Mututho: It won’t be business as usual

Question: Why have reports on dangerous alcoholic drinks not been acted upon and why do such reports remain secret?

Mututho: That would form a subject of inquiry as there have been several reports of toxic drinks reported to the Government and it remains of interest why no prosecution has taken place. There are no secrets between two people and we believe that it will ultimately come to the public domain. But it is important to recognise that up to 52 per cent of drinks in Kenya have been classified as sub-standard. Where such a result is published, one would expect that even if Nacada doesn’t take action, the Department of Public Health should, and if not, then the other arms involved in criminal justice like the Kenya Police should come in.

You will recall that there have been over 300 deaths reported because of alcohol poisoning, some notable ones include 80 deaths in Mai Mahiu/Narok in 1998, 137 deaths in Mukuru Kaiyaba in 2000, 50 deaths in Machakos in 2005, 28 deaths in Kibera in 2010, 19 deaths in Nyahururu/Ol Kalou in 2011, 14 deaths in Embu in 2011, seven deaths in Keiyo in 2012 and many others. Even an inquest by the Judiciary should have exposed these killer brews and the persons behind them. That is why I believe at an appropriate time we will be recommending to the President to institute a public inquiry into this scam.

Why should we think it will not be business as usual moving forward?

I believe there is only one John Mututho and since John Mututho is the one in charge of Nacada, in my world and for the few years I have been in public service, everybody I have worked with knows I do not entertain being second best in technical performance.

Nacada will follow the law to the letter and no intimidation, threat or innuendo will stop us from pursuing and achieving our mandate. There are more than 500 brands of alcoholic drinks in Kenya, and our mandate is to ensure they conform to legal and health standards.

We have already been to as far as Kipipiri in Nyandarua, Voi in Taita Taveta, Nakuru, Nairobi and soon we will be going to Meru, Isiolo, Marsabit, Kakamega and Kisumu, tracking down the sources of these many brands from what I have previously referred to as drinks from merchants of death. We buy them from retail outlets and pass them on to the Government chemist and other agencies for analysis. Of some 162 samples analysed recently, 52 per cent are substandard.

The good news is that we are forwarding the entire file to the Director of Public Prosecution for further investigation and possible prosecution. I believe the department and Public Health can achieve this within the next seven to 14 days.

All alcoholic drinks must conform to the requirements of the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act. It is financial suicide for anyone in their right mind to continue trading in these illicit alcoholic drinks.

Who could have authorised the drinks to remain in the market? What will you do differently about that?

I believe no one authorised this. KEBS has sophisticated equipment but the crooks dealing in substandard drinks go to the market and buy top range alcoholic drinks of international labels, repackage them and forward that to KEBS for analysis, whereby KEBS will show very good results and subsequently approve. Perhaps we need to advice KEBS now to regularly visit those breweries and sample from all factories and all the wholesale and retail outlets to check on the deviation from the initial samples and then cause prompt prosecution in case of deviation.

It is not clear where the blame game begins and stops but we know we are supposed to register all the alcoholic drinks and we shall do exactly that. We are now calling for five samples from every manufacturer or importer of alcoholic drinks for detailed analysis for purposes of approval on our own Kenyan standards and also international standards and then recommend for consumption.

Woe unto those who will continue in trading in disregard of this proviso, which will automatically lead to prosecution and heavy fines

I believe the penalties of up to Sh10 million, including a jail term, should send a clear message and serve as a deterrent.

How does Nacada liaise with KEBS and what mandate does the standards parastal have to remove the drinks form the shelves?

KEBS has powers to do that and cause prosecution and besides, there is the Public Health Act. These have been provided for in adequate measure in our statutes and all we are urging KEBS to do is wake up from their slumber and do their job.

How much revenue does the Government make from the drinks?

Our suspicion is that the market is much bigger than expressed in the tax returns. The media is reporting young people as spending billions of shillings on entertainment.

It is common knowledge that most of it is on alcohol. If the youth spend these billions, then we can conservatively approximate that the collectable income would be expected to be over Sh40 billion and we all know that is not the case.

It is now reported that Kenya is controlling between 70 per cent and 75 per cent of the alcohol market in East Africa. Can the size of this market then be what is being reported in the alcohol industry? We give a resounding no, but leave
it to KRA to do their investigations.

-www.standardmedia

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9 interesting things you'll never change about your man

Women have the tendency to change different things to better suit their needs and might even attempt to do that with our partners, but before even trying, you should keep in mind that there are a few things you’ll never change about your man, no matter how hard you would might want that.

Men aren’t as complicated as you might think, so they are not so hard to understand.

That’s why, when he tells you to stop trying to change him, that’s precisely what’s he intends. There’s no hidden meaning and he does know what’s best for him.

So, I invite you to read on and find out what are the most surprising things you’ll never change about your man.

1. He Will Always Watch Sports

This is definitely one of the things you’ll never change about your man! Most of them are not even a one-sport man; they pretty much love them all. Don’t try to take this pleasure away from him! The best thing you can do is to just let him watch whatever he wants and take advantage of the time he spends in front of the TV. The game only lasts for a finite time and he will appreciate you even more for not nagging him!

2. He Will Always Lie to You

Don’t worry, I’m not talking about big fat lies, but about those little white lies that he will tell you in order to make you feel good about yourself. So, he will never tell you that you don’t look good in a certain dress or that he doesn’t like your parents so much or that he forgot to pay the electricity bill. Remember, he only does this because he doesn’t wanna see you upset!

3. He Will Look at Other Women

Okay, this is one of the things I really don’t like about guys, but apparently they just can’t help it. After all, looking is not cheating and you must admit that sometimes you are tempted to do the same when you notice some good looking guy coming your way. We’re only human and this behavior of his shouldn’t upset you!

4. He Will Never Care about Clothes

This may not always be true, but most men I know will never care as much about clothes as their girlfriends or wives do. This is just the way they’re built and they just don’t care about fashion. They like to look good, but they just hate to shop, needless to say, worry about what would they wear tomorrow at work or on your night out. That’s just the way they are. There’s nothing you can do about it and you should learn to accept it!

5. He Will Always Be a Mama’s Boy

I know a few people who will disagree with me on this one, but I really believe guys are very attached to their mothers, no matter how old they are. This is understandable, because after all, his mom is the first woman who he met and loved and who taught him to be the great guy that he is now. So, maybe now and then you should thank his mom for raising such a wonderful son!

6. He Will Never Talk about His Feelings

I know women are more romantic and that’s why they would love to communicate more and talk about their feelings with those special men in their life. That’s just not gonna happen and you should accept the fact that your man is different and more pragmatic, thus more straight-forward. They do think it’s important to communicate well, so that your relationship would work, but they don’t wanna exaggerate and spend all their time talking about their feelings. So, just accept that and move on. There are other things that are more important than the amount of time your man spends talking about what’s on his mind.

7. He Is a Beer Buff

Men love beer. Maybe you don’t understand this, but for him a beer with the guys, is more than this. It’s basically the way most men prefer to relax after a hard day at work, after they failed at doing something or just to catch up with their friends. This also doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love you, but just like you need your time with the girls, he also needs his guy time. And, what better way to spend it, than drinking a cold beer with his friends?

8. He Resents You for Taking So Long to Get Ready

This is a thing almost all men share: the fact that they resent you for taking so long to get ready. They like you to look good, but they just can’t understand why you have to spend so much time trying to look nice when you always look perfect, even without your make-up on or without some fancy clothes. You should feel flattered if your man thinks this way, so try to hurry up a bit the next time you’re going somewhere.

9. He Will Always Love Video-Games

Maybe you don’t get this and maybe you don’t understand why he spends so much time playing some video-game for hours without getting bored. My advice is to not even try to understand him. Just accept the fact that deep down, he is still a little child who likes playing games, even if some of them might be very violent and aggressive. I know you might not like it, but there’s pretty much nothing you can do about it.

I suspect that there might be a lot of things you would wanna change about your man; I know I’m tempted to do so, every now and then. Some of you have even tried to do it but without any luck and you have accepted the fact that there’s nothing you can do to change him, despite all your efforts. So, can you tell me what other things you’ll never change about a man? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section
-allwomenstalk.com

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How doctors rob insured patients

A new breed of gold-diggers are stalking Nairobians—and they are not the cheap or sleazy type — they are suave professionals who callously steal from you by the stroke of a pen.

But it is not just individuals who are affected by the growing insidious scheme as professional doctors also set back companies by millions of shillings every year in fraudulent insurance claims.

These doctors work in cahoots with insurance agents or companies to defraud unsuspecting clients through dubious medical diagnosis, procedures and prescriptions.

They have perfected this art by hiding behind well-documented records, references and charts. Only a well-trained nose will smell a doctored rat here.

Three C-Sections in a row

So next time you visit a doctor and you are on a medical insurance cover, seek a second independent opinion if your prognosis appears a little strange – and the intervention or medication being prescribed appears far too drastic or costly – because you are likely being scammed.

Investigations by The Nairobian reveal that the unscrupulous physicians then claim their share of the loot from insurance companies who would have recovered hefty sums in insurance claims from companies under their coverage.

Rebecca* (not her real name) shudders even today as she narrates how she was made to go through three Caesarian Sections in a row, when she could actually have given birth normally.

Caesarean section or C-section is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother’s abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies, or remove a dead foetus.

The procedure is only done when the life of either the mother or the baby is at risk. The procedure costs anything between Sh200,000 to Sh1.5 million in most private hospitals in Nairobi.

Insurance allocation

wiped off by Sh1.7m bill

But for Rebecca, this was routine procedure whenever she visited a leading private hospital in Nairobi to deliver her baby. She had a specific doctor who saw her at the hospital and her insurance cover catered for nearly every type of treatment offered at the hospital including an option for C-section.

“What worried me most is that I was quite healthy up to my last trimester in all the three pregnancies, only to be told a few days before delivery that I may have to go for C-section,” she says.

“The doctor made it appear so serious that it scared the wits out of me. My husband and I had no choice but to go for it,” she added almost in tears.

What is more, she explains, the last C-section she underwent at the hospital led to further complications that required her to be hospitalised for a period of one and half months.

“The bill that came, about Sh1.7 million, wiped off my yearly insurance allocation and it was only March. I had to shoulder the bills for any subsequent hospital visits,” she says.

And now doctors have warned her she can never give birth normally again after the series of C-sections.

“I have since changed doctors, but the new gynaecologist has warned me I may never give birth the normal way again,” she says.

Doctors say such women risk internal bleeding and even death if they attempt virginal delivery, reason being that their uterine muscles have been weakened by the repeated incisions and would crumble and tear under the pressure of pushing.

“Although I do not plan to have any more babies, I am sad that my doctor did this to me simply because he wanted to earn extra money,” Rebecca says.

Bottomless insurance cover

But the scammers have now discovered an even more fertile ground in wealthy Nairobi women who cannot give birth.

These also seem to have bottomless insurance cover allocations — which offer a cushion to the scammers’ clandestine activities.

Another victim who spoke to The Nairobian told of how she had always wanted a baby, but discovered she was infertile. Together with her husband, she sought advice from a gynaecologist who recommended a test tube baby or In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF).

IVF is a technique in which a woman’s eggs and a sperm are fertilised in a laboratory and then implanted in her womb.

But with a successful rate of between 20-23 per cent, often the process is a trial and error mission.

However, after ten attempts, and a staggering Sh25 million later, and no baby, Clarice (not her real name) gave up. But the failure also cost Clarice her marriage.

Costly source of pain

The medical procedure, which was first done successfully locally in 2006, is now being sought by millions of women who cannot conceive conventionally, but for a tidy sum of Sh800,000 or more per procedure in some clinics.

The operation has become a costly source of pain or happiness for many families.

 “I knew the success rates were always very low,” says Clarice. “But the doctor would just not give up. Apparently, he kept urging us to keep trying. Now I realize he was just after the insurance money given that he was a private doctor. It cost me my marriage and my life, so to speak,” she says.

But it is not only through procedures like C-section and IVF that these crooked doctors rake in millions.

There are those who prescribe expensive medicine willingly even though cheaper options would have done the job perfectly.

In the medical world, when it comes to treatment, there is the first line, second line and third line drugs used to treat various diseases.

Doctors always go for first line medicine on a patient’s first visit or according to medical history.

But some doctors, keen to scheme out as much as possible from covered patients, go for second or third line treatments or prescribe very expensive options just to make a quick buck.

A few rotten apples

“I visited a popular children’s hospital in Nairo

bi with my three-month-old daughter who was sick,” another victim, who identifies himself only as Onyango, told The Nairobian.

“I was shocked to hear the doctor put her on medication for three months for what I came to learn was a simple ailment.”

He says he sought a second opinion from another doctor, who prescribed medication that cleared the ailment in just three days.

While doctors agree there are a few rotten apples among them who do unethical things for financial gain, they maintain a majority in the profession uphold their professionalism.

Several attempts to contact the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board for comment before this publication, failed.

-www.standardmedia.co.ke

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CORD co-principal Moses Wetangula recaptures Bungoma senate seat

Moses Wetang’ula recaptured the Bungoma Senate seat with a resounding victory ending months of speculation in an election that had attracted attention countrywide.

Vote count in 933 out of 942 polling stations presented Ford Kenya leader Wetangula as the outright winner with 149,001 votes. Amani Coalition’s candidate Musikari Kombo followed a distant second 79,964, David Makali (Independent) came in third at 2,131 and Bifwoli Wakoli (Labour Party of Kenya) got 1,891 votes.

Wetang’ula’s re-election gives Cord a niche in the Senate where he was the Minority leader until the court nullified the March 4 polls. He is one of the three co-principal of the CORD coalition, the others being former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka.

He maintained the lead from the time results started to trickle at the tallying center at theKenya Industrial Estate within Bungoma town.

Drama, counter accusations and intrigues characterised the voting process and tallying of Bungoma Senatorial by-elections.

The by-election from the onset was declared a two-horse race between Cord and Amani. The victory will send former Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi to the drawing board over his influence in western politics, which was once his stronghold.

After casting his vote at Namakhele polling station in Kabuchai constituency, Wetang’ula expressed confidence that Cord would carry the day.

He, however, declared that the elections were between Jubilee and Cord and vowed to defend the agenda of the opposition in the Senate.

“These elections are going to be a game changer in the politics of Bungoma County, western and the country as a whole,” he said.

New Ford Kenya candidate Musikari Kombo cast his vote at Matulo R.C Primary School in Webuye, where he also expressed concern over the poor turnout of voters in most parts of the county and said Kenyans must learn to appreciate their responsibility as voters.

 “The turnout is slightly low, I urge voters to come out and exercise their democratic right in order to elect a leader of their choice,’’ he observed.

Voter bribery claims dominated the Bungoma senatorial by-election with candidates accusing their opponents of influencing the voters to have undue advantage.

Claims of voter bribery, intimidation and attacks on supporters of the various candidates characterised yesterday’s exercise.

Makali expressed fears that the exercise might not be free and fair as Kombo and Wetang’ula supporters had soaked the region with money

“This is a shameless act, some candidates will be disadvantaged. This is not a democratic election and will not reflect the wishes of the people of Bungoma,” he said.

He accused the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of turning a deaf ear to their plea to take action against the candidates involved in the vice as it was an electoral offence.

“This is unethical, despite petitioning IEBC over the matter, they are yet to act,” said Makali.

Wetangula recorded a statement at Kimilili police station over massive electoral offences.

Angry voters at Kimilili District Education Board (DEB) primary school assaulted and frog marched New Ford Kenya official, Baraza Nyukuri claiming that he had tried to bribe them.

Following the development and allegations of vote buying by close rival Kombo’s supporters, Wetang’ula recorded the statement accusing the Amani Coalition of spearheading the illegal exercise.

Electoral malpractices

“I have recorded a statement to this effect. My opponent is involved in voter bribery and intimidation,” he said.

However Amani coalition led by former Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa dismissed the allegations as baseless and instead insisted that it was Cord that was involved in electoral malpractices.

Bungoma County Commissioner Maalim Mohammed confirmed they have received reports of voter bribery but said they were still conducting investigations.

“We have heard isolated cases in Chwele and Kimilili but we are probing the matter,” he said.

The Bungoma IEBC Returning Officer Ben Misiati said that two people have so far been arrested in relation to voter bribery and are in police custody.

Misiati expressed concern over the low voter turnout noting that by mid-day yesterday, the turnout was at 20 per cent.

-www.standardmedia.co.ke

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Weird things that take Kenyans to Mombasa

Mombasa is a holiday destination for many Kenyans. In Decem

ber, the coastal town invariably teems with people because of the awesome holiday experience it offers.

It’s an open secret; Coast women smite most men who visit the region. These women, allegedly, make great girlfriends and wives. It’s believed that they are great cooks. And when it comes to the other ‘food’, they know how to serve it—they, unlike women from other parts of Kenya, allegedly undergo special training from their aunts.

Some sly women from other parts of Kenya have taken advantage of this notion, and are milking it. They pitch tent at the coast, learn the accent, acquire the mien and masquerade as ‘coast women’ and con their way into the hearts of unsuspecting men.

Njega fell in one such trap.

“Following stories and praises of how good coast women are, I once travelled down to sample and have a taste. I met a lady with whom we spend some days together and had lots of fun. I just couldn’t resist her polished Swahili that was laced with some coastal poetic twang.

“But one night, after heavy drinking, she blew her cover. She dropped her guard and spew forth honesty. She began speaking broken Swahili laced with heavy mother tongue interference. She even revealed her real name and I discovered that the ‘Mwanaisha’ she had enthusiastically used to introduce herself with was not her real name.

“However hilarious it was, I felt coned. The feeling was akin to that of a Chinese tourist visiting a far flung destination and buying a souvenir only to return home and stumble on the ‘made in china’ sticker!” narrates Njenga amid giggles.       

Matikho is a Mumias based cane farmer. Each and every time he harvested his cane crop and got paid bonuses, he always temporarily relocated to Mombasa. While there, he found the women so addictive that despite being married, he ended up marrying a second wife.  “Each time I harvested my cane, I made it a habit to promote local tourism by travelling to coast to reward my body for the hard work.

In fact, it’s coast women who made me travel all the way. Coast women are just the best. Most are soft spoken and are very good at stroking a man’s ego,” he says. Matikho adds that it was through such ritualistic escapades that he got addicted to a Taita woman, so much so that he ‘married’ her as his second wife —secretly.

“Mombasa had become my physical address that I had to ‘install’ a second wife in the town to take care of me, whenever I visit coast. She has my child, and I travel every often to the coast to see her.

When some Nairobians travel to Mombasa especially during festive season, they have a special knack for making people they leave in Nairobi green with envy. They create an impression that they are really going to have fun.

They boast about how they are going to stay in five star hotels and quaff exotic drinks; how they are going to have fun by engaging in activities such as karting, snorkeling, shopping; visiting museums, historical sites and amusement parks, only to arrive at the coast unannounced to inconvenience and subject their coast based relatives to logistical nightmares —regarding boarding arrangements.

Omari, is a victim of such Nairobians. He says his cousin who had promised to visit him ‘one day’ shocked him last December. He says his cousin, together with his wife and kid, arrived unannounced.

“My cousin surprised me. He overstayed his visit and really inconvenienced me.

They didn’t have enough cash, hence stayed indoors most of the time. My unwanted guests made me feel guilty going out —leaving them in the house— to have fun by myself.

“Never mind he kept updating his social media account about how he was in Mombasa ‘having lots of fun’. ‘ You guy, we have invaded Mombasa and the fun here is crazy’ one of his Facebook statuses read,” says Omari.   He adds that some braggarts from Nairobi travel to Mombasa, book themselves in dingy and seedy hotels but take photos of swanky places and lie —on social media — that they live there.

Recently, a tuk tuk operator was shocked when two ladies from Nairobi asked him to take them to any mganga (witchdoctor) from whom they would acquire love portions. The ladies assumed any Mombasa resident has knowledge on dark arts. The operator was totally confounded by the request.

  Look for witchdoctors

“Kwani hawa wabara wamekuja huku kutafuta  waganga, lakini hawa tushawazoea (These non-Mombasa residents travelled all the way to look for witchdoctors. Anyway, we are used to them)”, offers the operator.

Anita is a Nairobi-based logistic expert. Despite her busy schedule, she has never missed a December holiday at the Coast. She goes down the Coast in the company of her girlfriends.

“From around December 20 to January 5, I switch off my phone and immerse myself in all the luxury that comes from visiting the Coast,” says Anita.

Anita, however, has an ulterior motive, which she plans to carry out this time around.

“I won’t leave Mombasa without sleeping with a man of Arab descent. I must get a child with one of them,” she confesses, laughing naughtily as she ‘high-fives’ one of her friends seated next to her. 

On further prodding, Anita confesses she has always harboured the thought of mothering a baby with an Arabic man. And her trip this time around, she hopes, helps her get a future husband, if not, at least a ‘sperm donor’ of Arabic descent. 

Anita is not alone. Crazy things happen at the Coast, especially around this time — December, when nearly everyone has money to spend.

Maryjane Kawira, had her holiday in the Coast for the first time last year. She had been saving for the trip for two years. Her main objective was to meet a Mzungu husband, with the hope they fly abroad together. She stayed at the Coast for four weeks.

“I made sure I booked a five star hotel, where the chances of meeting a white man are high,” the single mother of two says.

A bouncer at a popular nightspot along the Mombasa-Malindi highway believes there ought to be measures to rein in on Nairobians.

“These people from Nairobi are very violent and overly immoral.

They start violence in short order. Here we are used to verbal combats, where people merely threaten each other. Most of the fights we stop in our club are always involving a Nairobian.

They are either fighting or having sex at the wrong place,” observes the bouncer. If they are many, they must cause a scene. Because they travel in groups, and always want their way despite being visitors.

You who like going to Mombasa to do strange things, you are not alone.

-www.standardmedia.co.ke

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SHAME....Man busts wife fondling with her lover on car bonnet

A woman is regretting her actions after her husband sent her packing after he caught her red-handed making out with her younger lover on a car bonnet. The mother of two, an air hostess, had only lasted in her marriage for five years. However, an infidelity bug, following her inability to resist advances from her new ‘hot’ colleague, pricked their seemingly happy marriage. Her extra-marital affair matured gradually when she was put in the same routine-shift with the said young lad at her work place. She had allegedly been eyeing the young man all along. Before she realised it, she was head over heels in love with the him. Little did she know she was putting her marriage in jeopardy.
It didn’t take long before the clandestine affair blossomed. She couldn’t shut her mouth for once, in the presence of her girlfriends. She bragged how her secret boyfriend was the best thing ever happened to her since her husband had become “useless”. She had taken advantage of her understanding husband who she had severally lied to that her work schedule was hectic, thus, she often went home late. Little did her husband know that she was spending time with her secret lover whenever she claimed she was working late. As time went by, the secret love affair flourished. The young lad even made it a habit spending evenings and free time with her and dropping her at her gate. Lovey-dovey However, on this material day, luck was not on her side. It was almost late night when she was dropped by her boyfriend. Just after dropping her, as they hugged to say bye to each other one thing led to another and before long, the two began kissing. With caution thrown to the wind, the lovey-dovey went on oblivious of the sleeping dog at home.  Before long, her blouse was unbuttoned with her back firmly pressed on the car bonnet. As the two noisily made out, the woman’s husband had been tipped off by a neigbour about the goings-on at his gate — in darkness. By the time he rushed to the scene, the two had disentangled but still fumbling with her blouse as she buttoned up.  He descended on the young man with kicks and blows as he attempted to protest his innocence. The shocked wife kept on pleading with her husband not to beat up the young man and requesting him to give her time to explain. The young man, upon being released, jumped into his car and zoomed off.  Nonetheless, she was to suffer the consequences of her own choices when he ordered her to pack and go, first thing the following morning. The husband has allegedly filed for divorce as he seeks full custody of their two children.
-www.standardmedia.co.ke

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