The Star 01/07/2017

Striking doctors yesterday rejected a Sh4 billion offer by President Uhuru Kenyatta, which raised their gross salaries by at least 40 per cent. This would have increased the monthly pay of an intern from the current Sh126,000 to Sh197,000, plus a monthly Sh10,000 risk allowance. The strike enters day 34 today. The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union officials said Uhuru’s offer fell short of what they bargained for in their Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Health ministry in 2013. They made the announcement at the Railways Club, Nairobi. But the government has described the decision by doctors to reject the 40 per cent offer “painful”. Treasury CS Henry Rotich said they are disappointed by the decision to turn down the offer but are hopeful that they will reach…

PATRICK KHAEMBA County to assist D- students Trans Nzoia county will help provide vocational training for more than 9,000 KCSE exam students who scored D-and below. The governor on Thursday said, “We will not allow them to feel like failures. Many of these students have talents and skills which we must tap into.” He spoke after meeting education figures in Kitale town. See page 21. SOSPETER OJAAMONG Dismisses opinion poll The Busia governor has told off the Busia Professionals Association over their survey that ranked him the number two choice. The Bupa poll results released on Tuesday indicate that Vincent Sidai is the preferred governor candidate, with 35.1 per cent. Ojaamong came second with 28.4 per cent. See page 22. DENNIS OMARIMBA ‘Poured faeces in office’ A 28-year-old man has…

More than 2.4 million Kenyans will be starving by April, the Kenya Red Cross Society has said. KRCS manager for special programmes Leila Chepkemboi on Thursday told the Star all signs point to the fact that there will be a severe food shortage. “Eight counties are in bad state. They are Kwale, Mandera, Marsabit, Samburu, Garissa, Kilifi, Lamu and Tana River,” she said. By October last year, 1.3 million people were starving. Chepkemboi said the situation has led to the death of thousands of livestock.She said conflicts have been witnessed in Laikipia, Kitui,Turkana, Marakwet and Pokot as a result of the ongoing drought. Chepkemboi urged arid and Semi-arid counties to brace themselves for tough times. “We buy weak but healthy livestock that we slaughter and share the meat with the…

AN outspoken opposition lawmaker is sorry for former ACK Archbishop Eliud Wabukala (pictured) for taking up the EACC chairman’s job. The MP, also a member of the parliamentary committee that vetted Wabukala, is believed to have said the Archbishop’s reputation will be soiled by some untouchable officers at the commission. The MP singled out a handful of people known to orchestrate the removal of chairpersons who don’t “cooperate” in investigations and reports. The MP has told Wabukala to prepare for a rough time and even dismissal if he does not play ball with key opertives. The legislator said the much-trumpeted war on graft is just a circus and that the EACC is not keen to fight graft. JUST who is this stalking Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli? Corridors is told…

 The opposition — which had pledged to take to the streets to protest manual voting backup — is facing a testing moment and weighing its options after a massive setback when the Senate approved the controversial backup system. SENATORS APPEARED TO HAVE HURT THEIR OWN BEST INTERESTS WHEN THEY OVERWHELMINGLY PASSED A CONTROVERSIAL ELECTORAL LAW THAT WOULD IN EFFECT WATER DOWN ITS ALREADY DIMINISHED LEGISLATIVE AND OVERSIGHT ROLE. Cord says manual backup for registration and results transmission will be used to rig and steal the election. “This is now a crisis ... We will respond to this betrayal of the people comprehensively, decisively and firmly,” opposition leaders said in a statement on Friday following the Thursday night Senate vote. Jubilee pushed through all amendments that watered down earlier laws. Next…

Our Parliament has witnessed some bizarre scenes and moments between 2013 and now. It has witnessed several attempts by the Jubilee regime to raid the constitution and overturn the will of the people for individual gain. It has witnessed blatant efforts to reintroduce dictatorship in the country in the name of giving the President power to fight insecurity. The list is long. But the spectacle that began in the National Assembly during a special sitting late last month and ended in the Senate on Thursday night count among the most bizarre. It stands out as a blatant willingness by the Jubilee regime to sell out the entire country for no reason other than the survival of the increasingly unpopular corruption-ridden government. One by one, Jubilee senators, disregarding irregularities and illegalities…