Kenya Insights

Author: Kenya Insights Team

  • Uganda Inks A Lucrative Sh1.1Trillion Deal With EU To Export Marijuana To Canada and Germany

    Uganda Inks A Lucrative Sh1.1Trillion Deal With EU To Export Marijuana To Canada and Germany

    The European Union has approved Uganda’s medical marijuana products, the go-ahead will pave way for local cannabis growers to tap into the global legal marijuana market.

    A certificate of compliance was awarded to Industrial Globus Uganda Ltd by a team of European Union medical cannabis inspectors allowing the growing of medicinal marijuana in the country for export purposes.

    The team from the Netherlands made the decision after close to a month of a thorough inspection of the marijuana gardens in Hima, Kasese District between July 29 and August 4.

    The certificate of compliance to Industrial Globus Uganda Ltd will be valid from August 6, 2019 to August 5, 2020.

    “Control Union Certifications declares that the production of the products mentioned on this certificate has been found to be compliant in accordance with the standard,” part of the certificate read.

    The Kasese marijuana farm will now export products such as Cannabinol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

    At least 50 companies have applied through the Ministry of Health to join Industrial Globus Uganda Ltd in growing weed for medical purposes.

    Other than the medicinal use of marijuana, the EU also certified the WHO-GAP (Guidelines on good agricultural and collection practices (GACP) for medicinal plants; EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) -Guideline on GAP and GACP for Herbal Medicinal plants.

    Industry players project the global medical cannabis market to hit $63.5billion by 2024 as countries like Uganda gain access to EU’s legal medicinal marijuana markets.

  • Gor Mahia On Why They Had To Terminate Contract With Dennis Oliech

    Gor Mahia On Why They Had To Terminate Contract With Dennis Oliech

    Gor Mahia FC have terminated the contract of striker Dennis Oliech over alleged serious and persistent cases of misconduct, the football club made the announcement on its official website on Tuesday night.

    “The player’s poor performance on the pitch and serial absence from training without permission from the club have led to his premature ouster from the record Kenyan champions, just months into his two-year deal.” read the post

    The club states attempts to reach out to Oliech did not bear fruit leaving them no other alternative. “The club officially wrote to the player informing him of the step to end his contract and promised to settle his dues.”

    Below is a continuation of the letter:

    “In pursuance of the provisions of Clause 6 of your Player Agreement Contract entered into with Gor Mahia Football Club we hereby write to advise you that we have terminated your contract with immediate effect on grounds of Just Cause as also stipulated in FIFA Article 14 Regulations of the Statues and Transfer of Players. The grounds supporting the just cause are:

    1. You are and have been guilty of serious misconduct and continued poor performance on the field of play especially you have without reason therefore and without prior permission from the Head Coach, the Team Manager or any other duly authorized Club Official absented yourself on numerous diverse days from training thereby denying the club the opportunity to field you as a striker.
    2. You have offered yourself as a candidate for popular political elections, a move that is likely to potray the club in bad light, cause disaffection among club’s supporters and fans, a step that is inconsistent with and inimical to your standing as the club’s football player. Further, you have posted a photograph of yourself in the social media donning the clubs jersey indicating your political intentions,”

    K’Ogalo also cited Oliech’s performances as one of the reasons why they decided to end their association with the former Harambee Stars captain

    “It was the best way to part ways. We had no other option because his conduct in recent weeks had reached another level.” Gor Mahia CEO Omondi Aduda told Goal

    Coach Steven Polack claims he had never seen the striker since he penned a contract to coach Gor Mahia, saying he didn’t even know if Oliech was a Gor Mahia player or not.

     

  • Incoming Harvard Freshman Deported From US After Officials Canceled His Visa Over His Friend’s Social Media Posts

    Incoming Harvard Freshman Deported From US After Officials Canceled His Visa Over His Friend’s Social Media Posts

    Ismail B. Ajjawi, a 17-year-old Palestinian and resident of Tyre, Lebanon,  has been denied entry into the United States by immigration officers.

    The teenager had flown in to join Harvard University. U.S. officials deported him Friday night just shortly after he arrived at Boston Logan International Airport.

    According to a written statement by Ajjawi, immigration officers subjected him to hours of questioning including at one point leaving to search his phone and computer before finally canceling his visa.

    Ajjawi claims he spent eight hours in Boston before he was required to leave. In Boston he was questioned by immigration officials about his religion and religious practices in Lebanon for hours. The officials then asked him to unlock his phone and laptop, and left to search them for roughly five hours, Ajjawi alleges. After the search, they questioned him about his friends’ social media activity.

    “When I asked every time to have my phone back so I could tell them about the situation, the officer refused and told me to sit back in [my] position and not move at all,” he wrote. “After the 5 hours ended, she called me into a room , and she started screaming at me. She said that she found people posting political points of view that oppose the US on my friend[s] list.”

    Ajjawi maintained he had not made any political posts and he shouldn’t be held responsible for others’ posts. The immigration officers however canceled Ajjawi’s visa and informed him he would be deported allowing him a phone call to his parents.

    Ajjawi, who has since returned home to Lebanon, says he is in touch with a lawyer and hopes to resolve his visa issues so he can arrive this week before classes start next Tuesday. Immigration lawyers employed by Harvard together with AMIDEAST, the nonprofit that awarded Ajjawi the scholarship to study in the US, are working to resolved Ajjawi’s case.

    source – The Harvard Crimson — the university’s newspaper.

  • High Court Judge Reported As Missing By Wife Found Drunk Driving After Police Shot At His Car

    High Court Judge Reported As Missing By Wife Found Drunk Driving After Police Shot At His Car

    A High Court judge escaped unhurt after his vehicle was shot at by police in Kileleshwa, Nairobi, on Sunday night.

    Bomet Judge Martin Muya who had been reported missing on Monday luckily escaped unhurt after police shot at his car in an attempt to disable the vehicle. This was after his wife reported him missing to the police claiming she suspected that he had been carjacked.

    Muya had called his wife Haurellia Mbulwa, 56 at about 10pm Monday to say he would be home shortly but would never show. This was unlike her husband, she anxiously waited for the judge until about 4.30am Monday and after her calls went unanswered she decided to drive to Kilimani Police Station and filed a formal report.

    Their son, Benjamin Mati, who had been monitoring the car through a tracking system, further reported that the car was moving suspiciously between Kileleshwa, Kabete and Lavington.

    Details of the vehicle were then circulated and police on patrol ordered to intercept it. “The vehicle was circulated and last spotted at Kileleshwa area where by police shot at the right tyre and deflated it which forced the vehicle to stop. Onboard was only the husband who was very drunk…,” the police report states.

    Police established that the driver was Bomet Judge Martin Muya who denied the allegations that he had been carjacked.

    Interestingly the intoxicated judge who was clearly DUI was driven to his residence after his wife arrived at the scene and his vehicle later towed to Kilimani Police Station.

    No one was injured during the incident.

  • Ethiopian Airlines Stops A Disabled Kenyan From Traveling Because He Was On A Wheelchair

    Ethiopian Airlines Stops A Disabled Kenyan From Traveling Because He Was On A Wheelchair

    “I was traumatized!” are the first words one Harun M. Hassan utters on a phone call with Kenya Insights. The Kenyan man was today denied service when attempting to travel to the United States by Ethiopian Airlines because he was allegedly on a wheelchair.

    Under normal circumstances Mr Harun would be greeted at the gate by staff assigned to him specifically to accompany him and walk him through Check-In, on this occasion however, he was greeted by a hostile supervisor who was inhumane to say the least. The supervisor would then refuse to offer services to the man on the wheelchair because he was alone.

    “I have traveled to a lot of countries like Moscow, this was not my first time traveling alone.” says the clearly disturbed Author. He further explains how the lady refused to have a look at his ticket which held all his details like his booked seat, the ticket he says clearly indicated he was travelling alone.

    “The sad bit is they just left me there, unattended.” the Disability Rights Campaigner who is now at home in Kenya says.

    In a series of tweets Author and Disability Rights Campaigner Harun M. Hassan had earlier explained how the airport staff had treated him insensitively and denied him assistance because he was disabled.  “They left me alone& stranded with no options” He tweeted

    https://twitter.com/Harunassan/status/1166200256817750016?s=20

    He explains this is the first time he has been discriminated by an airline over his disability.

    https://twitter.com/Harunassan/status/1166270634256687105

    Mr. Harun who says he was on a very tight schedule had to call his family back home to come get him.

    The Airline has reached out to Mr Harun and offered an apology but he says he can not let this go unless they offer a formal written apology and take action on the staff who mistreated him.

    “I can not fly with them (Ethiopian Airlines) again, not if that’s the kind of hospitality I will get!” The man says in finality.

    The decision by Ethiopian Airlines staff to deny Harun access to travel goes against the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in air travel. The Department of Transportation has a rule defining the rights of passengers and the obligations of airlines under this law. This rule applies to all flights of U.S. airlines, and to flights to or from the United States by foreign airlines.

    Just recently nominated MP David Ole Sankok(chair of the Kenya Disability Parliamentary Association) said that approximately 6.5 million Kenyans living with disability were facing accessibility challenges.

    Update:

  • Kenya Enters Big Boys Oil Club With First Sh1.2B In Crude Oil Sales

    Kenya Enters Big Boys Oil Club With First Sh1.2B In Crude Oil Sales

    President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday flagged off the first shipment of  200,000 barrels of crude oil from the port of Mombasa as Kenya enters the league of oil exporters.

    The President pledged that the country’s oil windfall would be put to good use with a warning against corruption that may deny people the opportunity to benefit from the resource “We will ensure that Kenya’s natural resources are utilised in a manner that yields maximum dividends today, but without compromising the interest of future generations,” the President said.

    The UK-based Chinese company, ChemChina,  bought the first batch of the Kenyan crude oil at Sh1.2 billion (USD12 million).

    According to Tullow Oil CEO Paul McDade, the shipment happening at the Kipevu Oil Terminal in Mombasa will continue for the next 18-24 months.

    Kenya’s journey to become an oil exporter began in 2012 when Tullow Oil discovered commercial oil reserves in the Lokichar basin in the northern county of Turkana.

    During the flagging of the oil cargo, Mombasa County Governor Hassan Joho humbly appealed to the President to set up a meeting to see how they can take advantage of the oil expedition and diversify the economy.

    “We understand, right from Turkana to Mombasa, different people have contributed to ensure we make the first export today. And I ask for equitable sharing of resources according to our laws. We also have to reinvest the proceeds in infrastructure to improve lives of Kenyans,” the president stated addressing governors Hassan Joho, John Lonyangapuo and Salim Mvurya.

     

  • Ezekiel Mutua Bans Public Playing Of Tetema And Wamlambez Terming Them Pure Pornography

    Ezekiel Mutua Bans Public Playing Of Tetema And Wamlambez Terming Them Pure Pornography

    CEO Of Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) Dr. Ezekiel Mutua has banned playing Kenya’s favorite Gengetone Wamlambez and Diamond feature with Rayvanny Tetema outside clubs.

    According to Mutua, KFCB has banned the songs because “The lyrics are dirty and not suitable for public consumption, especially children.”

    He, however, has admitted that the songs are already coded in the listener’s heads making it totally difficult to permanently ban them from existence so is their circulation.

    Here’s what Dr. Mutua posted on his verified Twitter account.

    In April this year, Mutua also banned ‘Takataka’ a song by Alvin aka Alvindo.

    The KFCB CEO described the song as obscene with degrading lyrics that advocate for violence against women by equating them to trash.

    “Moving forward, the song should not be performed live or broadcast anywhere within the Republic of Kenya. No DJ should play the song either on a broadcast station or in entertainment joints,” read the statement in part,” said Mutua. 

  • Jambojet Wins In Airlines Ranking In Africa

    Jambojet Wins In Airlines Ranking In Africa

    Kenyan low cost carrier Jambojet has been ranked as the airline with the youngest fleet in Africa.

    In a report by global aviation intelligence provider ch-aviation, Jambojet’s average aircraft age is 4.3 years compared to the continent’s average of 16 years, the oldest globally.

     

    “This recognition is yet another validation of our commitment to keeping customer safety at the core of our business. We remain committed to matching our words with action which is why we made a business decision to only acquire brand new aircrafts,” said Allan Kilavuka the CEO of Jambojet.

    Norwegian Air Sweden tops the list as the commercial carrier with the youngest fleet of aircraft on a global scale.

    “Our data clearly shows that Asian airlines continue to see tremendous growth, especially the low-cost carriers. This coupled with good access to capital for new aircraft leads to the youngest fleets being in this part of the world” said Thomas Jaeger, ch-aviation CEO.

    The analysis by CHUR – Swiss airline intelligence provider ch-aviation, looked at the youngest fleets for larger airlines separately, because fleet renewal for those airlines is more complex and would require more capital than for small start-ups.

    The average aircraft flying the globe is 12 years old, shows the report that analysed more than 30,000 active commercial passenger and cargo aircrafts.

  • Airtel Kenya Gets First New SIM Numbers From Communications Authority of Kenya

    Airtel Kenya Gets First New SIM Numbers From Communications Authority of Kenya

    Airtel Kenya has won over their main competitor telco giant Safaricom after they were given the first prefix numbers by Communications Authority of Kenya. Airtel customer will now have new mobile numbers bearing the new 01 prefixes.

    This comes months after CA rolled out new numbers and Airtel Kenya was offered three million of the new numbers. Bharti Airtel Limited an Indian global telecommunications services company based in Delhi, India the owners of Airtel Kenya will be the first telco to roll out new prefix number series of 0100, 0101 and 0102 to their customers.

    Airtel’s main competitor Safaricom had applied for the same but was allocated two million lines with the prefixes 0110 and 0111. The move by the CA was necessitated by the exhaustion of existing prefixes including 0722, 0723, 0733 and 0734.

    Image result for Airtel Kenya CEO Prasanta Das Sarma

    Airtel Kenya CEO Prasanta Das Sarma urged subscribers to take advantage and be the first ones to have access to the new numbers by registering with Airtel.

    “We are glad to be the first telco to roll out the new prefix numbers and we urge Kenyans looking for new connections to visit any of our SIM selling outlets or Airtel shops and get their new numbers,” Mr. Sarma said.

  • EACC Probes Governor Oparanya Over The Sh250M Hotel He Bought In Kisumu

    EACC Probes Governor Oparanya Over The Sh250M Hotel He Bought In Kisumu

    Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya is on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission radar as the antigraft agency investigates into a corrupt deal that saw him acquire a Kisumu Hotel at a cost of Sh250 million.

    According to EACC report seen by the media, the graft watchdog is probing into allegations that Oparanya used public funds believed to have been embezzled from the county government of Kakamega buy St John Manor hotel in Kisumu city.

    St John’s Manor hotel is a three-star star facility located along the Nerhu Road in Kisumu town. It’s adjacent to Kisumu Impala Sanctuary and the exclusive Kisumu Yacht Club.

    The hotel is the preferred choice for nearly all governors from the Lake Basin Region when holding meetings in Kisumu and costs between Sh6,000-Sh9000 a room per night.

    Our background checks revealed that St John’s Manor hotel features a swimming pool, fully air-conditioned rooms, a private balcony, laundry services, and airport pickup services.

    In his defense, the Council of Governors has said that EACC’s probe is a waste of time because he neither owns the hotel nor does he have any interest in the facility.

    “I don’t own that hotel and I have never owned it. If they want to investigate, let them go and do so. There is nothing wrong with me owning a hotel. Even if I owned it, I would gladly say so. What is wrong with owning a hotel?” Oparanya told the media

    Oparanya has been receiving immense compliments for initiating far-reaching reforms when he served as minister for National Planning during the grand coalition government and his currently impressive development record in Kakamega could hit an anti-climax with this anti-corruption purge.

    The western’s hardcore ODMer who is also ODM deputy party leader is planning to vie for President in 2022 and him being on the growing list of county head under the EACC radar for corruption could knock his presidential ambitions off.

    A new ruling barring governor charged for graft from stepping into office is causing sleepless nights to the county bosses. Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu and Moses Lenolkulal of Samburu County have been blocked by the court order from accessing their offices after they were charged over corruption.

    Other governors whose hope to finish their term remain dangling include Sospeter Ojaamong of Busia County and Migori’s Okoth Obado who are facing corruption and murder charges respectively.

    Justice Ngugi in June this year ruled that Governors, just like other civil servants, should stay away from the office until their cases are heard and determined. But governors, through Oparanya had protested the verdict saying it was a recipe for chaos at the counties since it conflicts the law on the removal of governors from office.

    “The council of governors calls for respect for existing laws and laid down legal procedures. Arraigning a governor and denying him access to county offices will only emotionally charge the public,” Oparanya said last week at a press conference.

    According to the EACC report, the anti-graft agency is also investigating the managing director of Meru County Investment and Development Corporation over Sh20 million that was swindled during the refurbishment of the Meru County Hotel in 2016.

    The 3-decade-old hotel had been taken over by the county in 2016, three years after its management collapsed, as part of former governor Peter Munya’s strategy to boost hospitality and conference tourism in the region. According to the documents, the hotel was to be expanded into a three-star category that entails a swimming pool, a physical fitness center, 150-seater conference hall among other facilities.

    When the current governor Kiraitu Murungi took over the reins of power in 2017, he shelved the hotel idea and announced the conversion of the Hotel into an office space. Murungi had said the county would then pay rent to the MCDIC in what would cut the annual rent expenditure for the county from Sh18 million to Sh10 million.

    The commission is also investigating the Ali Roba led Mandera County government of various irregularities.

    The list is endless as the EACC sleuths are also on the neck of Mandera County Governor Ali Roba, who according to the commission is under probe over Sh242 million allegedly embezzled during the construction of an abattoir in Mandera town and a further Sh 270 million meant for the construction of a regional livestock market.

    Hassan Joho is also on the watched and wanted corrupt governors list as his Mombasa County government is being investigated over dubious payments to a law firm and other five private companies that saw Sh 239 million embezzled.

    In Nairobi, individuals serving in Mike Sonko-led administration are under probe for fraud in inconsistent and exaggerated payments made to proxies amounting Sh 858 million.

    In Kwale, officials are under investigation for misappropriated of Sh401 million meant for the construction of the county Assembly complex, and in Isiolo, officials are being probed for embezzling Sh224 million meant for the purchase of laptops and sh116 million paid out to ghost workers.

  • Male Church Members To Sue Pastor Ng’ang’a For Threatening To Stop Their Manhoods From Functioning

    Male Church Members To Sue Pastor Ng’ang’a For Threatening To Stop Their Manhoods From Functioning

    Male congregants at Neno Evangelism Ministries have threatened to initiate criminal proceeding against controversial televangelist James Ng’ang’a over insults they claim targeted them.

    In a letter through Otieno and Amisi Advocates, the men have demanded for Ng’ang’a to withdraws the said threats and insults issued against them within two days or they will sue him for defamation.

    They claim the man of cloth threatened to interfere with the ‘normal functioning’ of their ‘male organs’ and demand the public apology be published in one of the national daily newspapers.

    In the letter seen by Kenya Insights, the members of Ng’ang’a’s ministries claim the televangelist publicly and without provocation used threatening and abusive words against them. “You (Pastor ng’ang’a) used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace or whereby a breach of the peace would have been occasioned and more particularly by using signs and language demeaning and/or derogatory of our clients’ sexual organs” The letter reads

    The members further stated Ng’ang’a used derogative terms that equated them to fools and threatened to disable their abilities to engage in sexual intercourse by using undisclosed means and powers in front of a congregation ” …your actions
    aforesaid have lowered our clients’ image in the eyes of right-thinking members of society by painting them as fraidy-cat cowards who are not only dimwitted and brainless but also a contemptibly imbecilic bunch of morons and persons with vulnerable and smaller-than-usual male organs which may be disabled by the flick of a finger.”

    The men further warned should the Bishop fail to comply within the two days and issue an unequivocal apology in one of the daily newspapers of nationwide circulation, they would have no other option other than to commence private criminal prosecution against him under sections 95, 96 and 97 o the Penal Code and/or civil proceedings for general damages
    for defamation.

    The male members of the Neno Evangelical Ministries have insisted they will still need damages covered for even after the apology has been issued.

    This letter comes just hours after Ng’ang’a begged journalist Linus Kaikai to forgive him after he had issued death threats to the journalist.

  • Jubilee Could Front Ruto’s Candidate Donald Mariga To Rival ODM In Kibra

    Jubilee Could Front Ruto’s Candidate Donald Mariga To Rival ODM In Kibra

    Jubilee Party will field a candidate in the forthcoming Kibra by-election scheduled for November 7.  Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju announced on Monday, August 26, 2019.

    “Our analysis and consultations confirm that our Jubilee Party is competitive enough in the forthcoming political contest. It is noteworthy that the neighbouring Lang’ata Constituency was won by Jubilee Party candidate contrary to conventional political analysis,” said Mr Tuju.

    Soon after a “list” of Jubilee candidates rumoured to be vying for the Kibra Constituency leaked online. Among them is McDonald Mariga, Deputy presidents Ruto very close friend. Circumstances suggest Ruto could well be behind Mariga’s name appearing on the list.

    If he sails through the nomination stage, Mariga would face off the Raila Odinga led Orange Democratic Movement candidate. Others fighting for the ruling party’s nomination slot includes Said Ibrahim, Peter Kinyanjui and Doreen Wasike, the only lady contestant.

    The Jubilee Party was however quick to disassociate from the letter on twitter claiming official communication would follow soon

    If the list turns out to be true this would be a direct jab at ODM due to the constituency being its home turf. With the move set to ruffle feathers within ODM, alliance of the two parties given last year’s March 9 handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga will be put to test.

  • Chipukeezy Cancels Show With Ebru TV After They Demanded Removal Of Kartelo

    Chipukeezy Cancels Show With Ebru TV After They Demanded Removal Of Kartelo

    Comedian Vincent Muasya aka Chipukeezy has opted out of his contract to host his show (The chipukeezy show) on Ebru Tv  in a statement released on multiple social media sites late monday.

    Chipukeezy has exited Ebru TV after he was continuously requested to drop his co-host and fellow comedian, Kartelo from his show.

    Kartelo and chipukeezy performing

    In an Instagram post Kartelo has also come out and stated how the station worked to see him out of the platform from day one claiming he was too ghetto “our station walianza maneno Mara oooh show imeanza kuwa na ughetto, Mara oooh kartelo ata atolewe hiyo show ati wazazi hawashiki lugha yake.” The post reads. “Every Monday kwa gate akukukosa Vurugu. Our audience were treated badly.. Our guests pia.”

    Vincent claims the network has worked tirelessly to frustrate his efforts to work with the youth. In an email sent to him, Ebru TV say they are a bit concerned that the show has become a bit Ghetto because of the many Youths (Upcoming Musicians and Comedians) on the show.

    “My Passion, Desire and Vision is to LIFT the Youth of this Country. I feel like God has offered me an opportunity to create a platform for these Young people who are mostly from the slams and majorly disadvantaged.” Vincent said in an Instagram post.

    The email had requested Chipukeezy to shift to interviews with  more politicians and Corporate Executives.”Our Executives are actually living their dreams. On the other hand I feel like most talented youths are without hope and opportunity and unless someone holds their hands their Future is mostly uncertain.” Vincent who is a director in the board of the National Authority for the Campaign Against alcohol Drug Abuse (NACADA) stated.

    The comedian has however promised to continue his show on a different platform.

  • Losses: KQ Pays For 3000 Guests Monthly In Five Star Hotels Because Of Delayed Flights

    Losses: KQ Pays For 3000 Guests Monthly In Five Star Hotels Because Of Delayed Flights

    In the first 15 days of August, the loss-making Kenya Airways has canceled more than 52 flights and delayed 40 percent of its trips this year alone and all the expenses are taken care of by the taxpayers.

    A confidential memo leaked to the media has exposed financial details of the frequent flight cancellations with, according to the memo, In just seven months of this year alone, KQ spent Sh 118 million to settle huge accommodation bills for their guests in Nairobi’s five-star Hotels and High-end restaurants.

    KQ, had earlier this year posted a net loss of Sh7.55 billion for the year ending December 2018, as higher costs offset a jump in revenue which hit Sh114.18 billion earlier this year largely driven by passenger bookings.

    Sources talking to the media states that the trigger of the hard questions that have put the top management officials on the spot was a flight cancellation involving a member of the First Family in Paris early this month.

    This year’s KQ OTP reports indicated that 182 of the canceled flights were caused by crew shortage occasioned by pilots and crew failing to turn up for work.

    “During flight delay or cancellation, Kenya Airways is expected to provide essential services such as accommodation, meals, and ground transportation as the situation requires. With an increasing number of these incidents, the costs of hotel accommodation and meals have been above budget by 250 percent,” the memo says.

    The KQ Chief Executive Officer Sebastian Mikosz told the staff on Thursday in an internal newsletter that since the beginning of summer schedule, the OTP (on-time performance) performance of KQ has deteriorated significantly due to crew constraints.

    The total number of guests who have been provided with accommodation on account of delays stood at 19,345 for the seven months, or an average of 2,764 per month, hemorrhaging a carrier that has never seen a profit for over a decade.

    The airline’s average on-time performance at 15 minutes in the seven months of this year, stood at 77 percent, having dropped from 82 percent over a similar period last year.

    “The main factors that have affected OTP include technical issues, crew constraint, ATC (air traffic congestion) in European destinations and radar failure in Nairobi,” Mr. Mikosz said.

    Pilots’ unavailability is becoming a sticking issue, with insiders saying that the CBA it signed with the Kenya Airlines Pilots Association (Kalpa) is biting hard.

    Flight data shows that out of KQ’s  35,035 successful departures this year, only 22,426 (or 60 percent) were on time, with 2,814 having been delayed by more than an hour. More than 9,600 departures suffered delays of up to one hour. FlightStats, a global flight tracking service, ranks KQ at position seven, with the worst average delay of 61.1 percent out of the 13 airlines polled.

    On their defense, KQ stated that pilots were to blame for the rise in the flight disruptions under the crew shortage reasons, mostly because of what they termed as a ‘restrictive CBA the airline has with pilots’.

    Kalpa CEO Captain Muriithi Nyaga has rubbished off saying that it is inaccurate to place the blame on pilots.

    “Since last year, we have been seeking to recruit contract pilots across the fleet (those trained and authorized to fly the different models (Boeing, Embraers) as all other airlines do.

    “However, due to the very restrictions by pilots, we are only allowed to recruit pilots on the Embraer fleet. You will appreciate that in this part of the world, Embraer is a relatively new aircraft, so there are very few trained pilots capable of flying this type of aircraft,” KQ’s head of corporate affairs Dennis Kashero said 

    “It is true that they met last week and I am awaiting their report. At the same time, we have given the management full support as they renegotiate the CBA with the pilots. Our position is clear, that we will not allow any sabotage of such a national asset from any quarters as we try to seek the best for the airline,” Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said on Sunday.

    In my opinion, the memo is a bridge to unearth massive fraudulent deals these so-called five-star Hotels in the city. Politicians, take, for example,DP Ruto has invested in Hotels that only get government guests. Weston Hotel, for instance, is one of the Hotels that accommodate guests that apparently KQ pays their bills from taxpayers pockets. Such external deals are the reason KQ just like any other parastatal is dangling between bankruptcy and closure.

  • Video: Pastor Ng’ang’a Apologizes To Linus Kaikai Over Death Threats He Had Issued

    Video: Pastor Ng’ang’a Apologizes To Linus Kaikai Over Death Threats He Had Issued

    Flamboyant televangelist James Ng’ang’a of Neno Evangelism has today issued an official apology to Director of Strategy & Innovation Royal Media Services Linus Kaikai after he had earlier been arrested for threatening the Citizen TV journalist.

    Kaikai had complained he felt threatened by a video footage that the pastor had produced attacking him. “Separate preaching na hii sarakasi za news anchor, nakwambia tu kijana. If you don’t stop you will face the consequences.” The controversial pastor had stated.

    The issue started after the journalist suggested that only preachers with a Degree in Theology should be allowed to spread God’s word.

    The apology by Pastor Ng’ang’a was issued in the presence of Chief Magistrate Patricia Gichohi at the Kiambu Law Courts.

    Linus Kaikai appears to have accepted the 66 years old pastor’s apology in a tweet he released mid morning. “I HAVE today forgiven Pastor James Ng’ang’a of Neno Evangelism for the threats to life he directed at me in March this year. Pastor Ng’ang’a apologized to me before Chief Magistrate Patricia Gichohi at the Kiambu Law Courts and I accepted the apology.” The tweet read.

  • Why iPhones Run Faster Than Android With Higher RAM

    Why iPhones Run Faster Than Android With Higher RAM

    In a world where Android users Rival IOS users for superiority one of the major points Android users tend to gloat about is the amount of RAM their devices carry. Samsung’s flagship smartphone the Samsung S10 plus offers about 8GB of RAM while Apple’s iPhone XS Max offers 4GB of RAM. To give you an idea of how excessive 8GB of RAM is most modern laptops don’t even come with that much.

    So why do iPhones get less amount of RAM and still perform the same (if not better) than Android phones with more amounts of RAM? it all has to do with the fundamental difference in the way iOS and Android handle apps. According to Glyn Williams over on Quora, iOS devices run better than Android devices with twice the RAM because Android apps use Java, and need all the extra RAM to do garbage collection.

    Java

    From the very beginning, Android was designed to support many different processor types, many different manufacturers, and many different hardware configurations. Normally, software written for one kind of system can’t just run on another; it has to be “ported” over, which often involves rewriting the incompatible bits.

    To get around this, Android apps have always run on the Java platform. Java is nifty because of its virtual machine: you can write an app once in Java, and then the virtual machine “translates” that code at runtime to work on whatever system it’s on instead of rewriting and recompiling the code yourself. The Java virtual machine is complex and requires a lot of RAM, not just to manage the actual processes of the virtual machine itself, but also to hold the original Java code for whatever app is being executed

    Garbage Collection

    What’s garbage collection? It’s a process that triggers the recycling of memory once an Android app is done using it. Usually, this works pretty well on systems that have a lot of free RAM, but once you get a lot of different apps running, things start getting dicey. A large part of Android (and Android apps) are generally written in Java because it is the official language for Android development. Due to how Java is configured, memory released by apps that are not in use anymore has to be recycled back to the device via the garbage collection process. Unused memory (garbage) has to be cleaned and recycled to the system so it can be used by other apps. Garbage collection is super effective for the smooth running of Android device but the problem is that the process itself needs sufficient amount of RAM.

    According to Williams, Android’s garbage collectors work best when Android apps have 4 to 8 times as much memory as is actually needed in order to perform the garbage collection process. Once you stop having that amount of free memory available, performance starts suffering.

    IOS

    Apple exerts a lot more control over the entire iOS ecosystem. If you want to use iOS, then you only have one option for a phone: the iPhone. Apps for the Apple store are created using Apple’s tools only because Apple knows the exact specifications of every single device that will ever run its operating system, thus can make design decisions accordingly. additionally all IOS apps are compiled to native code, and that code is executed directly on the hardware. No need for a virtual machine means significantly less RAM used overall.

    IOS therefore needs less RAM to run more smoothly than Android does since it was designed to avoid garbage collection from scratch therefore only needing the memory it’s using. What a radical idea, huh?

    Source – Quora

  • Woman Refuses To Be Enumerated Because The Government Has Overburdened Her Enough

    Woman Refuses To Be Enumerated Because The Government Has Overburdened Her Enough

    Police have arrested a woman in Juja, Kiambu County on allegations that she has been obstructing census officials and lying to the respective local authorities.

    Nelly Kinja, a tenant at Joyland estate in Juja, was apprehended for blocking enumerators from counting her, using vulgar language and lying.

    Ms Kinja, according to a police report, purported to be the landlady and told the enumerators, who were accompanied by an area elder, that she would not be enumerated as the government has overburdened her through payments of land rates.

    She told the census officials that the entire exercise serves no purpose.

    She later claimed that she had been enumerated on Saturday, which turned out to be a lie.

    • The questions census staff will ask you

    Ms. Nelly Kinja was arrested and is being held at Juja Police Station to await arraignment.

    Juja Sub-County Police Commander Dorothy Migarusha said the woman will Monday be charged at Thika Law Courts. The law prescribes penalties for people committing offenses relating to the national population census.

    According to the government, missing out on the census could land you a one-year jail term, see you pay a fine of Sh500,000, or suffer both penalties.

    The Statistics (Amendment) Act, 2019, that was signed into law by President Uhuru Kenyatta last month, amended the penalties for obstruction of the census from Sh100,000 to Sh500,000 while giving the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) professional independence and expanded its mandate.

    At the same time, giving failing to answer the enumerators’ questions or giving them false information will also attract a similar penalty but with a six-month jail term.

    In my opinion, I think it’s just not right for the government to always criminalize almost every project they force on the citizens. People were arrested during Huduma Namba and some are even serving because they couldn’t raise the set bonds. But for what exactly? What is Huduma Namba doing right now that has seen innocent folks end up in absolute poverty or even worse, jails? I think the only crime Kenyans did is to elect the government that cares almost absolutely less about rights of any common mwananchi. If our government truly cares about the correct detail, whereabouts… of her citizens, why are thousands of Kenyans held hostage as sex slaves and others in cells for conspiracy cases or jailed as prisoners of war in foreign countries and No State personnel from the respective ministries is, rather, has even tried to talk about it? Why is it correct to jail someone who has refused to be counted because they feel their rights have been or might have been violated by the very government that is claiming to take care of her citizens?

  • E-Passport Applicants To Now Book For Appointment With Immigration Via e-Citizen

    E-Passport Applicants To Now Book For Appointment With Immigration Via e-Citizen

    In another tactic to collect more revenue the Department of Immigration has introduced an appointment system for Kenyans seeking to apply for the new generation passports. Passport applicants will have to book an appointment in the eCitizens portal specifying the date, time and the station of their convenience.

    Through an advisory on Sunday, the department said the appointment system will enable better planning for applicants to take biometrics at passport processing stations.

    Those who have already made applications for e-passports online, have been asked to revisit eCitizen and book their appointments.

    Sick people who have urgent appointments to travel abroad for medical attention will be exempted from the process. Also exempted are students on scholarships that require immediate travel abroad, public servants on urgent official assignments aboard and business executives on urgent official business visits outside the country given they produce evidence

    The newly introduced appointment system seeks to address congestion in passport processing centres by ensuring that only those who have booked appointments can visit passport centres.

    These changes come at a time when President Uhuru Kenyatta merged the Immigration and interior departments. Detailed in Executive Order No. 6 of 2019 released on Friday, Kenyatta created the State Department for Interior and Citizens Services which will discharge functions previously assigned to the State Department of Interior and State Department for Immigration, Border Control and Registration of Persons.

  • CBK Trolled By KOT With Their ‘elfu moja kama change’ Reply

    CBK Trolled By KOT With Their ‘elfu moja kama change’ Reply

    As the country prepares to completely, according to CBK, do away with Old a thousand notes. Netizens have comically rubbished Central Bank Of Kenya’s tweet about the set September 30th deadline.

    It all started when CBK governor Patrick Njoroge posted this reminder

    Then ironically, a Kenyan social media user commented with a question that “Pal na makanga akinipea noti mzee ntado?”

    CBK replied using their verified twitter account and told the user that he, rather everyone else, should not accept the old sh 1K notes as balances.

    But local netizens trolled the reply from CBK with some asking them, ‘Kwani makanga atakupea Thao kama change juu mko na noti ya thao Kumi?’

    Here’s more troll comments about the CBK’s tweet:

  • Video: DJ Kriss Darlin Bows Beyond Expectations

    Video: DJ Kriss Darlin Bows Beyond Expectations

    Your favorite Reggae master DJ Kriss Darlin kneels before Raila and begs for ODM ticket in Kibra by-election race.

    A move that has since received mixed reactions from Netizens and citizens at large, the popular reggae DJ who once insulted Raila Odinga at Club K1 has now bowed beyond his words against RAO to an extent of worshiping the Kenyan Political master.

    Image
    Kriss Darlin at Jubilee Party Manifesto launch

    (Video courtesy of RMS)

    Here are some of the reactions of this very awkward and embarrassing event.

    Is Kriss Darlin the King of bluffs or a real Human worshiper?

    Image result for kriss darlin

    Well, do you think DJ Kriss Darling has already shown bad leadership sign? Does this one moment of begging portray that even if he wins in the nominations, Kibra people should not elect him because he will never serve them but only Raila Odinga?

    Or what, This is going to help him prosper politically?