Weekend Wrap

Non-performers
This week our Members of Parliament were ranked by a lobby group and came out as having performed very poorly. Even though they condemned the survey, most Kenyans feel the results are true – but all want to get a ticket of their own to Parliament next time round.

MP for Hire?
The top ranked MP in the survey, Kitutu Chache MP Jimmy Angwenyi was caught on Nation TV in a highly suspicious tea break with disgraced officials of the Ministry of Health causing him not to ask a sensitive question in Parliament. Last week he kept lobbing soft balls until Information Minister Raphael Tuju to hit a home run against Econet Wireless.

Transparency International moves on
On Friday April 29th, TI advertised the vacant post of executive director. Applicants must be Kenyans citizens of integrity who can demonstrate project development, fund-raising, local & international interface skills as well as recruit, manage and motivate other TI staff. Apply to recruit@adeptsystems.co.ke by 13th May.

Plant A Tree
Today (Friday) is national tree planting – unfortunately no one noticed and Kenya’s forests are being rapidly depleted. Since the entire Nyayo era is being revived by Narc, I‘d like to encourage them to re-introduce Moi’s 1980 tree project of “kata moja, panda mbili” to encourage tree planting among rural communities who depend on firewood for fuel

Upcoming Debate
On Tuesday May 3rd (6.p.m) at the Stanly Hotel, the Media Council of Kenya has arranged a forum entitled “Is the media abusing freedom of the press?” Members of the public are invited to share their views with Standard Associate Editor Kwamchetsi Makokha and Public Communication Secretary, Dr. Alfred Mutua, among others.

Prosecutors scoring zero
As Tom Delamere entered the court system to be charged with murder, out walked three suspects who had been charged with killing Professor Mbai last year (yes they are innocent, but who are the real killers? Also walking out of jail this week was Ketan Somaia, following in the golden footsteps of Kamlesh Pattni who was acquited last month. And even as Kenyans this week discovered how rotten the National Aids Control Council was, former director Dr. Gachara is sitting at home, courtesy off a Presidential Pardon last Jamhuri Day. With a high-powered legal team (led by Fred Ojiambo) already assembled against a Nakuru prosecutor, Delamare's ordeal will be over in a few months.