EALA MPs reignite move to kick out Zziwa.Drive Hot News

EALA speaker Margaret Nantongo Zziwa (R) with former EALA MP Lydia Wanyoto(L).

East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) speaker Margaret Nantongo Zziwa’s troubles are far from over as MPs of the regional parliament have revived efforts to relieve her of her duties.
The MPs’ grievances and course of action are contained in a statement dated October 30th signed by 29 legislators from the five member states, arising from the second meeting of the third session of the third assembly in Kigali, Rwanda.
In the statement seen by this newspaper, the MPs argue that on October 29,, “proceedings of the assembly were adjourned due to lack of quorum intentionally created with the knowledge of the speaker to forestall House business.” On October 30, the house’s proceedings were adjourned sine die (till further notice).

In the resolution, the MPs contend that, “the majority of the members being in excess of two thirds of the total membership of the assembly have lost confidence in Zziwa as speaker of EALA and will a move a motion to that effect.”
When contacted on Monday, Ms Zziwa declined to comment on the new development saying, “I am in a meeting, and I cannot hold a long discussion.” Contacted later, the former Kampala woman MP referred our reporter to the public relations officer EALA.
Mr Bobi Odiko, the senior public relations officer admitted the members met but their position does not reflect the official stand of EALA.
“Officially members are free to meet in their capacities. Any attempt to censure the speaker should be in line with rules of procedure of the assembly,” he said.

Daily Monitor understands that in the two week meeting of the assembly in which six days were dedicated to actual sitting of the assemblage in Kigali, business in the house was paralysed as members went about their personal business. Mr Odiko downplayed the anomaly, saying, “There was quorum throughout except when members from Tanzania walked out because there was going to be a vote to eject a member from Tanzania from the EALA commission.”
However, Uganda’s representative to EALA, Mukasa Mbidde revealed, “Members chose to languish in bars and hotels. That is where such groupings were formed to joke around the very serious matter on integration.” 
Mr Mbidde who early this year moved the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) to block the censure of Ms Zziwa laughed off his colleagues’ latest move. 
“The decision of the court on August 15 was conclusive. Censuring the speaker is not even practicable under the current rules of the house,” he said, adding, “Those continuously talking about removal just intend to keep us in that mood throughout the five years which I shall not let happen.” 
Mr Mbidde told Daily Monitor he was in advanced stages of referring the matter to the EACJ again, this time intending, “to seek a declaration that the house is paralysed and thus I hand over the decision to the council of ministers and secretary general to prepare for the summit the possibility of dissolving the assembly.”

He also rubbished the five member crisis management committee formed by the MPs as “a coinage made outside the house.” 
The last move to boot Ms Zziwa sucked in President Museveni who had to meet MPs from different member countries in a last minute attempt to persuade them to drop the move.
Mr Shem Bageine, the minister of East African Community Affairs said his ministry operates within the provisions of the treaty which provides for separation of powers between the executive and the EACJ and EALA.
He declined to comment on the new move, saying he needs time to study the documents but added, “It is our hope that this is resolved for the good of the community.”

Wilson Kipsang and Mary Keitany triumph in New York City.Drive Hot News

NEW YORK

Wilson Kipsang won the New York City Marathon men's title on Sunday, defeating Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa with a strong push to the finish line.

Kipsang won the 26.2-mile race in an unofficial time of two hours, 10 minutes and 59 seconds with Desisa four seconds back.

With the victory, Kipsang won the $500,000 (Sh45 m) bonus for capturing the 2013-14 World Marathon Majors title, overtaking Berlin Marathon winner Dennis Kimetto for the prize.

Earlier, Mary Keitany, competing in her first marathon since the 2012 London Olympics, won in the women's category, edging compatriot Jemima Jelagat Sumgong in the final strides.

Mary Keitany crosses the finish line to win the women's division during the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon in Central Park on November 2, 2014 in New York City. 

Keitany, who finished fourth at the Olympics while one month pregnant, won in an unofficial time of 2 hours, 25 minutes and five seconds with Sumgong two seconds back in what could be the closest finish in the history of the women's race.

First place finisher Mary Keitany (centre) of Kenya poses with compatriot Jemima Sumgong (left, second) and Sara Moreira (right, third) of Portugal. PHOTO | DON EMMERT 

President Uhuru Kenyatta calls for residents to name Kapedo attackers.Drive Hot News

President Uhuru Kenyatta addresses members of the public at Kapedo during his visit on November 2, 2014. PHOTO 

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday ordered pastoralists on the border of Turkana and Baringo to name those behind Saturday’s killing of more than 20 police officers “by the end of the day” or face a massive security operation in the area.

Speaking when he led a contingent of top security personnel in touring Kapedo, President Kenyatta also ordered that firearms and uniforms belonging to the slain officers be surrendered.

“I’m here today because you took the lives of over 22 officers who were in the line of duty. I hereby order that you give us the names of those behind the killings by the end of today.

“If you can kill officers in such a manner, you sending a message that there is no government. The government is there and will deal firmly with such lawlessness,” said a visibly irate Mr Kenyatta.

He said that the government was committed to uplifting the lives of Kenyans in marginalised areas and called on the Pokot community to co-exist peacefully with their neighbours for any meaningful development to be achieved.

“The criminals who killed the officers are well-known and we will not rest until they are brought to book. We will not tolerate a civilian taking guns and killing police officers. Even if your leaders are claiming that it was a mistaken identity that does not give you the licence to kill,” said the President.

He warned those dividing Kenyans along ethnic lines that they will dealt with firmly.

“Everybody has right to settle in any part of the country irrespective of their ethnic or political affiliations. Mimi sitambui ukabila, natambua Wakenya (I don’t embrace tribalism, I appreciate all Kenyans). God knows why he put us together,” Mr Kenyatta said at Kapedo.

ELDERS APOLOGISE

Earlier, Pokot elders, who were carrying green twigs, had apologised to the President of behalf of the community following the violence.

“Your coming here today is a blessing to us. Just give us two weeks and we will talk to our people we will return the missing guns and uniforms,” said Paul Lotodo, a Pokot elder.

West Pokot Senator John Lonyangapuo and Kapenguria Member of Parliament Joseph Moroto stressed the need for the government to set up boarding schools in pastoralist areas for herders to embrace education as a lasting solution to the perennial cattle rustling menace.

They said that Pokot leaders will soon roll out a series of peace meetings in a bid to unite the warring communities.

Mr Moroto called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and the National Land Commission to address protracted land conflicts which have resulted in perennial clashes among pastoralists citing Turkwel in West Pokot county and Kapedo at the border of Turkana and Baringo counties.

Tiaty MP Asman Kamama condemned the alleged harassment of innocent civilians by security personnel involved in the ongoing operation.

“How can you burn houses and personal property in the name of an operation? This is unacceptable and can lead to anarchy if not checked,” said Mr Kamama.

He demanded that the Independent Police Oversight Authority carries out an assessment at Chesitet, Ameyan and Solar areas to establish the cost of the damage allegedly caused by the officers to pave way for compensation.

Regional Commissioner Hassan Warfa accused leaders in the area of fuelling the conflict by inciting the residents to turn against each other.

“People cannot just wake up wake up one day and start killing police officers and burning vehicles,” said Mr Warfa.

Baringo County Governor Benjamin Cheboi and Senator Gideon Moi called on the government to set up taskforce to look into border feuds which he said were fuelling conflict across the country.

“We welcome the ongoing disarmament exercise in Baringo and Turkana counties but the same should be extended to the neighbouring counties.

“This issue of people killing one another in the name of cattle rustling should come to an end,” said Mr Cheboi.

Mr Moi said that Baringo County is rich in resources citing the huge potential in geothermal energy but warned that this will not be of much help if the insecurity menace is not checked.

Gossip:Chameleone’s Beach Turns Into Sand Mining Site.Drive Hot News

The latest reaching our gossip desks indicate that Jose Chameleone’s Coco beach has turned into a sand mining site.

Chameleone Coco Beach

Our eagle eyed snoops have revealed that the beach turned into a mining site after NEMA banned Chameleone from developing it since it was a wetland.

Coco beach which is on the showers of Lake Victoria was believed to be one of the best beaches in Uganda.

Jose Chameleone

Snoops further said that Chameleone is even planning to sell the place since he cannot develop it into a standard beach.

Chameleone’s dream of owning a beach like his music rival Bobi Wine was shuttered when he was instructed not to reclaim the swamp

Children are more observant than we like to think they are.Drive Hot News

I am more attentive to my non-verbal cues. It is true, children rarely miss anything; they are like a sponge, soaking up most things around them. PHOTO | FILE 

A couple of months ago, I arrived home with a new hairdo, only for my four-year-old son to announce, “Mummy, hiyo nywele yako ni mbaya!” He thought my hair looked terrible.

I was of course  taken aback since my hair was the last thing I would have expected him to notice – children are more concerned about what you have bought them, right? I also wondered what had made him arrive at that conclusion. Curious, and a little bit wounded by his brutal assessment, I asked him why he didn’t like my hair.

“It looks like mathogothanio…” he answered without missing a beat. Now, in my mother tongue, that tongue twister means messy scribbling – to visualise it better, think of a bowl of boiled spaghetti.

Since children rarely lie for the sake of it, I took a second and third look at what I had thought was a master piece, and did not like what I saw.

However, since the hairdo had not come cheap, I decided to vumilia it for at least two weeks – those two weeks were perhaps the longest of my life, and whenever someone looked at me, I was convinced they were looking at my mathogothanio, and wondering what I had been thinking.

That incident with my son opened my eyes to just how perceptive children are, and how, unlike us, are unpretentious, and will call it as they see it, with absolutely no ill motive.

NEWSPAPER VENDOR

Another day, he surprised me by asking why I was angry. Wondering how he could possibly tell that something was bothering me, I automatically answered that I wasn’t angry, only for him to insist that I was.

Eventually, I asked why he thought so, only for him to frown and screw up his face, and point out that that was what I looked like. I ended up bursting out laughing because he looked so comical. Nowadays, I am more attentive to my non-verbal cues. It is true, children rarely miss anything; they are like a sponge, soaking up most things around them.

A few days ago, a colleague had us roaring with laughter when she showed us a composition her seven-year-old son had written. It was titled, “My Parents” and, in the paragraph describing her, he had declared that she is a “newspaper vendor”.

There is nothing wrong with this, only that my colleague is an editor. She normally carries her newspapers home, and her son, who clearly has a developed vocabulary, assumed that her mother sells newspapers for a living  which is not very far from the truth, when you think about it.

That said, my colleague is planning to bring her son to work one day, so that he can understand what she really does.

In another instance, a friend had gone with her five-year-old daughter to the supermarket when the little one spotted a toy she liked. When she asked for it, this friend explained that there was no money to buy it, but her daughter had a solution – why not get some at the “machine in the wall” where people get money from?

The amused mother tried to explain that it did not work that way, but of course her daughter did not understand one bit of the explanation, and assumed that her mother was just being mean.

How I wish all we needed to do to get money was press a button on a machine in the wall!

Teen jailed for 50 years for maiming Kenyan in US.Drive Hot News

Seventeen year old Leshaun Murray was sentenced to 50 years in Prison by a US court for the brutal attack of a Kenyan, Mr Michael Wasike, leaving him with a permanent brain damage. 

A United States judge has sentenced an American teen to 50 years in prison for the brutal attack of a Kenyan who has been fighting for his life in an Oklahoma medical facility.

On February 26 last year, Leshaun Murray, together with others, violently attacked Mr Michael Wasike during a carjacking incident, leaving him without the ability to walk, talk, see or feed himself.

The victim suffered permanent brain damage and is receiving care in Tulsa Oklahoma.

Iowa Judge Karen Romano sentenced Murray, 17, to two 25-year prison sentences to be served consecutively.

In April, Murray entered guilty pleas on two counts of first-degree robbery.

The judge also imposed a mandatory minimum sentence on the first count, relating to the near-fatal carjacking of Mr Wasike. This means Murray will have to serve 70 per cent of his 25-year prison sentence before being eligible for parole.

Judge Romano said a mandatory minimum sentence was not appropriate for the second count, relating to Murray threatening Sam Lasswell with a gun prior to carjacking Mr Wasike.

Police said Murray, Kenneth "Kenny" Barry, 18, and Terrance Lamont Cheeks Jr., 17, sought to stop motorists driving by on the snowy night in 2013 and steal their cars. Murray held a gun, police said.

The trio stopped Mr Wasike, beat him, and left him on the street.

'KILLED MY HUSBAND'

Mr Wasike’s wife, Joan Namachemo, said after the sentencing: “You did not hurt Mike, you killed him,” she said. “You killed my husband . . . I hope today’s sentencing is fair to me and you; I hope you go where you belong…I should not live in fear because of you.”

During the first half of the sentencing hearing, a Des Moines police detective talked about Murray's previous run-ins with law enforcement which included a fight on a bus and a charge for running from police.

In a surveillance video of the fight, Murray can be heard referencing a local gang, Detective Jeffrey Shannon testified.

The detective also said a phone call from the Marshall County Jail where Murray has been held, references Murray's previous gang involvement and desire to rejoin the gang if he is released.

Mr Wasike’s daughter, Sandrah Nasimiyu, recalled how she reunited with her father after he moved to the United States from Kenya.

“But now I only got to spend three years with my father, Nasimiyu, 14, told a Polk County District Court judge on Thursday.

"I remember dad talking about taking a daddy-daughter trip to Chicago. I guess I'll never get that. We can't do things together, can't laugh or play around because it makes him agitated. I can't get a smile from my Dad."

During the victim impact statement, Nasimiyu moved the court when she read a poem about losing her father, then turned to Murray who sat pensively and said:

"You don't scare me," she told him. "To me, you're weak. You took the easy way out."

Mr Wasike moved to the United States four years ago to join his family.

Former president Sankara ghost hangs over Burkina Faso turmoil.Drive Hot News

Former Burkina Faso president Thomas Sankara. Photo by Agencies 

Ouagadougou- In the early hours of a night in 1987, one of Africa’s youngest leader, Thomas Sankara, was murdered and quietly and quickly buried in a shallow grave.

Now, the man widely believed to be behind it, Burkina Faso’s president, has watched as his parliament was set ablaze by furious protesters who want him gone.

Many of the protesters say the history of the slain 1980s leader partly inspired them to rise against Blaise Compaore, who has been in power for 27 years and was trying, by a vote in parliament, for another five.

Though some see Sankara as an autocrat who came to office by the power of the gun, and who ignored basic human rights in pursuit of his ideals, in recent years he has been cited as a revolutionary inspiration not only in Burkina Faso but in other countries across Africa.

In the weeks before the current chaos, Al Jazeera spoke to people in the capital, Ouagadougou, and found many who predicted that Sankara’s memory, and Compaore’s attempt to seek another five-year term, may soon spark an uprising.
At the time of his assassination Sankara was just 37 and had ruled for only four years.

But his policies, and his vision, are still cherished both by some locals who were around when he was in power and, significantly, by many young people who were born since his death.

His killing was the fifth coup since the nation won independence from France and the main beneficiary was Compaore, who quickly took his place.

Naming a nation
Until that night, the two had often been referred to as best friends.
Although there is less poverty now than back then, a growing number of Burkinabés had, in recent years, started to feel that Sankara’s nationalisation policies may have made the perpetually arid nation a more prosperous and self-reliant place than it is today.

“Sankara wanted a thriving Burkina Faso, relying on local human and natural resources as opposed to foreign aid,” retired professor of economics, Noel Nébié, told Al Jazeera.

“And starting with agriculture, which represents more than 32 per cent of the country’s GDP and employs 80 percent of the working population, he smashed the economic elite who controlled most of the arable land and granted access to subsistence farmers. That improved production making the country almost self-sufficient.”

Initially known as the Republic of Upper Volta, after the river, in 1984 Sankara changed the country’s name to Burkina Faso, meaning Land of the Upright People, and he soon made that name the symbol of his nationalisation crusade.

Some say the fact he authored his nation’s name has kept his memory alive.

“When you wake up in the morning and you remember you are a Burkinabe, you automatically recall the person who thought up that local name and stamped it on us,” Ishmael Kaboré, a 47-year-old lawyer in Ouagadougou, told Al Jazeera.
“At first, people felt the name Burkina Faso was odd, awkward and far from the modern and foreign names other countries were bearing in Africa.

“But they realised after his death that Sankara wanted to give us a unique and special identity that tells our history and depicts our character,” Mr Kaboré said.

Sankara was a determined pan-Africanist, whose foreign policies were largely centred on anti-imperialism. His government spurned foreign aid and tried to stamp out the influence of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in the country by adopting debt reduction policies and nationalising all land and mineral wealth.