NAIROBI EMBELLISHED AHEAD OF OBAMA VISIT

By Maritim Evans
There has been a lot of preparations as Kenya expects the United States President Barack Obama to land in the country in two weeks time.
Nairobi city has been embellished and it is now the "City-in-the-Sun" as it used to be referred to in the past. Nothing within the heart of capital has been left undecorated. In fact the famous Uhuru Park in the centre of the city has been made awesome unlike before when the park was left for days without grass being trimmed.

Security officers guarding the United States President.  PHOTO/COURTESY

Pathways between the roads in Nairobi has been filled with blossoming flowers that have left Nairobians mesmerised. They could not imagine a place that used to be dusty to accommodate flowers, but that has really changed. The county government planted grass and flowers and they are being watered day and night_ this has made the whole place look marvellous.
Planting flowers and trimming them in the capital city seem not enough to welcome the president of the most powerful nation in the world. The government has gone an extra mile and fix lights in different places within the capital city. Nearly all corners within Nairobi central business district has new installed lights. In fact the lights that have been put in major roads like Uhuru Highway and State House Road are not ordinary lights that government usually install within the city.
The lights are similar to those in the US. The lights are too bright that people with sights problem cannot stand to look at for a long time.

Airforce One and one of the presidential vehicles known as the beats. PHOTO/COURTESY

Even as decoration of the city continues, the United States Presidential vehicles known as the "Beasts" have finally arrived in the country. The presidential official vehicles  landed in the country on Thursday morning.
The beasts are basically designed to protect the US president. Two of the 12 vehicles are so much alike that ordinary people cannot differentiate them. President can use either of the two.
Apart from the vehicles, media reports said not less than five American army jets will patrol the airspace of Kenyan capital.
As if that is not enough, 200 navy soldiers will be patrolling the Kenyan waters in the Indian Ocean. About 500 security guards will also be protecting the president while he is in the country. The US presidential security guards said they will only accept to work with recce squad and not any other soldier team while they will be in the country.
The heavy security that has been accorded to the president was necessitated by several terror attacks that al-Shabaab has undertaken in the country.

STUDENTS SPEND HELB LOAN CARELESSLY

By Maritim Evans

Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) should be careful on the time they are releasing Helb loan. It should consider the day of the week and how they release the funds.

For instance last week release of funds coincided with two things. It was a weekend and Masaku 7 was just there on Saturday. This means there would be a lot of spending over the weekend. And indeed there was.

Students having fun in a high class hotel after receiving Helb loan. 

Hundreds of university students across the country graced Masaku 7 event that was held in Machakos County. Students spent a lot of money buying expensive drinks since drinking within the field there was not much prohibited.

Much money was not only used within the field. Clubs in Machakos and Nairobi City centre were filled with many students who had gone there to entertain themselves. It is interesting how students spend money. 

Most of the students who bought drinks were men. Female students only accompany their fellow male students to clubs only to drink to their brim without using a single cent of their money.

In a club on Moi Avenue, two students from a leading university within the city centre were found having sex near a washroom. The students pretended to be dancing only to engage in a sexual act in a corridor. The club attendants were surprised when they found the two who were in deep mood enjoying themselves in stare of bright lights.

The two students were arrested by the club management and fined for their heinous act.

The incident was not new in clubs in town. People engage in fishy acts of dancing every day. Most of these people are university students who go dancing in town clubs on weekend especially when loans are released.

SOLAR-POWERED PLANE HAS BEEN TRIED AND TESTED

By Maritim Evans

Another technology has been tested in the aviation industry and it has been found to be working perfectly well.

The first ever solar-powered aeroplane has been developed tested and found to be working extremely well just like fueled aeroplane.

Solar Impulse 2 flew for over 118 hours over the Pacific Ocean and back on land.  This is a great milestone in the aviation sector and the new solar-powered airplane has been recorded in the aviation record books.

Solar-powered plane on a runway in Oahu's Kalaeloa Airport. PHOTO/COURTESY 

Pilot Andre Borschberg landed the plane on the Hawaiian island of Oahu on Friday morning, five days after he took off from Japan. Aviation experts considered the flight as the longest and most dangerous attempt to fly around the world without a drop of fuel.

The flight set a record for the world's longest nonstop solo flight in terms of time. It was also the longest flight in time and distance (more than 8,200 kilometers, or 5,100 miles) for a plane run only on solar power.

After landing at Oahu's Kalaeloa Airport, Borschberg opened the cockpit door and waved to a cheering crowd.

Borschberg, having been off his feet for five straight days, did not attempt to stand until another 50 minutes passed. Someone is said to have climbed up to the cabin to give him a leg massage before he finally stepped onto a platform.

STUDENTS SET TO GO ON STRIKE TODAY

By Maritim Evans

Strike to force Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) to release money for subsequent applicants is set to kick off today at 1100hrs.

Comrades are determined to make sure that Helb CEO Charles Ringera release the money as fast as possible to evade the pending strike. It may not be business as usual on many roads near the University of Nairobi as many comrades are determined that they will not be deterred by anyone to stop the strike unless Helb board release the loan.

Students' leader Babu Owino addressing students at the University of Nairobi Main Campus Hostel. 

The students had given the board a five day ultimatum to release the funds failure to do so would make the students to strike.

“Five days are over and we have not received any good information from Ringera. What does he expect us to do? We are going to strike and all stones on Uhuru Highway will not remain unturned at the end of today,” University of Nairobi student who sought anonymity said. 

It was on Monday when students converged at Freedom Corner at Uhuru Park when Student Organisation of Nairobi University (SONU) Boss Babu Owino told the students to avoid striking because they were going on with negotiation with the Helb officials. It was at then when students gave the Helb board five days ultimatum to release the funds.

Students since Monday have been voicing their grievances on social media with some saying even the currently introduced smart card to gap misuse of the loan should be abolished with immediate effect.

“This money is not for free. We shall be expected to repay them in future and no one should guide us on how to use it. Will we be using the smart card to buy vegetables from mama mboga? Ringera is joking and we shall teach him a lesson on Friday,” a second year student at the University of Nairobi said adding that his parents have not given him pocket money and he is entirely depending on the loan that is yet to be released.

Today may not be a friendly day to Helb officials as the students are determined that the demonstration will go on as planned. SONU Boss Babu Owino has not commented on today’s strike. However, comrades are still standing on the decision they made on Monday after a planned strike was revoked. 

PEOPLE DAILY CELEBRATES ITS FIRST ANNIVERSARY

By Maritim Evans

People Daily newspaper yesterday celebrated its first anniversary in an event that was held at the paper’s headquarters in DSM Place building on Kijabe Street, Nairobi.

People Daily, the only free newspaper in the country, was launched last year July 1 at Sankara Hotel, Nairobi.

Mediamax members of staff cutting the cake as their CEO looks on.

The paper changed its name from The People Daily to People Daily last year and it was made available free of charge to the public.

Speaking during the celebration yesterday, the Mediamax, a company that owns the paper, CEO Ian Fernandez said the company believes in the premise that information is priceless; that is the reason why the People Daily cannot be given to members of the public at a fee like other newspapers.

“Initially, people would not accept the paper because it was free, but they later on accept it and they are even demanding it now,” he said

The CEO said the newspaper has attracted many advertisers since it is the second highest newspaper in circulation in the country.

HELB INTRODUCES SMART CARD TO GAP MISUSE OF LOANS BY STUDENTS

By Maritim Evans

The Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) has introduced a smart card as a deterrent to university students from spending part of their school fees money for leisure and other luxuries.
According to Helb Chief Executive Officer Charles Ringera the smart card has 10 different items and cannot be used by students either to buy beer or purchase other goods from supermarkets or bookshops because it will be locked and must be swiped by the chief finance officers at different universities.
This comes at a time when students have been reported to be spending money in a manner that is not helpful to them. Helb loan was meant for students who emanate from poor families to finance their education. This has never happened since anyone can get Helb loan. In fact students from well endowed families who are able to pay fees are applying the loan secretly without the knowledge of their guardians or parents. Their parents are paying school fees and giving them pocket money, but these students are applying for the loan to use in drinking or entertaining themselves.

Helb CEO Charles Ringera. PHOTO/COURTESY

As if the smart card is not enough, Helb board has also decided to use Nyumba Kumi Units to recover loan from those who have completed education and they have not paid back their loan.  
 Helb CEO Charles Ringera says it will be easier to recover the money from the beneficiaries using Nyumba Kumi units because they are based in villages and they know all university students from their respective areas.
 “Money being given to university students by Helb is a revolving fund and should be repaid by the beneficiaries to enable their other colleagues benefit from the same,” said Ringera.
It may not be business as usual for the loan defaulters since the villagers will be able to identify those who benefitted from the loan and they are refusing to pay for others to benefit from the same.
The plan to introduce Nyumba Kumi Units to recover the loan comes at a time when Helb is under pressure in financing loan applicants. It is not that easy for them nowadays to finance students who have constantly staged demonstration to demand for the release of funds.
Helb loan has reduced from the initial Ksh45000 minimum to Ksh35000 minimum. Students have been complaining for this since Helb loan is reducing at a time when the cost of living is escalating.
The students are waiting to see the new changes in recovering loan and the introduction of smart card to gap misuse of the money by students.