Most Kisii residents want President William Ruto and his estranged deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, to put their act together or ship out together.
They singled out for censure the bill being floated to impeach Gachagua against the pressing concerns the country was facing at the moment.
They told Ruto to reconcile with Gachagua and begin to focus more firmly on how to move the country forward.
“We elected them together and should pack and leave together. It that is what they are up to,” said George Magange, an activist.
He said if parliament was serious on its intent then it should impeach both Ruto and his deputy.
More others that had turned up at the Agricultural Training College for the public participation exercise termed flimsy and weak the grounds being presented as evidence to impeach the embattled Gachagua.
They told the duo to work together and stop the drama.
“ Let them work together for now, we are only two years shy of the main polls, the President can pick another running mate in 2027” added Magange.
Thomas Keraka and Benjamin Atemba, described as of ‘low material value’ all the grounds being fronted as evidence to indict Gachagua.
“From any standpoint, the grounds lack substance and are weak,” stated said. Keraka
They accused the Kenyan Kwanza government of losing its focus and directing all its primitive energy on non-issues.
They’re called on their MPs to vote No to the bill.
Wilfred Monyenye, Kisii Township Ward Rep said the health and the education sector were in a mess and challenged the Head of State to rise to the challenge.
He said the university funding model, the Social Health Insurance Fund ( SHIF) was dysfunctional, stressing, that they are more important than the impeachment of Gachagua.
“ Our people cannot access health care services since their National Hospital Insurance Fund ( NHIF) Cards are not being recognized after the shift to the new Fund,” Monyenye told the press.
Only Darius Mosoti, a youth leader, supported the impeachment claiming Gachagua in his tenure revived the spirit of tribalism in the country.
Gachagua is facing abuse of office charges and violation of the law as the impeachment threatens to end his political career.
Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) has onboarded premium class coaches that will operate on the standard gauge railway (SGR) Madaraka Express passenger train.
According to Ministry of Roads and Transport CS Davis Chirchir, the services will be useful to customers on a working trip since the coaches are designed to allow them to work at the same time have a rest.
The service has also considered efficiency, comfort, luxury, safety, security, and convenience.
Earlier, Chirchir had toured the Nairobi Commuter Rail (NCR) Service stations to assess the services offered.
He pointed at ticketing, rehabilitation of rails, and furnishing the terminals with modern facilities as short-term remedies to improve the services of at least 20,000 commuters who use train services daily.
“Construction of new 58-kilometre rail at Sh65 billion that is expected to transport at least 100,000 commuters daily will be operational by 2025,” he said.
To achieve the decongestion of Nairobi city has been a menace, the government is also working on comfort and convenience so that Nairobi residents can embrace rail transport.
Public participation nationwide exercise across all 290 constituencies where Kenyans were given a platform to voice their opinions on the high-stakes impeachment which was initiated by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse.
The process has been conducted at designated centers in the 47 counties countrywide.
Previously, a last-minute legal challenge filed in court aiming to halt the proceedings was dismissed on Wednesday, clearing the path for public consultations.
Public Participation at Bomas ended amid Controversies where blows and kicks were witnessed especially when Morara Kebaso was guaranteed his entry to the social hall to air his views.
Public participation at Bomas in Nairobi officially concluded at around mid-day, with hundreds turning up to voice their opinions on Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment.
Members of parliament and MCAs who sought anonymity raised concerns about the abrupt dismissal of the exercise at the Bomas of Kenya where there have been critics questioning whether Parliament upheld the standard for genuine, meaningful public participation.
Clashes Break Out in Bomas as Participation Turns Violent as tensions flared as public participation at Bomas spiraled into disorder. Supporters and detractors of both parties clashed violently, chanting rival slogans of “Ruto must go” and “Gachagua must go.”
Punches and kicks were thrown, chairs were hurled at each other, and confusion reigned as the two sides descended into a brawl.
Kebaso Morara, the lawyer turned activist was at the center of the chaos with goons attacking the political figurehead who is quickly gaining popularity.
The chaos erupted after activist lawyer Morara Kebaso arrived with a group of youths, prompting a section of attendees to react violently.
Security personnel had to swiftly intervene, ejecting Morara and restoring a fragile order. The exercise continued, though the atmosphere remained volatile.
Later after the adjournment of the exercise, the Morara Kebaso contingent returned to Bomas of Kenya which forced several MPs to free the area and end the exercise within the planned schedule.
MPs led by Tom Kajwang, TJ, and Dagoreti South Mp John Kiarie, KJ were seen fleeing the area and sneaking out of the area securing their safety from the rowdy crowd.
Participants expressed their views saying, ‘’ If Gachagua is to go, let William Ruto also go.’’
They added their frustrations saying it was an exercise of time wasting for ending the exercise prematurely.
Charles Omondi said. ‘’What was the essence of this exercise if you decided to waste our time and adjourn the planned national event to chaos, I’m saddened with the whole plans of today, it’s a sad day for this country.’’
In Nakuru, chaos erupted during the public participation exercise as residents took to the streets, rejecting the process, and calling it fraudulent.
Chanting “No Gachagua, no Ruto,” the protestors disrupted the ASK showgrounds participation event, accusing organizers of distributing fake documents.
The exercise was abruptly halted as police officers on-site fled the scene.
In other areas, Nyahururu residents blocked a major highway in protest of the impeachment process, lighting bonfires and barricading roads leading to Nyeri town. “No Rigathi, no Ruto,” echoed through the streets as protestors expressed their unwavering support for Gachagua. The residents accused the National Assembly of attempting to destabilize the region’s political leadership. Although police officers intervened to clear the roads, the defiant residents vowed to continue their demonstrations, demanding the public participation exercise be halted.
In Machakos, Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua took a bold stance in Machakos, leading the public participation against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua with the rallying cry, “Gachagua must go!”
Mutua a sharp critique of the current leadership to Gachagua “We are not happy. Since President William Ruto took office, Ukambani has been left behind. All development has been tied to shareholder politics,” Mutua declared.
Mombasa court yesterday acquitted a 17-year-old boy who had been charged with defiling and impregnating his girlfriend, 15.
While acquitting the minor (name withheld), Senior Principal Magistrate Vincent Adet said prosecuting the boy alone, over a juvenile love affair is punitive and discriminatory.
He said police and prosecutors in such cases ought to view the two minors as equal victims of the offence of defilement rather than victimising the boy. “In such scenarios, they are rather victims of the offence and should not be exposed to punitive legislative consequences. It brings to the fore, the propriety of the use of criminal law to prevent adolescents from engaging in consensual sexual intercourse among themselves,” observed Adet.
Senior Principal Magistrate further noted that adolescents are not sexual predators but people exploring and experimenting with their sexuality, oblivious of the legislative dangers involved. “In such scenarios, adolescent boys invariably bear the brunt of prosecution in cases where both victims are children; it is even exacerbated when out of the relationship, pregnancy is realised like in this case,” he said.
Adet also observed that in the case before his court, no justice would be served by having the boy child convicted over the offence of defilement. The suspect in this matter is hereby acquitted of defilement contrary to section 8(1) as read with section 8(3) of the Sexual Offences Act as well as in the alternative charge where the accused is charged for committing an indecent Act with a child contrary to section 11(1) of the Sexual Offences Act under the procedural provisions of section 215 of the Criminal Procedure Code,” he stated.
Court noted that the case was one of the many typical cases of juvenile love where the victim and the perpetrator are ignorant of the consequences of their actions.
Defence of her boyfriend.
In the case, the court noted that the girl in question had testified as the first prosecution witness, only to switch sides and testify in defence of her boyfriend, maintaining that they had consensual sex and each of them should thus take responsibility for their actions. “She clearly stated that she knew the accused and that the accused was her boyfriend, and that it was a mutual arrangement between her and the accused. She stated that the accused should not be punished for their mutual mistake,” the court noted.
The accused had been charged with the offence of defilement contrary to Section 8(1) as read with Section 8(3) of the Sexual Offences Act. Particulars were that on an unknown date in October 2019 at Ofisi ya Jara area in Likoni sub-county within Mombasa county, the suspect defiled a girl aged 15. The majority is however now confident that the boychild has seen light at the end of the tunnel.
TSC Chairman Dr Jamleck Muturi John and Commission Secretary Dr Nancy Macharia join teachers and other education stakeholders in commemorating World Teachers Day on October 5, 2022.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) on Wednesday, October 5, feted and celebrated 33 teachers for their deserved and exemplary role in promoting quality education within the country during the World Teachers Day celebrations.
The event was led by TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia at the (KSG) Kenya School of Government- Lower Kabete, disclosed that a total of 264 teachers would be honoured for beating the odds in a bid to push for effective and quality education.
TSC boss also assured that a section of teachers would also be recognised for winning national honours over the past two years, some of whom were awarded in 2022.
The list revealed that the renown Peter Tabichi who won the outstanding award in Commonwealth 2022, Joel Shunza Gitali who scooped the Anti-tobacco award by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Gerald Mutosi who captured the outstanding sculpture award.
During the meeting, TSC chair, Jamleck Muturi strongly acknowledged the pivotal role of teachers in building the nation and preparing the leaders of tomorrow despite encountering numerous challenges. “The Commission has been engaging with teachers during stakeholder forums. The aim is to get the true feeling of the environment in which our teachers work from. We note that our teachers are doing great work,” he stated.
Equally, Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Secretary General, Akelo Misori strongly urged the commission to lobby on behalf of all the teachers to the new administration.”We are the people who can transform education. We are not noisemakers, To the TSC chair, Jamleck Muturi we want you to address the stagnation of teachers of this country and ensure you lobby for the 58,000 teachers the new government has committed to give us. Expand the housing of teachers so that the new housing schemes will first accommodate teachers,” Misori urged.
Below are the outstanding personalities who were bestowed the presidential awards:
Mayoo Kipchumba- Kapsabet Boys High School.
Flora Mlatia- Kenya High School who has been topping in the list of well performing schools and she has been gradually improving extremely well despite the COVID pandemic times.
Florence Mulatya of Kenya High
Order of the Grand Warrior of Kenya.
Anyango Okebe- Anak dara primary
Amollo Anastacia- St Mary’s Lwak Girls
Kamau Phylis- Mahiga Girls
Peter Tabichi- Keriko Mixed Day Secondary School
Esther Njeri- Mureke
John Kuria- Mang’u High SchoolMaiyo Kipchumba – Kapsabet
Indimuli Kahi- Machakos
Head of State Commendations
Mulwa Mwendo- Inyokoni primary school.
Sally Kosegi- Bishop Muge Memorial
Koech Solomon- Kangaru school
Mugo Lucy- Karatina Girls
Abdi Ayub- Jamhuri High School
Emily Jerono- St luke preparatory
Inn Theolata- St Bridges Girls
Ali Yarow- Hudhile primary
Ryan Joseph- Achego primary
Losike Samuel- Nadwat primary school
Jilloh Abdullahi- Algani Girls primary
Cheruiyot Joseph – Kitait primary
Cecilia Teka- Lemek Namunyak Girls
Bruce Kirage- Nyaikuro HIGH School
Nyang’au Alfred- Mesabakwa Secondary School
Onyango Jared- Nyalenda secondary school
Kalwa Adif Dube- El wak Secondary
Nzioka Johnson Matheka- Donholm primary
Kuria Mwangi- Murang’a High
Catherine Wanja- Thika high school for the visually impaired.
The Kenya Woman Leaders Association (KEWOLA) is an organization that brings together women leaders from different political formations interested and committed to promoting women leadership in Kenya in different levels and positions.
The insurance has come together to leverage on collective strengths and networks because the organization is now believing in the power of working together and the place and power of Women leadership.
The group has said that the Country has just come from a closely contested elections that ushered in a new leadership at National and County Level.
As a movement, now have come out to congratulate H.E President Dr William Ruto, CGH on his election as President.
As KEWOLA, now it has wished Ruto’s administration the very best as he steers the country to greater heights.
Further, the group has been able to applaud the election of Women Leaders to different positions. “We are proud of the milestones that the country has made that has seen more Women Governors elected in MERU, NAKURU, MACHAKOS, KWALE, HOMABAY, EMBU, & KIRINYAGA. We also congratulate Women Deputy Governors who were elected in different Counties and wish them the very best as they take their roles.” KEWOLA group Said.
Furthermore, the organization applauds the election of Women and Youthful Leaders, 100 Members of County Assemblies, 36 Members of Parliament, and 3 Senators. “We congratulate H.E Anne Waiguru on her election as the Chair, Council of Governors and Hon. Gladys Boss Shollei, MP, CBS on her election as the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.” KEWOLA said.
KEWOLA further thanked the President for nominating several women to the Cabinet during his recent appointments that He made. “We wish all those who have been nominated the best as they face the National Assembly during the vetting process.” KEWOLA said.
KEWOLA has now appealed to the Assembly to approve them so that they can assume office and serve Kenyans.
The group has further told that these developments mean a lot to women and as a nation working towards the attainment of the two thirds gender principle that is enshrined in Kenya Constitution.
As a movement, now reminds women who have been elected to such positions that they have an opportunity to do their best and set high standards for future women who are aspiring for positions to serve the country.
The group further has also reminded the President that during the elections, He promised that he was going to appoint 50% his Cabinet to be women. They believe he is capable of delivering the agenda in his administration.
Women leaders have further appealed to Parliament to prioritize the passage of an enabling the administration to facilitate the implementation of the Two Third Gender Principle which has been long overdue.
The association has however urged the Media to continue profiling this issue of inclusion and giving it the prominence.
Finally the association is cherishing the Constitution as one of the most valuable instruments of governance which paves willing and committence to play women role to support the implementation of the Constitution.
As an association, it’s consulting widely on other measures and steps that it’s supposed to take towards nation building making them public.
PRESIDENT William Samoei Ruto, Ph.D., C.G.H. has this morning chaired a meeting of the nation’s apex policy organ, Cabinet, at State House,Nairobi.
The meeting was convened to consider the progress made in the national response to the ongoing drought situation that has affected 23 counties; together with an appraisal of the ongoing humanitarian support and relief food being provided to the families in those areas and the medium-term and long-term strategies being developed to address the food security situation in the country.
Cabinet considered a broad array of proposals touching on climate change adaptation, reducing Kenya’s reliance on rain-fed agriculture by increasing irrigation, planting of diverse and drought resistant crops, and the implementation of early warning and response mechanisms that are activated at the very start of adverse situations rather than when the situations have escalated into disaster conditions.
As part of the medium to long term responses to the ongoing drought, and as a progressive step towards significantly redefining agriculture in Kenya by adopting crops that are resistant to pests and disease, Cabinet also considered various expert and technical reports on adoption of biotechnology; including reports of the Kenya’s National Biosafety Authority (NBA), World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United States of America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
In accordance with the recommendation of the Task Force to Review Matters Relating to Genetically Modified Foods and Food Safety, and in fidelity with the guidelines of the National Biosafety
Authority on all applicable international treaties including the Cartagena
Protocol on Biosafety (CPB), Cabinet vacated its earlier decision of
8th November, 2012 prohibiting the open cultivation of genetically modified crops and the importation of food crops and animal feeds produced through biotechnology innovations; effectively lifting the ban on Genetically Modified Crops.
By dint of the executive action open
cultivation and importation of White (GMO) Maize is now authorized.
Today’s decision follows an earlier Cabinet decision made on 19th
December, 2019 regarding the commercialization of Bacillus
Thuringiensis (BT) Cotton Hybrids in Kenya; which is a genetically
enhanced variety of cotton that is resistant against African Bollworm, the
most destructive and pervasive pest in cotton framing.
That earlier approval by Cabinet sought to revamp production of textiles, apparel, feed, and oil-industries towards the realization of the industrialization; and today’s Cabinet decision builds on it and also extends its benefits to other agricultural and manufacturing
sectors.
The nation’s apex policy organ was also apprised on the preparations for the National Examinations for Grade 6, Class 8 and Form 4; which are scheduled to take place from 28th November, 2022 to 23rd December, 2022.
Cabinet took the opportunity to wish all candidates success as they prepare and sit for their examinations.
Cabinet welcomed the normalization of the education learning calendar with effect from January of 2023, noting that it would herald the conclusion of the recovery of learning times lost due to the school closures occasioned by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Cabinet reaffirmed the importance of the ongoing reforms to steer the nation towards an era of Universal Health Coverage through the bold and progressive legislation enacted early in the year on mandatory
Election Observation Group (ELOG) members during a press conference
Election Observation Group (ELOG), has called upon the Political Leaders and Kenyans to ensure credible, Peaceful, Free, and Fair Elections 2022.
Today members have called for peaceful 2022 elections. ELOG is made up of civil society organizations and faith-based organizations.
Political parties are set to conduct nominations from 16th to 22nd April 2022. Our Observations and reports over the years indicate that party primaries have been shambolic. We call for Credible party primaries since they are a precursor towards a peaceful election. Affirmative actions should also be allowed by political parties. Party primaries should also allow free and fair elections free from violence or Bribery.
”We also call on all social media users to be responsible and avoid spreading hate through the propagation of fake and provocative information. We further urge the communication authority, security, and other relevant agencies to flag out social media handles and persons who spew hate speech.” Said Anne W. Ireri chairperson, steering committee Peace panel.
Political alignment should also avoid the use of insensitive language for it may stir a wave of violence.
Electoral legal and administrative policies and performance. Some of the laws should be amended before elections like the party primary bill, special interest amendment bill.
The IEBC up to now lacks substantive staffing like the CEO absence which causes an alert on matters of the whole exercise. The voter law registration witnessed only proves voter apathy due to various reasons like unfair elections, poor service delivery, and corruption among leaders.
ELOG is also concerned about the rise of cases like hate speech, incitement by, few political leaders. Every Kenyan has been urged to be responsible to ensure a peaceful, credible and fair election free from violence.
Transparency in the Electoral process is paramount and IEBC must keep the public informed about every activity it is undertaking, to avoid suspicion and mistrust. It is recommended that the commission strengthen its public communication and stakeholder outreach structures.
Close to TheCrossFireNews, it has come to access to documents At KEBS as per editors pick and editorial check is An advertisement dated Thursday, August 26, Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) indicated that the bureau was looking to hire 109 individuals to occupy various posts.
They included an inspection manager and a principal office administrator at the managerial level. Civil engineers, electrical engineers, pharmacists and mechanical engineers.
The process haunts the management with Managing Director (MD) Bernard Njiraini and Principal Secretary Amb. Kirimi Kaberia taking the big chunk of blame for playing dirty in the whole recruitment process.
According to an anonymous letter sent to some media houses and copied to other bodies by aggrieved staff, the recruitment process was largely flawed by the management. The staff are petitioning for an open recruitment process. Below attached is the letter.
With the re-establishment of the East African Community (EAC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), KEBS activities now include participation in the development and implementation of SMCA activities at the regional level where it participates in the harmonization of standards, measurement of conformity assessment regimes for regional integration. KEBS operates the National Enquiry Point in support of the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).
We are here to report recruitment malpractices at the Kenya Bureau of Standards.
KEBS advertised 109 positions in the month of September 2021. The deadline for submitting applications was 10.09.2021.
What happened is that the MD (Lt. Col (Rtd) Njiraini) took upon himself to invite the Ministry of Trade and Enterprise Development to be part of the shortlisting and interviewing process. This has never happened before because KEBS recruitments have always been transparent and very objective.
We are made to understand this was done because of the directives from the Principal Secretary Amb. Kirimi Kaberia who is set to run for a political seat therefore he wants to use the employments to reward his political supporters in his village in Meru). Not only have that, the MD himself Mr. Njiraini wants to employ his county political associates for himself and for his friends.
he MD flouted all the recruitment processes in KEBS overlooking the committee which is charged with the responsibility of all recruitment and instead appointed his spanner boys who do all his dirty jobs.
Below are the names for the so-called shortlisting committee
Murira- this is a Director who was appointed irregularly as a reward to Meru community. This is the man who has set up the whole process. First, he is not a member of the committee and he was appointed to chair the panel. He is been tasked to ensure the interest of the PS. Ambassador Kaberia, Board chair and the larger Meru interests are taken care of at the expense of other applicants.
Kirimi is the mastermind of all the rumours and gossip in KEBS. He is the one in charge of the recruitment system and has ensured he tampered with the system. He gets information from the system and calls people demanding for money in return of recruitment. He is boasting all over that people should know that there are Meru’s at KEBS.
Abdow- this is one of the most corrupt officers in KEBS. The MD uses him to carry out his dirty jobs at KEBS. He got in irregularly and has caused a lot of chaos in HR department since he joined the organization.
Njeru- this is the officer from the Ministry ensure that all Mt. Kenya applicants specifically Gatundu, Meru and Embu are given the jobs.
Miriam- this a very new Director and does not understand the malpractices in KEBS especially recruitments- she is a coverup to cheat the rest of us that the process is fair.
The question is what is going to happen to the rest of Kenyans who have applied if this is what is happening?
We understand there are internal employees who could have benefited from the recruitment but the advert was advertised externally so that it is used for political gains.
According to Public Service Commission and KEBS HR policies, there is a committee charged with advising the MD in all recruitment process and the same has been completely ignored in this particular recruitment.
The MD (Mr. Njiraini has completely run down KEBS since he joined KEBS in 2019. In fact he has been arrested in the past due to corruption. He is still in office courtesy of his godfathers. This MD became MD although he was number six during the interviews)
We have written to your good office so that you can intervene by having the recruitment process stopped or cancelled until the MD appoints credible people to drive the process.
This process is highly compromised, the end result is to benefit Mr. Kaberia (PS), Mr. Njiraini (MD), KEBS Board chair, HOD-HR and his woria friends in KEBS and outside KEBS.
We are, once again, appealing to your good office to intervene by having this process stopped or cancelled altogether. As we are writing the same corrupt team is carrying out short listing.
Njiraini has been exposed on corruption in many news sites and many times.
In October, 2020 last year – KEBS was stopped from expanding a vehicle inspections tender following queries around the process.
Parliament adopted a committee report that seeked to have Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) Managing Director Bernard Njiraini held responsible for litigation that could arise from a controversial tender.
The Principal Secretary State Department of for Industrialization Amb. Kirimi Kaberia.
Njiraini was arrested for refusing to give EACC detectives original documents related to multimillion-shilling tenders the commission is investigating.
Njiraini was arrested as a penal consequence for failing to comply with a notice issued to him to surrender the documents.
EACC had been investigating allegations of procurement irregularities and payment of bribes in respect of awards for tenders for provision of pre-export conformity of goods, used motor vehicles, mobile equipment and spare parts by Kebs.
The Public Investments Committee (PIC) recommended punishment for Mr Njiraini and the procurement team at Kebs for alleged impropriety in awarding a pre-export verification tender. The National Assembly adopted the report that recommended that the top officer at the state agency be surcharged in the event bidders challenged the award.
The watchdog committee chaired by Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir also recommended that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission probe the circumstances under which Kebs engaged blacklisted firms, EAA Company Ltd and Auto Terminal Japan.
The Auditor-General had in a special audit recommended that the two firms be barred from engaging in such tenders. But the agency went ahead to engage them in its bid to have more firms inspect vehicles being imported into the country.
In reference to the recruitment process, KEBS has issued a rebuttal to the claims raised by the staffers in the anonymous mail. While replying to the consumer body Cofek, Kebs management and by reflex, are denying any wrong doing in the recruitment.
They said in part “the shortlisting committee for this recruitment was duly appointed in line with its internal processes and the KEBS Human Resources Policy. The ministry of industrialization, trade and enterprise development is the parent ministry (the ministry) to KEBS and is therefore engaged and consulted by KEBS as and when necessary, In this case, the ministry is providing technical and professional human resources support during the recruitment process.”
Section 5 of the Standards Council Act which establishes KEBS only requires KEBS Council to consult with the ministry on the appointment of the director (CEO/MD) of KEBS, not the rest of the staff.
KEBS Managing Director Bernard Njiraini.
1) The Minister shall, on the advice of the Council, by notice in the Gazette, appoint a Director of the Bureau who shall be the chief executive officer of the Bureau.
(2) The Council shall, after consultation with the Director, appoint such members and staff of the Bureau as the Council may deem necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Bureau under this Act.
While replying to Keb’s rebuttal, the consumer body has further poked holes in the denying statement.
”It is not clear why the ministry and or principal secretary, who sits on the Standards Council, will still have himself and or a nominee on shortlisting committees for internal and or externally advertised jobs. Cofek equally remains a stranger to the KEBS Human Resources Policy – where no specific section was quoted in the KEBS generic response – that was more of a veiled threat than the salient information sought.“
We’ve also learnt that KEBS threatened Cofek to pull down article they had posted earlier on the recruitment petition claiming it had dealt them an unstated disrepute. Suspiciously, they want article taken down without convincing evidence that it was malicious, this is a common threat from corrupt leaders who want to hide information from the public and continue operating in secrecy.
Cofek has refused to give into their demands, “
KEBS is a key consumer protection agency. Its a primary partner to Cofek. Recruitment of its’ human resources is, therefore, a critical component of consumer protection. It cannot be gainsaid. Again, in light of Article 10 and especially 35 of the Constitution, information held by government and required in the public interest ought to be released to the public. It is the legitimate expectation that KEBS will provide the required full information.” The body stated.
One Kenya Alliance (OKA) now says it will field a presidential candidate in the forthcoming general elections scheduled for next year.
This comes after One Kenya Alliance highest organs Tuesday convened at the Great Rift Valley Lodge to deliberate on the numerous reports submitted by its technical team.“As the “GREAT RIFT VALLEY DECLARATION”, we hereby unequivocally state that One Kenya Alliance will field a presidential candidate in next year’s general elections. And the candidate is here,” read a statement from OKA.
While re-affirming its commitment to building a just, inclusive and prosperous nation, the OKA leaders expressed satisfaction on the progress made saying it was solidly on course.
The leaders said that OKA was anchored on shared ideals of individual freedom, national unity, equal economic and social opportunities for all.“We recognize that we carry the aspirations of millions of Kenyans who yearn for a responsive and reliable leadership bound by the rule of law,” they said.
According to the OKA leaders, Tuesday’s gathering will culminate in a collective agreement to roll out an array of joint public engagement activities where they will not only share their agenda of an economic liberation but also demonstrate to Kenyans that they have a unique opportunity to bestow their sovereign power on a responsible and trustworthy leadership.“Therefore, our main vision and mission is to resuscitate Kenya’s economy and hence, we require practical solutions to the economic challenges our people are grappling with,” said OKA Principals.“Empty narratives and sloganeering on economic models are not the antidote to our challenges.”With the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report ruling set for this Friday by the Court of Appeal, the One Kenya Alliance said that they will accept and respect the verdict of the courts irrespective of the outcome.“We wish to restate that our resolve to be the leadership committed to seeing a one united Kenya,” said the leaders.
The Alliance also called upon President Uhuru Kenyatta to unleash the full wrath of the law on leaders with a strong affinity for plunder of national resources.“More than ever, we stand a chance to strengthen institutions mandated to fight graft through adequate funding and protection against interference.”“Additionally, we must revert to the most fundamental governanceprinciple that must underpin all our economic and social policies: public participation,” read part of the statement.
