in the northeast that has killed thou-sands, private investors were participating in ground-breaking power generation expansion projects made possible by recent reforms.

MIGA, its sister arm the International Fi-nance Corporation and the World Bank itself were helping to mobilise nearly $1.7 billion of private financing for projects to expand Nige-ria’s electricity generation.

This involved more than $600 million of guarantees for the Azura Edo power plant near Benin City in southern Nigeria.

MIGA’s own coverage, including support for infrastructure and power generation projects in several African nations, would reach $3.2 to 3.4 billion in the 2014 fiscal year ending June 30, up from $2.8 billion last year, he said. —Reuters

By STANDARD REpORTER

The Ministry of Industrialisation and Enter-prise Development is developing an automat-ed performance tracking system to help moni-tor the implementation of its projects and programmes.

Principal Secretary Wilson Songa said the tool would specifically monitor the implemen-tation of activities in the key areas of the coun-try’s industrialisation roadmap.

He said the broad objectives of the roadmap are spurring growth through industrialisation,

creating general employment, attracting for-eign direct investments and increasing the share of manufactured goods in our total ex-ports. Mr Songa was speaking at the end of a two-day workshop at the Kenya School of Mon-etary Studies to understand how the tracking tool will work.

Heads of department and chief executive of-ficers of the ministry’s corporations and agen-cies attended the workshop that ran from Mon-day to Tuesday. The software flags a red signal when something is not right in the implemen-tation process..

Ministry develops automated performance tracking system

Oil producer Afren’s first-quarter output below targetAfren plc, a global independent exploration and production company has reported first-quarter net production of 35,465 barrels of oil per day (bopd), lower than its target of 40,000 bopd this year. The London-listed firm, which is targeting double-digit production growth over the next five years, has its main assets in Nigeria, but it also operates in Kenya and Kurdistan. The company also reported a 30 per cent fall in first-quarter sales revenue due to a reduced share of production and liftings from its Ebok field in Nigeria and lower realised average oil prices. Revenue from continuing operations fell to $269 million from $386 million a year earlier. Average net production at Ebok – its main producing asset – fell to 25,971 bopd down from 33,513 bopd a year earlier. The oil explorer and producer said analysis of 3D seismic data of its Ogo oil field in Nigeria– the world’s third largest discovery of 2013 – would begin shortly.—Reuters

Archbishop Makarios Road, off Moi AvenueP.O. Box 1185 - 80100, Mombasa, KenyaTel : 254 - 041 2228810, 2227389, 2222112Fax ; 254 - 041 - 2229118E - mail : info@dsskenya.com

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NEWS OF THE

Gunfire, explosions rock Libyan capital, killing two people

Smoke rises over the rubble of buildings damaged after explosions that took place at midnight, in the Salaheddin district of Tripoli. [PHOTO: FILE]

TRIPOLI, Wednesday

At least two people were killed when heavy fighting erupted near the Libyan capital of Tripoli, two days af-ter gunmen stormed parliament.

Several loud explosions near the al-Yarmouk barracks in the Salahed-din district were heard.

Heavy fighting involving anti-air-craft batteries also broke out near an army camp in Tajoura, an eastern suburb. “We’re hearing really loud ex-plosions and gunshots near the camp, but we don’t know who is shooting,” a Tajoura resident said.

It was unclear who was involved in the latest violence, which killed at least two people from Mali, a health ministry source said. Other parts of the capital appeared to be quiet.

In addition, Libya’s top naval com-mander, General Hasssan Abu Shanaq, survived an assassination attempt by unknown gunmen as he was travel-ling to work, a spokesman for the chief of staff said.

OWN DEMANDSIn the eastern city of Benghazi ,

gunmen killed a Chinese engineer on Tuesday after kidnapping him from his worksite and then dumping his body, according to a security source in the eastern city.

The engineer was one of three col-leagues at a Chinese construction company who were all abducted from a worksite on Wednesday. He was lat-er found shot and died in hospital. His two colleagues were released.

Militants around Benghazi have targeted foreigners in the past, in-cluding an attack on the US consulate in 2012 in which US ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans died.

Since Libya’s 2011 war ended

CAIRO, Wednesday

A Cairo court convicted ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak of embezzlement and sentenced him to three years in prison.

The graft case against the 86-year-old Mubarak, who is held at a military hospital, is one of two against the for-mer president who was ousted in a popular uprising in 2011 after nearly three decades in power. He is being retried over the killings of hundreds of protesters during the uprising.

Mubarak’s two sons, one-time heir

apparent Gamal and wealthy busi-nessman Alaa, were also convicted of graft and sentenced to four years in prison each in the same case.

The three Mubaraks were convict-ed of charges that they embezzled millions of dollars’ worth of state funds in over a decade toward the end of Hosni Mubarak’s rule. The funds were meant for renovating and main-taining presidential palaces but were instead spent on upgrading the fam-ily’s private residences.

Hosni Mubarak “had an obligation to restrain himself and his sons from

stealing state funds ... but instead, he gave himself and his sons licence to steal them,” Judge Osama Shaheen said as he handed down the verdict.

The three Mubaraks were also fined $2.9 million and ordered to re-imburse $17.6 million to treasury. They have the right to appeal their conviction before a higher court.

POOR HEALTHMubarak, who turned 86 this

month, attended Wednesday’s hear-ing in a suit and tie. His two sons wore white prison uniforms.

Mubarak was found guilty in June 2012 of failing to stop the killing of more than 900 protesters during the 18-day revolt against his rule and sen-tenced to life imprisonment.

His conviction was overturned in January 2013. Prosecutors later ap-pealed, and a retrial began in April 2013. He was ordered released in Au-gust last year pending his graft trial, but was kept at a military hospital in a suburb south of Cairo.

Due to his poor health, Mubarak is will serve his sentence in hospital.

—AP

Egypt’s Mubarak handed three years in jail for corruption

Thursday, May 22, 2014

New government has struggled to gain legitimacy and restoring democracy

RoundUpJOS: Bombings kill at least 118 in central Nigerian city of JosBack-to-back bomb blasts killed at least 118 people and wounded 45 in the crowded business district of the central Nigerian city of Jos in an attack that appeared to bear the hallmarks of the Boko Haram insurgents. Boko Haram, which has set off bombs across the north and centre of Nigeria in an increasingly bloody campaign for an Islamic state, was likely to be the prime suspect in what would rank among their deadliest single attacks in five years of insurrection. Boko Haram grabbed world headlines by abducting more than 200 schoolgirls on April 14 from the northeastern village of Chibok. Britain, the US and France have pledged to help rescue them. If the Jos attack was the handiwork of Boko Haram, it would show their growing reach in Africa’s top oil producing and most populous country, striking out beyond their heartland in Nigeria’s semi-arid and weakly governed northeast..

TRIPOLI: Two Libyan officials side with rogue general Libya’s ambassador to the UN backed a renegade general’s offensive against Islamist lawmakers and extremist militias, just hours after the country’s air force commander made a similar move, further building support for a campaign the government has described as a coup. But the show of support for Gen Khalifa Hifter appears to have triggered a heavy backlash. Hifter has been leading an armed and perhaps the most significant challenge yet to the country’s weak central government and fledgling security forces. His career trajectory has taken him from serving under late dictator Muammar Gadhafi, to exile in the United States, to returning home during the 2011 civil war and joining the rebel movement that toppled Libya’s strongman.

KAMPALA: Uganda nurse jailed in HIV exposure caseA Ugandan court sentenced a nurse to three years in jail after finding her guilty of criminal negligence for exposing her patient to HIV. The conviction came despite the work of international activist groups that had rallied in support of Rosemary Namubiru, who is 64 and HIV positive. Many Ugandans, however, see her case as a shocking example of malice or negligence by a trusted medical worker. In January, Namubiru pricked herself and used the same contaminated needle to give a baby an injection. When the child’s mother realised the needle had not been changed, she raised an alarm and Namubiru was arrested. Two tests have shown the child was not infected with HIV.

CAIRO: Egypt court jails 155 Brotherhood supportersAn Egyptian court sentenced 155 Muslim Brotherhood supporters to jail terms on Wednesday and gave 54 of them life sentences, judicial sources said, in a case related to violence in the Nile Delta province of Mansour last August after the army’s ouster of President Mohamed Mursi. Other defendants were sentenced to between three to 10 years in jail. The charges included instigating violence and chaos and membership in a banned group. Police fired tear gas at demonstrators outside the courthouse who were chanting against the verdict.

—Agencies

Muammar Gaddafi’s one-man rule, the country’s new institutions have struggled to gain popular backing and to make progress towards full democ-racy. But the central government has been unable to control militias who helped to topple Gaddafi. They are now defying state authority to make their own demands.

Tripoli has been calmer in the past two days, after militiamen stormed the General National Congress (GNC), Libya’s parliament, on Sunday and fought for six hours with other armed groups on the airport road. The mili-tiamen claimed loyalty to former ar-my general Khalifa Haftar.

On Friday, Haftar started a military campaign against Islamist militants in Benghazi in the east. He also later claimed responsibility for the attack on parliament in Tripoli.

Several military units have joined him, threatening to split the nascent regular forces and network of differ-ent militia. The militia are rivals for influence and are loosely aligned on opposing sides with Islamist and anti-Islamist political forces.

Western governments are con-cerned Libya’s instability may worsen and spill over into its North African neighbours, who are still emerging from the 2011 Arab Spring revolts.

REPEAT ELECTIONSIn a parallel political battle over

who controls the OPEC producer, gov-ernment piled pressure on parliament to suspend work until parliamentary elections are held in June.

The cabinet has called on local councils across Libya to support a proposal that the GNC halt work until

an upcoming national vote, according to a statement. It also wants to repeat the election of the prime minister.

The government sent the proposal to the GNC on Monday, in an effort to force lawmakers to hand over power. Many Libyans blame political infight-ing in parliament for the country’s bumpy transition since the 2011 war.

“We urge all council leaders to study the initiative as soon as possi-ble,” the cabinet said in a statement released on Wednesday.

Businessman Ahmed Maiteeq was named as the new premier two weeks ago, in a chaotic vote disputed by many lawmakers. But he comes from Misrata, a western city with strong links to the Muslim Brothers - a no-go for fiercely anti-Islamist militias in eastern and western Libya.

—Reuters

RoundUpHELSINKI: Finland says Russian military jets violated airspaceFinland scrambled jets after it suspected two Russian aircraft of having entered the country’s airspace over the Gulf of Finland without permission. Finland shares a 1,300km border with Russia and maintains cordial relations with Moscow, but the Ukraine crisis has recently strained these relations. “The air-force undertook operative identification flights,” a Defence ministry spokesman said, adding they were examining data on any possible violations.

LONDON: Britain sends search team for missing sailorsBritain has sent a military plane to help US authorities in the hunt for four British yachtsmen missing in the Atlantic Ocean. The sailors on board the yacht Cheeki Rafiki went missing on Friday as they were returning to Britain from a sailing event in Antigua in the Caribbean. They reported the vessel was taking on water, forcing them to change course to head to the Azores. A British Hercules military transport aircraft had been deployed to join the search.

BEIJING: China sentences 39 on terrorism chargesChina sentenced 39 to up to 15 years on terrorism charges, as authorities crack down on the recent string of knife and bomb attacks blamed on Islamist separatists. The suspects were accused of crimes ranging from inciting violence and distributing extremist literature to illegally making firearms and promoting ethnic hatred. “Those who challenge the power of the state or the lives of the people, will be severely punished without lenience,” Communist Party’s Legal Daily newspaper said.

Furthermore...Russian troops that took part in military exercises in three provinces bordering Ukraine have dismantled equipment and are moving back to their bases. Putin on Monday ordered troops back to their bases after drills in the Rostov, Belgorod and Bryansk. US however, says they have seen no signs of a withdrawal. —Agencies

Christian exodus shadows papal visit to Holy Land

to think about the Middle East with-out Christians,” lamenting that they “suffer particularly from the conse-quences of the tensions and conflicts underway” across the region.

Christians in the Holy Land have dwindled from over 10 per cent of the population on the eve of Israel’s founding to between 2 per cent to-day, according to the local Roman Catholic church.

The decline began with high Jew-ish immigration and Christian emi-gration after the 1948 war surround-ing Israel’s establishment, and has been abetted by continued emigra-tion and a low birthrate among Christians who stay.

Israeli restrictions in the occu-pied West Bank have also persuaded Christians to leave.

The concrete barrier Israel built to keep out Palestinian attackers has choked cities like Bethlehem and

separated Palestinians from their farmlands. Many Palestinian Chris-tians are prohibited from entering Jerusalem except during holidays.

Israeli-Palestinian violence has also pushed people to leave, and in-stances of Islamic extremism, partic-ularly in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, have made some Christians feel un-welcome in some cases.

West Bank Christians are prepar-ing to share some of these grievanc-es with Pope Francis, and artisans are fashioning a cross with cement pieces of Israel’s barrier for the Pal-estinian president to give the pope.

Elias Abumohor, a 44-year-old environmental engineer whose fam-ily was chosen to have an audience with Francis, says he will tell the pope about his lands in an area part-ly owned by the Vatican where Israel is planning to route its barrier.

—AP

BETHLEHEM, Wednesday

Pope Francis will arrive this week-end in the land where Christianity was born — and where Christians are disappearing.

This ancient community has dwindled to around 2 per cent of the region’s population as economic hardship, violence and the bitter re-alities of the Israeli-Palestinian con-flict have sent Christians searching for better opportunities overseas.

The Christian exodus, underway for decades, has reached critical lev-els in recent years.

Emigration is a central concern to local Vatican officials, who are trying to stave off the flight with offers of jobs, housing and scholarships.

“I am sad to think that maybe the time will come in which Christianity will disappear from this land,” said the Rev Juan Solana, a Vatican envoy who oversees the Notre Dame cen-ter, a Jerusalem hotel for pilgrims employing 150 locals.

Solana said he employs Chris-tians to encourage them “to stay here, to love this land and to be aware of their particular vocation to be the witnesses of Christianity.”

GROWING TENSIONSThe Christian exodus is taking

place across the Middle East. Jordan, where Pope Francis will begin his three-day trip Saturday, has thou-sands of Christian refugees from war-torn Syria and Iraq.

For the Church, the phenomenon is particularly heartbreaking in the cradle of Christianity. According to Christian tradition, Jesus was born in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, spent much of his life in Nazareth and the northern Galilee region of Is-rael, and was crucified and resurrect-ed in Jerusalem.

The pope said in a November speech that “we will not be resigned

A welcome banner for Pope Francis with his picture hangs on a building in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, where the Holy See arrives Saturday. [PHOTO: AP]

Christians in the Holy Land have dwindled from over 10 to just about 2 per cent today

BANGKOK, Wednesday

Thailand’s army chief assumed the role of mediator Wednesday by summoning the country’s key politi-cal rivals for face-to-face talks one day after imposing martial law. Resi-dents, meanwhile, tried to make sense of the dramatic turn after six months of turmoil.

Around Bangkok there was little sign of tension, and most soldiers that had occupied key intersections in the capital a day earlier had with-drawn. Across the country, people went about their work normally. Stu-dents went to school, and the usual tourist droves crowded luxury re-sorts, relaxing on white sand beach-es unfazed by the crisis.

Martial law for now appeared to be playing out behind closed doors, as army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-Ocha “invited” the key powerbrokers in the country’s latest political crisis to meet for the first time since it es-calated six months ago.

The army interrupted regular programming on national television to announce the Wednesday a meet-ing at Bangkok’s Army Club, which it said was being called “to solve the political conflict smoothly.”

Many of the country’s high profile political figures were summoned. They included the acting prime min-ister — who sent four representa-tives in his place — and the anti-gov-ernment protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, as well as Suthep’s rival from the pro-government Red Shirt group, Jatuporn Prompan.

Also summoned were leaders of the ruling Pheu Thai Party and the opposition Democrat Party, as well as the five-member Election Com-mission and representatives from the Senate.

The meeting of bitter political en-emies was unlikely to yield any im-mediate resolution, but the event it-self was a stunning development.

Prayuth invoked the military’s ex-panded powers Tuesday and issued over a dozen edicts including broad powers of censorship over the me-dia, the Internet and vaguely defined threats to prosecute opponents.

—AP

Thai army chief assumes role as crisis mediator

NEW DELHI, Wednesday

Narendra Modi has invited the leaders of Pakistan and other neigh-bours to his inauguration as prime minister in a bold step to embark on a policy of regional engagement.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will be on the guest list of lead-ers from the eight-member South Asia Association for Regional Coop-eration invited to attend Modi’s swearing in next Monday, spokes-woman Nirmala Sitharaman said.

“All the SAARC countries have been invited through the proper channels to be part of the swearing-in ceremony” Sitharaman said. It was not immediately clear if Sharif would accept. Analysts said the visit

would be politically difficult.If the Pakistani prime minister

were to attend the planned ceremo-ny in the forecourt of the presiden-tial mansion, it would be a first in the history of the nuclear-armed rival nations who have fought three wars since independence in 1947.

Pakistan’s high commission in New Delhi said it had not yet re-ceived an invitation, which must be issued formally by the foreign minis-try. Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa will participate in the in-auguration, his office said.

The victorious Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has long ad-vocated a tough stance on Pakistan and Modi is seen as an uncompro-mising hardliner on issues relating to

national security.But his huge victory in the elec-

tion also gives him the political cap-ital to reach out to difficult neigh-bours including Pakistan in a way his predecessor Manmohan Singh could not, weakened by a raft of graft scan-dals and public discontent at home.

After his own election last year, Sharif’s administration had also sug-gested that the Indian prime minis-ter be invited as to attend the cere-mony, but Singh declined.

Sharif is known to have faced re-sistance from hardliners at home, notably within the armed forces, over his more dovish stance toward India.

—Reuters

LONDON, Wednesday

Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, has likened Russian President Vladimir Putin to German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler over his stance on Ukraine.

During a royal tour of Canada, the 65-year-old prince told a Jewish woman who fled from Poland during World War Two that “Putin is doing just about the same as Hitler”, the Daily Mail said on Wednesday.

Charles’s remarks, described by a royal source as “well-intentioned” and not meant to be public, were leading news reports in Britain where the government has been a strong critic of Moscow over its public sup-port for pro-Russian rebels in east-

ern Ukraine.Several high-profile figures have

made a link between Russian moves against Ukraine, including annexa-tion of Crimea, and German aggres-sion leading to World War Two.

In March, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had to clarify remarks suggesting Putin’s justifica-tion for his incursion into Crimea to protect ethnic Russians was reminis-cent of claims made by Hitler over foreign territories.

“Now if this sounds familiar, it’s what Hitler did back in the ‘30s,” she said, later explaining she had not meant to make a comparison but said lessons could be learned.

—Reuters

India’s Modi invites Pakistan’s Sharif to inauguration in diplomatic shift

UK’s Prince Charles likens Russia’s Putin to Hitler

42 / NEWS OF THE WORLD Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

RoundUpTOKYO: Japan court rules against nuclear restartA Japanese court ruled against allowing the restart of a nuclear power plant west of Tokyo on Wednesday, its operator said, a rare case in which anti-nuclear plaintiffs have successfully won a ruling to shut down reactors. The court in Fukui ruled against allowing Kansai Electric Power Co to restart reactors No 3 and 4 at its Ohi nuclear plant. Ohi, like all of Japan’s nuclear plants, has been idled for safety checks in the wake of the 2011 disaster at Tokyo Electric Power Co’s Fukushima Daiichi plant pending safety checks. The court ruling is likely to be another spanner in the works for the return to operations of reactors, with the safety checks bogged down by paperwork and disputes over interpreting new guidelines.

MANILA: Vietnam, Philippine leaders discuss China rifts Vietnam’s premier has arrived in Manila to talk with his Philippine counterpart on improving cooperation toward peacefully resolving disputes over the South China Sea. Amb Truong Trieu Duong said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will discuss the recent standoff sparked by China’s deployment of an oil rig near the disputed Paracel Islands. An official downplayed fears that meeting signals a budding alliance against China, saying the two sides will also discuss economic cooperation, trade and tourism.

—Agencies

Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard NEWS OF THE WORLD / Page 43

China, Russia sign huge gas supply deal, pricing unclear

the upper hand in negotiations as they entered their final phase, aware of Putin’s need for new customers as his isolation in Europe intensified.

Industry estimates showed the price of the agreement may have come in at around $350 per thou-sand cubic metres. The Western Eu-ropean average is $380.

Another potential sticking point has been whether China would pay a lump sum up front in order to fund considerable infrastructure costs.

Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said that element of talks remained unre-solved, but Putin said China would provide $20 billion for gas develop-

ment and infrastructure and that the price formula was similar to the Eu-ropean price.

Given the EU sanctions that could potentially hit Russia, analysts said Gazprom was not is in a position to strike a very high price for its gas.

The gas will be transported along a new pipeline linking Siberian gas fields to China’s main consumption centres near its coast. Russia will be-gin delivering from 2018, building up to the annual target of 38 billion cu-bic metres. Russia plans to invest $55 billion in exploration and pipeline construction up to China.

—Reuters

SHANGHAI, Wednesday

China and Russia signed a long-awaited, $400-billion gas supply deal, securing the world’s top energy user a major new source of cleaner fuel and opening a new market for Moscow as Europeans look else-where for their energy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping applauded as they witnessed the deal being signed in Shanghai between state-owned entities Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corp.

The deal is a political triumph for Putin, who is courting new partners in Asia as customers in Europe at-tempt to reduce their reliance on Russian gas to bolster their bargain-ing positions with Moscow after its seizure of Crimea from Ukraine.

But from a commercial point of view, much depends on the so far undisclosed price and other terms of the contract, which has been more than a decade in the making.

Industry insiders said China had

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (left) and China’s President Xi Jinping at-tend a signing ceremony in Shanghai May 21, 2014. [PHOTO: REUTERS]

The deal is a win for Putin who is courting new partners in the face fresh sanctions

BEIJING, Wednesday

Chinese state media labeled the US a “mincing rascal” and “high-lev-el hooligan” in response to Washing-ton charging five Chinese military officers with hacking US companies to steal trade secrets.

The indictment on Monday was the first criminal hacking charge the US has filed against specific foreign officials, and follows a rise in public criticism and private confrontation between the world’s two biggest economies over cyber espionage.

As a first response, China sus-pended a Sino-US working group on cyber issues. In an editorial, the Global Times, an influential tabloid run by the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of China’s Communist Party, said this was the “right move, but we should take further actions.”

“We should encourage organisa-tions and individuals whose rights have been infringed to stand up and sue Washington,” the newspaper said. “Regarding the issue of network security, the US is such a mincing rascal that we must stop developing any illusions about it.”

The Chinese-language version of the Global Times called the United States a “high-level hooligan”.

—Reuters

China calls US ‘mincing rascal’

over spying

Karuri Water and Sanitation Company Limited (KAWSCO) have, in consultation with the County Government of Kiambu and the Athi Water Services Board, applied for a water tariff review to the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB).

Details of the proposed tariff can be obtained from the Karuri Water and Sanitation Company Limited offices in Banana Town, Davekon Palace, 1st floor RM B7; or the Kiambu County Government Offices in Thika Town; or the Kiambaa sub county offices, Kiambaa sub county commissioner’s office; or Kihara sub county commissioner’s office or in any Chief’s office within Kiambaa constituency; or at www.karuriwater.co.ke or www.awsboard.go.ke

KAWSCO will hold a public consultation meeting on the proposed tariffs on 11th June 2014 at ACK St. Emmanuel Church in Karuri starting at 9.00am. All members of the public in the areas served by KAWSCO are invited to attend.

Members of the public may also send their written comments on the proposed tariffs to the following address;

The Managing DirectorKaruri Water and Sanitation Company LtdP.O Box 818 – 00219KARURIOr at info@karuriwater.co.ke

The closing date for receiving comments shall be 19th June 2014 at 5.00pm

MANAGING DIRECTORKARURI WATER & SANITATION COMPANY LIMITED

KIAMBU COUNTY

IN THE MATTER OF THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF KIAMBUAND

IN THE MATTER OF THE WATER ACT (ACT No. 8 OF 2002AND

IN THE MATTER OF THE WATER TARIFF REVIEW FOR KARURI WATER AND SANITATION COMPANY LIMITED

NOTICE FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION/PARTICIPATION IN THE TARIFF SETTING PROCESS

Page 44 / NOTICES Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

NOTICES / Page 45Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

Page 46 Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

COASTACCOMMODATIONE2/WHERE TO STAY

National Environment Management AuthorityPopo Road, off Mombasa Road

P.O. BOX 67839-00200, Nairobi, KenyaTel: (254 020) 6005522, 6001945, Fax: (254 020) 6008997)

E-mail: dgnema@nema.go.ke Website: www.nema.go.ke

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC TO SUBMIT COMMENTS ON AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY REPORT FOR THE PROPOSED INFINITY

INDUSTRIAL PARK IN NAIROBI COUNTY

The full report of the proposed project is available for inspection during working hours at:

1. Principal Secretary, 3. County Director of Environment Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, NAIROBI COUNTY NHIF Building, Community Area, P.O. BOX 30126-00100, NAIROBI

2. Director General, NEMA Popo Road, off Mombasa Road, P.O. BOX 67839-00200, NAIROBIA copy of the EIA report can be downloaded at www.nema.go.keNEMA invites members of the public to submit oral or written comments within thirty (30) days from the date of publication of this notice to the Director General, NEMA, to assist the Authority in the decision-making process for this project. Kindly quote ref. no. NEMA/EIA/5/2/1131Comments can also be e-mailed to dgnema@nema.go.keSignature.... (Seal)ZEPHANIAH O. OUMAFor: DIRECTOR GENERAL

This advertisement is sponsored by the proponent.

Pursuant to Regulation 21 of the Environmental Management and Coordination (Impact Assessment and Audit) Regulations, 2003, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has received an Environmental Impact Assessment Study Report for the above proposed project. The Proponent (Abacus Property Consultants Limited) is proposing to establish an ultra- modern Industrial Park on LR. No.11522. in Giathieko area off the Eastern By Pass within Nairobi County. These will include heavy and light industries and manufacturing plants, wholesale business and distribution outlets. As the commercial area develops, more segments including banks, shopping centres, retail outlets etc. will then move into the industrial park. The following are the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures:

IMPACT MITIGATION MEASURELoss of EnvironmentalServices

• Liaise with the Nairobi County’s department of Environment on permission to fell trees Utilize open spaces maximally

• Do not remove trees unnecessarily• Replant trees on completion of construction Carry out landscaping of open spaces Conduct landscaping• Participate in tree planting exercises outside whenever there is opportunity

Soil Excavation/ Erosion • Site leveling and excavation works to be planned such that a section is completed and rehabilitated while another section begins.

• Apply soil erosion control measures such as leveling of the project site to reduce run-off velocity and nto the soil.

• Construction of soil- galleys on sloppy sections.• Excavation material will be reused to level the site otherwise be loaded into trucks and be transported to

designated disposal sites.• Provide facilities for proper handling and storage of construction materials to reduce the amount of waste

caused by damage or exposure to the elementsNoise Pollution and Vibration

• The noisy construction works will entirely be planned to be during day time when most of the neighbours will be at work.

• Trees around the site will provide some buffer against noise propagation. • Ensure that all generators and heavy duty equipment are insulated or placed in enclosures to minimize

ambient noise levels.• Use well maintained machinery• Ensure noise is not made while playing squash Ensure adequate sound proo ng of the squash court• Use of hoarding for dust control. Sprinkling of water on dusty surfaces. Adherence with the Building Code,

Nairobi County by- laws and EMCA (Noise and Excessive Vibration Pollution Control Regulations and other applicable legislations.

• Adequate warnings and cautionary safety signs Provision of appropriate personal protective equipment to workers

• Use of safe working procedures Creation of safety awareness to workers Adequate job supervisionAir /Dust Pollution • Ensure strict enforcement of on-site speed limit regulations

• Avoid excavation works in extremely dry weathers• Sprinkle water on graded access routes whenever necessary to reduce dust generation by construction

vehiclesSolid and Water Wastes • Design and implement an appropriate landscaping programme to help in re-vegetation of parts of the project

area after construction• Reuse of the top soil in landscaping.

Air, Land and Water pollution and Degradation

• Minimize waste through accurate estimation of the sizes and quantities of materials required, order materials in the sizes and quantities they will be needed, rather than cutting them to size, or having large quantities of residual materials.

• Provision of suitable facilities for wastewater disposal (such as a conservancy tank )• Ensure that the minimum statutory distance between the facilities and the river is always maintained (minimum

of 6 metres)• Ensure wastes are properly disposed of

Water Pollution • Open drains connected to Nairobi County storm water drains will be provided on site.

Security • Ensure the general safety and security at all times by providing day and night security guards and adequate lighting within and around the premises.

Occupational Health & Safety

• All workers should be provide with full protective gear like working boots, overalls, helmets goggles, earmuffs, masks and gloves.

• Construction crew at the site should be sensitised on social issues like drugs, alcohol and other diseases.• A fully equipped and professionally • The contractor should have workmen’s compensation cover to comply with W Act, as well

as appropriate Ordinances, Regulations and Union Agreements.• Adequate facilities should be provided and standard cleanliness maintained• Food handlers preparing food for the workers should be controlled and monitored to ensure that food is

hygienically prepared. Water and Electricity Management

• Avoid wasting of water supplied to the site during construction• Roof catchments should be provided to harvest rainwater to enhance collection and storage of rainwater• In order to encourage water conservation during operation stages, the proponent should install water

conserving taps that turn off automatically when not in use.• Provide notices and information signs on means and needs to conserve water resource to awaken civic

consciousness regarding water usage and management• Incorporate rainwater harvesting in the project design• Water reuse and/or recycling• Installation of water and electricity meters• Consider solar energy harvesting and optimize on natural lighting in the project design• Use of energy ef cient machines and appliances• Provision of a standby generator

Human Waste

Management

• Provide a suitable toilet for construction workers away from the river• Ensure sewage disposal system is well maintained

Air Pollution • Use of low sulphur diesel for diesel vehicles and equipment• Proper maintenance of vehicles and machinery

Fire Risks • Provision of suitable re ghting equipment Sensitize workers on re safety

PUBLIC NOTICES

Page 47Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

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NISSAN PATROL Year 2006 Diesel engine manual New tires Kshs.2.9m 0701-277100 0720-704661

VW TOUREG, 2006, fully loaded, KBX. Toyota Prado, 2007, Sunroof, fully loaded, KBY. Honda CRV, new shape, 2007, KBY, fully loaded Black. Toyota Rav4, 2006, Black and all types of cars all available at Geneva Motors Hurlingham. Tel No. 0725-673 786

RENAULT AMBULANCE, factory built, long wheel base, high roof, 2006, diesel, not used locally. - 0728-771777

NEW imports man tipper 6x6, 2006 Exon Motors Limited 0733954610/0726833062.

NEW imports man TGA 6x2, 2007 Exon Motors Limited 0733954610/0726833062.

NEW imports Mercedes S class 320 CDI auto, 2007 Exon Motor s L im i t ed 0733954610/0726833062.

To book your advert Call Hotline Number:

0719-012555 or email:

classifi edads@standardmedia.co.ke

eASTeR OFFeR, kenDA AUTOMOTive TiReS SinCe 1962: Made in Taiwan, 245/70R16 - 14,355 /=, 265/70R16 - 12,632/=, 265/75R16 - 15,950/=, LT265/75R16 - 17,312/=, 225 /45R17 - 12 ,122 , /= 215/55R17 - 11,803, 225/65R17 - 12,760/=, 265/65R18- 20,416, LT 2 2 5 / 7 5 R 1 6 - 1 5 , 3 1 2 / = , 225/45ZR18-13,717/=, free change, free balancing and free a l ignment. Contact 020-2177244,0716825276 & 0734347336 Email:info@soroyamotors.co.ke

eASTeR OFFeR, kenDA AUTOMOTive TiReS SinCe 1962: Made in Taiwan,185/70R13 - 4,785/=, 185/70R14 - 5,104/=, 195/65R15 - 5 , 742 /= , 205 /65R15 - 6 , 3 8 0 / = , LT 2 3 5 / 7 5 R 1 5 - 12,441/=, LT31*10.5R15-14,993/=, 205/55R16-7,975/=, P225 / 70R16 -9 , 889 /= P, 265/65R17-14,036/=, free change, free balancing and free a l ignment. Contact 020-2177244,0716825276 & 0734347336 Email:info@soroyamotors.co.ke

JD DieSel generators self start with radiator. availalble in 10kw, 12kw, 15kw & 20kw single & three phase. 020-650581, 020-551913, 0733785137 & 0706014470. email : bhattelectro@yahoo.com

2007 BMW 320i. just arrived, ex Japan, fully loaded, 2000cc, KBY. to view call 0721 414 675

COnTAineRS FOR SAle. 20FT@KSH. 230,000 AND 40FT@KSH 350,000 CALL; 0728-866664, EMAIL; sales@klogistics.biz

TOyOTA Harrier 2.4cc petrol 2007 model KBY pearl white Leather interior reverse camera extremely clean, choice of 2. Call: 0722 149791

RAnge ROveR SpORTS, 2006 model, 2.7cc diesel, black, ivory leather interior, genuine mileage, very clean, good price. Call: 0722-149791

TOyOTA pRADO, KBU, petrol 4.0. , mint condition, very clean. Asking 2.9m o.n.o. Also available KBM / KBP, silver in colour, petrol, asking 2.5m o.n.o. Call: 0722-149791

TOyOTA HilUx vigO, KBY, 2008/7/6, choice of 4units, Auto/Manual. Also available Nissan Navara, choice of 4. Trade in available. Call: 0722 598277

R A n g e R O v e R SpORTS, KBY, 2007/2006, D i e se l / Pe t ro l , S un roo f , DVD E t c . . . Ve r y C l e an , black, blue & grey, choice of 3. Trade in acceptable. Call: 0722-598 277

l A n D R O v e R DiSCOveRy 3, KBY, 2007/2006, face lifted to 4, sunroof, leather, choice of 3 units. Also Available Range Rover Sports KBY, 2007/2006. Trade-in-acceptable . Call 0722-598277.

MERCEDES BENZ E200, new shape and brand new, choice of 3 from 4.7m, 0722808687

M E R C E D E S C 2 0 0 avantegarde new shape, choice of 3, from 2.6m, 0720808862

LAND CRUISER tour van 4wd 4200cc air con winch diesel manual 5 speed local from Toyota Kenya, front and rear tjm bar dual spare tyre, long range fuel tank also L/cruiser Pick Ups new shape 2013. 0722-786555

Buying or selling a car?

Advertise in

and get real value! I&M Building, Banda Street, Ground fl oor Email: classifiedads@standardmedia.co.ke

Tel: 0719-012555

Page 48 Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

WHERE TO PLACE AN AD AND USE OUR SERVICES

Use The Standard’s DIGGER CLASSIFIEDS!YOU’LL GET RESULTS!

HEAD OFFICE: Standard Group Centre, Mombasa Road, Nairobi, Tel. 3222111, DIGGER CLASSIFIEDS 3222111, Ext. 2555.OFFICE HOURS: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sunday 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m.DEADLINE FOR LINEAGES 5 p.m.WHERE tO BOOk yOUR ADvERtSNAIROBI - DIGGER CLASSIFIEDS: I & M BANk tOWERS: Ground Floor, Opp. Rayan Hotel & Restaurant, Banda Street, Hotline 0719-012555, Telephone 3222907/9/10/11/12/13. P. O. Box 30080, Nairobi. Fax: 229218 Email: classifiedads@standardmedia.co.keMOI AVENUE - DIGGER CLASSIFIEDS: Oppo. Ebrahims Supermarket. Tel. 3222111 EXT. 2828, 0719-012828.kISUMU: Swan Centre, Ground Floor, Oginga Odinga Street P.O. Box 788-40100, Kisumu, Cell 0719012873, 0719012876, 020 3222111 Ext. 2870.MOMBASA: The Standard Ltd: Moi Avenue Diamond Trust Ground Floor P.O. Box 90210 Tel: 041-2230884, 041-2228204, 041-2228098, 0719-012848, 041-2230897 Fax 2230814. NAkURU: Merica P. O. Box 15146 Tel: 051 2214289/ 2212914 Fax: 2217348.NyERI: The Standard Ltd., Karson House Ground Floor, Kimathi Way P. O. Box 2774, Tel: 061 2030068, 2030373 Fax 2030740, Advertising 2034528.ELDOREt OFFICE: Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) Plaza, Oloo Street P.O. Box 1912 Tel: 053 2030482 Fax: 2033438 EldoretkAkAMEGA: Ambwere Plaza, 2nd Floor, Kenyatta Street. Tel: 056 30255/30368 Fax: 30554.kISII: Gemo Investments, Golf House 2nd Floor.DROP OFF POINtS: MONty’S WINES & SPIRItS Sarit Centre. Tel/Fax. 3747565/3743152.OLIvE ADS LtD: Mombasa Road Plaza 2000. Tel 0720-241110.BOOk StOP LtD: Yaya Centre 2nd floor. Tel. 2714547, Mobile 0722-520160, Fax 2724865.MAGHREB PHARMACy LtD: Muthaiga Shopping Centre off Limuru Road. Tel 3742933, Fax 3749427.GEtHIN & DAWSON: Karen shopping centre.IMPORtANt ADvICE tO READERS: Please make appropriate enquiries and take appropriate advice and caution before sending money, incurring any expense or intending to/making a binding commitment in relation to an advertisement.

tHE StANDARD LtD shall not be liable to any person for loss or damage incurred or suffered as a result of the reader’s acceptance or offer to accept an invitation contained in any advertisement published in the tHE StANDARD.

PERSONAL NOTICESA9/LOST

LOST title Kajiado/Meto/2234 owner Timaiyioo ole Muraaya.

LOST title Kajiado/Meto/2979 & 2980 owner Senteu N Simel.

A11/PERSONAL

PERSONAL NOTICESB5/HEALTH AND FITNESS

STRESS/emotions/lifestyle help. 0705-212787.

B9/BEAUTY

WESTLANDS Deluxe barber shop. 0725-399329.

B32/WEDDINGS

NAIROBI Brides exclusive wedding gowns. 0722-715422, 0733-715422, 020-318145, 0774-037777, 0774-037772.

B37/DATING

LOVE partner Sms 0704-057570

ACCOMMODATIONE1/WHERE TO STAY

MOTOR VEHICLES ACCESSORIES & CAR HIRE

H2/FOR SALE – PRIVATE

CAR alarm + spacers fitted. 0772-519886.

N-ADVAN, 07, manual, KBY-V. 0724-101880.

S-IMPREZA N12, 06, Sedan, f-l. 0733-763052.

S-LEGACY BP5, 03, d-sunroof. 0722-519886.

H7/MOTOR VEHICLES FOR HIRE

CAR track @ 10k. 0723-022426.

H11/EXHAUST SYSTEMS

SETLAK galvanised exhaust, 2 yrs written guarantee fitted as-u-have drinks. 552265, 0722-527924.

POSITIONS VACANTI5/GENERAL

FREE housekeeping & all category visa available in Gatar students & business visa for Malaysia & Austra-lia. Call 0788-328478, 0716-773030 visit us at Sonulux Bld, 8th flr, suite 805, Moi Avenue Nbi.

NGO urg req. 30 Form 4s n above. 65k p.m. Sms-0729140349.

URGENT, NGO req volunteers-good-pay.SMS ur no. 0728674322

YO G H U R T C o r q w o r k e r s 0707928283.

COMMERCIALK1/SERVICES

WE repair all leaking tanks. Call 0710-566444.

K7/CONTRACTING & REPAIRS

GLASS shower screens shop fronts, glass railings – aluminium win-dows. Contact 0722-540349, info@nme.co.ke

KILIMANI & Lavington, 4 & 5br maisonet & town hse, sq & garden. 0722-178508.

LAV Amboseli, 3br apt. 0722-526912.

MUITA: 0722-726272. Githurai 45, shops & flats, 85k, 10m.

MUITA: 0722-726272. Mathare North (200k), 67 rooms, 15m.

MUITA: 0722-726272. Ngong Mata-sia, 3 bedrooms, 5m.

MUITA: 0722-726272. Parklands, 8 apartments, 145m.

MUITA: 0732-490068. Nairobi West, 7 apartments, 50m.

MUITA: 0732-490068. Ngewa, Git-hunguri, 3bedrooms, ¼ ac, 4.8m.

MUITA: 0732-490068. Ruiru town, 40 apartments, 90m.

NGARA, prime property 8 flats with space for development 120m. Call 0722 512461 no agents.

NGONG Rd, offices, sq ft 1572 & 1432 @ 15,000 per sq ft. 2722930, 2729044.

OFF Enterprise Rd, godowns. Tel. 0727-300450/0786-300450.

RIVERSIDE, 4br + dsq, 2 ensuite, 3rd floor, 26m. 0733-991512, 0723-042098.

UMOJA I, bung 2br extension, 4.5m. 0716-163467.

info@villacarekenya.com 0722-512803, 020-4441949, 0721-635356.

VILLACARE: Embakasi, Nyayo Es-tate Phase 2, 3b/r apt @ 8m. 0727-116712.

VILLACARE: Kileleshwa, 3b/r + dsq apts, Suguta Rd, duplex pent hse @ 19.5m.

VILLACARE: Kilimani, 4b/r + dsq apts, s/pool, Ksh 20m. 0722-512803, 4441949.

VILLACARE: Kilimani, Ole Dume Rd, 3b/r, master ensuite, s/pool, Ksh 17m.

VILLACARE: Kingara – Lavi, 4b/r + dsq duplex apts, s/pool, cctv, all ensuite, Ksh 270k furnished. 0722-512803.

VILLACARE: Kitengela, 3b/r + dsq maisonete, new & ready, Ksh 8.5m.

VILLACARE: Kitengela, Brooksville, 4b/r + dsq maisonete, Ksh 9m.

VILLACARE: Langata, 4No. 2b/r, m/ens apt, new & ready, Ksh 7m. 0722-512803.

VILLACARE: Lantana, 4b/r + dsq apts, s/pool, Ksh 20m. 0721-635356, 4441949.

VILLACARE: Link’s Apts, Msa Rd, 19No. 3b/room, m/ens, Ksh 6.5m. 0721-635356.

VILLACARE: Mombasa Pango-ni, 1b/r, m/ens apts, s/pool, gym, clubhse @ 21m.

VILLACARE: Muthiga Kikuyu, 5b/r twn hse on 0.5 acres land, Ksh 12.5m.

VILLACARE: Parklands – Githuri Rd, 10No. 3b/r + dsq, Jacuzzi, Ksh 17m or USD 200000. 0721-635356, 0722-512803.

VILLACARE: Royal Complex, 24No. 3b/room + dsq, lift, plinth area of 260 sq m, s/pool, gym, Ksh 25m. 4441949.

VILLACARE: Sazit – Pangani, 2b/r flat, new, lift, back-up generator @ 5.5m.

VILLACARE: South B, 2br apt @ 6.5m.

VILLACARE: South Banrue Est, 3b/r + m/ensuite apts, Ksh 10m. 0721-635356.

VILLACARE: Syokimau, 3b/r, m/ensuite bungalow, Ksh 9m. 0722-512803.

VILLACARE: Thika Kenwood, 4b/r + dsq, all ensuite t/house, Ksh 20m.

VILLACARE: Thika, Mimosa Apart-ments, 2 & 3b/r, m/ensuite, plinth area of 120 & 145 sq m, Ksh 6m & 8m. 0721-635356.

VILLACARE: Thomson, 3b/r + dsq apts, lift, Ksh 17m. 0722-512803, 4441949.

VILLACARE: Upperhill KMA, 1, 2 & 3b/r + dsq, lift, s/pool, Ksh 11m & 16m & 18m.

VILLACARE: Upperhill, 3b/r + dsq apt, m/ensuite, Ksh 22m. 0722-512803.

VILLACARE: West – Navilla, 17No. 4b/r, all ensuite, lift, gym, Ksh 26m.

VILLACARE: Westlands, 2 & 3b/r, master ens new apts, s/pool, gym, Ksh 12.8 & 14.95m. 0721-635356, 4441949.

W/LANDS, magnificent 5 room town hse on Grevellia Grove, 5200 sq. ft. @ 60m. Call Simpsons 0738-916716.

L4/PROPERTIES TO LET

3 BEDROOM apt, 2 ensuite near T-Mal. Call 0732-873177, avail-able now.

3BR bung, Kiserian, 25k. 2722930.

3BR maiso, Ki l imani , 78k . 2722930.

3BR maiso, Plainsview, 50k. 2722930.

3BR next to Yaya, 80k. 0721-846422.

4BR maiso, Tigoni, 120k. 2722930.

ACE REALTORS LTD. 0722-338835/0722-307857/4450220, www.acerealtorsltd.com

ACE: Lavington, 3br apt, m/en-suite, 60k.

ACE: Valley Arcade, 3br apt, m/e, s/p, 75k.

ACE: Westlands, 3br aptment, m/e, 75k.

AT-REAL MGT. SERV. 0721-582227, 0733-881200. Westlands, Gen. Ma-thenge Drive, 3 bedroom exclusive apartment, m/ensuite, spacious, se-cure, garden.

AT-REAL MGT. SERV. Chambers Rd, Ngara, 2b/r excl. apts, spa-cious, secure.

AT-REAL MGT. SERV. Kilimani, El-geyo Marakwet Rd, 2 & 4 bedroom exclusive apts, all ens, DSTV, s/pool, generator.

AT-REAL MGT. SERV. Muthangari Gardens, Lavington, 6 b/r exclusive penthouses, spacious, m/ensuite, s/pool, elec fence, borehole, gen-erator, gym.

AT-REAL MGT. SERV. Riverside, 4 b/r exclusive maisonette, m/en-suite, spacious, secure, dsq, gar-den, parking.

AT-REAL MGT. SERV. Westlands, Muthithi Rd, 4 b/r exclusive mai-sonette, m/ensuite, spacious, se-cure parking.

BROOKSIDE, 4br m/net + 2 sq, 110k. 0720-892977.

IMARA Daima, 2br, 27k. 0722-716225.

LAVI off Othaya Rd, self-contained mai-sonettes, dsq, 130k. 0722-730082.

LAVINGTON, Kili, 3-4br t/hses, ens, garden, 140k. 2714288.

WESTLANDS, 3br apt, ens, 85k. 0733-413725.

MAMUKA: 1 & 2br, South B @ 18,000/= & 30k respectively. Tel. 0722-332407.

MAMUKA: 1br, South C @ 24k. Tel. 0720-924862, 0722-778262.

MAMUKA: 2br flat, State Hse Crescent, Ksh 56,000. Tel. 0725-601659.

MAMUKA: 3br + sq apt, Kilimani, Ksh 77,000. 0725-601659.

MAMUKA: 3br + sq, Langata South-lands, Ksh 50,000. 0725-601659.

MAMUKA: 4br + sq duplex, Kilimani, Ksh 80,000. Tel. 0725-601659.

MAMUKA: 5br + sq on ½ acre, Kar-en nxt to St. Hannahs Prep @ 100k. 0725-601659.

info@sigimoenterprises.com 0724-002605, 0722-938873, 0722-633057.

SIGIMO: Kileleshwa, Kandara Rd, 3br, master ensuite apt, furnished and unfurnished duplex, 160k, 200k respectively. Call 0724-002605.

SIGIMO: Kileleshwa, Olekejuado Rd, 3br apt, furnished, master en-suite, s/pool, Ksh 140k. Call 0724-002605.

SIGIMO: Kilimani, D/Pritt Rd, 3br + dsq, master ensuite apt, furnished, s/pool, ample parking, 160k.

SIGIMO: Westlands, Waiyaki Way, 3br, master ensuite apt, s/pool, gym club hse, Ksh 90k, 2br, Ksh 70k.

VALLEY Arcade, 3br new apt, se-cure, gym, near Yaya, 70k. 0703-575208.

info@villacarekenya.com 0722-512803, 4441949, 0721-635356, 0723-942944.

VILLACARE: Kiambere Rd, Up-perhill, 3br, master ens, Ksh 100k.

VILLACARE: Kiambu Rd, 4br, master ensuite twn hse, Ksh 100k.

VILLACARE: Lavington, Hatheru Rd, 3br, gym, s/pool, furnished apt, 150k.

VILLACARE: Lavington, King’ara Rd, 4br, all ens + dsq, furnished duplex apt, Ksh 270k. 0721-635356.

VILLACARE: Parklands, 3br, master ensuite, furnished apts, Ksh 100k.

VILLACARE: Parklands, furnished studio apt with gym, restaurant, 6k p.d.

VILLACARE: Riana Gardens, 3br apt, furnished, Ksh 150k + VAT.

VILLACARE: Riara Rd, 4br fur-nished, all ens with dsq, Ksh 250k.

VILLACARE: Riverside Mews off Riverside Drive, 3br apt, master ens, 120k. 0727-116712, 0723-942944.

VILLACARE: South B, Eagle Plains Est, 4br + dsq maisonette, Ksh 80k.

VILLACARE: Tigoni, 4br, all en-suite with 2 guest-wings on 1 acre plot, ambassadorial hse, Ksh 300k.

WESTLANDS nr Parklands Bap-tist Church, spacious 3bed apt (master ensuite), 70,000 incl service charge/2 parkings. 020-2346499/0712-985981.

L9/PLOTS/LAND FOR SALE

0.25 ACRES, Dagoretti Riruta Satel-lite, off Wanyee Rd, 14m. o.n.o. Tel. 0722-597550.

¼ ACRE plot, Ndumberi Karunga. 0706-180750, 0731-256722.

¼ ACRE, Pangani, 60m. 2722930, 2729044.

WATERWAYS Africa T704 /788/ 511438poolwise 350 pools 35yrs pools builtEquip for Pools Sauna/Steam/Spas

FEEL GOOD @ Kenya Comfort Hotels! Nbi√ Rooms Suites Studio & One Bed Apts√ Mili 0737-111111 City 0737-777777.√ Monthly @ 101000/= @ KCHS Milimani

RESIDENTIAL & BUSINESS PROPERTIES

L1/PROPERTIES FOR SALE

AT-REAL MGT. SERV. 0721-582227, 0733-881200. Muringa Rd, Kilimani, 3 b/r exclusive apt, dsq, m/ensuite, s/pool, elec. Fence, parking, secure garden.

AT-REAL MGT. SERV. Hillview, 4b/r exclusive houses, all ensuite, dsq, elec fence, garden, spacious se-cure.

ATHI River, 1 & 2bd apartments, Kshs 4.5m & 5.5m respectively. 0722-416869.

D/PRITT, 3br, ensuit, 15.255m. 0721-846422.

GIGIRI, 5bd mansion in a serene & secure location on 0.5 acres @ 135m. Call Simpsons 0738-916716.

NAIROBI & UPCOUNTRY

Page 49Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

THE PROPERTY GUIDECall Hotline Number: 0719-012-555or Email: classifi edads@standardmedia.co.ke

To book your advert

A C E : 0 7 2 2 - 3 3 8 8 3 5 / 0 7 2 2 -307857/4450220.

ACE: Karen, 0.5 acre prime plot, 24m.

ACE: Kiambu Rd, 0.5 acre residen-tial, 17m.

ACE: Kiserian, 30 acre plot, 4.5m @ acre.

ATHI River CBD, plots, 50x100, Kshs 2.5m, ready titles. Tel. 0722-416869.

KAREN 1/2ac 0722430159.

KAREN,1 ac, Windy Ridge. 0722-825801.

KERIASEK & CO. LTD. VALUATION SURVEYORS & REAL ESTATE AGENTS, KTDA PLAZA, 6TH FLOOR TEL: 020-2242182, 0735-842480, 2228328 Email: keriasek@yahoo.com Web-site: www.keriasek.com

KERIASEK & CO. New Muthaiga, 1ac @ 85m, 5br d/storey on 3/4ac @ 120m.

KERIASEK & CO. L. Kabete, 2.7acs @ 120m.

KERIASEK & CO. Msa Rd, 2br apt @ 4.5m. & 5.5m; 5acs @ 45m per ac; 4x5acs @ 16m per ac; 60acs @ 16m per ac.

KERIASEK & CO. New Kitisuru, 1/2ac @ 28m.

KERIASEK & CO. Old Muthaiga, 1.1ac @ 300m, 4br bungalow on 1ac @ 250m.

KERIASEK & CO. Peponi Rd, 2x1/2ac @ 35m each.

KERIASEK & CO. Ruiru town, 3br apt @ 5m, 1/8ac @ 3.5m.

KERIASEK & CO. Ruiru, Membly, 1/4ac @ 6.5m.

KERIASEK & CO. Ruiru, Membly, 2br apt @ 4.5m; 1/4ac plot @ 5m.

KERIASEK & CO. Runda: Mimosa, 1/2ac @ 40m; Panafric, 1/2ac @ 40m; Water 0.6ac @ 43m.

KERIASEK & CO. South C, blocks of fl ats, 48 units (1 & 2br) on 1.4acs @ 400m.

KIBAGARE, 1 ac res. 0722-716225.

KISAJU, 3 and 4 acre plots, 1km off tarmac. 0722-361727.

KISUMU, Riat Hills next to Raila Foundation. Lake, Airport View 1/4 acre@ 1.75m. 0707180294.

KITENGELA, CBD, 50 x 100, tar-mac, approved shops/offs/apts. 0722-246763.

LANGATA, 1 acre plots, ready titles next to Gems Cambridge School, Magadi Road, ideal for homes/ fl ats, Shs 40m each. 0722-961704.

LUKENYA with ready titles. 0722-724393.

MSA Rd near Athi River, 2acs, offers. 0733-413725.

MUITA: 0722-726272. Limuru town, ¼ acres best (fl ats), 5m.

NGONG Hills, 3acs prime, all for 12m. 0716-163467.

ORTURUTU Kajiado, 38 acs. 0722-716225.

WANGIGE town, 1/4ac, 9m. 0734-254865.

WOTE Makueni, commercial plots, on tarmac. 0716-754635.

L10/PREMISES/OFFICES TO LET

AT-REAL MGT. SERV. 0721-582227, 0733-881200. C.B.D. Twiga Tow-ers, Murang’a Rd, various offi ce spaces available, lift, very secure & exclusive.

AT-REAL MGT. SERV. 4th Parklands, exclusive offi ces, 1,195 & 1,450 sq. ft. Lift, generator, secure parking.

NGONG Road, offices sq ft 1572 & 1432 @ 120/= per sq ft inclu-sive service charge. 2729044, 2722930.

VILLACARE: Kilimani, Titan Plaza, 965 sq ft @ Kshs 85 p. sq ft. 0722-512803, 0725-993994, 4447444.

VILLACARE: Thika Bazaar, Kenyat-ta H/way, 10,500 sq ft kitchens, ice cream parlor kids corner, Ksh 120 p. sq ft. 0722-512803, 0725-993994.

W/LANDS, commercial space on Gen. Mathenge Drive between 50k/m and 250k/m. Call Simpsons 0738-916716.

WESTLANDS, professional office, 1,000 sq. ft, self-contained with sep-arate WC/kitchen, ideal for doctors, accountants/surveyors/consultants, 80,000/= pm. 0712-985981/020-2346499.

L11/PREMISES/OFFICES FOR SALE

AT-REAL MGT. SERV. 0721-582227, 0733-881200. Lunga Lunga Rd, In-dustrial Area, prime property of exclusive 4 godowns, 48,000 sq. ft. on 0.6 acres.

AT-REAL MGT. SERV. C.B.D, prime property available, 5 storey commer-cial building with shops, basement & offi ces, parking, lifts exclusive.

KEEKOROK (CBD), commercial four storey building with good income @ 140m. Call Simpsons 0738-916716.

WAGA: Bondo Rd, godown, 6,700 sq ft, 110m. 2213022, 0701-340967, info@wagaholdings.com

WAGA: Eastleigh Sec. 3-8th St, 17No. single rooms, penthse, shops, in-come 2,370,000, 100m.

WAGA: Falcon Rd, 6No. godowns, 4,600 sq ft + off, 85m.

WAGA: Kilimani, godown/off, 5,000 sq ft, 41m.

WAGA: Kirinyaga Rd, 2 sty bldg shops, flats (approved plans), 125m.

WAGA: Ngara, 1sty bldg shops, fl ats, 48m (cash).

WAGA: Road-A, godown, 11,000 sq ft + off 4,000 sq ft, 1/4ac, 70m.

WAGA: Road-A, godown, 15,000 sq ft, 27m.

KES. 9.8 million

L5/PROPERTIES TO LET

ALHUDA: Abureira 3br fl at 25k. 0721915861 / 0719558822 / 0720438806.

ALHUDA: Ganjoni 3br flat 50k. 0721915861/0704057223.

ALHUDA: Kisauni 1 br & b/sit-ters 7k & 5k resp. 0726580351 / 0700570723.

ALHUDA: M/Tayari b/sitter/1br fl at 10k &15k resp. 0700570723.

ALHUDA: Madubini 4br apartment 40k. 0726580351/070457223.

ALHUDA: Majengo 2 br fl at 18k. 0721915861 / 0704057223.

ALHUDA: Majengo 2 br fl at 23k. 0721915861 / 0719174384.

ALHUDA: Makadara 2 br fl at 21k. 0721915861 / 0704057223.

ALHUDA: Mikindani 2 br fl at 15k. 0721915861 / 0722552917.

ALHUDA: Mkomani near Tama-rine 3br fl at 35k. 0719558822 / 0700570723.

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FeverPitch 7 Pages of sizzling Sports coverage!

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co.ke/feverpitch

FeverBriefs

LEAGUE: Cosmetics fall to Tin Tin in Left-Foot Tin Tin Restaurant and Best African Cosmetics drew 1-1 in a division four match of the on-going Left-Foot league tournament at Kilimani Primary. Tin Tin scored fi rst through Charles Onyansi in the 37th minute. William Irungu levelled in the 44th minute. In another tie, Karen-based Elite Soccer Academy edged out Rapid Communications 2-0 while Khalsa United hammered Total Kenya 3-1. Amiran Kenya were 2-0 winners over Advert Eyez. In the division one category, Black Diamond stopped Hurlingham 2-0 even as Green Zone Property. Other results: Consolidated Bank 0 Strath 0, Vision 2020 2 Total Touch Cargo 2, NPC Parklands 1. – Gilbert Wandera

TENNIS: McIlroy ends engagement to WozniackiRory McIlroy on Wednesday announced he had broken off his engagement to Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki only days after sending out the wedding invitations. The 25-year-old player said the issuing of the invitations had made him aware that he was not ready for marriage. “There is no right way to end a relationship that has been so important to two people,” he explained through a statement issued by his Dublin-based communications consultants. “The problem is mine,” McIlroy said. “The wedding invitations issued at the weekend made me realise that I wasn’t ready for all that marriage entails. – BBC

BEST: BBC Personality awards set for GlasgowThe 2014 BBC Sports Personality of the Year is to be held in Glasgow on Sunday, December 14. The star-studded event will take place at The SSE Hydro in front of an estimated 12,000 capacity crowd and will be shown live on BBC One. It will help mark the culmination of a year in which Glasgow hosts the Commonwealth Games and golf’s Ryder Cup takes place in Gleneagles. The event, which was devised by Sir Paul Fox in 1954, has moved from Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffi eld, Salford and London before last year’s trip to

JEPNGETICH LIGHTS UP INTER-COLLEGE GAMES

Thursday, May 22, 2014

By OSCAR PILIPILI

Gladys Jepngetich of Baraton, representing Nakuru region, dis-played great running skills to win 10,000m women race during the In-ter-collegiate Athletics and Rugby Championships at Kagumo in Nyeri yesterday.

She won in time of 38:44 minutes to be crowned new queen of teachers games.

Elizeba Cheruiyot of Tambach of Nakuru too crossed the came second timing 39:29 followed by Irene Jebi-tok of Lake region and Asumbi (42:41) and Northern’s Esther Wam-bui of Kigari fi nished fourth in 42:54.

The race started on fast pace and by the second lap, a leading pack of four athletes led by Jepngetich had emerged.

Jepngetich opted to go on her own after three laps and there was no

doubt that the ambitious long dis-tance runner was going for big vic-tory.

In the fi fth lap, she opened 200m with her closest challenger.

Jepngetich was in bullish mood as she went ahead to overlap Metro-politan champion Mercy Kiptanui by the 10th lap.

Honouring the advice of her re-gional coach Reuben Kisiroche to clear “opposition” in front, Jepnget-ich adhered by overlapping every-body insight including bronze med-allist Jebitok.

Jepngetich said: “I knew I was go-ing to win the race because I had convincingly won the regional event.”

Kisoroche said: “I kept on en-couraging Jepngetich to up pace and break the national record but she failed to hit the target by seconds,” he said.

In 10,000m men’s walk race, Simon Cheruiyot of Mosoriot timed 52.47. to emerge the winner. Bramuel Wafula of Machakos (53.22)

and Henry Chege of Aberd-are (56.35) claimed silver and

bronze.Hammer men’s honours went to

St Mary’s Felix Mbithe who threw 21.84m followed by Fabian Ngetich of Tambach (21.32m) and Kericho’s Job Wafula who managed 21.08.

In long jump men, Yegon Kibet of Lake region cleared 6.36m to claim the title, while Nakuru’s duo of Mutai Kiptarbei (6.17m) and Henry Chege of Aberdare (56.35m) were second and third.

In rugby men, Metropolitan champions Kitui won their two opening matches after they beat Bar-ingo 7-0 and edged out Bondo 5-0.

In other matches, Egoji defeated Migori 14-0 and Kamwenja 12-5, Migori drew 1-1 with Kamwenja.

In women’s category, Eregi drew 5-5 with Kigari, Thogoto outclassed Kericho 17-0, Kigari edged out Kama-gambo 5-0 while Eregi beat Kamag-ambo 12-5 in group matches played. The championships feature seven re-gions.

Nakuru’s region runner triumphs in 10,000m women race at Kagumo

Sammy Nyanchua from Lake Region crosses the fi nish line to win 5,000m race during the Inter-collegiate Athletics and Rugby Champion-ships at Kagumo in Nyeri yesterday. INSET: Gladys Jepngetich of Nakuru region powers to the fi nish line in 10,000m race. BOTTOM: Caren Khalayi (left) of Nzoia tackles Edith Adera of Lake region in rugby contest. [PHOTOS: JONAH ONYANGO/ STANDARD]

France-based Ambaka joins 15s side for World Cup qualifier in MadagascarBy RODGERS ESHITEMI

Lyon Olympique Univer-sitaire’s (LOU) explosive winger William Ambaka has arrived in the country ahead of the Kenya Fifteens 2015 African Cup-cum-World Cup qualifiers to be played in Madagascar from June 26.

Kenya will face hosts Madagascar, Namibia and Zimbabwe in Group 1A, with the winners clinching a tick-et to England, while the run-ners-up will get a second chance to qualify via a play-off with a European nation.

The former Harlequins and Shujaa star, who is ex-pected to make his debut for the Jerome Paarwater-trained side that features the Kenya Sevens quartet of Col-lins Injera (Mwamba), Billy Odhiambo (Strathmore Leos), Oscar Ouma (Nakuru) and Patrice Agunda (Harle-quins), will link up with the rest of the team on Thursday at Barclays Sports Club.

fOuRTH placEAmbaka is returning to

the national team for the first time since propelling Kenya to a fourth place finish in the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow last year.

His impressive show in Moscow saw him pen a one-year renewable contract with LOU in August, score eight tries on his debut season and help them get promoted back to the Top 14 French National Rugby League.

He is the fourth Kenyan to play in France after Derrick Wamalwa, Dan Weku and Ted Omondi.

In an exclusive interview with Feverpitch, the 24-year-old Kenya Methodist Univer-sity graduate expressed his delight at being recalled to the national team and de-clared qualifying for the Eng-

BACK WITH A MISSION

New Zealand’s Tim Mikkelson scores a try as Kenya’s Willy Ambaka tackles him during the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens tournament on March 23, 2013. [PHOTO: AFP]

FEVERPITCH / Page 51 Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

Multichoice and Coke

plan World Cup event

By fEVERpITcH REpORTER

MultiChoice Kenya and Coca-Cola will hold a major Brazilian-Kenyan Family Carnival at Machakos Peo-ple’s Park on May 31.

The event, open to all Ke-nyans, is set to feature local and Brazilian acts as a pre-lude to the world’s biggest football extravaganza set to begin in June 2014.

Speaking during the Press announcement, Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua wel-comed Kenyans to Machakos as part of his promise to transform the county into a sporting centre of the world. He also assured Kenyans of adequate security measures for the pre- and post-events.

“We have over 500 CCtv cameras, adequate police cars, and we shall ensure thorough searches of all peo-ple coming into Machakos,” he said.

MultiChoice Kenya GM, Danny Mucira, said Super-Sport have announced that they have secured the rights to screen all the matches of the forthcoming Fifa World Cup tournament to be held in Brazil, from June 12, 2014.

pRESTIGIOuS TROpHy“Nigeria’s Super Eagles

and four other African coun-tries – Ghana, Cameroon, Al-geria and Côte d’Ivoire – will lead the continent with hopes of lifting the presti-gious trophy. DStv Kenya would like to announce the launch of the World Cup Campaign titled ‘We are Bra-zil,’” he said.

“DStv and GOtv subscrib-ers will get to watch all the matches with the best pic-ture and sound quality avail-able. There is also the added perk of watching live match-es on the SuperSport HD channels on DStv. “

GOtv Kenya GM, Felix Kyengo, said their customers would not be left behind on June 12, when the World Cup kicks off.

“Our subscribers for GOtv and GOtv Plus will get to watch a fantastic display of football on SuperSport Select 1 and 2 with the best picture and sound quality. As part of its launch campaign, GOtv will be selling a fully con-nected kit with two months’ free subscription on the GOtv bouquet, which has over 30 channels retailing at Sh2,399. This is a fantastic offer that I encourage all television view-ers to take advantage of and enjoy affordable family en-tertainment.

“We are inviting all GOtv subscribers to the family fun day in Machakos,” he said.

laurence to navigate Rai in KcB Mtaani RallyBy ERIcK OcHIEnG’

With two-time KNRC

champion Alastair Cavenagh giving this Saturday’s KCB Mtaani Eldama Ravine Rally a wide berth, his regular nav-igator Gavin Laurence will fill the void left by Dez Pae Morris at Kabras Sugar Rac-ing.

Laurence will be navigat-ing Nakuru-based Onkar Singh Rai who is looking for-ward to a strong finish in his home rally.

It will be interesting to see how Laurence will adjust from a Proton ST2000 to a Group N EVOX, this being the first time he will savour the intensity of an EVOX car, having navigated Cavenagh in an EVO9 till last year.

“The excitement is im-mense from this end. I’m not with Dez in this rally due to work commitments but will

be sitting with Laurence. I have a lot of support here so hopefully I can repay some of it with a good drive, Lau-rence being an experienced navigator,” Rai told Fever-Pitch yesterday.

Elsewhere, Subaru N16 speedster Manvir Singh Baryan will be back after missing the Machakos and Kiambu rounds.

Baryan withdrew from Machakos following a mis-hap on recce and skipped the tour of Kiambu due to work commitments.

“The number of entries should be good in Eldama Ravine. I am excited but a little bit worried that I have not been in a rally car since Malindi, which was way back in February. Nonetheless, my target is top five (finish),” said Baryan.

Meanwhile, Jaspreet Singh Chatthe of Kenya pow-

ered his Mitsubishi Lancer EVOX to second overall place in the Airtel Zambia Interna-tional Motor Rally on Sun-day.

The event, which is the third round of the FIA Afri-can Rally Championship, saw former continental champion Mohammed Essa win his third straight ARC home rally and reduce Ivory Coast’s Gary Chaynes ARC lead to eight points.

DOMInaTED RallyEssa, who dominated the

rally from start to finish to move to 50 points, secured his third successive ARC home title after bringing his Madison General Subaru Impreza N16 home in three hours, three minutes.

Kenya’s Chatthe savoured second place in a Team Ki-bos-sponsored EVOX ahead of Chaynes driving an iden-

land finals as his main prior-ity.

“I earned my first 15s call up in 2009/10, but it was just the provisional squad and I didn’t play. However, I went on to play for Kenya Sevens in Hong Kong (2011).

“I feel great to be back on the team again, “said Amba-ka, who arrived last Satur-day.

“I’ll do my work like I al-ways do as I learn from my teammates. Being in France doesn’t mean that I know ev-erything. Every time I get on-to the pitch, I learn more from my teammates.

“Qualifying for the World Cup is our main target but we must stick to the game plan and give it our all. If we qualify, that will be a dream come true and will change a lot in Kenyan rugby.

wORKInG HaRD“As we speak, already

people know there is a team in Kenya and most eyes are on us right now. But for us to achieve that, we must keep working hard, remain fo-cused and believe in our-selves,” Ambaka said.

Asked about his experi-ence in France and how he

felt after winning the Pro Di-vision Two (Pro D2) champi-onship title, Ambaka said: “It’s a good experience. First season, scoring eight tries and winning the champion-ship with some of the best players in the world – that’s marvellous. I have learnt a lot and I feel blessed to be part of that great team.”

But by his own admis-sion, Ambaka said it’s not easy adapting to life abroad as well as playing in a 15-a-side team.

“I didn’t have a good 15s background so it’s very chal-lenging and the first three

months were hectic. I couldn’t stand the cold weather of November, De-cember, January and Febru-ary.

“At the beginning of the season I suffered a back in-jury that really slowed down my progress. As I struggled to regain fitness, I felt home-sick at some point; I missed my mum, family, food and everything about Kenya. Re-member, French classes were also there waiting for me. But I am glad that right now I can speak some French,” he said. —rokumu@standardmedia.co.ke

tical car, which finished the rally four minutes 47 sec-onds slower than the win-ning time.

Chatthe will be in Eldama Ravine this Saturday for the KCB Mtaani Rally, which is the fourth round of the Ke-nya National Rally.

Chatthe is racing in all the ARC rallies after finishing

third in the Sasol South Af-rica Rally and retiring in the Bandama Rally of Ivory Coast while leading.

Rwanda’s Giancarlo Da-vite, also in an EvoX, shrugged off an array of problems that included two punctures in the last three stages to finish fifth overall and fourth in the ARC race.

Jaspreet Chatthe

(right) pops champagne

alongside legendary

Dave Sihoka after finishing

second in Zambia.

laurence to navigate Rai in KcB Mtaani Eldama Ravine

Rally

Page 52 / FEVERPITCH Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

Cup pressure leaves David Luiz sleepless

SAO PAULO

Brazil defender David Lu-iz says he is having sleepless nights worrying about the World Cup, while his team mate Dani Alves describes the intense pressure of being tournament hosts as “deli-cious”.

“We are anxious, I wish it was starting tomorrow,” Luiz said at a commercial event in Sao Paulo on Tuesday.

“Some nights we don’t sleep. But that’s all part and parcel. It is a great chance and we are privileged to play a World Cup in front of our own fans. I can’t wait for it to start.”

The articulate Chelsea de-fender said the atmosphere in the Brazil squad was the best he has experienced in more than a decade as a pro-fessional player.

He added that their unity of purpose would help them to cope with the pressure of playing a home World Cup.

“We have to fi nd a bal-ance,” the 27-year-old Luiz told reporters. “Up to a cer-tain point (anxiety) is good, it gets you thinking about the game. But too much is harm-

ful so we’ll have to work on that and that is easier to do as a group.

“This group is very open, everyone has the right to give their opinion, and everyone is going to help each other.”

He added: “We really want this, our group is true in all we do, there is a great atmo-sphere. We are happy, anx-ious and we have two more games in which we’ll make last-minute adjustments and be ready to start with maxi-mum force.”

Brazil kick off the World Cup against Croatia on June 12 in Sao Paulo and then face Mexico and Cameroon in their other Group A games.

They play two warm-up matches against Panama in Goiania on June 3 and then Serbia in Sao Paulo on June 6. The host nation are favou-rites to lift a record-extend-ing sixth World Cup, but they will come under pressure from their often fi ckle fans.

Barcelona’s Alves said that although Brazil’s 23-man squad might not have much World Cup experience they have all played at the highest levels and will not be fazed.

— Reuters

DON’T MOURN THE DEATH France’s Franck Ribery, right,

challenges Spain’s Sergio Busquets (centre, during their

World Cup 2014 qualifying soccer match against France

at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, north of Paris. [PHOTO:

AP]

PARIS

Having won the last three major international tourna-ments, it is worth wondering if reigning champions Spain might fi nally come a cropper at this World Cup.

Their remarkable run of success simply has to come to an end eventually, and there are concerns that their style of football — epitomised by the ageing Xavi Hernandez — is al-ready outdated.

Spain followed the Barce-lona way of playing to win the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012. In the latter tournament, they ultimately triumphed in style, destroying Italy 4-0 in the fi nal, but the sterile way in which they dominated earlier match-es led many to label Vicente del Bosque’s side boring.

Even if wasn’t always thrill-ing, it was effective. But the two years since have witnessed the decline of the Pep Guardi-ola empire at Barcelona.

The Catalans’ possession-based game, popularly known as “tiki-taka”, was made to look utterly one-dimensional as they were taken apart by Bay-ern Munich, all power and fast transitions from defence to at-tack, in the Champions League semi-fi nals in 2013.

Fast forward a year and Bayern, with Guardiola in charge, were playing the “tiki-taka” and being torn apart on the counter-attack by Real Ma-drid at the same stage. Recent-ly, as a result, it has become popular to mourn the death of that style.

ALTERNATIVE PLAYAlternative ways of playing

have emerged at club level. Borussia Dortmund’s high-oc-tane counter-pressing game took them to the 2013 Cham-pions League fi nal, while Atlé-tico Madrid have achieved ex-traordinary success with a 4-4-2 formation centred around defensive discipline, midfi eld industry and the brute attacking force of Diego Costa.

Jose Mourinho has taken things to extremes at times. His approach is often that if you willingly renounce posses-sion you will make fewer mis-takes and win the game.

But to say that “tiki-taka” is dead is to jump to conclusions. After all, until 2011, Guardio-la’s Barcelona mixed their mes-merising short passing with a crucial element, a high-energy pressing game. And Guardio-la’s Bayern won the double in Germany in the season just fi nished.

“Tiki-taka” can still succeed if played at the right tempo,

and Spain are set to maintain the faith in a style that has served them so well before.

“Why would we change? We’ve done very well with this style. There’s no need to change it,” midfi elder David Silva told British newspaper The Inde-pendent.

There are different ways to win matches, though, and all are valid. Playing with two for-wards has become less com-monplace in the last decade, and both the 4-2-3-1 and Bar-celona’s classic 4-3-3 with one central forward, or perhaps a false nine, will be prominent.

Nevertheless, several South American sides will play with two strikers, including Uru-guay with Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez, and Chile.

The four-man defence will remain de rigueur, even if Mex-ico favour a back fi ve and Lou-is van Gaal has admitted that the loss of midfi elder Kevin Strootman to injury could see the Netherlands abandon their 4-3-3 for a 5-3-2.

Van Gaal’s seemingly last-minute change in policy is all the more remarkable given that modern World Cups tend to be characterised by the de-

sire not to take risks.The fi rst Fifa World Cup

Technical Study, of the 1966 fi -nals in England, noted that “emphasis on defensive strength in team play is spread-ing throughout world foot-ball,” because “team coaches in modern competition cannot afford to lose.”

Fast forward to South Afri-ca 2010, and FIFA noted that “the opening group matches were characterised by cautious play.” Things did improve, but the average goals per game for the entire tournament was just 2.27, the lowest ever. —AFP

Champions Spain face

hardest task in defence of WC title

21DAYS TO GO

Brazil football team.

Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama (left) challenges Spain’s Fernando Torres. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]

FEVERPITCH / Page 53 Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

Robin van Persie of The Netherlands during the Group D World Cup qualifying match against Es-tonia at Arena Stadium in Amsterdam. [PHOTO: AP]

THE HAGUE

Dutch ace Robin Van Per-sie is counting on the World Cup to act as a cure for a “complicated” season at Man-chester United.

“For the fi rst time in my professional career I fi nished a season without qualifying for a European competition,” the 30-year-old striker told AFP.

In his fi rst season at Unit-ed under Alex Ferguson, Van Persie scored 26 league goals as the team secured the Eng-lish Premier League title.

However, the second sea-son was a disaster as Britain’s wealthiest club slumped to their lowest fi nish since 1990 and new manager David Moy-es lasted only 10 months.

“It was a complicated sea-son. Nothing worked for us,” Van Persie bemoaned. The striker had regular injuries which culminated in a sprained knee in March that ruled him out for six weeks.

“I was never worried that I could miss the World Cup, but it is true that this injury came at really the worst time,” he told Dutch media last week.

Brazil may be the last chance for Van Persie, who made his name at Feyenoord and became an icon at Arse-nal before his £24 million ($40 million, 29.5m euro) move to Manchester in 2012, to claim a title on the international stage.

His reputation is already secure in England, where he is the 10th highest scorer in Pre-mier League history with 134 goals.

As one of the most feared strikers in the world -- he was the top scorer of any Europe-an nation in World Cup quali-fying with 11 goals -- he has become the centre-piece of the Dutch team.

Last year he was made team captain, as Louis van Gaal, the Dutch coach who has just been named as the new Manchester manager, made a u-turn in his attitude to the striker.

At the start of qualifying, van Gaal had named Klaas-Jan Huntelaar as the spear-head of his strike force.

The Dutch reached the fi -nal of the 2010 World Cup, but van Persie and his team-mates had a disappointing 2012 Eu-ropean Championship in Ukraine, where the Nether-lands crashed out in the group stage. Van Persie bounced back, though, as Van Gaal readily admitted.

“He has such talent that I cannot get by without him,” the coach said after van Persie scored three goals against Hungary in October 2013 to become the Netherlands’ all-time leading scorer.

He has 42 goals from 83 in-ternational matches, but he has yet to really make his mark on a World Cup or Euro Cup fi nals. — AFP

Jedinak will lead Australia

Brazil assure fans airports will be okay

SYDNEY

Crystal Palace midfi elder Mile Jedinak was Wednesday named captain of Australia’s World Cup squad following the axing of Lucas Neill.

He will be backed by vice-captains Tim Cahill and Mark Bresciano.

“It is a privileged position and an accolade he richly de-serves after the incredible job he has done at Crystal Palace in the toughest club competi-tion in world football — the English Premier League,”

coach Ange Postecoglou said.“Mile Jedinak embodies

everything that is great about Australian football and Aus-tralia as a nation.

“He has risen to the top of world football and done it the hard way from humble begin-nings where he has battled and believed in himself to overcome the odds with an enormous work ethic and pas-sion for what he does.

“I have no doubt he will lead the team with distinction in Brazil and we will have two of our greatest-ever football

SAO PAULO

Brazil is trying to assure World Cup tourists that they won’t face problems at air-ports even though not all upgrades will be complete.

The chronic delays in air-port renovations have matched those in stadium construction, and offi cials have acknowledged visitors will be using unfi nished air-port facilities. Now they are stressing that everything will be okay for fans on arrival.

Wellington Moreira Fran-co, Brazil’s civil aviation minister, said in an inter-view with The Associated Press that “all airports will be prepared to adequately” re-ceive World Cup tourists and all “major” projects will be completed.

President Dilma Rousseff used her weekly radio show to “guarantee” the airports will be ready. But concerns come as problems continue to arise three weeks from the start of the tournament. In the latest setback, heavy rain caused fl ooding in the pas-senger terminal of the World Cup airport in Manaus on Monday. — AP

OF TIKI-TAKA JUST YET

From left, Australia’s Tim Cahill (vice captain), coach Ange Postecoglou, captain Mile Jedinak and Mark Bresciano.

21DAYS TO GO

Downbeat Van Persie eyes World Cup lift with Dutch

players in Tim Cahill and Mark Bresciano giving the team what I believe is strong leader-ship.”

His promotion comes after Neill, who played for Australia 96 times and captained the side on 60 occasions, was dumped from the squad with Postecoglou saying the 36-year-old did not have the form or fi tness to justify going to Brazil.

Australia are taking an in-experienced group to the tour-nament following the recent international retirements of goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, forward Harry Kewell and midfi elders Brett Emerton and Brett Holman.

Jedinak, who is struggling with a groin strain he picked up in Crystal Palace’s fi nal game of the season, said he was honoured to be made cap-tain.

“To be handed the respon-sibility of captaining my coun-try at the World Cup is hum-bling, yet incredibly exciting,” he said. “To be leading out my country and these play-ers at the World Cup on be-half of all Australians is spe-cial.” — AFP

By GILBERT WANDERA

Nairobi City Stadium will be renovated at a cost of Sh87 mil-lion.

The country’s oldest stadi-um is set to be closed from July for the renovations, according to Governor Evans Kidero.

Kidero revealed the county government has partnered with a major donor whom he did not name to undertake the upgrade that promises to turn around a facility that has been neglected for a long time.

“I can confi rm that we have fi nalised plans to renovate this stadium with the donor con-tributing a signifi cant amount of the required money and the county government topping up the rest to the tune of Sh87 mil-lion,” he said.

Kidero revealed that under the planned renovation, new terraces will be built as well dressing rooms and parking

and a new turf to replace the already worn-out one that was laid down by world body Fifa.

Some of the envisaged reno-vations were to be done two years ago when Fifa laid down the turf but lack of fi nances and commitment from the former Nairobi City Council meant nothing was done.

PROVED TOO COSTLYThe planned building of a

new parking outside the stadi-um was one of the major things that were to be done but due to political factors, it proved too costly to relocate the thousands of hawkers who carry out busi-ness at the venue.

However, Kidero has warned that they will not be held back

by such considerations.“We are a government and

whatever plans we come up with, we are determined to go through with them,” he said.

Apart from City Stadium, Ki-dero revealed that an upgrade of most of playing fi elds in Nai-robi will also be undertaken.

The governor was speak-ing at City Stadium when he donated four pairs of playing uniforms to Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions Gor Mahia.

Kidero promised to buy more kit for the club and also revealed he is in talks with po-tential sponsors to support them fi nancially.

“I am a big supporter of Gor Mahia and contribute to their

kitty every year. I have initiated talks with several companies on the possibility of them coming on board to support the club,” he said.

Gor Mahia chairman Am-brose Rachier said the club re-mains grateful for Kidero’s sup-port which has seen through tough times.

“The governor has always come to our aid and for this we are grateful,” he said.

He said the club is looking for an alternative training and playing ground once City Sta-dium is closed for renovations.

“It is a good thing that our home ground is going to be closed for renovation. This has given us a good opportunity to look for a better playing and training ground and we are al-ready considering several op-tions,” said Rachier.

—gwandera@standardme-dia.co.ke

PAGE 54 / FEVERPITCH Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

Gachie Luckboys’ Antony Mwanjala (left) vies for the ball against Muchatha’s John Kamau at the weekend. [PHOTO:JENIPHER WACHIE]

Nairobi County government to renovate City Stadium

SH87M BOOST

Fight for slots hots up in Kiambu tourney By ERIC WAINAINA

The second round of the ongoing Kiambu County Football Championship kicked off in earnest over the weekend.

In Juja, International FC overcame Machure 5-4 in a nine-goal thriller, while Sparks FC bolstered their hopes of proceeding to the next level after beating Ma-gomano 1-0 at Machure ground.

Jacaranda beat JKUAT 1-0, Juja United conquered Murera Youth 5-2 as Young-sters lost 4-0 to Juja Commu-nity in the tournament spon-sored by the Kiambu County Government.

According to Kiambu County Sports Secretary Ma-chel Waikenda, the initiative is tailored towards selecting a vibrant team to participate in the inter-county leagues.

In Thika, Clepto lost to Man-dela 0-3, Sportsvilla went down to UMMA 2-1, Mtaa beat Ngoliba 1-0 while Maveterans defeated Jungle 2-1 at Gatuanyaga ground.

From the 120 teams par-ticipating at the sub-county level, 24 (two from each sub-county), will proceed to the third round.

In Gatundu North, Mang’u beat Ndekei 1-0, Kanjuku lost to Kianwe 2-4, Gacharage beat Gacege 5-0, while Nyamuthambi hit Gatei 1-0.

In Gatundu South sub-county, Muthurembi edged Karatu 3-2, Karembu won against Gaitete 1-0, Ngenda triumphed over Theta 4-3 while Mutomo beat Sygenta 2-0 at Mutomo grounds.

In Ruiru, Gitothua lost to Bafana 3-2 while Koffi na blanked Gwav 3-1 as Kahawa All Stars tumbled 6-5 against

Intergimurai.Kahawa Youth prevailed

over Soccer Master 1-0, while Waiganjo hit Inter City 5-4 at Ruiru Stadium.

The games continue this weekend.

Nairobi County Governor Evans Kidero (third from left) donates playing kit to Gor Mahia at the City Stadium, yesterday. [PHOTO:DENNIS OKEYO/STANDARD]

OTHER RESULTSLARIAljazeera 4-3 Kagwe Wazee Kijabe Wanderers 2-0 KeepchangeKABETEMwimuto 2-1 Homeboyz Uthiru United 3-0 Kamuguga YouthLIMURUVysa 1-2 KenchickNgarariga United 2-0 Glacier Lucky Star 2-1 Olympic Lyons KIAMBU TOWNACK United 3-2 Super StarMaradona 2-4 Dallas Rising Stars 4-1 AllstarKiambu Community 1- 0 Hotstriker KIAMBAALucky Boys 1-0 Muchatha United Gathanga United 1-0 Kihara DallasGITHUNGURIGitamaiyu 1-0 Gakoe Karia Junior 0-1 Ngewa

Leopards lose points

Inter Milan jet in

tomorrow

FEVERPITCH / Page 55Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

...as Tusker add to City Stars’ woes, KRA stop Thika United

MUHORONI HOLD ULINZI

All Africa Golf Challenge Tour gets Sh600,000

Tusker’s Osborne Monday (left) and Kevin Ochieng’ of Nairobi City Stars vie for ball possession during their KPL match at City Stadium, yesterday. [PHOTO: BONIFACE OKENDO/ STANDARD]

All Africa Challenge Trophy Organising Committee chair Dorcas Mbalanya (left) and Kenya Team Captain Christina Andersen receive a dummy cheque of Sh600,000 from Kenya Orient Insurance Limited Head of Marketing Gabriel Kuria.

me age, is just but a number.” Sofapaka threatened first in the 11th minute with Haram-bee Stars attacking midfielder Clifton Miheso setting up John Njoroge who shot wide before Wilson Oburu denied Miheso a clear scoring opportunity.

In the 16th minute, Hum-phrey Mieno could have put the hosts ahead, but his goal was ruled offside.

Moments later, Baraza had a chance to break the dead-lock after dribbling past the defense, but failed to score.

However, three minutes later, the experienced Baraza tapped-in Enock Agwanda’s pass with Oburu well beaten.

Ndolo doubled the lead in the 36th minute after beating the Dockers’ offside trap from Njoroge’s cross.

With four minute to the break, Bandari made their first raid of the half, but there was no blue shirt in the area to convert Kepha Aswani’s cross.

Just seven minutes after re-start, Baraza netted his second goal courtesy of Danson Kago’s cross.

Twahir Muhiddin made a double substitution with Humphrey Okoti and Eric Okoth replacing Meshack Nwakinwa and Bruno SSeren-kuma respectively but this did not bear any fruits either. Ellie Asiech came in for Agwanda on Sofapaka side.

bArren drAwIn Muhoroni, hosts

Muhoroni Youth forced a bar-ren draw against visiting Ulin-zi Stars, continuing a good run of results since coach Francis Barasa came on board.

The game started on a high note with some hard tackles from the visiting side but the home side that looked com-posed from the onset ensured visitors were kept at bay.

A through pass in the 10th minute by Daniel Waweru almost earned the hosts the lead but Jeremiah Wanjala’s

shot went wide. The visitors also had a chance in the 42nd minute but their efforte went wide.

At Nyayo National Stadi-um, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) bounced back to win-ning ways after stopping Thika United 2-1 yesterday.

Two STrAiGhT winS At City Stadium, former

champions Tusker made it two wins in a row after bringing down cash-strapped Nairobi City Stars 1-0.

Thika United forward Mi-chael Olunga scored in the first minute of their match be-fore Liberian import Roosevelt Blatty equalised in the seventh minute for the tax men.

The match was all over for Thika United in the 21st min-ute after Bernard Misiki scored the winner for KRA.

Determined to get some-thing from this match, Thika were the first to make substi-tutions when Wycliff Opondo was rested for Jackson Macha-ria.

John Nairuka should have leveled the scores for Thika with five minutes inside the second half only to be denied by KRA custodian for a fruit-less corner.

Two minutes later, Nairuka was denied once again from a low header which went wide.

Protests by Thika forward Moses Arita earned the player a caution in the second half as the visitors were getting increasingly frustrated by the state of affairs. However, it was too late for them to recover as KRA picked all three points at home.

Brian Osumba’s fifth min-ute goal made all the difference as Tusker cruised past Nairobi City Stars at City Stadium.

The brewers were the quickest to settle down as they went ahead in the fifth minute of the match after Osumba combined well with Kevin Ki-mani to slot home from close range.

Both teams looked to have

Continued From P56

by elizAbeTh MburuGu

The All Africa Challenge Tour (AACT) yesterday received a boost after Kenya Orient In-surance Company gave it a Sh600,000 sponsorship.

The money will go towards the expenses of hosting the continental tournament to be held at Muthaiga Golf Club from June 8.

“We have been sponsors for the Kenya Ladies Golf Union (KLGU) for two years now, which includes a sponsorship of the juniors at the Rose Na-liaka Golf Academy. We believe sponsorship for the AACT will help our golfers rightfully com-

pete with the best on the conti-nental stage,” said Kenya Orient Insurance Head of Marketing Gabriel Kuria.

While thanking Kenya Ori-ent Insurance for the sponsor-ship, Dorcas Mbalanya, chair-man of the ACCT organising committee, announced that 18 teams have so far confirmed participation at the event mak-ing it one of the biggest amateur golf tournaments in Kenya and only second to the Kenya Open.

nuMber oneKenya’s number one female

golfer Naomi Wafula will lead the charge for Kenya.

The others in the Kenya

team include Josephine Ainley who plays in the US, Christina Engell Andersen (Muthaiga) and team manager/captain Mwongeli Nzioka (Limuru).

The team is expected to re-ceive the Kenya flag next week from Kenya’s First Lady Marga-ret Kenyatta.

Meanwhile, Wafula is head-ing to Gaborone to represent Kenya in the second Africa Olympics in Botswana (May 22-31) at the end of this month.

This will also be a qualifier for the Youth Olympics. Mary Monari and Adil Balala will also take part.

—emburugu@standardme-dia.co.ke

by GilberT wAnderA

Thika United have been awarded their abandoned Ke-nyan Premier League (KPL) match against AFC Leopards two weeks ago.

The match was abandoned in the 83rd minute while Thika United were leading 1-0. Apart from forfeiting the match, Leopards have also been fined Sh500,000.

Club chairman Allan Kasa-vuli confirmed they have re-ceived the verdict but said they will appeal.

Elsewhere, Kasavuli led top club officials to see off AFC Leopards as they travelled to Sudan for this weekend’s Nile Basin tournament.

“We believe in you and have faith that you will represent the club well in this competition,” Kasavuli told the players.

The club’s Secretary General George Aladwa said sponsors are thirsty for results and urged the players to give their best in the two week event which brings together all Cup winners from the region.

Assistant coach Abdalla Juma expressed confidence that Leopards will do well in the two-week competition.

Leopards open their cam-paign against Elman of Soma-lia on Friday before taking on Mbeya City of Tanzania on Sun-day in their second preliminary match. They end their group matches against Merreikh Al-Fasher of Sudan next Tuesday.

by GilberT wAnderA

Italian giants Inter-Milan have confirmed their tour of Kenya and a scheduled to play national team Harambee Stars on Sunday at the Safaricom Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

According to Football Kenya Federation (FKF), the visit has been made possible following efforts by Ministry of Sports, Sports Stadia Management Board and the Ministry of Tour-ism.

“The celebrated team that finished fifth in just ended Se-rie ‘A’ will comprise a strong squad but minus some of those engaged with their World Cup bound teams,” said a state-ment from FKF Chairman Sam Nyamweya.

He added: “The visit serves as a strong indicator of federa-tion’s efforts to support Tourism Ministry’s campaign towards Tourism Recovery Programme and to show case our ability to host international teams.”

The visit comes barely a few weeks after a tour to Kenya by the Italian Under-18 team, who played two matches against national Under-20 team and Ju-nior Gor- Mahia side.

settled in the match by the quarter hour mark but it was the brewers who were still dominating the game.

Mathare United and Top Fry AllStars shared the spoils after playing to a 1-1 draw in an entertaining encounter at the Kenyatta Stadium.

Both teams created a hand-ful of decent chances in the first half, but failed to find their

finishing touch.After numerous raids in

the second half, it is the for-mer KPL champions who went ahead in the 57th min-ute through Bernard Omondi’s thumping header from Daniel Mwaura’s free-kick.

However, there celebra-tions were short-lived as Dan-iel Kamau rose high above his marker after the hour mark to

beat Mathare custodian Rob-ert Mboya with a fine header.

The tempo of game in-creased as both tacticians made a couple of substitu-tions, but the score line re-mained the same.

— Reports by Rodgers Eshi-emi, Gilbert Wandera and Phil lip Orwa

FEVERPITCH

Thursday, February 20, 2014

STANDARDTHE

www.standardmedia.co.ke

Don’t mourn the death of Spain’s tiki-taka in Brazil just yet, P.52-53Don’t mourn the death of Spain’s tiki-taka in Brazil just yet, P.52-53Don’t mourn the death of Spain’s tiki-taka in Brazil just yet, P.52-53Don’t mourn the death of Spain’s tiki-taka in Brazil just yet, P.52-53Don’t mourn the death of Spain’s tiki-taka in Brazil just yet, P.52-53Ambaka joins 15s side for World Cup qualifi er, P.51

Published and printed at The Standard Group Centre, Mombasa Road Nairobi - Kenya, by The Standard Group, P.O. Box 30080, Nairobi 00100, Kenya. Switch Board Tel. 3222111. Fax: 322027, 2229218, 2218965. News Desk Tel: 3222200, Fax: 0719012027. editorial@standardmedia.co.ke MOMBASA: Tel: 2230884, 2230897, 2228204, 2228098. Fax: 2230814. NAKURU: Tel: 2214289, 2212914. Fax: 2217348. KISUMU: Tel: 2022820, 2021866. Fax: 2023451. ELDORET:

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7 Pages of Sizzling Sports Coverage!

Download free QR Readers from the web and scan this QR (Quick Response) code with your smart phone for pictures, videos and more stories.

BACK ON TRACK

By FEVERPITCH TEAM

Sofapaka thrashed Bandari FC 3-0 to return to winning ways in the fi rst match of the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) mid-week doubleheader, at the Kenyatta Stadium, Macha-kos.

“Today, the players put in a lot of effort and the victory is justifi able. I hope they will work extra hard and get such results in the remaining two matches of the fi rst leg,” said a jubilant Sofapaka coach Sam Timbe.

Three-time golden boot winner John Baraza scored in each half before Ekaliana Ndolo’s strike made it 3-0, taking Batoto Ba Mungu’s points tally to 21.

After the victory, Baraza said: “Football is all about hard work and if at my age I can score a brace and emerge the Most Valuable Player, then expect more from us this year. To

CONTINUED ON PAGE 55

Mathare United’s Roy Syombua (right) dribbles the

ball past Teddy Siya of Nakuru Top-Fry during their

KPL match at Machakos. [PHOTO: DENNIS OKEYO/

STANDARD]

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Sofapaka rediscover winning ways to hit Bandari

Is Machakos City dream practical? P8

Thursday, May 22, 2014

BUILD YOUR OWN HOME‘We built estate by saving Sh100 a day’ PAGE 12

FINE TOUCHStylish coffee tablesPAGE 14

Page 10 / HOME AND AWAY Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

propertywatch

By FRANCIS AYIEKO

A week ago, I came across the un-fortunate story of a renter on the verge of losing his entire house-hold belongings for a fault not of

his own making.The house he was renting had been

bought on mortgage. Unknown to him, the landlord had been struggling to repay the mortgage.

He fell behind and could not continue repaying. From what I heard, the default was not deliberate.

Then came the saddest part of the story. While this tenant was away, the bank sent its agents who locked the house with all his belongings inside. He tried to plead all he could to be allowed to take his belongings, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

After being rendered homeless, he start-ed looking for another house to rent, as he fought for his belongs to be released to him. That was last week.

You’ve got to sympathise with this renter for such unthinkable inconvenience. Some might blame him for not doing his due diligence, but the truth is that he cannot be blamed for what happened.

One important issue brought up by this incident — and which needs to be ad-dressed adequately by industry players — is the dilemma of the buy-to-let property in-vestor.

Buy-to-let investors in a fix

In this case, the landlord reached a point where he could no longer service the mort-gage he had taken to buy the house.

Many buy-to-let investors confidently take out mortgages, with the plan of repay-ing through the accruing rent and a little top-up from their own pockets — and with the hope that at some point, the rent col-

lected would have risen to equal monthly instalments.

But rents rarely reach a level where they equal monthly instalments. This means you must have an external source of in-come from which you will top up the instal-ments.

But because we live in an unpredictable

world, you are not assured the external in-come source will always be there. You may lose your job, your business may collapse or you may have too many financial commit-ments that you had never imagined when you took out the loan.

Lenders are nowadays a bit more un-derstanding (but not sympathetic) and en-courage borrowers to “talk to them” in case of any challenge.

reality

Many lenders say when a borrower finds himself or herself in a financial bind, they can restructure the loan –—reduce the monthly instalment and increase the repay-ment period.

But the reality is sometimes different, much of that is a marketing gimmick by banks, especially in the face of the ever-ris-ing competition. Don’t also forget that most defaults can be attributed to the high inter-est rates charged.

In some parts of the world like London, buy-to-let investors are able to reap from their investments right from the time they let them out, thanks to friendly interest rates.

It will take some years of beating sense into the lending sector that the regime as it is, is not friendly to the buy-to-let investor, or any investor really.

— fayieko@standardmedia.co.ke

The More Comprehensive Property Show

There is something for every one!Only on

Are you tired of the hustle and bustle of the city? This Sunday we shall take you to Greenpark Estate, where families enjoy a tranquil lifestyle.In our Accessory Spot look out for ways you can enhance your space with specialized building products.

For this and much more, remember to catch us on Sunday at 6.00pm.

HOME AND AWAY / Page 11Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

One of the hallmarks of many a corporate organisation is an elaborate office design with large desks, a secretary almost hidden

by a high top counter and a large corner of-fice for the boss.

Well, that intimidating look might be on its way out if an office design pioneered by Vianello Modola Design gets entrenched.

The design involves creating an open of-fice environment driven by the need for a free working culture preferred by the young generation of workers, a contrast to the cur-rent formal and strict office environment.

Among the companies that have em-braced the new concept is One Africa Me-dia, a conglomerate that includes online marketing startups such as Brighter Mon-day, Buyrent Kenya, Staynow and Checki.co.ke.

The office revolution

secondfeature

Companies are increasingly adopting an open office environment driven by the need for a free working culture preferred by the young generation of workers, writes PETER MUIRURI

One Africa Media office on 14 Riverside Drive, for instance, looks more like a mini Disney World than an office. Recycled ma-terials have been cobbled together to cre-ate eye-catching designs meant to create an easy office environment.

“This concept is meant to challenge the established way of doing things. There are no rooms or partitions that divide people socially and mentally. That is why we have even incorporated several games within the office such as table tennis,” says Carey Eaton, one of the founders of One Africa Media.

Eaton says the concept is about open collaboration, a flat hierarchy, rapid inno-vation, and attracting smart people and giving them work-life balance.

The company’s workplace includes working in the cloud, ensuring employ-

ees work from any place they prefer, office entertainment, periodic office parties and socialising.

“We’ve also incorporated strong values that are important to us by supporting lo-cal craftsmanship, innovation and design through the use of recycled Kenyan materi-als,” says Eaton.

For instance, one of the round confer-ence tables has a car rim as its base. A near-by set of furniture includes seats made of the wooden, cylindrical spools mostly used to pool large cables. These are cut into half and padding material added to give them some soft base.

vintage

Visitors’ lounges consist of vintage Volk-swagen car seats while some tabletops are made of airplane wings sourced from Wil-son Airport. A plane tyre even serves as the support for one such table.

Unlike the corner cubicles used as wa-ter boiling points in many offices, there is a full-fledged kitchen decked with high stools where tea and snacks are made in full view of all. How that must get the taste buds overworked!

“We have a laid back culture but every-one here is goal oriented. The easy office setup allows workers to be more resourceful without being micromanaged. In any case,

those who want some personal space can always put on their headphones and work while listening to their favourite music,” adds Eaton.

Around the world, more and more com-panies are embracing the idea of employee satisfaction mainly by redesigning the tradi-tional corporate workspace.

Many are incorporating an activity based work environment, breaking down the tra-ditional office and cubicle walls in favor of large open workspaces.

Besides fostering teamwork, such de-signs cut down on costs and improve pro-ductivity.

According to BusinessNews Daily, such an office design is based on the needs of each company, where employees, by their very nature of work, need to be side by side without walls dividing them.

“When people are in for the day, they can sit down and collaborate with team mem-bers, but they don’t have a dedicated space that is theirs. They can come in at anytime they choose for a meeting or to network and then that space could be used by somebody else, maybe the next day, who is in the office at that time,” writes Business News Daily.

Well, who said you cannot mix business and pleasure?

— homeandaway@standardmedia.co.ke

Inside One Af-rica Media offices. [PHOTOS: PETER MUIRURI/STANDARD]

Page 12 / HOME AND AWAY Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

buildyourownhome

What can you do with Sh100 in a day? To many, very little, but to members of Kitemoto Housing Co-operative Society, a Sacco

formed by 100 boda boda (motorcycle) op-erators in Kitengela town, the amount can buy a house.

It all started in November 2009 after the boda boda operators got tired of frequent arrests by traffic police and the squalid con-ditions of the houses they were living in.

“The police were arresting our members even for little traffic offences and this an-gered us since we were losing motor bikes in the process due to confiscation. We then saw it wise to start a saving plan to help us paying for the fines as well as to improve our living conditions,” says Aloise Mwai, the group’s chairman.

To achieve this, the group came up with three goals: Planting trees in Kitengela town

to help reduce

‘We built estate by saving Sh100 a day’dust; building themselves houses; and buy-ing motorcycles for each member, rather than riding hired ones.

They have succeeded in buying them-selves motorcycles; tree planting is on-go-ing (although they say they are facing sever-al challenges, including lack of seeds, high maintenance costs that include frequent watering and cultivation). Currently, they are in the process of completing houses for members.

advice

Before starting the real estate project, they approached the Isinya District Co-op-erative Officer, Frank Maina, who advised them to form a group through which they could get loans. That is when they regis-tered Kitengela Motorcycle Owners (Kite-moto) with 200 members.

However, about 100 members quit, say-ing the group would be like another pyra-

mid scheme.“Since we had

Boda boda operators in Kitengela defy all the odds to own decent houses through meagre savings, writes JAMES WANZALA

set goals and we were focused on attaining them, we decided to move on,” says group secretary Gathaga Maina.

The group went for training on financial management, bookkeeping and savings.

They then approached the National Co-operative Housing Union (Nachu) nine months after inception. Nachu told them they could save and own houses and pay back at a low interest rate.

“What inspired us more to own houses was the fact that if we channelled the money we were spending on rent every month into repaying the Nachu loan for seven years, we could each own a Sh430,000 house,” says Gathaga.

They each started saving Sh100 per day in 2010. When each member’s savings hit Sh60,000, they bought a 50-acre land in Mil-lennium area in Kisaju, Kajiado County, at Sh15 million.

“It was not an easy task saving Sh100 per day…it was a sacrifice that forced most of us to give up on leisure activities and focus on saving,” says John Ndegwa, a member.

Today, the 100 members are beaming with joy, since they are the proud owners of the Ngasemo estate.

Located 800m from Namanga-Kajiado Road and 13km from Kitengela town on an

earth road, the estate comprises 100 bedsitters (starter units)

for the members and 24 three-

bedroom bungalows, ready for occupation. Each bungalow is going for Sh4.7 million to the public.

The starter units come with extra space for expansion. Since only 50 members have been able to pay the required Sh7,600 per month, the rest of the 50 units are rented to mama mbogas, who pay the Sh7,600 per month.

The bungalows come with tiled floors, two bedrooms and one master ensuite, with modern kitchen consisting of sink, tap, work tops, upper and lower kitchen cabi-nets and dining area-cum living room.

present situation

The estate has borehole water. Land-scaping is to be done soon; power connec-tion is being worked on. Also in place is chain link fence. A perimeter wall has also been planned. A septic tank has been in-stalled for sewage disposal.

The members are toying with the idea of renting houses belonging to those who will not be willing to stay in the estate to students from the soon-to-be-constructed Tangaza College and existing institutions like KAG University and Kampala Interna-tional University.

The members are, however, calling upon the Government to help them through youth fund to clear the loans so that

they can start plan-ning for phase two

of the estate.

HOME AND AWAY / Page 13Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

buildyourownhome

‘We built estate by saving Sh100 a day’

The membership has since increased to 400.

“If we get funding from the government, we will be able to pay the loan quickly with-in less than seven years since loan is on re-ducing balance,” says Aloise.

Aloise is also requesting the Kajiado County government to build roads leading to the estates, including Ngasemo, which gets muddy when it rains.

The group also offers products for mem-bers like emergency loans.

According to Timothy Lekake, Eastern Regional Housing Officer with Nachu, the union works closely with various housing co-operatives to ensure decent living for low-income Kenyans.

Any interested group has to pay an af-filiation fee of Sh12,500 — Sh2,500 caters

for registration while Sh10,000 is for shareholding (a share is

Aloise Mwai, Kite-moto chairman. RIGHT: A house in the estate. BELOW: A view of the estate. [PHO-TOS: JAMES WANZALA AND COURTSEY/STANDARD]

Sh10). “We had to conduct a needs assess-ment first for the members to ascertain the financial and income status and found that they were okay and went ahead to build for them houses,” says Lekake . He added: “The main objective of this project is to eliminate the mushrooming of slums and provide de-cent houses for the low-income class and

t h o s e living ininformal settle-

ments.” Lekake said Nachu has already done such projects in Nairobi’s Kawang-ware slums, Nakuru, Kondele in Kisumu, Mlolongo and now Kitengela.

Frank Maina, the Isinya Sub County Co-operative Officer who registers co-opera-tives within the sub-county, applauded the boda boda operators.

“I am proud of this project because many people, including myself, used to

view boda boda operators as people with no vision. They have

come up with a project worth emulating,” he told Home and Away at the project’s site.

He lauded the members for their disci-pline to save and manage their time well.

Aloise said Kitemoto members are also looking for a biogas investor to install the bio digester, which they hope to produce alternative energy to serve the estate.

Today, the Kitemoto chairman is a busy person, with different groups across the country inviting him for lectures.

“We are willing to share with more groups out there on how we got to

where we are today,” he says.

— jwanzala@standardmedia.

co.ke

Page 14 / HOME AND AWAY Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The StandardHOME AND AWAY

finetouch/WITH WangecI kanyekI

It sits in almost every living room, but gets little attention despite its useful-ness. Try moving into quarters with-out furniture and you will discover

just how handy a coffee table is. If you want to enjoy your coffee table, it

is about time you gave a little more atten-tion to what you purchase and how you place it. Here are a few guidelines.

Buy a coffee table that you like given that you will be seeing and using it for many years. You may need to invest fi-nancially to get a durable piece either from retail furniture shops or second hand shops.

Take measurements of the space it will be placed so that there is adequate walk-ing space once the table is in position.

Select one that will blend in with the room décor such as a chrome finish for leather seats or hardwood Lamu table for a Swahili-themed room.

Either way, choose a table that is pro-portionate to the rest of the furniture so that it is not too small or too bulky.

HeigHt

Select an appropriate height depending

on functionality as well as the height of the sofas. A height of about 16-18 inches will be adequate to facilitate a comfort-able height to place refreshments.

The trend now is to have coffee tables at a much lower height, but a good guide is that it should be at the same height with the top of the sofa cushion, especially if the table will be used to place drinks while chatting.

SHape

Coffee tables come in all sorts of shapes, from square to oval or even rectangu-lar. Round tables give you more walking space and will be more appropriate for smaller rooms.

Square and rectangular tables eat up much more space and are therefore more suitable for vast spaces with sparse fur-niture.

Find a table with some storage space for items such as remote controls, place mats or a bottom shelf for magazines.

Design your own creative novelty-shaped coffee table that is both artistic and functional to reflect your personal style and match it with two or three other

Stylish coffee tables

XYYXYYYXYX Easter decorations yourself.[PHOTOS: COURTESY/STANDARD]

similar furniture units such as a bookshelf, stools or dining table to create a sense of unity.

placement

Find clever conventional ways to place the table such as diago-nally to differentiate your space from others.

Centre the table to the sofa, especially where there is a long L-shaped sofa and ac-cessorise the tabletop by us-ing a decorative runner or flower vase or ashtray for those who light up.

— jkanyeki@stan-dardmedia.co.ke

HOME AND AWAY / Page 15Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

It is no longer possible to drag a spouse into a property debt acquired before marriage.

The recently enacted Matrimonial Property Act provides that spouses are not solely liable — by reason of marriage — to personal property debts incurred by their partners before exchanging vows.

Provisions of the Act exclusively bar “cunning” spouses from dragging “honest” husbands/wives into paying up loans they never signed for.

“Any liability incurred by a spouse be-fore marriage and relating to property shall after marriage remain the liability of the one who acquired it,” says Section 10 of the Act.

However, liabilities incurred on mat-rimonial property shall be shared equally between spouses, unless they agree other-wise.

The law further states that spouses are also at liberty to share, equally, property li-abilities for the benefit of the marriage.

equal status

It provides for equal status of spouses that a married woman has similar rights as a man to acquire, administer control and dispose of property.

Married women can legally acquire, ad-minister, control and dispose of property, enter into contracts, sue and be sued in

property law WITH Harold ayodo

When a debt is yours alone

their own names.The Act mainly regulates and provides

for rights and responsibilities of spouses. The law that came into force on January 16, replaced the outdated colonial Married Women Property Act 1882 that governed matrimonial property.

As the progressive law excites many women, a section of men argue that it lega-

lises the culture of “mine is mine but yours is ours”, which is associated with perceived female gold diggers.

Male critics argue that married women who want to remain “independent” will invoke the law when the marriage hits the rocks and claim to move on.

Moreover, the Constitution also pro-vides that parties to a marriage are entitled

to equal rights at the time of marriage, dur-ing the marriage and at its dissolution.

Separately, the Land Act 2012 provides for elimination of gender discrimination in law, customs and practices related to land and property. It further encourages com-munities to settle land disputes through recognised local community initiatives and affording equal opportunities.

According to Article 68 (c) (iii) of the Constitution, Parliament should enact a legislation to regulate recognition and pro-tection of matrimonial property.

It particularly seeks to protect the mat-rimonial home during and on termination of marriage.

Moreover, according to the Land Regis-tration Act 2012, spousal rights over matri-monial property are among the overriding interests that do not need necessarily to be noted in the register.

Section 93 of the Act provides that sub-ject to the law on matrimonial property, if a spouse obtains land for co-ownership, there is a presumption that the spouses shall hold the property as joint tenants un-less they state otherwise.

The law also requires consent of a spouse before any transaction on the mat-rimonial property or home.

— The writer is an Advocate of the High Court.

Page 16 / HOME AND AWAY Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

gardeningandlandscaping

ance the volume of excavated soil with the volume of soil re-quired to level up the other areas within the garden.

Additionally, retaining walls of stone, brick, concrete or wood ties may be necessary to support the restructured levels and pre-vent erosion.

These, too, need to be planned so that they are not only func-tional but also go towards en-hancing the overall garden and architectural design.

Create spaCes

Grading provides an opportu-nity to create beautiful spaces full of movement and drama between the different levels of a site.

Working your plan around the site’s natural terrain will create a more natural effect, while work-ing with terraces and retaining structures create a more formal and contemporary design.

Your main objective will be to create spaces at different el-evations for visual interest and depth and linking these in an at-tractive and functional manner.

Avoid drastic changes that will require huge and imposing re-taining structures. For practical purposes, spaces with only a slight incline can be treated as flat.

However, if completely level areas are needed, for example, to accommodate tables and chairs, this should be considered care-fully so that drainage is not com-promised.

Drainage

The need to properly drain your property cannot be over-emphasised. Stagnant water or

Grading involves shaping the terrain to resolve drain-age problems, enhance function and improve aesthetics. [PHOTOS: HOSEA OMOLE/STAN-DARD]

By HOsea OMOLe

Garden development often requires some site adjustment that involves shaping the

terrain to resolve drainage prob-lems, enhance function and im-prove aesthetics. This is called grading.

A well thought out grading de-sign increases the usefulness of a site. For instance, flattening a section of a slope can create a surface for a recreational play-field, a swimming pool or park-ing for cars.

But grading also unlocks the opportunity to create garden “rooms” at different levels of a site. Adjacent garden rooms may be separated physically and visually simply by a change in level rather than using walls and planting. Here are some more tips on how to design your grade.

pLan

Grading can be as simple as installing a curb to hold the soil back from a driveway or may in-volve deploying earthmovers to chop off a hillside.

Whichever situation you are confronted with, a grading exer-cise should not be left to chance. It should be well planned in or-der to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by your site’s natural terrain, mitigate potential problems and reduce costs.

Grading typically involves cut-ting or excavating the soil in some places to lower the existing level and filling other areas to raise the level.

In order to reduce costs, a good grading plan should ideally bal-

Designing a garden’s grade

water that drains towards the house can cause a myriad of structural and health problems, not to mention destroying your plants and garden.

The easiest way to deal with drainage problems is to slope all land, patios, walkways and driveways away from the house.

Once you get that right, the only other thing you need to do is to direct the water through surface or underground chan-nels to storage facilities or places where it will easily percolate or flow into a municipal or other common drainage facilities.

— The writer is a landscape ar-chitect

Page 2 / HOME AND AWAY Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

\

Published by: The Standard Group Ltd.Group Managing Editor (Print): Kipkoech Tanui

Deputy Managing Editor: Peter Okong’oRevise Editor: Linda Bach

Editor: Ferdinand Mwongela Sub-Editor: Francis Ayieko

Writers: Harold Ayodo, Lydia Limbe, Kevin Oguoko, Peter Muiruri, Mkala Mwaghesha, Wangeci Kanyeki and Austine Okande

Photographers: Elvis Ogina, Wilberforce Okwiri and Jenipher Wachie. Manager Print Creative: Daniel Weloba

Creative Designer: Liz Wanjiku

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS MAGAZINE CALL 3222907/08/10/11/18Email: homeandaway@standardmedia.co.keWebsite: www.standardmedia.co.ke/lifestyle

All correspondence to Home & Away is assumed to be intended for publication.

Home & Away accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, artworks or photographs. All rights on

publication remain with the publisher.

www.facebook.com/homeandawaymag

@homeandawayke

COUNTY CALL: Ghost town reawakens

For decades everything went quiet in Nyeri after dusk. But the town has been slowly showing sings of coming back to life. — PAGE 4

SPOTLIGHT: One more as Mavoko growsLapfund Gardens’ neighbours, Greenpark Estate and Sunset Boulevard, are already hot properties. One could say that this is turning to be a favourite area for such estates. — PAGE 6

STORY BEHIND: Seychelles’ historic jewel Seychelles’ Kenwyn House was built in 1855 by the French colonisers and was declared a national monument in 1984. — PAGE 7

SECOND FEATURE: The offi ce revolution

Many are incorporating an activity based work environment, breaking down the traditional offi ce and cubicle walls in favor of large open workplaces. — PAGE 11

BUILD YOUR OWN HOME: ‘We built an estate from Sh100 savings a day’ It all started in November 2009 after the boda boda operators got tired of frequent arrests by traffi c police and the squalid conditions of the houses they were living in.

— PAGE 12

PROPERTY LAW: When a debt is yours aloneThe Matrimonial Property Act exclusively bar ‘cunning’ spouses from dragging ‘honest’ husbands/wives into paying up loans they never signed for. — PAGE 15

P.16

P.6P.14

mytakeOF ‘LOST’ FILES AND THEIR RECOVERY

When the Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Hous-ing and Urban Development Charity Ngilu announced the closure of Lands offi ces for ten days, there was an uproar and for a

good reason. Many saw the proposed audit as a cosmet-ic gesture that would do little to change the rot in lands management offi ces, and the jury is still out on this. Pro-

ponents of land reforms have always pointed to the digitising of land re-cords as a step towards streamlining the sector and for a good reason. When the Lands Min-istry announces the re-covery of over one mil-lion fi les, it should be a cause for alarm not cel-ebration. Where could such a number of fi les have been “lost”? This is of course assuming that all these fi les were

found within the premises of the Ministry of Lands. Pro-ponents of the digitisation process could point out that this would not happen in a proper digital system, at least not without some complicated manoeuvres.

The era of fi les “disappearing” is one that should be addressed once and for all. Maybe, a question that many would love to get an answer to is; who has access to these fi les? When a huge number of fi les are deemed misplaced, or as the parlance is “lost”, one has to wonder whether the mandarins at the lands offi ces have heard of even a rudimentary fi ling system.

That said, the Cabinet secretary claims the fi les have been restored to their correct resting places, and we say good work. But Kenyans are still watching to gauge whether this was a PR exercise or the fi rst step towards a more effi cient system.

Mwongela

ponents of land reforms have always pointed to the digitising of land re-cords as a step towards streamlining the sector and for a good reason. When the Lands Min-istry announces the re-covery of over one mil-lion fi les, it should be a cause for alarm not cel-ebration. Where could such a number of fi les have been “lost”? This is of course assuming that all these fi les were

Design your garden’s grading.

Stylish coffee tables. One more estate as Mavoko grows.

Is Machakos City dream practical? P8

Thursday, May 22, 2014

BUILD YOUR OWN HOME

PAGE 12

FINE TOUCH

PAGE 14

HOME AND AWAY / Page 3Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

newsnow

Sh90m solar project targets the poor in remote regions

Eight local fi rms have received a Sh90 million grant from the Russian government through the World Bank to supply solar power to the poor in remote regions of Kenya.

The fi rms are One Degree Solar, Hensolex, Renewable Energy Ventures, Smart Solar Kenya, Solataa, Solattek Electronics, SunnyMoney Kenya and Mibawa Suppliers. They are all classifi ed as small and medium enterprises.

“Communities that will benefi t most from the clean and sustainable energy solutions are those with least access to these products, having to pay high up-front capital costs,” said Belinda Mills, offi cial of the Energy Small & Medium Enterprises Trust Fund.

Investors in Sh6b housing venture in Nakuru

South African investors will pump in Sh6 billion into putting up low-cost mod-ern houses in Nakuru County. According to Kamau Njuguna, Chamber of Com-merce and Industry’s Nakuru branch chairman, the money is part of the funds to be used to rehabilitate the sub-county houses in Nakuru, Gilgil and Naivasha.

The investors, who have visited three times before, will also put up a multi-million-shilling mall apart from building low cost housing in areas that have old dilapidated council houses that would be demolished.

Global hotel chain to set up fi rst property in NairobiOne of the world’s largest hotel

chains is set to expand into Kenya. Wynd-ham Hotel Group, which has 7,500 hotels across the globe, has signed a franchise agreement to make Ramada Nairobi its fi rst property in the country.

The entry into the Kenyan market by the global brand is a boost to the coun-try’s hospitality industry where other global brands like Kempinski Hotels and Best Western have recently set up camp.

— Compilled by Mkala Mwaghesha

Weekly RoundupChinese fi rm to put up 140 houses in Nairobi

By WANGECI KANYEKI

China’s foray into the local real estate market got a boost recently with the launch of a new 140-unit development in Nairobi.

The Fountain Gardens development is being put up in Kilimani’s Muringa Road by Chinese developers, Catham Properties Limited.

The property will comprise residential apartments and a hotel side. The apart-ments will be 140 two-bedroom and three-bedroom units going for between Sh11 million and Sh19 million.

The hotel will consist of 76 high-end serviced apartments going for Sh9 million and Sh13 million for one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, respectively.

Other facilities will include a restau-rant, swimming pool, landscaped gardens, a children’s play area and an underground car park.

AGREEMENTS

The launch was presided over by Lands, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu on May 9, a week that saw Kenya sign multiple agreements with the Chinese Government, including the historic signing of the Standard Gauge Railway deal, with Chinese Premier Li Keq-iang.

Ngilu said that Kenya’s current housing shortfall stands at over 250,000 units per year, despite improved economic growth and declining poverty.

She said this defi cit has been caused by low investment into the housing sector by both public and private sectors, which, to-gether produce only about 30 per cent of the estimated total demand.

As part of bridging this gap, the Gov-ernment plans to develop about 300,000 housing units in the next four years target-ing low-cost income earners in informal settlements.

In addition, the Government is im-proving infrastructure to open up land for housing in Nairobi suburbs and work with the private sector through the public private partnerships to mobilise fi nancial resources and enable transfer of technol-ogy, said Ngilu.

According to sales and marketing agent for the new development, Robert Darby, Kenya’s growing market provides investors with good opportunities for development.

“The Fountain Gardens will utilise China’s high-quality housing materials to develop quality livable homes for Kenyan people in line with the Kenyan market,” he said.

By H&A CORRESPONDENT

Real estate developer Erdemann Prop-erty has started handing over Seefar Apart-ment houses it built at Kibera Highrise Es-tate in Nairobi to buyers.

Construction of the 288-unit apart-ments comprising 264 two-bedroom and 24 three-bedroom units started in Decem-ber 2012. One of the new homeowners, Elvis Odhiambo Odoyo, said the wait was worthwhile and he was preparing to move in shortly.

The picturesque view of Nairobi Dam infl uenced Odoyo to choose his house. “I am very keen on the scenery and that is what I was looking for when I chose this house because it gives me a wonderful view of this side of Nairobi,” he said.

2,000 HOUSES

Erdemann Property Managing Direc-tor John Yang said his company has built 2,000 houses in Nairobi, all built using new technologies, Chinese professionals and building materials made by the company to keep construction costs low.

This, he said, is guided by his mission to provide affordable and decent housing

Developer hands over new houses to buyersto middle- and low-income earners.

Yang said his company envisions a Ke-nya where every family is in a position to rent or own a decent house.

SH1B PROJECT

The company is close to completing construction of a Sh1 billion housing proj-ect dubbed Great Wall Phase Three, which comprises 288 three-bedroom apartments, in Mlolongo, just a few kilometres outside Nairobi city centre.

Great Wall Phase Two is ongoing in the same area, which has 384 three-bedroom apartments expected to be ready by Sep-tember this year.

Yang asked the Government to give more incentives to homebuyers so that they are able to purchase houses.

There should also be incentives to home developers such as tax breaks and provision of serviced land by the govern-ment so that they can build affordable houses, he said.

“We believe that through public private partnerships, the government should not only provide the necessary policy sup-port, but also the necessary infrastructure like access roads, sewerage and associated

Lands, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu speaks during the launch. TOP: Ngilu, Qiu Yan, Chairman, Chengdu Uni Trust with Multi-Win Investment and Management and former Cabinet minister Njeru Githae during the launch. [PHOTOS: WANGECI KANYEKI/STANDARD]

GET FREE QUOTATION

social amenities to these developments,” Yang said. The Great Wall development is one of many such housing estates that are changing the face of mavoko.

Page 4 / HOME AND AWAY Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

New and upcoming buildings in the town. [PHOTOS:LYDIAH NYAWIRA/STANDARD]

countycall

Ghost town reawakens

It is considered a ghost town at the heart of central Kenya and for de-cades everything went quiet after darkness set in — shops closed,

clubs shut down and people disappeared from the streets. Save for a streetlight or two and shadows, nothing was alive.

But for the last two years, Nyeri town has been slowly showing signs of com-ing back to life, with nightclubs, super-markets, fast food joints and even street vendors working well past dusk.

In what is seen as an investment boom, new apartments, commercial buildings, holiday homes and private resorts com-ing up everywhere.

Perhaps the best example of a new crop of investments in Nyeri town is Dreams Bar and Restaurant in the heart of the town.

The finishing touches on Dreams Bar, a multi-million-shilling investment of Global Eagle Company Limited, are now almost done but the establishment has already opened its doors to the public.

Muriuki Nyamu, one of the directors of the company, says since he was a boy, he has never seen such growth in the town.

“We came together as a group of friends and identified the spot we wanted to put up our business and it was not a surprise when we found out that the building was put up in 1920 and the space has been idle for 27 years,” Nyamu says.

He notes that the owners of the space had long moved away and were willing to give the company a chance to put up the establishment.

Nyamu says Nyeri earned the reputa-tion for being a ghost town from being dormant since the 1990s.

“Many of the buildings in Nyeri town were put up during the colonial era by white settlers between 1900 and 1930,” he says.

coffee boom

Nyamu says the town remained un-changed till during the coffee boom of the 1970s and 1980s when more build-ings were put up by people who got more cash from coffee proceeds.

However, after coffee prices plum-meted in the 1990s, the only source of income for most families was the small workforce employed in the provincial administration.

Nyamu says one of the reasons he was confident enough to invest in a business in Nyeri was devolution and the younger, vibrant and educated professionals who have flocked to the town in the last few years.

“Because of devolution, we expect more people to come to the counties to invest and we want to lead the way and be an example to others,” Nyamu notes.

Nyamu’s sentiments were echoed by Patrick Mwangi, a real estate investor in the town, who started his own firm seven years ago.

“When I started out, the first two years were tough because the houses were few, and the real estate market was relatively slow in Nyeri,” says Mwangi.

But this has changed. “Every other

day, we have people putting up rental houses in estates such as Ruringu, Skuta, King’ong’o, Ngangarithi and Kamakwa and these are local investors who choose to build residential plots on their pieces of land,” he says, noting that many of those looking for houses are university students who want to be closer to the town.

High housing demand has led to an increase in rent in the town. Seven years ago, says Mwangi, rent for a two-bedroom unit was Sh6,500. That has increased to between Sh10,000 and Sh12,000.

He notes that the opening of campuses by six major universities in the town has changed business radically for everyone.

“The students can afford these houses because they cost-share, and they do not want to live in hostels because they want freedom and be close to various ameni-ties like clubs and supermarkets. So rent is probably going to keep rising for a while,” a beaming Mwangi says.

Mwangi points to the need for enter-tainment spots and shopping malls as being behind the growth of commercial buildings expected to house various su-permarket chains.

According to John Maina, the county executive for housing and planning, at least five supermarket chains are expect-ed to set up shop in Nyeri town. He says Nakumatt, Naivas, Uchumi, Magunando and Mathai supermarkets are expected to open branches in the town.

population growth

“Nyeri town has experienced popula-tion explosion occasioned by educa-tional institutions and business people are now willing to invest in the county to cash in on devolution,” Maina says.

He says the need for entertainment spots and shopping malls was leading to investments in both commercial and residential property in various towns in the county

“At the county level, we have ensured that development approval system is done within three days, down from a month,” he says, noting that apartment blocks and hotels are also coming up in other neighbouring towns like Karatina.

The hospitality industry is also not left behind: various new hotels have sprung up while old timers like White Rhino are also upgrading and increasing room ca-pacity.

“We have an investor putting up a hotel in King’ong’o area, with a room capac-ity of 110, while White Rhino is putting up about 80 rooms. In Mweiga, we have a hotel which just opened with various facilities such as swimming pools and 40 rooms,” he says.

land

Landowners, he adds, are now willing to release their land for development.

“Some of the building in this town are ancient and the heritage will be pro-tected, but urban renewal will continue,” says Maina.

He explains that the investors are not only local but also speculators who are

After a century of stagnation, Nyeri gets a new lease of life, thanks to devolution-related optimism, writes LYDIAH NYAWIRA

optimistic about the county govern-ment.

“We are telling those who are holding on to some of these old buildings and refusing to develop them that we won’t renew their leases,” he warns.

Maina says development approval ap-

plications were flooding his office.For Nyamu and Mwangi, the new face

of Nyeri both during the day and the night is a welcome sight for the residents of Nyeri. The ghost town has now found a new lease of life after a century of stag-nation.

HOME AND AWAY / Page 5Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

When Selena Savic walks down a city street, she sees it dif-ferently from most people. Whereas other designers

might admire the architecture, Savic sees a host of hidden tricks intended to manipu-late our behaviour and choices without us realising — from benches that are delib-erately uncomfortable to sculptures that keep certain citizens away.

Modern cities are rife with these “un-pleasant designs”, says Savic, a PhD stu-dent at the Ecole Polytechnique Federerale de Lausanne in Switzerland, who co-au-thored a book on the subject this year.

Once you know these secret tricks are there, it will transform how you see your surroundings. “We call this a silent agent,” says Savic. “These designs are hidden, or not apparent to people they don’t target.” Are you aware of how your city is manipu-lating you?

Meshing social engineering with civil engineering has a long history. Robert Moses, the “master builder” of 20th Cen-tury New York City, famously crossed his roads on Long Island with low stonework bridges that buses could not pass under. This prevented poor, predominantly black Americans who relied on public transport, from visiting the beach retreats enjoyed by wealthier car-owning New Yorkers.

subtle modifications

While Moses’ politics were objection-able, his methods were undeniably suc-cessful, and to this day, designers continue to shape the behaviour and the character of urban centres with subtle modifications to the built environment. The method is particularly attractive for combating crime.

In 1999, the UK opened a Design Against Crime research centre, and au-thorities in Australia and the US have since followed suit. Many of the interventions these groups pioneered are familiar today: Such as boundary marks painted around cashpoints to instil an implied privacy zone and prevent “shoulder surfing”.

San Francisco, the birthplace of street skateboarding, was also the first city to de-sign solutions such as “pig’s ears” – metal flanges added to the corner edges of pave-ments and low walls to deter skateboard-ers. These periodic bumps along the edge create a barrier that would send a skate-boarder tumbling if they tried to jump and slide along.

Indeed, one of the main criticisms of such design is that it aims at excluding already marginalised populations such as youths or the homeless.

Secret city designs that shape your behaviour

Unpleasant design, Savic says, “is there to make things pleasant, but for a very par-ticular audience. So in the general case, it is pleasant for families, but not pleasant for junkies.”

Preventing rough sleeping is a recurring theme. Any space that someone might lie down in, or even sit too long, is likely to see spikes, railings, stones or bollards added.

In the Canadian city of Calgary, au-thorities covered the ground beneath the Louise Bridge with thousands of bowling ball-sized rocks. This unusual landscaping feature wasn’t for the aesthetic benefit of pedestrians walking along the nearby path, but part of a plan to displace the home-less population that took shelter under the bridge.

no lie

In recent years, public benches too, have been redesigned — you think that is just an armrest placed right in the middle of the bench? It is also to stop somebody sleeping there.

The Camden Bench — named after the UK local council that devised it — is a masterpiece in unpleasant design. The amorphous slab of concrete is made from a material that resists posters, stickers and graffiti, it has a ridged peak and sloped sur-face that prevents sleeping, and its makers even claim the bench deters litterers and drug dealers by not providing any crevices to shove things. Comfort is not one of its top features though — you have to perch on a sloped seat and there is no backrest.

In other places, adding deliberate dis-

comfort proves a clever design trick to get people to do certain things. A famous (if apocryphal) story circulates in design circles that the plastic chairs in McDon-alds are engineered to be comfortable for a maximum of 15 minutes to keep tables free. A more overt move is to remove chairs altogether.

London Heathrow’s Terminal Five has just 700 seats for the estimated 35 million travellers a year passing through its gates. For most of these weary globetrotters, the only place to sit down is in one of the 25 airport restaurants — with obvious ben-efits to their revenues.

Similarly, escalators in multi-level shopping malls or department stores are often deliberately positioned so that you must walk past more shops to ascend each floor.

One of the problems with these designs, says Savic, is their implacability. “They are non-negotiable. If you have a policeman prohibiting people to sit somewhere, you can still fight with this policeman, or argue with him, you can do things. When you have a bench that has armour, you can’t re-ally as a human do anything about it.”

fight-back

Anna Minton, author of Fortress Brit-ain, points out that many of these non-negotiable designs are in fact short-gaps to fill in for the disappearance of benign authority figures in public spaces, such as park wardens.

Faced with this hostile architecture, what can city dwellers do to reclaim their

streets? A few designers have come up with playful ideas to make their city more comfortable. At first glance, their creations are almost silly, but they are based on the serious point that unpleasant design can create exclusions in a city, and divisions between the rich and poor.

One German artist, Oliver Schau, de-vised a simple solution to reclaim the unforgiving architecture of Hamburg, by wrapping bright yellow flexible plastic pipe around bicycle racks and bridge struts to create impromptu resting places that would be impossible to sit on otherwise.

Similarly, Sarah Ross in the US came up with the “archi-suit”, an all-in-one out-fit with tactically placed cushions to turn even the most unpleasant design into a comfortable resting place.

“It’s supposed to be ridiculous and funny, and point to the ridiculousness of aggressive architecture,” says Ross. “These are laughable design solutions to actual real problems that have nothing to do with architecture and everything to do with the social safety net.”

As far as Savic is concerned, any efforts that highlight the invisible unpleasant de-sign features are a good thing. “We want to draw attention to this potentially danger-ous approach and make it somehow famil-iar,” she says.

So next time you are walking down the street, take a closer look at that bench or bus shelter. It may be trying to change the way you behave.

— www.bbc.com

specialfeature

Many urban streets and buildings across the globe are full of hidden “unpleasant designs” that subtly force us to behave in a particular way

A street in Nairobi. Subtle designs push residents to either keep moving or not litter. [PHOTO: WILBERFORCE OKWIRI/STANDARD]

Page 6 / HOME AND AWAY Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

propertyspotlight

Lapfund Gardens. TOP: James Ruitha, managing director of Advent Valuers. [PHOTOS: WILBERFORCE OKWIRI/STANDARD]

One more as Mavoko grows

By KEVIN OGUOKO

A dusty road leads to the 10-acre project nestled amid the gen-tly sloping hills in the heart of Machakos County.

The development’s neighbours, Green-park Estate and Sunset Boulevard, are already hot properties, both with mixed press reviews. One could easily say that this is turning to be a favourite area of Ma-voko for such estates.

Welcome to Lapfund Gardens, fi -nanced by The Local Authorities Provident Fund (Lapfund).

The estate’s white walls stand out against Mavoko’s brown grass fi eld. Behind the brown wooden gate is a contemporary look with neatly aligned maisonette units, lining the clean paved roads, with green watered grass on the sides.

The 131 three-bedroom units are of three types. The fi rst type, referred to as Acacia, is each 1,400 square feet and 36 in number. The second type, referred to as Bamboo, 39 in number, is each 1,453 square feet. The third type, Cider, com-prises 56 units with each being 1,729 square feet.

The door guarding the Acacia unit is made of an internal timber and a glossy fi nishing. The living room is fairly sized and spreads out to the dining room space.

Except for the lighting hanging low from the dining room wall, there is not much impressive fi nishing to look forward to in the dining room space, but could present homeowners with space to make their own. The living room and the dining room fl ow into each other.

The kitchen is fairly big and is furnished with inbuilt MDF (medium density fi bre board) cabinets and granite worktops. The cabinets have an interesting opening and closing system — instead of swinging out from their hinges; the cabinet doors swing up vertically, much like a Lamborghini’s doors.

The kitchen’s storeroom is directly op-posite below the staircase leading to the bedroom upstairs.

The staircase is supported by a pure steel spiral. It is well illuminated with two tall windows on either side looking out onto the street.

The master bedroom has a small bal-cony. But only a strand of wall separates the balcony from the neighbour’s — the two pretty much share the same balcony. Nevertheless, it provides an excellent view of the whole estate.

The two other bedrooms are fairly spaced, with excellent closet fi nishing, which seems so far to be a big plus for the units.

BAMBOO

The second type of units, Bamboo, are not much different from Acacia. The units’ kitchen area and the back garden can only be accessed through the house.

Bamboo units have no balconies on the master bedroom but instead have a slab to fi t a comfortable cushion to sit while overlooking the rest of the development through the large well-framed windows.

The Cider units, which are the most ex-pensive, are surprisingly the disappoint-ment of the Lapfund Gardens project. It

is commendable that the units have big-ger living rooms, with a distinct separate the dining room. However, the kitchen is smaller and squeezed compared to the other two types of units. The two bed-rooms, which are both all ensuite, are also smaller.

The master bedroom is narrower, a fact which might cause décor problems, espe-cially when it comes to what to do with the extra narrow space.

“When all the bedrooms are ensuite, the bedrooms look much smaller, which is not accurate considering you have a spacious bathroom in the room as well,” says James Ruitha, Managing Director of Advent Valuers, the selling agents of the project.

Acacia and Bamboo units go for Sh9.6 million each, while Cider Sh12 million each.

Residents can get water from Mavoko as well as a borehole within the estate.

The estate has 24-hour CCTV cameras all round its electric perimeter wall.

HOME AND AWAY / Page 7Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

By LYDIA LIMBE

Kenwyn House, in Seychelles’ capital, Mahe, has been the press centre for international journal-ists since the inception of the In-

ternational Carnival in 2011. It looks well kept and prim, having

been renovated in 2003.Kenwyn House, located in Mahe’s Vic-

toria area, was built in 1855 by the French colonisers and was declared a national monument in 1984 by the Seychelles after the National Monument Act was enacted.

The fi rst person to live in the house was the chief medical offi cer at the time — Dr James Henry Brooks, who was the chief medical surgeon as well as the German consulate to the Seychelles from 1858-1879 (he died in 1920 at age 89).

In 1878, Cable & Wireless (formerly the

storybehind

Seychelles’ historic jewelEastern Telegraphic Company) purchased the Kenwyn House from Dr Brooks. The chief engineers for Cable & Wireless resid-ed in Kenwyn House while they were here setting up global communications for the Seychelles.

There is a general consensus that Cable & Wireless (C&W) were the ones to give the house the name “Kenwyn House” — named after a village in Cornwall. (Corn-wall incidentally was the area where the underwater telegraph cables to the Sey-chelles came from).

Towards the end of the 20th century, C&W used Kenwyn House as a residence for their general managers.

In 2003, the company Flawless Ltd de-cided to restore Kenwyn House to its for-mer glory. The infrastructure of the house remains as it was over 150 years ago.

Unfortunately,

much of the interior timber had to be re-placed but the fl oorboards, ceiling beams and entrance doors are all original.

Some of the furniture inside the house is over 180 years old. The renovation took over 12 months to complete.

NATIONAL MONUMENT

In 1984, as per the National Monu-ments Act, Kenwyn House was declared a national monument of the Seychelles.

Flawless Ltd now occupies the Kenwyn House, using it as a showcase for their pre-cious gems and unique diamond jewellery designs.

The house is one of the most photo-graphed buildings in Victoria and is the “jewel of the Seychelles”, according to the building’s website.

Though it has a rich history, it looked like the journalists who were here were

more interested in cooling themselves off from the humid heat, Kenwyn House be-ing the place set aside by the Seychelles Tourist Board for refreshments as they record the performances of the carnival parade.

It is right outside the Kenwyn house that the carnival parade is offi cially launched, with President James Alix Michael and the Minister for Tourism Alain St Ange seated right opposite it.

Apart from the jewellery designed in Seychelles being displayed, it is also dis-plays art by several Seychellois artists, among them Michael Adams, George Ca-mille, Alyssa Adams, Nigel Henri, Egbert Marday, Georges Boniface and Evelyn Fanchette.

—llimbe@standardmedia.co.kelike the journalists who were here were

Kenwyn House is a tourism attrac-tion in Seychelles. [PHOTOS: ELVIS OGINA/STANDARD]

KCL

Page 8 / HOME AND AWAY Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

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While some experts say Machakos has what it takes to host a brand new city, others warn that the idea is a miscalculation that might be regretted later, writes PETER MUIRURI

In 1895, the British government had a dream. Using taxpayers’ money, an idea was hatched to build a railway line from the Kenyan coast up to Lake

Victoria to open up the region’s interior and prove the colonial power’s ability over her European rivals. The proposal was met with the following words of derision:

What it will cost no words can express; What is its object no brain can suppose; Where it will start from no one can guess; Where it is going to nobody knows; What is the use of it none can conjecture; What it will carry there’s none can defi ne... And in spite of George Curzon’s superior lecture, it clearly is naught but a lunatic line.

The colonial powers ignored the many naysayers and constructed the railway.

Like the British, Dr Alfred Mutua, the Governor of Machakos County has a dream. Mutua wants to build a city from scratch, a feat not attempted by many in modern history.

Many are interpreting Mutua’s dream differently. But, to borrow the words of our very own Lupita Nyong’o, we ask: How valid are Mutua’s dreams?

The governor knows too well the enor-mity of his proposal. “I am a dreamer,” he said last year. “However, I know that, as someone once said, if you want your dreams to come true, you must fi rst wake up.”

But then, Mutua has several times run where few dare to tread — with a measure of success.

The proposed Machakos City will be situated around Maruba Dam and will be part of a parcel of land measuring more than 2,000 acres. As an incentive, Mutua promises to make such land available to potential investors on a leasehold basis.

The envisaged city will consist of a Central Business District with government offi ces, a green open area for parks, com-munity amenities such as educational centres, and a mix of low, medium and high-density residential areas.

There will be a section set aside for a full-fl edged sports city, tourism and stadi-ums with a capacity to host major interna-tional games.

Many accolades have followed the gov-ernor’s plans to the chagrin of some of his colleagues who feel his “high fl ying” status is making them look bad in the eyes of the electorate.

Last November, President Uhuru Ke-nyatta launched the city, paying glowing tribute to the governor.

“Let me take this early opportunity to commend Dr Alfred Mutua for coming up with this noble idea. I encourage the other county governors to borrow a leaf from Machakos County and focus on economic development,” said the President. “The future belongs to those who believe in the

Is Machakos City a dream built on quicksand?

beauty of their dreams.”Proponents of the dream say urban

development is the future of the current world. According to former chair of Kenya Institute of Planners, Bosire Ogero, urban areas are the focal points of development since “our rural areas have no more em-ployment opportunities.”

He says there is nothing wrong with Mutua’s dream if it is well thought out and properly packaged since the key to any city’s survival is the long-term sustainabil-ity.

He adds that any city must make eco-nomic sense, citing the example of Sand-ton City in South Africa that has taken the pressure off Johannesburg.

According to Ogero, the “Asian Tigers”, countries that were economically at par with Kenya during independence, have realised quick growth due to their rapid urban development.

“Mutua is a leader and any leader must have a vision. However, he will need the input of experts within the wider econom-ic spectrum to actualise the dream,” says Ogero.

ECONOMIC GROWTH

Paul Wambua, Chairman of the Insti-tution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK), says each county has a policy on how to spur economic growth and Machakos is no exception. The county, says Wambua, has much land that has not been put to good economic use for ages.

“Take a drive between Machakos turn-off and Machakos town itself and all you see is a large stretch of land with nothing in it. That is a vehicle for investment that can turn around the economy of the coun-ty,” says Wambua.

He adds that land is the main factor of production in Kenya and the “county has taken care of this matter” by providing land for investment.

From the artist’s impression, the pic-ture of Machakos City looks very rosy. But not everyone approves of the idea.

Dr Wilberforce Oundo, a director at Roack Consultant Ltd, a Nairobi-based real estate consultancy fi rm, begs to dif-fer with those painting the new city as the solution to the problems facing the people of Machakos. He gives factors that must be right for any city in the world to make economic sense.

He says cities are planned over a pe-riod of time, taking into account the eco-nomic and socio-political activities of any given region. In addition, cities can also grow spontaneously as a result of certain geographical features such as good com-munication network, including roads, a railway line or major rivers.

Nairobi, he says, is one such example where all factors worked in harmony to

HOME AND AWAY / Page 9Thursday, May 22, 2014 / The Standard

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Is Machakos City a dream built on quicksand?

create a capital city “that incidentally was meant to be in Machakos.”

Dr Oundo says a city must make eco-nomic sense not only to the people of the region but also to investors and the coun-try in general.

“With the Kenyan economy growing at a rate of five per cent, we do not have many businesses expanding outside Nai-robi. Anyone looking for office space can still find affordable space in Nairobi’s city centre and may not see the need to move to Machakos. For Mutua’s dream to be realised, the whole economy must be ex-panding at an annual rate of ten per cent,” he says.

The high rate of loan defaulters, he adds, points to a scenario where many

An artist’s impres-sion of Machakos City. ABOVE: President Uhuru Kenyatta with Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua during the city’s launch. [PHOTOS: FILE AND COURTESY/STANDARD]

How viable are purpose-built

cities?By PETER MUIRURI

Smart cities built from scratch have been hailed as the future of urban settlement. Here, everything works by the clock. Clean and spacious streets with little traffic. No roadside parking as the cities have well designed under-ground parking. Immaculate towers rise from the ground and hug the sky. Elaborate recycling of garbage and grey water – the very epitome of green living. Many of us can only envision such. However, some leading master builders in the world are casting a dark shadow over such top-down mode of city construction. Adam Greenfield, author of Against the Smart City, was quoted by BBC’s online edition saying such smart settlements are “achingly preten-tious, and perhaps less successful than most”.

no guarantee

He added that the prospects of building such a city from scratch may be appealing, but is no guaran-tee of long-term fit for the future. Greenfield gives the example of Palmanova in Italy built in 1593. It was described by one American pro-fessor, Edward Wallace Jr, as one of “the numerous planned cities that look intriguing on paper but were not especially successful as livable spaces”.The city proved so unpopular that criminals willing to move in were offered official pardons.The BBC report says the problem with the newly designed smart cit-ies lies in the disconnect between the people designing them and those who have to stay there. The report cites a British archi-tectural firm that started work on the new city of Masdar in the desert near Abu Dhabi but shelved a below-ground cooling system. Experts interviewed by the BBC stated that to be successful, “it’s more important that cities are free to evolve as needed than follow a fixed plan of a master builder.” In short, our cities will largely remain the same — the traditional social space for people to interact and work.

— Additional information from www.bbc.com

investors will shy away from borrowing to expand their businesses in virgin grounds such as Machakos.

“We are living in the ICT era where the traditional, large office spaces are no longer needed. Today’s businesses need a much smaller space but from the images we have seen, the new city in Machakos may be ten times our city centre,” adds Dr Oundo.

He says there is the danger of pegging such massive investments on one param-eter such as availability of land, adding that a number of cities around the world have died due to such miscalculations.

“Some cities in Europe such as Man-chester and Birmingham were anchored on industrialisation. However, they have

had to undergo some form of urban re-newal to remain relevant in the current system of urbanisation,” he says.

Many have also queried the rationale behind setting up a city of that magni-tude just a few kilometres away from the government-backed Konza Techno City, especially after Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu asserted that Konza is in Machakos County.

However, Wambua of ISK says the two cities will play complementary roles, with Machakos city providing social services, including houses to accommodate those in Konza.

Only time will tell whether Mutua’s dream will remain just that or will see the light of day.