Two renowned comedians in Kenya will be staging a mock swearing-in ceremony of US President-elect Barack Obama alongside the main event on Tuesday. The Kisumu city entertainers conducted a mock US election held last November 4 and attracted huge crowd. - Today’s event to be held at Kisumu’s Jomo Kenyatta Sports Ground is expected to attract a huge crowd who will be witnessing the Washington DC inauguration ceremony in the Lake side City. They have themed their activity: “A democratic and peaceful political change can effectively thrive in a diverse ethnicity and lessons learned from the American Elections.” “Kisumu residents and the world at large had great e…

Seven new-born children were named after Obama across Kenyan hospitals Wednesday, while a baby girl in Eastern Kenya was named Mitchelle Obama as the excitement of Obama's win reached fever pitch. - Two of them in Coast province, one each in Central and North-Eastern, two in Nyanza and the rest in Rift Valley Province were named after the victorious Presidential-elect. Joyce Muthoni who delivered 3.4kg Barack Njagi Obama at the Embu Provincial General hospital said, "We (parents) did not think twice we forgot the pain of labour immediately and knew that the baby was born to hope and we named him after the symbol of hope." That came just when two streets in Kisumu, the Un…

- BARACK Obama's Kenyan Grandmother Mama Sarah Obama is advising his victorious grandson to deliver on his pledges and especially aim at restoring global peace. Mama Sarah who has just addressed an International Press Conference said that she was so excited about the win but had a word Obama, " make sure you deliver on the promises, i know you can and especially on global security and peace." Mama Sarah who spoke through family interpreters also expressed reservations on enhanced personal security for the family saying "i do not want to be treated specially we are a normal family, let security be there for all of Kenya." On Mitchelle Obama, Mama Sarah said…

Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki has declared Thursday 6th November a public holiday as celebrations broke out in all major towns after Barack Obama was declared the USA's president-elect. Kibaki congratulated Obama and immediately sanctioned the celebrations that have rocked the country. - Obama's grandmother Mama Sarah Obama joined celebrations by leading villagers in songs and dance and finally prayers at the Kogello dispensary. In Nairobi residents gathered all night at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) and broke out in peaceful demonstrations singing praises of Obama. "The celebrations are well deserved and a holiday will help our people cheer their so…

- THE nasty flip side of the United States Presidential race played out in Kenya's capital Nairobi early Tuesday Morning as Jerome Corsi the controversial author of OBAMA NATION a book discrediting Democratic Presidential Candidate Barrack Obama attempted to launch it at a Nairobi hotel. In a more daring move "The Obama Nation; Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality," also approached Obama's half brother living in the slums of Huruma estate and wanted to use the occasion to hand the youngster $ 1,000 in cash. But Kenyans camped at Laico hotel ready to demonstrate against the man they accuse of being behind the whole smear campaign - interestingly the develop…

- Fourteen Bulls, top most political leaders, the finest local bands, hundreds of locals and a convoy of over two hundred vehicles escorted Kenya's latest teenage track sensation Pamela Jelimo back to her Rift Valley Kapsabet home - where she left a poor girl and returns a millionaire. Jelimo was escorted home by three cabinet ministers and several legislators where villagers split the throats of the 14 healthiest cows in Kapsabet town, 65 chicken and several goats and obviously she sipped the prepared traditional Mursik milk served to heroes and even got the road leading to her parents home renamed - the Pamela Jelimo street. The 19 year old police constable, is expected to trans…

The Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) has maintained that it did not rig last year's election in favour of President Mwai Kibaki, saying that commissioners played their part to the letter. - ECK chairman Samuel Kivuitu however told the Kriegler Commission that he would not clear the role of presiding officers saying that they had the ability to manipulate results. We did not know what was happening at the local level for Kibaki and other candidates, Kivuitu told the commission. Kivuitu further confirmed that an internal audit had revealed that ODM was denied 8,700 votes, ODM-Kenya 29,093 and PNU 21,473 votes in the final tally but that the discovery would still not alter the fin…

From this year, the private sector will be hired by government to recommend who should be retained or fired from the public service in a series of radical measures aimed at overhauling the civil service, Africanews has established. - The group of private sector representatives will also be required to recommend promotions, enhancements, demotions, salary hikes and re-organization in a fundamental change of operations in government. Salaries of top civil servants will be revised to match those in similar capacities in the private sector; while Strategic plans will be changed to be working plans with every individual person in the service allocated a duty with an annual deadline. Whereas…

- KENYA scaled up its fight against corruption by officially inviting former Anti-Corruption Czar John Githongo back to the country. Prime Minister Raila Odinga revealed that he had already written to Githongo to return home and spearhead the fight against corruption from his office in yet another landmark move by the Grand Coalition government. Githongo, sought refuge in the United Kingdom in 2005 after he exposed corrupt dealings and recordings with senior government ministers over the Anglo-Leasing Scandal. Anglo-Leasing was a number of security related projects aimed at providing the country with a Forensic Laboratory and police equipment. Githongo was then working directly u…

Kenya effected a nationwide smoking ban Tuesday, which among others outlaws any form of advertising of tobacco products and prohibits smoking in public places. - The Tobacco Control Act made it illegal to smoke in public places ranging from disco halls, cinemas, offices, hospitals, factories, bars and eateries to shopping malls, public transport and residential houses. Owners of such places should designate a smoking zone that must be well ventilated and separated from the public area, the new law stipulates. "Let us all accept that a majority of Kenyans are non smokers and a few smokers are endangering the lives of those majority Kenyans," said Public Health and Sanitation M…

Embattled Kenyan Finance Minister Amos Kimunya finally bowed to pressure and resigned Tuesday. - He said he had already sent his resignation letter to President Mwai Kibaki. Kimunya, however, maintained that his conscience was clear and was not involved in any wrong doing. He said he wanted the government to constitute an independent inquiry to investigate the matter. Kimunya said he reached the decision after wide consultations with his family and friends. He read out a brief statement to the media at the Treasury but declined to answer any questions citing advise from his lawyers. Kimunya was on the spot over the sale of Grand Regency Hotel, but he has maintained that the de…

86 year old Sarah Hussein Anyango Obama stole the show at celebrations to mark the US day in Nairobi. Dignitaries and guests all jostled for a chance to be photographed with Sarah the grandmother to Democratic Party Presidential hopeful Barrack Obama. - Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka also took the chance to pose for several photographs with Sarah. Guests invited to United State's ambassadorial official residence currently occupied by Michael Rannerberger jostled to either hug or shake the hand of the Grannie who was clearly the focus during the celebrations.

Kenya's Grand Coalition Cabinet meets for the third time this year with an urgent brief to deal with - discuss the sale of Grand Regency Hotel whose disposal has been on the public spotlight over a suspected corruption related deal. - The Five Star Hotel was sold to Libyans in a disposal that has come to the public since the hotel was under receivership for the last decade. Kenya Finance Minister Amos Kimunya maintains that the sale was above board, but a cabinet sub-Committee led by the country's Attorney General Amos Wako Wednesday returned a verdict of more investigations needed, but demanded the resignation of Kimunya, the National Intelligence Boss, The Central Bank Governo…

- The Kenyan government has for the second day in a row threatened to shut down vernacular Radio station KASS FM, citing incitement and lack of professional ethics. In a letter dated June 24th, Information and Communications Permanent Secretary Bitange Ndemo ordered the station management to show cause why their license should not be withdrawn within 72 hours. He accused the station of broadcasting material he said were prejudicial to National Security, National Cohesion, Peace and the Reconciliation process. "It is noted that on several broadcasts aired by your station during the past few months and even including today (Tuesday), you failed, ignored or neglected to observe jour…

- Kenyan military officers could be banned from future Peace Keeping missions if a request by the local chapter of Kenya Human Rights is adopted by the United Nations (UN). A report by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) that has been sent to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, claims that the Kenyan army is involved in human rights violations. In a response letter to the KNCHR, the UN Human Rights chief Louise Arbour said she would raise the matter with the UN Peace Keeping Operations Department. “Anyone suspected of or found to have been involved in torture or other serious human rights violations should be excluded from participation in…

Panic gripped students of a Catholic girls' secondary school in Mombasa after a section of them were allegedly attacked by evil spirits. - The morning incident caused drama at the Star of The Sea High School, forcing most parents to storm the compound and withdraw their children. Students screamed and wailed in loud voices as teachers made efforts to separate the affected ones from the rest. Parents and teachers struggled with the students who appeared hysterical. A parent, Ms Zaituni Daudi, who could not hold back her tears, said they had been prevented from entering the school compound despite learning activities being disrupted. “In one of the classes, the students…

Kenya Prime Minister has criticized South African President Thabo Mbeki for playing public Relations on the Zimbabwe issue instead of taking firm decisions on the matter. - Raila said in a press statement faxed from the United States where he is leading a Kenyan delegation on a three day official visit, that the message of power sharing in the Zimbabwe situation was misplaced. "Instead Mbeki should be telling Mugabe that he does not own Zimbabwe and that the country can do without him, Mbeki should tell him he was not born to be Zimbabwe President, he should be told he is a dictator without a cause, a leader who had been overtaken by time, a fighter without weapons, " Raila said…

Kenya's two ministers who perished in a light aircraft crash last week have united the entire national political leadership in mourning in a rare momentous occasion for the loosely assembled Grand Coalition. - Ministers and legislators from the Orange Democratic Movement and the Party of National Unity sat side to side in both services in Nairobi and paid glowing tribute to the fallen Home Affairs minister Lorna Laboso and Roads Minister Kipkalya Kones. President Mwai Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and retired President Daniel Moi are expected to grace the burial ceremonies starting Friday when Laboso will be buried in her Sotik home and Satu…

- The much anticipated ICT Bill is set to be published in the next three weeks, the government has confirmed Information and Communication Permanent Secretary Bitange Ndemo said the revised Bill, is at the Attorney General's office undergoing final drafting. The ICT Bill has been discussed for close to six years and was withdrawn from the floor of Parliament last year following objections by stakeholders that it did not sufficiently address key issues like cyber-crime. On Wednesday, Ndemo said once the Bill went through the first reading in Parliament it would be presented to stakeholders in the industry for further scrutiny. Speaking during the launch of a global initiative…

- Prime Minister Raila Odinga, has described President Robert Mugabe's presidency as " an eyesore on the African continent" and stepped up demands for world leaders to pressure for his resignation. Odinga also called for Peacekeepers to be sent to the capital Harare to ensure that Free and Fair elections are conducted there. According to a press statement sent in by his press service Raila posed at a gathering in the United States,"Do we have conditions for free and fair elections in Zimbabwe at the moment? The answer is no, you don't." "It's already been pre-rigged," Odinga said, citing beatings and arrests, arson, the repeated detentio…

The Kenyan government has admitted that the country is facing an impending power crisis, that could lead to a national blackout. - Only two moths ago the entire nation was thrown into darkness in a mishap that was then blamed to a technical fault. Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi said the demand for electricity, which currently stands at 1049 Megawatts, is outstripping supply. "We should not continue pretending. We are facing a power crisis," the minister said bluntly. Speaking when he visited the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) headquarters in Nairobi, Kiraitu said urgent intervention measures need to be taken to deal with the situation which could have major reper…

- By Dennis Itumbi KENYA's Harambee stars humbled Zimbabwe brave warriors with two goals to nil at home in a match attended by a record capacity crowd. Netherlands trained Kenyan Coach Francis Kimanzi has breathed back life back to football fans and they are are now back to the terraces cheering and chanting their team to victory. Starved of victory in football matches, FM stations mobilized supporters to the stadium and succeeded in filling the 40,000 seater stadium in Raila Odinga's constituency of Langata to capacity. Parma midfielder Macdonald Mariga and AJ Auxerre striker Dennis Oliech were the hit men of the two goals one in each half. The warrior's atte…

- By Dennis Itumbi REPRESENTATIVES of the Rwandan Genocide tribunal sitting in Arusha have been dispatched to Nairobi to authenticate the identity of a man in Kenyan custody since Wednesday night who is suspected to be runaway fugitive Felicien Kabuga. Police sources Thursday evening have confirmed that they were awaiting the arrival of the representatives to verify that a man "we arrested in Nairobi last night is Kabuga or not." This is not the first time police in Nairobi have come close to nabbing the alleged mastermind of the 1994 Rwanda genocide, in November 2004, he was arrested and locked up at Kilimani police Station before he was released on what was then describe…

- RENEWED interest on the runaway fugitive and alleged mastermind of the Rwanda 1994 genocide, Felicien Kabuga, hit the Kenya Security networks Saturday morning when it was reported that he had been arrested in upmarket Nairobi and only half an hour later police sources changed the story. In particular a senior police source confirmed the development saying that despite his rank he had yet to see the suspect in custody, adding a cruel twist to the matter. In November 2004, he was briefly arrested and locked up at Kilimani Police Station, before being let free after high level intervention. By the time of going to press police were confirming that the man in custody was merely a former…

Kenya's Annual national budget favoured the youth Most with various incentives to encourage employment, enterpreneurship, constituency based sports and others. Youth and Sports Minister Hellen Sambili reacts. - The Youth who make up more than half of the population will benefit from a fully funded football tournament at the Constituency Level every year, a National Youth Policy will also be passed to make it compulsory for companies to offer internships and the formation of a National Youth Council. Artists in the country all of whom are young people will benefit from tax exemption in the event they are pay taxes while performing abroad. Youths will also pay less for Bread and Ric…

In attempts to attract more tourists and to wipe off the dust whipped on the industry by the post-election violence, The Kenya Tourism Board is offering free dancing entertainment to tourists in all hotels countrywide. - We sample some dancing entertainment offered in the Safari tourism package. Keywords: kenya travel