Employees of the East Africa Portland Cement Company (EAPC) have protested the appointment of Bruno Oguda Obodha as the new Managing Director citing conflict of interest and lack of technical ability.
The workers say the new appointee has been transacting business with Portland through a real estate company and that would compromise decision making at the firm.
Agitated workers on Monday morning blocked the main entrance of the company using heavy machineries to block access to Obodha who was scheduled to report to the company.
They shut down the company kiln stopping the productions completely.
“Mr Obadha’s involvement in a real estate firm that directly transacts with EAPC through land regularization presents a glaring conflict of interest. This will comprise decision making and raise ethical concerns about the impartiality and transparency required for the Managing Director role,” an employee said in his statement.
Statement added: “During the November interviews the acting MD Mohammed Aden emerged the best candidate scoring exemplary marks,”
They also question how the president bypassed the highly ranked candidate who is the current acting MD Mohamed Osman Adan after Portland special board of directors forwarded the results to the ministry of investments, trade and industry.
According to the interview results dated 22 November 2022, Obodha was listed to have scored Percent while Mohamed and Justa Mwangi scored 88 and 63 percent respectively.
The workers have vowed to paralyse operations at the cement making firm until the issue is addressed.
Cement production at the company has increased to 50,000 metric tons per month after the plant was refurbished leading to a significant share price increase from Ksh 7 to Ksh 53.
At least seven people are feared dead following a road accident involving six vehicles at Matauro, Duka Moja area, along the Narok-Suswa highway in Narok County.
In a post on X, the Kenya Red Cross said several other people were injured, and have been rushed to Narok County Referral Hospital for treatment.
The accident is said to have occurred when a trailer travelling from Narok towards Mai Mahiu suffered a tyre burst lost control, knocking a Toyota Premio, an Ena Coach bus, and a Narok Line matatu to different sides of the road.
Shortly after, a second trailer, also travelling from Narok towards Mai Mahiu collided head-on with a Toyota Prado travelling in the opposite direction.
Police said they are investigating the incident, and renewed calls to motorists to exercise caution and adhere to traffic rules. By Muraya Kamunde, KBC
Smoke billowing as fire razes down shops and businesses at Konyo Konyo market. [Photo: Courtesy]
At least one person was killed in a fast-moving fire at Konyo Konyo market that burnt to ashes 54 shops on Thursday.
A fire caused by an electricity chock circuit, ranged uncontrolled for about two hours before the firefighters could reach the scene.
In an update to the media on Friday, Gerald Francis, Central Equatoria State Minister of Peace Building noted how congested the Konyo Konyo market is which made it impossible for the firefighters to respond in time.
He said despite the state’s plans to demarcate the market, they have always faced resistance from some members of the public.
“Sometimes they (surveyors) are disturbed by our people (citizens) because if you want to give them a direction, sometimes you meet resistance,” he lamented.
“But now, as the fire outbreak has happened several times, we are going to take a drastic step to organize the market.”
“We have seen that’s why it was not easy for the fire brigades to access or to quell the fire yesterday because the roads all there are blocked by street vendors, and this is a problem,” Francis explained.
He said people should learn from the experience of the Konyo Konyo market fire outbreak.
“We want our people to hear from here, that when the government says, ‘please don’t sit on the road, don’t occupy the reserve land’, people should listen to this because this is very important so that we don’t repeat such incidents,” Francis said.
However, he said a committee has been formed by the governor to investigate the cause of the fire and examine the losses incurred by the traders.
He said the group is expected to report back after two weeks though he did not mention whether the traders will be compensated. By By Anak Dut, City Review
KHRC pointed out that with the new nominations, the Mt. Kenya region would dominate the cabinet, comprising 35% of its members if the National Assembly approves the appointments of Mutahi Kagwe, William Kabogo, and Lee Kinyanjui.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has criticized President William Ruto’s recent cabinet changes, alleging they violate constitutional provisions on ethnic and gender balance.
The Commission has called for the rejection of what it termed Ruto’s “self-serving” governance approach.
In a strongly worded statement on Saturday, KHRC accused the president of advancing regional and gender discrimination under the guise of a “broad-based” and “all-inclusive” government. It claimed the appointments are elitist and contradict Ruto’s “hustlers vs dynasties” campaign narrative.
Concerns Over Ethnic and Gender Imbalance
KHRC pointed out that with the new nominations, the Mt. Kenya region would dominate the cabinet, comprising 35% of its members if the National Assembly approves the appointments of Mutahi Kagwe, William Kabogo, and Lee Kinyanjui.
“Seven out of 20 cabinet secretaries will be from the Mt. Kenya region, excluding the President, Deputy President, and Attorney General. This amounts to 34.7% of the cabinet,” the Commission stated.
It further argued that the appointments breach Articles 10, 27, and 130 of the Constitution, which require inclusivity, equity, and regional diversity in public service.
“Article 27 (8) mandates that not more than two-thirds of appointive bodies shall be of the same gender, while Article 130 (2) emphasizes that the composition of the national executive must reflect the regional and ethnic diversity of Kenya,” the statement read.
Criticism of Key Appointments
KHRC also accused Ruto of undermining Kenya’s diversity by appointing five of former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s allies from the central region. The Commission linked these appointments to the president’s efforts to regain support in Mt. Kenya following the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
“It is hypocritical for Ruto to impeach Gachagua for ethnic chauvinism while engaging in worse forms of ethnic, regional, and gender discrimination for political survival,”
Call to Action
The Commission urged constitutional and independent bodies, including the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), to hold the government accountable for constitutional breaches.
“It is unacceptable for these bodies to remain silent in the face of blatant violations of the Constitution. Their failure to act undermines the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusivity,” KHRC stated.
Background on Cabinet Reshuffle
On Thursday, Ruto nominated Uhuru allies Mutahi Kagwe, William Kabogo, and Lee Kinyanjui to the cabinet. Kagwe, a former Health CS, has been nominated to head the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, while Kinyanjui and Kabogo were nominated as CS for Investments, Trade, and Industry, and CS for Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, respectively.
The appointments have been forwarded to the National Assembly for approval, as required by law.
The reshuffle, seen as a strategic political move, has sparked mixed reactions, with some praising it as inclusive and others condemning it for alleged constitutional violations. By Sharon Resian, Capital News
Dubai: Authorities in Jiangsu province, eastern China, have arrested a man for running a large-scale operation to cheat live-streaming platforms. Identified as Ma, the suspect was found using over 400 mobile phones in a garage within a residential area in August, according to The Star.
The unusual activity was first noticed by an elderly passer-by, who suspected foul play and alerted the police. Upon investigation, authorities uncovered a sophisticated setup in which Ma operated hundreds of devices linked to separate live-streaming accounts.
The cheating method
Ma explained that the phones were used to participate in live-streams featuring “lucky bags.” These bags offered prizes to viewers who clicked a button and sent specific messages. The prizes, determined by the live-stream hosts, ranged from everyday items to high-value goods.
Profiting from the scheme
The Star reported that by leveraging his setup, Ma managed to win various items, including electronics such as printers and iPhones. He then resold these items on second-hand e-commerce platforms, earning an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 yuan (USD $1,400–$2,800) per month.
To bypass the need for individual SIM cards for each device, Ma purchased pre-registered accounts containing other people’s personal information. He now faces charges of infringing on personal information, which violates Chinese law. Convictions for such offenses can lead to fines or imprisonment of up to three years.
This case underscores the lengths some individuals will go to profit from live-streaming platforms, raising questions about security and ethical practices. By Balaram Menon, Gulf News
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