KISUMU LOCALS PROTEST FIDEL ODINGA GUNS TO AREA CRIMINALS

 BY JARED OPIYO

PANIC has gripped lakeside city of Kisumu following an attempt by the once dreaded Bhagad turned American marine’s boys to unleash terror on the innocent residents.

The armed thugs courtesy of the late Fidel Odinga have remained a nightmare to the voters even as the local police promise to crash the group before further criminal damage.

Speaking to the press the area new deputy police boss john mwinzi said his office was working round the clock to ensure that Kisumu becomes no going zone for criminal elements.

According to our sources, American marine has formed an habit of storming modern entertainment  joints and after intoxicating themselves ,brandish guns at the patrons claiming that they have a blessing from the former powerful Kenyan prime ministers Riala Odinga whose son the late Fidel is whispered to have facilitated the guns to the criminals.

Fidel Odinga whose political ambition was cut short by his sudden death, according to well placed sources delivered the guns through his political believed allied John Garang’s son.

It’s said that Fidel dished out the powerful weapons at the height of the last general elections when many followers believed his father would be the next head of the state.

Critics and security are however quick to point that the guns at the disposal of the illiterate youths are being misused as club owners in the town make aloud complain and desperate appeal to the police to control the menace.

At one notable point the American marines stormed at the home of one of their perceived rival residential home and pounced on him with crude weapons and senselessly beat him up.

The defunct Bhagdad Boys tuned American marine is a criminal group that left a trail of disasters in Kisumu city and its environs as the country agitated for multi-party democracy.

The new group China Squad quickly assumed positive imagine after engaging itself into development and peace measures with almost all of their members said to be working hand in hands with the President Kenyatta’s government.

The list of American squad criminals currently being hunted by the police consist the name of notorious and de-actor bus  stage chairman only known as Jacksnee while others in the band wagon also equally known by one names as Muga, Steve, Cliff Ojuang ponge ,   Kobi and Daudi.

While addressing the press, China squad spokesman James Kirunda Said his team was a peaceful wing which is currently working hand in hand with the government to ensure that youths in Nyanza access positive gain from the government of the day.

Kirunda lauded President Uhuru Kenyatta for his keenness on matters to do the youths across the nation in terms of development and positive progress.

COCA-COLA PATNERS WITH KISUMU WOMEN REP NYAMUNGA TO GIVE KISUMU NEW FACE

BY OMARI AKELLO

SOFT-DRINK manufacturer Coca-Cola has partnered with the office of Kisumu Women Representative in a campaign aimed at uplifting the face of Kisumu City.

The campaign according to the duo partners will involve putting up of street lights, building paintings and general clean up of the City.

Speaking to the press at the Company’s new plant offices, general sales and marketing manager Mr. Paul Odongo said the process has been scheduled to officially kick-off on Monday.

‘’On Monday our office together with that of the area women representative will be at the bus stage and jubilee market to start our campaign that will see Kisumu City and other towns within the county assume new faces’’, said Odongo.

He made the revelation when together with other top ranking staff of the global leading soft drink manufacture received the new Kisumu regional police coordinator, Mr. John Mwinzi who had paid a courtesy call at the company. 

The area police boss lauded the move by Women representative Rose Nyamunga and Coca-cola noting that putting up more street lights across the county would help in curbing insecurity as most criminals were hitting their targets at night.

KISUMU WOMEN REP NYAMUNGA DRUMS UP SUPPORT FOR BRIGHT NEEDY GIRL

 BY JARED OPIYO 
A bright but needy pupil in Kisumu who scored 402 marks in her KCPE may miss her form one for lack of school fees.
Joan Princess Akinyi went to MM Shah primary school in Kisumu town and her parents are appealing to the government and other well-wishers to chip in and help their daughter realise her dreams by joining secondary school.

Akinyi who received her calling letter from the prestigious Mary Hill School in Thika said she was dejected to learn from her parents how narrow were her possibilities of proceeding with education due to financial constraints.

The girl laments that her hopes of becoming a neurosurgeon may have been washed away by what she considered bad news from her mother. She lives with her mother, Emily Anyango, in the sprawling Shauri Moyo estate in Kisumu with three other siblings while her jobless father lives at their rural home in Kisumu Karateng.

“I do not want to even imagine missing this opportunity. What I know is that I am not joining any school apart from Mary Hill where I have been called,” she said.

Apart from science which she scored B+, Akinyi scooped straight As in English, Kiswahili, Mathematics and social Studious and Religious Education.

According to her mother, the family is in need of over Sh 100, 000 to help their daughter join the school adding that what was being offered by the CDF as a bursary could not help them as it was too little.

However, the office of Kisumu County Women Representative has made a commitment to offer necessary support to the girl and other bright needy pupils.

In a telephone interview with this writer, Kisumu Women Representative Rose Nyamunga challenged other leaders from the region to join hands and ensure that bright needy students access quality education.

Nyamunga who promised unspecified support to the girl added that her office was open and ready to respond quickly to issues touching on education.

NDIAN CAR IMPORTER CLAIMS VEHICLES IMPORTED UNDER HIS NAME MY BE USED BY TERRORISTS.

BY OUR REPORTER

KISUMU based Asian tycoon dealing in motor vehicle importation wants anti-terrorist police to monitor over 200 vehicles which were illegally imported in the country by his rivals using his company’s forged documents.

The proprietor of Al-Hyder trading company Mr. Shoktar Ali has expressed fears that the said vehicles might be in the hands of dangerous criminals given the manner in which they were sneaked into the country.  

Speaking to journalists in his office, Ali said the shocking racket backfired after Kenya Revenue Authority demanded over 100 millions from his company as importation tax.

‘’I was shocked to be informed by the tax body that my company owes them sh. 150 million for the more than 200 vehicles and upon investigations it dawned on me that some of my friends turned business rivals forged my documents to ship in the vehicles’’, moaned Mr. Ali.

He added that the matter is already reported at Kisumu Central Police Station and requested police to move fast in investigating movements and operations of those owning the vehicles.

‘’My main fear is that the vehicles may be used in criminal activities and I want it be known that should anything transpire I am to remain out of the picture,’’ he said.

Some of the vehicles as indicated in a list he shared with the press are Toyota Hiace CHS LHI 172-0026504, Nissan Caravan CHS VRGE24-656994, and Toyota Hiace CHS LH172-0026620 among others.

Mr. Ali has however weathered a long battle with another Indian who he said was part of the gang that forged his company’s documents in the deal.

In a bid to get his comments, journalists were informed that the said youthful Indian had travelled to his home country where he was set to have a wedding and this is despite the fact that he was married to a Nandi lady back in Kisumu.

ENDS…

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN KISUMU TO FORM ECONOMIC UMBRELLA

BY OMARI AKELLO

People living with disabilities in Kisumu County now have a reason to smile following an announcement by the area Women representative that her office is currently registering the group with an aim of empowering them economically.

Kisumu County Women Representative Rose Nyamunga said her office was looking at proper leadership of the marginalized group.

“My office is simply responding to demands from the disabled group in the county calling for proper structure that will see them develop economically,” said Nyamunga.

She revealed that Kisumu County has an average of 1050 disabled people and a registration to get their exact number has already kicked-off.

Nyamunga added that immediately after the registration, her office will help the group form their own SACCO.

While speaking to a group of disabled persons at Kosawo in Kisumu, she said that the umbrella group will help identify different talents and abilities of its members.

The women representative noted that the process will create ease for the group in accessing credit funds adding she will soon organize a fund raising for the disabled people in the County.

“I understand that the disabled are in other groups but the idea here is that they have their own umbrella,” added Nyamunga.

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IS THE WAY TO GO, SAYS CREPP.

By DICKSON ODHIAMBO.

  

      KISUMU.

   NOVEMBER 11, 2014.

A VISIT to his five acre farm at Border II Sub location of Awasi
Location in Kisumu County reveals a lot in terms of what he is doing
in Agriculture to feed his bigger family.

Jasper Juma Odundo, a 65 year old farmer who has a polygamous family
says he has been in the business of farming since 1983 when he quit
his place of work to concentrate fully on farming.

He says initially he used to do small farming on maize and millet only
for his family to get their daily bread from the produce but had never
thought that he would one day become a farmer who does commercial
farming.

CREPP CEO FRED WABWEYO DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE LAKESTAR
NEWSPAPER./PHOTO By DICKSON ODHIAMBO.

 
Juma says a friend of him advised him to start farming on pineapples
since their area is a dry one but has a good type of soil which can support the farming of the said crop.

Now, the farmer says he is not regretting the idea of starting farming which he adds has not only provide the family with adequate food but also has been a source of their livelihood.

He says an Organization known as Community Rehabilitation and
Environmental Protection Program {CREPP} has been providing greater
support for his farming activities.

Juma says since CREPP inception in 1994, he and other small scale

farmers within the Sub-location and beyond have learnt a lot on the
importance of sustainable agriculture.

He says through the Organization they have managed to start a local
community group known as Omwogo Development Group of 29 members which
has been spearheading the growth of Cassava, a crop which is good for
sustainable agriculture.

Juma says CREPP has been of greater help since it has been providing
the farmers with good knowledge on the growth of the crop as well as
providing them with good quality cassava seeds which have seen their
yields improve tremendously.

He says the growing of Cassava crop has been of greater benefits to
the group since they have managed to get enough to eat and sell the
surplus to those who are in need of the crop, adding that this he has
been doing and still continue to concentrate on the his farming of
Pineapple, Maize, Banana, sweet potatoes in his five acre farm.

‘’CREPP has been of greater benefit to us as local farmers as it has
managed to provide us with crops seeds such as cassava, sweet
potatoes, paw paw among others which we only pay later after harvest
and this now encouraged a number of locals to engage in farming,’’ he
says.

He adds that the goods seeds like that of cassava have made them not
to encounter the Cassava mosaic disease which has been a major problem
with cassava crop hence increase in yield from the growth of such
crop.

A group of three lecturers from Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of
Science and Technology {JOOUST}Siaya County  and Kabianga University
in Kericho County who toured the farmer’s home recently on a learning
mission were impressed by the progress made by the farmer on his bid
to improve food security and ensure his family is food secure.

JASPER JUMA, A FARMER IN AWASI WHO HAS BEEN GETTING
GOOD SEEDS FROM CREPP EXPLAINS A POINT TO THREE LECTURERS WHO WERE ON A LEARNING MISSION TO HIS FARM RECENTLY./PHOTO By DICKSON ODHIAMBO.

 

The three Dons Naomi Apali Mogoria and Dr Pamela Were both from JOOUST
and Dolphine Anyango from Kabianga University says there is need for
proper documentation on the best practices on the best methods used in
sustainable agriculture to the local farmers.

CREPP Chief Executive Officer and Founder Fred Tabu  Wabweyo says the
Organization has been using model farmers in a program known as
farmer-to- farmer approach which has help in networking and bringing
local farmers together in educating one another on sustainable
agriculture.

Wabweyo says CREPP has also come up with an initiative of having
farmers’ field schools where farmers have been divided into groups and
they teach themselves on a particular topic on agriculture especially
on sustainable agriculture.

He says there is need to have strong farmers movement in the country
with an aim of spearheading the issues of farmers within the Country,
adding that Tanzania which is a neighbouring country has a stronger
farmers movement known as Muvi wata which advocates for farmers issues
in that Country.

The CREPP Chief Executive Officer says the Organization has also been
working with Primary schools where Agro-Ecology clubs have been formed
and a number of such schools have developed their gardens.

He says such initiative has seen a number of pupils replicate the idea
of having gardens at home where they have planted some useful crops
which helps in the promotion of natural foods as opposed to
Genetically Modified ones, adding that currently 20 schools within
Nyando Sub-county are in the program.

He further says alongside the promotion of food security, CREPP also
participates in environmental Conservation including the promotion of
use of renewable energy as well as micro-enterprise development and
mitigates the impact of HIV and AIDS while mainstreaming issues of
gender, disaster mitigation, peace-building and policy advocacy
issues.

The Organization has also developed a community Resource Centre in
Kisumu County near Awasi Market where its administrative offices are
located.

BAN CHILD LABOUR,NYANZA COUNTIES URGED.

 By DICKSON ODHIAMBO.

    NOVEMBER 3,2014.

COUNTY Governments within the Nyanza region have been called upon to pass laws that would illegalize any form of child labour in various sectors within their counties.

This move is aimed at helping in improving educational standards in the region.

Increased cases of child labour, and early marriage have been cited as key challenges affecting the education sector in the formerly Nyanza region leading to massive drop out levels,

A report released by a community based organization working in various counties within the Nyanza  region indicates that most school going  children,  who are mostly orphans and vulnerable children are forced to drop out of school and engage in various forms of labour mainly in the Agriculture, fishing, and mining industries  within Kisumu, Migori, Homabay and Siaya counties. 

‘You will find children  as young as seven working in sugarcane firms while some are engaged in quarrying," Part of the report read.

The report indicates that the Nyanza region which boasted of being the country’s educational giant is now facing a number of challenges that need a joint stakeholders’ contribution to restore the fading academic glory.

James Akali the founder member of Akali educational foundation  has noted with concern that poverty Child labour, early marriage,  are some of the key factors affecting the educational sector along the lake region  hence,  various educational stakeholders in the region including professionals from various areas have been advised to  team up so as  to address the same.

 "Children stop going to school to engage in economic activities to raise money for their survival. Something has to be done about the situation,"

It is widely acknowledged that poverty is one of the main contemporary causes of child labour. Others are lack of girl child education, unemployment among parents, early marriages and abandoned children.

Apart from subsidizing the bursary scheme funded by various government and non governmental agencies, Akali has advised that professionals from the regional could be better role models in various schools.

The group has also been challenged to facilitate the building of better learning facilities, and provide learning materials within their localities, a move  that would help improve  performance in the said schools.