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  • Kyrie Irving becomes 9th player in NBA history to join elite 50/40/90 club

    By Saboke Masaki

    (sabokemasaki@gmail.com)

    Thumbnail Photo Courtesy of Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE Via Getty Images

    On Monday, Brooklyn’s all-star shooting guard, Kyrie Irving became the ninth player in the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) history to average at least 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point range and 90% from the free-throw line. He finished the season with 50.6%, 40.2% and 92.2% splits.

    Kyrie Irving has long been one of the league’s most dynamic and versatile scorers; this latest achievement further cements his impact on the game. To put this in context, the only other players to accomplish this feat are Larry Bird, Reggie Miller, Mark Price, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Malcolm Brogdon. To join this exclusive company, Irving had to be near perfect from three-point range in Monday’s game against his old team, the Cavaliers.

    Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets goes for reverse layup during game vs Cavaliers on May 17, 2021 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Photo Courtesy of Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE Via Getty Images

    He was, in fact, perfect making all three of his attempts from behind the arc. He also led the league in mid-range field goal percentage shooting a ridiculous 54.5%. “His work ethic, how he cares about his teammates, how he approaches the game every single day is the reason why he can go out there and do something so remarkable as 50-40-90,” superstar teammate Kevin Durant (and fellow 50/40/90 club member) said.

    “We almost expect that from Kyrie, and that shows how great he is. Welcome to the club.” “Remarkable player, remarkable accomplishment and really proud that I could see it in person”, said Nets head coach Steve Nash after the game. This is a potentially much needed impetus for the Brooklyn Nets who go into this year’s postseason with championship aspirations. Brooklyn’s big three- Durant, Irving and James Harden- have all missed time but are now healthy just in time for the playoffs.

    The Nets will face the winner of the play-in matchup between the Celtics and Wizards. After this, they will clash with the winner of the Bucks-Heat series in round two before getting to the conference finals. That is, of course, if the team is able to overcome its defensive deficiencies.

  • Accept WhatsApp privacy policy or lose features

    By Fatiha Shabir

    (fatihashabz@gmail.com)

    Users yet to accept new terms and conditions on WhatsApp will start to get persistent reminders. Photo/Getty images

    WhatsApp users who have not yet accepted the new privacy policy will lose some of the app’s functionality. The policy was updated on January 1, 2021 and users were given up until May 15, 2021 to read and understand the terms “at their own pace”.

    Following the lapse of the grace period, the company will now constantly remind users to accept the terms through in-app alerts.

    “After giving everyone time to review, we’re continuing to remind those who haven’t had the chance to do so to review and accept. After a period of several weeks, the reminder people receive will eventually become persistent,” said the company.

    Users, who fail to accept the privacy policy, will gradually over time not be able to see chat lists and finally not be able to receive video calls and messages.

    However, WhatsApp has revealed that no account will be deleted, unlike earlier mentioned.

    As two billion users accepted the new policy, WhatsApp is striving to ensure everyone else who uses the app follows suit.

    Privacy issues have been a matter of concern to the users, ever since the first policy arrived.

    The company, however, had several times stated that the app respects user privacy and cannot see personal messages as they are end-to-end encrypted. This means they can be read on the devices of the sender and recipient only.

    Edited by Sumaya Hussein

  • Philadelphia 76ers clinch East’s top seed with win over Magic

    By Saboke Masaki

    (sabokemasaki@gmail.com)

    Joel Embiid shoots over Dwayne Bacon in the win vs Magic. PHOTO| Garrabrant/NBAE Via Getty Images

    A 122-97 blowout win over the Orlando Magic Saturday morning clinched the Philadelphia 76ers the top seed in the Eastern Conference, guaranteeing them home-court advantage through to at least, the East’s finals.

    This is only the third time in 44 seasons that the Sixers have clinched the top spot. The victory is also their first in 20 years, something Joel Embiid describes as motivational for the team.

    “Home-court advantage helps a lot,” said the Cameroonian center.  “We’ve been dominant at home; we barely lose here. It means a lot to have the No. 1 seed.”

    Embiid’s words are not hyperbolic; the Sixers being 28-7 at home this season, which is best in the East and second to only the Jazz this season. Apart from a relatively easier path to the NBA finals, this is one of the reasons the team aggressively pursued the top seed.

    “I think for this team, being as young as we are, to have home-court is really important and so we should be proud of it,” sixers’ coach Doc Rivers said after the win.

    For the first round, the Sixers will face the winner of the East’s final playoff position in this year’s play-in tournament which will feature the Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards. Their path to the NBA finals will most likely involve the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks or Brooklyn Nets with the last two guaranteed to be a nail-biting series.

    The Sixers coined the phrase “Trust the process” (which later became popular in sports and culture) and it is now time to collect. Everyone from Coach Rivers to the duo of Embiid and Simmons are under immense pressure this season, anything short of an NBA championship this year will be a failure for the franchise seeking their fourth banner.

  • Raila Odinga Vows to appeal High Court ruling on BBI

    By Sumaya Hussein

    (husseinsumaya1@gmail.com)

    ODM Leader Raila odinga remains hopeful despite the High Court declaring the bill null and void – Photo/The Standard

    It’s been two days since the High court declared the BBI referendum process unconstitutional and finally, ODM leader Raila Odinga has reacted to the ruling. The BBI propellor is still optimistic that the bill will get past its current obstacle, like it has others before.

    The former Prime Minister disliked the court’s judgement on the BBI initiative saying he was disappointed in the ruling and intends to appeal the decision.

    In a party statement on Saturday, Raila said; “We will calmly and respectfully move to the Court of Appeal to present our case as to why we think the High Court did not render the right verdict. We will do so with sobriety and with respect for our judges and courts.”

    Many have been anticipating to hear his thoughts after the court suddenly stopped “reggae” and rendered the BBI vehicle motionless. Unlike many, including Deputy President William Ruto, who believe the BBI is done for, Odinga remains hopeful that the Constitutional reform will resurface.

    Mr. Odinga also called for restraint from personalized attacks on the court and its members, especially the five-judge bench that delivered Thursday’s verdict.

    “We may disagree with the court but we must respect its ruling and its freedom to exercise its judgement as it understands the legal and constitutional matters before it,” said Odinga.

    Come Monday, the BBI Secretariat as well, co-chaired by ODM’s Director of Elections Junet Mohamed, are to file an appeal against the High Court’s ruling that derailed the BBI train.

    “It is not over yet! We still believe a new Kenya is possible and the BBI will give birth to that new Kenya. We would fight to the bitter end,” Junet said in a press conference at the Secretariat headquarters in Nairobi on Friday.

    Besides the Secretariat, another wing led by Attorney-general Kihara Kariuki, has also communicated a notice of appeal.

    Kariuki says the High Court erred in dealing the BBI process a blow, and that a higher court is better-placed to give an interpretation on whether public participation, was adequately conducted. The lack of public participation stood as one of the reasons that led to the court nullifying the BBI process.

    The fate of the BBI remains a mystery for now as a section of lawyers including Bobby Mkangi, Charles Kanjama, Steve Ogolla and Elias Mutuma, believe the petitioners would have a low chance of success at the Court of Appeal. According to them, the High Court’s ruling was watertight.

    Another section, however, led by Prof. Ben Sihanya and Tom Joseph Kajwang, believe the lower court’s ruling would be overturned at the Court of Appeal.

  • Dealing with the rise of Teenage pregnancies in Kibera

    By Muhanguzi Tola

    tolakofa1@gmail.com

    Mary Endheri- far right, with DeshCare members during a session with the team.

    Mid last year, after measures by the government to combat the fast and vast spreading COVID 19 pandemic saw the closure of learning institutions, The New Humanitarian reported on the upsurge of teenage pregnancies.

    The rise of teenage and early pregnancies in Kenya isn’t a new discussion, only that the mitigating measures adopted consequently exacerbate this growing trend. While releasing the 2020 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results, Education CS Prof. George Magoha raised concerns over the high numbers of girls sitting exams while pregnant.

    Early last year, Mary Endheri, who hails from the Kibera slums, got into early motherhood after unexpectedly getting pregnant. Her case is one among many for young girls in the slum, and was a hard pill to swallow, forcing her to keep it to herself. With life in the slums not being favorable, she was forced into searching for a job to provide for her baby and young siblings, after her older sister lost her job.

    “My mother didn’t know of it until I was 8 months in, this enraging her. She wanted to kick me out of the house but later changed her mind, and together with my sister’s help, the two offered immense support,” recalls Mary, speaking to Desh Care International.

    It would be unwise to place the blame solely on parents- who in most cases end up on the receiving end of the society. As it may be sensible to note that poor parenting which in this case involves spending most of their time fending for their kids as compared to the time spent with them propels this trend, it is key to understand that the society shapes and molds our kids too. The values and norms embraced by our society reflect through the younger generation’s behavior.

    Having visited and interacted with young girls from this area, Desh Care International further established that poverty is also a key contributor to early pregnancies.  

    Low literacy levels in terms of inadequate education on sexuality and family planning also plays a major role. There is need for ground shifting solutions to this specific challenge. The society needs to do away with perceptions that tend to shame and stigmatize teenage mothers and instead invest in comprehensive sexual education and girl-child empowerment programs. Echoing the award winning Sauti Sol, ‘Mungu akileta mtoto, analeta sahani yake’ (God brings a child in His own time).

    It is time to throw away this system that only focuses on abstinence and employ one which informs our young girls on how to make better decisions in relation to their sexual health. The government, through CS Magoha needs to create an education system that will not only prevent early teenage pregnancies, but one which will also support young mothers further their education.

  • CDC eases mask-wearing guidelines for fully vaccinated

    by Sumaya Hussein

    (husseinsumaya1@gmail.com)

    A commuter receives a free vaccine at the Coney Island Station in Brooklyn – Photo/The Guardian

    The director of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday said that fully vaccinated Americans can now participate in most outdoor activities, without wearing a mask or social distancing.

    The CDC head, Rochelle Walensky, revealed the agency’s new mask guidance during a White House briefing on coronavirus.

    “Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing. If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.”

    However, fully vaccinated people are still required to wear their masks while using public transport including buses, trains ad airplanes. Walensky said that the CDC is continuing to review its travel policies, but did not explain reasoning behind Thursday’s announcement.

    “Right now for travel we are asking people to continue to wear their masks,” she said.

    Moreover, the CDC noted that vaccinated people should continue following the existing state, local or tribal laws and regulations on masks and social distancing, as well as policies at businesses and workplaces.

    Consequently, as of Friday morning, the rules looked very different from one state, city or county to the next.

    US President Joe Biden heralded the CDC’s announcement in an outdoor press conference hours later saying, “The CDC is saying, they have concluded that fully vaccinated people are at a very, very, low risk of getting Covid-19. Therefore, if you are fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask,” said Biden. “Let me repeat: if you are fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask.”

    Walensky also said: “We have all longed for this moment when we can get back to some sense of normalcy. Based on the continuing downward trajectory of cases, the scientific data on the performance of our vaccines and our understanding of how the virus spreads, that moment has come for those who are fully vaccinated.”

    To some, the announcement is a significant step in resuming pre-covid life, but others remain skeptical about the decision to ease the restrictions.

    Jeniffer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said she expects mask-wearing to continue in transportation settings, as well as some other places open to the public, such as grocery stores.

    “I really don’t expect public settings to change that much until case numbers come down,” said Nuzzo.

  • High Court declares BBI process unconstitutional

    By Neema Oloo

    (oloojneema@gmail.com)

    Judges Teresia Matheka, George Odunga, Joel Ngugi, Jairus Ngaah and Chacha Mwita at a court in Milimani, delivering the judgment on petitions challenging the BBI – Photo/ The Standard

    The High Court on Thursday declared the BBI referendum process unconstitutional, throwing the future of the initiative into uncertainty.

    The five judges; Joel Ngugi, George Odunga, Jarius Ngaah, Teresia Matheka and Chacha Mwita, unanimously dismissed the actions of the key players of the BBI.

    The judges upheld a consolidated case by eight petitioners that the constitution bears essential features that cannot be amended. The petitioners argued that the BBI was not the will of the people, but based on the changing political and socio-economic interests.

    The court held that the BBI secretariat and steering committee failed to provide critical information to the public as outlined in the procedure to amend the constitution through a popular initiative.

    The court also said that the president cannot initiate a process to change the constitution in the pretext of promoting national unity. If allowed, it would mean he would be granted the role of promoter and referee.

    “He (president) isn’t part of parliament. He has no power under the constitution to initiate changes under the constitution since parliament is the only state organ that can consider the effecting of constitutional changes,” said the judges.

    The court further observed that the BBI steering committee was unlawful and had no legal capacity to promote constitutional changes therefore, the entire process was done unconstitutionally. They said that the president did not comply with the law when creating the committee.

    The court also added that the Bill was not printed in Swahili for the common mwananchi to read, which means those who do not understand English were left out.

    “The BBI bill cannot be subjected to a referendum before the IEBC conducts voter registration. There is no quorum at IEBC to conduct its mandate including signature verification submitted by IEBC. At the time of launch of the report, there was no legislation to guide the conduct of the referendum,” said the judges.

    The court also found that in taking the initiative to amend the constitution, the President had failed to respect, uphold and subscribe to the constitution and to the extent that he had fallen short of the leadership and integrity threshold.

    “BBI is a hybrid initiative unknown to the constitution, therefore it is our finding that the popular initiative as means to amend the constitution under article 257 of the constitution is a power reserved for Wanjiku. Neither the president nor any state organ can utilize article 257 of the constitution to amend the constitution,” the judges said.

    The judgement from the court arose out of seven cases filed against BBI.

    The main case was filed by five activists namely, economist David Ndii, Jerotich Seii, James Ngondi, Wanjiku Gikonyo and Ikal Angelei.

    They sued Attorney General Kihara Kariuku, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and Speaker of the Senate Ken Lusaka, as well as the IEBC.

    The push for the BBI referendum entered the homestretch on Tuesday after Senate overwhelmingly passed the Bill, setting the stage for the last two steps.

    The House attained a rare two-thirds majority after 51 senators voted in support of the Bill, 12 against and 1 abstained.

  • Man found dead inside parked car in Kisumu

    By Aloise Munene

    (aloisestevest@gmail.com)

    Vehicle in which the man was found – Photo/ Citizen Digital

    Police officers in Kisumu are investigating the mysterious death of a 33-year-old man whose body was found on Wednesday in a stationary vehicle outside a petrol station in the Otonglo area of Kisumu.

    A security guard manning the station noticed a suspicious vehicle that seemed to have been oddly abandoned at the side of the Kisumu-Kisian road for a long period. According to the witness report recorded by Vincent Odongo, the security guard, the man was lying unconscious on his left side across from the driver’s seat to the front passenger’s seat. He raised alarm upon his discovery.

    The vehicle, a white Toyota Vitz registered KCW 646J, showed no signs of forced entry by a second party as the police found it locked when they arrived at the scene.

    The man, who was later identified as Habel Oile, was confirmed dead by detectives who broke into the vehicle.

    Preliminary investigations reveal that the car was seen parking the previous night, but the guards on duty do not recall seeing anyone alighting or boarding it.

    According to the County Police Commissioner Samuel Anampiu, the death is currently being treated as a suicide. The case’s direction was influenced by the investigation’s inability to determine whether other occupants had been in the vehicle and the discovery of a 25mm empty insecticide bottle inside the vehicle’s glove compartment.

    The body was taken to Kisumu Referral Hospital’s mortuary for post-mortem analysis.

  • Larry Madowo Hired as CNN Nairobi-based Correspondent

    By Fatiha Shabir

    (fatihashabz@gmail.com)

    Journalist Larry Madowo – Photo/ The Star

    Journalist Larry Madowo, a Daystar alumnus, has left the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to take up a new position with CNN as their Nairobi-based Correspondent.

    The announcement was made on Thursday by Deborah Rayner, Senior Vice President of International Newsgathering and Managing Editor, Europe, Middle East and Africa, for CNN International.

    “From enterprise reporting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region to investigations into oil drilling in Namibia’s Kavongo Basin, via a range of cultural and business stories across dedicated programming, Africa has never been more visible on CNN’s multiple platforms,” Rayner said in a statement.

    “Larry is an experienced journalist whose expertise across politics, business, entertainment and hard news stories will play into our diverse coverage of East Africa and beyond.”

    Madowo said he enjoyed reporting from the US and around the world, but it’s a “real privilege” to return to covering Africa at such a critical time in Kenya and around the continent.

    “I have long admired CNN International’s award-winning coverage, and I’m honored to be joining such a talented team. I look forward to sharing the full spectrum of life in one of the most dynamic parts of the world with CNN’s global audiences,” said Larry Madowo.

    Madowo had until recently being serving as the BBC’s North America Correspondent in Washington, D.C., covering major U.S news stories. He is known for covering the 2020 American presidential election, the protests following the death of George Floyd and the trial of Derek Chauvin, as well as providing constant updates on the Covid-19 outbreak all over the world.

    Before joining BBC, he started at KTN then worked for NTV Kenya. His new appointment marks a return to Nairobi for the Kenyan-born Madowo.

    Larry Madowo enrolled for a Communication degree in 2006 at Daystar University at the Athi River Campus and graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication degree.  He also has a Master’s in Business and Economics Journalism from Columbia University in New York.

  • Long-Serving Ugandan President Museveni sworn into office

    By Wangui Njau

    (njaucatherine3@gmail.com)

    Yoweri Museveni Sworn into office in Kololo Independence Grounds, Kampala – Photo/NBS

    Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, was on Wednesday sworn into office as Uganda’s President for a sixth term, after winning the January 14 general elections.

    The ceremony was held at the Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, and in attendance were African presidents including President Uhuru Kenyatta and Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu.

    President Kenyatta, who currently chairs the East African Community (EAC), was accompanied by Cabinet Secretaries Raychelle Omamo (Foreign Affairs), Peter Munya (Agriculture) and James Macharia (Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development).

    Yoweri Museveni is Uganda’s longest serving president, as well as the fourth longest serving president in Africa. As he took the oath of office, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) leader insisted that the economy has grown in the last 35 years, hinting at its growth in the coming years.

    “The economy will be growing at the rate of between nine and ten percent in the initial years of oil production… We can achieve much higher, much faster rate of growth and I will see to that,” said Museveni.

    Security was ramped up around the capital ahead of the inauguration. This also included tight security around the home of opposition leader Robert Kyangulanyi alias Bobi Wine, who accused the government of malpractice in the election.

    The campaign period was also marred by a deadly crackdown by security forces on Wine, other opposition candidates and their supporters.

    In the run-up to the vote, local civil society groups and foreign governments questioned its credibility and transparency, after scores of requests for accreditation to monitor the election were denied.

    Museveni and his NRM Party won the January 14 polls with 5.85 million votes (58.64%), while main opposition candidate Bobi Wine and his National Unity Platform garnered 3.48 million votes (34.83%).

    The 76 year old became president when his forces seized the capital Kampala after a five-year guerrilla struggle and has won five elections since 1996. Parliament has twice changed the constitution to allow him to run, first removing a two-term limit in 2005 and then abolishing the age limit of 75 in 2017.