The Star 04/15/2017

Kenyans on Friday eulogised comedian Emmanuel Makori Nyambane, alias Ayeiya, following his tragic death in a car crash. The comedian, popularly known as Ayeiya Poa Poa, died after his car hit a pole near the Catholic University of Eastern Africa on Magadi Road. Lang’ata police boss Elijah Mwangi said the comedian died on Friday morning. He spoke to the Star on the phone. “He was heading home in the company of his wife, comedian Paul wa Kimani and Maina Olwenya when the accident occurred at 5am,” Mwangi said. Mwangi said Ayeiya, who was asleep during the incident, died on the spot after the car rammed into an electric pole. “Some of the passengers were rushed to the Kenyatta National Hospital with serious injuries,” the police boss said. “What occurred is…

KEMBI GITURA Tells politicians to stop hooligans The Murang’a Senator has told politicians to respect each other and stop hooligans causing confrontations among supporters. “This is the only way we can build a strong democracy and show our children it is possible to have peaceful elections,” Kembi said. Murang’a is one of the 40 hotspots that could experience violence. See Page 17 FRANCIS ATWOLI Dismisses report on higher pay Cotu on Friday rejected reports attributed to FKE executive director Jacqueline Mugo that the rising minimum wage is pushing potential employers out of Kenya. Atwoli said it is misleading and makes no economic sense for the Federation of Kenya Employers to claim increases have pushed up the cosst of doing business by 30 per cent. See page 7 ANC SUPPORTERS Disharmony…

Irate Watamu town residents burnt three vehicles and nearly lynched a tycoon who had allegedly ordered the demolition of a property on a disputed land. Trouble started after the businessman allegedly used police and goons to demolish a house belonging to a family on a land he claims on Thursday. He reportedly owns many properties in the resort town. Police acting on a court order obtained by Habib Abu Mohamed reportedly stormed the disputed land, which is adjacent to the home where the family lives and begun demolishing the house at 4am. Three family members are said to have been beaten and frogmarched to the Watamu police station. Furious residents stormed the home of the tycoon, a luxurious villa. Witnesses said residents knocked down the gate to the tycoon’s home,…

ODM’S move to slap nominated Senator Elizabeth Ongoro with a Sh1 million fine for chaos at Orange House and it’s decision to ban her from running for Ruaraka MP has sparked outrage. The announcement by ODM deputy party leader Wycliffe Oparanya left many wondering why the party has mistreated her not once, but twice. She suffered a similar fate in 2013, when she was told to shelve her ambitions in favour of Bishop Margaret Wanjiru in the ODM race for Nairobi senator. Questions are now being raised as to whether ODM only champions the interests of some people. A second term MP, who is also an ODM official from Nyanza, is fighting tooth and nail to win the ongoing primaries. Tables turned against him after his three elder brothers declared…

And it has only just begun. Violence, acrimony, alleged ballot stuffing and controversy dogged the first lap of ODM nominations in Busia, Bungoma and Machakos counties. This raises concerns it could get worse. Nominations will go on tomorrow as scheduled in Turkana, Kakamega, Samburu and Narok counties. Raila Odinga’s ODM yesterday was forced to nullify the nomination results for Busia boss, a few hours after Governor Sospeter Ojaamong was declared the winner. Fresh nominations are scheduled on April 25. Ojaamong’s rival, Funyula MP Paul Otuoma, and his supporters repudiated the results, alleging ballot stuffing in the governor’s two constituency strongholds. Up to the early hours of yesterday, Otuoma had taken the lead but around 9am, Ojaamong overtook Otuoma, sparking outrage from the former minister and his supporters. County Election Board…

No party in this country is organised to run above board primaries. Nominations are a shambolic exercise, a mockery of democracy. This is because most of the time a party does not exist as a functional entity. It only comes alive at election time. When there are by-elections, you see flickering and embers that die as the season ends. Parties fail to put in place structures, instruments, regulations and the discipline required for primaries. They lack infrastructure to make processes and results transparent and fair. Chaos will continue to mar nominations until such a day parties are organized, have clear ideologies, discipline, manifestos, organs, branches and officials. Chaos is not restricted to ODM. We will soon see primaries in other parties. This is why some some of us believed the…