A case involving KBC's cameraman Josephat Okiria was adjourned on Monday following the transfer of the Bungoma presiding magistrate. Lawyer Omundi Bw’Onchiri was ready to represent his client when it emerged that Margaret Wambani had been transferred to Busia court. The prosecution had also lined up witnesses to testify in the case before administrative aspect forced the postponement of the hearing.The lawyer and prosecution agreed to have the case adjourned to February 25, next year.
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Magistrate transfer stops journalist case
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Wetang'ula poll appeal suit for December 10
AN appeal case challenging the nullification by the High Court of former Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang'ula's election has been postponed. The case filed by Wetang'ula, who is also Cord's co-principal was adjourned yesterday after Judge Sankale Ole Kantai withdrew from the case. Kantai said Westland MP Tim Wanyonyi, who is Wetang'ula's brother, Wetang'ula and former Minister Musikari Kombo are his friends. He also said his relative is working at Wetang'ula's law firm. “I personally feel I should not sit in this appeal. I am of course aware of the timeline,” Kantai said. He said they received...
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Six suspended over 8m loss in Kisii
Kisii county government has suspended six employees over the loss of more than Sh8 million. Deputy Governor Joash Maangi said an internal audit report exposed the scandal. “I want to disclose that we have suspended six employees of the defunct Kisii Municipal Council over the disappearance of over Sh8 million,”he said.Maangi was addressing the press in his office yesterday. He was with finance executive Osoro Kebati, acting secretary Johnstone Ndege, chief finance officer Daniel Njuguna and the internal auditor Linda Nyageng’o. Maangi said police investigations have been launched and action...
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Cops recover stolen cows in Muhoroni
POLICE in Muhoroni, Kisumu county have recovered eight heads of cattle stolen from Ruke village. The cattle were recovered after a fierce exchange between police and cattle rustlers yesterday morning. Muhoroni subcounty AP Commander Julius Mukanda said four suspects armed with arrows attacked the police officers. Mukanda said the suspects raided Tobias Ogik’s home at midnight. Speaking on the phone, he said the cattle were recovered in a sugarcane plantation at Kopere location on Chemelil-Nandi border. The AP boss said no casualties were reported during the shoot out. No suspect has been...
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Leader tells the disabled to register
People with disabilities in the Migori county have been asked to register with the National Council for People Living with disability. Pauline Odawa, the Migori sub county gender and social development officer, said the list will help the government plan for PWDs. Speaking on Tuesday during the UN day for PWDs at Migori County Stadium, she said the registration will help those seeking assistance. “The registration will be done after a qualified health officer assesses the extent of a person's disability,” she said. Odawa said the government through the new constitution and the Disability Act...
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Onyancha appeal suit begins today
THE appeal filed by former Bomachoge Borabu MP Joel Onyancha will be heard at the Kisumu Court of Appeal this morning. Onyancha wants the High Court’s decision which nullified his election thrown out. Onyancha has listed petitioners Peter Kimori, Albert Nyundi, returning officer Gilbert Serem and IEBC as first, second, third and fourth respondents respectively. Justice Edward Muriithi said he invalidated Onyancha’s election because it was not free and fair. Onyancha however says he was legitimately elected. Muriithi dwelled on Senta polling station, where the petitioners claimed the exercise...
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will end bad politics, says Bifwoli
Labour Party of Kenya candidate for the Bungoma Senator by-election Bifwoli Wakoli has said his victory will put to an end political rivalry being experienced in the county. He said some politicians have been engaged in a spate of words which is likely to spill over to the residents and heighten tension. Speaking during his campaigns in Bumula yesterday, Wakoli asked the residents to elect as he will bring hooliganism in Bungoma to an end. ''This is the only way the county will realise peace and tranquility,” he said. ''Am a neutral person who is out to bring peace,'' he said. He promised to...
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Sh730 million house estate set for Kisumu town
THE Victoria Estate Limited will build an estate worth Sh730 million in Kisumu to address the shortage of housing units. Director of Ounga Commercial Agencies Eric Ounga said the estate will be constructed to the Europe standards and will compete with the high class estates in Nairobi. “For the first time Kisumu will have the best estate as compared to those in the capital city,” he said. Ounga said the estate to be build in a 10-acres land will comprised of 80 town houses ranging from two to four bedrooms, fully furnished. He said the groundbreaking ceremony will be presided over by Kisumu...
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Parents ask the state to vet teachers
PARENTS in Nyanza have asked the government to vet primary school teachers to improve quality of education. Nyanza Parents Association chairman Jackson Ogweno said the government should make the vetting mandatory for government employees. Ogweno was responding to the findings of a research which showed that most primary school teachers in public schools are not proficient. It was conducted by the African Population and health Research Centre between January and March 2012. According to research, most of the tested teachers scored 40 percent with others scoring as low as 10 percent in English...
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Sell wares in dollars, soapstone dealers urged
Kisii Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman Benjamin Onkoba yesterday asked soapstone carvers in South Mugirango to sell their carving in dollars. Onkoba said the carvers will minimise exploitation by middlemen who buy their products at lower prices. He said the carvers lose millions of shillings annually because they are ignorant of foreign currencies. “I urge soapstone carvers to sell their products in dollars to maximise profits,” Onkoba said in his office yesterday. Speaking to Star in his office, the chairman noted that some middlemen who connected the carvers to overseas markets...
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Kimori asks aspirants to shun clan politics
A candidate in the Boma- choge Borabu by-election yesterday told his opponents to stop using clan membership as a campaign tool. Peter Kimori of ODM blamed clan politics for the constituency’s lack of development. He was speaking to the press at Storm Hotel in Kisii town yesterday. Kimori told his oppo- nents to focus on issues af- fecting the people. “We do not want every leader to concentrate on clan politics at the expense of the welfare of the people,” he said. Kimori urged his opponents to conduct in peaceful campaigns. The mini poll is set for December 19. Other candidates include Joel...
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I will deliver, Ochwang'i tells angry youth groups
Nominated Senator Hosea Ochwang’i yesterday defended himself against accusation by various youth groups that he has failed to represent them. The groups said he has never contributed to any debate in the Senate. The TNA senator denied the claims which appeared in the Star’s Corridors of power column on Monday, terming it "smear campaign". Speaking to the Star on the phone Ochwang'i told youth groups to be patient as he is keen in addressing issues that affect them. “Those who claim that I am invisible or unknown are wrong. I am active when issues relating to youth are tabled in the House,”...
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Ojaamong' denies Sh5bn Busia land scam
BUSIA Governor Sospeter Ojaamong' has denied social media propaganda that he is spending millions of funds in developing personal assets. In an email sent to the Star by some Busia residents yesterday, Ojaamong' allegedly spent Sh5 million to purchase 10 acres of land near Bugengi Primary School in Nambale. “The land will be used to construct the governor’s complex to be used by his family," the email read. Ingede Mulama, a resident, wants the Ojaamong' to first fight insecurity, build roads and improve healthcare facilities, which are the major challenges facing the residents. In response,...
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MPs accuse Obado of being a 'lone ranger'
Migori MPs have accused Governor Zacchary Obado of disregarding local leaders. The Parliamentary Group chairman Edick Anyanga said Obado does not consult with them before initiating development projects. “The governor is working as a lone ranger. We want to tell him Migori cannot be run in that manner,” Anyanga said in a radio talk show yesterday. He said no successful projects will be initiated without the involvement of MPs. Neither Obado nor Migori county government director of communications Matiko Bohoko could be reached for comment. “We represent constituencies thus fully aware of the...
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Police exhume body buried by mistake in Nyakach
POLICE in Nyakach sub county yesterday exhumed a body which was mistakenly buried by a family. Relatives of Bernard Kamunda Awino from Kajimbo location found the body missing from Nyabondo Hospital mortuary where it was being preserved. The mortuary attendants said the body had been collected by a family from Ramogi sub -location and buried last Sunday. Nyakach police boss Dismus Wanjala said they exhumed the body after securing a court order. The body was then handed over to Awino's relatives for burial. Wanjala said both families have found the bodies of their relatives and asked bereaved...
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Wetang'ula, Kombo tussle over Posta Grounds rally
A meeting for Bungoma senator aspirants convened by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to discuss the impeding December 19 by-elections turned chaotic when aspirants accused each other of violating the election act. Ford-Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula and his New Ford Kenya rival Musikari Kombo started arguing on who should hold a rally at the Posta grounds on December 10, which is the last day of the campaign. It appeared that the two had both campaigns schedules for Kanduyi constituency on the same date but Kombo had booked the posta grounds and notified the police. Wetang’ula had...
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Savula slams Oparanya over Mumias Sugar farmers' dues
LUGARI MP Ayub Savula has asked Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya to push for the release of funds by the Kenya Sugar Board. Savula yesterday said the funds will improve operations at the ailing Mumias sugar company. Last month KSB chief executive Rosemary Mkok said the board approved Sh500 million to help the company pay farmers' arrears. Savula said Oparanya should look for solutions to problems facing the company instead of threatening to lead demonstrations against management. “It beats logic when the governor threatens to demonstrate in what would be seen as demonstrating against...
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Sh6 billion Western projects
THE World Bank has allocated Sh6.5 billion to empower communities in Western region circuit. The funds have been channeled through Western Kenya Community Driven Development and Flood Mitigation Project. Five counties in Western and Nyanza regions will use the money to fight poverty, mitigate floods and meet operation costs. The project's national coordinator Daniel Maina said the project will be implimented in eight years.
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Migori seeks to digitise fee collection
THE Migori county government will digitise revenue collection. Governor Okoth Obado said the move will boost the war on corruption. “It will also increase internal revenue management,” he said. Obado said the programme will be fastracked. He was speaking yesterday at his office during a meeting with the National Anti-Corruption Campaign Steering Committee.
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3,000 IDs uncollected
Kisii county registrar of persons has asked residents who applied for IDs to collect them before they are returned to the headquarters. George Olela said more than 3,000 IDs are lying in his office in Kisii town. Addressing the press in his office yesterday, Olela said the applicants have three months to collect the documents before they are returned to Nairobi. He said if the IDs are returned, those who failed to pick them will have to apply afresh. Olela said Kisii Town has the highest number of those who have not collected their IDs. He said some of the documents have been lying in the...
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