Thursday 28 August 2014

KISUMU COUNTY WOMEN REP NYAMUNGA URGES WOMEN AND YOUTH TO FORM SACCOs

 BY OMARI AKELLO

Kisumu County women  representative Rose Nyamunga now hots up her drive to ensure that Women and Youth groups in Nyanza province operate under SACCO umbrellas.

In the past few weeks Nyamunga has criss-crossed the region with her team  educating locals on the benefit of forming SACCOs.

She kicked off the drive at Ojola in Kisumu County and has managed to visit several other places including Seme,Nyando and Nyakach.



Recently, Nyamunga told boda boda operators and those in the matatu sector in the region to embrace the idea noting that it has worked well in other areas across the country.



Speaking after presiding over a funds drive to over 200 boda boda operators at Ojola Kisumu County, Nyamunga said she was ready to exploit her position in ensuring that Youths in the region realize full development through SACCOs.

And while speaking in a separate meeting in a Kisumu hotel where women from the region were train women on how to access and handle Uwezo funds, Nyamunga urged the beneficiaries not to divert the funds to other avenues but to channel it to the intended purposes.


She said Uwezo fund was all round friendly unlike other lenders with the history of harassing their beneficiaries despite the high interest rate slapped on them.

Nyamunga pledged that immediately after the women benefited from the Uwezo fund she would introduce fish farming projects across the county and would ensure that every village prospers in every project they have identified.  

Monday 25 August 2014

TENSION AT KISUMU POLICE STATION AS JUNIOR OFFICERS PROTEST OCS TRANFER



 BY JARED OPIYO
TENSION has gripped troubled Kisumu police Station as junior officers resort to a go slow in protest of a surprise transfer of the OCS who exits the office in less than six months after he was posted to tackle sky-rocketed crime in the region.

Traders in Kisumu have at the same time threatened to stage a demonstration demanding for OSC John Mutui’s transfer cancellation after it emerged that Kisumu graft lords are behind the development.

Questions lingering among the junior officers in Kisumu and at vigilant house in the capital Nairobi, demand for an explanation on why the OSC becomes the target for transfer despite his remarkable work that has seen a drastic decline of insecurity in the region.

Before his transfer to Kisumu, insecurity was evidently the order of the day at the lake side City as the security team, ostensibly pocketed by petty criminals and their high-end counterparts involving the filthy rich Indians, loudly slept on the job.

Police sources have indicated that the OCS as been tabled as a sacrifice lamb in a transfer that initially targeted senior police officers including the PCIO and the provincial Commander who have been roundly accused of collecting protection fee from the Indian business community and other criminals, including those in the infamous ‘’wash wash’’ business.

The area DCIO has also been prominently mentioned as one of the rogue police officers stuck in the web of Indian cartels.

The DCIO and his County boss are still fighting revelation that an Indian in Car trade bribed them with one car each in attempt to conceal his illegal activities.

The young millionaire, proprietor of RANA motors, is also rumoured to be engaged in drug business and most recently was taken to court by his business rival following bizarre discovery that he had imported over 200 vehicles using his rival’s company name in a bid to dodge tax.

It’s against this background that the senior officers in the region made a resolution to ‘’destroy’’ anyone seen to be spoiling the party.

Since his first day at the office as the Kisumu OSC, Mutui has been hailed by locals who are happy by his ways of operation as opposed to his predecessor who spent most of his times in local pubs instead of fighting crime.

His predecessor frequent absence from the station worked well for those in cahoots with criminals as he was only informed of the loots in the pubs as opposed to Mutui who maintained hawk-eye on every activity at the station apart from distancing himself from the group that takes bribes.




KISUMU COUNTY SET TO DEMOLISH ILLEGAL STRUCTURES ALONG THE ROADS


BY OMARI AKELLO

KISUMU county government has issued an order calling for the demolishing of illegal structures in major towns across the county.

Speaking to journalist in his office today, roads minister Eng. Kodera said the county government was geared up to effect the order in a programme aimed at face-lifting the lake side City and other towns within the county.

Eng. Kodera said this was the last warning from his office to those traders still operating under illegal structure adding that his office has in the past issued several similar warnings but which have been ignored by the traders.

Among the notably markets likely to be affected by the order are Kisumu, Maseno,Mamboleo, Kibos,Kolweny, Ahero and Akala.

The roads minister appealed with the affected traders to cooperate with the directive which will equally see an improved working condition. 

Kodera at the same time revealed that his ministries will soon embark on roads inspection as it prepares to pay contractors who participated in the project.
He however warned that should the inspection reveal shoddy work, then the culprit contractors will be forced to go back to the job.

Locals have however showered with praises Eng.Kodera for the improved road network across the county.

Friday 22 August 2014

KISUMU POLICE RENEWS WAR AGAINST CITY RED BLOODED GANGSTER AKA BOY

 BY JARED OPIYO

POLICE in Kisumu have renewed war against criminals at the Lake side City after a red blooded gangster issued death threats to several people including his former group members and a journalist.

Kisumu OCS has maintained that his office will exploit every available resources to ensure that peace prevails in the volatile  city that has frequently witnessed deadly war pitting criminal gangs.

The officer made the remarks few hours after the dramatic arrest of  two known criminals believed to be operating under a notorious city gangster after the duo trailed a journalist, Mr. Omari Akello and issued him death threats.

The two criminals were immediately arrested and  booked at the central police station and were only released on bond to report to the CID on Tuesday after one of them sensationally confessed that  they received funds from the gang leader Mr. Willis Akoth aka Boy with instruction to eliminate the journalist and other key members of the infamous  China Squad.

Akoth aka Boy remained the China Squad de facto chairman until recently when members unanimously ganged up  to support his ejection from the group after it emerged that he was a top city criminal who was only painting the group in a bad picture.

It's after the unceremonious ouster from the group that  gangster whose street name is Boy has remained a wounded man struggling to front a lousy gang of three , currently under his command, to threaten his former friends turned foes.

There was a stampede at the Kisumu police station when after the arrest of the two criminals who had earlier attacked the journalist,  the evidently drunk Boy, stormed the police station and issued more death threats to the helpless journalist before he demanded for the release of his men.

His actions were however met with rude shock after the police stood their grounds and locked the two suspects who later pleaded with the journalist before they made a confession to the effect that they were under orders from Boy.







Thursday 21 August 2014

DRAMA AS KISUMU WANTED GANG LEADER TAKES ON HIS HEELS



 BY JARED OPIYO

DRAMA unfolded in Kisumu last week when a former member of a youth group dubbed China Squad was forced to take on his heels after the group members descended on him with kicks and blows.

The former gang leader Boy Akoth made an impromptu visit at the China Squad base, accompanied by two heavily built men before he demanded for his reinstatement as the group’s chairman.

His demand however elicited strong resistance from the other members leading to a heated debate prompting the former leader to ask his body guards to swing into action.

Instead the Boy and his two body guards were quickly subdued by the irate China Squad members who ordered them to sit down on the ground and roughed them up before they dramatically took on their heels leaving traders and other passer -bys who witnessed the event in stitches.

According to the members, a resolution to eject Boy was reached at afew months back after it emerged that he was associated with criminal activities in and within Kisumu compounded with the fact that he swindled the group’s money.

After his unceremonious ouster from the group widely associated with the ruling coalition’s senior partner TNA, Boy according to privy sources has remained a wounded man who has been issuing death threats to his friends turned foes.

Records also indicate that he’s one of those in the police watch list in regards to insecurity at the lake side city after his name was prominently mentioned as one of those deadly gangsters in position of illegal firearms.

In one incident police officers guarding Kisumu Commercial Bank were forced to cock their guns after the notorious Boy and his gang members attacked a journalist, Mr. Omari Akello accusing him of taking to the press his criminal activities.

The Tuesday incident surprised the police officer when the gang members attempted to attack the scribe in their presence.

Matters were only solved after the journalist who was accompanied by a colleague from the Lake Star Newspaper, Dickson Odhiambo managed to convince the police to set them free after the gang pleaded with the same journalist they attacked.

China Squad came into limelight a head of last general elections after it engaged another rival group American Marine into a supremacy war.

‘We are not gangsters and that’s the same reason we had to eject Boy out of the group…because he has gangster mentality as opposed to our ideologies which are majorly based op peace and development’’, said other China members.


Wednesday 20 August 2014

KISUMU RESIDENTS HAIL WOMEN REP NYAMUNGA FOR GOOD WORK

 BY OMARI AKELLO

RESIDENTS of Kisumu County have hailed the area women representative Rose Nyamunga for her development track that has improved voters living standards.

Nyamunga from the time of her election has trained her eyes on numerous projects in the region including table banking among women.

Other projects include Kisumu County grass roots revolving funds,poultry farming where hatcheries have been brought on the ground,dairy farming, fish farming among other projects.

Hatcheries will be used to supply chicks to the interested groups with the hope of giving them full economic empowerment.

Nyamunga revealed that her office will be at the forefront in ensuring that products from the farmers are well marketed.

Currently a number of fish ponds are ready across the County as the farmers wait for fingerlings to take the fishing project to a number.



Tuesday 19 August 2014

NYANZA LEADERS COME OUT GUN BLAZING IN PROTECTION OF KISUMU POLICE

BY OMARI AKELLO

SHARP divisions have emerged between Nyanza leaders over what appears to be baseless allegations that the local police are colluding with criminals and that nepotism is the order of the day at Kisumu police station.



The leaders were reacting to constant scathing attack at Kisumu police by one of the Weekly Newspaper that screamed two weeks in a row accusing the local police of corruption.

The Weekly Citizen Newspaper widely known for its extremist recently embarked on carelessly attacks on Kisumu police even as locals hails the current police formation for the peaceful environment they have been enjoying of late as oppose to per-reshuffle when insecurity was the order of the day at the lake side city.

In what appears to be outright malicious war against the current crop of security in the region wild claims emerged that insecurity within Kisumu town was attributed to a dangerous criminal aided by senior police officers within central police Station to escape from police custody.

According to the story, the criminal is operating with full protection of a senior police officer in the area and is the man who gives him daily updates of police operation, an information angled to help him escape police dragnet whenever he's marked as the target.

However investigations by a number of concerned bodies including SCOOPDESK have revealed that the current war against the regional police is something well oiled by political leaders bent to ensure that they have their cronies posted in the area.

Reliable statistics fully supports the theory with indications that criminal activities in the area has drastically declined under the current police structure and many interviewed expressed their satisfaction on the level of security.

TNA activist James Kirunda was quick to add that those attacking the current police order in the region were leaders with questionable interest as their aim was to see Kisumu become a town of lawlessness where security personal can be intimidated by politicians.


Kirunda challenged those aggrieved by security structure in Kisumu to consult constitution as opposed to their weird thinking that only Luos should head every department in Nyanza, a foolish interpretation of devolution.

The leaders who have singled out hardworking officers surprised many with their constant protest that security in Kisumu has a full tribal picture a fact that has been roundly rubbished.

Evidently Kisumu Police structure is infested by ''boys'' from Rift valley and not from the OCS's tribal, Kikuyu has claimed by the leaders.

In one the recent meeting and which SCOOPDESK planted a mole the same leaders unanimously agreed on ensuring that they put pressure on the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to ensure that the current crop of senior police officers in Kisumu are replaced by another ''friendly'' group, and that was their agenda number four.


Monday 18 August 2014

KISUMU WOMEN REP CALLS ON YOUTH TO FORM SACCOs


BY OMARI AKELLO
Kisumu County women  representative Rose Nyamunga has called on boda boda operators across Nyanza to consider forming SACCOs as away of fast tracking development in the region.

Nyamunga told boda boda operators and those in the matatu sector in the region to embrace the idea noting that it has worked well in other areas across the country.


Speaking after presiding over a funds drive to over 200 boda boda operators at Ojola Kisumu County, Nyamunga said she was ready to exploit her position in ensuring that Youths in the region realize full development through SACCOs.

And while speaking in a separate meeting in a Kisumu hotel where women from the region were train women on how to access and handle Uwezo funds, Nyamunga urged the beneficiaries not to divert the funds to other avenues but to channel it to the intended purposes.

Accompanied by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's wife Ida Odinga, she expressed disappointment that in most cases money has not been well managed by the beneficiaries.

She said Uwezo fund was all round friendly unlike other lenders with the history of harassing their beneficiaries despite the high interest rate slapped on them.

Nyamunga pledged that immediately after the women benefited from the Uwezo fund she would introduce fish farming projects across the county and would ensure that every village prospers in every project they have identified.  

Saturday 16 August 2014

NIS UNDER MORE FIRE AS PRESSURE MOUNTS ON SPY AGENCY TO PRODUCE TERROR EVIDENCE

PRESSURE now mounts on Kenyan spy agency to produce evidence on a tycoon the unit sensationally marked as a terror man cleared in work permit scandal by Interior cabinet Secretary Joseph Ole Lenku.


A section of top government officials and investors in the country have challenged the troubled National Intelligence service to table evidence in support of its claim that the Pakistani national Mohammed Igbal Wasim a deadly terrorist engaged in organic crime,money laundering and financing Al-Shabaab.

Mr. Wassim was slapped with the allegations and subsequent  permit cancellation following a hot letter from the National Intelligence service to the department of immigration that demanded the businessman permit application be cancelled.

It took the intervention of the CS Ole Lenku to have Wasssim get a work permit after those behind the controversial permit cancellation failed to support their action with evidence. 



Those behind the Interior CS Ole Lenku have described him as a true professional when he declined to recommend action against Wassim on the basis of his brother and his subsequent order to NIS to provide his office with evidence.

The unfolding drama brings to the minds of many a pending case at Kisumu court in which another Pakistani has been   accused of harbouring   illegal immigrant at the lake side City.

The controversial Pakistani businessman  was arrested after word leaked that the brother he was accused of harbouring was secretly jetted into the country a head of the drug haul intercepted in Mombasa.

The family which is not new to troubles had to fight hard throwing money after their  father another business tycoon  was dramatically arrested with 150kgs and deported before the then Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang ostensibly silently intervened and have him back in Kenya.

Sources familiar with their crime and drug deals indicated that the Old man has been hiding in Mombasa four years down the line from the time he was sneaked back into the country and it's at the coastal side where he's said to have graduated in the shoddy deals and boats of local security protection.

The twin cases coupled with current insecurity in the country have led to chorus condemnation of the two pivotal units in the nation, the NIS and the department of immigration as pressure mounts on President Kenyatta to stage a serious overhaul in the two units.


             

EBOLA THREAT IN KISUMU AS RESIDENTS PROTEST ''PANYA ROUTES'' USED BY UGANDANS INTO KENYA

 BY OMARI AKELLO

THE rapid illegal entrance of Ugandans into Kenya through lake victoria has caused Ebola scare as East Africa remains on the alert of the deadly disease that has swept across West Africa.

Residents of Kisumu have called on the government's intervention to stop with immediate effect those entering Kenya at night through ''panya routes'' after the government heightened screening at the official borders.

Led by regional TNA activist James Kirunda, the residents are scared that those entering the country through such illegal routes can easily transport the disease into the country.

Investigations by SCOOPDESK have also revealed most Ugandans entering Kenya now preferred illegal routes after the government issued border alert on the disease.

A spot check at  a beach next to prestigious Yatch Club   in Kisumu revealed that most of those using ''panya route'' are chorcaol traders from Uganda and the security and the locals have remained tight-lipped over the matter as claim action against them would amount to economical devastation.

While addressing press conference in Kisumu, Kirunda asked the county government to move with speed in ensuring that the  illegal entrance into Kenya is controlled as that was the only way to keep the deadly disease at bay.



Thursday 14 August 2014

KISUMU TNA ACTIVIST RUBISHES REFERUDUM CALL


 BY OMARI AKELLO

KISUMU TNA activist James Kirunda has rubbished calls for referendum terming it a waste of national resources.

Addressing a press conference in Kisumu Kirunda noted that a lot of cash will be channeled at referendum at the expense of  reasonable projects.



He called on  those behind the call to reconsider their stand by joining other leaders in building the nation instead of putting the country on camapaign mood just few months after the general elections.

Kirunda who was flanked by over 30 other activists said those calling for the national referendum are self seekers who want to mislead the masses by diverting the attention of the government from implementing promises made to the voters.

 



COCA-COLA PARTNERS WITH THE OFFICE OF KISUMU COUNTY WOMEN REP TO INITIATE PROJECTS

BY OMARI AKELLO

EQUATOR bottlers has partnered with the office of Kisumu Women representative to boost sanitation in the region.

Speaking recently after signing the partnership the two parties said that the move will also see implementation  of a number of other projects in the area.

Under the partnership COCA-COLA has pledged to offer loans to small and medium businesses as well as giving help to talented youth.

COCA-COLA company boast of numerous projects that have improved the living standard of the locals.

Kisumu women rep Rose Nyamunga has hailed the gesture and promised to work closely with the company in ensuring that development is rapidly realized in the lakeside region.

Nyamunga challenged other corporate bodies to take cue from COCA-COLA by initiating projects  under corporate social responsibility.

The women rep promised that her office will ensure that the county government does not demolish property of COCA-COLA unlike in the past.


Friday 8 August 2014

ROT AT COUNTY COMMISSIONER OFFICE TRANS NZOIA



According to a report by Auditor general, the Office of the County Commisioner, Trans Nzoia, made a payment of Kshs.764,250.00 to a communications company and Kshs.1,175,000.00 to an office equipment supplier on 7 June 2013 and 11 June 2013 respectively, for the supply of communication equipment to be used by the County Executive and the County Assembly.

However, quotations were not invited for the supply of the equipment and no explanation has been provided as to how the prices were determined.

Further, the Local Purchase Order supporting payment of Kshs.1,175,000.00 to an office equipment supplier, had initially been issued to another company. No reason or documentary evidence has been provided to support why the payment of Kshs.1,175,000.00 was made to the latter company instead of the former which had initially been issued with the order.

The Office of the County Commissioner also made payments totalling to
Kshs.864,200.00 to two firms for the supply of furniture. The first company was paid an amount of Kshs.660,200.00 on 18 April 2013 while the second was paid an amount of Kshs.204,000.00 on 19 April 2013. It was noted that the two firms are the only ones that submitted quotations instead of the required minimum of three.

Additional furniture worth Kshs.1,134,800.00 was ordered from a third company and paid for in full on 24 June 2013. However, the furniture was bought through single sourcing and no reason has been provided for not using the competitive bidding process as required by the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005.