Kenya says it will cancel oil firms' licences as fuel crisis worsens

The fuel crisis that has rocked the three East African countries for the past one week arising from the introduction of an advance tax payment system by the Kenya government is far from being resolved.
Energy Minister Simeon Nyachae appeared to fuel to the stalemate by threatening to cancel licences for oil companies that persisted in boycotting stocks from the Kenya Petroleum Refineries just hours after his efforts to reconcile the dealers and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) came to nought.
The refineries general manager, Chris House, said the plant would close down temporarily as its storage capacity was full due to the oil companies' failure to move refined products for distribution, igniting a Ksh3 increase in pump prices around Nairobi.

Reference: http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/News/Regional150820054.htm

Saccos step in to fill gap in savings left by banks

As major commercial banks abandon rural customers, savings and credit cooperative societies (Saccos) are filling in the gap.
The Saccos are operating retail banking services, commonly referred to as front office services accounts (Fosa).
With the liberalisation of financial sector in the 1990s, many banking institutions were forced to rationalise their operations, which included closing down some of their branches, mostly in rural areas.

Reference: http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=28&newsid=55141

Hospital on wheels

A giant truck has just rolled into a constituency in Nyanza Province with promises of a better life for the residents.
The residents of Rarieda Constituency welcoming the giant mobile clinic when it rolled into town last week.
It is 3pm on Friday August 12, 2005, and the usually sleepy Aram Market in Rarieda constituency is abuzz. The tiny market square that sits not far from the shores of Lake Victoria is jammed with hordes of curious residents. Everyone wants to catch a glimpse of the giant white truck and the two trailers behind it.

Reference: http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=29&newsid=55203

Pay us now, rail workers tell government

Kenya Railways workers in Kisumu yesterday demanded that their outstanding dues should be settled before the corporation is privatised through concessioning.
The workers said they needed their claims processed now , so they can prepare well for the transition period.
"We should not wait any more. We need our dues paid and done with forthwith because we don't want to linger in the uncertainty of the future once we are done," an emphatic worker identified only as Otieno stated.
The Government has disclosed that the bulk of the cash-strapped parastatal's 9,000 strong workforce will be redundant by December.

Reference: http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=3&newsid=55281

What Kenya’s top earners are paid

Kenya’s highest paid Chief Executive Officer earns Sh2.2 million a month on top of other lucrative non-cash benefit.
The figure does not include the lucrative pampering of the lords of the boardrooms with such incentives as free club membership and golf facilities, credit cards, chauffer, and airtime and telephone bills.
The amount is Sh200, 000 higher than what the country pays President Kibaki per month.

Reference: http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=27507

Pull down sexy billboards - study

Researchers have finally found evidence for what good altar boys have known all along – erotic images make you go blind.

The effect is temporary and lasts just a moment, but the research has added to road-safety campaigners’ calls to ban sexy and other eye catching billboards – advertising near busy roads, in the hope of preventing accidents.

Reference: http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=30&newsid=55277

Enact law to stop human trafficking

The Government has been urged to put in place a law to curb human trafficking.

A workshop on human trafficking at a Nairobi hotel yesterday blamed the search for jobs for the increased number of people being sold from Africa.

Trafficking of people was a big challenge to the labour movement since people were pushed to become domestic or sex workers, said Mr Andrew Kailembo, the general secretary of the African regional office of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.

Reference: http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=55308