The governor also stressed that such action will not be condoned from any employee as it goes against his pledge to ensure consistent order to change the negative perception of residents towards the county office/FILE

The officials were caught on camera allegedly extorting, battering and hurling insults at the public while under the influence of alcohol.

“It is alleged that the officers were discharging their duties under the influence of alcohol and therefore unable to relate well with those who they are suppose to render their service to,” Kidero said in a press statement.

The governor also stressed that such action will not be condoned from any employee as it goes against his pledge to ensure consistent order to change the negative perception of residents towards the county office.

“For the aforementioned officers I would like to take stern measures by suspending them with immediate effect until further notice. I would also like to warn any other officer against involving him/herself in such misconduct as it will attract tough penalties,” he stated.

He also indicated that the audit is meant to curb any collusion between the current workers and those that have been already fired or suspended to extort the public.

He stated that top on his priority as governor is to get rid of the mess created by the officials of the now defunct City Council of Nairobi.

“In my seven pillars of working strategy and implementation of service delivery as enshrined in the new Constitution, I pledged to ensure consistent order to change the negative perception of residents towards the County office formerly known as the City Council of Nairobi. This change will begin by the County employees themselves,” he emphasised.

He added that city askaris will also be subjected to thorough training to pave way for Metropolitan Police who will discharge duties to the public including control of traffic and maintaining law and order.

Following his election, Kidero has embarked on an exercise which has seen the suspension of top City Hall officials as a result of graft.

In April, four senior City Hall officials were dismissed for being involved in the fraudulent delivery of a Sh180 million worth of supplies that were never received.

He had further ordered the investigation of 25 companies for engaging in corrupt business practices.

Chinese Health Minister Li Bin briefed the experts and officials on the cases of human infections with H7N9 avian influenza virus in China/FILE

The Chinese delegation to the 66th World Health Assembly and World Health Organization (WHO) convened the side event, which gathered officials and experts from international organizations and relevant countries to exchange information and discuss common methods for the prevention of the epidemic.

Chinese Health Minister Li Bin briefed the experts and officials on the cases of human infections with H7N9 avian influenza virus in China.

She said the disease, which is of sporadic nature and preventable and controllable, has seen neither qualitative change nor virus mutation. “And no human-to-human transmission was detected and proved based on available evidence,” she said.

The minister said that the Chinese government has effectively implemented the International Health Regulations, promptly notified the WHO and relevant countries and regions of the epidemic, and shared the virus strains with international community.

Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO, said that the H7N9 influenza was an issue that deserved international attention and collaboration to find solutions.

She said that the global public health and research communities have benefited greatly from China’ s sharing of genetic sequence data.

Lauding China’s prompt response to the new deadly disease and close cooperation with WHO, the organisation’s chief said that a 50-page report of the joint China-WHO mission on human infection with the new virus has described the Chinese response as extraordinary.

Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director-General of WHO, said that the general model of China’s response was quite applicable to any big and complicated outbreak.

Criticism is high of Eritrea’s human rights situation because of the absence of freedom of speech and the repression of religious minorities/FILE

“There is so much to be proud about as a nation,” said Emmanuel Tesfai, a former fighter who battled during the 30-year war to win his country’s freedom from Ethiopia.

“But there is no space for political freedom in the country today,” he said, speaking from exile in Kenya.

Criticism is high of Eritrea’s human rights situation because of the absence of freedom of speech and the repression of religious minorities.

Many Eritreans flee first across the dangerous border into Sudan, and end up either in refugee camps along the eastern border, or in the dusty capital Khartoum.

Jamal Osman was a journalist in Eritrea working for the state-run radio station, but fled for Sudan in 1996.

“I was not a fighter with a gun, but I fought for my country in my profession as a journalist,” he said, speaking to AFP in Khartoum.

“I want to see political change in Eritrea… we are all struggling for this.”

Salih Sarokh, aged 67, fought for Eritrea’s freedom from 1968-81, but since then has been a refugee in Sudan.

“I’m not sad that I did my duty to my country and my people… I’m sad because of what the regime has done.”

Many Eritreans, successful entrepreneurs like Internet cafe manager Mebrahtu Dawit in Uganda, dream of change so they can go home.

“My prayer is things change back home, and then we all return. We try to make ourselves happy here, but it is not our home,” he said.

But inside Eritrea – as well as in the diaspora scattered around the world – there are plenty of vocal supporters of the regime.

In sharp contrast to gloomy voices outside, Eritrea’s state-media is crammed with stories lauding the “patriotic fervour” of the people as they celebrate independence, quoting diaspora returning to show their “staunch resistance against external conspiracies”.

“No doubt, Eritrea has a long way to go until she becomes the developed and democratic country she aspires to be,” wrote Rahel Weldeab, a top official in the government-run national student’s union, in a recent post on her website.

But she also sharply criticised compatriots outside the country whom she accused of trying to “exploit Eritrea’s challenges by fooling Western journalists.

“Whenever the people do call and act for change… they will bring about this change on their own terms and for their own lives,” she said, condemning those outside the country critical of the regime.

TJRC Chairman Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat expressed confidence that the government will act on the report/FILE

The voluminous report was handed to the president late on Tuesday, ending speculation that the government had declined to receive the explosive report.

The report contains 23 chapters covering among other issues land, massacres, assassinations, economic crimes, militia, police and military as well as economic crimes and the impact they have had on Kenyans and the economy in general.

Among individuals mentioned in the report are President Kenyatta, his deputy William Ruto, former president Daniel arap Moi, William ole Ntimama, Henry Kosgey, Sally Kosgei among others.

Land and property led in the violations at 41 percent, while serious injury and persecution accounted for 13 percent and 8 percent of the violations respectively.

Corruption and economic crimes accounted for another 8 percent as shown in the report.

TJRC Chairman Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat expressed confidence that the government will act on the report.

“The commission believes the report forms a fertile ground on which forgiveness, healing and reconciliation will be planted and help the country to achieve its full potential in social, economic and political development as stipulated in the Act,” he said.

The report highlights 30 recommendations on how to address the violations by first acknowledging “our past failures and begin a process that will empower Kenyans with the lessons of the past to drive a fresh and vibrant future.”

It is also recommends the establishment of a reparation fund that will be used to compensate victims of human rights and historical injustices.

The reparation framework recommended by the commission sets out the categories of victims who would access the fund and the criteria for such access.

“Upon the implementation of these recommendations, TJRC hopes that the victims will achieve closure from their suffering, have their human dignity restored thus paving the way for justice and genuine reconciliation that are needed for Kenya to move forward,” the chairman stated.

The government has no option but to execute the report as required by the law which sets out strict timelines within which it must be implemented.

The TJRC Act provides that once the report is presented to the president, the implementation of the recommendations shall commence within six months of the publication of the report. The TJRC shall also be required to publish the report in the Kenya Gazette and the public will also be able to access summary copies of the report.

However, before the implementation process starts, the report must be tabled before Parliament 21 days after it is handed over to the president.

This will be followed by the operationalisation of the implementation mechanisms as per TJRC’s recommendations.

The Implementation Committee will be required to give quarterly reports to the public evaluating the efforts of the government and implementing agencies.

The Act requires all the TJRC recommendations to be implemented and where implementation of any recommendation has not been complied with, the National Assembly will require to be given reasons for non-implementation.

People walk near the Moore Warren Theater after a powerful tornado ripped through the area on May 20, 2013/AFP

Obama said that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) chief Craig Fugate was on his way to Oklahoma City, where the massive twister hit the suburb of Moore on Monday, claiming at least 24 lives.

Some of those killed were children under 12, caught in an elementary school by a murderous two-mile wide funnel of wind.

“Dozens of people lost their lives, many more were injured and among the victims were young children trying to take shelter in the safest place they knew,” Obama said at the White House.

Describing the storm as one of the “most destructive tornados in history,” Obama said that the federal government would play a major role in the rescue effort in Moore and the rebuilding program to come.

“The people of Moore should know that their country will remain on the ground there for them, beside them as long as it takes for their homes and schools to rebuild,” Obama said.

“There are empty spaces where there used to be living rooms and bedrooms and classrooms and in time we’re going to need to refill those spaces with love and laughter and community,” Obama said.

The US government put in force a now well drilled emergency plan even before the storm hit, which was forged in the days following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 when a botched federal response had serious political consequences.

FEMA staff first went to Oklahoma’s emergency operations center on Sunday as an early wave of tornados hit and urban search teams were activated from Texas, Nebraska and Tennessee.

Government spokesman Muthui Kariuki told AFP that Kenya was not worried or concerned by Obama’s decision since the US leader was free to visit wherever he wanted/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 21 – Kenya has played down the decision by US President Barrack Obama to snub it once again on his scheduled tour of Africa, saying it was “fine”.

Government spokesman Muthui Kariuki told AFP that Kenya was not worried or concerned by Obama’s decision since the US leader was free to visit wherever he wanted.

Kenya at the same time rejected claims that he would bypass the country due to the upcoming trials at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto for alleged crimes against humanity.

“Kenya is moving on with its development agenda and we continue being part of the League of Nations. We are not worried that he is not coming to Kenya. We are fine,” Kariuki told AFP.

“There have been rumours that President Obama is avoiding Kenya because of the ongoing ICC cases. These are unfounded accusations.”

A White House official was earlier quoted saying that Obama would side-step Nairobi due to the ICC cases as “it would be unseemly for him to appear with ICC indictees.”

A cross section of Kenyans interviewed on Obama’s decision argued that the ICC should not be used as an excuse to continue giving Kenya the cold shoulder because Kenyatta and Ruto were elected despite the looming ICC trials.

Majority of those who spoke to Capital FM News felt that the US and other western countries needed Kenya as much as Kenya needs them and should stop hiding behind the ICC banner.

“A time will come when he (Obama) will need Kenya and he needs to remember that Kenyans’ lives were still going on even before he took over office from George Bush,” argued Mavado Ondivo.

“We are okay with our President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto whether Obama comes here or not,” said businessman Paul Makhanu.

“We elected our president and whether the ICC comes or goes he is our president. We have already seen what is happening to the ICC case,” added a teacher from Murang’a County Charles Karanja.

Obama is scheduled to travel to Senegal, Tanzania and South African between June 26 and July 3 this year.

Kenyans further made reference to Obama’s familial roots in Kogelo saying time had come for him to visit Kenya.

“I think what Obama has done is very unwise. This was his chance to come but he has decided to once again duck and this is his home,” said Rodgers Wandera.

“Why does he keep snubbing us? If he wants a chicken we will give it to him so that he can take it back to America.”

The debate also dominated discussions on social media as some felt that Obama had no obligation to Kenya while others remained indifferent to the news.

“Look folks, he’s the President of the United States. Not your uncle from K’Ogello. He has no obligation to KE. Why’s this hard to understand?” asked Ramah Nyang’ on Twitter.

“So I find nothing exceptional with Obama skipping – behind the scenes he is giving back to Kenya,” argued Dennis Itumbi.

When reached for comment, US Ambassador Robert Godec said that the US valued the relationship with Kenya and was committed to the long-standing partnership.

“We regret that the president cannot travel to every country; but our longstanding commitment remains to all of our African partners, and to the people of Africa, as we look to deepen our partnership with nations across the region,” his response to our queries said.

He added that Obama would travel to South Africa, Senegal, and Tanzania “to reinforce and advance economic growth in Africa.”

He explained that the agenda was also to increase trade and investment while engaging the next generation of African leaders, creating an impression that the US was looking for other African countries with whom to partner with to push its agenda.

He went on to disclose that it was not clear if Obama would visit Kenya in the near future.

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 21, The Ministry of Education has announced that it will issue laptops to class one students between November and December this year.

Speaking to journalists in Nairobi, the Cabinet Secretary for Education Jacob Kaimenyi said that the ministry has also created content for the pupils and will soon call on all Key stakeholders to verify if the content is relevant.

“The government is keen on delivering its promise to the pupils… the laptops will be delivered, and the content has been created for them,” he explained.

Kaimenyi stated that the laptop project will cost Sh20 billion for first phase, rising to Sh70 billion in the entire programme, which the government has already budgeted for.

He urged the Kenya Institute for Curriculum Development and the Kenya Publishers Association to work together to make the project a reality instead of disagreeing over who should create the content.

Kaimenyi however noted that Kenyans have a poor reading culture pointing out that it should be revived in children so as they get motivated to get into higher levels of learning.

“Our reading culture in this country is not as good as it should be. We must take an initiative as a nation to reincarnate the spirit of reading in our children,” he explained.

The Jubilee government promised free laptops to school going children during its campaigns.

This is one of the enormous tasks Kaimenyi has in his new docket. He is also tasked with establishing technical colleges in every county to boost the labour market with human capital to raise local production.

China’s Prime Minister, Li Keqiang (L)/FILE

NEW DELHI, May 21 – Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pledged on Tuesday to open up domestic markets to Indian businesses and narrow a gaping trade deficit between the two countries.

“As for Indian concerns over the trade deficit, the Chinese side is willing to provide facilitations for more Indian products to access the Chinese market,” Li said during a speech to Indian business leaders in New Delhi.

“I am confident we have the ability to mitigate the trade imbalance between our two countries,” he added.

China is India’s largest trading partner, with two-way commerce totalling $66.5 billion last year. But trade is skewed significantly in China’s favour with the deficit totalling $29 billion in 2012, according to Chinese figures.

Li said China understood that balanced trade was crucial to good relations between the world’s two most populous countries.

“China never has the intention to pursue a trade surplus. Only a dynamic trade balance is a sustainable trade relation,” said the premier who is in India on his first foreign visit since taking office.

During his speech, Li reiterated China’s desire to build up trust with India after both sides agreed on Monday to work towards resolving a long-running border dispute in the Himalayas.

“A peaceful and stable South Asia is consistent with China’s development interests and will enable China to focus on addressing problems at home,” he said.

Flipped vehicles are piled up outside the heavily damaged Moore Medical Center on May 20, 2013/AFP

The state medical examiner’s office released the latest death toll but the number was climbing rapidly, as emergency crews combed through smashed homes and the collapsed remains of an elementary school in Moore, Oklahoma.

Stunned weather forecasters reported a two-mile (three-kilometer) wide swath of vicious winds and television news helicopters tracked a dark funnel plowing through densely-packed suburbs.

“We’ve had a massive tornado, a huge one that has passed through this community,” Oklahoma’s Governor Mary Fallin told a news conference.

“We know there are a lot of injuries. We know we’ve lost a tremendous amount of structures throughout this community and throughout the state,” she said, as the Moore police chief urged people to leave the area.

“There are a lot of safety issues, gas lines, power lines, things of that nature, that we have to take into consideration and there’s just not much else that can be done there at this time,” police chief Jerry Sillings said.

The 51 dead included at least 20 children, most of them under the age of 12, Amy Elliott, of the state medical examiner’s office, told AFP. CNN reported that at least 145 people had been hospitalized.

Reporters for local broadcaster KFOR-TV saw children as young as nine being pulled out of the Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, a residential community of 55,000 just south of Oklahoma’s state capital.

“We’ve had a massive tornado, a huge one that has passed through this community,” Oklahoma’s Governor Mary Fallin told a news conference.

Anxious parents were being kept at a distance while search-and-rescue workers scrambled to free the students.

A second elementary school, Briarwood, was also hit but did not appear to have sustained casualties.

From its news helicopter, KFOR’s cameras captured scenes of widespread destruction, with street after street of single-story homes in Moore stripped of their roofs and cars piled atop each other like toys.

Utility lines were down and gas lines exposed, triggering localized fires. The Moore Medical Center was evacuated after it sustained damage, and state authorities called out the National Guard to help rescue efforts.

A protester at a demonstration for equal rights for gay couples in Trafalgar Square on March 24, 2013/AFP

Tory MP Tim Loughton had proposed the amendment saying that if gay couples were allowed to marry, then heterosexual couples should also be able to have civil partnerships.

But lawmakers in the lower House of Commons rejected the motion by 375 votes to 70.

Instead they backed an alternative amendment tabled by Labour calling for an immediate consultation on extending civil partnerships to heterosexual couples. That passed by 391 votes to 57.

Loughton opposes same-sex marriage, and the Conservative-led government had called his proposal a “wrecking amendment”. They had argued it would delay the passing of the gay marriage bill by up to two years and cost £4 billion ($6 billion, 4.7 billion euros) in pension changes.

Even if it was defeated however, some 56 Tory MPs backed his amendment.

On Sunday, Labour was reported to be considering backing the Tory the rebels to deliver a blow to Cameron’s authority.

But earlier Monday, the party said it would instead back the government so that the bill, which it supports, would not be held up.

Labour leader Ed Miliband nevertheless made the most of the Conservative leader’s discomfort.

Cameron’s “inability to control his party must not be allowed to wreck the Equal Marriage Bill”, he tweeted. “Labour’s commitment unwavering,” he added.

In February, when it was last debated, the bill was approved by a comfortable 225-vote majority despite the opposition of almost half of Conservative lawmakers.

Monday’s deal, after five hours of fractious debate, allows the bill to proceed to the upper house of parliament, the House of Lords, where it is expected to face stiff opposition.

Lawmakers are allowed a free vote on gay marriage, meaning they are not required to follow party directions because it is considered an issue of conscience.

The vote came at a time when Cameron was already under pressure from a large section of his fractious centre-right party over his stance on a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union.