The Star 04/08/2017

Presidential election results announced by the constituency returning officers will be final, a court has ruled, a decision seen aiming to seal loopholes in electoral malpractices. A three-judge bench comprising justices Aggrey Muchelule, Weldon Korir and Chacha Mwita also clipped the powers of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to audit, vary or confirm presidential results sent from constituencies. “IEBC cannot engage in verification of results at national level. This will encroach on powers of electoral court,” the three judges said. In their decision, they cited regulations 39 ( 2 ) of the election Act which says the results from constituencies are provisional and subject to confirmation at the national tallying centre. They also nullified regulations 87 ( 2) (c) and 83 ( 2 ) saying they contradict the Constitution.…

LAMU COAL PLANT Works to start in two months The Construction of the controversial Amu coal-fired power plant is set to start in two months, Transport CS James Macharia said on Friday, giving a boost to the proposed Lamu Resort City. “We are happy to say that groundbreaking of the plant should be expected in the next two months,” said Macharia during the launch in Nairobi. See page 13 SEARCH BEGINS Some’s terms ends The Commission for University Education will get a new chief executive in September as incumbent David Some’s term ends .The commission’s mandate is to promote, set standards and ensure university education is quality and relevant. The CEO, who also serves as commission secretary, is an ex officio member of the eight-member team. See page 10 FLAWED…

The Court of Appeal has said the use of breathalysers to charge drunk drivers in court is illegal. A three-judge bench on Friday said the laws introduced by NTSA are inconsistent with the Traffic Act. Appeal judges GBM Kariuki, Festus Azangalala and Fatuma Sichale ordered that they be taken back to Parliament for review. The ruling means alcoblow can be used to measure levels of alcohol consumed but that police cannot charge anyone under the rules which established alcoblow. The judges said anyone found drunk-driving should be charged under traffic laws, not alcoblow rules. Rule 3( 1 ) of the breathalyser rules, they said, cannot be used to charge people because it is incapable of creating an offence. The decision arose from an appeal by Kariuki Ruitha who owns Reminisce…

MEDIA reports that ODM leader Raila Odinga will be the NASA flagbearer deputised by his Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka have elated some Jubilee Party lawmakers from Western. The MPs were heard mocking ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi (pictured) and his Ford Kenya counterpart Moses Wetang’ula for getting a raw deal. They asked their “big brothers” to pack their bags and go home. The MPs said JP will get more votes in their backyard than NASA, and the two had better join the winning team. MAKUENI Governor Kivutha Kibwana is staring at political trouble. Just when it had been thought the professor would be reelected unopposed, our moles say a prominent businessman who is campaigning on the platform of accountability and poverty eradication is set to launch a high-profile campaign. The businessman…

THIS LEADS US TO THE CONCLUSIONS THAT TO USE THE 2013 ELECTIONS OUTCOME TO DETERMINE THE NASA 2017 TICKETS WOULD BE TO COURT DEFEAT, MUDAVADI’S TEAM ARGUES ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi — the inspiration behind NASA — and his think tanks say ODM boss Raila Odinga is unlikely to defeat President Uhuru Kenyatta. The ANC strategy document according to analysis of the latest voter registration data. The ANC document titled Crunching Numbers 2017 says NASA trails Jubilee in the IEBC vote count by more than 100,000 votes. It puts NASA’s numbers at 7,868,373 voters to Jubilee’s 7,951,008. Of these, 4.12 million voters are in argues the best ticket is Mudavadi for President, with Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka as his running mate — and Raila backing both of them. The document…

While NASA principals and advisers haggle over who gets what when and how, most Kenyans don’t understand what NASA represents, other than a conglomeration of bigwigs. What NASA must do, therefore, is quickly announce its platform because Jubilee has trouble grasping, executing and meaningfully realising a coherent policy to benefit people outside themselves and the elite. NASA has one option: Pick a candidate to change the trajectory of debates from tribal ancestry to common interests of one people. This candidate must not evoke strong emotions, rather a strong rationale for making political choices. Enter Mudavadi. He can see a problem and identify a solution. When Cord had become a noisy, uninspiring outfit, he ingeniously came up with NASA. The rest is history. Mudavadi, however, isn’t alone in NASA. Raila has…