The Star 11/07/2017

Traders are buying maize from Uganda at Sh1,625 less than the market price for a 90kg bag in Kenya. The traders are making a killing and denying Kenyan farmers a chance to sell at local market prices. According to the daily data provided by the Eastern Africa Grain Council, the price of a 90kg bag of maize in Kenya is currently selling at Sh3,600. In Uganda, the same quantity of maize is going for Sh1,975. “Uganda has harvested and there is surplus of maize, hence, the low price. There is currently a lot of cross-border trade in Busia with large volumes of grain coming from Uganda into Kenya,” a source from EAGC said. This is despite the fact large-scale millers in Kenya do not prefer maize from Uganda, because it…

AIDAH MUNANO State to build low-cost houses The national government will build at least one million low-cost houses in informal settlements in Nairobi in five years. Housing and Urban Development PS Aidah Munano said the programme will begin in January. “We will build the houses in Kibera, Mariguini, Huruma and other Eastlands estates on government land,” she said. See page 27 MUSALIA MUDAVADI Secession a cry for help NASA co-principal Musalia Mudavadi has declined to say whether social media buzz about secession is part of the opposition’s strategy to push for change. He says the secession call is a genuine expression of desperation by the majority of Kenyans. “A country that descends to these feelings of exclusion is crying out for help before it drowns,” he says. See page 36…

Two leaders in Laikipia have condemned the killing of cattle by police. Laikipia Senator John Kinyua and Laikipia West MP Patrick Mariru said, however, the number of dead animals did not exceed 300. “It is untrue that more than 300 cows were shot dead. Our estimation and that of police is that around 25 cows were killed. The illegal herders used the cows as shield as they engaged police in a shootout,” Mariru told the press at Parliament Buildings yesterday. Mariru faulted local leaders and senior politicians calling for compensation to herders. He said 50 people, including six policemen, had died and 80 others were injured due to cattle rustling. “Do Kenyans know that 50 people have died and 80 of them were injured at the hands of herdsmen? We…

ARE some MPs allied to NASA leader Raila Odinga(pictured) speaking from both sides of their mouths? The classic example to demonstrate doublespeak is the current direction to boycott telecommunications provider Safaricom and its products. Yesterday our mole tried to call the Safaricom lines of three outspoken legislators who are always at the forefront of the boycott, and the lines were all active. Two of them called back after missing our first calls. STILL on boycotts, professionals and youth who support NASA are unhappy with the decision by the opposition outfit to call for a boycott of some products and services. They say it might result in profiling them and in no time they might be declared redundant in the companies that have already been blacklisted by the opposition. The targets…

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s second-term bid ran into headwinds yesterday after two petitions were filed against his October 26 victory, which was marred by low turnout and an Opposition boycott. But a separate suit was also filed at the Supreme Court seeking to bar Opposition chiefs led by Raila Odinga from holding public office because they mobilised against the presidential rerun. This means Uhuru’s swearing-in, which was set for November 14, must await the outcome of another titanic legal duel The first petition was filed by former Kilome MP Harun Mwau. The second petition was filed by veteran human rights activists Khelef Khalifa and Njonjo Mue. Khalifa and Mue say no nominations were carried out for the repeat presidential election, the principle of universal suffrage was violated and the IEBC was…

A petition that may block the Supreme Court from determining the fresh presidential petitions has been filed before the Judicial Service Commission. Yesterday, an activist petitioned the JSC to stop three Supreme Court judges from hearing the case challenging President Uhuru Kenyatta’s October 26 election. Kelvin Njihia wants Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu and justices Ibrahim Mohamed and Isaac Lenaola barred from presiding over the case. He argues that Justice Ibrahim should be barred because of his inability to perform his duties, owing to physical incapacity. The judge’s illness was announced by Chief Justice David Maraga during the determination of the petition filed by NASA leader Raila Odinga challenging the August 8 election. “The said judge has failed to perform his duty and has been missing in office as a…