New rules on drug control anger nurses

Nurses are unhappy with a provision that gives the Pharmacy and Poisons Board exclusive rights to regulate the distribution of some medicines.

The Kenya National Union of Nurses wants the Health ministry to scrap a right given to the board in January to regulate dietary supplements, registration and control of medical devices.

It will also regulate herbal medicine.

The union’s lawyer, Mr Alexander Jaoko, said it violated the rights of medical practitioners.

“It is against the laws that give that mandate to the Nursing Council of Kenya,” he said.

KENYAN STANDARDS

The law gives the nursing council powers to control and regulate manufacture, sales, importation and distribution of any nursing commodity as long as it conforms with Kenyan standards, he added.

Mr Jaoko said giving the pharmacy board an additional mandate to regulate entry of the drugs into the country was unlawful and would result in loss of revenue for the nursing council.

“The directive has also caused loss of employment for several employees of the nursing council stationed at entry points to monitor drug entries,” he said.

He argued that giving the board that role was extending its mandate since it is only allowed to regulate “drugs and poisons” not related to nursing commodities.

The case will be heard in court today.

From Nation news

Four killed, bodies set ablaze in Wajir attack

Four people were killed and two others injured after gunmen stormed a shop in Barwaqo in Wajir County.

The four dead, all non-locals, were among people buying goods from a nearby shop at around 7.30pm on Tuesday.

The gunmen shot at the group, killing the four instantly. They then poured petrol on their bodies, burning them beyond recognition. They also set the shop ablaze and left.

The attackers are said to have been at the scene about 30 minutes. The police arrived an hour later.

One of those injured was the shopkeeper, a woman who is said to have inquired why the attackers were killing the people. She was set to be airlifted to Nairobi for treatment later on Wednesday.

The area police boss Samuel Mukindia confirmed the incident and said investigations were underway to establish who the gunmen were and their motive.

Kenya anti-terror police arrived at the scene on Wednesday morning and recovered three telephones, believed to belong to the deceased.

From Nation news

Korogocho MCA shot by gunman on motorbike

The Member of County Assembly for Korogocho was shot and seriously wounded during an attack on Wednesday morning.

Maxwel Ochar was attacked in Ruraraka by thugs on a motorbike as he waited for his wife at a parking, according to police.

The MCA has been rushed to the Aga Khan hospital where he was undergoing emergency treatment.

No suspect has been arrested over the attack

From Capital news.

Three Somali nationals charged in a Nairobi court over Mandera quarry attack

Three Somali nationals have been charged in a Nairobi over Mandera quarry attack where 36 people died.

The court will on Thursday determine whether the accused will be released on bond or remain in custody.

From Nation news

Waititu's lawyer arrested hours before Kabete by-election case

Nairobi lawyer Harrison Kinyanjui was on Tuesday arrested by flying squad officers for alleged witness interference in an ongoing case.

Kinyanjui was charged with influencing witness testimonies in a case where four men are accused of stripping a woman in Nairobi last year.

The lawyer was detained in Kilimani police station for some hours before being released on bond.

Interestingly, Kinyanjui is the defence lawyer for JAP’s Kabete by-election candidate Ferdinand Waititu.

Waititu has a case in court Wednesday morning coming up for mention before Justice Isaac Lenaola.

In the case, two registered voters in Kabete are challenging Waititu’s candidature for the parliamentary seat.

Godfrey Mwaki and Joseph Njuguna want the electoral commission restrained from issuing a clearance certificate to Waititu on grounds of questionable integrity.

The two want Waititu’s candidature nullified, arguing that Kabete may have to hold another by-election if Waititu wins but is jailed in the other cases.

Waititu was nominated by JAP on March 14 to vie for the Kabete parliamentary seat in the May 4 by-election.

Kinyanjui will appear in court Wednesday morning to answer to the charges of witness interference.

From Star news

Kay: Why I agreed to defend Uhuru at the ICC

 Lawyer Steven Kay, QC, successfully defended President Uhuru Kenyatta at the International Criminal Court (ICC), because he believed he was innocent.

In an interview with The Hague Trials, Kay said he recorded Kenyatta’s movements between December 30, 2007 and the end of February 2008 and was convinced he did not incite violence but was instead calling for peace after the disputed presidential election of 2007.

“I tracked his movements every day, and I looked at what he said and did. Anyone investigating a case should do that. And if you do that with Uhuru Kenyatta, you would have seen a very positive case about a man who tried to stop the violence. I discovered that in my first month with my team of looking at the evidence. So it seemed to me that the allegations being made didn’t fit the evidence that I could see from those sources.”

At the beginning of the case, Kay said he was certain that the prosecution lacked basis of subjecting President Kenyatta to the ICC process.

According to him, the prosecution’s evidence lacked credibility and the allegations were false.

“The strength of this case was built on sand. And it was sand without any cement, bricks, anything to hold it up. This was a case built on rumour and hearsay that was open to individuals coming forward to claim they were eyewitnesses to events involving Uhuru Kenyatta that the prosecution never went to check.”

Kay’s inspiration to defend Kenya’s current President also stemmed from his admiration for his late father Mzee Jomo Kenyatta who was detained by the British but was later released over false evidence.

“I was an admirer of his father, Jomo Kenyatta, despite the conflict with the British. The witness who gave evidence against him retracted his evidence later but in very suspicious circumstances. The first President of Kenya, his father, was tried by the British, and he was also defended by a British barrister named Dennis Pritt,” Kay recalled.

“I was asked to represent him (Uhuru), and at that stage, he wasn’t President of Kenya then. But he came from a very distinguished Kenyan family,” he added.

Kenyatta was at the time deputy Prime Minister in Mwai Kibaki’s government when he was named among six Kenyans suspected to bear the highest responsibility during the 2008 Post Election Violence in Kenya.

Kay, whose strong admiration for Kenya has blossomed over the years through frequent visits with his parents as a young boy and in later years, said he also developed a liking for Kenyans which attracted him in defending President Kenyatta.

Born in Jordan, Kay who also represented Slobodan Milosevic (who later committed suicide) said defending President Kenyatta at the ICC was the effort of a team.

As the lead defence counsel in Kenya Case Two, Kay guided the team made up of Kenyan and international lawyers and investigators to carry out their own investigations and gather evidence to establish the innocence of President Kenyatta.

“We put together people from the office where I work, and we also used lawyers in Kenya. That team shared the work with me and did a very good job. They’re very professional. We also had an investigation counsel called Gary Summers who’s in our chambers, and he supervised the investigations for us on the ground,” Kay explained.

The British based international lawyer recalled hard times in dealing with the prosecution which he claims conducted itself unprofessionally and fell below his expectations of how an international criminal justice system should operate.

“Once we got into the procedures and workings of the court, I was very disappointed. I was disappointed by the conduct of the prosecution. I was disappointed by the outcome of the confirmation of charges hearing, and I was disappointed in the procedures that thereafter followed because there were many warnings from the defence that this case was built upon false and fabricated evidence,” he lamented.

“No one seemed to want to listen to us. They were all in a hurry to get this case of a high profile African leader up in court and in a trial. No one seemed to be looking at the warning signs that if you were a doctor looking at a patient you would be taken as being terminal signs of illness,” Kay added.

In recognition that the ICC process in Kenya was a highly politicised issue, Kay said he played it safe by ensuring the defence team stuck and focused only on its role of defending the president.

He also avoided media interviews which, according to him, would have dragged his team to the politics surrounding the process. The lawyer also appreciated the president’s non-interference in their work which he said helped them to concentrate.

“The legal team was entirely separate from the political team. I’m not someone who wants to put a case into a political context. I’m just a lawyer dealing with a legal trial and a criminal justice system. The whole point to me was that the politics of his country and those around him would have entirely different interests, entirely different motivations with the legal team. And the legal team has to keep its eye on the legal issues. That way you get to the truth of a case,” he explained.

Kay who said he was surprised that ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda had not apologised publicly or admitted that her office had failed urged the prosecution to pursue lying witnesses especially witness P004.

He believed that the outcome against President Kenyatta was final after the ICC judges made their decision and it will be impossible for the prosecution to bring any further allegations in future.

“I can tell you Bensouda is talking total rubbish. There isn’t another case. There will never be another case, as there wasn’t a case in the first place. This is again an example of the OTP trying to protect its public image and send a message that is misleading,” he responded to the prosecution’s pronouncement that it could revive the allegations in future.

According to him on realisation that the prosecution was failing, its hope was that President Kenyatta would ignore the summons to be present in court during the last status conference.

He said he advised him not to skip the session as it ‘was a staged hearing by the prosecution and the court to see whether he would turn up. If he didn’t turn up, a warrant could be issued, and he’d look like a bad guy.’

Though the case against his client was dismissed, Kay’s work has not ended as he has to discuss with the ICC Registrar on protection of defence witnesses.

He explained of a looming disagreement as the registrar of the court says some defence witnesses will not continue receiving protection of the court.

“The registrar is going through a process of deciding whether they should remain protected or not. We have a conflict with him over that. He’s saying some of our witnesses should not remain protected, and we say they should be, in the same way the prosecution witnesses are protected,” he said.

Judges of the ICC last Friday dropped the case against President Kenyatta following the prosecution’s application admitting that it did not have evidence to sustain its allegation

From Capital fm

Embu Deputy Speaker wanted by CID in murder probe

 Embu County Deputy Speaker Ibrahim Swaleh was on Tuesday summoned to the county CID headquarters to be questioned over claims of conspiracy to murder two of his political rivals.

According to the summonses seen by Capital FM News, Swaleh was to be questioned over the murder claims and provide any other information on the matter.

The Deputy Speaker was required to be at the County CID headquarters by 4pm but he did not honour the summonses.

Swaleh has been linked to a case where a mother, her 23-year-old son and another person were arraigned in an Embu court, charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

The three however did not take plea in court as the investigation side asked for more time to conclude their probe.

The summons read in part: “I am inquiring into an alleged offence of conspiracy to murder contrary to section 224 of the Penal Code and have reason to believe that you may have some information which can assist me in my investigations… I require you to attend before me at county headquarters on 17th day of March year 2015 at 4pm.”

The summons indicated that the Deputy Speaker had acknowledged receipt.

The said offence was allegedly committed on March 4 this year at Dallas Estate in Embu town.

From Capital fm

New cervical cancer testing device out

It will now take just three hours to detect cervical cancer.

University of Nairobi’s Kavi Institute of Clinical Research has acquired testing equipment called Hybrid Capture System from the Netherlands. The kit can detect chronic human papilloma virus early and more accurately than the pap-smear test.

The test can notify doctors about early infections caused by the virus that have a high likelihood of triggering abnormal cell growth.

In Kenya, cancer is the third leading cause of death after infectious and cardiovascular diseases. Breast and cervical cancers are the biggest killers of women.

Breast cancer accounts for 34 per 100,000 cases while cervical cancer is 25 per 100,000.

Head of Molecular Applications Lab at the institute Lucy Macharia Tuesday said the test, called careHPV, would be cost-effective and efficient.

“The test can detect 14 types of the virus from a sample that can either be taken through a smear by a health worker or the patient. It is accurate by about 80 per cent compared to pap smear whose accuracy is 50 per cent. The cost will also be subsidised but the exact figures are yet to be agreed on,” she said.

There are more than 100 different variants of HPV. However, types 16 and 18 are known to cause cervical cancer in about 70 to 75 per cent of the cases.

As of 2012, Kenya Cancer Registry estimated the annual number of cervical cancer cases at 2,454, with 1,676 fatalities.

Nairobi registers 10 to 15 new cervical cancer cases every week.

NOT DETECTED EARLY

Six in 10 cervical cancer cases in the country end in death because they are not detected early.

Delay in detection has been attributed to myths and misconceptions about the disease.

Ms Macharia spoke on the sidelines of the first HPV Conference at the institute that brought together global experts and researchers.

The conference was opened by Dr Jack Kioko from the Ministry of Health.

“Cervical cancer screening coverage in Kenya among women of 18-69 years is only 3.2 per cent. Some cases are diagnosed late and may be fatal. Early detection is important for treatment, otherwise, it is projected that by 2025, we will be recording over 4,000 cases every year,” said Dr Kioko.

The virus can live in a woman’s body for more than 10 years without being detected.

It leads to uncontrolled growth of cells in the cervix which can develop into tumours. Over time, one develops cancer characterised by severe bleeding, backaches, among other symptoms.

From Nation news

Raila taunts JAP at rally to celebrate Memusi’s victory

ODM leader Raila Odinga Tuesday taunted the Jubilee Alliance Party for the loss the new political outfit linked to the President suffered at the hands of the Opposition in the Kajiado Central by-election.

Speaking at a thanksgiving rally in Kajiado town, Mr Odinga said ODM’s victory represented the death of the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP), just two months after it was formed from a union of the governing TNA and URP coalition. He said that with the defeat “everything about it is all dead now”.

“They killed URP and TNA so they can bring here a new baby called JAP. But even their new baby is now dead. We are telling them that Kajiado is not where they bring the dead (parties) for burial,” he said amid cheers from supporters at the KCB grounds.

Mr Odinga accused JAP and its leaders of trying to influence voters with money. He was with other leaders in the Coalition for Reform and Democracy (Cord) that included Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, Senator Johnson Muthama and Kajiado Governor David ole Nkedianye, among others.

LARGELY PEACEFUL

They were celebrating the election of Mr Elijah Memusi who on Monday garnered 16,008 votes to defeat Mr Patrick Tutui of JAP, who had 15,508. The contest between the two had been tight.

On Monday, the elections were largely peaceful but three men were arrested outside polling stations with bundles of cash. ODM officials claimed that the men had been bribing voters.

The three men were later released after they pledged to honour a police summons.

Kajiado Police Boss Samuel Kumuut told the Nation the case was now under investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

Mr Odinga led a road show through the streets of Kajiado, joined by Mr Memusi’s supporters who had congregated in groups to celebrate their candidate’s victory.

The political repercussions of JAP’s defeat sent shock waves among political leaders in Kajiado, especially since the JAP candidate was heavily supported during the campaigns.

President Uhuru Kenyatta campaigned for him before leaving the country for an official visit to Japan while Deputy President William Ruto was in the area on three different occasions, accompanied by various Jubilee leaders.

From Nation news

Voters ask court to block Ferdinend Waititu from Kabete by-election

Ferdinand Waititu’s candidature for the Kabete by-election hangs in the balance after two voters from the constituency challenged his integrity on Tuesday.

Mr Godfrey Kimathi and Mr Joseph Njuguna want an order compelling the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) to nullify the nomination certificate it issued to Mr Waititu.

They also want the court to order the electoral commission not to issue a clearance certificate to the former Embakasi MP to vie for the seat.

Through lawyer Philip Henry, the two voters argued that Mr Waititu lacks the integrity to contest and hold public office as a result of a High Court finding that declared him unfit to hold public office.

“Mr Waititu has some (character issues), which make him lack the integrity to contest the Kabete parliamentary seat. The people of Kabete stand to have poor representation in the National Assembly unless his nomination is revoked,” said Mr Henry.

IMAGE TAINTED

According to the lawyer, Mr Waititu is known for violence and his image was tainted when he was caught on camera throwing stones, leading unlawful demonstrations, inciting people to violence and destroying property.

Mr Kimathi and Mr Njuguna based their arguments on a judgment by Justice Mumbi Ngugi in February 2014 in which she declared Mr Waititu unfit to hold public office and nullified his appointment as chairman of the Athi Water Services Board.

The ruling followed an application by businessman Benson Riitho, who claimed that Mr Waititu lacked personal integrity, competence and was not suitable to hold any public office due to his character.

“Being a representative of the people, a member of the National Assembly is required to satisfy requirements of Chapter Six of the Constitution and his nomination if approved with be a violation of the law,” said Mr Henry.

He argued that Mr Waititu has never appealed against the High Court judgment, adding that the decision not to appeal showed he was satisfied with the pronouncement that he is unfit to hold any public office.

'INSTANT JUSTICE' MAN

The voters, he said, are apprehensive that Mr Waititu might vie for the Kaimbu governor’s seat in 2017 if he is cleared to contest in the Kabete by-election.

“The petitioners are also apprehensive of how he will relate with other members of the Kabete constituency from different communities, especially after he was charged with inciting people against the Maasai community in Kayole,” said the lawyer.

The two voters claimed Mr Waititu is facing other legal suits that might see him handed a custodial sentence of more than six months, and which will make the people of Kabete hold another by-election.

They want a declaration that Mr Waititu’s philosophy of “instant justice” is a violation of the rules of natural justice, and that his candidature is unlawful, null and void.

The application is scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday.

Mr Waititu won the JAP ticket in the primaries conducted last Saturday, garnering 14,696 votes to beat a crowded field of 12 candidates.

From Nation news

Kidero walks from CBD to Kempinski in Westlands to beat traffic

Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero resorted to walking from the CBD to Villa Rosa Kempinski along Chiromo Road for a meeting due to a traffic jam on Tuesday.

Kidero lightly said he lost "a couple of kilos" from walking the distance with his aides.

“I will ensure that the new raft of measures launched last week by Transport CS Michael Kamau and I takes effect immediately to reduce traffic and congestion in Nairobi,” he said via Facebook.

The meeting was for the launch of the 18th AFWA International Water Congress and exhibition set for February 22-26, 2016 at the KICC.

Among the measures taken to decongest the city were the suspension of the licensing of all PSVs pending the review of all routes and demand to justify additional licenses.

The Uhuru Highway and University Way, Kenyatta Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue roundabouts will be removed in three months, Kidero said.

He added that the roundabouts along Bunyala and Lusaka roads, and in Westlands will be abolished.

Twenty one junctions along Ngong Road, Argwings Kodhek Road, Haile Selassie Avenue, Jogoo Road, Mombasa Road, Lang’ata Road and Kiambu Road are also set for removal.

Kidero further announced that PSVs will be allowed 40 minutes at termini and 5 minutes at bus stops, and mobile courts introduced on all roads.

From the star

Memusi gets double treat with birthday win in Kajiado

 A deserved win it was for Memusi Kanchory, now the Kajiado Central MP-elect after he closely trounced his rival Patrick Tutui (JAP) with 16,008 votes against 15,508.

Memusi who turned 38 on Monday thanked his loyal supporters for electing him, pointing out that top on his agenda was to transform the lives of women and youths.

“I know that most of those who voted for me are women and the youth and I will not disappoint them. I want to develop strategies to empower them to ensure they are self sufficient,” said Memusi after he was declared the winner of the hotly contested by-election.

And in true birthday fashion, the hall at the Maasai Technical Institute where the final tally was being released burst into birthday songs for the legislator who throughout the session maintained a calm demeanour.

“Happy Birthday! dear Memusi, happy birthday! dear Memusi…” his supporters chanted away

From Capital fm

Sossion says teachers not opposed to job evaluation

 The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) says its members are not opposed to the job evaluation currently being undertaken by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

Speaking during a meeting between SRC and public service officials on Tuesday morning, Secretary General Wilson Sossion however pointed out that tutors had an issue with how and when it was introduced during their negotiations for better pay during the teachers strike at the beginning of the year.

He stated that teachers will support it only if it did not interfere with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the ongoing negotiations to increase teachers’ basic pay currently being arbitrated by the Industrial Court.

“There is no change in heart for ourselves. We condemn the introduction of job evaluation at the tail end of negotiations and we have not vacated that. We did not take a position to oppose job evaluation. It is healthy and in any case, it will strengthen future negotiations because of course, we will know the value of each teacher comparable to other grades,” he said.

While saying that the process should be conducted on a regular basis, Sossion indicated that it will harmonise workers’ salaries within the public service.

“This exercise being done by SRC is more of comparative across the board but of course there needs to be a continuous in built job evaluation within process and even skills audit within each sector and that has not co relation at all with the right to a collective bargaining agreement. You do not need a job evaluation when the consumer price index has been accurately worked out,” he stated.

During the strike, Sossion had stated that calls by TSC for teachers to undergo a job evaluation exercise before talks resumed were misplaced and had termed it as a delaying tactic by the commission.

SRC Chairperson Sarah Serem on the other hand stated that the main objective of the exercise will be to bring clarity in the job descriptions of public servants.

“The expected outcome is that there will be no disparities, we will have the relative worth of every job, we will be able to pay equal pay for work of equal value and we will be able to enhance productivity because the clarity of jobs descriptions will be enhanced. The jobs specification for the purpose of recruitment and deployment will be clearer,” she stated.

Speaking during the meeting, she stated the need for ministries and all public service sectors to fully support the exercise that is to last for a year.

“The fruits of this exercise will be a better public service, improved performance and productivity and growth in the economy. This calls for a concerted and collective effort from each and every one of us. As leaders and key decision makers in this country, we shall be knocking on your doors, seeking support for this exercise and hope that the doors shall not be slammed on us,” she said.

Deloitte East Africa Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sammy Otieno explained that a huge wage bill can easily weigh down on the country’s economy hence the need to take the job evaluation exercise seriously.

“It will be nice from the job evaluation that we are going to undertake that we have civil servants that feel proud to be civil servants, who smile when they are serving you and it would be nice to actually come out of an office feeling nice that I have been served by a civil servants,” he said.

Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairperson Margaret Kobia also reiterated that the ongoing evaluation exercise by the SRC is not meant to retrench workers within the public service.

Kobia stated that the exercise aims to streamline the entire sector by looking at the work structure and what is entailed in doing a particular job.

“If we find we have excess workers in some government agencies, we will deploy some of them. If somebody wants to leave the service at that stage maybe because they are fifty eight or sixty years, I think it is something which is within our structure that they do so. All these efforts are not meant to retrench workers. Everyone should focus on being more productive,” she stated.

The Ministry of Devolution has already installed biometric tools to capture public officers’ personal information.

Data generated will help both the county and national governments to make informed decisions in human resource management and in the rationalisation and deployment of staff.

From Capital fm

Lock up PLO Lumumba for contempt, Uganda varsity asks court

Uganda Pentecostal University (UPU) has filed application seeking to commit Kenya School of Law Director PLO Lumumba to six months civil  jail for contempt of court.

The university claims Prof Lumumba has disobeyed an order requiring him to admit students who have gone through the foreign institution  and qualified to study in Kenya.

Professor John Ntambirweki, the university's Vice Chancellor, says a judge had quashed an earlier decision of  Council of Legal Education to suspend the recognition of UPU’s Bachelor of Law degree programme.

“The said order was duly extracted and served upon the director and Chief Executive of Kenya School of Law and the Legal Education Secretary on October 10 last year,” the Ugandan states in court documents.

DENIED ENTRY

The university’s lawyer, Mr Steven Nzaku, on Tuesday told Mr Justice George Odunga that despite the service of the order, over 26 former students from UPU who applied to the Kenya School of Law for the advocate training programme have been denied entry.

Mr Nzaku said Prof Lumumba and the Council for Legal Education have continued to deny recognition of Bachelor of Law degree certificates awarded by UPU in face of the standing court order.

“They  have vowed not to admit or register and allow UPU former students from lawfully attending classes as bona fide students of Kenya School of Law where they are supposed to undertake advocate training programme for the academic year 2015/2016,” the lawyer told the court.

DISCRIMINATION

The  respondents have proceeded and admitted over 1,500 students from local and other foreign universities who received their admission letters on December 2014 and are almost starting their training, the court heard.

“One of the students, Ms Elizabeth Manjendo Were, from UPU has been not considered even after the Director of the Kenya School of Law informed her that she had  complied with all the the 16 core subjects prescribed as prerequisite for the admission to the school,” he said.

He contended that despite the respondents having purported to admit the students, they exhibited blatant discrimination against UPU former students.

The court directed the respondents to file replying affidavits to allow the matter be heard inter-parties on June 8.

From Nation news

My life is in danger – Mandera Governor Roba

 Mandera Governor Ali Roba now says his life is in danger following separate weekend attacks that left seven people dead.

One of the attacks occurred on Friday when his convoy was ambushed and two people killed, while the second occurred Sunday night when four people were shot dead in Mandera town.

He has told journalists that there is urgent need for the removal of area County Commissioner whom he accuses of being clueless about security management.

Four people were killed and three others seriously injured during an attack at Bula Mpya area on Sunday night, fuelling security concerns in the area.

Following the attack, new Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet visited the area on Saturday and promised that adequate security will be restored there.

from capital fm

Mandera Governor, MPs demand County Commissioner be replaced

Mandera Governor Ali Roba now says his life is in danger following separate weekend attacks that left seven people dead.

Roba said this was the sixth attempt on his life, and he questioned the national government’s seriousness to safeguard his life.
“I am the head of the county government, my life is under threat and it has always been,” he said.

The Governor of the county that has suffered several attacks attributed to the Somalia’ based militia Al Shabaab seemed to be reading from the same script as six MPs from his county who had earlier in the day sounded caution that that residents will take matters into their own hands if the national government fails to curb the attacks.

“There is clear need for structures to be put in place for us to synergize our efforts to be able to use all available resources within our environment to make sure we get the results we need,” he said while addressing his first news conference after Friday attack.

“It’s a system failure rather than an individual failure we can no longer stand before the public and assure them that the security is being beefed up,” he said.

One of the attacks occurred on Friday when his convoy was ambushed and two police officers killed, while the second occurred Sunday night when four people were shot dead in Mandera town.

READ: 3 killed, vehicles burnt in attack on Governor Roba’s convoy

He has told journalists that there is urgent need for the removal of area County Commissioner whom he accuses of being clueless about security management.

Four people were killed and three others seriously injured during an attack at Bula Mpya area on Sunday night, fuelling security concerns in the area.

The MPs led by Mandera West MP Mohammud Mohammed and Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow called for an overhaul of the security chiefs in the area accusing them of collaborating with the Al Shabaab.

“The leadership under County Commissioner is a very serious matter, we think they should leave and a new one so that they deal with the problem. The bus incident, the quarry incident nothing has happened, our suspicion is he could be collaborating with the Al-Shabaab. So I think the government must take action so that our people are protected,” Mohammed stated.

Roba said Monday the situation in Mandera County is “extremely hopeless” and “residents will do what they have to do” if the national government does not stop the attacks.

“After we lost 64 Kenyans, a security command centre was established in the county but was shut down within a month for no apparent reason. This is unacceptable. The government has a responsibility to protect the whole country, and there is no need for it to keep soldiers to protect Somalis instead of protecting Kenyans,” Governor Roba said.

He calls for overhaul in security patrols to cover both off-road and on road areas.

“The word is out, these people are now moving in groups of 15, the pastoralists have told us. We need a radical redesign of how we are managing the securities required. We need infantry, we need people who can fight them in the bushes,” said the Mandera Governor.

At the same time, the six MPs from Mandera County have called on the government to take over the manning of the Kenya-Somalia border from the Ethiopian army for the attacks to end.

The MPs led by Mandera West MP Mohammud Mohammed and Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow said Kenya should review the AMISOM arrangement which has allowed Al Shabaab space to take control of the region near Damassa.

READ: KDF should secure Kenya, Somalia border – Duale

New Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet who visited the area on Saturday and promised that adequate security will be restored there, was on the receiving end of the MPs anger after they accused him of trivializing the matter.

Boinnet who was speaking after meeting area security chiefs is quoted as describing the attack on the Governor’s convoy as the work of bandits.

“His first opportunity after being sworn in was Mandera, a full Inspector General voted in by this House goes to Mandera where the governor has been attacked by bazookas and the first thing he says is – I – think it is a banditry attack. Banditry is not a crime? He cannot arrest them?”

“He needs to appreciate that the failure to address the situation in Mandera and other parts of the country that led to the removal of the former IG,” Senator Kerrow said.

From Capital fm

Juja MCA’s family relieved after he was found alive

 The family of the Juja Ward Member of County Assembly who had been missing for a week, say they are relieved after he was found alive on Sunday night.

Samuel Gitau was found in Kinungi area along the Nakuru-Nairobi Highway, after ‘escaping’ from a car trunk of his abductors, according to an explanation he gave to his fellow MCAs and family members.

His father said the MCA looked frail when he was picked up by his colleagues and Kiambu Governor William Kabogo who took him to the Aga Khan hospital. Kabogo had offered a Sh100,000 reward to anyone with information leading to his whereabouts.

“My youngest daughter received a call from the people who found him near Ihindu and when we got there we were able to see him momentarily but he did not have enough energy to speak,” the MCAs father said, adding “we only got to speak to him in hospital.”

He told reporters that Gitau is recuperating at the Aga Khan Hospital and hope to get more information from him once he is discharged.

Police too said they will question him further once he is out of hospital, to get more information on how he ended up in Kinungi.

“His health had deteriorated because he was locked up in the car trunk for eight days. He was denied food and water,” Gitau’s father said, revealing that hospital tests on his son had shown he did not have any physical injury but was experiencing abdominal pain.

The MCA’s wife Tabitha Wairimu said she has not been able to go back to their home in Juja because she fears the abductors to away her husband would also come for her.

“I have always been praying to God that he be found alive, I am grateful that our prayers have been answered,” she said.

Gitau went missing last Saturday from his home soon after withdrawing money from an ATM in Ruiru town.

From Capital fm