The Star 04/29/2017

Mombasa governor hopeful Suleiman Shahbal says he made a Sh1 million bet with Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka that ODM’s Raila Odinga would not surrender the NASA ticket to him, and he will now be calling to demand his cash. He said the two made the bet over the opposition’s presidential ticket in 2017. “I’m calling him to collect my money. I told him there is no way that Raila would give him the certificate,” Shahbal told the Star on the phone on Friday. NASA on Thursday named Raila as their flagbearer, ending months of speculation, negotiations, and lingering fears of a complete meltdown. Kalonzo was named Raila’s running mate to compete with Jubilee’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto in August. Shahbal said he warned Kalonzo, but the Wiper…

UHURU KENYATTA Breaks ground for Olkaria V The President on Friday broke ground for construction of the Olkaria V power project, which will generate 158MW of electricity. Uhuru at the same time commissioned 14 wellhead units providing a total of 75MW of electricity. The ‘wellhead unit’ is a unique technology developed by Kenyan engineers to harness geothermal power. See page 8 KIRAITU MURUNGI Says he will show Munya ‘dust’ The Meru Senator has said he will show Governor Peter Munya ‘dust’ in August, despite recent polls showing Munya would get more votes. An Infotrak survey released early this month showed 41.1 per cent of residents support Munya, while 29.9 per cent back Kiraitu. Kiraitu said Munya should not be cheated by the Infotrak poll. See page 18 DANIEL NGARIU Accused…

Bomet Governor Isaac Rutto has dismissed rumours circulating in social media forums, claiming he will not defend his seat on August 8. He will seek reelection on the Chama Cha Mashinani party. Rutto, who is NASA’s co-principal, said those behind the rumours are his political detractors, whom he said had sensed defeat. The CCM leader said he joined NASA as an equal partner with his fellow co-principals, saying all are equal in the Pentagon team. Speaking on Kitwek FM during a morning radio talk show on Friday, the governor urged residents of Bomet and CCM supporters to ignore the rumours. He is confident he will triumph against his rival and Sotik MP Joyce Laboso, who won the Jubilee Party ticket for Bomet governor. The governor clarified that NASA is a…

WAS it ironic for ODM leader Raila Odinga to term Jubilee Party’s bungled nominations of a week ago a “donkey’s fart”, or what? The JP leadership swiftly realised their blunders and rectified them to prove to Raila that his party’s primaries were indeed the loudest donkey’s fart. Open mismanagement of ODM nominations in Nyanza and other regions proved Raila wrong for mocking President Uhuru Kenyatta’s JP. ODM nominations have been marred by chaos as rigged-out candidates and voters loudly protest the results. The ODM primaries saw rival candidates declare themselves winners and even returning officers issue them with certificates. For instance, many were left mouths agape when the victory of Bondo MP Gideon Ochanda was nullified and his rival Raila’s elder brother Oburu Oginga (pictured) announced the winner. IN any…

‘KAMBAS GOT A RAW DEAL.IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO ASK KAMBAS TO PLAY SECOND FIDDLE AGAIN YET THEY DID SO IN 2013. THERE IS A LOT OF BAD FEELING, TO TELL THE TRUTH AND ASHAME THE DEVIL’ The Kamba are grumbling while the Luhya appear to the biggest beneficiaries in the new NASA lineup. On Thursday a NASA rally in Uhuru Park unveiled Raila Odinga of ODM as its presidential candidate with Kalonzo Musyoka of Wiper as his running mate. Raila will be a one-term “transitional” president after he signed off an agreement that states, “In the event of renewal of the Coalition Agreement as contemplated in paragraph (1) of this Article, the Coalition’s Presidential candidate in the August 2017 elections shall not be eligible for nomination as a…

MAKE no mistake about this. The Kamba community hoped that Wiper supremo Kalonzo Musyoka was going to land the NASA ticket, with Musalia Mudavadi as his running mate and Raila Odinga as the Premier designate. The community had been made to believe that Kalonzo was the unifying factor in Kenya and his election would heal a country polarised by tribalism, being acceptable to all the communities, GEMA included. On face value, the noise emanating from Ukambani, loudly prosecuted by Minority leader Francis Nyenze, is well founded and grounded in the realm of political reality. Prior to the NASA paradise in its lineup unveiled in Uhuru Park on Thursday, Kalonzo’s body language epitomised the confidence of a Presidential candidate waiting for his date with destiny on August 8. He had even…