The Star 10/16/2017

A police multi-agency team has smashed a suspected drug trafficking ring at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport that involves Kenya Airways staff. On Friday night, the team undertook a major sting operation and intercepted four kilogrammes of narcotics concealed as Kenyan Coffee. The drugs were found hidden within the crew restroom of a Kenya Airways plane (Flight KQ 870 ) destined for Hong-Kong, China. Two suspects Daniel Koech and Paul Omondi, both Kenya Airways in-flight crew members, were arrested. It is suspected that the two have been working in collusion with former colleagues of the airline to secretly traffic drugs to China, Netherlands, and India. The operation was triggered by a tip-off from friendly foreign security agencies who had observed an influx of narcotics from Kenyan flights. Investigations by the Kenyan…

‘CUT’ REDUCES CANCER Risk of spreading STIs lowered Women with circumcised male partners are less likely to contract syphilis, cervical cancer and other STIs, a new health review shows. Researchers arrived at the conclusion after analysing 60 past publications, including studies from Kenya. The review is published in the latest edition of The Lancet Global Health journal. See Page 12 KISUMU RESIDENTS’ WOES Blame police for brutality Kisumu traders are questioning the orders given to GSU officers deployed to quell protests in the county on Friday. Some suffered injuries from police beatings during the anti-IEBC protests. The officers beat up motorists, boda boda riders and their clients as well as traders in Kondele. Residents complained that armed officers smashed boda bodas’ bikes. See page 9 137 KILLED IN MOGADISHU Twin…

Police killed at least 50 people and injured scores in Nairobi as they responded to protests that broke out after the August 8, election, two international human rights organisations have said. In a 37-page report to be released this morning, ‘Kill Those Criminals: Security Forces’ Violation in Kenya’, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch documents brutality and cruel treatment. The report says police are directly implicated in the deaths of at least 33 people, another 17 were allegedly killed, most of them in Kawangware, but researchers could not confirm the cases. Last week Kenya National Commission on Human Rights in their ‘Mirage at Dusk: A Human Rights Account of the 2017 General Elections’ report documented 37 deaths in three days of unrest after declaration of presidential results majority of whom…

COULD NASA have lied in their press statement on Saturday when it claimed that the government was targetting Kambas, Abagusii, Maasais and Somalis in the crackdown on demonstrators who are looting and destroying property? Gilgil MP Martha Wangari (pictured) thinks so. According to her, there have been no anti-IEBC demonstrations in Ukambani, Northeastern and Kisiiland as “they have not accepted to be misused by the opposition”. She wants the opposition outfit to be honest to the public with the information it puts out, pointing out that such propaganda will not work. AN MP from the Mt Kenya region is in the spotlight for enlightening his constituents and the region at large with sex tips. The new legislator, who successfully floored a political giant in the region, shocked his supporters when…

For the second day running, President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday warned opposition leader Raila Odinga not to use the international community to push for the formation of a coalition government. Addressing a series of political rallies in Laikipia and Nyeri counties, Uhuru said he would not engage Raila in any dialogue ahead of next week’s repeat presidential election. The President, whose victory for the second term in office was nullified by the Supreme Court last month, maintained that nothing, not even foreign intervention, would stop Kenyans from taking part in the repeat poll. “We accepted to have a repeat poll, despite the fact that we won. We however will not be pushed to sit and talk with someone whose main need is to just clinch power,” the President said. The President’s…

I personally believe dialogue is good for the stability of this country, and that dialogue must be structured. It should not be a dialogue where a certain party feels they have the upper hand so that they manipulate another group. If you want to have a proper dialogue both parties must reach a place where there is give and take, so that nobody takes advantage of the other. Remember the famous saying by the late Vice President Michael Kijana Wamalwa, that when you come to the negotiation table put all the cards on the table. The President changed his mind where it seemed they are sitting down to share positions akin to the Grand Coalition government. I think all these problems have been brought about by the IEBC, it has…