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Tag: Kenya

  • Title not certain for anybody in Kenya —Oshonaike

    From the way things are panning out in Nairobi, Kenya at the 2018 ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup, Olufunke Oshonaike believes nobody can lay claim to the title at the start of the competition.

    Oshonaike, who defeated Seychelles’ Bristol Christy 3-0 in the first round of the women’s event told NationSport that the altitude in Nairobi is working against most of the players.

    “I must say that nobody is sure of winning the tournament because the altitude has not been helping at all and every player has been complaining about this. But there is nothing we can do as we just have to give our best and do well. My target is the title but I know it is not going to be an easy task for me in Nairobi,” she said.

    “My first game was a bit difficult because I am yet to get used to the atmosphere in Nairobi but with time, I am going to be used to it. I know the Egyptians are roaring to go but we will allow them to run over this time around as we are ready to give them a fight till the end of the competition,” she added.

    The 2016 African Champion however, lauded the organisers of the tournament – Kenya Table Tennis Association (KTTA) for putting up a good show despite the low-level of the sport in the Eastern African nation. “I am so much impressed with what I am seeing in Nairobi because the organization has been superb and I know with more tournament being staged in Kenya, they will also be among the top playing nations in the continent,” Oshonaike said.

  • Kenyan university lecturers strike again over low pay

    Kenyan university lecturers strike again over low pay

    Kenya’s public university lecturers have resumed a nationwide strike over low pay, nearly three months after ending a similar protest.

    Strikes by public workers in the East African country have become more frequent in recent years, often fueled by grievances over pay.

    The lecturers, who began the strike on Thursda, said in a statement they were also demanding services available to other public servants like car loans and higher quality medical insurance.

    “The union has exhausted all the possible options that were available to prevent the industrial action,” the Universities’ Academic Staff Union said in the statement.

    A strike over the same grievances ended in December after the lecturers said they had reached an agreement with the government for a rise in salaries.

    Some public workers accuse the government of President Uhuru Kenyatta of neglecting them and failing to curb widespread corruption that they say swallows money that could be used to raise their pay.

    NAN reports that in November 2017, lecturers in public universities launched a strike to protest against what they call the government’s continued failure to implement a March deal to boost salaries and housing allowances.

    The strike piled pressure on the government after a strike by nurses in public hospitals over the past few months has paralysed health care services countrywide.

    It also worsened the plight of more than half a million students in 31 public universities, since the lecturers ended a 54-day strike over pay in February 2017 and signed a pact with the government in March 2017.

    The agreement provided for a pay hike of 17.5 per cent and an increase of 3.9 per cent in house allowances. Government officials were not immediately available to comment.

    Kenyan public servants often strike over pay inequalities as the country’s members of parliament are among the world’s most highly paid, taking home around 1.2 million Kenyan shillings (11,571 dollars) per month, including allowances, says Justine Musila of the parliamentary watchdog website Mzalendo.

    By contrast, lecturers’ basic salaries range from 69,000 shillings to 200,000 shillings each month, before allowances.

    A newly-qualified doctor typically earns about 156,000 shillings a month. (Reuters.NAN)

  • Top 16 Cup: Africa T/tennis stars storm Kenya

    Top 16 Cup: Africa T/tennis stars storm Kenya

     

    The best 32 table tennis players in Africa will this week storm Nairobi, Kenya for this year’s ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup from March 1st to 3rd.

    The players are fighting for the two slots available Africa at the 2018 ITTF World Cup.

    16 women including defending champion – Egypt’s Dina Meshref will slug it out while Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri will battle 15 others in his bid to make another appearance at the prestigious World Cup scheduled to hold in France this year.

    Also veterans like Nigeria’s duo of Olufunke Oshonaike and Segun Toriola as well as Egypt’s talented Ahmed Saleh will be rubbing shoulders with the young players at the three-day championship.

    Africa’s highest ranked player – Egypt’s Omar Assar who had a not-too-impressive outing at the London tournament last week will be traveling from his base to Kenya for the showdown.

    Already, Omar Assar has said that he hopes to be at his best in Kenya. “I was not feeling too fine after the first match against Japan at the ITTF Team World Cup in London. So I had to rest against England in order to recover on time for the Kenya tournament. I will be heading to Germany from London to put final touches to my training ahead of the competition. But I must admit that it promises to be tough and exciting in Kenya considering the quality of African players in recent time,” Omar Assar said.

    15-year-old South African Musfiquh Kalam will also be debuting at the tournament after emerging the winner of the Southern

    African region tournament held in Botswana in January. The teenager said: “I feel excited to qualify for the ITTF Africa

    Top 16 Cup as a junior player. My target in Kenya is to make it to the quarterfinal stage,” Kalam said.

    The 5000-capacity Kasarani Gymnasium at the Moi International Sports Centre will host the tournament.

     

     

  • DHL Global appoints heads for Kenya, Nigeria

    DHL Global Forwarding, the leading provider of air, sea and road freight services has appointed Agnaldo Laice and Maureen Adibuah as Country Managers in Kenya and Nigeria respectively. Both of them are industry veterans who possess strong local market knowledge and have been with DHL for almost two decades – having risen through the ranks in different portfolios. They will report directly to Daniella De Pauw, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Sub-Saharan Africa.

    Amadou Diallo, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Middle East and Africa, said, “Both Africa and Middle East are dynamic regions which are of strategic importance to our global network. Economic growth in Africa for example, is expected to rise to 3.2% in 2018 and 3.5% in 2019, due to an increase in commodity prices and favorable global financing condition. In view of the positive business and investment climate, we want to seize the opportunity to grow business prospects for our customers here, by leveraging our expertise and full understanding of these markets.”

    Daniella De Pauw, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Sub-Saharan Africa, said, “As one of the fastest growing and largest economies in Sub-Saharan Africa respectively, Kenya and Nigeria are both poised for positive growth amid stable business climates. Therefore, it is crucial that we have veterans like Agnaldo and Maureen to lead the teams with their keen understanding of local business and cultural practices in these countries. Their strong credentials and track records in the logistics industry will serve our customers well and I have full confidence in their capabilities to bring our operations in Kenya and Nigeria to greater heights.”

    Maureen Adibuah, Country Manager for Nigeria, DHL Global Forwarding said, “It is an honor to be appointed for this role as it marks another career milestone. I’m excited to work with my team of committed logistics experts, to drive business success for our customers. Most importantly, I will leverage my industry know-hows and experience to add value to the business.”

     

  • Kenyatta is Kenya’s President, U.S. tells Odinga

    Kenyatta is Kenya’s President, U.S. tells Odinga

    The U.S. Government declared that Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta was validly elected as the president of the country in accordance with Kenya’s constitution.

    The U.S. Department of State in a statement said it was gravely concerned by Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga’s self-“inauguration” on Tuesday as Kenya’s ‘People’s President’.

    The statement issued by Ms Heather Nauert, Department Spokesperson, said: “We reject actions that undermine Kenya’s Constitution and the rule of law.

    “Uhuru Kenyatta was elected as President of the Republic of Kenya on Oct. 26, 2017 in a poll that was upheld by Kenya’s Supreme Court.

    “Grievances must be resolved through appropriate legal mechanisms”.

    The U.S. commended the restraint shown by security forces and urge them to continue to refrain from any unnecessary or excessive use of force.

    The U.S. said any arrests and prosecutions must be made in full accordance with the rule of law and demonstrate transparent due process.

    “We urge all Kenyans to reject violence and hatred. Protesters have a right to assemble peacefully, to express their views freely, and to hold opinions without interference.

    “We are also deeply concerned by the Government’s action to shut down, intimidate, and restrict the media.

    “Freedom of expression, including for members of the media, is essential to democracy and is enshrined in Kenya’s Constitution,” the statement read.

    The U.S. urged the Government and all Kenyans to respect freedom of expression and implement court orders calling for the restoration of television broadcasts.

    The U.S. further said: “We again urge Kenyan leaders and citizens to begin a national conversation to build cohesion and address long-standing issues.

    “The U. S. continues to support efforts by religious, business, and civil society leaders to begin this conversation in the near future and calls on everyone to participate in this endeavour.

    “The U. S. stands firmly with the people of Kenya; it is only Kenyans who can find a way to resolve their differences and chart the destiny of this great country”.

    NAN

  • Odinga inaugurates self as Kenyan president

    Odinga inaugurates self as Kenyan president

    Kenya’s main opposition leader, Raila Odinga, has declared himself the “people’s president” at a controversial “swearing-in” ceremony in the capital.

    Thousands of his supporters attended the event, despite a government warning that it amounted to treason.

    The BBC reports that Kenyan authorities shut down TV stations to prevent live coverage of the event.

    President Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn in for a second term last November. He won an election re-run in October, but Mr. Odinga boycotted it.

    Elections were first held in August but the courts ordered a re-run, saying Mr. Kenyatta’s victory was marred by irregularities.

    Holding a Bible in his right hand at a park in Nairobi, Mr. Odinga declared that he was answering to a “higher calling to assume the office of the people’s president of the Republic of Kenya.”

    Read Also: 2,000 Kenyans march to election board office in Odinga

    “People had had enough of election rigging and the event was a step towards establishing a proper democracy in the East African state,” he told a cheering crowd.

    Speaking earlier to Kenyan broadcaster KTN, Mr. Odinga said his “swearing-in” was intended to “show the world that what we are doing is legal, constitutional and not something you can remotely describe as a coup.”

  • Kenya to host ITTF in March after 29-years

    Kenya to host ITTF in March after 29-years

    International attention will return to Kenya as it hosts the 2018 ITTF Africa top 16, 29-years after such event in the country.

    The event which would hold from March 1-3 in Nairobi will welcome the best 32 players in the continent.

    The President of Kenya Table Tennis Association (KTTA), Andrew Mudibo, said the country is ready to stage the prestigious tournament which serves as qualification for the 2018 ITTF World Cup.

    “90 percent of the preparations has already been completed, and we are remaining with just a few lose ends to tie up,’’ Mudibo said in a statement.

    “The event will hold in Moi International Sports Stadium, Kasarani indoor Gymnasium in Nairobi and the Kenya Government through our Ministry of Sports are fully committed in putting up a strong event,” he said.

    On the eagerness of Kenyans to watch the best of the continent, the KTTA president said: “many Kenyans who we talk to are looking forward to watching the best players in Africa.

    “This is good for us as most of the times it is the strong sports like football, rugby and athletics that attract large crowds but this time round we hope the Kenyan fans will be part of this.

    “KTTA will go all out to publicize the event to the Kenyan public for them to come and enjoy the games.

    “We shall also be giving access to schools to bring their students to watch and maybe one of them will pick up the sport and be the next Segun Toriola, Quadri Aruna, Omar Assar or even Olufunke Oshonaike.

    With a target of February 2018 to round up the preparation, Mudibo said “we are working round the clock to ensure everything is in place and our target is to make sure we are ready to roll by February.

    “Kenya has always hosted major Table Tennis tournaments in the past. We have always been good hosts and I believe we will continue to improve more.

    “The championship would impact on the image of the sport in the country.

    “When we agreed to host the event our main aim was for this tournament to leave a legacy which we can be able to build up in exposing the game to more Kenyans and the business world.

    “By so doing, we can get the required support to be able to compete with the rest of Africa and the world in the nearest future,” Mudibo said.

    The president said that ITTF and ATTF have provided high class equipment for the tournament, saying the equipment would be use to promote the sport in the country after the event.

  • Kenyan police killed 13 during 2017 protests

    Kenyan police killed 13 during 2017 protests

    Kenyan police killed 13 people in clashes that took place in the Mathare slums of the country’s capital after the 2017 elections, local media reported on Monday.

    The protests that took place between Aug. 9 and Aug. 13 and after the Oct. 26, 2017 vote resulted in deaths of 13 people in the slums and injuries of dozens more due to police actions.

    The original presidential election took place in the African nation on Aug. 8.

    On Aug. 11, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission declared Uhuru Kenyatta the winner with 54.27 percent of the votes.

    Read Also: I won’t vote Buhari in 2019 –Junaid Mohammed

    Raila Odinga from opposition National Super Alliance received 44.7 per cent of the votes. Odinga vowed to

    challenge the results in the Supreme Court, claiming that the voting system had been hacked.

    On Sept. 1, the Kenyan Supreme Court decided to invalidate the August presidential election, annul the

    results and hold a new vote following the opposition’s appeal.

    The Supreme Court ruled that the election was not organised in full compliance with the country’s constitution and with violations by an independent election commission.

    Given the decision, a new election was held on Oct. 26.

    The elections were accompanied by deadly protests against their execution, as well as against their results.

    NAN

  • Kenya’s opposition postpones ‘swearing-in’ of alternative president

    Kenya’s opposition postpones ‘swearing-in’ of alternative president

    Kenyan opposition has postponed plans to swear in its leader Raila Odinga as an alternative president, easing political tensions and opening a window for possible talks with the government of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

    Opposition coalition National Super Alliance Coalition (NASA) had planned to publicly “inaugurate” Odinga at a rally on Tuesday, Kenyan independence day, in what the attorney general said this week would be an act of treason.

    Kenyatta was re-elected as Kenya’s president with 98 per cent of the vote in a repeat election held on Oct. 26 which Odinga boycotted.

    He had beaten Odinga in the original poll, held in August, which was nullified by the Supreme Court on procedural grounds following opposition allegations of vote-rigging and other malpractices.

    NASA said in a statement it would postpone the swearing-in after “consultations and engagement with a wide range of national and international interlocutors”.

    It did not specifically name any mediators involved in the talks.

    The coalition said it would be announcing a new date for the swearing in ceremony and the launch of its People’s Assembly “as well as a more vigorous and prolonged resistance”.

    The plan to install Odinga as an alternative president had threatened to exacerbate rifts opened by an acrimonious election season that left more than 70 people dead in political violence.

    The U.S. had also urged opposition leaders to work within the law and avoid actions like the proposed “inauguration ceremony.”

    NAN reports that on Dec. 7,  Kenya’s Attorney-General Githu Muigai warned that any attempt to hold a parallel swearing in of a president would amount to treason.

    Such an inauguration, he said, would worsen the rifts opened by an acrimonious election season, when more than 70 people died in political violence.

    Muigai said unless a candidate was declared the victor in an election by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and the swearing-in was conducted by the Kenyan chief justice.

    “The criminal law of the Republic of Kenya stipulates that sort of process is high treason.

    “It is high treason of the persons involved, and any other person facilitating that process.”

    Under Kenyan law, treason is punishable by death.

    Muigai said people’s assemblies proposed by the NASA, Odinga’s opposition coalition, were illegal as well.

    “These institutions are unconstitutional they are illegal, they are null and void.

    “The persons involved in their creation are involved in extra-constitutional activity and may be visited by the full force of the law,” he said.

    The Supreme Court nullified the result, and a repeat election was held on Oct. 26. Odinga boycotted that vote, saying reforms needed to avoid “illegalities and irregularities” had not been made. (Reuters/NAN)

  • Dalung urges NASS to allocate more funds to sports

    Dalung urges NASS to allocate more funds to sports

    Solomon Dalung, Minister of Youth and Sports on Wednesday called on the National Assembly to allocate more funds to sports in Nigeria.

    Dalung made the call in Abuja while receiving the victorious Nigeria Scrabble Federation National Team from the World English Scrabble Players Association Championship ( WESPAC ) in Nairobi, Kenya, led by its president, Suleiman Gora.

    According to him, in the last two years, the ministry of Youth and Sports has done better than any other ministry because we have brought glory to the country.

    “Since this is the situation, we need more funds to develop sports.

    “A situation where federations that have made the country proud have yearly budgetary allocation of between N30 or N40 billion, which cannot even fund one trip is unacceptable.

    “We have over stretched the commitment of our people because members of the federation had at all time been contributing their  monies in order to sponsor trips.

    “Let us demonstrate commitment as a government by providing better support so that we can take governance in the federations to the next level,’’ he said.

    Dalung appealed to the private sector to develop interest in the sponsorship of different sports in Nigeria and invest in it.

    “The multinational companies should develop interest in individual athletes, pick and train athletes, this will be better for sports in the country” he further said.

    He, however, pledged to constantly support the federation in all of its activities.

    Earlier, Gora informed the Minster that Nigeria had emerged the best scrabble playing nation for the second time running in the history of the sports.

    “We are making history for the second time. This is the first country in the world and the only Black Country to have won the  championship back to back.

    “In Nairobi, we got 54 countries participating from over the world and we had countries representation of 169 players.

    “In scrabble the top 15 positions are the ones that are considered for winning positions. Nigeria had five of her players in the top 15.

    “We went there as the World Champions in terms of country representation and on individual basis.

    “I am happy to inform you that we fought gallantly for the individual position up to the finals, at the end of 32 games, Moses Peter of Nigeria come second,’’ he said.

    Presenting the trophy, Gora called for more funds to help the federation to win more laurels for the country.

    NAN