The Star 03/28/2017

National Super Alliance leader Raila Odinga has dismissed Jubilee’s claims linking him to the single-sourcing of a Sh3.8 billion elections management system to a French firm by the IEBC. Raila yesterday denied the claims by National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and Water CS Eugene Wamalwa that he could have influenced the award of the tender to Safran because the owners of the firm are his close allies. Duale and Wamalwa demanded Raila to come clean on the matter during their Sunday rally in Malindi. They said he knows much about the firm, including how it won another contract in 2013 by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission headed by former chairman Issack Hassan. Duale also put the IEBC chaired by Wafula Chebukati on the spot over claims Raila played…

PIM VAN BALLEKOM To fund power and road projects The European Investment Bank yesterday pledged more than Sh12 billion for the extension of the Olkaria I Geothermal plant in Nakuru. The financing will support the addition of a 70MWe turbine, as well as the construction of wells, a steam gathering system and interconnection facilities. EIB committed to support power and transport projects. See Page 16 NATHIF JAMA Outlines successes Garissa Governor Nathif Jama on Sunday answered his critics who have been poking holes into his administration. He outlined his administration’s achievements and the county’s progress since he took office. Jama celebrated the four years he has been governor. He said more than 400 projects have been completed. See Page 35 UHURU KENYATTA Cancels Meru trip President Uhuru yesterday cancelled his…

A new opinion poll by Infotrack shows 16.7 per cent of Mombasa voters would pick Hassan Omar as senator if elections were held today. The poll was conducted between last Friday and Sunday. It also shows 74.4 per cent are undecided on who to back for the senatorial seat. Omar has announced his bid for governorship. “Omar’s popularity as a senator has come down after he declared his interest in the county’s top seat,” said Infotrack MD Angela Ambitho. Omar is followed by Hamisi Mwaguya {1.9}, Ramadhan Kajembe {1.7 %}, Mohamed Abas ({1.7}, Yasser Bajaber {0.9%}, Farus Hadi Rubeya {0.8 %}, Tendai Mtana {0.6 %}, Mohamed Faki {0.5%}, Hishamu Mwidau {0.3%} and Abdula Saalam {0.3 %}. The same poll shows that 62.8 per cent would vote for the incumbent Hassan…

JUST why is Tiaty MP Asman Kamama (pictured) decamping from Jubilee for Maendeleo Chap Chap? Well, we are informed that the chairman of the powerful National Assembly Security Committee believes he has fallen out of favour with Jubilee and may be denied the party’s ticket. Some of his close associates were arrested over the killing of politicians Pepe Kitambaa (Tiaty MP hopeful) and Kibet Cheretei (Loyamorok MCA), an issue that put Kamama on the spot. Jubilee is said to be backing the Reverend Simon Kiuta (Jubilee) for the ticket in the August 8 polls. A former aide to Raila Odinga is a man keenly being watched. Reason? His giant appetite for money. The man, who only joined the ex-PM after the 2013 polls, is said to have gotten into the…

THE LAW IS UNNECESSARY AND TOO PUNITIVE. IT  WILL NOT ACHIEVE MUCH IN THE LONG TERM AND MAY ONLY CREATE DISSENT The government wants to tighten the noose on all convicted hatemongers — politicians, journalists, bloggers — by sending them to jail for five years, fining them Sh5 million, or both. Politicians convicted of hate speech would be barred from seeking office for five years. The polls are on August 8. If approved by Parliament, The National Integration and Cohesion (Amendment) Bill 2017 will also fine media practitioners as much as Sh10 million if found guilty of publishing and disseminating hate speech. Under the current law,the NCIC Act of 2008, convicts are liable to a Sh1 million fine, three years’ imprisonment or both. Convicted bloggers, who…

SPEAKERS USE PARABLES, PROVERBS AND SAYINGS WITH DEEPLY HIDDEN CULTURAL MEANINGS ONLY INTERPRETED/ DECODED BY THOSE WHO DEEPLY UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE THE proposal to raise penalties for hate speech under the NCIC Act from Sh1 million to Sh10 million and to raise the alternative jail terms from three to five years is an inconsequential move. To start with, even with the law as it is currently, no one has ever been convicted of hate speech, despite several cases having been filed in court. A penalty of Sh1 million for any media house convicted of hate speech or a jail term of 3 years for a journalist convicted of the same would already be punitive enough. The fact that some media houses publish what appears in the public eye to be…