UN Ebola Crisis Manager Found Dead in Guinea.Drive Hot News

The UN’s senior official for the fight against Ebola in Guinea has been found dead a month after he was appointed to the post.

Marcel Rudasingwa

Rwandan national Marcel Rudasingwa 59, “died suddenly”, Aissata Cisse Yao Yao, of the UN Development Programme, said in a statement which did not reveal the cause. Yao however says Rudasindwa died of natural causes.

At a time when we are focusing all our energies to help Guinea out of the Ebola outbreak, Marcel Rudasingwa made an invaluable contribution which is to be applauded,” Yao added.

Rudasingwa had worked for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for almost 20 years before being appointed as the Ebola Crisis Manager for Guinea. The career UN employee, he had worked in Kenya, Mali, Guinea and Denmark.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Rudasingwa Guinea coordinator for the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) on October 8.

The Head of the UN Mission, Anthony Banbury, said in a statement this morning  that in just a short space of time, Mr. Rudasingwa played a pivotal role in the Organization’s and the international community’s response to the Ebola crisis in Guinea.

The deadliest Ebola epidemic has killed more than 5,000 people in west Africa and infected almost three times that number, according to the World Health Organization.

The virus emerged in Guinea at the start of the year and has infected around 1,900 Guineans, killing almost 1,200.

Meanwhile, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, authorities have declared the end of a separate Ebola outbreak in Equatorial Province.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, Moustapha Soumare, praised the national authorities for their rapid and coordinated response, despite what he called “enormous logistical challenges.”

Soumare paid tribute to the bravery of aid teams, in particular to the eight health workers who died in the early days of the outbreak.

High demand leads to mix of high and lower income homes.Drive Hot News

Ms Sakina Hassanali, Hass Consult head of marketing and research. PHOTO.

Increasing demand for houses in the middle class segment is forcing developers to go for a mix of both high-end and middle level apartments to spread the risks.

Developers are increasing the supply of middle level houses, which has remained low, with their preference previously being for high-end houses with huge returns.

Most high-end houses go for over Sh10 million, but a slow-down in their uptake has forced some developers to segment the market with a focus on the middle class.

Experts say the demand for houses by the middle class and the lower end has been increasing, although buyers are handicapped by limited options for financing due to the high cost of mortgages.

“The market continues to be handicapped by lack of access to mortgages for middle level and lower level buyers,” said the head of marketing for Hassconsult, Ms Sakina Hassanali, early this year.

TRACKS TRENDS IN KENYA

Hassconsult Ltd tracks property market trends in Kenya. Ms Hassanali said the greatest challenge is that the property market is controlled by cash-purchase deals, with only a few mortgage takers.

In its latest report released in October, Hassconsult said the easing of interest rates provided hope for home hunters, majority of whom are in the middle class segment.

 “The middle class are those who borrow between Sh3 million to Sh10 million. Most of these people want houses of below Sh5 million but the market has not adequately supplied them,” said the Mortgage Company’s chief executive officer, Ms Carole Kariuki.

But developers say they have to contend with high costs of infrastructure that include access roads, solar water heating systems, streetlights, stand-by generators, electric perimeter fencing and landscaping, to deliver houses to the middle class.

Kenya Property Developers Association and property firm HassConsult, in a joint report earlier in the year, noted that in 2013, only 15,000 houses were planned and approved for building, against a demand for 200,000 housing units a year.

This, developers say, is as a result of the high cost of land and infrastructure.

Three stabbed to death, others injured by gangs in Kisauni.Drive Hot News

Grenades and other arms that were recovered from two mosques in Mombasa in a police raid where 251 suspects were arrested, Nov 17 2014. LABAN WALLOGA 

Three people were killed and several others injured on Monday night night as marauding youths armed with knives, machetes and crude weapons attacked residents in Kisauni, Mombasa County.

The youth, aged between 15 and 25 years and who were shouting religious chants, indiscriminately attacked passers-by and motorists, causing havoc along the Old Malindi road towards Bamburi.

By Monday night, there were three bodies of victims from the Kisauni chaos at the Coast Provincial General Hospital.

Forty-two year old Joshua Muteti was hacked to death while at the Mtopanga Post Office stage where he had gone to see off friends who had earlier visited his home.

A group of about 12 hooded young men attacked him as his wife and three other visitors scampered for safety.

“They slashed my brother several times on the left arm and head as his wife watched from a close distance. He bled and died on the spot as the gang advanced to other areas,” Mr Abubakar Omar told the Nation while at the hospital where the body of his brother was taken.

HOODED FACES

He said the youth had their faces covered and carried a black flag and were chanting "Takbir Allahu Akbar".

He added that his brother, a casual labourer, had been ailing and his friends had just paid him a visit before he met his attackers.

“He told his wife there was no need for her to cry since they had already prayed for him, asking her to let him rest in peace before he died,” Mr Omar said.

Another victim was attacked at around 8.30pm at his shop in Barsheba.

According to a close relative, Fadhili Juma Yuyu was stabbed twice in the chest while trying to close his shop when the rowdy youth got him.

“He was stabbed after he tried restraining the youth from looting from his shop,” said the relative. He was rushed to Sayyida Fatimah Hospital where he died.

YOUTHS ARRESTED

The Monday night attacks came just hours after police arrested 251 youths from two mosques during an early morning security operation, in which one person was shot dead.

Police said they recovered an assortment of arms were recovered in the raid, including six hand grenades, two pistols and six rounds of ammunition, machetes, swords and knives and gunpowder during the raid.

Coco Finger Jailed.Drive Hot News

Police in Kisasi on Monday arrested dance hall star, Moses Okoli aka Coco Finger, and two other people for possessing illegal drugs.

Coco Finger

Coco Finger who was high on drugs and alcohol with his fellow friends were allegedly coming back from the studio heading home.

Coco is said to have lost control of his car and veered off the road.

The police patrol vehicle found the trio crying out for help as their vehicle had got stuck in a trench.

Our sources have confirmed to this website that after police rescue, Coco Finger and friends were found with bottles of beer in their car and some illegal drugs.

They were whisked off to Kisasi police post and detained.

On Tuesday, he was transferred to Kyanja police post where he was released on a police bond.

But the police confirmed they are investigating the matter.

The trio will soon be charged with substance abuse.

Local singer Kansiime further remanded to Luzira over porn song.Drive Hot News

Ms Jemimah Kansiime a.k.a Panadol wa Basajja (in red trousers) being escorted by prison warders to the court cells on her arrival at Makindye Magistrate's court on Thursday. PHOTO

KAMPALA
Local musician Jemimah Kansiime a.k.a Panadol Wa Basajja was on Thursday further remanded to Luzira prison after she failed to produce sureties to secure her freedom on bail.
The 20-year old musician is facing charges of promoting pornography in her new song ‘Nkulinze’ loosely translated as ‘I am waiting for you’; contrary to the new law of the Anti Pornography Act, 2014 
Kansiime was first remanded to Luzira on October 30 when she made her maiden Makindye Court appearance and denied the charges. 
“Your worship, I still maintain my plea of innocence as I don’t agree with some portions of the charge sheet. However, I am kindly asking you to release me on bail. I promise to abide by all rules of this honorable court…” said Panadol Wa basajja in a panicky voice.

Upon making her request to court, presiding Chief Magistrate Richard Mafabi asked her whether she had sureties or not. 
In response the youthful musician who didn’t have a lawyer to represent her said: “I have them but they are still on their way coming to court…”
Magistrate Mafabi instead further remanded her to Luzira prison till December 2 when he will consider hearing her bail application.
On hearing the bad news from the magistrate, Panadol Wa basajja shade tears as she was being led back to the court cells by the prisons warder.
The local musician was initially charged alongside fellow musician and music producer Mr March Didi Muchwa Mugisha on October 30 this year before the same court.
However, Mr Mugisha voluntarily pleaded guilty on his maiden court appearance and was sentenced to a fine of Shs200,000 or in default be jailed for a period of one year. 
He opted to pay the fine and regained his freedom. Mr Mugisha became the first victim of the Anti pornography law that was passed a year ago.

Prosecution alleges that during the year 2014 in Kampala, the local musician willfully and unlawfully produced, trafficked in, imported, exported, sold and abetted pornography.
The state further alleges that she did this by engaging in publication, exhibition, cinematography or stimulated explicit sexual activities in the song video titled Nkulinze.
The anti-pornography law was passed by Parliament in December last year.
The law outlaws anything that shows sexual parts of a person such as breasts, thighs, buttocks or any erotic behavior. 
The offense attracts a penalty ranging from zero currency points to five hundred currency points or up to a maximum jail sentence of ten years.
The passing of the Bill into law was received with confusion as most law enforcers did not know the level at which a cloth was to stop in order to called a miniskirt.
This also saw certain groups of town dwellers in down town Kampala especially in the taxi parks go on rampage to undressed any skimpily dressed woman under the pretext of enforcing the law.
The barbaric acts led to widespread outcry especially among the women activists who called upon police to arrest all those involved in undressing women wearing mini-skirts

Florida Woman Busted With 6 Ounces Of Cocaine Inside Her Vagina.Drive Hot News

A 26-year-old Florida woman flying in from Jamaica was busted with six ounces of cocaine she’d hidden in her vagina, according to authorities.

KathyAnn Ferguson was likely working as a “drug mule, for lack of a better term,” a judge said at her court appearance Monday, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

The Hollywood, Fla., woman arrived on a JetBlue flight from Montego Bay, Jamaica, to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Sunday afternoon and was pulled aside for a secondary search, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the newspaper.

At that point she admitted she had a package of coke stuffed inside her privates. After her arrest, Ferguson voluntarily pulled some 175 grams, or about six ounces, of the drug from her vagina, the Sun Sentinel reported.

She was briefly hospitalized before being booked into the Broward Main Jail on a felony cocaine trafficking charge.

Ferguson was released on $15,000 bond

President Uhuru Kenyatta jets back from Lusaka.Drive Hot News

President Uhuru Kenyatta during Mashujaa Day celebrations at Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi on October 20, 2014. President Kenyatta arrived back from Zambia on November 12, 2014. 

President Uhuru Kenyatta jetted back into the country early Wednesday morning from Lusaka, Zambia where he joined other leaders for the burial of Zambian President Michael Sata.

President Sata was laid to rest Tuesday at the Embassy Park – the burial site for Zambian presidents. Two other leaders, Levy Mwanawasa and Fredrick Chiluba were buried at the site.

The plane carrying the Head of State and his delegation touched down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport shortly after midnight.

The President was received at the airport by Deputy President William Ruto, Interior Principal Secretary Dr Monica Juma and Vice Chief of Defence Forces Lt. General Samson Mwathethe among other senior Government officials.