Police arrest six over Christmas terror plot

Six suspected Al-Shabaab militants have been arrested amid reports that the terrorist group planned to carry out attacks in Nairobi and Mombasa over the festive period.

Police commissioner Mathew Iteere said the suspects arrested on separate days this week belong to a local cell of the group with links to the global Al-Qaeda terror network.

“We’ve addressed threats in Mombasa and Nairobi. We have arrested six suspects, two in Mombasa and the others here (Nairobi). We are on high alert and we are going to increase police visibility in public places in those areas,” he said.

The local cell of Al-Shabaab operates from Majengo area in Nairobi, according to a past confidential security brief seen by the Nation.

The police chief said the suspects had been interrogated and that his officers were on the look out for others.

“We are talking to them and we cannot allow them to go on with their mission. Every security officer is on the lookout and all such characters will be arrested,” Mr Iteere said.

Security officials privy to police operations told the Nation that the six had on several occasions travelled to Somalia and undergone military training in Al-Shabaab camps in recent years.

Mission on track

The decision to arrest the suspects is understood to have been made after a report prepared by intelligence officers who had been tracking their movements warned the group was planning deadly attacks in Kenya.

The four suspects arrested in Nairobi are reported to have met regularly in various places in the past week.

The intelligence warned that their meetings pointed to a “dangerous mission on track.”

Before the arrests, intelligence officers had also tracked one of the suspects to a busy street at the city centre and believed he was carrying out surveillance for the Al-Shabaab.

The sources told the Nation that the suspect had been seen walking up and down the street on three different days but did not enter any premises.

At one time, he is said to have taken rest at a nearby restaurant but left several minutes later without having ordered a meal or a drink.

Reports of the planned attacks come at a time when the police are concerned that the level of security alertness that had been exhibited by the general public in October had since slackened.

“While all Kenyans must enjoy during the festivities, they must take cognizance that this is not the time to relax, during Christmas and the New Year. We have seen the level of alertness has gone down. Security guards and managers of premises frequented by the public should know that in fact, they shift to a higher gear,” said Mr Iteere.

The police chief urged managers at public places like restaurants, bars, nightclubs and matatu termini to conduct security checks on their customers where need be.

Injuries sustained

The announcement of the latest arrests also comes just days after an intelligence brief disclosed in Parliament indicated that Al-Shabaab had dispatched bomb makers and assassins to eliminate Defence Minister Yusuf Haji and National Assembly Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim.

Mr Iteere spoke at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi where he visited police officers admitted with injuries sustained in explosions attributed to Al-shabaab in North Eastern Province.He also visited other officers at the Nairobi Hospital and the Spinal Injury Hospital.

One of the patients, Constable William Musyoki sustained burns after an explosion in Mandera.

Meanwhile security agencies are at an unprecedented state of alert amid the latest reports that Al-Shabaab planned attacks against Kenya and US interests in the country.

Churches, hotels and shopping malls are among social places being provided with blanket security in an effort to prevent a terrorist attack this festive season.

A detailed operational plan has been sent to commanders of security agencies countrywide as part of measures to avert a terrorist attack.

The plan includes a guide to officers on terrorism prevention, detection and how to act in case of an emergency.

Besides the police and the military, a number of private security firms in urban centres have also been included in confidential security plans to ensure safety during the festive period.

The new measures have also seen selected public places being upgraded, albeit temporarily, to the status known in security parlance as “vital installations.

Source: http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Police+arrest+six+over+Christmas+terror+plot+/-/1056/1294676/-/3ppxctz/-/index.html

Thika sex workers demand better working conditions

Commercial sex workers in Thika unmasked their faces in an attempt to air their grievances against harassment by the police and customers who they say want to have sex with them without protection.

Their concerns came out as they received free condoms from Sasa Organization to protect themselves from contracting sexually transmitted diseases including Aids.

Many of them say they are not proud of what they do but the hard economic times have pushed them into the oldest profession in the world.

The women say they will welcome the idea of paying tax to the Government if they are assured of their security and job identification cards to distinguish them from other girls.

Immigration Q&A with attorney Uhuru Ndirangu: What does it take to become a UK or US citizen

Tom Mutie said…..

December 15, 2011 at 10:54 PM

Hallo, what does it take to become a UK or US citizen ?

How Much Money ?

Mutie

I am only licensed to practice law in Texas andU.S.immigration law.  I therefore cannot answer the part of your question that asks what it takes to become a U.K citizen.  Please consult an attorney licensed in the to practice law in that jurisdiction.

As to the part about becoming a U.S.citizen, it’s a path to citizenship.  The first stage is to become a permanent resident, commonly known as green card holder.  A green card allows one to live and work permanently in theU.S.  There are a number of ways to become a permanent resident.  Some of the ways  are through being sponsored by a family member, through employment, through the diversity visa (the green card lottery), through investments, through adoption, through asylum and refuge, through what are called special immigrants, and through having congress pass a private Bill granting a foreign national permanent resident.

Once a person becomes a permanent resident, that person has to maintain the status of a permanent resident for required period and fulfill other requirements such as good moral character before they can apply to becomeU.S.Citizens.   

The amount of money it takes depends on many factors.  It depends on what route you take in getting your permanent residence.  Keep in mind that application fees for all required forms usually adjusts, and usually upwards. 

Did you know?

Conduct/admission vs. Conviction.   A person must be denied citizenship if he is convicted, and/or if he admits facts that constitute certain crimes. 8 C.F.R. § 316.10 (b) (2) (iv); INA § 101(f) (3)

 

Uhuru Ndirangu is an attorney licensed to practice law in Texas. He is based in Houston, Texas.

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Kenyans in New Jersey buy popular US Hotel

The restaurant, previously Avenue Hotel in New Jersey is set to serve both Kenyan and non-Kenyan clientele Photo:Courtesy

Avenue in New Jersey, US that has in the past four years hosted the popular annual July 4 Kenya Re-union, commonly known as Street Bash has changed hands and is now wholly owned by Kenyans.

Located in the Hillcrest area of Paterson, NJ, the hotel that owned a stretch with a cordoned off street that played host to arguably among the largest numbers of Kenyans living in the US is now officially Uhuru Garden Restaurant.

Three Kenyan businessmen living in New Jersey with a strong background in music entertainment, cultural organization and promotion recently purchased the hotel.

“Kenyans abroad love their music, food and cultural entertainment as much as they love their country. This New Jersey area has for a long time never had a venue that features Kenyan music, Kenyan cuisine and a Kenyan atmosphere in a setting that is not only elegant but also reflective and reminiscent of the motherland. This is it and we feel privileged as owners to represent our country Kenya,” Said one of the owners, Lloyd Osunga of Umoja Entertainment.

Mr Osunga co-owns the joint with Mike Odhiambo popularly known as VJ One and Kevin Kiguru AKA DJ Kevo- a triumvirate that has served in various roles in the entertainment world including events promotion and Disc Jockeying. Found decorating the restaurant in Kenyan flag colours in readiness for the Christmas and end of year festivities, DJ Kevo said they were getting ready to host a Benga Live Band on Christmas day.

“We are lining up a series of performances starting with Benga Live Band on Christmas day and on New Year’s Eve, hundreds of people from all over the US will be here to sample what Uhuru Gardens has to offer,” He said.

Featuring ample parking, a spacious dining area which doubles as an entertainment section, a fully stocked bar and spacious outside patio, Uhuru Garden is definitely positioned to drastically change the landscape as far as local venues are concerned.

“Uhuru Garden is not a rebranded venue, but rather a transformation to a customer-centric business that primarily aims to serve Kenyan cuisine while continuing to offer late night entertainment,” Said Mr Osunga.

He added “The outside patio targeted to open in spring 2012 is the only of its kind in the area. Outdoor dining will add an extra touch of comfort and relaxation to the ambience of the location”.

VJ One (Mike Odhiambo) told The Standard that at the moment, their business hours are Wednesdays to Sundays from 5pm to 3am. He said they are looking into extending the hours of operation within the next several weeks in order to better serve their clients.

Asked to say why he thinks Uhuru Gardens will not meet the fate of many such Kenyan restaurants that folded soon after opening because of a narrow Kenyan clientele that is not big enough to sustain such business, VJ One said they were seeking to expand the customer base.

“Uhuru Gardens aims to cater for people from all walks of life, meaning non-Kenyans will also get to sample and enjoy the treasures of the Kenyan kitchen,” He said.

Source: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000048829&cid=4&ttl=Kenyans%20buy%20popular%20Street%20Bash%20Hotel%20in%20Jersey

New book queries Wanjiru death

On September 5, 2008 Beijing Olympic Games marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru (left) of Kenya shows his gold medal. Centre: His Nyahuru home. Right: His wife Trizah Njeri is consoled by a friend outside the town mortuary on May 16, 2011. Photos/JOSEPH KURIA and FILE

A leading Dutch medical expert has opened an investigation into the death of Kenyan world marathon star, Samuel Kamau Wanjiru.

Dr Frank van de Goot from Symbiant in Alkmaar, North Holland, 40 kilometres west of the Netherlands capital city, said he was collecting more evidence which could prove the marathon champion was struck before he fell off his balcony.

The pathologist is concerned that the injuries Wanjiru suffered are not consistent with just a fall and that he may have been struck on the head before he plunged to his death, according to an upcoming book on the Olympic marathon champion.

The author, Mr Frits Conijn, an Amsterdam-based journalist, spent weeks in Kenya investigating the circumstances that led to the distance running sensation’s death.

He subsequently also consulted a the Dutch pathologist who described his (pathologist’s) findings as “strange”.

In the book “Running on Empty”, due to be released next May to coincide with the first anniversary of the athlete’s death, Mr Conijn says the pathologist found “suspect” wounds on Wanjiru’s face that may conclude that he was struck before he fell.

“Strange things happened and exterior violence, like a blow on the head before he died, is very well possible,” Mr Conijn quotes the pathologist as saying.

“There was a wound under his left chin – three strips of six centimetres, two centimetres and one centimetre – which are very strange.

“Then there is the wound under his right eye. If it were above the eye it would have been easy to explain because then it would be caused by the fall from the balcony, because his skull moved. But that is not the case with this wound.”

Mr Conijn says the pathologist does not pay too much attention to the wounds on Wanjiru’s knees as “they are too small and could be caused by walking against a chair, so they are meaningless.”

Speaking the Daily Nation on Thursday, Dr van de Goot said: “The post-mortem report’s description of the body refers to a trio of long, superficial skin lesions running parallel to one another. “Lesions of this type are consistent with contact with an external mechanical force or with a resistant object of a similar pattern.”

Describing his findings as “strange, also because of the other wounds,” the pathologist added: “I have not encountered a pattern of this nature in the description of the place where Wanjiru fell.”

Kenya’s chief government pathologist, Dr Moses Njue, gave the cause of Wanjiru’s death as “blunt force trauma” to the back of the head.

Dr Emily Rogena, a senior lecturer at the Department of Human Pathology who was hired to witness the post-mortem and advise the athlete’s mother, Mrs Hannah Wanjiru, concurred with Dr Njue. Conscious landing

She said in her report: “The body demonstrates a dual pattern of injuries with features consistent with conscious landing on all fours (the hands and knees) and fatal injury at the back of the head.”

In the book, which he co-authors with Tanzania-born fellow Dutchman, Mr Simon Maziku, Mr Conijn describes Wanjiru’s youth as troubled, saying the athlete was unable to handle his success.

“At first he was the child of an absent mother who was in Nairobi so in his youth nobody took care of him,” Mr Conijn told the Daily Nation on Thursday.

“He had to do all the nasty jobs in the compound and when the money came in, the situation deteriorated. He had to pay all the bills, everybody was nagging him because they wanted more, more and more. He was not important as a person, but even for his family he was just a walking wallet,” adds Mr Conijn.

The writer describes Wanjiru’s businesses as “a total mess.”

“Take the apartment complex in Nakuru (Birds Nest). During the construction everybody was stealing materials and he was buying the workers expensive dinners. In the end the return on investment was less than 10 per cent while the return on investment on a more or less risk-free Kenyan bond for two years is already more than 20 per cent.”

Mr Conijn currently writes for one of the leading Dutch financial newspapers, Het Financieele Dagblad.

The writer says his most memorable moment in Kenya was when he had an interview with the Olympic champion’s mother, Hannah.

“I was a bit nervous because I read very strange stories about her, but in the end she was nice and gave me almost all the information I needed.  She just refused to tell me who the father is.”

Wanjiru is the first Kenyan sportsman to earn a billion shillings in sports.

Official figures show that Wanjiru made Sh1 billion between 2008 and May 2011, but he died a broke man.

When he first broke into the international scene in 2005, Wanjiru made a neat ($100,000) Sh8.6 million for breaking the world record.

As of May this year, Wanjiru’s total prize money in his athletics career was about $1,886,000 (Sh164 million), according to the Association of Road Runners Statisticians.

This excludes prize money, bonuses and numerous other endorsements.

But this is a drop in the Ocean. Soon after winning the Beijing Olympics Marathon gold medal, a Japanese apparel manufacturer signed Wanjiru for a five year contract worth $3 million (Sh258 million).

American sportswear manufacturer, Nike, tripled his annual endorsements to $800,000 (Sh68.8m).

Appearance fee from the three London Marathon and two appearances in Chicago earned him a further $1 million (Sh86 million) while the World Marathon Majors (these are golden label marathon races in London, Boston, Chicago, Berlin, New York and World Championships/Olympic Games) produced another $1 million (Sh86 million).

Nike gave him undisclosed bonuses for breaking the world records, winning the Olympics, and the London and Chicago marathons where bonuses are higher for athletes who perform well.

All these monies finally tally to a billion shillings, but Wanjiru died deep in debt.

Within athletics circles, getting soft loans running into millions is normal, and one man even sold Wanjiru a house in Ngong on which he still had a balance when he died.

After failing to run in the London Marathon this year, following a court case in which he was charged with assaulting his wife, Wanjiru was out of pocket.

Mr Stephen Mayaka, a Kenya-born, Japan-based athletics manager, says he had tax issues with the Japanese tax man.

Source: http://www.nation.co.ke/News/New+book+queries+Wanjiru+death/-/1056/1294218/-/y2laso/-/index.html