The Star News Brief gives you a summary of the stories making headlines in Kenya today and offers you a glimpse of what to expect in tomorrow's newspaper.
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Raila will be on the presidential ballot next year
Despite remaining non-committal on whether he will be running for President, the Star has confirmed that ODM leader Raila Odinga will be on the ballot next year. According to the chairman John Mbadi, the orange party is putting in place mechanisms in preparations for Raila’s fifth attempt at the Presidency.
Last week, the Star reported how every sign shows that the opposition leader would be on the ballot despite his constant comments that he was not preparing to run. This move would see Raila and Deputy President William Ruto pull up as the frontrunners in a race where President Uhuru Kenyatta’s word is eagerly awaited. On Monday, Uhuru said he has no preferred candidate despite promising his deputy support while on the campaign trail in 2017.
Ruto’s few remaining Rift Valley critics isolated
An aggressive charm offensive by Deputy President William Ruto to firm up the grip on the Rift Valley bastion has sent his rivals back to the drawing board. The DP, who is under siege from a political onslaught from President Uhuru Kenyatta and key opposition bigwigs, has gone flat out to consolidate the vast region ahead of the 2022 polls.
Ruto’s bid to ring-fence the rift valley could isolate and jolt some of his fiercest critics from the region as he moves to lay the ground for his first stab at the presidency next year. The DP's allies have also softened down on their rivals from the region in what appears to be a game plan to court them to the Tangatanga camp as the 2022 presidential battle shapes up. The toning down by the DP's key allies also signals a deliberate game plan to reduce antagonism and whittle down animosity within his backyard.
Border dispute, poverty blamed for Kapedo clashes
As security forces swept the area for killer bandits on Tuesday, Baringo communities urged the government to end recurrent attacks in Kapedo. Residents attributed the ongoing Kapedo clashes to unresolved historical land disputes on the border of Baringo and Turkana counties. Some are also blaming the increase on possession of illegal firearms, poverty and illiteracy.
On Sunday afternoon, senior GSU Superintendent Emadau Tamkol was ambushed and shot dead by gunmen near the volatile Kapedo area. Three colleagues were wounded. They were assessing the volatile situation, monitoring food distribution and responding to a distress call.
Cassava: from ‘poor man’s diet’ to industrial crop
The Tangakona Commercial Village actually thrives on account of a hardy tuber - cassava. Group chairperson Catherine Otaga knows that virtually every homestead in Busia county grows some cassava. Her organisation processes cassava. Farmers from various parts of Busia county and beyond deliver the crop to the firm’s base.
The produce is dried at least for three days if the weather permits. By the fourth day, the moisture content has dropped to the desired level. In many homes, cassava is hardly consumed on its own. It has to be mixed with something else. Many are the options at Tangakona for provision of value addition to this starchy food.
Desert locusts swarm Northern and Central Kenya
Swarms of desert locusts have now invaded seven counties in parts of northern and Central Kenya. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation has reported several immature swarms are arriving every day and spreading throughout northern and central areas.
The locust watch update released on Monday showed that the swarms have now been seen in seven counties of Wajir, Garissa, Marsabit, Samburu, Laikipia, Isiolo and Meru. This is compared to four counties reported to have been infested last week.