Teachers want allowance hike

Thursday, May 30, 2013 - 00:00 -- CHARLES MGHENYI
TEACHERS in Mombasa have threatened to sue the Teachers Service Commission for allegedly refusing to increase their house allowances.
Kenya National Union of Teachers Coast national executive committee member Dan Aloo said they have written two unreplied letters to TSC.
“We want all teachers residing in cities to be given same allowances,” he said.
Aloo said they have contacted their lawyer about the issue and if TSC fails to respond they will take them to industrial court at the end of the month.
READ MORE....http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-122421/teachers-want-allowance-hike

Cyber crime a challenge to ICT sector

Thursday, May 30, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CHARLES MGHENYI
CYBER crime and digital migration are the biggest challenges for the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology, the Cabinet Secretary has said.
Speaking during the ICT Board workshop at White sands hotel in Mombasa yesterday, ICT Secretary Fred Matiang'i said the government is working hard to ensure  these two obstacles are overcome. Matiang'i said Kenya needs to become a cyber crime free zone so as to attract more investors.
“How can someone invest in an area where they are certain criminals might attack and manipulate their secret information. We need to solve this issue fast,” he said.
Matiang'i said Kenyans need to change with technology and digital migration should not be a centre of controversy. “Anyone is free to go to the court to demand for anything. But why should we mark time on an issue where we can all sit on a round table and discuss it,” he said.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-122376/cyber-crime-challenge-ict-sector

Albino mum of two in fear of rejection

Thursday, May 23, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CHARLES MGHENYI
A 23-year old mother of two, Teresiah Nekesa an albino, is living in fear of rejection from the public and family due to her condition.
Speaking to the Star, Nekesa, who lives in Likoni said she has no means to fend for her two kids since her husband Emmanuel Gumbao has become insane from drug addiction.
“I was married for four years but have since divorced my husband who is mentally handicapped,” she said................ READ MORE.http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-121487/albino-mum-two-fear-rejection

Kwale gang, chops off 63-year-old's manhood

Thursday, May 23, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CHARLES MGHENYI
A 63-year-old man from Kwale is nursing wounds at Coast General Hospital after he was attacked on Sunday by criminals who chopped off his manhood.
Ali Abdalla was attacked by men who said they wanted directions to a village elder to report the loss of their two cows.
Abdalla's wife Mwanahalima Luvuno, said a middle-aged man arrived at their home at Mwananyamala in Msambweni asking the family if they had seen two stray cows.
Speaking at the hospital, she said her husband offered to show them direction to the village elder’s house about 600 metres away, where all cases are reported.
“He walked out with the unknown man in a black shirt and a cap that hid his face. One could not notice who he was. Outside he found three others waiting,” she said.
Luvuno said she decided to trace her husband after he took more than an hour to come back.
“I found him lying in a pool of blood groaning in pain after walking some few metres,” she said.
The man complained of a sharp pain below his abdomen and around his private parts as he lay on his stomach, according to his wife.
His son, Mohamed Sembera, 27, said this was a second attack against his farther.
“He had also been attacked in 2009 by unknown people, luckily he was not badly injured like what they have done to him now,” he said.
“We are really surprised that they only cut it off and disappeared with it with no clear intention why they did that,” he added.
The incident could be linked to witchcraft as the criminals never stole anything from the man.
Coast General Hospital chief administrator Bernard Mwero and provincial director of medical services Khadija Shikely could not be reached for comment on chances of the victim surviving.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-121488/kwale-gang-chops-63-year-olds-manhood 

Mombasa clergy flay group of gays

Saturday, May 18, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CHARLES MGHENYI

A section of religious leaders from the Coast region have threaten to storm a meeting alleged to be organised by civil societies in Mombasa to bring together lesbians,homosexual and prostitutes.
Kilifi coordinator Sheikh Hussein Ali of the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya said civil societies group should protect the rights of those suffering and not support immorality.
CIPK said they are aware of a certain meeting converged by lobby groups to discuss the fate of the 11 women arrested over the dog pornography saga in Mombasa last week.
 Speaking to the press at their Mombasa office, Sheikh Hussein said western countries are using Kenyan lobby groups to corrupt Africans and their religious beliefs.
 “We condemn those preparation and we will storm the venue if we get to know when and where the meeting will be held,” he said.
 He added the meeting which is expected at the end of the month will bring together all the prostitutes, lesbians and homosexual to discuss ways to run their businesses smoothly.
 His remarks were supported by Bishop Lawrence Chivatsi of the Kenya Apostolic church who termed the act as evil and making Kenya to be 'Sodom and Gomorrah of the Bible'
 Bishop Godfrey Barasa of Bible baptist church said it was unfortunate that Mtwapa is seen as a 24-hour economy but it is all about 24-hour prostitution.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-120851/mombasa-clergy-flay-group-gays

New Lands Act set for August - says Swazuri

Saturday, May 18, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CHARLES MGHENYI

KENYANS will have to wait up to August before their land problems will begin to be effectively tackled, the National Land Commission chairman has said.
Mohamed Swazuri yesterday said the Lands Act will be fully functional only after it is passed by the national assembly. Swazuri said they are still collecting views from the public that will be used in forming a credible Lands Act.
 Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a public forum in Mombasa, he said the Land Acts need to be changed to match the problems raised by Kenyans.
 “We currently have 27 bills talking about land. We want to review and cut them to two so that Kenyans are able to understand these laws well,” he said.
 He said the new constitution gives the NLC authority to handle all land problems in the country, but the Land Act has a provision that the Ministry of Land will be solving these issues.
 He said the office of the land registrar is still under the Lands ministry which will bring confusion when the NLC makes decision and the registrar disagree with them.
 Swazuri said the workshops are going on all over the country and they expect to be through by June 30, before submitting the report to the minister who will then send the report in parliament to be discussed.
 He urged people facing forceful eviction to be patient because the eviction and resettlement Act will have a solution for these problems.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-120847/new-lands-act-set-august-says-swazuri

Train crash teen dies in hospital

 

The 17 year old being carried to hospital by good samaritans/ Photo Elkana Jacob

Friday, May 17, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CHARLES MGHENYI

THE 17-year-old Jimmy Mbaabu, who was crushed by a train at Kibarani Railway Bridge, on Tuesday night, died yesterday at the Coast General hospital.
 Coast provincial director of medical services Khadija Shikely said Mbaabu’s legs had to be cut off to save his life. She said he had lost a lot of blood during the accident.
 “When we received him at the hospital, chances of him surviving were low as he was in bad condition,” said Shikely. The victim was drunk and was on his way home when the accident occurred.
 Witnesses said police neglected calls to rescue him. Changamwe police boss Joseph Muthee denied the allegations saying that they received the news at around 6am on Wednesday morning.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-120713/train-crash-teen-dies-hospital

Mombasa teen loses leg in train accident

Good Samaritan carry 17-year old Jimmy Mbaabu whose leg was cut off by train at Kibarani in Mombasa on Tuesday night. Photo/Elkana Jacob

Thursday, May 16, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CHARLES MGHENYI
POLICE in Mombasa have launched investigations over a train accident that chopped off the leg of a minor currently admitted in hospital.
Jimmy Mbaabu, 17, is nursing wounds at coast general hospital intensive care unit.
He was found lying on the rail bleeding profusely at Kibarani railway bridge at around midnight by good Samaritans who informed the police and his relatives.
Sudi Saidi, a good samaritan, said they rushed at the scene of accident after they had screams from the victim who was lying helplessly from pains.
It is not clear how the accident happened because only the legs were seriously injured with one limb completely mutilated by the train wheels.
However, witnesses said the victim might have been drunk and was unable to walk home when the incident occurred.
His uncle Geoffrey Wambu, said the victim was from a drinking spree in Changamwe and was heading home to Kibarani past midnight when he was knocked down.
“We received information about the accident and confirmed that Jimmy was drunk when it occurred. We thank God he is still alive,” he said.
The doctors at the hospital ICU wing had a hard task of ensuring they stop the blood flow from the victim's limbs after he was received at the hospital in the morning hours.
Speaking to the Star on phone, Changamwe police boss Joseph Muthee, confirmed the incident had happened, but he said the Railway police station were handling it.
“The railway police station have the case in their hands because it lies in their court, but indeed a person was crushed at Kibarani railway bridge,” he said.
He also refuted allegations that the Changamwe police officers never respond to calls from the residents who were asking for help to rescue the boy.
“We heard about the incident in the morning and we were informed that the railway police were already handling it,” he added.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-120552/mombasa-teen-loses-leg-train-accident

Police in search of Kenyan woman in pornography case

The eleven women in court Photo/ Elkana Jacob

 

The foreigner Christopher Clement/ Photo Elkana Jacob

  
Monday, May 13, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CALVIN ONSARIGO, BRIAN OCHIENG AND CHARLES MGHENYI

Detectives are hunting down a Kenyan woman behind an international syndicate of bestiality and pornographic trade.
Police said the woman is believed to be a business partner of Swiss national Christopher Clement Weissenrieder, who was arrested with 11 women at an apartment in Nyali over alleged prostitution and bestiality.
 Yesterday, Nyali MP Awiti Bolo and Mamba Village Centre general manager Brian Lewela denied that the 11 ladies and the foreigner were conducting their illegal trade at Mamba Village Apartments.
 “I would like the CID to verify the information they gave. Their investigation has yielded false information,” said Awiti in a press conference at the Mamba Village Centre which he owns.
 Lewela said the false information given by the police hasmade some clients to cancel their reservations. “Guests at the apartments and others who had booked said they do not want to be associated with the incident or be disturbed by the press. Some had to cancel,” said Lewela.
 Kisauni CID boss Shadrack Juma yesterday said they have obtained material including 15 laptops suspected to be used in shooting pornographic movies.
 He said the pornographic movies are later shown to customers in Europe, USA and Australia through the internet. The ladies strip for clients who then masturbate.
 “The laptops that contains highly classified information have been transferred to Nairobi CID headquarters for forensic analysis,” said Juma.
 He said Weissenrieder is a former military officer who worked for Switzerland and later joined the United Nations headquarters and worked in Nairobi before he was dismissed three years ago.
 “He holds an expired diplomatic passport that indicates he arrived in the country three months ago as tourist,” said Juma.
Muslim clerics at the weekend condemned the act. The Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya organising secretary Sheikh Mohamed Khalifa accused the police of trying to cover up the issue because a foreigner was involved.
 “This matter should be investigated thoroughly and all people involved prosecuted, whether they are foreigners or not,” he said. Police said the Swiss had rented an exclusive apartment in Nyali suburb estate for Sh45 million for two years at Sh200,000 per month.
 A car bearing a diplomatic UN number plate was found parked in the compound when the Star team visited the highly guarded apartment.
 Police are investigating how he used to obtained a UN vehicle being yet he is a non-official. Multiple police sources confirmed that the national will be deported once the police are finish their investigation. Weissenrieder faces a similar case in Malaysia.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-120122/police-search-kenyan-woman-pornography-case

'Kisite Mpunguti is public land'

Monday, May 13, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CHARLES MGHENYI
PERSONS claiming to own the controversial Kisite Mpunguti Island should appear before the National Land Commission to ascertain the claims.
 NLC chairperson Mohamed Swazuri said the land is a gazetted national park. He said some people might have been duped into buying the land.
 “The notice will be served to all people through the media so that any person with complaints can come to us,” Swazuri said. He said Kenya Wildlife Services has established through a gazette notice of 1973 that the island is still public land.
 “A piece of land which has been initially gazetted can only be sold if the government de-gazettes it,” Swazuri said. He said the commission is committed to protecting public land.
 A Swiss investor, Alessandro Torrian, sparked off public uproar when he advertised the land for sale in March. Torriani had offered the 39 square kilometres park for Sh1.4 billion.
He claimed he owns the land under a 99-year leasehold title which had been converted from freehold status. NLC toured the Island on April 27 and establish it was public land.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-120119/kisite-mpunguti-public-land

Lobby groups back Serem

Thursday, May 9, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CHARLES MGHENYI
LOBBY groups from Coast under the Pwani Coalition Forum for Good Governance have faulted threats by MPs to disband the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
The MPs have been in a row with the salary commission over their monthly pay of Sh532,000 from the initial Sh851,000 the tenth parliament members used to pocket.
Speaking to the press in Mombasa, Yusuf Lule the executive director of Human Rights Agenda said the MPs should work according to the guidelines set by the new constitution.
“We condemn the apparent bullying and threats to the SRC which is constitutionally mandated to set and regulate salaries and benefits for state and public officers,” he said.
Lule said the ongoing negotiation between SRC and the Parliamentary Service Commission might compromise the mandate of the commission.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-119715/lobby-groups-back-serem

Fear of disease outbreak after heavy rains at the coast

 Thursday, May 9, 2013 - 00:00 -- CHARLES MGHENYI
THERE is an eminent fear of an outbreak of waterborne diseases at the Coast following the floods experienced in the past three days.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that a family of four – a mother and three children – in Moroto slums might be sufferings from cholera due to the rains and poor drainage in the slum.
Speaking to the Star yesterday, Mombasa district disease surveillance coordinator Hussein Bilali said plans are underway to ensure that disease outbreaks are curbed.
Bilali said they have teams in affected areas teaching the community on health education and monitoring the cases of diarrhea.
“Our teams are spraying the stagnant water which might be the breeding grounds for mosquito and sewage with waterborne diseases,” he said.
He said they have received some few cases of diarrhea and the teams are monitoring them.
Meanwhile, the Coast provincial director of public health and sanitation Anisa Omar said they are still surveying the Tana Delta to come up with solution for disease outbreaks.
She said the government has initiated a mechanism that will ensure no residents suffer form waterborne diseases.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-119707/fear-disease-outbreak-after-heavy-rains-coast 

Homes Expo for May 31

Mombasa Governor Ali Joho with Myspace CEO third left during the last Mombasa Home expo. Photo/ Charles Mghenyi

Wednesday, May 8, 2013 - 00:00 -- CHARLES MGHENYI

THE ninth and biggest Mombasa Homes Expo is expected to kick off from May 31 to June 2.
MySpace property CEO Mwenda Thuranira said they expect this year's exhibition to be more successful than last year's which had 70 exhibitors.
Speaking to the Star yesterday, Thuranira said preparations for the exhibition are scheduled to take place at the Sarova Whitesands for three days are complete.
“We have 100 participants this year and we are calling upon all residents to come and witness what the real estate industry has to offer,” he said.
The CEO said the sector has started to pick up after the peaceful March 4 general election which had made some of the investors to shy away.
Thuranira said the participants from the real estate business, developers and professionals will assist locals in making beneficial decisions before getting into real estate.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-119568/homes-expo-may-31

Mob storms housing agent

Tuesday, May 7, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CHARLES MGHENYI
RESIDENTS from the Teleposta Retirement Housing Scheme in Bombolulu yesterday stormed the Lloyd Masika agent offices demanding the restoration of water services.
Speaking at the agent's offices, the residents demanded to see the agreement that binds them to pay the company for service charge. “What services do you offers to us, we pay our own electricity bills, security and the water pumps maintenance,” they shouted.
Lloyd Masika, a housing agent has been given the responsibility by Kenya Posta to collect rents and maintain all the houses under its retirement scheme on its behalf in Mombasa.
The residents’ treasurer Isabel Waweru, said the company took away the estate water pump which they purchased from their own contribution.
“We cannot be exploited by these rogue agents. They demand Sh1,500 from all houses and there is no service we receive from them,” she said.
The residents said the company’s manager is frustrating them to pay for ‘ghost’ services and sent hooligans to destroy the water pump and block roads used by Mkokoteni water vendors.
They also complained that house rents hiked from Sh4,500 in 2010 to Sh12,500. Peter Kibera, the Lloyd Masika manager, said they will resume the water services when the residents have fully paid the service charge bills of Sh1,500 per month.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-119401/mob-storms-housing-agent

Sh28 billion facelift for Mombasa port

Friday, May 3, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CHARLES MGHENYI
The construction of the second container terminal at the Kenya Ports Authority is 34 percent complete, the port management has said.
KPA head of corporate affairs Bernard Osero yesterday said they are focused on making the port services efficient and of international standards.
“Its main objective is to expand container handling capacity of the port of Mombasa in order to match future trends,” he said. Phase one of the project which was initiated last year is expected to be ready by 2015.
 The new Sh28 billion terminal will handle 1.2 million twenty feet equivalent units which will increase the overall port capacity by 15 million tonnes.
Osero said they want to be competitive in cargo handling and facilitate economic development in the Eastern and Central Africa region. The new container terminal, west of the current container terminal, is being constructed on 100 hectares of reclaimed land and will have three berths that measure 230, 320 and 350 meters.
KPA anticipates growth especially now that elections are over. “It is projected that close to a million TEUs will be handled at the end of 2013 and a total throughput of about 22 million tonnes,” he said. The authority said it will handle approximately 27 million tonnes total throughput and 1.3 million TEUs by 2016.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-119035/sh28-billion-facelift-mombasa-port

Mombasa leaders skip Labour Day ceremonies

Small crowd at the venue. Photo/Elkana Jacob

Jomvu Mp Badi Twalib speaking to the press on the event. Photo/Elkana Jacob.

Thursday, May 2, 2013 - 00:00 -- CHARLES MGHENYI
Mombasa governor Hassan Joho and other key political leaders skipped their first Labour day celebration. Joho was expected to be the guest-of-honour during the celebration at the Tononoka grounds but he sent Jomvu MP Badi Twalib to represent him.
In a speech read on his behalf by Twalib, Joho said his government will initiate a 24-hour working economy in the region. He said that the lack of employment in the region would be partly solved if the county operates round the clock like other major towns in the world.
The governor promised to visit the export processing zone companies in Mombasa saying he has reports that some of these firms are exploiting their  workers.
“We will advocate for change in these companies and institute stringent measures if nothing is done,” he said. Joho also spoke about the rising cases of insecurity in the town saying they need to be looked into and all perpetrators apprehended.
“We condemn what happened a few days ago in Frere Town and call for immediate action to be taken by relevant authorities,” he said. The governor said that the police and the community should work together to address these insecurity issues.
Other key political leaders who were expected at the event but chose to give it a wide berth include Area MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir, Mombasa senator Hassan Omar and nominated senator Emma Mbura, who sent her husband Raymond Mbura to represent her.
Residents who spoke to the Star after the celebrations said they were dismayed by the "disinterest in worker's needs" shown by these leaders.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-118905/mombasa-leaders-skip-labour-day-ceremonies