July 2011

MPs Rush to Spend Sh23 Billion CDF Cash

Members of Parliament are racing against the clock as they plan to spend Sh23 billion issued to the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in the current fiscal year.

Torture by Police Still High, Says Study

Police lead in torturing Kenyans, a study shows.

A Police Constable is Killed in Turkana

A policeman was killed in Turkana by suspected Pokot raiders and five other people were shot dead in the ensuing gun battle. The officer was killed by the bandits when they tried to pursue the raiders who had stolen an estimated one thousand goat at dawn. Rift Valley PC Osman Warfa says security teams had been sent to the area to repulse the heavily armed bandits who attacked villages to steal their livestock .

Minister Funding Al Shabaab

A UN report claims that a Cabinet minister and a nominated MP are among prominent Kenyans funding the activities of the Al Shabaab terror group.

No Public Scrutiny for Attorney General Post

The nominee to the office of the Attorney General will not be subjected to public vetting as witnessed during the appointment of the chief Justice.

First Drought, Now Turkanas Are Being Attacked By Raiders

Already battered by severe drought, residents of Turkana are now being attacked by their neighbors from across the border. Red Cross communications manager Nelly Muluka says the community is now losing the few livestock that may have survived the drought to raiders from neighboring countries. The attacks have escalated because the raiders are also being affected by drought.

Court of Appeal Okays Kamukunji Poll

The court of appeal has lifted orders blocking the Kamukunji by-election. This means the Interim Independent Electoral Commission can set dates for the polls. The high court stopped the by-election after National Vision Party's Paul Waweru went to court saying he was unfairly blocked by the IIEC from handing in his nomination papers.

Only 25 Percent of Torture Victims Report

Three out of every four cases of torture are never reported due to lack of confidence in the police. A report by the Independent Medico-Legal Unit further reveals that only 4% of reported cases have been investigated and prosecuted. IMLU director Peter Kiama says a good number of the respondents did not report the crimes because they had been committed by the police.

Firm Launches Service Linking Bank Accounts to Handsets

A new player has entered the mobile money business, this time integrating virtue accounts in telephone handsets to bank accounts.

Farmers Reap Rewards of Switching to Maize

The Kano plains, in Kenya's western Nyanza Province, are well known for rice production, but after years of poor prices and competition from imports, farmers are gradually switching to more profitable crops such as maize.