The Star 01/24/2017

The doctors’ strike is unlikely to end before the Thursday deadline after talks between them and the government failed yet again. Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union officials said the Ministry of Health did not invite them to any meeting yesterday or today. The officials said they are ready to be jailed on Thursday for disobeying court orders to call off the strike. NO AGREEMENT REACHED “The government has not called us for a meeting so far and claims by the government we have agreed on some issues on the CBA are a fallacy because we haven’t agreed on anything,” Nairobi branch secretary Thuranira Kaugiria told the Star. Health CS Cleopa Mailu was said to be furious with KMPDU officials for sponsoring the demonstration by students at Afya House…

ELIUD WABUKALA Harsh sentences for graft The new Anti-Corruption boss says he will hold top government officials, including CSs and PSs, personally accountable for graft issues in their departments. Wabukhala urged the Judiciary to impose harsh sentences to those convicted of graft to prevent others from engaging in corruption. The retired ACK archbishop was sworn in to office yesterday. See page 9 ANNE AMADI To re-advertise security tender The Judiciary has been ordered to re-advertise a Sh198 million security tender to guard court premises after a firm contested the awarding of the contract to a rival company. The tender was awarded to Lavington Security Services, but Bedrock Security Services disputed the tender process. It said Lavington Security did not follow procedure in application. See page 14 AMOS KIMUNYA Fraudulent sale…

DPP Keriako Tobiko is stopping the National Police Service Commission from taking action on eight senior police officers interdicted over the April 2, 2015, Garissa University massacre. Three times, Tobiko has not responded to requests by DCI chief Ndegwa Muhoro to forward the investigation file back to the police who will take action on senior commanders. He is also yet to give advice whether to charge the top cops in court as recommended by DCI investigators. Investigations by the Internal Affairs Unit of the police recommended internal disciplinary action and not prosecution. The top security chiefs, who included Northeastern regional coordinator Ernest Munyi, CID boss Musa Yego, AP commander Christopher Muthee and county police boss Charles Wambugu were interdicted, following public outcry after the murder of 147 students by al…

WORD has it that Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka (pictured) may find himself the only candidate defending his seat on the Jubilee Party ticket in the county. It is said MPs and MCAs are plotting to ditch the party for NASA, because “selling Jubilee is becoming very difficult”, especially if Moses Wetang’ula and Musalia Mudavadi stick together. It is also said the move by Water CS Eugene Wamalwa to run for Trans-Nzoia governor has dealt MCAs allied to his dissolved New Ford Kenya party a body blow. They say Wamalwa will not have time to traverse Bungoma for them to ride on his campaign trail. A senior official at the IEBC was recently heard complaining to one of his friends about how the commission has been held hostage by outside forces.…

 A vicious fight for the presidential ticket is unfolding within Cord, despite outward but fraying claims of opposition unity and consensus-seeking. FOR A LONG TIME PEOPLE HAVE SAID KALONZO IS A DIPLOMAT BUT I WANT TO TELL THEM THAT THIS TIME ROUND WE ARE GOING TO PLAY IT THE HARD WAY Cord co-principals Raila Odinga, ‘Mr Diplomacy’ Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula are all elbowing each other to bear the coalition’s presidential standard. Implications for the yet-to-be-launched National Super Alliance, NASA, are worrying. Raila and team believe this is their last chance. Wetang’ula believes both Raila and Kalonzo have had their turn and should support him. Kalonzo says others must sacrifice for him. In public, Kalonzo’s elbows seem the sharpest. Wiper and ODM are feuding in battle zones where neither…

TO say the opposition Cord will have a tough time in assuaging the interests of its constituent parties in the impending primaries is only half the truth. The full truth is that this challenge is real. But it faces all the major political parties as the race to the 2017 general election enters the home stretch. The problem of nominations shenanigans is broad. It has been with us before, but far from being restricted to the opposition, it afflicts all the major coalitions, even Jubilee Party. Just see JP’s Nairobi gubernatorial contest to appreciate the hard reality of the challenges facing the political big boys in the forthcoming nominations. Even though they are in power, the fight within Jubilee for the control of the city is something of an embarrassment…