Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka shake hands with Azimio Leader Raila Odinga after they donated food and non-food items to flood victims in Mukuru Kwa Njenga at Reuben Secondary School in Nairobi on May 03, 2024. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka who is increasingly stepping out to take up the mantle of opposition leader has announced plans by the Azimio coalition to traverse the country to rally Kenyans against what they describe as dictatorial governance.
Kalonzo affirmed that the coalition is still the official opposition declaring that Azimio will not be compromised or undermined.
He also urged the church to remain steadfast at calling out the wrongs in government.
He described the broad-based government as unconstitutional, saying it undermines the principles of multi-party democracy.
Kalonzo made the remarks yesterday as he led other leaders, including Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa, Jubilee Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni, Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo, former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu in affirming their stand as the opposition and will discharge the role without fear.
He said they have the experience and determination, and will not allow the country to drift back to dictatorial leadership.
“We will not allow the government to rubbish the Constitution. Kenyans should not be worried, we have the experience, determination and inspiration to lead.
‘‘We will not allow this country to go back to dictatorship,” said Kalonzo.
He added: “We are ready to deliver. As the team continues to grow, we will go everywhere in this country.
Kalonzo termed the Ruto administration a failure and Azimio has every reason to tell the truth, and to get the country back on the right track.
He also lashed out at Ruto for making the education system a preserve of the rich.
The Wiper leader described the university funding model as impractical, unfair and not workable, stating that even university administrators were neither consulted nor piloting done to determine whether the model can be implemented.
“We will not allow Ruto’s government to make university education out of reach for many. I was the Education minister so I understand what we are talking about. Education is in crisis and we are giving notice to this administration that we will mobilise Kenyans to say no. If we are going to make university education only for the rich and not the poor, the poor will rise and claim their position,” Kalonzo said.
The leaders, who were speaking after the Sunday service in PEFA church in Githurai, said the government should come out clean on the actual number of deaths reported in June during the Gen Z protests.
Wamalwa said it is time to stand up and say no to the government over its oppressive rule.
“Some of our colleagues in opposition are now in government. We are having a compromised opposition,’’ Wamalwa said.
Kioni said the church has a huge responsibility to ensure that Ruto’s leadership does not continue as it is and should rise to the occasion to avoid being compromised. By Irene Githinji, The Standard
The main entrance to Kamiti Maximum Prison.[File, Standard]
The spotlight has turned to Kamiti Maximum Security Prison following a Sh7.6 million scam investigators believe was planned by a life-term convict.
Hesbon Onyango Nyamweya, who was jailed for defilement, has been accused of orchestrating a sophisticated fraud scheme from behind bars, defrauding businesswoman Purity Karambu Laird in a land deal.
This shocking revelation has prompted an intensive investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) into how Nyamweya managed to carry out such a scam from the confines of the country’s most secure prison.
The fraud came to light when Ms Laird, a prominent businesswoman, reported that she had been defrauded of Sh7.6 million by someone claiming to have access to prime land for sale.
The person behind this false promise was later identified as Nyamweya by detectives from the DCI Serious Crime Unit.
Despite being behind bars, Nyamweya for seven months managed to communicate with Laird, convincing her that he could facilitate the sale of the land, which never existed.
Between May 1, 2020, and September 17, 2020, he maintained regular phone communication with Laird, building trust and presenting himself as a legitimate land seller.
Unbeknownst to Laird, she was communicating with a defilement convict in one of the most secure prisons in the country.
He convinced her that he had a valuable plot of land for sale and assured her that the deal was genuine. Laird transferred the amount to an account provided by Nyamweya.
After receiving the money, investigators claim Nyamweya transferred it to his elderly mother, Pamela Akinyi Wara in several tranches over nearly five months.
The funds were then used by Wara to acquire properties in various locations including Ongata Rongai, Lang’ata, and Migori County.
Investigators say the woman is building a multi-million residential house in Ongata Rongai.
There are questions about potential collusion or negligence among prison staff, as well as the effectiveness of security measures meant to prevent inmates from engaging in illegal activities while incarcerated.
The prison facility scandal details emerged when Wara, Nyamweya’s mother, was charged at the Milimani Law Courts on Friday.
Wara faces three charges of conspiracy to commit a felony, stealing and handling stolen goods contrary to section 322 (1) of the penal code.
“... Wara conspired with others not before the court, together with one Hesbon Onyango Nyamweya serving sentence at Kamiti Maximum Prison to commit a felony namely stealing to wit a sum of Kenya Sh7,656,500 the property of Purity Karambu Laird,” the charge sheet reads in part.
Wara, appearing frail and overwhelmed, pleaded not guilty to the charges, claiming she was unaware of the origins of the money and believed it was legitimately earned.
However, the prosecution argued that Wara was fully aware of the fraudulent activities and played a significant role in laundering the proceeds by investing in real estate.
The prosecution urged the court to issue a production order to have Nyamweya presented in court to face charges together with his mother.
Magistrate Shitubi noted the gravity of the charges and emphasised the need for a thorough investigation to ensure all involved parties are held accountable. Wara was released on a Sh2 million bond. She will appear in court on September 5 for further directions. By Nancy Gitonga, The Standard
At least 71 more Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, bringing up the death toll since last Oct. 7 to 40,405, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.
A ministry statement added that some 93,468 other people have been injured in the assault.
“Israeli forces killed 71 people and injured 112 others in three ‘massacres’ of families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.
“Many people are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.
Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6. By Ikram Kouachi, Anadolu Agency
African countries continue to face challenges in accessing clean water resources, Nairoubi, Kenya, May 13, 2024. (Getty Images Photo)
Türkiye’s Cansuyu Aid and Solidarity Association has donated four water wells it drilled in central Uganda to address shortages of safe and clean water in the area.
The initiative benefits more than 1,000 community members who have been trekking long distances and paying exorbitant prices to access clean water in the district of Luwero.
Bilal Değirmenci, the international relations coordinator for Cansuyu Aid and Solidarity Association, said more water wells are under construction to assist communities grappling with water shortages to be able to access clean water free of charge.
He said that Cansuyu has drilled over 5,000 water wells in different countries in Africa and Asia, adding that more are on the way.
"Our focus is on areas where there is no access to safe clean water due to economic difficulties or absence of means to extract water from underground,” he said.
"We have completed more than 5000 water well projects around 40 countries in Africa and Asia. We have different types and sizes of projects depending on local needs, availability and project budget. We both have electric system and handpump wells,” he said.
He added that electric systems are preferred if the project is intended for a mosque, a school or communities that can afford to meet electric bills.
Musa Kiggundu, the director of Iqra Nursery and Primary School in Luwero district and a beneficiary of one borehole, expressed gratitude to the Turkish people for extending clean water to the school community.
He said that the borehole will contribute to improved hygiene and good health for students. The water crisis affects people in rural areas more than those in urban areas. People in some rural areas travel more than 30 minutes to access safe drinking water. The excessive amount of time people spend on water collection hinders their ability to work, and affects the economy. Anadolu Agency
Four-year-old Nekesa* was defiled on April 12, 2024, when she was still aged 3. [Gardy Chacha, Standard]
Atieno* received a call from her daughter’s teachers, asking her to rush to school.
On arrival, she was told that her 16-year-old daughter Nekesa*, was sick with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that had left her with grotesque wounds in her private parts.
“The person who defiled her is a preacher,” says Mary Makokha, a women’s rights activist who is currently hosting Nekesa for her safety.
The girl was defiled while living with the preacher's family and performing household chores since the pastor’s wife was nursing a fractured leg.
“We are worshippers at the church. When the pastor’s wife had the accident, many of us visited her in the hospital. She asked if people could help find a young lady who could help with domestic chores back at home,” Atieno says.
Nekesa, having struck a rapport with the preacher’s wife, offered to help. Atieno did not object since she did not have any reason to fear for her daughter.
Only to learn later that the ‘man of God’ - whom some in the congregation refer to as 'prophet' – had defiled her daughter.
With the help of Ms Makokha, Atieno reported to the authorities. The pastor was arrested and a court case was instituted against him. At the time of filing this story, he had been released on a Sh100,000 bond.
What happened to Nekesa is not shocking. Sometime last year, an MCA appeared in court, his face concealed behind a hood and a mask, accused of defiling a 14-year-old girl.
Sources told The Sunday Standard that the MCA had a week-long rendezvous with the 14-year-old at different hotels and lodgings in Busia, Bungoma and Kakamega towns.
Still, in 2023, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) picked up a case involving a police officer stationed at Aterait police station in Teso South, who was accused of raping a 21-year-old woman.
Ms Makokha is the founder of the Rural Education and Economic Empowerment Program (REEEP) – a local non-profit organisation championing women’s and girls’ rights.
“Rape is rampant in Busia. Since 1998, when we began handling gender-based violence (GBV) cases, we have recorded close to 14,000 cases of rape. And these are just the ones we got informed about,” she says.
During this interview towards the end of July, Makokha received distressing news of two grandmothers in Nambogoto, Funyula sub-county, who had been silent victims of a man from within the village.
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A woman helps her standard 8 granddaughter to get justice after she was allegedly defiled by a police officer.[File, Standard]
Makokha says no woman is safe in Busia: if not an octogenarian then it is a three-year-old girl – like is the case of Nasike* from Butula.
“The incident took place on April 12. I had gone to the market. I received a frantic call from my mother; she was asking me to head back home immediately.
“She said my daughter had been injured. I kept asking what kind of injury but she wouldn’t budge. I asked, is she burnt? Did she have a bad fall? My mother only told me to head home quickly,” says Nasike*, 23, mother to the defiled toddler.
Even before she could go to the place where the young girl was being attended to, she heard her daughter's screams and knew right away something terrible had happened.
“She was bleeding badly. She had been defiled by someone and dumped in the bushes.”
So extensive was the damage that the little girl underwent four corrective surgeries, with more expected to follow.
Makokha has made it her life’s mission to have every rape or defilement suspect taken through the justice system and (if proven guilty) made to pay for their crimes.
REEEP, working with international not-for-profit Equality Now, is providing psychotherapy counselling, legal advice, victim protection and reporting of cases to authorities.
Jean-Paul Murunga is the Programme Officer at Equality Now.
“Rape and defilement are crimes under Kenyan law that are punishable by at least 10 years in prison and all rapists must face the full force of the law," he says.
Other recent cases of rape in Busia include a brother defiling his half-sister in Ikonzo village, a neighbour defiling a four-year-old in Burumba area, a young woman raped by six men in Butula, and a seven-year-old girl's body found dumped. She is suspected to have been defiled before her death in Bukhalalire.
According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2022, Busia is not even among the top five counties with the highest rate of sexual violence against women aged 15 to 49.
Makokha says many rape and defilement cases are resolved hastily via kangaroo courts presided over by selfish village elders.
“They will ask the rapist to give a cow or a goat, or money as recompense for their action. Afterwards, life goes on like nothing happened. We are fighting to put a complete stop to these unjust methods of solving SGBV,” Makokha states.
According to Kenya Health Information System (KHIS) from January to June this year, already 223 females in Busia county have been to hospitals after rape or defilement.
Makokha blames the high rape incidence rate on patriarchy.
“A female in our culture is a second-class citizen. Men look at women as things that add pleasure or make their lives easier. Culture has also taught women that it is okay for a man to sexually harass them. Married women expect husbands to beat them when they ‘misbehave’.
“Thus, the cases being reported are only the tip of the iceberg as many SGBV survivors do not even have the understanding that a crime has been committed against them.”
On defilement targeting toddlers, she suspects rituals.
A resident of Butula who did not want to be named said, “That could be ritualistic. I have heard rumours that an HIV-positive man could be healed if they have sex with a virgin.”
Chief Magistrate Edna Nyalote says besides patriarchal culture, poverty levels are high; making it easy for men to lure and attack girls and women.
“We can’t also rule out parental carelessness. Some parents are not being deliberately present in their children’s lives. It is very common for children to attend 'disco matanga' (local night vigil discos at bereaved homes). They become extremely exposed to harm,” she says.
Makokha says she, together with other activists, has been calling on the Busia County Government to set up a safe house for victims of gender-based violence, but this has not been actualised. By Gardy Chacha, The Standard
“We need the safe house to host, counsel and give legal advice to victims and survivors. Some of the victims stand zero chance of ever getting justice if left in the same environment that left them exposed to abuse,” says Makokha.
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