About 500 elders drawn from President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Kikuyu community are set to visit Kango Kajaramogi home and endorse opposition chief Raila Odinga for the top job.
The meeting, the first of its kind, is the clearest indication that Uhuru may back Raila and not his Deputy William Ruto when he retires in two years time. The elders started arriving at the lakeside city for a political statement that is expected to have a bearing on the 2022 race to succeed Uhuru. After Bondo meeting, the Luo elders and select political leaders will be hosted for the second part of meeting in Nyeri county on October 30, 2020.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission now claims that it is well prepared to conduct the 2022 elections. The commission said that it was preparing for the elections despite several reforms arising from the past elections having not been met.
The IEBC has also previously said that its election technology was turning obsolete creating doubts whether the commission can handle another election. The commission is also not properly constituted after four commissioners resigned just after the 2017 elections.
In last two months, Deputy President William Ruto has fired up his 2022 presidential campaigns, declaring his grand march to State House is unstoppable. The DP has openly claimed the so-called 'system' and the 'deep state' will not block his presidential bid because he has the "millions of Kenyans and God" on his side.
Furthermore, Ruto's populist 'no man's land' strategy — meaning no part of Kenya belongs exclusively to any one person or community — will be trumpeted far and wide as he campaigns and appeals to the common man and popular discontent. In Siasa today, the Star looks at Ruto’s bid and what it portends for Uhuru and Raila.
When it comes to the Kenyan meal, tomatoes are king. They are not only the most consumed vegetable in Kenya, but also the second most profitable to farmers after potatoes.
However, a new study by Kenyatta University researchers suggests tomatoes consumed in Kenya could be contaminated with deadly chemicals as farmers take shortcuts in production. Some of the pesticides have been linked to cancer, malformation of the foetus and damages to the immune system, when misused. The study notes it is almost impossible for farmers to successfully grow tomatoes without the use of pesticides because they are highly vulnerable to diseases and pests.
When Mabel found out she was pregnant, the first thing she did was call her boyfriend. They talked about it and then decided that abortion was the right option as they were not ready.
When the Star caught up with her, she carefully tucked herself at the corner of her bed. Her eyes were swollen and she said she was yet to change the sheets in her bed. She had been inside her apartment for a few days, barely seeing anyone because she did not want to explain her crying. This is one of the many bitter stories that come with unsafe abortions as the Star learnt on International Safe Abortions Day.
