Kenya Insights

Author: Kenya Insights Team

  • Explainer: The Burial Rites And What Happens When A Muslim Dies

    Explainer: The Burial Rites And What Happens When A Muslim Dies

    Senator Mohamed Yusuf Haji died on Sunday night while receiving treatment at the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi County and on Monday the 80-year-old Senator was buried after 4 pm prayers at the South C Mosque in Nairobi.

    The normal rite of passage of the Muslim faithfuls of  prompt burial ignited a discussion online as it coincided with the burial of Simeon Nyachae who died on 1st and stayed for 2 weeks before burial.

    Curious Kenyans wanted to know how the Muslims are able to conduct their funerals in the shortest time and what exactly happens behind the cemetery gates.

    Mohamed Hersi explains;

    Firstly we rarely transport a body. You get buried where you passed away. You must be wondering Garissa would have been ideal burial place for him being a public figure. For us your burial is where maut or death will find you.

    Our burials timings is mainly dictated by prayers times, remember we pray 5 times a day

    Fajr. 5am or so
    Dhuhur 1PM
    Asr 4PM or so
    Maghrib 6.30pm or so
    Isha 8pm

    Most of the burial prayers would coincide with the 1pm or 4pm prayers for various reasons ranging eg to allow immediate family like children to arrive etc. We try and avoid evening or nighttime burial unless it is case of accident and departed pught to be laid to rest as quickly as possible.

    The body is prepared either at home or even at some mosque. Ghusl is the full body ritual purification mandatory before the performance of ritual and janaza prayer. We don’t use a coffin, we have a common built contraption that is used for everyone ( returnable)

    Our mosque in South C does that very well and a few masjid in Mombasa. It is a new trend across many towns in Kenya since a Muslim passing away in your town it becomes your responsibility as a fellow muslims to give the departed bro or sister a good send off and burial. Growing up in Marsabit we used to lay to rest many muslims who die in road accidents as they head to Moyale and Ethiopia.

    Once the body is ready ( The departed is wrapped in a simple plain cloth ( The Kafan) and that’s it . It costs less than 500 Bob.

    The body is then carried away in a Janaza the common contraption and is placed at the back of the mosque awaiting the normal prayers to happen . Once the normal prayers have happened then announcement is made that we have a body of a departed bro or sister and if we could remain behind to join. It is considered a blessing to take part in such even if you were not known to the departed. We then bring the body to the front of the congregation.

    Typically the son elder one will confer with the Imam ( Priest) and announce if there is anyone who owed the departed anything and if the departed owed anyone anything . Then the son or immediate family male member will announce that they will take responsibility.

    We then all stand behind the Janaza and final prayers are led by the imam . Sometimes we have more than one body so they are all laid out in a line .

    It takes less than 10 minutes and swiftly the body is picked and young men who most likely are not even known to the deceased jostle to be the ones carrying the departed.

    Once at the graveyard immediate family members preferably sons and brothers to the deceased will go inside the grave which is always ready but we make a pillow to lay the head made out of mud.

    Once the body has been removed from the Janaza the departed is laid inside the grave lying on their right side facing Kibla ( Mecca we all face Mecca to say our prayers. )

    Wooden planks are placed as an enclosures inside and if you can’t find wood then concrete slabs is allowed.

    Once done the family members step out and soil is the poured into the grave . Again total strangers mainly young men would do it and get soiled yet they may not even be known to the departed.

    Once done a quick sermon is given hardly 5 to 10 minutes and we are done

    We make no speeches and there are NO protocols at the mosque or at the burial site based on your worldly position. At the mosque and burial site we are all equal.

    Women are not allowed at the cemetery and if they go then they can only watch from a distance. Men carry out the entire ritual once done then family members can be left behind to say extra prayers etc.

    The whole burial will not last more than 30 Minutes and you are done .

    If I may have skipped anything Aalahu A’alam. Allah knows best.

    I hope this quick write up helps you to understand our faith.

  • Officials In France Helped 1994 Rwanda Genocide Suspects Escape

    Officials In France Helped 1994 Rwanda Genocide Suspects Escape

    New documentary evidence from official French archives revealed that during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, Paris allowed the perpetrators to flee while ignoring a request by its own ambassador to arrest them.

    French online outlet Mediapart published a diplomatic telegram dated July 1994 in the midst of the genocide, accessed by Francois Graner, the research director of the French National Research Center (CNRS), who has been studying official archives related to France’s role in the genocide.

    In the genocide, at least 800,000 people mainly from the Tutsi minority were massacred in a span of about 100 days. Thousands of women from the tribe were raped and villages torched and pillaged.

    The French army, deployed under the UN peacekeeping mission, established a safe humanitarian zone in Rwanda and the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. However, the real intention behind Paris’ humanitarian intervention has been questioned since 1994, with some saying the safe corridor controlled by the French army was a cover to shield the forces behind the planned killing.

    Foreign Ministry ordered to let perpetrators go

    According to Mediapart, French diplomat Yannick Gerard, in a telegram on July 15, 1994 from Rwanda, sought instructions from Paris on “personalities almost all of which are considered responsible for the massacres” who had arrived in a refugee camp run by the French military in Gisenyi, on the border with Zaire.

    The cable said: “We have publicly informed them their presence in the area was not desired” and “they would be put under house arrest until their surrender to the United Nations.”

    In response, Bernard Emie, then-advisor to Foreign Minister Alain Juppe and the current director of the General Directorate for External Security (DGSE), wrote:

    “You can use all indirect channels, and especially your African contacts, to convey to these officials (under the control of the French army) that we ask them to leave the Safe Humanitarian Aid Zone, without directly disclosing yourself. The international community, and in particular the United Nations, will follow against these so-called authorities. Underline that you can determine the path very soon.”

    Gerard followed the instructions allowing the people to escape. He opened the closed borders and sent them to the border with vehicles.

    Graner told Anadolu Agency that these people were in fact 14 members of the government that committed the genocide, including the prime minister and many government ministers.

    Evidence France wanted job done secretly

    Although France’s complicity in providing material support in the genocide has come to light through survivors’ testimony and archival documents, Graner said it was not known that the government gave a specific order allowing the perpetrators to escape.

    “This document shows how France took this decision and wanted it done secretly. It came from the Foreign Ministry headed by Juppe,” he said.

    The decision was taken even before the UN Security Council in New York could decide whether the perpetrators should be arrested.

    Graner added that France was the only country that accepted the representatives of the government whose establishment it supported. “During the genocide, in April 1994, two representatives were hosted in the Prime Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, and the Elysee Palace,” he said, referring lastly to the presidential residence.

    “This is political evidence of France’s continued support for an extremist Hutu group before, during, and after the genocide. France relied on them to keep the region under its influence.”

    Graner stressed the grave consequences of France’s support for the genocide against the ethnic Tutsis.

    French-Rwandan tensions

    Allegations on France’s dubious role and involvement in Rwanda have been a source of tensions between the two countries. In 2016, Rwanda implicated 22 French military officers for their direct role in the genocide.

    While Paris has denied claims that it supported the Hutu regime’s efforts to exterminate the Tutsi, it has provided refuge to several figures suspected of planning and carrying out the genocide.

    Agathe Kanziga, the widow of assassinated President Juvenal Habyarimana, and alleged powerful figure of the inner Hutu circle responsible for planning the violence, has been living in France. In 2011, France refused an extradition request.

    Last year, Felicien Kabuga, known as the financier of the genocide, was arrested after he was found to be hiding in France for 26 years.

    According to information collected by the Collective of Civil Parties for Rwanda NGO, there are around 30 cases of people allegedly responsible for the genocide presumed to be living as refugees in France.

    During a 2010 trip, the first by a French head of the state since the genocide, then-President Nicholas Sarkozy famously admitted that his country had made “grave errors of judgment” in 1994.

    In a bid to reconcile Franco-Rwandan relations, in 2019 President Emmanuel Macron appointed a panel of historians and researchers to investigate France’s role in the Rwanda genocide. The findings of the report are due this year.

  • Kenya Secures A Sh263 Billion Loan From IMF To Support Post COVID-19 Economy Recovery

    Kenya Secures A Sh263 Billion Loan From IMF To Support Post COVID-19 Economy Recovery

    Summary:

    • The IMF team and the Kenyan authorities reached staff-level agreement on a 38-month program to help the next phase of the country’s COVID-19 response and a strong multi-year effort to stabilize and begin reducing debt levels relative to GDP.
    • The economy is picking up from an unprecedented shock suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Notwithstanding the recovery, uncertainty remains in a durable return to the path of strong, sustainable, and inclusive growth.
    • The authorities have already begun reversing some of the earlier extraordinary measures introduced at the outset of the shock, while maintaining others. Building on the steps already taken, the program would support the authorities’ efforts and provide resources to protect vulnerable groups.

    Washington, DC – February 15, 2021 : A staff team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) led by Mary Goodman conducted virtual missions to Kenya from December 9 to 17, 2020 and from February 4 to 15, 2021 to undertake negotiations on a combined 38-month program under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangements.

    At the end of the mission, Ms. Goodman made the following statement:

    “I am pleased to announce that the Kenyan authorities and the IMF mission team have reached agreement on economic and structural policies that would underpin a 38-month program under the EFF and ECF arrangements for about US$2.4 billion. The staff-level agreement is subject to IMF management approval and Executive Board consideration, which is expected in the coming weeks. The program will support the next phase of the country’s COVID-19 response and the authorities’ plans for a strong multi-year effort to stabilize and begin reducing debt levels relative to GDP, laying the ground for durable and inclusive growth over the years to come.

    Kenya was hard hit at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, but growth has been recovering since mid-2020 and heading into 2021 . The authorities’ forceful early actions cushioned the pandemic’s economic impact, and real GDP growth is projected to have contracted by just -0.1 percent in 2020. Inflation remained within the central bank’s target band, reaching 5.7 percent in January, while financial sector vulnerabilities have been contained and the banking system remains well capitalized overall. The external sector proved resilient against the backdrop of the shock, with horticultural exports and remittances performing well. The reopening of schools and removal of pandemic containment measures are expected to underpin a growth rebound to 7.6 percent in 2021, even as some sectors of the economy face continuing headwinds.

    The Kenyan authorities have begun to roll back some of their extraordinary economic support measures. With the pickup in activity, the earlier temporary personal and corporate income tax cuts as well as the reduced VAT rate were discontinued at end-December, shoring up tax revenues. To maintain the cushion for the low income earners and for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the Authorities did not reverse the personal relief on income tax and the lower turnover tax (1%) for small businesses introduced in April 2020. Many households and businesses continue to benefit from the temporary debt relief agreements reached with their banks, and borrowers accounting for a total of 54.2 percent of loans had entered such rescheduling agreements by end-2020. Overall, the authorities’ decision to pause fiscal adjustment this year will allow accommodating health, social, and development spending to support the recovery, complemented by accommodative monetary policy.

    The mission team agreed with the authorities on a program to support the next phase of their COVID-19 response. The authorities’ program aims at reducing debt vulnerabilities through a multi-year fiscal consolidation effort, centered on raising tax revenues and tight control of spending, which would safeguard resources to protect vulnerable groups. It would also advance the structural reform and governance agenda, including by addressing weaknesses in some SOEs and ongoing efforts to strengthen transparency and accountability through the anticorruption framework. Finally, it would strengthen the monetary policy framework and support financial stability.

    The program charts a clear path to reduce the vulnerabilities crystallized by the COVID-19 shock. Building on steps the authorities have already taken, the strong multi-year consolidation effort will deliver a primary balance that would stabilize debt as a share of GDP and put it firmly on a downward path over the course of the program. This will free up resources for private investment, setting a strong footing for durable growth coming out of this global shock. The program will also form a strong basis for support from other development partners.

    COVID-19 continues to pose risks for the global economy and for Kenya. Risks generally remain to the downside, and projections are subject to extraordinary uncertainty. Accordingly, the program incorporates flexibility, including by recognizing near term uncertainties about tax yields due to challenges from the COVID-19 shock in key sectors like hospitality. As the authorities evaluate risks in the SOE sector, the program will support their plans over time to develop a strategy to address weaknesses in vulnerable SOEs within the scope of the limited available fiscal space. The team looks forward to close engagement with the authorities to evaluate the evolving landscape over the course of this year and achieve the program’s goals.

    The mission team is grateful to the authorities for the candid and constructive discussions and their strong efforts to ensure success of the upcoming program.

    The team met with Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Planning, Mr. Ukur Yatani; Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), Dr. Patrick Njoroge; Head of the Public Service, Mr. Joseph Kinyua; the Principal Secretary for the National Treasury, Dr. Julius Muia; Deputy Governor of the CBK, Ms. Sheila M’Mbijjewe; and other senior government and CBK officials. Staff also had productive discussions with representatives of the private sector, civil society organizations, and development partners.

  • A Tale Of How A Dead Person Stole From Another Dead Person And How DCI Busted The Syndicate

    A Tale Of How A Dead Person Stole From Another Dead Person And How DCI Busted The Syndicate

    Ever heard of a dead person literally stealing from another dead victim? That was the case with the Rev Peter Kania Kariuki, the PCEA Secretary-General who died of Covid-19 related complications on July 26, 2020, and Nairobi businessman Amos Ngata Muiruri who died after a botched surgery almost four months later on November 22, 2020. Both men died at the Nairobi Hospital.

    Hardly a week after Ngata was buried at his farm in Ndunyu Njeru, Nyandarua County, on December 2, 2020. One of his sons discovered that the father’s telephone which he used for mobile bank transactions when he was alive had suddenly gone dead. The line – 0722720930 – was swiftly activated on another unknown phone

    After the son reported the matter to Safaricom and the line was reverted to the family, they discovered that more than Sh2.8 million had been stolen though the NCBA App operated by the NCBA Bank Kenya, the Eazzy Banking app for the Equity Bank and the Mcoop cash app for the Co-operative Bank.The children visited the banks and confirmed the cash had been transferred to a different telephone number. They reported the theft to DCI headquarters.

    Detectives became more puzzled when it emerged that the telephone number – 0716 546633 – which was used to clean up Ngata’s bank accounts was the registered line of Rev Kania before he died.
    The scammers had also stolen Sh500,000 from Rev Kania’s bank account without the knowledge of his widow and his children.

    Unknown to Rev Kania’s family, the telephone line he used before he died had been used to steal money from the late Ngata and many other Kenyans.

    Subsequent joint investigations by the Operations Branch, Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) and Special Service Unit (SSU) have since opened a can of worms. Detectives uncovered graves that mark the dark world of the modern, lethal and high-tech phone scammers.

    It’s through Ngata’s phone that detectives made a breakthrough in the major SIM-swap fraud through which the dead and the living have lost millions of shillings.

    The syndicate mostly targets wealthy individuals – especially those who have died and their families placed their death announcements in newspapers. They also target telephone lines of the elderly and those who have travelled abroad.

    The telephone lines of those that fall in that category have minimal chances of raising suspicion. They normally strike soon after the person dies and before the family establishes the exact wealth in the deceased’s bank accounts.

    In a successful SIM swap scam, the cybercriminals hijack the victim’s cell phone number and use it to gain access to his/her sensitive personal data and bank accounts through the Mobile Banking Apps available on Android and other smartphones.

    Once they take control of the swapped SIM card, the crooks insert it in their phone, access the financial accounts and transfer all the funds to other scammed telephone numbers. Once the cash is withdrawn, they switch off the stolen cards frustrating efforts by detectives to track them down.

    Detectives have established that dozens of other Kenyans have been defrauded by the multi-faced gang. The DCI appeals to anyone who has fallen victim to the SIM swapping syndicate to report to the Operations Branch at the DCI headquarters.

    Five prime suspects have been arrested over the syndicate & they’ll be charged at Nairobi’s Milimani Law Courts tomorrow. More suspects are being tracked down.

    Source: DCI.

  • Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Appointed The WTO Director Becoming The First African To Hold The Office

    Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Appointed The WTO Director Becoming The First African To Hold The Office

    Okonjo-Iweala, 66, was appointed director-general of the World Trade Organization by representatives of the 164 member countries, according to a statement from the body.

    She said in a statement that her first priority would be quickly addressing the economic and health consequences of the COVID-19pandemic and to “implement the policy responses we need to get the global economy going again.”

    “Our organization faces a great many challenges but working together we can collectively make the WTO stronger, more agile and better adapted to the realities of today,” she said.

    The appointment came after new U.S. President Joe Biden endorsed her candidacy, which had been blocked by former President Donald Trump.

    Biden’s move was a step toward his aim of supporting more cooperative approaches to international problems after Trump’s “America first” approach that launched multiple trade disputes.

    But unblocking the appointment is only the start in dealing with trade disputes launched by Trump, and in resolving U.S. concerns about the WTO that date to the Obama administration. The U.S. had blocked the appointment of new judges to the WTO’s appellate body, essentially freezing its ability to resolve extended and complex trade disputes.

    The U.S. government has argued that the trade organization is slow-moving and bureaucratic, ill-equipped to handle the problems posed by China’s state-dominated economy and unduly restrictive on U.S. attempts to impose sanctions on countries that unfairly subsidize their companies or export at unusually low prices.

    Earlier this month, the Biden administration reversed Trump’s opposition and expressed “strong support’’ for Okonjo-Iweala and saying she “brings a wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy.” She is the first African official and the first woman to hold the job.

    Okonjo-Iweala, formerly Nigeria’s finance minister, had a 25-year career at the World Bank, where she rose to the No. 2 position of managing director. She holds both U.S. and Nigerian citizenship.

    South Korean trade minister Yoo Myung-hee had withdrawn her candidacy, leaving Okonjo-Iweala as the only choice. Her predecessor, Roberto Azevedo, stepped down Aug. 31, a year before his term expired.

    Trump repeatedly accused the WTO of unfair treatment of the U.S., started a trade war with China in defiance of the WTO system, and threatened to pull the United States out of the trade body altogether. Trump also imposed 25% steel tariffs that hit European allies on national security grounds, a justification that went beyond trade measures normally used within the WTO rules framework to address complaints about unfair trade.

    So far, Biden has not said whether the U.S. will unblock the appellate appointments, and he has not withdrawn the steel tariffs either, which are backed by U.S. steel industry and union groups.

    The World Trade Organization is an international body that deals with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated among the bulk of the world’s nations and ratified in their legislatures.

    (AP)

  • CS Kibicho Hints On His Plans Post Office As He Sell BBI In Mt. Kenya

    CS Kibicho Hints On His Plans Post Office As He Sell BBI In Mt. Kenya

    Interior Principal Secretary Eng.  Dr Karanja Kibicho has urged the vote-rich Mt Kenya community to read and understand fully the contents of the BBI documents to avoid being misled by self-seekers.

    Kibicho also urged the community to single out any section of the document they were not comfortable with to enable the drivers of the initiative to make the necessary corrections and amendments instead of rejecting it out of sheer ignorance.

    He said political opportunists had already started moving around the country causing confusion and misrepresentation on the BBI amongst Kenyans.

    “To ensure this confusion does not mislead Kenyans, the government printer has printed   20 million copies of a popular version of the document for them to read and understand fully to avoid opportunists taking advantage of their ignorance over the Initiative and make the right decision,” he said.

    Kibicho said experts will also be available to take residents through the document and also, accord them an opportunity to ask questions and point out sections they could be uncomfortable with.

    Speaking to the media at Gathuthini primary school grounds in Kirinyaga West Sub-County on Saturday, the PS said the document has been well crafted to ensure the community will forever be safeguarded from any administration that will take over from President Uhuru Kenyatta.

    “Am deeply concerned that some of our people are not seeing the beauty of the BBI whose contents on being passed will shield the Mt Kenya community from being sidelined or oppressed by any subsequent political dispensation,” the official said.

    Kibicho further urged Kenyans to accord due respect to President Uhuru Kenyatta whom they overwhelmingly   elected for a second and last term.

    “I am Uhuru’s appointee and both of us will part at Kenyatta road after the August 2022 general elections where he will head to his Ichaweri rural home while I will proceed to my home at Kagio town and lead private lives thereafter but for now the institution of the presidency must be respected,” he said.

    The Foundation also promised to have a modern hostel put up by this August and which will be run by the local Anglican Church as an income-generating project.

    He said the Foundation which comprises local professionals who are all alumni of the local primary school will continue to provide guidance and material support to the area children in order to make them great and provide leadership continuity in the community.

    The Foundation since moving in 2017 has provided total transformation into a complex of the local church, area day secondary and primary schools.

  • Ol Malo Ranch Manager Wanted For Destroying The Community In Laikipia

    Ol Malo Ranch Manager Wanted For Destroying The Community In Laikipia

    Residents of Kirimon village in Laikipia have called for the arrest and prosecution of a rancher who is alleged to have destroyed electricity posts on claims that they had been erected on his farm.

    The irate residents marched to the homestead of the rancher accusing him of sabotaging the National Government funded project on rural electrification under the Last Mile Programme.

    Former civic leader Sopira Lerumpe said the rancher had destroyed a four-kilometer stretch by pulling down the posts.

    He said it was unfortunate that the Ol Malo Ranch Manager had abused the hospitality of the Government and the locals by undermining a project that would have benefited the community.

    The electricity connection was expected to be completed in a few months’ time, bringing power to an area that has for long relied on solar kerosene lamps to light their homes.

    The project has been going on since October last year where the power is being supplied from Nanyuki Town through Il Polei, Kimanjo, Ewaso and Kirimon shopping centres.

    Another protestor Sorokwa Lechodor called on security agencies to take action against the rancher saying the offense borders on arrogance.

    The rancher was not available immediately but Laikipia County Commissioner Daniel Nyameti who spoke on phone confirmed he had received the complaints and had summoned the rancher and the person contracted by Rural Electrification Authority (REA) to undertake the project.

    Nyameti said initial reports indicate that the electricity posts had been removed by the contractor after reaching an agreement with the rancher to reroute over concerns that the electric wires would inconvenience landing and taking off of airplanes.

    However, it has since been established that the rancher is the one who pulled down the posts using his vehicle and has even destroyed some of them.

    Ole Malo Ranch is owned by Colin Francombe. He was born and raised in Kenya. For 23 years, he was the manager of Kuki Gallman’s 100,000-acre Ol ari Nyiro ranch.

    Now, Francombe raises cattle and sheep together with his wife in his own vast ranch. He’s also involved in conservation of wildlife particularly the endangered black rhino. They also run Ol Malo House and Ol Malo Lodge which cater for tourists visiting their wildlife sanctuary.

  • Rwanda Becomes First East African Country To Roll Out COVID-19 Vaccination

    Rwanda Becomes First East African Country To Roll Out COVID-19 Vaccination

    Rwanda has started its first phase of vaccination against Covid-19 with the limited 1,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine administered to high-risk groups, including frontline workers.

    The first and primary beneficiaries of the Covid-19 jab will get it for free.

    The Ministry of Health says the limited initial doses were “acquired through international partnership in limited quantities” though the country anticipates receiving additional doses in the coming weeks to allow it to expand the vaccination exercise.

    Rwanda expects to receive at least 996,000 doses of AstraZeneca and 102,960 doses of the Pfizer vaccine between February and March.

    These doses will be given in the second phase of vaccination.

    The country expects to acquire vaccines in the second roll-out from the Covax Facility—a global initiative aimed at equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines—and African Union’s Africa Medical Supplies Platform.

    “Rwanda’s Covid-19 vaccination plan is ready with infrastructure, protocols, and personnel in place,” the Ministry of Health said in a statement issued on Sunday.

    The country also rolled out a mass testing exercise for Kigali city residents with coronavirus symptoms and contacts of Covid-19 patients an exercise that is expected to guide the process of easing restrictions and reopening the economy.

    By Saturday, Rwanda had registered 67 news coronavirus cases with a total of 17,267 positive cases since the pandemic was first reported in the country.

    It has also recorded 14,477 recoveries and 236 deaths after a result of Covid-19.

    Health Minister Daniel Ngamije recently said Rwanda is prepared to receive more one million doses of Covid-19 AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines in mid-February.

    Dr Ngamije said the ultra-cold freezers and containers are in place in each province for proper storage and distribution of vaccines.

    Rwanda targets to vaccinate 20 percent of the population in 2021 and eight million people in two years, according to the Health Ministry.

    External Source.

  • Rapper Nicki Minaj’s Father Killed In A Hit-And-Run Incident

    Rapper Nicki Minaj’s Father Killed In A Hit-And-Run Incident

    The 64-year-old father of rapper Nicki Minaj has died after being struck by a hit-and-run driver in New York, police said.

    Robert Maraj was walking along a road in Mineola on Long Island at 6:15 p.m. Friday when he was hit by a car that kept going, Nassau County police said. Maraj was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead Saturday.

    Police are asking any witnesses to the fatal crash to come forward.

    Minaj, 38, was born Onika Tanya Maraj in Trinidad and was raised in the New York City borough of Queens. She has not made any public statement about her father’s death.

  • Raila To Ruto: You Heard The President Say He Cannot Leave The Presidency To Thieves

    Raila To Ruto: You Heard The President Say He Cannot Leave The Presidency To Thieves

    ODM leader Raila Odinga has supported calls by President Uhuru Kenyatta to the effect that dissatisfied members of his administration should quit.

    This sentiment has largely been interpreted as a message directed at Deputy President William Ruto by his boss.

    And, Raila who was in Narok County Sunday argued that the head of state was right to feel aggrieved about persons who criticize him yet they still serve in his government.

    He said the Deputy President was a culprit, accusing him of ambiguity in his messaging. He wondered why the DP wants to take credit for projects initiated by the state while at the same time deride its ‘priorities.’

    “You keep saying the government has done this and this when you visit places like Narok, yet in other places, you oppose the same government. That is doublespeak.” Raila told a rally in Narok town.

    The opposition leader further rallied behind the President’s stance on his succession plan. He said Uhuru is justified in his assertion that he will not hand over the country’s leadership to individuals with questionable wealth.

    “You heard the President say he cannot leave the presidency to thieves. He is the President and he understands very well what is going on in the country.” Raila said

    At the same time, Raila hit out at Ruto over his claims that the ODM leader was responsible for the Jubilee administration’s alleged non-performance in its second term in office. The opposition leader insists he has never been part of the government.

    He asked the locals to rally behind the Building Bridges Imitative report citing its proposals to reform the country’s governance and economic structure.

    Speaking during the rally, ODM Nominated MP and KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion also drummed up support for the BBI noting that its “nine-point agenda will revolutionize the country’s economy.”

    He expressed confidence that more than the required number of county assemblies would pass the Constitution of Kenya Amendment Bill 2020, paving way for a referendum.

    “As teachers and workers, in 2002 and 2007, we decided we will change this country. BBI will decentralize more resources and we will adopt it and wait for elections in 2022. After BBI, we will be supporting Raila’s candidature.” He said to a charged crowd.

  • No, Safaricom Was Not Being Simple, Transparent And Honest, Netizens Accuse Firm Of Dishonesty In The New Home Fiber Plan

    No, Safaricom Was Not Being Simple, Transparent And Honest, Netizens Accuse Firm Of Dishonesty In The New Home Fiber Plan

    On 8th February, Safaricom PLC gave a Customer Notice ‘We are permanently increasing Home Fibre speeds effective 1st March 2021.’ The announcement meant that Home Fibre customers will get about double the bandwidth they have paid for, while Diamond Package customers will get more than double the speed at 250 per cent.

    Under the adjusted packages, effective 1st March 2021, customers on the Gold and Diamond Packages will enjoy Secure Net service in their package.

    The Bronze package which initially comprised of 5MBs at a monthly fee of Sh2,900 will now offer speeds of up to 8MBs at the same price.

    Silver package customers who initially got 10MBs for Sh3,999 per month will now get 20MBs for the same price monthly.

    Gold Package holders will get 40 MBs, up from 20MBs for Sh5,999 while Diamond Package customers will now get 100MBs, up from 40MBs for Sh11,999 monthly.

     

    This gained positive reviews mostly from customers who’ve been complaining lately about slower Internet speeds.

    However, this didn’t take long before the hawk eyes of IT gurus on Twitter unearthed what could be said to contradict Safaricom’s working motto of ‘Simple. Transparent. Honest.’

    “Safaricom doubled internet speeds to hide that their fibre internet is now LIMITED!” One user Mavavya tweeted in the opening of a lengthy thread that broke down the dynamics. “Safaricom coming through with the nonsense.” Opined Eric Mugendi on the new home fiber plan.

    While introducing the ‘Fair Usage Policy’ targeting many people who’re now working from home due to the COVID-19 challenges, Safaricom is not only doubling the speeds but doing away with the traditional UNLIMITED home fiber packages option that made the product popular in the first place.

    Safaricom currently is the dominating fiber internet provider, its fibre coverage grew by 34.3% in 2020 to a cumulative 9000 km.

    Under the reviewed packages prices, customers will pay as below.

    So what’s the ‘Fair Usage Policy’ being introduced by Safaricom? “Ideally, ‘Fair Usage’ is an approach a company takes to ensure every customer gets to share a resource equally without others missing out. We’ve seen “fair usage policies” with limited resources like 4G connections where after a certain amount of data usage, your speeds are reduced to a certain level. That reduction in speed is an artificial restriction created by the company to limit a customer from accessing certain internet speeds, so that they do not strain the network and thereby hinder others from accessing the resource.” As defined by tech-ish.com.

    The major issue is about putting cap on data despite the attractive bundles. “This is extremely disappointing. Take away the double speeds. Return to the original speeds but DO NOT introduce data caps. That is BS.” One user commented.

    But even this, there’s an explanation as one user replied, “The previous arrangement was tied to a “contention ratio of 4:1”. That means you share your connection with 3 other people. So, when all of you are online, speeds drop. But with FUP limits you get to enjoy your allocation at full speed with no contention ratio limits.”

    He continued, “Using the example of 10mbps @3,999, under the contention ratio tier (4:1), you’re only guaranteed 2.5mbps throughout the month and not as you assume. Under the new FUP terms, you’re guaranteed 20mbps always for as long as you stay within the 1TB limit. Should you exhaust it, you get guaranteed 3mbps speeds, which is still much better than the contention ratio tier of 2.5mbps.”

    However, the new policy has attracted different reactions from users.

    https://twitter.com/w_asherah/status/1360855509503516674?s=21

    https://twitter.com/w_asherah/status/1360856179153502208?s=21

    https://twitter.com/mainneli_/status/1360856730041802753?s=21

    Safaricom appears to have replied to the concerns about of many on their new policy suggesting that the new data caps are well within the average user’s data consumption.

    This reply too has attracted harsh reactions from users who feel it is underwhelming.

    https://twitter.com/w_asherah/status/1360928161253441540?s=21

    There are those who also agree with Safaricom that the data bundles are well within the satisfaction range of an average user.

    Obv, this is a topic of personal preferences that can go on and continues to be online. What you need to know is that the end of an holiday is here with Safaricom making changes in installations.

    https://twitter.com/cisnyakundi/status/1361169303157039104?s=21

     

    According to the firm’s directives, effective 1st March, things will change further on home fiber in summary:

    1. There will be a fee of Kshs. 3,000.00 for a new connection. If you do not carry your router when relocating, you will be charged Kshs. 6,500 as a replacement fee for the router. This is however subject to change based on router models and technology.(Initially, signing up was free including installation).
    2. Customers will be allocated internet speeds with a 1:4 contention ratio. This means that in instances of heavy traffic causing congestion on the network, applicable speeds may be reduced to up to 25% of the advertised speed for the package.
    3. The Safaricom Home Fibre plans are subject to a Fair Usage Policy with usage limits and throttle speeds as indicated in the table above. Upon reaching the Fair Usage limit for the package, the speeds will be throttled to 1Mbps for Bronze plans and 3Mbps for Silver, Gold and Diamond plans for the remainder of the validity period of the subscription.
    4. The fair usage limit is a consumption limit assigned for each usage cycle and not a volume resource or bundle allocation hence it will not be possible to roll over or extend the validity of the fair usage limit beyond the package validity cycle. (You don’t deplete the data, it’s forfeited).
  • Is It Possible For Authorities To Hack Signal App?

    Is It Possible For Authorities To Hack Signal App?

    Currently, many media report that it is possible for investigative authorities to hack, among other things, the Signal Messenger, which is considered a secure messenger. Even Forbes magazine is grandly titled “Can The FBI Hack Into Private Signal Messages On A Locked iPhone? Evidence Indicates Yes“. You have to look at some aspects that may make the whole topic appear a little clearer, because nothing was hacked here.

    The FBI also does not hack the messenger signal, but the smartphone on which the messenger is installed, in this case, Forbes was referring to iPhone The iPhone in question appears to be either an iPhone 11 (whether Pro or Max) or a second generation iPhone SE. It is essential here that leading manufacturers of forensics solutions have succeeded in reading out smartphones.

    The decisive factor here is also how the smartphone could be read out. A forensic 1:1 copy of all data is usually the choice to really get to the data from the system, where usually the keys used by messengers to encrypt their data are also stored. Furthermore, an iPhone, for example, behaves differently once it has been started and unlocked, than if it is switched off and remained (AFU). But even this does not work for all devices.

    Therefore, rather the decisive point is how to get the data of the smartphone bypassing the device lock and that with iPhones and Android devices. Because these also come up with KNOX (Samsung) or Secure Boot with new security features. But if you have the data from a smartphone, the supreme discipline, the decoding, takes place. The data from the file system is again assigned and displayed in such a way that it becomes visible and readable.

    Since forensics manufacturers invest a lot of effort and development in it, it is also possible for them to assign the keys of the messengers when decoding so that the encrypted data becomes visible again in clear text. All these facts inevitably lead to encrypted mails, messenger messages, etc. being decrypted, but do not make the products insecure in themselves as long as there is no security vulnerability there.

    (Ps.: the renowned forensics manufacturers have been able to do this for a long time)

    What should also be mentioned in this context is the fact that programs that pretend to be keyboards can also read data from messengers, namely everything that will enter via the keyboard. Spyware, if it is present on a device, can of course also get data from encrypted messengers.

    A Signal spokesperson speaking to Forbes said: “If someone is in physical possession of a device and can exploit an unpatched Apple or Google operating system vulnerability in order to partially or fully bypass the lock screen on Android or iOS, they can then interact with the device as though they are its owner.

    “Keeping devices up-to-date and choosing a strong lock screen passcode can help protect information if a device is lost or stolen.”

    Forensic exploitation of devices affects any encrypted communications app, from WhatsApp to Wickr, not just Signal. What is apparent is that the government has a tool that can bypass encryption to get into what most people would assume are private messages.

    According to a report ‘tactical approval for killings’ by Declassified UK released recently, Kenya’s investigative authorities use Cellebrite for surveillance.

    Cellebrite, an established Israeli forensics tech provider, has long served American law enforcement, as well as global police agencies.

    In December, Cellebrite indicated it had developed “advanced techniques” to bypass Signal encryption, though Signal issued a statement lambasting not just the company but media reports that had repeated Cellebrite’s claims. In a blog post, Signal said all Cellebrite had done was “parse Signal on an Android device they physically have with the screen unlocked.

     

  • Donald Trump Acquitted In Impeachment Trial

    Donald Trump Acquitted In Impeachment Trial

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate acquitted Donald Trump on Saturday of inciting the mob that stormed the Capitol last month, sparing him from conviction in his second impeachment trial in a year despite broad condemnation of his role in sparking the deadly siege.

    The Senate voted 57-43 in favor of convicting the former president, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to do so, on a charge that he incited the insurrection that left five people dead, forced lawmakers to flee, and put his own vice president in danger while overseeing the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s election win.

    Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who voted “not guilty,” in the trial, offered scathing remarks about Trump after the verdict.

    “There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day,” he said. “The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president.”

    In the vote, seven of the 50 Senate Republicans joined the chamber’s unified Democrats in favoring conviction after a week-long trial in the same building ransacked by Trump’s followers after they heard him deliver an incendiary speech on Jan. 6. (Graphic – Tracking the vote: Senate acquits Trump – here)

    During the trial, senators viewed graphic video of the assault, including scenes of a police officer screaming in pain as he was crushed in a door, the mob chanting “hang Mike Pence” as it hunted the vice president, and lawmakers having near-misses with rioters as security officers hurried the elected officials into hiding for their own safety.

    Trump left office on Jan. 20, so impeachment could not be used to remove him from power. But Democrats had hoped to secure a conviction to hold him responsible for the siege and set the stage for a vote to bar him from serving in public office again.

    “The bottom line is that we convinced a big majority in the Senate of our case,” said Representative Jamie Raskin, the lead Democratic prosecutor from the House of Representatives.

    House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Republicans’ refusal to hold Trump accountable would be remembered “as one of the darkest days and most dishonorable acts in our nation’s history.”

    The swift end to the trial allows Biden to move forward with his agenda to bolster the economy with a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill and further confirmation of his cabinet members.

    But divisions on Capitol Hill and around the country over his controversial predecessor will remain.

    “This has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country,” Trump said in a statement after his acquittal.

    Trump, 74, continues to hold a grip on his party with a right-wing populist appeal and “America First” message. The businessman-turned-politician has considered running for president again in 2024.

    Republicans saved Trump in the Feb. 5, 2020, vote in his first impeachment trial, when only one senator from their ranks – Mitt Romney – voted to convict and remove him from office.

    Romney voted for conviction on Saturday along with fellow Republicans Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Ben Sasse, Pat Toomey, and Lisa Murkowski.

    “His actions to interfere with the peaceful transition of power – the hallmark of our Constitution and our American democracy – were an abuse of power and constitute grounds for conviction,” Collins said after the vote.

    DEEPLY DIVIDED NATION

    The acquittal unfolded against a backdrop of gaping divisions in a pandemic-weary United States along political, racial, socioeconomic and regional lines. The trial provided more partisan warfare even as Biden has called for unity.

    Seventy-one percent of American adults, including nearly half of all Republicans, believe Trump was at least partially responsible for starting the Capitol assault, but only about half of the country thought he should be convicted of inciting insurrection, according to an Ipsos poll conducted for Reuters.

    Trump is only the third president ever to be impeached by the House of Representatives – a step akin to a criminal indictment – as well as the first to be impeached twice and the first to face an impeachment trial after leaving office. But the Senate still has never convicted an impeached president.

    Democrats forged ahead with impeachment despite knowing it could overshadow critical early weeks of Biden’s presidency.

    The House approved the single article of impeachment against Trump on Jan. 13, with 10 Republicans joining the chamber’s Democratic majority. That vote came a week after the pro-Trump mob stormed the neoclassical domed Capitol, interrupted the formal congressional certification of Biden’s victory, clashed with an overwhelmed police force, and invaded the hallowed House and Senate chambers.

    ‘FIGHT LIKE HELL’

    Shortly before the rampage, Trump urged his followers to march on the Capitol, repeated his false claims that the election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud, and told them that “if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”

    During the trial, nine House lawmakers serving as trial managers, or prosecutors, urged senators to convict Trump to hold him accountable for a crime against American democracy and to prevent a repeat in the future. They said Trump summoned the mob to Washington, gave the crowd its marching orders and then did nothing to stop the ensuing violence.

    The defense lawyers accused Democrats not only of trying to silence Trump as a political opponent they feared facing in the future but of attempting to criminalize political speech with which they disagreed.

    The words Trump used, they argued, were no different than those regularly employed by Democrats.

    Trump’s acquittal does not end the possibility of other congressional action against him such as a censure motion, but Pelosi said such a measure would let Republicans who voted against conviction “off the hook.”

    McConnell said Trump was now a private citizen and suggested he could still face criminal prosecution for his acts. “He didn’t get away with anything. Yet,” McConnell said.

  • Ruto Maintains He’s Not In A Competition With Uhuru

    Ruto Maintains He’s Not In A Competition With Uhuru

    Deputy President William Ruto has dismissed claims that he has been rude and disrespectful to his boss, President Uhuru Kenyatta.

    Speaking a day after the president asked persons dissatisfied in his administration to quit instead of criticizing its performance, Ruto says he has done no wrong to warrant his exit from government.

    Instead, the DP, who is currently on a tour of Isiolo county says he has been acting only on his boss’ orders.

    “I respect the President a lot. He is the boss. He is the one who makes the decisions in government. I have never spoken against the President because of the respect I have for him.” He said

    Ruto in fact says he has been loyal to the head of state including in certain instances where some of the functions meant for his office have been transferred and are now being performed by some of his colleagues in cabinet.

    “Even though some tasks that I am supposed to undertake as the deputy President were taken away and given to someone else, I have respected that decision because I want unity in our country.” He said

    Speaking in Ngaremara, Isiolo North, Isiolo County, Ruto maintained that there is no competition between him and the President.

    “He is our boss. I am only doing the work assigned to me by the President. And there is no assignment given to me by the president which I have not performed.” He charged

    If the DP’s sentiments in Isiolo on Saturday are anything to go by, then it appears he is not ready to resign from government yet.

    “Him and me went to look for votes across the country. We shared an agenda. We shared a vision. We shared a plan. We shared a manifesto which brought the jubilee administration into being.” He said

  • Again: NYS Can’t Account For Sh358.4M In New Audit

    Again: NYS Can’t Account For Sh358.4M In New Audit

    National Youth Service (NYS) is once again on the spot over questionable financial dealings amounting to millions of shillings, a new report shows.

    A report by the Auditor General Nancy Gathungu on NYS Mechanical and Transport Fund for the 2019 Financial Year tabled in the National Assembly yesterday raises queries over questionable income relating to domestic hire, hire of buses and water rigs, plant and equipment amounting to Sh358.4 million.

    Also of concern is unauthorised NYS Governing Council expenses amounting to Sh17.5 million, unsupported commercial debt worth Sh222.3 million, and unauthorised lending worth Sh635.89 million, inventories worth Sh255 million and questionable procurements of machinery.

    Sh358.4 million unsupported income include Sh270.6 million income from domestic hire that saw the fund leasing motor vehicles and transport equipment at NYS.

    Gathungu said there was no proof of lease agreement, schedule of distribution of the leased motor vehicles and machinery leased to each field station and rates charged for each vehicle or equipment that was availed to support the reported figure of revenue for domestics hire.

    Daily receipts

    “The invoices availed for audit review had no control numbers or any accountability references, and therefore the completeness and accuracy could not be established.

    In addition, there is no policy document or contract agreement between NYS and the Mechanical and Transport Fund showing the applicable rates and mode of leasing for assets,”  the report.

    With regards to income on commuter buses amounting to Sh12.5 million, Gathungu revealed they could not trace daily receipts and summaries of money received and thus banking of collections could not be verified.

    According to the report, the daily receipts summaries used to record revenues had no verification checks on the accuracy and reliability of the data by a responsible officer such as route commanders and the accountant in-charge to reconcile the collections to the receipt.

    The NYS, which had a fleet of 29 buses, started passenger service operations in Nairobi amid protests from matatu operators that saw the buses covering nine routes at a cost of Sh20 irrespective of destination.

    Initial areas covered include Pipeline in Embakasi, Githurai, Mwiki, Dandora, Kariobangi, Kibera, Kawangware, Kangemi and Kayole.

    “Bank deposit slips provided in support of the receipts did not show date the funds were received from commuter buses reconciled to the specific daily receipts, making it difficult to confirm the accuracy and completeness of the recorded and banked revenue,” report adds.

    On water rigs, plant and equipment hired at a cost of Sh74.1 million, the report raises concerns that quotations and invoices issued did not have control checks such as pre numbering, hence susceptible to manipulation or change without proper authority.

    Raises concerns

    As for council expenses amounting to She 17.6 million, report states that information availed in support of the payment showing the dates, venues and nature of meetings, number of days, rates payable and invitation letters was not available.

    Regarding nauthorised lending amounting to She 710 million, Gathungu revealed the money borrowed by NYS was yet to be returned, adding the service went ahead and borrowed more money without authority from the Cabinet Secretary March 5, 2020.

    “Under the circumstances, the fund is in breach of the government financial regulations,” adds the report.

    On the issue of unsupported commercial dent, Gathungu revealed a review of individual files provided showed that terms of quotation for equipment hire charges are paid upfront before commencement of works, but the fund management authorised commencement of works before payment was received and no explanation was provided for this.

    External Source.

  • Fraud And Mismanagement Claims Engulfs Central Highlands Tea Management

    Fraud And Mismanagement Claims Engulfs Central Highlands Tea Management

    The supremacy battle for control of Kiriti Tea Factory in Murang’a County has finally landed in the High Court.

    Six directors of Central Highlands Tea Company have been accused by four ex-directors of fraud and mismanagement of the 820-member firm.

    The aggrieved founder members-Meshack Kibunja, James Ihura, David Gichure and Daniel Waruinge-are seeking fresh election of directors under the supervision of the Registrar of Companies.

    The four men have applied to the High Court to order a forensic audit of the company finances. Meanwhile, they want the six directors, under the chairmanship of veteran Nairobi lawyer Charles Njuru Kihara, blocked from managing the firm’s affairs pending the resolution of the dispute.

    The other directors on the firing line are Kirubi Kamau (Vice-chairman), Michael Gakungu (Chief Executive Officer) and Gerald Maina Gikonyo, David Githua Muraya and Crispus Thuku Kimani.

    The warring parties appeared before Justice Margaret Muigai for the urgent application by the four complainants that was presented by lawyer Peter Kabue Thumi. The six defendants were directed to file and serve their responses within seven days.

    The matter will be mentioned in March 8 for further directions to facilitate the urgent hearing of the civil case.

    Kabue explained to the court that the firm’s shareholders were apprehensive about the leadership row since some of them have not been paid for their green leaf deliveries.

    The lawyer said the six directors assumed office irregularly nearly three years ago by lodging forged documents with the Registrar of Companies. The four former directors accused the six office-bearers of illegally removing them by forging their alleged resignations dated June 11, 2018.

    The affidavits reportedly signed by the four ex-directors were said to have been witnessed by the late lawyer Mburu Mwangi who died in December 2008.

    The alleged forgeries have been reported at Nairobi’s Central police station and the matter is under investigation, the court heard.

    Kabue argued that the notification of change of directors filed by the Kihara camp with the Registrar of Companies was invalid as the legitimate procedure of resignation and appointment of directors was not followed in accordance with the law. The minutes of the alleged board meeting reportedly conducted on June 11, 2018 were unjustifiable, Kabue submitted in court.

    He said the ex-directors felt their rivals had betrayed the trust bestowed upon them by shareholders. The firm risked financial mismanagement because of their “opaque leadership,” he said.

    “The plaintiffs (the four ex-directors) claim the defendants have acted fraudulently by purporting to allocate themselves one extra share without any basis or foundation at all. This requires notice and authorization by shareholders under Clause Six of the company’s Articles of Association,” the lawyer argued.

    The court heard that the six directors have failed to present audited accounts of the firm’s finances. The directors reportedly secured a bank loan of Sh45million that has never been accounted for.

    Further, the six directors have allowed new shareholders to buy shares in the company without the mandatory approval and resolution by shareholders, the court heard.

    “The defendants have flatly refused to appoint internal auditors and Company Secretary to assist in facilitating the running of the firm in accordance with the tenets of acceptable corporate governance,” Kabue concluded.

  • Ruto’s Lawyer Karim Khan Elected ICC Prosecutor For 9 Years

    Ruto’s Lawyer Karim Khan Elected ICC Prosecutor For 9 Years

    The British lawyer was elected the new ICC Attorney General in a vote at the United Nations. He will have the task of restoring the image of the ICC.

    Karim Khan was elected in the second round for a nine-year term. 122 countries voted for him. He became the third prosecutor in the history of the ICC and succeeded African Fatou Bensouda.

    Karim Khan, 50, knows the corridors and every nook and cranny of international tribunals. Sometimes a defence lawyer, sometimes a victim, the British has practiced in almost all international and special courts, whether for the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Cambodia or Lebanon and Sierra Leone, where he was the lawyer for a time for former President Charles Taylor.

    Before the ICC, he has already represented the former Vice-President of Kenya, William Ruto, Congolese Jean Pierre Bemba, but also Said al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the Libyan dictator, at their trial.

    But the consecration for this specialist in criminal law and human rights comes in 2018, when the UN Secretary General appointed him to head a special investigation into the crimes of the Islamic State group.

    Karim Khan, during William Ruto’s defense in 2013 before the ICC

    This investigation gathers evidence of the massacres and abuses committed by the jihadist group in Iraq, particularly against the Yazidi minority. A colossal issue, given the extent of the macabre discoveries so far. The evidence must then be used by Iraqi courts to prosecute the culprits.

    Impartiality

    At 50, Karim Khan already has a long career behind him.

    From now on, by succeeding Fatou Bensouda as Attorney General, he will have the task of restoring the image of the ICC, often criticized for indicting only Africans.

    From this point of view, the first burning issue could thus be in the Middle East. Because the Court recently declared itself competent to launch an investigation in the Palestinian Territories into possible war crimes committed by Israeli and Palestinian forces.

    It will therefore be up to Karim Khan to decide whether this investigation should be opened, despite Israel’s objections.

  • Rwanda Exempts Duty On Luxury Cars To Woo Tourists

    Rwanda Exempts Duty On Luxury Cars To Woo Tourists

    Rwanda will forgo millions of dollars in tax exemptions from importers of expensive vehicles as it attracts high-end tourists into the country.

    It is the latest attempt to boost tourism, which is struggling to recover from the second wave of Covid-19 infections that have led to new travel restrictions by some countries.

    In a letter dated January 22, 2021, the Ministry of Finance instructed the Rwanda Revenue Authority to exempt excise duty, value added tax and withholding tax on imported vehicles valued at $60,000 and above.

    Ordinarily, such vehicles each pay an average of Rwf43 million ($43,000) in Customs and clearance taxes, according to the Rwanda Revenue Authority.

    The rationale behind the exemptions, as explained in the letter, aims at facilitating the importation of expensive cars to promote high-end tourism, meetings incentives conferences and exhibitions (MICE), and foreign investment.

    “It is important to note that the cap on import duty has been catered through the requested stay of application in the EAC pre-budget meeting of May 2020.”

    “The purpose of this letter is, therefore, to request your good office to implement the government policy adopted by Cabinet,” reads the letter.

    Foreign exchange earner

    Despite the pandemic dampening global tourism, Rwanda is maintaining investment in the sector which was the leading foreign exchange earner in 2019, bringing in approximately $498 million in revenue. The target is to grow to at least $800 million by 2024.

    The vehicle tax exemption comes just before the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) slated for June in Kigali. Rwanda will use the meeting to woo wealthy travellers and investors to spend longer periods in the country, especially at its famous tourist attractions.

    The promotion of tax incentives is strongly aligned with the government’s vision to attract investments, promote exports, and support the private sector, driven by ambitious foreign direct investments and export promotion, experts say.

    “The government has focused on the tourism and MICE sector, so it is trying to encourage investments in those priority sectors. The incentives may lead to a loss of some tax revenue but overall, the target is that this loss will be compensated by a larger number of investors,” Angelo Musinguzi, senior tax manager at KPMG Rwanda told The EastAfrican.

    “The main challenge now is finding those investors who have the capacity to import expensive cars and invest significantly in the country. Without such investments, the incentive will only remain on paper.”

    The latest incentive is in addition to a seven-year tax holiday offered to investments worth $50 million since 2015.

  • How The Government Plans To Roll Out COVID-19 Vaccination Starting February

    How The Government Plans To Roll Out COVID-19 Vaccination Starting February

    The Government has set aside 930 million to facilitate the inoculation of Kenyans against COVID-19.

    Health Chief Administrative Secretary Dr. Mercy Mwangangi says the Country will receive 24 million doses from the covax facility and will procure an additional 11 million doses from other mechanisms to vaccinate nearly 16 million people.

    The Government has also cautioned Kenyans against misinformation in ongoing efforts to secure a COVID-19 vaccine.

    Dr Mwangangi says the Government remains focused on ensuring Kenyans are vaccinated against the global pandemic wangangi said the government has put in place vaccination infrastructure with central storage facilities in Nairobi for vaccines requiring cold chain of up to -20 degrees and some limited capacity for -70 degrees in major urban areas.

    The government is building capacity of more than 23,000 healthcare workers including 8,000 health volunteers in areas of vaccines administration

    She said all the vaccines that the Government intends to acquire will have undergone trials and found to be safe for use as per the international standards.

    In addition to that the Ministry has already engaged the Council of Governors, and both levels of Government are working towards a smooth introduction of the vaccine, by ensuring all logistical arrangements are in place for the expected delivery of vaccines before the end of this month of February.

    The vaccines will be introduced in 3 phases.

    In Phase one, Kenya will prioritize the vaccination of 1.25 million people between the end of February when we expect to have received our first Vaccine consignment in the country & June 2021.

    In phase 2 which will cover July 2021 to June 2022, more vaccines will become available and the Government plans to vaccinate 9.7 million more Kenyans, targeting persons above 50 years of age and those above 18 years of age with underlying health conditions. And this is also still on course.

    Phase 3 will run concurrently with phase 2 depending on availability of adequate vaccines.
    “In this phase, we hope to target the vaccination of 4.9 m people who will include all other vulnerable populations like those in congregate settings such as prisoners, refugees & elderly.” The CAS said.

  • Clear Your Name With Evidence Not Political Cards, Kinoti Shoots At Accused Politicians

    Clear Your Name With Evidence Not Political Cards, Kinoti Shoots At Accused Politicians

    The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has denied claims that it is being politically biased in investigating corruption cases, calling on suspects to be ready to mitigate their cases without using the political weapon.

    The Director George Kinoti said his officers investigate cases that they are sure to win in court, and that they even swear before a court of law to tell the truth.

    He termed the accusations unfair and sideshows meant to derail the criminal justice system, saying crimes are individualistic and that they will not be deterred in their quest to serve justice to the citizens.

    Kinoti was apparently responding to certain accused persons who have gone to the media to claim that they have been charged because of their political views.

    Kinoti told politicians to clear themselves with evidence other than accusing them of being used to settle political scores.

    “Let’s be honest. If someone commits a crime and their only mitigation is saying the government is being used against them, that’s a lie. We are the ones who make arrests and swear by the Bible that they will tell the truth. Rather than using the political card, mitigate your cases well in court,” said Kinoti.

    He was speaking in Juja town after opening a new state of the art offices Thursday.

    Kinoti defended his working relationship with the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) saying they have been working on the sidelines and very soon, the country will witness high profile sentences.

    He said some cases under prosecutions will soon be determined in court and that the country will see the results of the cordial relationship between the two offices.

    He however admitted to frustrations where some cases take too long before they are determined, especially criminal cases that require the DPP to prove beyond reasonable doubt.

    “Our working relationship with DPP is one of the best. Yes, there are a few challenges which are ordinary. Very soon you will see determination of cases that are under prosecution in our favour,” he said.

    He was accompanied by Regional, County and Sub County security teams and MCAs from the area.

    The MCAs raised concern over endless land fraud cases in the area, accusing the police of slow process of investigations.

    Kinoti warned officers derailing criminal investigations and those who engage in crime that his officers will soon catch up with them.