The Star 01/02/2017

A family of Dutch holidaymakers was attacked by a mob of Pokot invaders at the Laikipia Nature Conservancy on Friday night. Harm Duiker, head of Dutch development organisation SNV, together with six others, were confronted in their Safari vehicle by more than 10 Pokot youths armed with crude weapons, who blocked their way with boulders. The youths threw stones at the tourists, smashing the vehicle’s windscreen and windows. The visitors escaped unhurt after an AP officer escorting them fired twice in the air, forcing the attackers to flee. This is the latest in a string of incidents targetting foreign tourists in Laikipia, where private conservancies and farms are being invaded by thousands of Pokot and Samburu herders and their livestock. Residents say politicians are inciting the violence. A number of…

NATHIF JAMA Endorsed for second term His Aulyhan clan has endorsed him for a second term as Garissa governor. Speaking at a Garissa hotel on Saturday, the community’s Sultan Hamud Sheikh said all the nine sub-clans have unanimously agreed to back Jama for the final term. Sheikh was with elders from all the nine sub-clans of Rer Ali, Afgab, Adankheir, Wafata, Hawis, Sonqad, Abakorade, Qasim and Afwah. See Page 26 MUSALIA MUDAVADI Called ‘envelope spokesperson’ Five Kakamega MPs have termed inconsequential the Saturday unveiling of the ANC leader as the Luhya kingpin in Bukhungu Stadium, an event spearheaded by Cotu boss Francis Atwoli. They spoke in a parallel rally at Shibale market in Mumias on Saturday. Matungu MP David Were said Mudavadi is an “envelop spokesperson” and does not represent…

ODM has extended the dateline for submission of applications by aspirants seeking to participate in the February primaries. The party had set Saturday as the dateline for all applications, but aspirants now have an extra 10 days to do so. “Due to the long queues and increasing demand by members applying for the various seats electable in the August 2017 general election, the National Elections Board has extended the deadline for submission of application papers by 10 days,” ODM director of communications Philip Etale said. “The board would like to make it clear that it will not be extending the deadline again after the lapse of the January 10 deadline.” Etale said the according to board chairperson Judith Pareno, the extension is to allow the many aspirants who had been…

IS Musalia Mudavadi (pictured)going to be the opposition presidential candidate in August? There is word doing the the rounds among Cord leaders that the man from Sabatia presents the best chance to defeat President Uhuru Kenyatta. We are told that in the next few days there will be intense discussions among the Cord principals over how best to pick the joint opposition candidate and those discussions will take proper shape next month. IF this is true then it’s very disturbing: We hear that Ugandans are being offered cash to cross over into Kenya and register as voters in the border county of Busia. Those talking about this tell Corridors, Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba is part of the scheme that involves importing the Ugandans and it is the reason he hosted…

 KENYA’s foremost political rivals, President Uhuru Kenyatta and Cord leader Raila Odinga, have used their New Year messages to draw the pre-election battle lines. WE WILL NOT ALLOW OUR EFFORTS AND THOSE OF KENYANS TO BE DESTROYED BY POLITICIANS WHO SEEM TO HAVE EMBRACED THE LESSON THAT CONFRONTATION AND PROVOCATION ARE THE ONLY WAY FOR THEM TO OPERATE WE MUST STAND UP AGAINST THE BILLIONAIRES’ CLUB.WE CAN ACHIEVE IT ON AUGUST 8 FOLLOWING ON THE FOOTSTEPS OF NATIONS LIKE TANZANIA, NIGERIA, GHANA, SENEGAL AND GAMBIA THAT HAVE BLAZED THIS TRAIL The two, who faced off for President in 2013, and are expected to do so again on August 8, had not a kind word for the other in their messages to the nation. Uhuru used his speech to highlight his…

THE temperature is high – and rising – as both political sides of the divide gear up for the Mother of all Elections in Kenya, in my view. Kenyans have heard from their leaders and absorbed what they think is best for them, depending on which side of the political divide they identify with. In my analysis, one side comes off hopeful and ready to meet 2017 well, while the other side spells out gloom. True, there have been challenges, but we should also learn to highlight the successes as we work on our mistakes. My expectation of the leaders – incumbents and aspirants – in this country is that they preach a sense of unity under a shared vision. Our diversity should not be our point of departure, where…