Month: January 2013
Thika Road defaced with campaign posters
The multi-billion shilling Nairobi-Thika superhighway has been littered with campaign posters barely four months after the Kenya National Highway Authority (Kenha) banned such notices.
In October last year, Kenha Director General Meshack Kidenda, while on an inauguration tour of the 12-lane facility, said that it was against the law to deface the superhighway with campaign posters.
Kidenda had warned that those culpable would be liable for prosecution.
“It is against the law to spray graffiti on the superhighway or even place posters on it. We will take stern measures against those who violate this directive,” he said.
A spot check ahead of the ongoing party primaries reveal that the superhighway was full of posters for various candidates, which goes against the directive issued earlier by Kenha.
Most of the posters found along Kariokor area were mainly those of Housing assistant minister Margaret Wanjiru.
The 50km highway cost the Government about Sh31 billion and was officially opened late last year by President Mwai Kibaki.
Police assure Kenyans in hotspots of security
Deputy Police Spokesman Charles Owino has assured residents of Mathare, Eastleigh and other crime prone areas of their security ahead of the March 4, General Election.
He said that they have instituted a special unit of police to conduct security surveillance in the areas.
Owino noted that they will continue to monitor the situation in the areas to ensure residents have adequate security.
“We want to assure residents of Mathare, Eastleigh and the rest of the country that we are committed to promote their safety,” he said.
Owino, who was addressing a media briefing at a Nairobi hotel today, asked Kenyans to shun violence adding that they are ready to deal with law breakers.
He said that they will not hesitate to take action against law breakers saying that the country needs a peaceful environment for the election.
He stated that they have deployed enough security personnel ahead of the party nominations saying that aspirants should desist from instigating
Bloggers being watched over hate speech – Ombara
The director of public communication Mary Ombara has said that the Government is liaising with the media and several departments to ensure that the public is aware of hate speech connotations that may stir violence during campaigns.
Putting much emphasis on bloggers who are updating hate speech on their websites, she warned them that they were being monitored and soon would face charges according to the law.
Speaking during the weekly media briefing on Wednesday morning held at the Intercontinental hotel in Nairobi, Ombara stated that there have been massive education and awareness of the hate speech by the media channels and even personnel’s which is geared towards ensuring peaceful elections.
The director also said that a new short message system was underway to enable anyone to report any hates speech without paying any charges
“The monitoring of the social media, mostly bloggers, is being done by professionals deployed using specialised softwares. Bloggers are our key targets as they have massive followers more than even some radio stations. An average of 3 million blogs is being updated in a minute with great replies. Most of the content is hate speech and in evidence, four bloggers have been reported with updates of hate speech connotation and may be arraigned in court next week to face the charges,” noted Ombara.
The main headache reported is bloggers based in the diaspora who are managing a blog called ‘Kenyan talks’ which has continually updated content that has hate speech connotation that may have an impact of dividing the citizens abroad on tribal basis.
Meanwhile, the assistant police spokesman Charles Owino confirmed that party primaries that are expected tomorrow will be peaceful with police being deployed in the morning until the event winds up.
“Those intending to kick the ballot boxes with the papers of nomination should be prepared to be our guest tomorrow in the cells,” noted Owino.
SMS alert unveiled in Mathare to curb crime
A short message platform to alert residents on emergencies has been launched in the sprawling Mathare slums as the fight against crime takes centre stage.
The platform whose primary objective is to share information that touch on well being of the residents was founded by a blogger Javin Ochieng and endorsed by Mathare District Officer Jerald Omoke.
Speaking during the launch of the platform at NCCK Hall in Huruma, Starehe community policing head Patrick Lumumba exuded confidence in the programme, saying that communication breakdown has for many times led to destruction of properties whenever calamities strike the region.
Lumumba asked the residents to send alerting messages to 0729776558 to ensure speedy reactions to scourges by relevant authorities.
The author of the initiative, Javin Ochieng, said the platform has already helped to avert impending disorders in the volatile region as the police were updated in the recent weeks and urged the residents to continue with vigilance.
“No stranger brings discomfort in Mathare. For anything bad or good to happen in your area, at least some people have privy information,” noted Ochieng.
He further asked the residents to be objective while sharing information, saying that inflammatory massages will not be taken lightly.
Various communication platforms have been unveiled in the region to promote citizen journalism amongst residents in a bid to quell discomforts in the area that was worst hit during 2007 post election violence.
KIBUNJA ASK JOURNALISTS TO BE PARTIOTIC
The chairperson of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission Mzalaendo Kibunja has asked media practitioners to be objective and patriotic in their news coverage in a bid to prevent ethnic tension ahead of general elections.
Speaking during the signing of memorandum of understanding between his commission and National Youth Bung Association to promote and facilitate a Kenyan society whose values are harmonious and non-discriminatory for peaceful co-existence and integration at Austin grounds in Mathare, Kibunja faulted some leading print media houses for publishing an inflammatory pictures of Tana river clashes saying that such will escalate the clashes.
A composed Kibunja said that his commission appreciates press freedom but cautioned journalists to exercise that freedom soberly knowing that they were part of the country.
Speaking during the forum, Mathare District Commissioner Jerald Omoke cautioned the youth not to be used by rogue politicians whose primary objective is to cause tension amongst residents for their selfish reasons.
Omoke regretted recent skirmishes in Mathare saying that permanent solution for peace in the region lie with the residents.
National Youth Bunge Association chairperson Silas Maru urged youths to engage in profit making initiatives as the one fostered by his association as it was the solution to joblessness that trigger crime and recklessness amongst them.
Also present at the function included representatives from the US embassy and local leaders.
Security is a collective responsibility, says Owino
Deputy police spokesman Charles Owino has called everyone to report any crime and insecurity to police to enable the officers have an easy way to deal with the issue of insecurity in the country.
Owino, who was addressing journalists at the police headquarters in Nairobi, noted that security was a collective responsibility.
“The police force cannot afford to have officers at every doorstep and the security is a collective responsibility issue,” noted Owino.
He said that all acts of insecurity in the country, and especially in the cities, needed the public to volunteer and give information before a crime is committed.
Owino, however, said that the Government was working hard to ensure every Kenyan is safe and secure.
DC calls for calm as inter-community clashes in Mathare reignited
Mathare District Commissioner (DC) Gerald Omoke has called for calm in the area as investigations to the latest inter-clan skirmishes continue.
Addressing the media in the area today, Omoke said that they have launched a security swoop to crackdown on individuals believed to have started the attacks.
He confirmed that an elderly man was killed after several houses were torched down by unknown people in last night’s incident.
“We want to ask residents to calm down as police conduct investigations on the yesterday’s attack,” he said.
Omoke said that adequate security officers have been deployed to the area to restore order as investigations continue.
He asked residents cooperate with security officers to ensure criminals behind the attack are arrested.
According to residents, a group of people who were protesting security operations that had been earlier conducted in the area are said to have started the fire.
The attack comes three weeks after another alleged inter-community clashes was witnessed in Mathare 4C that saw at least three people killed and property destroyed.
Youth appeal for more police posts in Mathare to curb insecurity
The Government has been asked to set up more police stations in Mathare to curb the increasing insecurity.
Addressing the media in Mathare 3C yesterday, Mathare Youth Association chairman Shadrack Juma said that the increasing security threats has caused fear among residents as we head closer to the General Election.
He said that there is need for the Government to ensure the residents are safe, adding that setting up more police units will reduce criminal activities in the area.
“We want to ask the Government to set up more police units in this area to ensure safety of residents,” he said.
Juma condemned the recent inter-community skirmishes that saw one elderly man killed and more than 20 houses torched.
At the same time, the youthful leader asked residents to cooperate with security agencies to root out the criminals who have been causing havoc in the area.
In December last year, at least three people died after their homes were burnt in yet another inter-community clashes in the slums.
Uchaguzi Mathare 2013 