The Star 12/14/2016

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations yesterday launched a probe into the Saturday night Naivasha tanker explosion that has claimed 43 lives. Detectives from the DCI’s Homicide division went to the Chiromo Mortuary yesterday to get DNA samples from the bodies. A tanker carrying flammable chemicals to Uganda rammed into vehicles in the Karai area and exploded, causing a fireball with 14 cars and their occupants being burnt in the inferno. National Disaster Operation Centre director Nathaniel Kigotho yesterday said chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor and his team have taken DNA samples from 28 families and others will be collected. He said the exercise will take at least two weeks after which burial preparations can start. The families have been asked to cooperate. Kigotho said all the bodies must be DNA…

ISAAC RUTTO Rewards Bomet health workers Bomet Governor Isaac Rutto has given county health workers a Sh1.5 million ‘Christmas gift’ for “their dedication to service and defying calls to go on strike”. Rutto said the dispute between some counties and the medics is a result of the failure by the employer — the counties — to engage the health workers. See Page 33 BERNARD MUIA Asks private hospitals to help City Hall wants 13 private health facilities to treat emergency and critical patients referred by public hospitals — without payment. The county made the request as the doctors and nurses’ strike enters its 10th day today. Health executive Bernard Muia yesterday said part-time doctors will be hired and medical consultants on leave have been recalled. See Page 27 PIERRE NKURUNZIZA…

A group of residents from Laini centre in Naivasha, where the deadly tanker accident happened killing 43 people, have differed with President Uhuru Kenyatta over the removal of speed bumps on the Nairobi-Naivasha road. They yesterday said the speed bumps have reduced the number of accidents, adding that they will not allow them to be removed. This comes as details emerged that the driver of the lorry that caused the accident lost control of the vehicle even before it hit the bumps, rammed into vehicles and burst into flames. On Monday, Uhuru criticised the Kenya National Highways Authority for erecting the speed bumps without consultations. But residents of Laini, Karai and Kinungi said the accident was caused by human error and not the speed bumps. Local leader James Kabono said…

THERE are some easy and effortless ways of losing elections, as Gor Mahia chairmanship aspirant Dan Oketch has discovered - at a huge cost. He was doing very well and was sure to unseat long-serving chairman Ambrose Rachier. That was until Dan’s very close friend and staunch Kogallo fan, Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria (pictured), went on air on Radio Jambo to publicly endorse and campaign for him. And, just like that, Rachier trounced Oketch with 597 votes against 220. Lesson learnt and in former Kibwezi MP Kalembe Ndile’s maxim, “when some people speak in your favour, majority votes are lost”. FIVE members of the dreaded criminal ‘Superpower’ gang that has been terrorising Eastlands residents have gone into hiding after their leader was shot and killed by police in Eastleigh…

In his strongest condemnation yet, Cord leader Raila Odinga yesterday said President Uhuru Kenyatta should have been jailed during his trial by the ICC for crimes against humanity in the 2007-08 post-election violence. The former Prime Minister said all other major ICC suspects have been detained at The Hague before and during their trials. He cited former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo, former DRC Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba, former Liberian leader Charles Taylor, former LRA chief Dominic Ongwen, among others. Charges against Uhuru were dropped on December 5, 2014. “He was accused of weighty charges. He was allowed to vie for President in 2013. Although he was charged with serious crimes against humanity, he was allowed to come home because of mercy,” Raila said. He addressed the Wiper National Governing…

HIS STAUNCHEST SUPPORTERS SAY HE’S THE BEST BET TO FACE JP’S PRESIDENT UHURU KENYATTA, SEEING AS RAILA HAS FAILED TO CLINCH THE SEAT TWICE, DESPITE MASSIVE SUPPORT FROM ACROSS THE BREADTH AND WIDTH OF KENYA THE Wiper Party has spoken. And it thinks that Kalonzo Musyoka should change his political address to the House on the Hill, effective August 8, 2017. You can’t deny a leader of Kalonzo’s stature, political acumen and intellect the chance to stake a claim to Kenya’s leadership. He has the experience, having been thrown into various political infernos during a career that spans three decades, and has assembled powerful friends and enemies during the time. What are his real chances? He starts off with a solid one-million-vote basket from his native Ukambani that will be…