The News Brief - Ruto seeks to win over Raila strongholds

The battle for control of key voting region between Deputy President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga continued to intensify.

On Monday, Ruto hosted leaders from the Luo and Luhya communities that have traditionally been Raila’s strongholds.

Other than seeking their support for his bid, the DP dismissed politicians peddling false information that President Uhuru Kenyatta wants to extend his term in office.

Cotu boss Francis Atwoli had over the weekend claimed that a referendum arising from the BBI process would change the constitution and give Uhuru more time in office.

Deputy President William Ruto's strategists believe he still has a fighting chance to seize firm control of the Jubilee party as his 2022 political vehicle.

According to the DP's close allies, all is not lost in their efforts to have Ruto run for president on a Jubilee ticket despite the raging internal turmoil.

The DP has in previous interviews maintained that he will try to fix the mess in Jubilee but if push comes to shove he would ship out.

However, it has emerged, the DP's strategists are toying with the idea of staying put in the party.

Eight in ten children in Kenya believe they have learnt little or nothing since schools closed due to Covid-19.

This is one of the findings of a survey commissioned by Save the Children that also indicated that two thirds of children have had no contact with teachers during partial lockdowns.

This revelation came as Education CS George Magoha said the decision on whether to reopen schools will be announced after a mega stakeholders' meeting that is expected to take place on or before September 25.

In July, the Education Ministry announced that schools would not reopen until next year.

A group of people claiming to be Buxton residents now say the Sh6 billion Buxton Regeneration Project should be suspended.

They met Nyali MP Mohammed Ali and former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar, who are to help them petition the courts for suspension.

The project, being undertaken by the county government, is set to start in January after a three-day public participation exercise that ended on September 5th saw majority of the residents give it a thumbs up.

Speaking during the September 5th forum, Governor Hassan Joho warned that no one would stop the project.

Water scarcity is increasingly a global problem. The causes of this inadequacy are related to quantity and quality.

They include limited availability, population pressure, mass consumption, misuse, environmental degradation, pollution and climate change.

This has resulted in what is now called water politics or hydropolitics.

The latest case involves the Nile waters and has caused a standoff among Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan.

The Star spoke to Ethiopian Ambassador Meles Alem who says his country does not need permission to fill up the dam.

A ban on "saggy pants" that reveal a person's underwear is to be lifted in a South Florida city - 13 years after it was put in place.

Signs are in place around the city to warn people not to get caught with their pants down.

One shows an image of two young men wearing pants below their waists and features the words: "No ifs, ands or butts... it's the city law!"