FIGHT FOR LUCRATIVE DEALS AT KUP COULD BE AT THE CENTRE OF OMBARA'S WOES.

KISUMU COUNTY continues to hit media headlines for all the wrong reasons with barely 18 months to the next general elections. Cartels around powerful individuals in the governor’s office are keen to create many loopholes within the county system that will earn them more money as we head to the polls.

Focus has now shifted to the lucrative Kisumu Urban Project (KUP) with an intention to control the 4 billion shillings at stake. Sources within KUP told this blog that could be the main reason why the city manager Doris Ombara was transferred to a nonexistent department. 

Back and forth accusations have since emerged following the ‘sacking’ of Ombara on the 24^th of March with the executive maintaining that the latter was not sacked but rather promoted to the department of Lake Front Development and Urban Renewal.

The chairman of Kisumu City Residents Voice Association Audi Ogada has however criticized the MCAs who took to the streets to protest Ombara's removal from office saying their action clearly depicts a picture that they have been compromised and in an event that she is reinstated they cannot oversight her.

“I will say this with no uncertain terms that all these wrangles we are witnessing are just about tenders within KUP with those in leadership trying to front their cronies to source for them campaign money” said Ogada.

“Section 74 of the County Government Act clearly stipulates that the County Public Service Board has the overall mandate to hire, promote, redeploy and fire. Ranguma as the governor is subject to the rule of law and he cannot act without following the due process” confirmed Ogada.

Audi revealed that Doris Ombara was duly appointment by the County Public Service Board on the 17^th of Aug 2015 and the same was ratified by the County Secretary Humphrey Nakitari on the 28^th of August  2015 confirming her as the City Manager thus the same due process must be followed to remove her from office.

Her transfer, redeployment or firing can only be executed through the same process but an individual cannot just wake up to a decision that has not been either discussed by the County Public Service Board or the County Assembly.

Kaloleni/Shauri Moyo MCA Prisca Misachi said Ombara is being sacrificed because of the Sh. 4 billion for the Kisumu Urban Project.

“The Lake Front project collapsed long time ago. Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) that was to fund the project had pulled out. Why now second Ombara to a department that had died and been buried,” she asked.

The Kisumu Urban Project was initiated on 3 key components of Market Rehabilitation, Bus Park upgrading and street lightning. The projects were designed to be completed within a stipulated timeframe that is due by September 2016 and with all these persistent wangles the project sponsors might as well to pull out.

Kisumu residents are starring at a bleak future as the implications of Ombara’s sacking are likely to be much deeper if she decides to close the accounts of the KUP being the main signatory, or if she decides to seek legal redress to compel the executive to rescind its decision.

“As resident of Kisumu, we have given both the County Assembly and the executive 48hours to put their house in order or else we will petition them in court to compel them to a compromise ground” asserted Ogada.

Audi Ogada insisted that the County Assembly must now focus on the formation of a city board so that we don’t run into such problems in the near future, even as nominated MCA Lydia Odhiambo clarified that the Assembly had already passed a bill to that effect and it’s the governor who has adamantly refused to ascend to it.

A source close to at the governor’s office intimated to me that the standoff is likely to go on for quite some time because they have advised him to hold firm on his decision and that rescinding the same and reinstating Ombara will expose him as not a steadfast leader.

ENDS.

CLUB DA PLACE MAMBOLEO TO HOST AN APPRECIATION SHOW ON THE 26TH OF MARCH FEATURING OHANGLA KING EMMA JALAMO.

The Lake side city of Kisumu comes alive this long Easter weekend with social places and clubs lining up various entertainment packages for their loyal patrons.

After constant street demonstrations and revolt on the authorities, there has been much improvement on security giving ‘Night runners’ every reason to party and even visit outskirts clubs like Da Place in Mamboleo.

And this coming weekend the 26^th of March will not be an exception as all roads will lead to the most talked about club in town, club Da Place where Ohangla Maestro Emma Jalamo will be entertaining revelers the whole night.

Club CEO Kennedy Angwen told this blog that his management team decided to organize this particular show as a way of appreciation to their fans for their outstanding support throughout years they have been in operation.

“I want to assure our fans that we will continue to offer above board services complete with professional customer care and the best competitive prices for our drinks and food”

He appealed to the relevant authorities to fast track the process constructing the Mamboleo-Miwani Road, which he said has really humped business and accessibility not only to his club but to the larger Mamboleo residents.

“I cannot take for granted the continued support from our fans thus I want to assure you that the Saturday show will be value for money, plus improved security and ample parking  is guaranteed” said Angwen.

He called upon his competitors to shun the ‘kangoro’ tactics and compete with him on an equal footing but not discredit his image by alluding that his club sells substandard alcohol.

Recent ratings on social places and clubs in Kisumu, puts club Da Place on top and that could be the reason this particular facility has hosted high profile events like the Miss Bum Bum competition and the All White Party that was attended by the Boss lady herself Hudda and co-hosted by top MC Jaleng’o.

ENDS.  

MEDIA HOUSES SACRIFICING JOURNALISTS FOR BUSINESS INTERESTS.

The chilling revelation that over 10 journalists from different media houses have been sacked over flimsy reasons in just under 90 days since the beginning of the year has elicited sharp reactions from across section of different stakeholders within and outside the media industry.

The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) the body charged with responsibility of looking into the welfare of journalists has threatened to seek legal redress if Nation Media Group and other giant media houses do not give valid reasons to why Mugumo Munene and Andrew Teyie were sacked last week under unclear circumstances.

The dismissal of Teyie and Munene came within 72 hours after Royal Media Services parted ways with four of their senior reporters, Kendagor Obadiah, Evelyne Wambui, Pheona Kenga and Patrick Injendi over what they termed as huge wage bill following the introduction of digital platform even as others think otherwise.

The laying off of the two comes at a time when there is still an uproar over unfair dismissal of scribes bearing in mind that NMG sent packing its special projects editor Denis Galava for penning an article that put on the spot Uhuru Kenyatta’s leadership style.

Galava was sacked by Nation for an editorial content of January 2^nd 2016 that was perceived to be critical of Uhuru Kenyatta titled “Mr. President get your act together this year”

Some of the hard hitting punch lines in Galava’s piece that rubbed the jubilee administration the wrong way were;

“We reject the almost criminal resignation and negligence with which your government has responded to our national crisis this past year’’

"With the exception of a few family businesses and tenderpreneurs who raked in billions of shillings thanks to largely political patronage, but everyone else is losing money in this country’’

The NMG through its Editor in Chief Tom Mshindi responded to Galava’s sacking and said, 

“We asked Denis the Managing Editor special projects to take some time off and allow us review the circumstances under which the piece found itself in the press without following the due process. It also endangered our business interests with our trusted partners”

That statement indeed confirms our fears that media houses are more interested in the revenues being generated from advertisements rather than keeping professionalism within their editorial departments.

A source privy to the happenings at these giant media houses but sort anonymity for fear of being victimized confirmed to this blog that the government is keen on working with only media houses that are considered to be ‘friendly’.

“The Jubilee administration is dogged with a lot of scandals and is carefully reviewing its survival tactics that includes going into the next general election with an already ‘Compromised’ media in terms of business exchange” said my source.

Denis Onyango the spokesman for Cord leader posted on his facebook page after the dismissal of Teyie and Munene and said,

“The media purge at NMG has 3 dimensions; the company is determined to get rid of reporters and editors who have written boldly and consistently on corruption and bad governance in this country.

These two (Teyie and Munene) who were sacked an hour ago have been in the past been labeled Raila Odinga’s sympathizers’’

My sources at RMS intimated to this blog that the same fate of business interest versus professionalism could have befell Patrick Injendi who hails from western Kenya and Kendagor Obadiah who is a Masaai as we head to the general elections.

                      Denis Galava sacked in January by NMG for criticizing Uhuru Kenyatta.

                 

Andrew Teyie sacked last week by NMG under unclear circumstances.

ENDS.

HAS HOMABAY COUNTY FINALLY FOUND THE LATE KAJWANG'S REPLACEMENT.

When the news of the death of the then Homa Bay County Senator Gerald Otieno Kajwang broke out, many Kenyans saw it as a huge blow to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, Raila Odinga.

A huge blow it was indeed since Kajwang was the former Prime Minister’s right hand man and astute defender. His “Bado Mapambano” tunes ecstatically excited crowds whenever he rose to address any gathering.

Kajwang’s death undoubtedly left a very big gap in the politics of Homa Bay County.  Many asked the million dollar question, “Who will fit into the shoes of Kajwang”.

In terms of the empty seat at the Senate, a replacement in Kajwang’s brother, Moses was found. An eloquent and gifted orator with a good grasp of Kenya’s political twists and turns. But did he replace his brother’s personality? No. So who did?

Parliamentary Service Commissioner Gladys “Nyasuna” Wanga, the Homa Bay County Women representative fits that bill according to residents of Homa Bay County and serious political pundits.

Wanga, arguably the most vocal and active of the 47 county women representatives has presented herself as a charismatic and vigorous politician, earning herself friends and foe in equal measures.

In the national politics, she is known to take on the Jubilee mandarins with a lot of zeal and fearlessly, often earning her criticism and even scathing scorns from her colleagues in the government benches.

Her support and loyalty to ODM and CORD and particularly to the former PM is relentless and ruthless, to say the least.

More than once, she has found herself on National Assembly speaker Justin Muturi’s wrong books and many times she has been a top defender of MPs and their huge perks.

She was one the most vocal and consistent legislators in talking passionately about SRC's intentions to cut down on the MPS' salaries. The move, for obvious reasons, drew attacks from the public and praises from her colleagues.

In the just concluded ODM party elections, Gladys withered the storm and towered above her main challenger and made minced meat of Homa Bay Town legislator Peter Opondo Kaluma.

Despite the loser boasting of having the entire county machinery behind him as well as support from other political leaders who feared that Wanga would leave them brutally wounded, she still came out even much stronger after everything was done and dusted.

Political pundits have opined that in a scenario where the constitution is reviewed and the number of women reps reduced, Gladys Wanga has the muscles to represent two counties in Luo Nyanza combined.

Her eloquence and prowess in strategic planning and mobilization has seen her win hearts and supporters across all the four counties of Luo Nyanza and indeed the entire country.

Since her election as ODM chair for Homa Bay County, she has traversed the county by and large, giving hope to the dream of a Raila Odinga presidency in 2017. A dream that she insists must come true this time round.

She has been the face of the reinvigorated voter registration exercise in the county.

It is worth noting that even the ODM party leader has made note of the kind of pillar that he has in Gladys Wanga.

Recently, at a function in Homa Bay during the official launch of the Kabunde airstrip, Raila asked all the county ODM leadership to rally behind her as they prepare the final bullet and the final gun, for the final stab at the presidency.

Moving forward, Gladys Wanga will be the political play maker, the Lionel Messi of Homa Bay County politics. With support from other Raila Odinga stalwarts like Kasipul MP Oyugi Magwanga, Kabondo’s Sylvance Osele and the Orange House machinery behind her, Nyasuna will deliver the county into the party’s basket.

Though her critics have argued that Wanga has used her closeness with the Odinga family to steadily rise to where she is now, but political analysts dismiss the same saying that the Homa Bay women representative has built her own empire through grass root mobilization like her well crafted Homa Bay women Sacco that envisages to empower low incoming women.

During the long parliament recess that ended last week, Wanga had a well coordinated ID registration program that saw her attend ward open days and managed to visit 36 out 40 wards in Homabay County.

The decision to come up with this program was informed by the low intake of IDs in this region as the ODM party prepares for another stab to the presidency.

She managed to register 22,000 new applicants for IDs and she will strive to ensure that these IDs are ready in time for the voter registration program that kicked off last week on the 15th of Feb.

In the entire Nyanza, Gladys is the only women representative who has no competitor at all and it’s not a question of if but when she will be re-elected.

ENDS.

MEDIA PURGE; RMS FIRES OVER 15 STAFF, EDITORS REPORTERS, CAMERAMEN AND TECHNICIANS.

Traditional powerful media houses like Nation, Standard and Royal Media are grappling with huge wage bills following the entry of digital platform that has given birth to a number of tv stations which means revenue is being shared among many entities.

Media owners have in the recent past been caught in a delicate balancing act that requires them to cut cost so as to remain afloat in business and at the same retain talent within their web.

The rising wage bill owing to shared resources is seen to be competing with the regular income, thus media owners who are businesamen have adopted the early retirement option as the most effective way to curb the ever rising wage bill.

This can only be approached by one painful method of getting rid of those considered to be earning higher salaries, which the company can do without so as to bridge the gap and Royal Media Services is at it again laying off over 15 staff that include reporters, cameramen and technicians.

A source very close to the company but chose to remain anonymous told this blog that those retrenched were earning between 150,000 to 250,000 shillings had earlier declined to take a pay cut of 50% that had been tabled to them.

It would be interesting to see how Kenya Correspondents of Association (KCA) and Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) will react to this new development because it is coming barely under 12 months after MediaMax company fired over 50 journalists who were mainly poached from Royal Media Services just before the 2013 general elections.

Among those sent on early retirement include Evelyn Wambui who had earlier been earmarked to head the new Inooro tv but the idea was shelved after it emerged that she can’t speak fluent Kikuyu.

Others are swahili guru Patrick Injendi, Senior Political reporter who was recently poached from the National broadcaster KBC Kendagor Obadiah, Fiona Kenga, desk editor Daniel Korir. Cameramen were not spared either Lawrence Munene and Ngei Musomba were fired too.

The features desk has been greatly affected with the exit of Evelyn Wambui who has been holding the docket following the departure of Sally Mbilu and Judy Kosgei who left the company last year under unclear circumstances.



ENDS......