New Kenya: FIND OUT HOW THESE TWO MERU UNIVERSITY STUDENTS EA...

New Kenya: FIND OUT HOW THESE TWO MERU UNIVERSITY STUDENTS EA...: ON OUR TOUR SEARCH FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR, We met these two young men from Meru university of science and technology by the name "M...

Court declines to order release of Ksh 5b to ODM

The High Court has declined to issue orders compelling the Registrar of Political Parties to release over 5 billion shillings to ODM, but instead directed the parties to serve the respondents and appear in court on 25 this month for further directions.
In the case, ODM claims that the respondents’ have acted unprocedurally by failing to consult, inform or give any reasons for not disbursing or distributing all the funds expected to be distributed to the political parties entitled to received funding from the fund.
 In the case that was also certified as urgent, the political party further claims that because of underfunding, the party has been unable to undertake its core mandate and to utilize the funds to which it is entitled by law to achieve its objectives.
 The next General Election is barely a year away and the applicant’s ability to prepare and participate meaningfully and effectively is greatly affected by the lack of funding,” states the petition.
In an affidavit sworn by the Executive Director of the Orange Democratic Movement, Oduor Ong’wen, the court was told that the party had a legitimate expectation that it shall receive all the funds due to it from the fund and to project/forecast its activities based on its legitimate expectations.
Following the results of the last General Election held in 2013, ODM is one of the three parties that are entitled to receive proportionate funding from the Fund having met the criteria established under the Act.
ODM is entitled to receive at least 40% of the funds to be distributed to political parties from the Fund,” argues Ong’wen.
The party now wants the court to compel the Respondents to disburse the sum of 5,109,564,700.53 shillings entitled to it claiming that Since the Fund was established, ODM has not received any amount from the fund.

Jubilee Party, National Alliance Party and United Republican Party have been named as interested parties.

Kalonzo's Secretary General calls Hassan Joho a 'party animal' and 'shisha lover

Mombasa county senator Hassan Omar has sharply criticised his governor Hassan Joho over parties being held in the county.

Omar castigated Joho for holding countless festivals including the just concluded Mombasa Rocks Festival that hosted RnB singer Chris Brown.

"A county is not governed by festivals. You come from a samosa festival to a shisha festival to a mandazi festival to a cultural festival to Redsan to Wizkid," Omar said on Jeff Koinange Live (JKL) show.

HASSAN JOHO, mombasa Governor

Omar claimed Joho's strategy only showed he was all play and no work.

"You have to ultimately not only play but also work and when you work you build a model of citizen engagement where citizens have trust and confidence," he added.

He further pointed out that if he becomes governor he will support local artistes and pay them more as compared o what Joho is doing.

"If you have that kind of money and you are committed to the growth of artists you do not take Ali Kiba and pay him KSh5 Million, you do not take Diamond and pay KSh5 Million and then poo poo our local talent,” he said.

Omar also said Joho's politics is based on wealth and riches instead of benefiting the locals and development.

 hassan omar, senator mombasa county

Woman whose arms were chopped off is back with a new pair, says this about her hubby

Jackline Mwende who lost her arms in a nasty domestic spat jetted into the country yesterday from Korea. She was flanked on the side by her sister. The juice is that she has a new set of hands

After a successful operation in Seoul, Korea, Jackeline Mwende and her sister have returned home. A home where Mwende lost her two arms a few months ago. 

Initially, tabloids and newsrooms across the country bore the news that Mwende's husband was behind the heinous attack.

It was a domestic violence case- we were told. Another turn and twist of winds bore yet another explanation of the incident that left Mwende with stumps where here forearms used to be.

The lofty claims had it that her clandestine lover had carried out the attack after they fell out.

Long story. The shorter version is that she landed at Jomo Kenyatta International airport with a new set of myoelectric limbs.

So far, she can visit the bathroom by herself, eat and even drink even though it is just two days since the LG-sponsored operation in Korea.  

The arms have a lifespan of 10 years and come with a skin tinge that matches her skin. It is almost impossible to tell them apart from natural limbs.

Mwende also maintained that she saw her husband on the night that she was attacked.  

She contradicted an earlier story that it was her clandestine lover who had attacked her.On the fate of her marriage, she said that she was not looking to be married again  as she was now  in a position to fend for herself.

MERU TOWN STREETS

MERU OUTPUT

A Miraa plant

what is khat

Khat (Catha edulis) comes from an evergreen tree which grows at high altitudes extending from East to Southern Africa. Its main substance is cathinone. In Africa many people chew fresh leaves to make life a little more pleasant, in rural areas it starts soon after breakfast, and continues throughout the day. Even the children chew khat. The stimulant effect lightens the daily tasks. It is also used in different ceremonies such as weddings. The active compound disapears after 48 hours, but dried khat still has stimulating qualities: it contains tanine, thiamine, niacine, riboflavine and caroteen, as well as iron and aminoacids.
According to L. Lewin (Phantastica, Narcotic and Stimulating Drugs, 1931) it was taken socially to produce excitation, banish sleep, and promote communication. It was used as a stimulant to dispel feelings of hunger and fatigue.

History

The natives chewed young buds and fresh leaves of Catha edulis (Celastrus edulis). Khat was used in Yemen even before coffee and it was immensely popular. Lewin described khat markets to which khat was brought in bundles of branches from the mountains.

The ancient Egyptians considered Catha edulis to be a most sacred plant, a "divine food" like royal jelly to bees, capable of releasing humanities nascent divinity. The Egyptians did not ingest khat merely to "get high", they used it to " trigger and impel the metamorphic process leading to a theurgic transmutation of human nature into apotheosis". Allowing the lowly mortal being to be "vergottet", or made God-like.
This plant was so important to the ancients that is was called "the plant" or "the shrub", although its specific name is lost to time.

Nowadays khat is used throughout eastern Africa, from the Middle East all the way south, and especially in Yemen, Somalia and Ethiopia it is still popular.

Botanical

This is a large shrub which can grow to tree size. It reaches heights from 10 feet to 20 feet and its scrawny leaves resemble withered basil. Fresh khat leaves are crimson-brown and glossy but become yellow- green and leathery as they age. They also emit a strong smell. The most favored part of the leaves are the young shoots near the top of the plant. However, leaves and stems at the middle and lower sections are also used.
The khat trees are grown interspersed between coffee trees.

Chemistry

The effect of chewing flesh khat could not be explained satisfactorily by the action of d-norpseudoephedrine which was, for a long time, believed to be the only stimulant in khat. A comprehensive study on the chemical composition of khat was undertaken at the United Nations Narcotics Laboratory with the aim of isolating and characterizing the principles of the flesh plant active on the central nervous system.
This work resulted in the detection and isolation of cathinone, a phenylaikylamine characterized as (-)-a-aminopropiophenone. It is the main phenylalkylamine component of fresh khat, and pharmacological studies indicate that it may be the compound responsible for the characteristic stimulant activity and abuse potential of the plant. Some of its "decomposition" or transformation products, such as norpseudoephedrine, norephedrine, 3,6-dimethyl-2,5-diphenyipyrazine, and 1-phenyl-1,2-propanedione, have also been isolated and characterized.

Effects

Khat is a stimulant producing a feeling of exaltation, a feeling of being liberated from space and time. It may produce extreme loquacity, inane laughing, and eventually semicoma. It may also be an euphorient and used chronically can lead to a form of delirium tremens. Upon first chewing khat, the initial effects can be unpleasant and include dizziness, lassitude, tachycardia, and sometimes epigastric pain. Gradually more pleasant feelings shall replace these inaugural symptoms. Finally most people who use kath will have feelings of bliss, clarity of thought, and become euphoric and overly energetic. Sometimes khat produced depression, sleepiness, and then deep sleep. Most khat chewers can estimate the quantity they need to produce the desired effects without insomnia. Chronic users tend to be euphoric continually. Research of Galkin and Mironychev (1964) has proven this, but also that in rare cases a user can be aggressive and overly exited.

Medical use

Advocates of khat use claim that it eases symptoms of diabetes, asthma, and stomach/intestinal tract disorders. Opponents claim that khat damages health, suppresses appetite, and prevents sleep.

Varieties

Khat also may be sold as dried or crushed leaves or in powdered form. Illegal labs have been discovered using a synthetic form or khat's most active ingrediant (cathinione) which is called "Methcathinone", known on the street as "Cat".


Usage

A chewing session starts with slightly euphoric behavior and a friendly sense of humor. The leaves are plucked off the twigs, chewed, and stored against one or the other cheek. The mixture of saliva and extract from the leaves is swallowed. As new leaves are taken, the cheek bulges out. The euphoric effects appear shortly after the chewing begins, suggesting absorption through the oral mucosa. The session and the friendly atmosphere last about 2 hours. Since there appears to be an absence of physical tolerance, due in part to limitations in how much can be ingested by chewing, there are no reports of physical symptons accompanying withdrawal.
Warnings

MAO-inhibitors are not be taken together with khat for the usual reasons.
Khat has been rated slightly dangerous especially for children, people older than 55 and those who use quantities larger than appropriate for a longer period of time.

Contraindications

The respiratory rate and pulse rate will accelerate and the blood pressure tends to rise. Frequent users also have a decrease in the functional capacity of the cardiovascular system.
Growing

It's quite difficult to grow khat from seed, however once you have a plant growing it is easy to take cuttings. Catha edulis is adapted to a wide range of soil conditions (near Harar, where most of the Khat is grown, the soil is said to be neutral to slightly acidic despite being high in calcium and low in nitrogen) - it is suggested that water supply is more important than soil type, particularly in the early growing period. Catha edulis does not tolerate poor drainage and will not grow well in wet soils. It will grow in full sun, partial sun, or even shade. In Ethiopia khat is not grown from seed, but is vegetatively propagated from 12" suckers or branches near the ground level, and sometimes by cuttings taken from branches (although these do not root so readily). Plants are set out when the rainy season begins. The top parts will be cut back by frost but khat plants will grow back from the roots - unless they are frozen too. A good response in plant growth is realised from fertiliser applications. Nitrogen applications increase the vegetative growth of khat, and thus increase the yield. More detailed information on growing can be found on Plot55.com.

Storage

Cathinone is an ingredient present only in freshly-picked leaves, (within 48 hours after harvest). Therefore khat is usually packaged in plastic bags or wrapped in banana leaves to retain its moistness and freshness. It is often sprinkled with water during transport to keep the leaves moist. The other substances remain still after 48 hours.

History of Meru people

History of Meru people

Meru tribe or Merus are a Bantu ethnic group who reside on the rich agricultural north eastern slopes of Mount Kenya in the Eastern province of Kenya. The name Meru refers to both the people and the location. Merus are primarily agrarian, with a few domestic animals. Meru is divided into seven sections, namely: Tigania, Igemebe, Imenti, Miutuni, Igoji, Mwimbi and Muthambi. The Chuka and Tharaka are now considered part of Meru but have different oral histories and mythology.

The Meru have somewhat detailed, confusing and intriguing history and mythology of any tribe in Kenya. Their history recounts that the Meru were once enslaved by the "red People". They eventually escaped and in their exodus came across a large body of water called Mbwaa, which they crossed by magical means. They later followed a route that took them to the hills of Marsabit, eventually reaching the Indian Ocean coast. They stayed there for some time, however, due to poor climatic conditions and threats from the Arabs, they traveled farther south through the Tana River basin and finally reached the Mount Kenya area.
Culture & Lifestyle

The Meru tribe are a fairly homogeneous tribe composed of nine sub-tribes each speaking its own dialect of the Kimeru language. Common among their languages is the Imenti dialect. The differences in the dialects reflect the varied Bantu origins and influences from Cushites and Nilotes, as well as different Bantu neighbors of Kikuyu and Kamba.

Meru are agriculturalists who have been well favored by the good climatic conditions of their land. The majority of Meru people are subsistence farmers who live on small family farms where they raise food and cash crops. The fertile land produces a large variety of food crops, the staples being corn, beans, potatoes, and millet. Coffee is the popularly grown cash crop together with tea and cotton. The Amerus are also best known for farming miraa, a stimulant plant.

Male circumcision is still one of the most significant rituals in meru culture. This rite of passage turns a young man into an adult giving him rights to marry, acquire wealth, property and make independent decisions. Just like other bantus, a bride price, in form of cows, goats and sheep is paid by the groom's family to the brides family before marriage. A man is considered the head of the household and has defined roles and duties. Women tend to the farms and raise the children.

Traditionally, merus had a strong clan(family) system that controlled the basic operations of the families who belonged to the clan. Although the clan system has almost vanished, the extended family is very powerful and has a major influence on the lives of family members. They are tasked with making important life decisions on behalf of every family member, such as during marriage ceremonies.

Meru have a strong educational foundation provided by Christian mission schools and are among the most influential ethnic groups in Kenya. The main education institutions were started by the Catholic, Methodist and Presbyterian churches who settled in the district in the early years.
Traditionally, merus had a strong clan(family) system that controlled the basic operations of the families who belonged to the clan. Although the clan system has almost vanished, the extended family is very powerful and has a major influence on the lives of family members. They are tasked with making important life decisions on behalf of every family member, such as during marriage ceremonies.

Meru have a strong educational foundation provided by Christian mission schools and are among the most influential ethnic groups in Kenya. The main education institutions were started by the Catholic, Methodist and Presbyterian churches who settled in the district in the early years.

Youth pelt striking Meru health workers with stones

A group of youth Monday pelted striking health workers from public hospitals in Meru County with stones outside the county headquarters in Meru Town.

The nurses had marched there seeking audience with Governor Peter Munya over a grievance regarding their promotions.

Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse the youths, who were armed with stones and other weapons.

The workers were led by Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) Meru Branch chairman Mugambi Bakari, secretary Nesbitt Mugendi and Association of Public Health Workers representative Samuel Michere.

They were denied entry into the county offices and also Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital.

“We are yet to get our demands addressed,” said Mr Bakari.

“Since we have been attacked by goons, we will stay at home until Monday next week.”

Efforts by County Secretary Julius Kimathi to convince the health workers to go back to work as they await the promotions were unsuccessful.

Tigania East Member of Parliament Mpuru Aburi and his Tigania West counterpart David Karithi separately addressed the health workers before the gathering was disrupted by the youth.

MP CONDEMNS COUNTY

Mr Aburi condemned the county for what he said was failure to address the workers’ grievances while Mr Karithi urged the staff to be patient as the county government finds a solution to the stalemate.

The strike entered the second week Monday.

As a result, the Isiolo County Referral Hospital has been overstretched as patients now seek treatment there, with some departments surpassing the numbers they are supposed to handle.

On Friday, the hospital received 16 psychiatric patients from Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital but admitted only seven of them. The other nine were sent to Nyeri Level Five Hospital, about 120 kilometres away.

The Isiolo hospital has a capacity of only 154 patients and all its beds were occupied.

A similar situation prevailed at St Theresa’s Mission Hospital, Kiirua, near Meru Town.

The outpatient unit and wards were full as the institution’s staff tried to ensure all of them were attended to.

The hospital’s deputy administrator, Mr Morris Kaumbuthu, said since the industrial action by health workers began, they had been receiving many patients.

There were no patients at the Meru hospital.

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IEBC commissioners officially resign

Commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) have officially tendered their notice of resignation to President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The commissioners tendered the notice on Tuesday, October 4 evening, a day the Election (Amendment) Act became effective, a month after its signing into law by President Kenyatta.

Despite this, the commissioners will stay in office until a new poll body is put in place to avoid a possible constitutional crisis.

This decision was reached following a meeting between the commissioners and the government through the technical negotiating committee on Friday, September 30.
Speaking after the meeting, State House Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, Joseph Kinyua, said that the decision was reached after much consideration of both parties in the negotiation, public interests and legal and constitutional demands.

The decision, Kinyua said, was also guided but the contract of appointment for the commissioners and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

EBC chair, Ahmed Issack Hassan, said that their extended stay in office would not in any way jeopardise preparations for a free and fair 2017 election, adding that as commissioners are determined to ensure a smooth transition. “We reiterate our position that the current commissioners are not a stumbling block in the preparation of the next General Election. The speedy outcome of these negotiations is an attestation to this commitment,” stated Hassan in the statement.

Last week, ODM leader, Raila Odinga, gave the commissioners one week to vacate office failure to which they would resume their anti-IEBC protests.

Speaking in Narok, Raila said that the move by the commissioners to extend their stay in office is part of a large scheme to rig the elections in favour of President Kenyatta.

Similar concerns were raised by Kakamega Senator, Bonny Khalwale, who said the deal is null and void, insisting that the commissioners should vacate office as soon as possible.

“The new committee that was tasked with negotiation IEBC commissioners exit package has given themselves unconstitutional mandate to extend the commissioners’ stay in office until November 25, 2016.”

“This is a plot by Jubilee to use the commissioners to rig the 2017 elections, something that we will not allow.”

His pronouncement have however not augured well with members of the Jubilee Party, with Deputy President, William Ruto, saying the utterances are only aimed at creating tension in the country.

Ruto, in his speech in Machakos on Sunday, called on Raila to desist from making inflammatory statements saying he should instead focus on uniting the country.

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WE WANT KIDERO OUT.

This comes up after the Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Alex Magelo approved a motion to impeach the governor Evans Kidero


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Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Alex ole Magelo has approved a motion to impeach Governor Evans Kidero.

            The motion will be tabled in the assembly on Thursday afternoon.

The Speaker allowed the notice of the impeachment motion by Viwandani MCA Samuel Nyangwara after it was signed by a third of the members of the assembly (52 MCAs).

            Mr Nyangwara said the motion will be tabled in the assembly and then committed to the House committee, which will allocate time for debate within seven days.

The grounds for seeking Dr Kidero's removal from office include lack of leadership, incompetence and indecisiveness.

            Mr Nyangwara claims the governor has been violating the Constitution and there have been no meaningful development projects in the wards.

The MCA claims the governor has failed to implement the Ward Development Fund.

concept of sovereignity

All significant concepts of the modern theory of the state are secularized theological concepts not only because of their historical development - in which they were transferred from theology to the theory of the state, whereby, for example, the omnipotent god became the omnipotent lawgiver - but also because of their systematic structure, the recognition of which is necessary for a sociological consideration of these concepts. The exception in jurisprudence is analogous to the miracle in theology. Only by being aware of this analogy can we appreciate the manner in which the philosophical ideas of the state developed in the last centuries

Whereas it appeareth that however certain forms of government are better calculated than others to protect individuals in the free exercise of their natural rights, and are at the same time themselves better guarded against degeneracy, yet experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms, those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny; and it is believed that the most effectual means of preventing this would be, to illuminate, as far as practicable, the minds of the people at large, ....whence it becomes expedient for promoting the public happiness that those persons, whom nature hath endowed with genius and virtue, should be rendered by liberal education worthy to receive, and able to guard the sacred deposit of the rights and liberties of their fellow citizens, and that they should be called to that charge without regard to wealth, birth or accidental condition of circumstance

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