PSCU-DIGITAL LAUNCHES A NEW PRESIDENTIAL WEBSITE

The New website's cover photo of President Uhur Kenyatta and Deputy William Ruto

The Presidential Strategic Communication Unit- Digital has launched a brand new Presidential website in an effort to demystify the Presidency.
PSCU Director Digital Dennis Itumbi says the website will ease and enhance interaction between the Presidency and Wananchi

The new webiste is at CLICK HERE and has adopted the United Republican Party slogan "KUSEMA NA KUTENDA"

The website includes Key note addresses  and Speeches  by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy William Ruto, a platform for Wananchi to share their ideas and a Google+ hangout with the President.

MARY WAMBUI LOSES OTHAYA MP SEAT

Former Othaya MP Mary Wambui

The Nyeri court of appeal has nullified the election of Mrs. Mary Wambui as the Member of Parliament for Othaya in a petition filed by March 4th poll loser Peter King'ara.

In his petition, King’ara wanted the court to order  a recount of the votes claiming there were massive irregularities in the tallying which he says cost him the win for the seat.The ruling by Justices Alnasir Visram, Martha Koome and Otieno Odek paves way for a by-election just eight months after Wambui was declared an MP in a close contest

Wambui, who vied for the Othaya parliamentary seat on a TNA ticket, was declared the winner after she garnered 16,285 against King’ara’s 14, 218 votes.

ULTRA MODERN MACHAKOS AMBULANCES ARRIVE

Ambulances for Machakos county procured by the ambitious Machakos Governor Dr. Alfred Mutua arrived at the port of Mombasa a few days ago were being cleared this morning and getting ready to be sent to Machakos.

 The ultra modern emergency vehicles come only a few weeks after the Governor launched a state of the art CCTV surveillance and 150 police cars . The Machakos county Government is way ahead of other county government and Governor Mutua the most celebrated governor since their inception after the march election.

 
The ambulances feature modern gadgets and equipment for evacuation and emergency response

DALMAS OTIENO QUITS ODM TO FORM NEW PARTY

ULP Party leader Dalmas Otieno

Embattled senior ODM politician and former advisor to  Raila Odinga , Dalmas Otieno has quit ODM to  form a new political outfit going by the name United Liberal Party (ULP).

Mr Otieno who is also the Member of Parliament for Rongo fell out with former ODM leader Raila Odinga after he refused to back him for a party position in favour of another candidate, Dalmas decried the state of democracy in the party saying that Raila had his choice candidates already.

ULP is targeting membership from the Nyanza area where ODM has enjoyed unrivaled support since 2005.
Dalmas is wooing disgruntled ODM members like Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero who also was forced to give up his candidature for a leadership position in ODM.

Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero

Others who are leaning towards ULP include Ababu Namwamba who was called a "Jubilee spy" to his face during a party retreat in Naivasha by Otieno Kajwang and Eliud Owallo who are staunch Raila followers.
 Youthful MPs Ken Obura and David Ochieng who have publicly disagreed with Raila Odinga over the manner in which he was running the party are also said to be in talks with Mr. Dalmas Otieno over a switch to ULP.
The party will be registered in a few days to come.

ABABU NAMWAMBA KICKED OUT OF ODM IN A MOST EMBARRASSING STYLE

Controversial Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba , a man who in 2008 swore by the name of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga as he was being sworn into Parliament, has been kicked out of ODM in the most ugly manner possible.

Raila Odinga's foot soldiers Eliud Owalo and Homa Bay Senator are said to have called Mr. Namwamba a Jubilee spy to his face during an ongoing CORD retreat in Naivasha. Namwamba had requested the two to apologize and stop a smear campaign against him. The two had risen and instead of apologizing they had gone ahead to call him a spy for the Jubilee Government.

The ensuing scuffle which almost ended in an exchange of blows saw a frustrated Namwamba storm out of the meeting near tears and leave for an unknown destination.

Later Outgoing ODM Sec-Gen Anyang Nyong'o issued a statement saying there had been no exchange and that M.r Ababu had merely excused himself to go to Mombasa for a function.

 But later, Owalo sensationally claimed Namwamba had struck a deal to vie for a key position in United Republican Party of Deputy President William Ruto. “He accused me of being part of a group of people calling him a Jubilee mole and I am here to confirm that he is indeed a mole. He is not in ODM,” Owalo said. Owalo said ODM could invoke the Political Parties Act to block Namwamba from vying for any party seat, claiming the MP had been on the verge of quitting ODM and only resurfaced a few weeks ago, warning they could use legal means to block him.
“He just came back to ODM after striking a deal with Jubilee and he wants to vie, then mortgage our party,” Owalo said. He added: “He should wait for URP elections to vie for the deputy leader position, but not in ODM. It is high time we invoked the Political Parties Act to strike him out.” ‘Young Turks’ in ODM, mainly from South Nyanza, have been up in arms against a push spearheaded by Kajwang and other allies of Raila to line up candidates from various parts of the country instead of exclusive names from the party’s bedrock. 

Interestingly Mr. Raila did nothing to stop the attack on one of his most trusted and vocal cronnies

OBAMA TO VISIT KENYA IN DECEMBER

C/O FAITH .C. MUTHONI

Obama in an earlier trip to Kenya before he became President of the US

US President Barrack Obama might visit Kenya in December to inspect projects supported by the US Government. He will tour among others The Olkaria Geo-thermal Power project in Naivasha and the US Embassy in Nairobi.

US President will be accompanied by hundreds of the American investors who are willing to invest in transport, hospitality industries and other areas.

He will also be expected to meet President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy, William Ruto, at State House Nairobi, to familiarize himself with the new Jubilee administration.

President Barrack Obama toured African countries in July last year but skipped Kenya, although he assured Kenyans that he will tour the country before the end of his second year term in 2016.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Obama shake hands when they met at Nelson Mandela Memorial service

This is a sharp U-Turn by Washington seeing that the Obama administration did not approve the Jubilee duo running for office and even warned that "Choices have consequence" a thin veiled Message that there would be negative effects if Kenyans voted for the UHURUTO duo.

Mr. Obama has met President Uhuru once during the Nelson Mandela Memorial in South Africa. Nairobi and Washington have not related very well in the past few over the fact the President Uhuru and Ruto were facing Criminal charges at the International Criminal Court a fact that led Obama to skip Kenya in his Africa Tour.

It appears that Washington might have had a change of heart

CONSPICUOUSLY PRESENT: FORMER SPEAKER MARENDE ATTENDS MUDAVADI MEMORIAL

ODM leader and former House Speaker Kenneth Otiato Marende made a surprise show at Moses Mudavadi's Memorial yesterday amid speculations that he was cozying upto the Jubilee leadership.

Leaders at former deputy Prime Minister Musalia's father memorial in Vihiga yeterday

 The event which had been billed largely as a jubilee event was attended by among others His Excellency the President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Sources indicate that the man billed for Solomonic rulings during the 10th parliament has fallen out with his ODM party boss Raila Odinga he failed to back him for a party position in the forthcoming ODM elections slated for November the 28th, leading to Marende withdrawing his candidature
It remains to be seen whether Marende will make the switch

RAILA ALMOST BEATEN UP IN KISUMU OVER HINDU MONUMENT

Raila addressing the crowd

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga was on Saturday heckled for the first time in Kisumu. Raila who had gone to quell tension that followed erection of an Indian Sculpture (Sikh Statute) in the town, was forced to cut short his speech. Amid booing and jeering, the residents shouted Mr Odinga, accusing him of being compromised by the Hindu community to endorse the idol. ‘‘We cannot allow an idol to be put in our town. All we want, is to see it struck down immediately,’’ shouted the residents. The residents accused him (Odinga) of using the region’s overwhelming support for his personal gain. ‘‘We will not accept to be used as rubber stamps to endorse other gods in our community. This time round, we say no! We don’t want it!’’ they shouted. Efforts by religious leaders to quell the crowd who turned out in hundreds proved futile, forcing the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader to leave the venue in disappointment. The residents threatened to pull down the sculpture, saying it is a god which they don’t subscribe to. They said sculptures of Kenyan heroes are welcomed in the town. Earlier before the rally, Mr Odinga held a closed door meeting with religious leaders in a Temple to avert looming religious conflict in the town. The ODM leader said religious leaders will hold a meeting on Monday with the Governor Jack Ranguma to quell the tension.

Raila trying to calm the irate crowd as they heckle him

The executive Member of planning Vincent Kodera said in earlier interviews that the County Government had approved construction of a water fountain in the area, but the Hindu community decided to put an idol. For the past two days, Kisumu has witnessed demonstration by the locals and religious leaders over the idol. On Friday, police had a rough time to quell angry demonstrators, forcing them to fire several rounds of canisters to disperse the crowd who wanted to demolish the idol. Minutes after Odinga who was accompanied by Ranguma and Nyando MP Fred Outa had left the venue; residents pelted the statute with stones forcing the police to intervene. Religious leaders have termed erection of the idol, which was constructed in the night as abomination and unacceptable before God. ‘‘We want the people to know that we will not allow the statue to be here. Kisumu is a Christian town. We respect our Indian community. Our people have no peace and we want it pulled down,’’ said Bishop Mark Kegohi of Jesus Celebration Centre.

Mr. Odinga fleeeing the scene as the crowd got rowdy

Helen Ochieng of Ministry of Repentance and Holiness who first raised alarm and conducted prayers and fasting in protest of the god, also demanded its removal, saying Kisumu belongs to God. The Muslim clerics said the idol is not a good thing and augers-ill for region’s stability, and called on the Hindu community to restrict their gods to the Temples. ‘‘We know there is freedom of worship, but that that doesn’t allow us to infringe on others rights by doing such abominable act,’’ said Sheik Suleiman Julu of Dunga Mosque
Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000104193&story_title=former-pm-raila-odinga-heckled-in-kisumu-as-he-tries-to-persuade-residents-to-accept-a-sikh-statute&pageNo=2

ODM ELECTIONS: IMMINENT DEFECTIONS AS YOUTHFUL MPS DISAGREE WITH RAILA

ODM MPs Ken Obura and Dvid Ochieng at a past event

Youthful ODM MPs have openly disagreed with party leader Raila Odinga, saying he picked his choice candidates to be on the Ballot box in the upcoming party elections 

David Ochieng~ Ungenya, Ken Obura~Kisumu Central, Agostino Netto~ Ndiwa, David Osele,Kabondo, Dalmas Otieno have all been very vocal in criticizing the Party leader over preference.

Agostino Neto Oyugi MP-NDHIWA

Even older Party members like Dalmas Otieno have joined the fray warning of creation of a second power base in Luo Nyanza after what they claimed is being "Side-Lined" by Raila

ODM Veteran: Dalmas Otieno

Others who have shown discomfort in ODM are Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero and Railla's Cousin Jakoyo Midiwo.