Michael Brown anniversary: Man shot at Ferguson protest.Drive Hot News

A man has been critically injured in Ferguson, Missouri, in an exchange of gunfire with police at a rally marking the anniversary of the killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown.

Police said he was armed with a stolen gun and they had been tracking him. They blamed the violence on a small group of people.

Four officers have been placed on administrative leave.

The wounded man's name and age have not been released by police.

But the St Louis Post-Dispatch identified him as 18-year-old Tyrone Harris, having spoken to his father, the paper said.

The shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson by white police officer Darren Wilson in August 2014 sparked demonstrations across the United States.

Although Mr Wilson was cleared of wrongdoing by a grand jury and by the US Department of Justice, the teenager's death fuelled a national protest movement against the use of excessive force by police officers.

A justice department investigation also found widespread racial bias in the Ferguson police force.

Poultry smuggling rises despite ban.Drive Hot News

poultry

As the three month campaign against imported poultry by the Nigeria Customs Service enters its third week, smuggling and sale of the products have not abated; rather, they have increased, investigation has revealed.

In the last two weeks of the Operation Hawk Descend, the Customs have seized over N32bn worth of poultry smuggled into the country through the south western axis of Nigeria-Benin border.

In a statement on its website, the NCS said it had recorded seizures worth N21,832,994 (6,206 cartons) in the second week of the Operation Hawk Descend. This was in addition to 1,803 cartons of poultry worth over N12m seized during the first week of the operation, an increase of over N9m.

On the whole, the seizures, which consist of 8,009 cartons of banned products, were recorded at villages around the borders in Idiroko, Badagry Creeks, Badagry Waterway, all in Lagos State and Agbara in Ogun State.

Many of the seizures were said to have been made on the Iyafin-Badagry Waterway on the lagoon that stretches through the Nigeria-Benin border.

The Comptroller General of Customs, Mr. Abdullahi Dikko, said the objective of the operation was to make imported poultry unattractive to Nigerian consumers, turn it to a high risk product for smugglers and eventually cut off the supplies to nation’s markets.

He announced the intention of the customs to focus its searchlight on cold room operators.

Dikko said, “Cold room operators who stock smuggled frozen chicken are advised to embrace other legitimate business before customs swoop on them.”

He added that the Operation Hawk Descend had received a boost with the support of the Customs Administration of Benin Republic.

This, Dikko said, followed a bilateral meeting between him and the Director-General of Benin Customs Administration, Charles Sezan, to review joint border operations involving the two countries.

The PUNCH had two weeks ago reported that the prices of imported poultry had risen by 28.5 per cent, while those of locally reared birds have increased by about 25 per cent.

For instance, it was learnt that in the Berger area of Lagos, the price of a kilogramme of frozen chicken had risen to N900 from N700; a kilogramme of frozen locally bred poultry, which sold for N800 two weeks ago, had also risen to N1,000, a 25 per cent rise.

However, the Director-General of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, Mr. Onallo Akpan, in a text message to our correspondent, accused the middle men in the chain of increasing the prices of locally produced poultry to create an artificial scarcity.

He said, “The poultry products that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has declared unhealthy for public consumption has become scarce and expensive.

“Locally produced chicken prices have not changed but the middle men are making profit from the situation and refuse to sell locally produced chicken.”

The Director-General, NAFDAC, who was represented by the Director, Ports Services Inspection, Mrs. Maureen Egbibeyi, at the launch of Operation Hawk Descend in Lagos, had called on Nigerians to be cautious in purchasing imported frozen poultry as some had been found to be contaminated.

She said, “Freezing poultry doesn’t take away the contamination. There is an international standard for the preservation of poultry in a cold chain; it must be maintained. Once that cold chain is broken, the poultry should be disposed of.

“This is why NAFDAC has put in place measures to ensure the importation of safe products through product registration. If it is regulated, we make sure the cold chain is maintained throughout the period of importation, storage and sale. Contamination of these products can come in during the period of storage or through the mode of transportation.”

She Cranes Demolish Fiji.Drive Hot News

The She Cranes who have so far staged up a conquering performance in Sydney managed to win all quarters after 15-12 start.

By the half time break, Uganda had opened a 10 goals lead and at the end of the third, victory was in sight as the lead was increased to 13 (45-32).

She Cranes captain and Goal Shooter Peace Proscovia was again the threat as she registered a 37 goals tally in the game.

Her game high 37 goals over Fiji puts the Ugandan flying Captain to the leading top scorer slot having scored 93 goals in the tournament than any other person in just two encounters.

Meanwhile, Racheal Nanyonga another goal motor at the team netted 24 goals while Ruth Meme had 14 assists and 3 interceptions in the game.

Betty Namukasa stood out in Uganda’s defense and forced 33 turnovers from opponents.

The Goal Defender deflected 9 passes and intercepted 3.

On the other side, Taraima Mitchell’s 27 goals the best at Fiji’s camp could do nothing at crusing the flying She Cranes side.

With that emphatic win over a side that is seeded 7th in the rankings (Fiji), the She Cranes ranked 14th globally have put themselves in a better position to reverse the proceedings.

Coach Rashid Mubiru’s team (She Cranes) play Wales in their pool D last encounter

Social media influencers and marketing.Drive Hot News

Sharon Mundia, popularly known for her blog ThisisEss, is an award winning, fashionable and classy blogger. Shea is also on YouTube as “This is Ess” and she also generates thousands of hits per video. PHOTO

Fashionista Sharon Mundia is one of the most popular bloggers in the country. After her “over the top” engagement to fiancée Lonina caused quite the stir on social media, she undoubtedly became one of the most famous people associated with fashion and style.

Her social media following consequently grew. She has a strong social media presence with over 126,000 followers and subscribers; 28,000 people like her Facebook page, more than 12,000 people follow her on Twitter, she has 6,000 subscribers and more than 250,000 views on her YouTube page.

Not forgetting her fashion blog Thisisess, she also has over 80,000 followers on Instagram.

On her recent adventure to Istanbul, Turkey, she posted scenic, exotic photos of her trip. Fans marvelled at the exquisite shots and suggested various places that she could visit while there.

However, one fan in particular asked why she kept using the same hashtag on every photo she posted.

“Why do you keep tagging Turkish airlines did they sponsor your trip?” Edythjames asked before  adding “good view.”

According to Ms Mundia, it wasn’t a sponsored trip, but a partnership between Turkish Airlines and her brand Thisisess.

“We wanted to share with Kenyans a different angle to Istanbul, a city that is often praised for the shopping opportunities but overlooked for its rich culture, incredible cuisine and unique location.

From my readers’ reactions, I believe they valued what my team and I had to share from our adventure in Istanbul,” she says.

The practice of using social media users with a large following (influencers) like Ms Mundia started locally about three to four years ago as advertisers sought to capitalise on the audiences these users have.

WIDESPREAD USE

Mr Jack Mugi, a digital marketing practitioner at Internet Exposure Limited and Digital Media trainer at International School of Advertising, says this trend has seen widespread use in the last two years and is currently reaching its peak. It might however not be the case in the future.

“I expect it to decline in future since social media platforms are making it easy for advertisers to use these platforms directly to reach the audiences, it will ultimately limit the opportunities for influencers,” he says.

Meanwhile, still a hot trend, advertisers are reaching out to these influencers whose value is in their big social media following, shares Mr Mugi. Advertisers, he says, go where the audience is and currently everything is moving online with a bias towards social media.

HEALTHY NUMBERS

“Facebook has 4.1 million monthly active users locally, Twitter almost a million, advertisers know social media is getting bigger and bigger.

Most brands took a while before adopting social media and integrating it into their overall marketing strategies.

A lot of individual users joined the platforms and formed healthy numbers before the corporates took notice, so they of course want to capitalise on the more popular users to increase their digital footprint,” says Ms Mugi.

With this in mind, influencers are becoming smarter and picky over the sponsorships and partnerships they choose to associate themselves with to remain organic and not be seen as sell outs.

Ms Mundia, like a few other influencers, works with brands she only believes in regardless of how much money is put on the table.

“I only work with brands that I genuinely like and in the case of product reviews, I always give my honest opinion,” she says, “In the past, I’ve turned down really great deals because I didn’t feel that the brand was aligned to mine. I’d never want to compromise my authenticity because in the end, my readers will start to lose interest, the endorsement will be watered down and my brand will suffer. Everyone loses,” she says.

Creative photographer Mutua Matheka who boasts over 83,000 Instagram followers only picks brands that are aligned to what he is trying to achieve.

“If there is a high chance that I can tie the brand to photography, and it shares what my grand plan is – having Africans document Africa with dignity – then we would work together. Taking pictures of starving children and other photos that depict Africa negatively is not my thing, we are trying to move forward,” says the photographer.

Mr Matheka, who has worked with brands like Coca Cola, Safaricom, Airtel and recently Chase Bank, says he has had to pass down some offers for fear of making his platform an advertising one, some did not allow him creative freedom.

Influencers have to walk a fine line between endorsing a product and keeping their own brand afloat as well without going overboard on the sponsorship. For Ms Mundia, it’s all about informative content.

“I like to focus on giving creative and informative content, whether or not a brand is involved. I believe if you’ve got something interesting to offer then your readers, clients and fans will be willing to listen. I’ve had to learn this the hard way but it’s a lesson I’ll never forget! Content is king and as long as I’ve got something worth their while, I’m sure my readers will be interested,” she says.

STYLE AND VISION

Mr Matheka on the other hand knows that he wields the power to choose which products and campaigns to associate his brand with, his clients know that they have to work with his style and vision first before finding a middle ground.

“I don’t want to take advantage of my followers that’s why I don’t do many campaigns at a time. Instagram is a continuation of my work and some people concentrate on the photographs, not the captions. I’m trying to do something good, original, cool and adventurous,” he says.

Other people considered influencers who drive conversations and promote products on social media include Soko Analyst, Masaku, Brian Mbunde, Rammzy, JichodaDog, and Caroline Spencer.

Although advertisers look for cool social media stars to amplify their messages, it is not usually just about the numbers. Mr James Wamathai, a director at Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) says an influencer has to relate to what he is promoting.

“We really don’t just look at the numbers, an influencer can have as little as 3,000 followers but be able to speak to the brand both in language and reach. They also have to be consistent and create content in that area,” he remarks.

Mr Wamathai reveals that advertisers test an influencer’s temperament in campaign meetings to see if he or she is willing to listen. From these meetings, it is easier to know whether to continue, stop or change the tack with an influencer.

The BAKE director says using influencers is not a trend rather an online business module that is cheaper.

“Online banners, Facebook and Google ads are cheaper than traditional advertising.  The number of people who have viewed the ads and the impressions left are a measure of how successful a campaign or promotion is,” he offers.

Mr Mugi adds that exposure, engagement and the domino conversation that come from the influencers’ work is a sign that followers are getting the message.

“If you get high exposure, good engagement with positive sentiments in the responses and other people join the conversation, and take it further without direct effort from the initial initiators, then the influencer did their job well,” he says.

So just how much do these influencers get to cash in at the end of the day after “loaning” their impressive social media following to advertisers?

“The current practice is a pre-agreed figure per campaign with most campaigns running between a week and a month.

The range is too wide with some getting a few thousands and others getting six figures in single campaigns,” says Mr Mugi, who also notes that influencers’ pay is dependent on the content they create and the visibility they generate.

Lipumba resigns as CUF chairman.Drive Hot News

Prof. Ibrahimu Lipumba

The Civic United Front (CUF) national chairman Prof Ibrahim Lipumba has stepped down from the position in a move that has left many questions than answers

Prof Lipumba announced in Dar es Salaam at a press conference that he was leaving the chairmanship to become an ordinary CUF member and also find time to engage in his profession as an economist.

He said he was quitting the party’s leadership over its role in the opposition coalition popularly known as Ukawa. Prof Lipumba claimed the coalition has reneged on an agreement on receiving those defecting from CCM.

He announced his drastic decision at a Dar es Salaam hotel and in company of two other individuals. No official from CUF was present.  

The move ended speculations since last weekend that the CUF chairman had ditched the party. It is a move that will shock CUF members who had invaded the party headquarters on Wednesday to demand Prof Lipumba clarify on the reports about his quitting that were first reported in the CCM owned newspaper, Uhuru.

Yesterday Prof Lipumba said he differed with Ukawa’s decision to welcome people from the ruling party and secure opportunities to vie for leadership in the upcoming elections.

He said most people defecting from CCM were the ones who opposed the draft constitution tabled at the Constituent Assembly by the Warioba led Constitution Review Commission, and which led to the formation of the opposition coalition.

“People who cross the line today and get opportunities to contest for top government posts are those who advocated for the Proposed Constitution which we (Ukawa) agreed to oppose.

But Prof Lipumba’s stance would come as a big puzzle because a few days ago he was among Ukawa leaders in the forefront to clear the way for the decamping from CCM to the opposition of former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa.

Uganda bride price refund outlawed by top judges.Drive Hot News

Uganda's Supreme Court has ruled that the practice of refunding a bride price on the dissolution of a customary marriage is unconstitutional and should be banned.

The judges said it suggested that women were in a market place, and infringed on their right to divorce.

But they rejected the argument that the bride price itself was unconstitutional.

Campaigners said that it turns a woman into the husband's property.Should a marriage end in Uganda, the wife had been expected to refund the bride price - often paid in livestock.

But it was argued that as women tend to have less wealth than their husbands, many became trapped in unhappy relationships.There was a gasp in the court-room when the first justice ruled against the refunding of the bride price.

This is being seen by those behind the case as a major step in chipping away at a tradition that is detrimental to women.

But as most of the judges acknowledged many Ugandans support the idea of a bride price, which they do not see as a commercial transaction.

The women's rights organisation Mifumi, which brought the case, welcomed the ruling, despite not getting everything it campaigned for.

"This is a momentous occasion... and this ruling will aid the fight against women and girls' rights abuses," spokesperson Evelyn Schiller told Drive Hot News outside the court.

says that traditionally the bride price is seen as an honour and a sign that the couple are entering into a respectful marriage.

Kenya bans hiring, sending of domestic workers to Jordan.Drive Hot News

Haki Afrika Rapid Response Officer Francis Auma addresses reporters in Mombasa on May 13, 2015 as Ms Mwanamisi Ali sobs over her daughter Fatuma Ali's suffering in the hands of her employers in Jordan. The government has banned Jordan from recruiting domestic workers in Kenya. FILE PHOTO

The government has banned recruiting and sending domestic workers to Jordan to stem rising cases of mistreatment of Kenyans in the Middle East country.

Officials of the Recruiting Agents Association of Jordan on Thursday told a House committee that they had been stopped from employing Kenyans following a diplomatic spat between Nairobi and Amman.

The officials asked the National Assembly's Committee on Labour and Social Welfare to push the government to reconsider its decision.

BILATERAL PACT

“We have seen a letter from the Ministry of Labour, which stopped the recruitment. The letter was not written in any diplomatic language. It was not a good letter,” the association's general-secretary, Rami Asrawi, told the committee, chaired by Matungu MP David Were, at Parliament in Nairobi.

Washington Oloo, the director of Diaspora Services at the Foreign Affairs ministry, confirmed the ban, saying it was put in place last October.

“It is still in place today. We are still developing a bilateral agreement with Jordan. We want to have rules and procedures for the recruitment of domestic workers,” Mr Oloo told Nation.co.ke by phone.

MPs questioned Mr Asrawi and his team on the abuses and distress calls, saying they were still being reported to date.

MISTREATMENT

“We are receiving many distress calls from those already in Jordan. I know a girl who said she was being mistreated and wanted to come back home. Do not make the situation in Jordan look so good,” said Kipipiri MP Samuel Gichigi.

However, Mr Asrawi said the number of reported cases of abuse was small and should not have led to a total ban on the importation of labour from Kenya.