The Star 05/03/2017

The NASA pentagon team has said there will be no elections in August if the IEBC amends a clause in the election law that seeks to bar presidential results from being announced at the constituency. They were led by Siaya Senator James Orengo, Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama and Isiolo Deputy Governor Mohamed Gulled. DON’T DEFY COURT ORDER The NASA team asked the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to withdraw the petition it has filed challenging the April 4 decision at the High Court, which declared that presidential results at polling and constituency level are final and cannot be overturned unless by the order of the court. “In which interest is this appeal made? That’s mischief and we will not participate in the elections of 2017,” Orengo said. The leaders spoke…

WILSON SOSSION Teachers set to get pay rise The TSC will implement, from July, the Sh54 billion salary deal signed in October last year with teachers’ unions. It will be rolled out in four phases with the first phase receiving Sh13.7 billion. Knut secretary general Wilson Sossion had earlier warned that any delay in implementation of the CBA would lead to a halt in teaching. See page 8 SAMUEL ABISAI Won Sh221m SportPesa jackpot The 28-year-old sales man jackpot was yesterday treated to a stretch limousine ride and a red carpet ceremony when he was handed his cheque. He won the firm’s biggest payout in African history. He says that when he was informed he had won, he stood outside a petrol station jumping up and down. The news is…

Is someone intentionally digging up Nairobi’s Jubilee governor candidate’s past dirty linen? A letter has been circulating in social media indicating that a warrant of arrest has been issued by a Mombasa chief magistrate against Mike Sonko. The letter indicated that a warrants of arrest against him were still standing after police previously failed to effect them. JUBILEE NOMINEE FOR GOVERNOR Sonko won the primaries in a landslide, beating his opponent Peter Kenneth and giving him a clear path to run for the Nairobi top job. However, a senior court official at the Mombasa court has disputed the letter and said people have misinterpreted the letter. He said the letter was a response to a letter of inquiry by William Kenga Advocates, who wanted to know the availability of the…

THAT politics is gruelling is no secret. Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o (pictured) has a story to tell. We are told the good old politician fell asleep in the middle of an interview recently in Kisumu. Nyong’o had enjoyed a heavy meal of ugali that is thought to have contributed to him ‘blacking out’. WHO in State House is spreading rumours about Peter Kenneth? We are told that Jomo Gechaga and Njee Muturi have been telling people all manner of stories, some not very accurate. Jomo was reportedly openly backing Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko for the Nairobi gubernatorial seat. THE sending home of big names in Mt Kenya region during the Jubilee nominations has angered some residents who suspect it is a plot by outsiders to end their prolonged political dominance. Angry…

NASA Presidential running mate Kalonzo Musyoka risks arrest for suspected money laundering and diversion of donor aid by his Kalonzo Musyoka Foundation. The NGO Coordination Board says the charitable trust received Sh50 million from China that could not be traced, and was among Sh146 million the organisation could not account for. “The Board finds that there is sufficient cause to warrant forensic investigations into the affairs of the Kalonzo Musyoka Foundation on possible cases of money laundering and diversion of donor aid,” a letter dated yesterday and signed by Executive Director Fazul Mahamad said. “Subsequently, the Board has already initiated a legal process of ascertaining the level of criminal culpability of the directors of the foundation with respect to their fiduciary responsibility to the laws of Kenya, the intended beneficiaries…

The NGO Board has become a stooge at the disposal of the Executive against targetted organisations. I think the action against the Kalonzo Musyoka Foundation has everything to do with his being named the running mate of the NASA Presidential candidate. I recall sometime back it was the turn of Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero’s foundation, when the Board attempted to disorganise him after he announced that he would seek reelection. I also recall that, in 2014, Fazul Mahamed deregistered NGOs that he claimed were not filing returns and it turned out the targetted groups were all very vocal on human rights issues. In particular, on December 16, 2014, he deregistered 540 NGOs and in 2015 over 974. Most of these NGOs have been doing good work, among them the Kenya…