12th Session of the Assembly of States Parties going through proposed amendments to the Rome Statute

The Session held at the World Forum Center, the Hague in the Netherlands. 122 Nations are in attendance. Kenya wants immunity from prosecution for serving Heads of State and is seeking the support from willing Nations.

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Kenya: MPs urged not focus on salary increment at the expense of service delivery

President Uhuru Kenyatta has appealed to Members of Parliament not push for salary increment at the expense of serving Kenyans.

President Kenyatta said once the Members of Parliament deliver their pledges and the economy grows by double digits, Kenyans will have no problem paying them the salaries they want.

“We all made pledges to the people of Kenya and we should work together irrespective of party affiliation to deliver on those promises including growing our economy by double digits,” the President said.

The Head of State was speaking today when he presided over this year’s Chairman’s Prize Tournament at the Nyeri Golf Club in Nyeri town.

On sports, President Kenyatta reassured of this Government’s commitment to develop sports facilities across the country as a way of promoting sports.

Noting that sports are a major source of income and are employing thousands of people worldwide, President Kenyatta said his Government
intends to build a vibrant sports industry in which the country’s young people can earn a decent living.

“Indeed, players who excel in various sports are some of the best paid professionals whom you will find anywhere in the world,” President
Kenyatta said.

The President added: “As we seek to promote sports in the country, we must bear in mind that golf, and indeed other sports disciplines, are no longer
mere social events for recreation and entertainment.”

President Kenyatta called on Kenyans, particularly the youth, to embrace sports including golf both as a means of maintaining fitness and good
health as well as a source of income.

Saying one of Jubilee Coalition’s pledges was development of five modern medium-size stadia in selected regional headquarters in the country, the
President reiterated that his Government is fully committed to fulfilling that and other pledges made to Kenyans.

Towards this end, President Kenyatta said his Government is already in the process of finding ways and means of improving the general sports
infrastructure in the country.

“We will do this in the full realization that excellence in sports cannot be achieved without proper infrastructure and equipment,” President
Kenyatta said.

He, therefore, said his Government will be seeking resources and engaging all stakeholders with a view to ensuring that the country’s aspirations as
a sporting nation are realized.

On the proposal to develop a public golf course in which members of the public who cannot afford the membership of golf clubs can play, the
President said that relevant plans and arrangements toward the development of the facility within Kasarani International Sports Centre have been
on-going.

He assured Kenyans that his Government will expedite the necessary measures to ensure the public golf course becomes a reality.

In this connection, President Kenyatta fully supported the reclaiming of land that may have been grabbed and that was originally intended for
development of sports facilities.

Noting that the Government cannot single-handedly raise the resources needed to put in place the requisite sports infrastructure, the President called on corporate organizations to join the Government in the development of sports facilities in the country.

President Kenyatta, at the same time, challenged sports managers in the country to ensure the country’s reputation in athletics is replicated in
other sporting disciplines.

In particular, the President said there was urgent need to streamline the management of football which is the most popular sport in the country.

“We must improve the standards of soccer in the country so that our football teams can excel in the region, in the continent and beyond,” the
President said.

The Head of State added that there was also need to get people to enjoy football made in Kenya rather than just watching the English league.

Similarly, the President said the standards of other sports also need to be raised including reclaiming the country’s lost glory in boxing, saying
additional support should be provided to the national rugby team that is making good gains internationally.

Said the President: “As we do this, we must not lose sight of the need to encourage and motivate our athletes in order to sustain our reputation as
the home of the world’s best athletes.”

Appreciating that the Chairman’s Prize tournament has been running annually since 1929, the President observed that the tournament is one of
the longest running sports championships in the country.

He pledged to continue supporting Nyeri Golf Club and thanked its members for supporting him to become the Head of State.

The President also took the opportunity to congratulate all elected leaders and urged them to deliver the pledges they made to the people of
Kenya.

Sports, Culture and Arts Cabinet Secretary Mr. Hassan Wario called upon sports federations in the country to put structures in place that will
ensure sporting talent is tapped and nurtured appropriately.

On his part, Nyeri County Governor Nderitu Gachagwa commended President Kenyatta for appointing to Cabinet technocrats with impressive track
records of performance, saying there was no doubt they will succeed in driving the economy to double digits growth rate over the next five years.

 

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Source. statehouse

 

Kenya: GOVERNORS induction in Naivasha faces challenges

• BY JACK MARWA 

The induction workshop for governors and their deputies in Naivasha kicked off on the wrong footing with the elected leaders walking out on the Transitional Authority last evening.

Drama unfolded at the Great Rift Valley Lodge, Naivasha where the meeting was going on as the irate leaders staged a protest.

The incident occurred barely an hour after President Mwai Kibaki had left the hotel after opening the high level meeting.

Earlier, a group of governors tried to meet the Head of State to express their worries and their problems facing them.

Later they headed into a closed-door meeting with the Transitional authority chairman and his CIC colleague over the impasse.

One of the governors was overheard complaining over the manner in which the authority was treating them noting that they should be accorded the respect they deserve.

Confirming the impasse, Machakos County governor Alfred Mutua said that there was no way they could work without funds.

He said that majority of them had been forced to use their personal vehicles and pay their drivers and security officers as there were no funds.

The former government spokesman noted that despite getting assurance from treasury of getting funds, the promise was yet to be fulfilled.

On the issue of the National flag, the governors in unison said that they would ignore the directive from the AG and fly the flag on their vehicles.

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