Kenya’s University Education Principal Secretary Simon Nabukwesi has warned both public and private universities over the expected fraudulent mass acquisition of degrees as education provisions of the Elections Act come into force in the August 2022 General Election.
Section 22 (1) (b) of the Elections Act of 2011, as amended by the 11th Parliament, provides for minimum academic qualifications for senators, members of the National Assembly and ward representatives.
It stipulates that candidates may be nominated for an election only if they are holders of a university degree recognised in Kenya.
This provision was to take effect ahead of the 2017 General Election but a further amendment was passed to postpone its adoption until the 2022 elections.
As people seeking elective seats rush to acquire the vital document, Nabukwesi, while decrying the quality of education offered at some local institutions of higher learning, said the era of people acquiring degrees they had not earned has ended.
Nabukwesi’s comments came after Gatanga Member of Parliament, Joseph Ngugi, a member of PAC, claimed some people are in a rush to acquire degrees of dubious standards so they can vie in the 2022 elections.
The Principal Secretary also told the committee, that he had directed the Kenya National Qualification Authority and the Commission for University Education to work together to ensure that people with dubious academic documents are locked out of the elections.
Universities Cautioned Against Fraudulent Acquisition Of Degrees Ahead of 2022 Elections
Pay Rise Row: Kenya’s Teachers Service Commission Justifies Non-Cash Offer To Teachers
Kenya’s Teachers Service Commission has defended its non-monetary counteroffer to the teachers unions, saying it is the only deal they can afford in the prevailing economic situation.
The Commission’s Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia said the 2021-2025 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was not only about monetary gains, but also about conditions of service for teachers.
Macharia said while she appreciates the right of the unions to decline the offer, they should also consider the economic situation the country finds itself in and the fact that she could not offer what she did not have.
The Commission head said the agency is committed to providing an outstanding working and professional environment for all the 330,671 teachers in its employment.
She said over the past eight years, the commission has embraced open dialogue as a means of managing industrial relations in the teaching service, adding that is how the commission was able to carry out reforms to ensure the teaching sector remains professional, peaceful and free from industrial disharmony.
Macharia said their counteroffer to the unions was based on an advisory from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and that the commission’s proposal had factored in the economic impact of the Covid-19 fiasco.
The SRC gave an advisory on June 17, 2021 that there would be no pay reviews for the basic salary structures, allowances and benefits paid in the public sector in the financial year 2021/2022 to 2022/2023.
Macharia said the negotiations they had with teachers at Nairobi’s Safari Park Hotel were based on the understanding that the basic salary, annual increments, allowances and benefits teachers are currently getting would be maintained.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET) have rejected TSC’s counteroffer and threatened to paralyse learning when schools reopen for first term.
KUPPET Secretary-General Akelo Misori said the union would use all means including the judiciary to challenge the legality of the SRC position blocking public-sector salary reviews for two years.
China’s ‘El Chapo’ Set To Be Extradited To Australia
Alleged drug lord Tse Chi Lop who is said to have been operating across Asia and is often compared to Mexican kingpin El Chapo, is set to be handed over by the Netherlands to Australia.
Tse Chi Lop is accused of heading up a multibillion-dollar drug operation spanning several countries in the Asia-Pacific, from Japan to New Zealand.
A Dutch court has approved the request for him to be extradited, after his arrest in January but his lawyer has saidthat an appeal would be made.
Tse is said to have headed one of the largest drug syndicates in the world which dominates a $70bn (£50bn) illegal drugs market across Asia.
Australian police believe The Company, also known as the Sam Gor Syndicate, moved huge quantities of illicit substances, including meth, ketamine and other drugs, hidden in packs of tea.
It is alleged that the syndicate is responsible for 70% of the illicit drugs that enter Australia.
Listed as one of the world’s most wanted fugitives, Tse was detained at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport in January while trying to board a plane.
Tse denies the allegations and claims his arrest was effectively set up by Australian authorities, alleging they illegally arranged for his expulsion from Taiwan to Canada to include a stop in the Netherlands so that he could be arrested there.
His lawyer says he will lodge an appeal against the extradition decision, taking the case to the supreme court.
20 Missing After Huge Landslide Hits Atami, City central Japan
Twenty people are missing in central Japan after a huge landslide hit Atami city following heavy rainfall.
Several houses were destroyed or buried from a torrent of black mud plummeting down from a mountain top and on through the city towards the sea which was shown in video’s on social media.
Two bodies have been found by the coast guard, the local governor said.
Japan is a very mountainous and densely populated country and landslides are not unusual. But there speculation that climate change could be making these sorts of extreme weather events more frequent and more destructive.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has put together a taskforce to respond to the disaster and the wider emergency caused by heavy rainfall on the Pacific coastline.
Police, firefighters and members of Japan’s military are involved in a search operation.
Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of residents in three prefectures – Shizuoka, Kanagawa and Chiba – have been ordered to evacuate following warnings of further flooding in low-lying areas.
Last July dozens were killed in flooding. More than 200 died in 2018 when parts of western Japan were inundated.
Miami Building Collapse – Demolition Date Brought Forward
The demolition of the standing portion of the apartment block that collapsed near Miami has been brought forward due to an approaching tropical storm.
According to officials, the upright section of Champlain Towers South will be destroyed within days to allow rescuers to search the site safely.
Meanwhile, the death toll has risen to 24, with 124 people missing after the collapse of the 12-storey building on 24 June and Officials are investigating other tower blocks for structural faults.
On Saturday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the forthcoming demolition would protect the search-and-rescue teams, adding that these gusts would create a real severe hazard.”
Storm Elsa, a 120km/h hurricane, could potentially hit Florida early next week.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Cava Levine signed a demolition order on Friday. She initially said she expected the demolition would not happen until late July.
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said the fear was that the storm would knock the rest of the building down and drop debris on to the zone where survivors were still being sought.
Ms Cava Levine said the families of those still missing had been told of the decision and “they understand”. No-one has been found alive since the first hours after the collapse.
Demolition experts have been devising a plan on Saturday, and the destruction will be controlled, with the use of explosive charges.
There are no details so far about compensating the owners.
Cameroon Opens New 48hrs Passport Office In Yaounde
Cameroon has launched its new national passport production centre in Yaoundé. The center will produce biometric passports in 48 hours after the online registration of the applicant.
The first 80 passports were issued this Friday by the Cameroonian police chief, to the great cheer of some applicants who hitherto waited between 6 months and 2 years to obtain a passport.
Director of the Cameroon Police, Martin Mbarga Nguelé said the passports of applicants are produced in 48 hours at the earliest and packed for transport to the enrolment posts of those concerned”,.
The cost of these new passports has however been increased from CFAF 75,000 to CFAF 110,000. That is 116 euros to 170 euros-
The over 40 percent increase now makes it one of the most expensive passports in Africa. The increase, authorities say is justified by the speed and quality of the passport.
The Cameroonian passport currently ranks on the 91st place according to the Guide Passport Ranking Index. It provides visa-free access to only 49 destinations across the world.
Between 1,500 to 2,000 passports can be produced each day at this new center.
The government also said it has set up centres in each of the 10 regions of Cameroon where the passports can be collected at convenience by successful applicants.
France Takes U -Turn, Resumes Military Cooperation With Mali
France, which has more than 5,000 troops deployed in the Sahel, will resume joint operations with the Malian armed forces, according to the Ministry of Defence.
This follows the suspension of bilateral cooperation following a second coup in Mali in May.
A communique said “Following consultations with the Malian transitional authorities and the countries of the region, France takes note of the commitments of the Malian transitional authorities” endorsed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and has “decided to resume joint military operations as well as national advisory missions, which had been suspended since 3 June.
After a second coup in nine months that made Colonel Assimi Goïta the head of this state crucial for stability in the Sahel, France had declared a month ago to suspend joint operations with the Malian forces, with which it has cooperated for years against jihadists.
In order to counter extremists in the Sahel area, French military have been supporting soldiers from Mali, Chad, Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso through its over 5,000 troops present in the region.
The Barkhane force, which was launched after France intervened to fend off a jihadist advance in Mali in 2013, will now continue to operate
On 25 May, Colonel Assimi Goïta orchestrated the ouster of president Bah Ndaw and prime minister Moctar Ouane, raising doubts about his commitment to holding the elections.
Libya Maritime Officials Confirm Shooting At Migrants
Libyan maritime officials have now acknowledged that a Libyan coast guard vessel had fired warning shots at a migrant boat.
The vessel was chasing the boat in the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday June 30, in an apparent effort to try to stop the migrants from crossing into Europe.
On Thursday, German NGO Sea-Watch released footage filmed from a plane showing the Libyan coast guard chasing a blue wooden boat with a small engine at high speed.
The boat had at least two dozen people onboard.
During the chase, which occurred in international waters in Malta’s search and rescue responsibility zone, men in uniform aboard the Libyan vessel could be seen firing at least two times toward the boat, with bullets hitting the water nearby.
The Libyan coast guard came close to crashing into the boat several times.
Late Thursday, the Libyan navy issued a statement condemning the act. It said the Libyan vessel had endangered the lives of migrants during the chase, vowing to hold those responsible to account.
EU Commission spokesman Peter Stano deplored the incident as “a cause of concern, adding that the commission had already asked for explanations from the Libyan government.
The EU trains, equips and supports the Libyan coast guard to intercept people trying to cross the Central Mediterranean to Europe.
At least 723 people are known to have either died or gone missing taking this route on unseaworthy boats so far this year.
Lewis Hamilton: Mercedes Driver Signs New Two-Year Deal
World champion Lewis Hamilton has signed a new two-year deal with Mercedes until the end of 2023.
The Briton, 36, has won six of his seven world titles with the British-based German team since joining from McLaren in 2012.
This season Hamilton is contending for a record-breaking eighth championship but is currently second behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
“We still have a lot to achieve, both on and off the track,” said Hamilton.
It is the earliest he has agreed a new deal with Mercedes for some years and will take his time at the team to at least 11 seasons and into the start of a major rules change next year.
The deal has come together quickly, in contrast to 2020, when the pandemic, a compressed season and then both Hamilton and team boss Toto Wolff contracting coronavirus delayed talks and Hamilton ended the year out of contract.
Hamilton did not agree a new one-year deal with the team for 2021 until February but has been saying since the start of this season that he expected to continue in F1 beyond this year, and began discussing the terms of his new contract with Wolff in May. The pair completed a deal within two months, underlining their desire to keep working together.
Hamilton has not taken a pay cut, contrary to some reports. After an adjustment in salary as a result of the pandemic this season, his earnings will be back to pre-Covid levels, when he was said to be earning as much as £40m a year.
The bond between the team and their driver has been strengthened by their support for his push for increased diversity and inclusion in the sport, which gathered momentum in the midst of the global outcry following the death of unarmed African-American George Floyd at the hands of US police last May.
Hamilton said: “I’m incredibly proud and grateful of how Mercedes has supported me in my drive to improve diversity and equality in our sport.
“They have held themselves accountable and made important strides in creating a more diverse team and inclusive environment.”
Wolff said: “As we enter a new era of F1 from 2022 onwards, there can be no better driver to have in our team than Lewis.
“His achievements in this sport speak for themselves, and with his experience, speed and race-craft, he is at the peak of his powers.
“We are relishing the battle we have on our hands this year – and that’s why we also wanted to agree this contract early, so we have no distractions from the competition on track.
“I have always said that as long as Lewis still possesses the fire for racing, he can continue as long as he wants.”
Hamilton and Mercedes have dominated the sport since 2014 – his former team-mate Nico Rosberg is the only man to win a drivers’ title other than the Briton since then.
Hamilton now has a record 100 pole positions and 98 grand prix wins but is facing a momentous challenge from Red Bull’s Verstappen as he seeks to move himself clear of Michael Schumacher in terms of championship titles – Hamilton equalled the German’s mark of seven last season.
There is no word from the team on the identity of his team-mate next season, with the seat between his current partner Valtteri Bottas and British rising star George Russell.
Wolff said he wanted to spend a bit more time observing the two drivers in F1 this season before making a final call.
Hamilton has said he sees no reason to change Bottas, but Russell starred on a one-off debut for Mercedes at the Sakhir Grand Prix last year when he stood in for Hamilton after the world champion contracted Covid-19.
Ighoho: Southwest Governors Convene Emergency Meeting
six governors in the South-West geopolitical zone convened an emergency meeting on Friday evening over current national issues
A top source, who preferred anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter, said that the governors met virtually and discussed sundry issues.
The source could not confirm whether the governors discussed the raid by operatives of the Department of State Services on the Ibadan residence of Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho.
However, it was gathered that the issue was discussed, among others.
“They are meeting but no one is sure if it is because of Igboho. There are several reasons governors can meet (on) especially in the face of the precarious situation (in the country),” the source said.
It was gathered that governors who took part in the meeting were Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo).
The meeting was chaired by Akeredolu, who is the chairman of the governors’ forum in the zone.
Many Nigerians on social media have lamented the audible silence of the governors in the zone about 48 hours after the secret police raided Igboho’s residence in a Gestapo style.
Thirteen of Igboho’s guards and close associates were arrested and paraded by the DSS while two of his followers were reportedly killed in a gun duel with the secret police. However, Igboho had escaped the raid.
His house and cars were riddled with bullets during the raid while bloodstains splattered over the floors of the house.
The secret police have since declared Igboho wanted. The activist is being accused of stockpiling weapons to destabilise the country under the guise of agitation for Yoruba nation but the activist had since denied the allegation, noting that he fights with metaphysical powers and not ammunition.
