2000 TO BENEFIT ON WINGS TO FLY

Two thousand students who scored more than 350 marks in the 2015 KCPE exam will get Equity Wings to Fly scholarships.

About 200,000 candidates attained the marks in the exam whose results were announced on Wednesday.

Applications will be open until January 6, said Equity Group Foundation Helen Gichohi.

She asked applicants to go to bank branches or agents with result slips and letters of introduction from their headteachers, to obtain application forms.

The scholarships under the programme launched in 2011 are for top performers who cannot afford secondary education.

It includes transport, pocket money, shopping, books and uniforms required for the four years of study.

On December 10, the foundation said it would award 30,000 scholarships in 10 years to the less fortunate.

Chairman James Mwangi made the announcement during the 6th Annual Education and Leadership congress that brought together more than 4,000 beneficiaries.

"You are being nurtured to be global leaders. Globalise your mind, there is life beyond your community and nation," he told the scholars.

Mwangi said most of the beneficiaries have excelled in national exams, with 93 per cent qualifying for university and often taking up leadership positions in their schools and communities.

"Their performance has been nothing short of inspiring, validating our belief that given an opportunity, low income people are capable and industrious enough to work their way to prosperity," he said.

The conference featured mentorship and addresses by CEOs of corporate organisations, government leaders, academia and motivational speakers who encouraged participants to view leadership as an opportunity to serve.

SUSPECTS TRAILING SONKO ARRESTED

DETECTIVES in Mombasa are questioning five suspects who trailed Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko and his security team for about five hours on Tuesday night.

A close member of Sonko’s family, who sought anonymity, said they suspect the men had bad intentions because they followed the senator from Machakos to Nyali, Mombasa.

Sonko, who was accompanied by three cars, stopped severally on the way, and the men, who were in a Porsche Cayenne and a Range Rover Vogue, cars worth at least Sh50 million combine, also made several stopovers without talking or making any sign of acknowledgement.

“Sonko’s security team is very sharp. Even if it were a major shootout, the men would have been surprised by what would have happened to them. We highly suspect they had a bad intention,” the family member said. Sonko’s bodyguards shot in the air behind Nakumatt in Nyali.

Police are analysing the five men’s mobile phone records.

Kisauni CID boss Stephen Wambua said detectives are yet to complete investigations.

“There is a team of detectives handling the case keenly and once they are done, action will be taken,” he said.

Sonko said he has several enemies, including fellow politicians and landgrabbers.

“Let the police do their work. Several politicians, including former MPs Mugabe Were (Embakasi), Tony Ndilinge (Kilome) and George Muchai (Kabete) lost their lives after being trailed,” he told the Star on the phone.

CORD APPOINT A TEAM OF EXPERTS AHEAD OF 2017 ELECTIONS TO IDENTYFY FLAG BEARERS

CORD co-principal Moses Wetang’ula yesterday said the opposition has appointed a team of experts to identify their joint presidential candidate this year.

He said the team will help to find a workable formula through which one of the Cord presidential aspirants will be picked to run against Jubilee’s President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“This time around we are well prepared and a team is already working on that issue so we can move forward this new year,” Wetang’ula said.

The Bungoma senator was speaking in Eldoret town, where he met Ford Kenya officials from Uasin Gishu and Trans Nzoia counties.

Wetang’ula said he is in the presidential race with Cord leader Raila Odinga, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and former Justice minister Martha Karua.

“What I can assure you is that whoever will be picked, the opposition will beat Jubilee because they have completely mismanaged the country,” he said.

Wetang’ula blamed Uhuru and Deputy President William Ruto for the country’s economic problems caused by increased corruption.

65% OF KENYAN TEACHERS PERFORM POORLY IN THEIR SUBJECT

SIXTY-FIVE per cent of teachers in public schools do not have adequate knowledge of the subjects they teach, a Word Bank report released yesterday shows.

The Survey on the 2012-13 Implementation of Service Delivery Indicators in Education showed that only a third (35 per cent) of public school teachers showed mastery of the curriculum they teach, with seniority and years of training among teachers lacking correlation with better competence.

In private schools, 49 per cent of teachers understand the subjects they teach.

The report also discloses that half of teachers in public schools show up but do not actually go to class to teach.

Rural public schools are the biggest casualties of both classroom absenteeism, at 48.8 per cent, and school absenteeism, at 17.2 per cent, against urban public schools, at 42.6 per cent and 13.7 per cent, respectively.

According to the report, released by the ministry of Education, a public school child receives 1 hour 9 minutes less teaching daily than their private schools counterparts.

The implication is that every term, a child in a public school receives 20 days less of teaching time, with the situation being worsened by teachers’ lack of adequate knowledge in the subjects they teach.

This is despite the fact that 86 per cent of public schools have sufficient light for reading, and the average number of textbooks exceeds Kenya’s target of 3 per pupil, says the survey.

There are large and significant differences between private and public schools, with public school classes almost twice as large, at 37 pupils, than private school classes at 21 pupils.

Crowding is also more severe in urban schools, with average class sizes of 41 compared to rural schools with 36 students per teacher.

The report found there is large variation in the student‐teacher ratio across Kenya, with one teacher handling 50 students or more in 20 per cent of schools.

The research was conducted by the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis and Kimterica, with support from the World Bank and USAID.

The research results deliver a withering verdict on public school tutors, just a day after the 2015 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination results showed private academies outshone public schools.

The overall slump in performance was attributed to teachers’ chronic absenteeism in public schools, with many opting to miss classes on Thursdays and Fridays to attend funerals and other social activities.

The findings show the government has done better on the availability of inputs such as equipment, textbooks, and most types of infrastructure, but fails on provider knowledge and effort, which are relatively weak.

“Significantly, more investment is needed in ‘software’ than ‘hardware’,” the report notes.

The overall objective of the indicators is to gauge the quality of service delivery in primary education to enable the government and service providers to identify gaps and to track progress.

KBL IN BATTLE WITH KENYA FILM CLASSIFICATION BOARD

A legal battle is in the offing, after Kenya Breweries wrote to the Kenya Film Classification Board on threats of prosecution over what have been termed unclassified adverts.

In a letter through the law firm of Oraro & Company Advocates, the beer maker says that KFCB has no mandate on advertisement on any recorded visual medium meant for public consumption through television broadcasting.

But speaking at a press conference yesterday, the KFCB chief executive officer, Ezekiel Mutua, maintained the Board has the mandate of approving all adverts for public consumption that run on TV and that they must be rated and granted approval before they are aired.

Mutua said the Board will not be intimidated by KBL and is ready to move to court and seek clarification on the matter.

In their letter, KBL claim that they are recognised as “the second largest taxpayer in Kenya”. Mutua responded that while this may be true, “it is morally wrong and utterly unethical for the company to ride on their financial muscle to break the law with impunity.”

The Board on December 10 wrote to several companies, including KBL, Unilever (for its Lux soap advert), Pwani Oil and the makers of Durex condoms for running unclassified advertisements on TV.

According to Mutua, all the companies responded positively by either withdrawing the “offensive” adverts or submitting them for examination and classification. Some, including representatives from East African Breweries Ltd, the owners of KBL, sent a team to the Board for further engagement, he said.

However, he said, KBL later wrote a letter on December 30, stating that the Board was overstepping its mandate.

Mutua responded, “We must state that we shall utilise all the constitutional and legal authority bestowed on us by Kenyans to deal with such mischief and machinations as exhibited by KBL.”

The letter from KBL stated that the correct legal position with respect to advertising in Kenya is that it is a self-regulating industry, regulated by the Advertising Standards Committee (ASC). The letter said ASC has a comprehensive code, complaints body and an appeals tribunal.

While KBL copied its letter to the Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions for a mediation session, Mutua said he had invited media owners, ASC, the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, the Consumer Federation of Kenya and the Communications Authority, to create more awareness and compliance.

THE ENTIRE FAMILY OF THECOUNTYWATCHKENYA WISHING YOU A HAPPY 2016

WISHING YOU A HAPPY 2016

THE ENTIRE FAMILY OF THECOUNTYWATCHKENYA WISHING YOU A HAPPY 2016

12COUNTIES DIDNT CHEAT IN KCPE EXAM

The number of students who cheated in the 2015 KCPE exam increased from 1704 to 2,709, Educations CS Fred Matiang'i has said.
Matiang'i, who announced the results on Wednesday, said the cases were reported in 35 counties. The number of candidates who sat for the exam was 927,789.
He said no cases of exam irregularities were registered in the other 12 counties.
The 12 are Taita Taveta, Siaya, Nyeri, Mombasa, Kilifi, Tana River, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Marsabit, Kajiado, Elgeyo Marakwet and Uasin Gishu.
The CS asked counties to follow up on the cases of cheating once the Kenya National Examination Council released reports to them.
“We will do whatever it takes to bring cheating to an end in all counties. We must be accountable because cheating is the lowest form of intellectual dishonesty,” he said at Mtihani House in Nairobi on Wednesday.
"We will hold Knec accountable because we want to find a way of dealing with cheating."
Knec CEO Joseph Kivilu said investigations on the root cause of national exam challenges, including cheating, are ongoing.
“We have identified pupils, teachers and security personnel responsible for cheating. They will soon be arraigned in court," he said.
He lauded the media for "responsible reporting" on the irregularities during the exam period. Several suspects were arrested with test papers before the exams began.

Pastor sets himself on fire after missing spot in Prophet Owuor's Kisumu convoy

A pastor set himself on fire in his Nairobi house on Tuesday upon learning he would not be in Prophet Owuor's convoy to a crusade in Kisumu.
Police said preliminary investigations showed pastor Fred Otieno attempted suicide after he was assigned duty in Kibos ahead of Owuor's trip on Wednesday.
A security officer and reverend only identified as Gitonga said he noticed smoke emanating from Otieno's house at Runda Mumwe estate, gate 128.
"We rushed there and found the pastor [who serves at Kings Outreach Ministries] unconscious in his bedroom." he told officers from Kiambu police station.
Kiambu police boss Steven Ng'etich said Otieno's clothes were in a heap that was on fire and that a 13-kg gas cylinder was on.
Ng'etich said the pastor suffered burns to the legs, hands and forehead in the 10am incident but is in stable condition at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Thousands of Christians are expected to attend the newyear prayers
going on until January 4. Some 1,200 police officers were to be deployed to keep guard.
In 2014, more than 10,000 people, including those from Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Europe, attended Owuor’s gathering in Kisumu.

FAMILY:WE WANT JUSTICE

A Kenyan woman who died under unclear circumstances in Saudi Arabia on July 7 was buried in Msambweni, Kwale county on Tuesday.
The body of Mwanakombo Mohammed, 39, had been detained by her employer; her family said they were informed of her death through a Kenyan agent.
Widower Omar Bakari said Mohammed's employer claimed she died after an illness. She had worked in the country for nine months.
“It is not clear why they did not inform us when she fell sick and was admitted. We have not received the autopsy report,” he said.
Bakari said the medical report sent to them was in Arabic. Mohammed had signed a two-year contract but was not paid her dues, he told the press and called for justice.
A relative noted that Bakari is unemployed and that he and Mohammed had eight children.
Another Kenyan, Salama Nyamvula, who also died under mysterious circumstances in Abu Dhabi, UAE, was buried last week in Kilifi county's Mtwapa area.
Mombasa Nominated Senator Emma Mbura said she received a distress call from a woman in Riyadh - Bahati Karisa - saying she reported that her boss had threatened her.
Mbura said: “She told me the mistreatment began in June. She wants to come back home. We must act fast to save her. We want her back home, not her body."
Karisa, a mother of six from Malindi, left Kenya for Riyadh in Saudi Arabia in February. The agent who allegedly took her to the country did not answer calls on Tuesday.
Several leaders have asked the state to launch investigations into the deaths of Kenyans working abroad, in the Middle East in particular.

ring the 2015 KCPE examination, KNEC analysed information received from the monitoring team, examiners and the general public among others and identified 2,709 out of 927,789 candidates involved in examination irregularities.
Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000186581/full-list-of-counties-with-no-exam-irregularities-in-2015-kcpe

During the 2015 KCPE examination, KNEC analysed information received from the monitoring team, examiners and the general public among others and identified 2,709 out of 927,789 candidates involved in examination irregularities. These candidates were found in 111 out of 25,127 examination centres, representing 0.44% of the total number of examination centres. The highest percentage of examination irregularities in the last 10 years was recorded in the year 2011 when 7974 (1.03%) of the total candidates who sat for the examination were involved in examination irregularities. Collusion continue to be the most common form of examination irregularities accounting for 98.7% of the total number of examination irregularity cases reported in 2015 KCPE examination. Out of the 47 counties, 12 did not have any cheating cases during the 2015 KCPE examination. Counties with no exam irregularities include; Taita Taveta, Mombasa, Kilifi, Tana River, Nyeri, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Marsabit, Uasin Gishu, Kajiado, Elgeyo Marakwet and Siaya.
Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000186581/full-list-of-counties-with-no-exam-irregularities-in-2015-kcpe

Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000186581/full-list-of-counties-with-no-exam-irregularities-in-2015-kcp

These candidates were found in 111 out of 25,127 examination centres, representing 0.44% of the total number of examination centres. The highest percentage of examination irregularities in the last 10 years was recorded in the year 2011 when 7974 (1.03%) of the total candidates who sat for the examination were involved in examination irregularities. Collusion continue to be the most common form of examination irregularities accounting for 98.7% of the total number of examination irregularity cases reported in 2015 KCPE examination. Out of the 47 counties, 12 did not have any cheating cases during the 2015 KCPE examination. Counties with no exam irregularities include; Taita Taveta, Mombasa, Kilifi, Tana River, Nyeri, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Marsabit, Uasin Gishu, Kajiado, Elgeyo Marakwet and Siaya.
Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000186581/full-list-of-counties-with-no-exam-irregularities-in-2015-kcpe

CHARGES ON EXAM CHEATING

Kenya National Examinations Council Chief Executive Officer Joseph Kivilu on Wednesday said 157 people have been prosecuted for engaging in examinations irregularities.

Speaking during the release of Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) results, Mr Kivilu said those arrested and charged over cheating include head teachers, their deputies, university students, parents, police officers and candidates.

He defended credibility of the results saying all suspected examination malpractices will be investigated and dealt with accordingly.

Mr Kivilu recently said there would be no ranking and that the mode of releasing the results would be similar to last year’s.

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi released the Standard Eight examination results done by 937,467 candidates

KCPE OUT!

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i on Wednesday released the 2015 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) results.

He said 2,709 cases of cheating were reported across the country and warned that stern action will be taken against those who engage in examination irregularities.

“We will stop at nothing to stop cheating,” he said.

He also announced that the mean score for public schools dropped by seven points while performance by private institutions improved.

The mean score for public schools dropped from 187.8 in 2014 to 180.7 in 2015 while private schools recorded an improvement from 229.4 in 2014 to 230 in 2015.

Dr Matiang'i also announced that a new curriculum that will reshape Kenya’s education system will be launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta in January 2016.

He said the overhaul will ensure the education system meets the country’s needs.

ATLEAST 110JOURNALIST DIED IN 2015 SAYS AFP

A total of 110 journalists were killed around the world in 2015, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Tuesday, noting that while many died in war zones the majority were killed in supposedly peaceful countries.
Sixty-seven journalists were killed in the line of duty, the watchdog group said in its annual roundup, listing war-torn Iraq and Syria as most dangerous places for journalists with 11 and 10 fatalities respectively, followed by France, where eight journalists were killed in a jihadist assault on a satirical magazine.
A further 43 journalists around the world died in circumstances that were unclear and 27 non-professional "citizen-journalists" and seven other media workers were also killed, RSF said.
The high toll is "largely attributable to deliberate violence against journalists" and demonstrates the failure of initiatives to protect media personnel, the report said, calling for the United Nations to take action.'Non-state' groups 
The report spoke of the growing role of "non-state groups" -- often jihadists such as the Islamic State group -- in perpetrating atrocities against journalists.
In 2014, it said, two-thirds of the journalists killed were in war zones. But in 2015, it was the exact opposite, with "two-thirds killed in countries 'at peace'."

KCPE 2015 RESULT TO BE RELEASED ON WEDNESDAY 30TH

A total of 937,467 candidates who sat their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations last month will on Wednesday know their results, which secondary schools candidates will join next year.

The Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) will release the results at a press conference presided over by Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i at Mitihani House, Nairobi.

There were 48,304 more candidates compared to last year’s 889,163.

Knec Chief Executive Officer Joseph Kivilu said Monday the results would be announced in the format introduced last year.

“Just like last year, we will not be ranking candidates or schools but we will provide more information on the results,” he said, and warned that results of candidates found to have cheated would be withheld.

“Candidates with withheld or pending results will receive a letter through their headteachers explaining why,” he said, adding that anyone could access the results through a mobile phone by sending a candidate’s index number to 22252.

Dr Kivilu asked teachers to report any discrepancies in the results and submit appeals for remarking within a month from Wednesday.

Nairobi County had the highest number of candidates at 50,821 while Lamu had the lowest at 2,579.

The candidates sat the examination after a five-week strike by teachers demanding a pay increase, prompting calls for a postponement, which the Government rejected.

Candidates will be subjected to a new form one admission criteria adopted this year in which the top five top from each sub-county — whether in public or private schools — will get automatic admission to national schools up from three while extra county schools will take 70 per cent of students from public schools and 30 per cent from private.

On Monday, Kuppet Chairman Omboko Milemba warned the TSC against punishing teachers for any examination leakages.

WARNING!:JOB SEEKERS IN DANGER LOOMING AROUND YOUR DESPERATION

About 100 people were Monday duped into travelling to a non-existent office in Nairobi for “job

interviews”.

The young smartly dressed and eager job seekers had been told they had been shortlisted to be interviewed for administrative and clerical openings at Jade Financier Consultants at “Geomaps Centre, fifth floor, southern wing at 10am”.

An email to the applicants from one Laura S. Mshindi said before coming for the interview, each one should send Sh200 to a number, 5173 3500 0016 8020, to pay for their credit rating because “the financial consulting company never employs people who have been in default in their financial dealings before.”

The number does not exist as the countywatchkenya found out after sending Sh10.

However,we  spoke to an official of Metropol Credit Reference Bureau, a business information and credit management company, who said the whole thing looked like a “scam”.

On Monday, desperate job seekers, some from as far as Lamu and Kisii counties, were turned away by guards at the Upper Hill building.

One of them, a young woman from Nairobi who identified herself as Getrude, said she had seen the job offer on Facebook.

She said it was posted by Ms Laura Mshindi and said, among other things, that applicants should not be older than 35 and would begin their new jobs on January 4 at a salary of Sh24,000.

EAGER SEEKERS
She, however, said she had not sent the Sh200 as she “opted to pay it in person”.

“I sent my CV to mshindi999@gmail.com and mshindi@financier.com and got a reply that I had been shortlisted for an interview on December 28 only to come here and find it was a scam,” she said.

“The email even asked us to bring a Certificate of Good Conduct as the financial institution deals with very sensitive and confidential data on behalf of banks and other financial institutions,” she said.

A guard at the Geomaps Centre told the countywatch “People started streaming here as early as 6am for interviews at an office that does not exist in this building. Some were crying that they had come with the hope of new jobs, having slept on the road. I think they have been duped.”

Efforts to contact Ms Laura Mshindi both on email and on the Facebook page were futile.

This comes barely three months after nearly 20,000 people were promised jobs by East Africa Sub-Saharan Africa Safe Promotion International (SSASP International) that offered two or three appointments with curious titles such as Assistant Single Parent Manager and Assistant Widowed/Widower Manager.

The company’s top officials were arrested in Nairobi on September 2 after they were unable to prove the authenticity of their organisation.

They were handed over to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.so be careful dont fall a victim.

MACHAKOS COUNTY RESIDENTS SPEAKS OUT

Locals said they were generally unhappy with the frequent squabbles between Dr Mutua and Mr Muthama, which they said had slowed down development in the county. Those The Standard interviewed cited "the never-ending turf wars" between the two leaders as the single greatest obstacle to development. "What we expect is service delivery, and each leader will be held squarely responsible for his obligation, for which he was voted into office," said Timothy Muli, a registered voter in Kangundo Constituency. Mr Muli criticised Mutua for giving "false hope" to residents, particularly on the promise that each household would get piped water by 2017. "What we have seen most is a lot of publicity over the project, but nothing much is going on towards that end," he said.Another voter, David Mutie, blamed Muthama for "opposing everything" that Mutua did. "The reason we have lagged behind is because Muthama has been working with some rogue officers in Mutua's administration with the aim of bringing the governor down," he claimed. In Machakos Town, another voter, Victor Mutua, said there was still hope for both Mutua and Muthama to strike a working relationship. "I believe the leaders can still agree if they want to, for the sake of development. But that will take honest goodwill," he noted. In Masinga, which is Mutua's deputy Bernard Kiala's backyard, resident Jacinta Musyoki said the fallout between Mutua and Kiala had split the "unity of purpose" between supporters of the two.

Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000186435/we-re-tired-of-fights-voters-tell-governor-alfred-mutua-and-senator-johnstone-muthama

Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000186435/we-re-tired-of-fights-voters-tell-governor-alfred-mutua-and-senator-johnstone-muthama

RAILA:2016 WILL BE A YEAR OF ACTIONS

Opposition leader Raila Odinga says, 2016 will be the year of challenges in which history will call on him to prove himself, unless of course he is forced or opts out of the big race. This is because on account of age, it could be his last bid. But he also has to stoke the fires of Opposition against the incumbent and marshal national support behind him if he hopes to deal Jubilee a blow. He will welcome 2016 riding high on the controversial wave of the missing Eurobond billions, whose use on infrastructure projects the Treasury has failed to explain. Having successfully pressured a Cabinet Secretary to resignation, Raila will lead his troops in the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) in a legislative and political battle that if mishandled by the ruling Jubilee Coalition, may claim the top officials running the country’s public coffers. The first task for the CORD leader will be to keep an eye on the reconstitution of the Public Accounts Committee and the Public Investment Committee in the National Assembly – two key committees that spearhead the oversight function on policy and expenditure in the Government. See also: What awaits Uhuru and Raila in the New Year Getting the mix of smart politicians and experienced lawmakers in these committees will boost the Opposition’s plan to keep the Government occupied with fire-fighting until the next General Election. It is in the interest of the Opposition leader to manage the reconstitution of key parliamentary watchdog committees to ensure the oversight role in the Jubilee-dominated National Assembly is not compromised. The CORD leader will also pursue the Okoa Kenya Bill to make sure it gets the nod to proceed to the county assemblies for a vote, so as to open the door for a referendum before the next polls. At a time when even Jubilee has some MPs pushing for a referendum using the Opposition’s bill as a blueprint, Raila and his troops will be keen to latch onto that goodwill to push the Okoa Kenya Bill. His own Orange Democratic Movement was a by-product of resentment and final humiliation of President Kibaki in a referendum. The bill seeks to revise the Constitution to strengthen Devolution, push for more inclusion in Government and triple the allocation to the counties. For now, the signatures are being verified by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000186438/raila-s-agenda-eurobond-saving-wetang-ula-and-okoa-kenya-vote-drive

or Opposition leader Raila Odinga, 2016 will be the year of challenges in which history will call on him to prove himself, unless of course he is forced or opts out of the big race. This is because on account of age, it could be his last bid. But he also has to stoke the fires of Opposition against the incumbent and marshal national support behind him if he hopes to deal Jubilee a blow. He will welcome 2016 riding high on the controversial wave of the missing Eurobond billions, whose use on infrastructure projects the Treasury has failed to explain. Having successfully pressured a Cabinet Secretary to resignation, Raila will lead his troops in the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) in a legislative and political battle that if mishandled by the ruling Jubilee Coalition, may claim the top officials running the country’s public coffers. The first task for the CORD leader will be to keep an eye on the reconstitution of the Public Accounts Committee and the Public Investment Committee in the National Assembly – two key committees that spearhead the oversight function on policy and expenditure in the Government. See also: What awaits Uhuru and Raila in the New Year Getting the mix of smart politicians and experienced lawmakers in these committees will boost the Opposition’s plan to keep the Government occupied with fire-fighting until the next General Election. It is in the interest of the Opposition leader to manage the reconstitution of key parliamentary watchdog committees to ensure the oversight role in the Jubilee-dominated National Assembly is not compromised. The CORD leader will also pursue the Okoa Kenya Bill to make sure it gets the nod to proceed to the county assemblies for a vote, so as to open the door for a referendum before the next polls. At a time when even Jubilee has some MPs pushing for a referendum using the Opposition’s bill as a blueprint, Raila and his troops will be keen to latch onto that goodwill to push the Okoa Kenya Bill. His own Orange Democratic Movement was a by-product of resentment and final humiliation of President Kibaki in a referendum. The bill seeks to revise the Constitution to strengthen Devolution, push for more inclusion in Government and triple the allocation to the counties. For now, the signatures are being verified by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000186438/raila-s-agenda-eurobond-saving-wetang-ula-and-okoa-kenya-vote-drive

MEET THE VETERANT RADIO PRESENTER KEN INDIMULI FROM NYOTA FM

His voice on air may make you wonder who he really is.Ken Indimuli who hails from westen kenya mumias region is counting more than a decade in this field of  broadcasting commanding  the airwaves in the region.
Indimuli who is known for his boldness has made his name all through kenya  and becoming a pioneer in the field of broadcasting..A  young energetic indimuli has changed the social and political views especial in western kenya  through radio as he understand the game well.
In his morning show NYOTA ASUBUHI  which runs as from  5am to 10am has be come so popular the way he handles matters  socially ,economically and economically.He  is  a man who talk fearlessly regardless of the position.

Speaking to the COUNTYWATCHKENYA Indimuli said he talk only on things that he has enough evidence and clues on the matter.

Recently he was mentioned as  one of the most authoritative presenters in the region topping others.He works along  Fred Wesonga  and Comedian Fulu Indimuli has also worked with Saharafm in kisumu,West fm bungoma ,The government radio KBC.
Watch this space to know mor about ken indimuli 

KENYANS:WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW IN THE PAST 12MONTHS

What did Kenyans really want to know in the past 12 months? Who did they want to know about, and what event or which subject bothered them so much and where did they seek answers?
Many might not know the answers to some of those questions, but they can be sure that Kenyans sought answers from friends and relatives or even their teachers. It used to be that simple. Friends and relatives and elders always had answers. That was then.
Nowadays, Kenyans, especially the tech savvy ones, have a friend in Google, the internet search engine which has all answers to all questions under the sun and beyond.
And so, it came to pass that when Kenyans encountered questions their church elders and politicians and journalists could not answer, they stopped scratching their heads, and started thinking with their fingers. 
On their tablets. On their computers. Or on their phones. Their fingers did the walking, to Google. And they got answers.
And there is a price they have to pay because Google does not keep secrets, and neither does it forget.
So, everything Kenyans searched on Google, Google kept records. And Google has given a report which reveals that Kenyans searched what teenage pregnancy is. They also asked what poverty is. Odd.
In a country where over 50 per cent of the 42 million strong population reportedly live below a dollar a day, you would expect people to know what poverty is. But that is neither here nor there.
In its Year In Search report for 2015, Google reveals that Kenyans also searched, and by inference wanted to know to know how to play lotto, how to lose belly fat, how to download a YouTube video (which is illegal anyway), how to okoa stima, how to write a formal letter, how to practice typing on a computer, how to pray with the rosary, how to bet, how to convert a PDF to word document and how to bake a simple cake.
Such a change from 2014 when Kenyans were so preoccupied with Vera Sidika that she was the Most Searched personality.
Could it be that priorities have changed, or Vera is so last year, literally, and the Auma Obama’s of this world have made Kenyans realise there is just so much we can say about a protuberance?
Priorities could have changed. Many Kenyans found themselves suddenly in the dark this year, or had their hot shower suddenly turn cold in the middle of a bath, that they just had to try and find out how to okoa stima, which is all about getting a prepaid power token on loan.

NAIROBI DANGEROUS FOODS

When having a plateful of some stew this Christmas, it might be good to think of how dirty its source might be.
A spot check by The Countywatch at the city’s wholesale market, where 90 per cent of Nairobi’s food is sourced from, reveals that it would be better to fast than have your favourite food spiced with water from the gutter and some unappetising garbage that finds its way into the market place.
At the Wakulima Market, huge piles of polythene bags, decayed food left overs, thick, greyish-looking water and  a foul smell calls for your attention metres away from the place, though it does not deter the traders from selling their harvest for cooking. Business is booming for the traders even though customers have to hop, skip and jump between the muddy pathways and carts, which ferry the food to our estates.
For six months, the market has accumulated huge garbage piles, which remain uncollected, despite the county government expressing intent to clean up the same. Faith Wambui, a trader at Wakulima Market, says that they have had to grapple with the garbage challenge since nothing is done about the same. She says other traders who come to purchase goods might be put off by the foul smell emanating from the sewage water that does not flow due to the blockage.
“The drainage system is clogged and the sewer water ends up overflowing into the market. That is why it is so muddy,” Ms Wambui says.
City residents are now raising queries about the quality of food coming from the market, due to the large heaps of garbage in the area.So take care this chrismas season .

SHOPPERS GOES FOR KHETIAS SUPERMARKET FOR BEING CHEAP THIS FESTIVE.

As the Christmas gets to its climax, supermarkets are trying their best to get the best from shoppers.Here in bungoma Kenya the most popular supermarket khetia's is real making the ends meet for the shoppers with little money for their eve preparation.khetias is known for friendly prices and prizes that makes buyers not think of loosing anything.
Recently it introduced its welknow competion CHOTAKUCHOTA PROMOTION that allows shoppers with goods worth kshs.500 and over to enter into the draw which runs for two months.
Other supermarkets like UKWALA,NAKUMATT and NAIVAS are also trying despite of their unfriendly prices.Bungoma is now bcoming most of highly attracted counties in business administration setups