http://www.kenya411.com Share your story! Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:24:25 EST en http://www.kenya411.com/kenya entertainment news/first-gay-character-%7C-star-online/ When the show resumes on February 14, viewers will be introduced to openly gay Rayban, who is described as “flamboyant and stylish … but keeps a low profile in public because of homophobia in Kenya”.
Rayban is the best friend of two of the show’s lead female characters.
The first season of Shuga was considered groundbreaking in lifting the lid on the sex lives of young Kenyans. ]]> Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:24:25 EST admin Entertainment 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya entertainment news/first-gay-character-%7C-star-online/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya news/kenya-seeks-release-of-hostages-by-militia-%C2%A0-news%C2%A0%7Cnation-co-ke/ But Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula refused to give details of the efforts saying it could jeopardise the safety of the four Kenyans and four foreigners seized by the militia in separate incidents since September last year.

Mr Wetangula spoke soon after Al-Shabaab posted on its twitter pages photographs of two of its latest victims abducted in a brazen raid in Wajir County on Wednesday last week.

The extremist group labelled the two, a district officer Edward Mule, 30, and a registration clerk with the Registrar of Persons Fredrick Irungu Wainaina, 56, as Prisoners of War.

The group has previously been accused of abducting two Administration Police officers, two tourists and two aid workers.

Mr Wetangula’s announcement came as the family of the abducted district officer, Mr Edward Mule, confirmed that it was his photograph posted by militia on twitter. Officials at the Ministry of Persons and Registration of Persons also confirmed Mr Wainaina’s identity.

“We are making efforts to ensure they are set free by their captors. The efforts are at various levels of government and we remain confident about a positive outcome,” Mr Wetangula said.

He declined to tell the Nation who the government is negotiating with, whether it is willing to pay ransom, or how soon the he expeted the hostages to be free. ]]> Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:22:01 EST admin News 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya news/kenya-seeks-release-of-hostages-by-militia-%C2%A0-news%C2%A0%7Cnation-co-ke/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya news/majority-of-kenyans-still-support-icc-trials-study-peoples-daily-online/
The study released by Ipsos-Synovate pollsters in Nairobi on Thursday reveals that the level of support stands at 54 percent while 35 percent are against while 11 percent of Kenyans have no opinion on the matter.

"The reason for the increase in support for ICC was because of the manner the suspects had been defended during the confirmation hearings in August and September last year," polling firm's Managing Director Maggie Ireri told journalists in Nairobi.

The findings come as the world court is expected to announce by Monday whether it is confirming crimes against humanity charges against six prominent Kenyans. The six include two senior politicians who are running for the next presidential elections in either 2012 or 2013.

Judges of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber must decide whether, on the basis of preliminary evidence, there are"substantial grounds" to go ahead with a trial. The judges may also decide to dismiss charges against one or more of the accused, or ask the prosecutor to provide additional information.
]]> Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:19:53 EST admin News 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya news/majority-of-kenyans-still-support-icc-trials-study-peoples-daily-online/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya news/capital-news-kenya-braces-for-icc-ruling-on-top-officials/ The violence that followed the disputed December 2007 polls was the worst since independence, leaving more than 1,300 dead, according to the ICC, and several hundred thousand displaced.
The ICC prosecutor has investigated six top Kenyans, three who were aligned with President Mwai Kibaki’s Party of National Unity (PNU) and three who supported the then opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) of Raila Odinga, now the Prime Minister in a coalition government.
The ICC can either confirm charges – fully or partially -against some or all suspects, ask for additional evidence or drop the charges.
Neela Ghoshal of Human Rights Watch says most of those scenarios carry a risk of sparking violence, depending on the way they are interpreted by political leaders and their followers.
“The big risk might be if the charges are confirmed in one case and not in the other, against suspects from only one political or ethnic group,” she said, noting that such a scenario could cause one community or one political group to feel they were being unfairly targeted.
“Our feeling is that it is incumbent on political leaders to send the opposite message,” added Ghoshal.
“If no charges are confirmed people could see it as a sign there is impunity in Kenya. If all are confirmed there could be a feeling it is all Raila Odinga’s fault and his supporters could be targeted.” ]]> Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:18:43 EST admin News 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya news/capital-news-kenya-braces-for-icc-ruling-on-top-officials/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya news/icc-cautions-kenya-ahead-of-ruling%C2%A0-world%C2%A0%7Cmonitor-co-ug/ ICC spokesman Fadi el Abdallah said in a video posting that Kenyans should maintain peace and remain calm pending the ruling on the confirmation of charges against the six key post election violence suspects.
Abdallah said the Pre-Trial Chamber led by Judge Ekaterina Trendafilova has asked Kenyans to accept the court’s decision and restrain their actions or utterances likely to provoke tension in the country.
“The judges reiterated their appeal to all Kenyans to refrain from engaging in any actions that may endanger the security, property or safety of any victim or witness, and to also refrain from engaging in actions likely to raise tensions in the country,” Abdallah said.

The ICC statement comes a day after Kenya’s Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, one of the six suspects who could be committed to trial for crimes against humanity, called for calm, insisting the pending verdict would not affect his campaigns for the 2012 elections.
Former Higher Education Minister William Ruto who is also one of the suspects said he was confident that his latest political party would form the next government. ]]> Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:15:57 EST admin News 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya news/icc-cautions-kenya-ahead-of-ruling%C2%A0-world%C2%A0%7Cmonitor-co-ug/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya news/103-government-of-kenya-websites-hacked-overnight-1/
The hacker appears to have a website at http://www.direxer.com/ though this has not been updated to reflect the hacking. In a message in the forum, the hacker says
show off by me...

thanks for tutorial in www.code-security.com all...

i have exploit from cs web, and i attacking to server Goverment Kenya,,,, and then,,, success full... this is deface in this night...

The government has moved fast to take the affected websites offline through a Cyber Incidence Response Team(CIRT) based at the Communications Commission of Kenya. The CIRT was formed to handle such situations and ensures Kenya's security in cyber space. Vincent Ngundi who heads CIRT has responded with the following comment "We're on it. Thanks for the heads-up and comments" in Kenya's Security Forum where the news first broke.

The government normally hosts several websites in one server at The Treasury thus compromising the server may expose several websites to a hacker. The Administration Police website has been hacked several times in the recent past. At the same time, most of the websites hacked appear to have been running the Joomla Content Management system ]]> Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:14:32 EST admin News 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya news/103-government-of-kenya-websites-hacked-overnight-1/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya politics news /cic-welcomes-elections-date-ruling%C2%A0/
Mr Nyachae said its only the courts which are mandated to interpret contentious issue in the new Constitution and not individuals.

“As CIC we are satisfied with the ruling because our position has been that contentious issues in the Constitution should be solved through a court process and not persons,” he said after the ruling at the High Court, Nairobi Friday.

He hoped that the ruling will put to rest the debate on the election date since the three judges had made their decision according to chapters which deal with elections.

Senior deputy solicitor general Muthoni Kimani also welcomed the ruling saying the courts acted impartially.

“This is a celebration for the country, this is the Judiciary we want as the AG’s office,” Ms Kimani said.

She said the ruling was timely so that the two principals can seat and agree on the appropriate date to hold the elections. ]]> Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:43:53 EST admin Politics 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya politics news /cic-welcomes-elections-date-ruling%C2%A0/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya/court-kenya-set-for-2013-poll-unless-coalition-dissolved%C2%A0/ Judges Isaac Lenaola, David Majanja and Mumbi Ngugi, sitting as a Constitutional Court, delivered the landmark ruling Friday.

They ruled that the General Election can only be held in 2012 if President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga agree, in writing, to dissolve the Grand Coalition Government. This would be 60 days after the Principals agree to terminate the National Accord that holds the coalition parties, PNU and ODM, together.

The other option would see Kenya go to the polls in 2013 after the expiry of the Tenth Parliament. This would be 60 days after the House first sat on January 15, 2008.

The judges also ruled that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will be the body to determine the exact date.

The Constitution envisages that elections be held on the second Tuesday every fifth year, which translates to August 14, 2012.

The Chairman of the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) Charles Nyachae welcomed the ruling saying that only the courts are mandated to interpret the contentious issue and not individuals.

However, Gichugu MP Martha Karua disagreed with the ruling. ]]> Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:40:45 EST admin Kenya 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya/court-kenya-set-for-2013-poll-unless-coalition-dissolved%C2%A0/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya news/briton-arrested-in-kenya-providing-information-on-al-shabaab-/
Jermaine Grant, from London, was arrested in the coastal city of Mombasa last month and is accused of having equipment to make explosives. He is likely to face further charges linked to an attack on a police station three years ago.

Grant is already serving two years for immigration offences – he claimed he was Peter Joseph, a Canadian – but he and three Kenyans are also charged with possessing bomb-making material that included batteries, wire, ammonium nitrate, lead nitrate, acetone and hydrogen peroxide. Their next court appearance is expected on 20 or 22 February.

Local reports suggest that Grant has helped provide new information on the al-Qaida linked Somali terror group al-Shabaab. Counter-terrorism officers from Scotland Yard who travelled to east Africa to assist Kenyan authorities in their investigations have now returned to London.

Last week, the Foreign Office, which has provided consular assistance to Grant, warned that terrorists might be in the final stages of planning attacks in Nairobi: "Attacks could be indiscriminate and target Kenyan institutions as well as places where expatriates and foreign travellers gather, such as hotels, shopping centres and beaches." ]]> Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:37:52 EST admin News 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya news/briton-arrested-in-kenya-providing-information-on-al-shabaab-/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/kenyan-used-car-prices-to-ease-in-early-2012/
Cheki operates Kenya's leading online car marketplace with over 98% of Kenyan car dealers represented and close to 100% of Kenya's cars for sale.

Analysing the Kenya used car price trends across the site, Cheki Managing Director Carey Eaton said "we are already seeing some short-term price falls for consumers in the Kenyan market in early 2012. We would expect the market to claw back about 50% of the price increases from last year over the next few months."

During 2011, a perfect storm of five key factors led to a 50% jump in Kenya used car prices during the year.

Firstly, large currency movements saw the US dollar move from KShs. 80/- to KShs. 110/- in 2011. By early 2012, the exchange rate had moved back closer to its long-term average after intervention by Kenya's Central Bank, which strengthened the shilling to its current rate of around 85 to the dollar. Kenyan consumers and car dealers are highly exposed to currency fluctuations given that over 85% of Kenyan car sales in 2011 involved imported cars.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/01/13/prweb9096200.DTL#ixzz1jLDXOqqA ]]> Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:35:30 EST admin Business 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/kenyan-used-car-prices-to-ease-in-early-2012/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/kenya%E2%80%99s-shilling-weakens-for-2nd-day-on-business-import-demand-bloomberg/ The currency of East Africa’s biggest economy declined as much as 0.6 percent to 87.85 per dollar and was down less than 0.1 percent at 87.38 at 1:57 p.m. in Nairobi.
“The shilling is under pressure due to high dollar demand from businesses such as oil importers,” Bernard Matimu, chief dealer at Nairobi-based NIC Bank Ltd., said in a phone interview today.
The Central Bank of Kenya accepted all the 5.55 billion shillings ($63.5 million) of repurchase agreements received at 17.623 percent. The bank had offered 7 billion shillings, a central bank official, who couldn’t be identified in line with bank policy, said by phone from Nairobi today.
In a repurchase agreement an investor agrees to sell a security to another trader while simultaneously arranging to buy it back at a future date at a pre-determined price.
]]> Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:33:24 EST admin Business 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/kenya%E2%80%99s-shilling-weakens-for-2nd-day-on-business-import-demand-bloomberg/ http://www.kenya411.com/regional/90000-displaced-in-nigerian-city-hit-by-violence/ "We have at the moment an estimated 90,000 displaced people from the Damaturu violence," said Ibrahim Farinloye, northeast coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency.
"Around 40,000 of this figure is from the Pompomari area, where the whole neighbourhood has been deserted. Some of the displaced have lost their homes, while others just fled for their security."

Farinloye said "we advised the displaced against moving into any temporary camp for security reasons, therefore most of them are sheltering in the homes of friends and relatives in the city and neighbouring villages." ]]> Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:45:06 EST admin Regional 2 http://www.kenya411.com/regional/90000-displaced-in-nigerian-city-hit-by-violence/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/the-sh1-8bn-deal-that-set-off-portland%E2%80%99s-board-fights%C2%A0/ The unprecedented action by Mr Kingi has sparked a vicious boardroom battle at Kenya’s second largest cement grinder, offering a rare peep into the company’s previously most guarded secrets.
Executives and directors at EAPCC — who spoke to the Business Daily in confidence — said that the award of the kiln upgrade contract to South Korean firm, Posco Plantec, in late November had upset the status quo. The upgrade would have reduced the use of imported clinker — a key raw material in cement construction.
The directors said government officials wanted the tender given to construction firm H Young for Sh3.8 billion. H Young is associated with businessman Naushad Merali. ]]> Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:43:03 EST admin Business 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/the-sh1-8bn-deal-that-set-off-portland%E2%80%99s-board-fights%C2%A0/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya news/kcpe-ongeri-slams-teachers-over-cheating-/ Prof Ongeri said teachers and pupils colluded to cheat in the 2011 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) Wednesday.
When releasing the results at Mitihani House, Nairobi the minister said in one case a teacher received Sh810,000 through the cash transfer service M-Pesa saying he was in a position to provide answers to exam questions.

He said police were hunting for the teacher.

The minister said cheating occurred mainly in examination centres where invigilators, supervisors and pupils colluded to gain unfair advantage. A furious Prof Ongeri said such teachers should be fired since they do not "add value". ]]> Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:41:14 EST admin News 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya news/kcpe-ongeri-slams-teachers-over-cheating-/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/idp-generation-a-ticking-time-bomb%C2%A0/
Over the last four years, scores of children have been born in camps for displaced families. Many more have adapted to living in the camps, knowing no other home since their families were uprooted in the wake of the post-election violence. Every indication is that majority of these children - not to mention their parents - will continue living in these camps upto and even after the next general election.
The question that arises then is this: How have the conditions in these camps socialised these children? What does it mean for them to share cramped space with their parents? How do they feel when the rain seeps into their tents in the dead of the night? ]]> Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:39:59 EST admin Business 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/idp-generation-a-ticking-time-bomb%C2%A0/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/nse-halts-trading-of-cement-firm%E2%80%99s-share-from-bourse-over-board-wars-/
The NSE said that it has written to company asking for official information over reports on suspension of the board and the firm’s chief executive Kephar Tande, which happened late last week following an order from the government, its largest shareholder.
“We have halted the trading until we get official communication from their office,” said NSE head of marketing and product development, Donald Ouma.
A halt in trading is a short-term regulatory action that could last for a few hours to a day. By the close of the market yesterday the stock was still not trading. A suspension is longer and indefinite. ]]> Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:38:37 EST admin Business 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/nse-halts-trading-of-cement-firm%E2%80%99s-share-from-bourse-over-board-wars-/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/postal-workers-cry-foul-after-employer-withholds-salaries/
Communication Workers Union secretary-general Benson Okwaro Tuesday said the employees had also been denied access to their work stations despite the union calling off the strike on Thursday after it obtained a court order compelling the Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) to reinstate the workers unconditionally.

On Tuesday, a senior executive who requested not to be named because he is not the corporation’s spokesperson, confirmed that the corporation had paid all its workers the December pay apart from the 594 who were on strike and had been issued with dismissal letters. ]]> Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:37:27 EST admin Business 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/postal-workers-cry-foul-after-employer-withholds-salaries/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/kenyans-shrug-off-inflation-as-they-shop-for-festivities-%C2%A0/
Retail chains Nakumatt Holdings and Uchumi Supermarkets, airline Fly540, hotels like TPS Serena and Diani-based Leisure Lodge Resort are among companies in the consumer goods and tourism markets that recorded improved sales in December.

However, dealers in luxury goods like high-end cars and clothing recorded sluggish sales.

Month-on-month inflation has more than tripled from 5.4 per cent in January to 19.7 per cent last month, driven by reduced food production, high fuel prices and a fluctuating shilling. This has seen the prices of goods and services rise by considerable margins. ]]> Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:36:14 EST admin Business 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/kenyans-shrug-off-inflation-as-they-shop-for-festivities-%C2%A0/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/banks-sh80bn-profits-exceed-last-year%E2%80%99s-level%C2%A0-1/ Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) said the earnings, which are Sh5.71 billion higher than the 2010 profit, are an indication that the recent surge in the cost of loans will not dent the lenders’ performance.
“We do not anticipate any significant risk to the banking industry given the performance so far. The industry realised profit before tax of Sh80.01 billion for the period ended November 2011. This was 7.7 per cent above the Sh74.3 billion realised in year 2010,” said CBK in an e-mail response.

The regulator allayed fears that the surge in lending rates by more than 10 percentage points in less that three months would constrain credit demand and lead to losses. ]]> Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:34:25 EST admin Business 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/banks-sh80bn-profits-exceed-last-year%E2%80%99s-level%C2%A0-1/ http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/kenyas-inflation-slows-down-in-december%C2%A0/
The Consumer Price Index rose 0.74 per cent in December compared with a 1.52 per cent increase a month earlier, according to KNBS statistics released Wednesday.

Food and non alcoholic drinks' index went up by 0.78 per cent, a net effect of both increases and falls in the prices of a number of food products.

The cost of electricity and fuel decreased in December as a result of reduced fuel and forex adjustment charges.

]]> Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:31:49 EST admin Business 1 http://www.kenya411.com/kenya business news/kenyas-inflation-slows-down-in-december%C2%A0/