Anxiety and prayer as Kenyans await ICC ruling
It was a day of prayer on Sunday for some of the six Kenyans who will on Monday learn whether they will be committed to stand trial for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (IC
And leaders across the country called for calm ahead of the ICC ruling as Internal Security minister Prof George Saitoti said adequate security measures had been put in place. (READ: Kenya pledges adequate security after ICC ruling)
Anxiously awaiting the decision of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber are Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Eldoret North MP William Ruto, suspended Cabinet minister Henry Kosgey, Postmaster-General Hussein Ali, public service head Francis Muthaura and radio presenter Joshua arap Sang.
The verdict will be made public at 1.30pm East African Time. (READ: How ICC will 
Eldoret North MP William Ruto during the church service at St Patrick's Catholic Church in Burnt Forest on January 22, 2012. Photo/JARED NYATAYA
In Eldoret, Mr Ruto said the much-awaited ruling would be a defining moment, but one that should not be used to threaten peace and stability.
“We made a commitment that nobody will ever take arms against another Kenyan and it is this promise that will be demonstrated whatever the outcome of the ICC ruling will be,” he said.
Mr Ruto was speaking at a thanksgiving service at St Patrick’s Catholic Church at Burnt Forest in Uasin Gishu County.
Burnt Forest bore the brunt of the 2007/2008 post-election violence in which more than 1,000 people lost their lives and hundreds of thousands were run out of their homes.
The United Republican Party (URP) founder said his quest for the presidency was still on course. (READ: Uhuru and Ruto: ICC ruling will not stop us)
Mr Ruto was accompanied by assistant minister and Marakwet East MP Linah Kilimo, Keiyo South MP Jonathan Kiptanui, Mosop MP David Koech and Eldoret East MP Peris Simam. Mr Ruto was later scheduled to address youth at the Eldoret Town Hall.
Speaking in Nyamira on Sunday, Mr Kenyatta urged Kenyans to remain calm even if the cases are confirmed.
The Deputy Prime Minister was attending a homecoming party for re-elected Kitutu Masaba MP Walter Nyambati.
“Hata kama tunangoja hii mambo ya kesho, nataka Wakenya wajue kwamba yatapita na tutaendelea (Even if we are waiting for the outcome of these things tomorrow (Monday), I want Kenyans to know that it will come and pass and we will continue)”.
Mr Kenyatta asked Kenyans to maintain peace. “Kenyans should reject leaders who are out to divide them along tribal lines,” he added.
103 Government of Kenya websites hacked overnight
An Indonesian hacker on Tuesday attacked and defaced more than 100 Kenya government websites in a major cyber security breach.
The hacker, referred to as Direxer, broke into the sites and defaced them to show that he had managed to access them.
The websites included those of various government ministries, departments and local authorities. (READ: Some of the sites that were affected)
Notable sites affected included the ministries of Finance, Education, Public Health, Youth Affairs, National Heritage and Roads; as well as sensitive departments such as Administration Police, Immigration, Prisons and various city, municipal and county councils.
By Tuesday night, E-Government officials had shut down some of the sites as they tried to establish how the hacker managed to access them.
They were also working to guard against a repeat attack. The hacker claimed his “mark” on them, by defacing the front pages of the websites.
When opened, the website had the hacker’s name on it, with a message, and a song playing in the background, referring to his “victory”.
“We are making every effort within our resources to restore the websites and protect them from future attacks,” E-Government Directorate secretary Katherine Getao told the Nation.
Returned connection error
Dr Getao added that the directorate was capable of handling the restoration, saying that the hacking was a low level attack that did not warrant involvement of the Cyber Incidence Response Team based at the Communications Commission of Kenya.
Attempts by the Nation to log in to the affected websites returned a connection error reading:
“The gateway could not receive a timely response from the website you are trying to access.
“This might indicate that the network is congested, or that the website is experiencing technical difficulties.”
While others simply returned a “website could not be found” error. However, other sites were opening normally.
The hacker is part of an online Indonesian security forum known as Forum Code Security.
Keeping Up With The Timberlakes: Esther Arunga And Timberlake Are Back
You must admit, at some point you wondered what happened to the "crazy duo" of Esther Arunga and Timberlake. Well, wonder no more for they are back, and with a bang.A string of "gutter" blogposts posted on CNN's iReport website have captured the attention of Kenyans who would do anything to find out about the train wreck that is Arunga and Timberlake.
We call them gutter because they are unverified by CNN.
The first one was that Arunga is coming back on TV with a salary of close to a million shillings.
"Now rumors are spreading on Kenyan streets that former TV news queen could be coming back to a local TV station with a bang. She is soon to go air on Ksh 930,000 a month," reads the post. "News that Esther Timberlake (nee Arunga) is joining a local TV station on Ksh 930,000 shillings a month shines the spotlight on how far media owners in Kenya are willing to go to win/retain viewers and advertisers."
The second story was a sensational one on Timberlake. It says that former ODM advisor on coalition affairs Miguna Miguna is threatening to write a "tell all" book on how the former news anchor attempts to leave her husband Quincy Timberlake.
"Mr Odinga, in conjunction with her parents put her through that ordeal in order to abandon Quincy Timberlake in marriage. This is because Esther was to be forcefully married within the ODM circles and to be kept as a loyal asset and weapon for 2012 General Elections," read part of the 1765 word story that was posted by @Sydneynews on January 6th but reads like pure propaganda. It seems to give Timberlake a lot of mileage even equating him to a freedom fighter.
Esther's influence, continues the story, was to be used as an ODM tool for “pied piper” purposes in the media.
"According to Miguna, Timberlake is a very big upcoming threat in Nyanza politics because of his unique daring nature against the establishment of an Odinga dynasty," reads the story. "His freeness of speech is a special concern at the PM's office. PM has severally used his aides to consult Timberlake, but with vanity results. Who doesn't know that Timberlake has been maltreated in the form a freedom fighter??" It must be said, the grammar and the tone of the post reminds us of the man in a shiny suit.
Kajairo's Show Canned?
SMH!Rejoice all ye who were not impressed with "Kajairo's musical comedy show". It appears your prayers were heard and answered.
Yesterday, the show did not air and word out is the management received a lot of negative feedback about it with many saying it was bringing the station's quality down.
The show ran for a month and we doubt if there is anybody out there who will miss it.
Kajairo of the music remix fame this week hosted his own show the Kajairo show. Zile old problems that dog the show industry haunted him mbaya! poor organisation, bad lighting, unclear sound marred the show from the beginning. What pisses me most is how guys in "Twirra" hated on this fella with their pathetic updates!! Kajairo needs encouragement not kuingiliwa!!!
However on Facebook, he said the show will be back!
Nancy Baraza Fiasco
Nancy Baraza saga is just not going away. Some people have decided to immortalize her with action packed photo shopped images. Here are some of the photo shopped Nancy Baraza images doing rounds on the internet.
The guard said Ms Baraza ignored the security desk – at which all people entering the mall are frisked – before going to various shops.
The guard told the police that she told Ms Baraza that she was to be frisked but she walked away.
Things got out of hand, the report says, when the deputy chief justice finished her shopping.
She went to the car before coming back to the security guard and threatened to shoot her, the report says, if she persisted in what Ms Baraza is alleged to have termed as humiliating her.
‘Unfortunate’
The Commissioner of Police, Mathew Iteere, has confirmed the investigation.
Ms Baraza has described the alleged incident as “unfortunate” but said she would not comment more since the matter was being investigated by the police.
Security has been tightened in all public places since Kenya invaded Somalia in October to kick out al-Qaeda linked al-Shabab fighters.
Kenya blamed the Somalia-based militants for bomb attacks and kidnappings.
There has been a string of recent attacks in Kenya, the latest one targeting New Year’s Day revellers in Garissa, North Eastern Province, in which five people were killed.
It is now common practice in Kenya for people to be frisked or be scanned with metal detectors before they are allowed in shops, theatres and even places of prayer.
The guard said Ms Baraza ignored the security desk – at which all people entering the mall are frisked – before going to various shops.
The guard told the police that she told Ms Baraza that she was to be frisked but she walked away.
Things got out of hand, the report says, when the deputy chief justice finished her shopping.
She went to the car before coming back to the security guard and threatened to shoot her, the report says, if she persisted in what Ms Baraza is alleged to have termed as humiliating her.
‘Unfortunate’The Commissioner of Police, Mathew Iteere, has confirmed the investigation.
Ms Baraza has described the alleged incident as “unfortunate” but said she would not comment more since the matter was being investigated by the police.
Security has been tightened in all public places since Kenya invaded Somalia in October to kick out al-Qaeda linked al-Shabab fighters.Kenya blamed the Somalia-based militants for bomb attacks and kidnappings.
There has been a string of recent attacks in Kenya, the latest one targeting New Year’s Day revellers in Garissa, North Eastern Province, in which five people were killed.
It is now common practice in Kenya for people to be frisked or be scanned with metal detectors before they are allowed in shops, theatres and even places of prayer.
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