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The AfricaNews articles of paddingtonkenya
Kenya in darkness
A power blackout in Kenya on Sunday evening left almost all major towns and cities in Kenya in total darkness. Most affected were Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret among others. - The blackout that started at 6.30pm left many city dwellers stranded and others had to head home early. The blackout affected night businesses especially at drinking bars and restaurants.
Similar incident happened 25th May 2008 and it took the engineers and the technical team of Kenya Power and Lighting Corporation (KPLC) five hours to have the electricity back.
“I have to pick my children from my sister's place - and take them home - how can we walk in the dark?” asked John Onyango.
Ma…Kenya’s anti corruption boss resigns
The head of Kenya's anti-corruption commission Justice Aaron Ringera and his deputy Fatima Sichale have all resigned. "The time of the director of KACC and his deputy to exit stage had come. We have played our role to fight corruption for the last five years." Ringera told reporters in the capital, Nairobi. - Dr Smokin Wanjala -one of the Assistant Directors had resigned earlier bowing down to pressure from parliament-civil society and concerned citizens.
Justice Ringera earned over $ 350,000 per year to fight graft but failed miserably(An amount equivalent to what the President of Kenya earns)-During his tenure-huge scandals like the Anglo Leasing scandal-whose architects are still on th…Kenya census begins smoothly
Kenya has begun the match awaited census smoothly. Traffic chaos preceded the beginning of the census. Traffic jams made reaching home early very difficult. Everyone was departing the city centre headed home after 5pm for the census. - The result was a huge traffic snarl that affected most roads in the capital-Nairobi. Along Heile Selasie and Ngong Road; passengers were so tired that they were falling asleep. By 7.30pm-a long Ngong Road, the traffic was still on.
'This bus has not moved for close to 30 minutes-at this rate-i will never make it.' said a passenger-Peter Kariuki.
In Western Province, a huge mix up occurred after materials meant for Kakamega North, Butere and Kakamega Cent…Census begins in Kenya
Kenya is to organize a census in which the population of that country is to hit the 40 million mark according to estimates, although the Kenya National bureau of Statistics puts the estimate at 35.7 million. - The census begins Monday night though President Kibaki declared Tuesday a public holiday as the exercise goes on till August the 31st when it comes to an official close.
“The time has now come for us all to be counted. The program is on schedule. All the districts have received the materials,” Kibaki said during the 4pm television and radio address from State House Nairobi.
He urged Kenyans to stay indoors and avoid lots of movement to allow the process take place eff…Kenya: Swine Flu panic grips students
Six students have been infected with the swine flu in the Nyanza Province sections of Gusii in Kenya. A team of experts have been dispatched to the area to do thorough screening. The infected are now receiving treatment at the referral hospital in Nairobi-Kenyatta National Hospital. - AfricaNews reporter said the infected students had just come back from Mombasa city after attending the Kenya Schools and Colleges National Music Festival. Thomas Nyang’au the District Public Health Officer has suspended all tuition in nearby schools and church gatherings for at least 10 days.
The Public Health Minister told parliament earlier that six out of nine samples taken from a school in Keiyo D…Kenya: Belgian firm issues new drivers' license
A Belgian firm - Semlex Europe SA/Compulynx Ltd - has won a tender to finance, design and create the new driving license of Kenya, which would outdoor by close of the year. Their mandate lasts for five years - AfricaNews reporter said the new driving license is meant to replace the current red one which is bulky and out of date. The new license is in the form of a plastic card and comes with an identity number and history of the offenses of the holder.
The Minister for Transport Chirau Ali Mwakwere said the new driving license will be issued by the end of the year with the same price. He said the police will be given a special hand held gadget - a card reader - that will enable them to g…Kenya: Hunger drives 2m out of school
Two million Kenyan children are out of school due to hunger according to a report by a local non-governmental organization - Elimu Yetu Coalition. The report titled 'Taking Stock, Counting Gains and Mapping the Road to 2015' said the worst affected areas are the slums, arid and semi-arid areas. - The report revealed that the number of children who are out of schools at the moment has risen from 1.5 million to 2 million as the famine continues to bite.
AfricaNews reporter said the latest report is a big blow to the free primary education program that was initiated in 2002 when President Mwai Kibaki assumed power. Most school feeding programs have stopped because the government and the dono…Kenya:70 infected with swine flu
Kenya is now facing the brunt of the Swine flu with 70 reported cases countrywide with the most affected being the capital Nairobi. - "Despite an increase in the number of cases, I would like to appeal to Kenyans not to panic since my ministry has strengthened surveillance at airports and even at the grassroots following the latest upsurge of new cases," the countrys' Public Health Minister Beth Mugo said.
Nairobi has so far recorded 40 cases of H1N1 virus followed by Kisumu (18), Rift Valley (10), Garissa (2) and Nyeri (1).
Mugo assured Kenyans that her ministry is doing all it can both at the entry points and even in communities.She also urged people who have the symptoms to seek tre…Kenya Airways staff call off strike
The staff of embattled airline Kenya Airways went back to work after the airline agreed to some of their demands.The Aviation and Allied Workers Union called off the strike that saw thousands of commuters stranded for two days. - The airline lost a lot of revenue due to the grounding of the flights during the crisis with the staff whose salaries have now been increased by 20% over the next two years.
During the crisis the airline cancelled over 50 flights to various destinations and even Members of Parliament were stranded in various airports in the country.
The pilots who received a pay hike a while back also wanted to join in the strike if the demands of the unionisable staff were no…Kenya Airlines staff on strike
The staff of Kenyas premier airline Kenya Airways are on a strike organised by the Aviation and Allied Workers Union (AAWU)-Lots of flights were cancelled as the chaos took centre stage with a deadlock in negotiations on Saturday. - Officials of the Airline have so far declined to comment on the situation.
As the stranded passengers continued to bear the burnt of the strike-the Federation of Kenyan Employees and the Central Organisation of Trade Unions were not able to reach a deal with the employees.
The union fighting for the workers want the Airline to increase the salaries by 130% but the CEO of the Ailines said that would drive them out of business.He was willing to increase it …Kenya: Refugee crisis worsen
The UN Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres has said that Daadab refugee camp in Kenya needed more attention at the humanitarian level. He reiterated that the facilities at the camp are over stretched since they were meant for 90,000 refugees but now over 300,000 are using the facilities. - ‘There is a problem of capacity. It is not an easy location. Millions of dollars are required to improve the situation,’ he said. The top UN boss is on a three-day official visit to Kenya.
Daadab refugee camp is about 100km to the Somali border and with the escalation of violence in Somalia over 5,000 Somalis arrive at the camp each month. Between now and October, over 12,000 refugees…Kenya: Students to undergo pregnancy tests
Kenyan female students will now have to undergo pregnancy tests at least once a term if the new guideline launched by the Public Health and Education Ministers - Beth Mugo and Prof Sam Ongeri - are implemented. - The Guideline was launched Wednesday amid rising number of pregnancy related school dropouts. The test is supposed to be voluntary, the guideline said.
Male teachers in some cases have been accused of making some of the girls pregnant yet they go unpunished, AfricaNews reporter said. Schools reporting a high number of pregnancies will be investigated according to the guideline.
The Guideline frowned on schools that expel pregnant girls. “On confirmation of a pregnancy, t…Kenyan gov’t rebuts ultimatum by Annan
Kenya will not work with the deadline given to it by Kofi Annan. The Justice and Constitutional Minister, Mutula Kilonzo said. Annan this week gave the Kenyan government up to the end of August this year to set up a tribunal to try last year's post election violence suspects or have their names sent to the ICC. - "I still believe Kenya is a sovereign State and I know the principals, President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga, have accepted to establish the special tribunal but we cannot accept ultimatums," Kilonzo said.
The deadline is for creating a tribunal to try the Post Electoral Violence (PEV) suspects whose names Kofi Annan was given in a sealed envelope in 2007 by the chair …
