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17/07/2017

THE 5 FACTS THAT EXPLAIN TERRORISM IN KENYA. Did you know Al-Shabab translates to ‘the youth’ in Arabic, clearly a fitting name for an organization that feeds off limited opportunities for young people in the region? According to BBC News, roughly a quarter of al-Shabab’s 7,000-9,000 forces are Kenyan. Many of them were attracted to al-Shabab’s high salaries for new recruits, which are reportedly more than $1,000. Meanwhile, the average monthly wage in Kenya is $76 ($912 annual) with 70% of working class youth are currently unemployed. Here are 5 facts outlined to explain terrorism in Kenya after the Garissa attack but are still true today after the recent Al-Shabab Lamu attacks.

Ian Bremmer explains the success of al-Shabab

17/07/2017

REGIONAL INTEGRATION HAS TAKEN A BACK SEAT IN KENYA’S ELECTION. Relations between Kenya and her neighbours aren’t as they could be and cracks are evident in East Africa’s fledgling union. When one would focus on cementing East African Community unity, a study of both the Jubilee and NASA manifestos shows neither has a coherent plan for regional integration. It should concern Kenyans, as well as the country’s neighbours as neither the Jubilee Party nor the National Super Alliance manifesto takes much account of relations between Kenya and her EAC peers. The case is made for inclusion of more detailed EAC-related policy in the manifestos of Kenya’s main political outfits.

Integration within the East African Community has been sticky. The fact that Kenya's main political parties haven't spelled out their policies on the community in their manifestos is a worry.

13/07/2017

http://mailchi.mp/9e49a03999ba/rooney-versus-gor-mahia-alshaabab-kidnap-foiled-ballot-appeal-starts

One, dynastic politics is alive and well in Kenya in 2017 just like the elections of 2013 and the Little General Election of 1966. Two, ethnicity only gets you so far considering in 2013, Odinga outperformed Musalia Mudavadi within his own Luhya community. Raila is seen as representing historically…

13/07/2017

WHAT’S LIKE TO BE A POLLSTER IN KENYA? The work of political pollsters is widely misunderstood in Kenya. Pollsters have seen it all, “been kidnapped by bandits, accused of witchcraft, arrested, robbed, and swept away by flash floods. They've also been mobbed by angry voters and confronted by men offended that their wives are being interviewed instead of them.” Tom Wolf, the public face of Ipsos has twice had to flee angry mobs and is often surrounded by voters demanding their views be heard. "There's a lot of people who believe polling is not scientific," Ipsos MD Aggrey Oriwo told Reuters.

They've been kidnapped by bandits, accused of witchcraft, arrested, robbed, and swept away by flash floods. They've also been mobbed by angry voters and confronted by men offended that their wives are being interviewed instead of them.

13/07/2017

WILL THE UPCOMING GENERAL ELECTIONS TRIGGER VIOLENCE IN KENYA? According to Kwame owino, CEO of Institute of Economic Affairs, that is not an ambitious question to ask as it sets a “very low bar” for the country. In fact, he says he is “sick” of being asked whether the country’s general elections next month will trigger violence as not everything that doesn’t lead to violence is acceptable. “I think we should be more ambitious and say we’ll have a peaceful election, we’ll have a legitimate presidency, we’ll have a successful transition... We expect to reach the two-thirds gender goals that the constitution has set for us.”

Top economist Kwame Owino says Kenyans must resolve to hold ‘peaceful’ elections and is hopeful women will fill one-third of posts in the new parliament

13/07/2017

KENYA’S SILICON SAVANNAH HAS BEEN HIT WITH ITS FIRST SEXUAL HARASSMENT SCANDAL. Ushahidi, the global crisis-mapping platform headquartered in Kenya, is investigating an alleged sexual harassment claim pitting an employee against a senior member of its team. There have been rumors in tech blogs and social media of sexual harassment against women working in the company. Ushahidi being a leader in Kenya’s emerging tech sector and the force behind various products including BRCK, a rugged mobile modem and Wi-Fi router, and iHub, the innovation hub and successful incubator, the disclosures may prove a major setback for Kenya’s Silicon Savannah.

The revelations are damaging for the company, which is seen as a beacon in Kenya’s booming tech ecosystem

12/07/2017

LAKE NAKURU LISTED AS ONE OF CNN TRAVEL’S 50 NATURAL WONDERS. In what is hailed as “The ultimate List of Scenic Splendor,” CNN’s Bija Knowles lists Lake Nakuru as one of the fixtures from around the world that look like works of art. Besides Lake Nakuru, other African sites that feature in the list include Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania), Siwa Oasis (Egypt) Victoria Falls (Zambia/Zimbabwe) and Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve (Madagascar). “A streak of blue (and pink) in Kenya's Great Rift Valley, Lake Nakuru is home to thousands of pink flamingoes that flock here to feed on the lake's algae...” Indeed, it’s Magical Kenya.

These awe-inspiring views will make you wish you'd paid attention in geography class.

12/07/2017

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO RUN FOR OFFICE IN KENYA AS A WOMAN: Women vying for political seats in Kenya “are often scrutinized more for their appearance and marital status than their platforms.” Obstacles hindering women from running for public office in Kenya include lack of funding, concerns over their safety, outright sexism and harassment while campaigning. Even for women who are not actively running but simply wish to participate in politics in Kenya face obstacles. Ms Samantha Maina, Ukweli Party MCA Candidate for Kileleshwa Ward calls for authorities to address the “toxic masculinity that exists in the political space in Kenya.”

Women are supposed to hold a third of the seats in Kenya’s federal legislature. But when they vie for political seats, they are often scrutinized more for their appearance and marital status than thei

12/07/2017

WHAT DOES KENYATTA AND ODINGA CANDIDACY TELL US ABOUT KENYAN POLITICS IN 2017? One, dynastic politics is alive and well in Kenya in 2017 just like the elections of 2013 and the Little General Election of 1966. Two, ethnicity only gets you so far considering in 2013, Odinga outperformed Musalia Mudavadi within his own Luhya community. Raila is seen as representing historically economically and politically marginalised communities. Kenyatta’s gift is to be able to look and sound presidential. Raila stresses the intention to shake things up as Kenyatta presents himself as a safe pair of hands who will protect the status quo.

Although some complain that the differences between Kenyatta and Odinga are more rhetorical than real, one thing is clear: Kenyans have a real choice to make at the ballot box.

12/07/2017

ARE CIGARETTE COMPANIES TARGETING CHILDREN IN AFRICA, KENYA? “Africa’s growing numbers of children and young people, and its increasing wealth, represent a huge future market for the to***co industry. The companies deny targeting children and cannot sell packs smaller than 10, but a new study carried out in Nairobi by the Johns Hopkins school of public health in the US and the Kenya-based Consumer Information Network (CIN) found vendors selling ci******es along the routes children take to walk to primary schools. “They are targeting children,” said Samuel Ochieng, CEO of CIN. “They mix ci******es with candies and sell along the school paths.”

Revealed: In pursuit of growth in Africa, British American To***co and others use intimidatory tactics to attempt to suppress health warnings and regulation

12/07/2017

KENYAN RIDERS MAY BECOME THE FIRST ALL-BLACK TEAM TO COMPETE IN TOUR DE FRANCE. A team of Kenyan pro-cycling enthusiasts is practicing hard at Iten to feature in the Tour de France and hopefully become the first all-Black African team to compete in cycling’s biggest race. Three Riders are considered promising: Suleiman Kangangi, Salim Kipkemboi and Geoffrey Langat. “We’re going to make cycling like how running is in Kenya,” said 26-year-old Langat. “I think they can get to the top; there’s no reason physically that a Kenyan cannot match a European cyclist,” adds the Kenyan Riders Coach Ciarán Fitzpatrick

READ FULL STORY: OZY [http://bit.ly/2t3rY5d]

Kenya is home to many of the world's fastest runners - can it produce a world-class cycling team, too?

09/05/2017

Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya clocking a time of 2:00.25 in a marathon event in Monza, north of Milan, Italy, on Saturday. (Nike/Handout) Kenya's 32 year-old Eliud Kipchoge is officially a mere 25 seconds away to break world under 2 hour marathon barrier. On May 6 at Monza, Italy, he finished a 26.2 miles experimental marathon race stage in a Formula One track in 2:00:25, running astounding 2 minutes and 32 seconds faster than anyone has ever before. [ 58 more words ]

https://www.briefgram.com/uncategorized/kenyas-eliud-kipchoge-almost-broke-under-2-hour-marathon-barrier/

Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya clocking a time of 2:00.25 in a marathon event in Monza, north of Milan, Italy, on Saturday. (Nike/Handout) Kenya’s 32 year-old Eliud Kipchoge is officially a mere 25 …

08/05/2017

AP All hail the boy wonder. Macron defeated far-right rival Marine Le Pen with 66 percent of the vote, an even greater margin than polls predicted, sending the euro to a six-month high as worries that France might leave the EU under Le Pen receded. Now Macron, who’s never held elected office, will have to build a governing majority as both far-left and far-right parties seek to make gains in legislative elections next month. When he’s inaugurated Sunday, Macron, 39, will become the youngest French leader since Napoleon. SOURCES: FRANCE 24

https://www.briefgram.com/uncategorized/emmanuel-macron-wins-french-presidency-in-landslide-2/

AP All hail the boy wonder. Macron defeated far-right rival Marine Le Pen with 66 percent of the vote, an even greater margin than polls predicted, sending the euro to a six-month high as worries t…

08/05/2017

All hail the boy wonder. Macron defeated far-right rival Marine Le Pen with 66 percent of the vote, an even greater margin than polls predicted, sending the euro to a six-month high as worries that France might leave the EU under Le Pen receded. Now Macron, who’s never held elected office, will have to build a governing majority as both far-left and far-right parties seek to make gains in legislative elections next month. When he’s inaugurated Sunday, Macron, 39, will become the youngest French leader since Napoleon. SOURCES: FRANCE 24

https://www.briefgram.com/uncategorized/emmanuel-macron-wins-french-presidency-in-landslide/

All hail the boy wonder. Macron defeated far-right rival Marine Le Pen with 66 percent of the vote, an even greater margin than polls predicted, sending the euro to a six-month high as worries that…

05/05/2017

Hello, thank you for liking our page. Briefgram aims to deliver important news, info and stories in 100 words. We simply stay true to our slogan: What’s important in 100 words. Please send us comments on [email protected]. We are working on Briefgram.com website, watch out for a beta blog version on Monday 3rd April, 2017 and full website version on Wednesday 3rd May, 2017. [ 41 more words ]

https://www.briefgram.com/uncategorized/briefgram-whats-important-in-100-words/

Hello, thank you for liking our page. Briefgram aims to deliver important news, info and stories in 100 words. We simply stay true to our slogan: What’s important in 100 words. Please send us comme…

04/05/2017

Nobody should have a leg up. Soccer’s European governing body sees “growing evidence” that the current setup for nail-biting penalty shoot-outs heavily favors the team that kicks first. Today’s “ABAB” format sees the same team make the first kick in each round, leaving their opponents under constant pressure to catch up. Instead, the UEFA will test an “ABBA” format, like a tennis tiebreaker, where sides alternate rounds going first. [ 29 more words ]

https://briefgram.wordpress.com/2017/05/04/uefa-eyes-change-to-penalty-shoot-out-format/

Nobody should have a leg up. Soccer’s European governing body sees “growing evidence” that the current setup for nail-biting penalty shoot-outs heavily favors the team that kicks first. Today’s “AB…

04/05/2017

If the State wants to control social media, here is advice
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01/04/2017

WAR CAN FEED ITSELF BUT WAR CAN'T LEAD ITSELF

The Latin phrase for it is: Bellum se ipsum alet. Simply translated: The war shall feed itself. It meant war once started will support itself by the spoils of war. What does it mean for you? Don't wait till you have everything to get started on what you want to do. Whatever project you have in mind, make necessary preparations and get started on it. Don't overprepare. Trust that the project shall support itself if you avail the right leadership. But remember, although war can feed itself, war can't lead itself. (100 Words)

30/03/2017

BRIEFGRAM | What’s Important in 100 Words

Hello, thank you for liking our page. Briefgram aims to deliver important news, info and stories in 100 words. We simply stay true to our slogan: What's important in 100 words. Please send us comments on [email protected]. We are working on Briefgram.com website, watch out for a beta blog version on Monday 3rd April, 2017 and full website version on Wednesday 3rd May, 2017. We are also working on Android and Android App which we look forward to launch on Monday 3rd June and 3rd July, 2017 respectively. Briefgram is for all of us who don’t mind help navigating the chaotic web of information online.

Thank you and enjoy. (100 Words)

30/03/2017

GOVERNMENT TO TAKE 50% OF BETTING RETURNS UNDER NEW TAX PROPOSAL

Treasury has raised tax on betting proceeds to a prohibitive 50% uniform tax for all lotteries. Thus, half of your bet win money will go to the National Sports, Culture and Arts Fund to support the youth involved in sports and culture in the country. Betting companies have opposed the heavy taxes stating that the business is a costly undertaking. PwC Tax Expert Maurice Lugongo predicts impracticability and difficulties in implementing the tax laws. However, according to the CS Rotich, the move is justified: “Betting and gaming have become widespread in our society in an environment that is inadequately regulated.”

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 30 - The Betting, Lottery, Gaming and Competition Industry is the hardest hit in the 2017/2018 Budget after Treasury Cabinet Secretary - Kenya breaking news | Kenya news today | Capitalfm.co.ke

30/03/2017

CONSERVATIONIST SCEVA GALLMAN SHOT AT BY BANDITS AS KDF IS DEPLOYED IN VOLATILE LAIKIPIA

Conservationist and Director of Laikipia Nature Conservancy (LNC) Sveva Gallman was Wednesday shot at three times in a raid at the Mukutan Retreat. Media reports have attributed the attack to possible revenge by Pokot bandits after LNC allegedly involved police in shooting invaders cattle. However, IG Joseph Boinett has demised those claims. KDF has since been deployed in Laikipia after the raid to quell the escalating violence. Ms. Gallman said: "Our house came under gunfire from armed men. My nine-month-old daughter was in the house... I was shot at three times as I ran between the buildings to get to her."

One of Kenya's most prominent conservationists said on Thursday she was repeatedly shot at when she ran to her baby as armed men set fire to a lodge near her home in the drought-striken north, where such attacks are becoming increasingly frequent.Pokot bandits raided Mukutan Retreat on Laikipia Natu...

30/03/2017

KSHS 40 BILLION MAY BE LOST IN THE PIPELINE SCANDAL

Kenya Pipeline Corporation (KPC) stands to lose 40 Billion in tax payers money in the 450KM Msa-Nrb Pipeline project, per Nation. The Pipeline was due for upgrade to 16-inch tunnel at Kshs. 16 Billion but specifications were changed at last minute to 20-inches at cost of 53 Billion. Whistle blowers find the 4-inch upgrade at 37 Billion cost hike suspect as the project has been awarded to a Lebanese firm blacklisted elsewhere in Africa. KPC Chairman John Ngumi denied responsibility: "I was not in the board when the decision was made... That is a question best answered by the management."

Equipment that cost hundreds of millions of shillings rendered useless by pipeline project.

27/03/2017

RAILA DISMISSES REPORTS LINKING HIM TO 3.8B IEBC TENDER

NASA leader Raila Odinga has denied claims linking him to the single-sourcing of a Sh3.8 billion elections system to a French firm by IEBC. On Sunday, Majority Leader Aden Duale and Water CS Eugene Wamalwa alleged Raila influenced the award of the tender to Safran as its owners are his close allies and demanded Raila to come clean on the matter. “That is just Jubilee propaganda that I don’t want to get involved in,” Raila said. Homa Bay Woman Rep. Gladys Wanga added: “We are not going to respond to such Jubilee propaganda intending to delay the August 8 election.”

READ MORE AT: http://bit.ly/2os7AnL

National Super Alliance leader Raila Odinga has dismissed Jubilee’s claims linking him to the single-sourcing of a Sh3.8 billion elections management system to a French firm by the IEBC. Raila yesterday denied the claims by National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and Water CS Eugene Wamalwa tha...

27/03/2017

IEBC AWARDED VOTER KIT TENDER TO DISQUALIFIED FIRM

IEBC awarded a Sh3.8 billion contract for supply of voter technology to a French firm Safran Identity and Security despite the firm having been disqualified by its tender committee for failing to meet set bid criteria. The award, announced last Friday, followed cancellation of a previous tender awarded to Gemalto SA after being adjudged “incapable of meeting the commission’s operation and legal timelines.” IEBC Chair Chebuti justified the award: “We are confident that using Safran at this point in time, there is guarantee for compatibility, timely delivery and accountability in the deployment of the new system.”

READ MORE: http://bit.ly/2ntSMXS

Election chiefs on the spot for awarding polls job to firm knocked out for failure to meet conditions.

27/03/2017

POLICE SUMMONS JOHO OVER FORGED ACADEMIC PAPERS

The CID has summoned Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho to record a statement on his academic certificates after allegations of forgery. KNEC Ag. CEO Ms Grace Kagoro in a memo dated 26th January 2017 stated that the 1992 KCSE Certificate Joho allegedly used to gain admission to University of Nairobi was forged. KNEC also confirmed that one Ali Hassan sat KCSE at Serani Secondary School in 1993 and scored a mean grade of D-. “Today (Monday) at 4:30 pm, I received a summons from Mr Pius Macharia to appear at the Regional DCI headquarters, Mombasa, and record a statement.” said Joho.

Popular governor claims intimidation as he is set to be grilled on Wednesday, ‘classmates’ defend him.