Prime Minister Raila Odinga

By MWANIKI MUNUHE

Prime Minister Raila will face Members of Parliament next week to explain how Kazi Kwa Vijana funds were misappropriated by his office as alleged by World Bank.

A charged House yesterday demanded that Raila personally address the house on the scandal that senior officials in his office are directly implicated.

A hostile house disregarded a statement delivered by Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, arguing that Raila should personally address them as the scandal touches on his personal integrity.

However, House speaker Kenneth Marende intervened and directed Mudavadi to table World Bank's draft audit report on Kazi Kwa Vijana funds today before Raila could respond to queries from MPs next week.

Raila is in France attending a UNESCO meeting.According to the draft report seen by The People, part of the Sh33million which cannot be accounted for were spent during Raila's recent visit to France to attend global partnership on clean energy conference in France.

Payment for travelling to Paris France for Kenya/France global partnership for clean energy. This does not seem to be a project related event and the project does seem to have obtained the Bank no objection as required, the report reads in parts.

The report largely accused the Prime Minister's office of failing to provide documents for services that were rendered and as well as payment.

Payment may be ineligible for lack of adequate supporting documents and inability to prove these were project expenditures, the report that was prepared in August says.

For instance, payments were made to participants on National Youth Congress that never took place. The Bank further questioned how the youth mainly graduates and form four leavers who were to benefit from the project were recruited despite the number being increased from 18 to 40 without proper explanation.

And in Parliament, Ikolomani Member of Parliament Dr. Bony Khalwale who demanded that Raila deliver the statement personally, attempted to table a copy of the report in vain. The headed debate was occasioned by Khalwale's attempt to stop Mudavadi from reading the statement, prompting Marende to intervene.

This issue touching on integrity as it is, and that is one of the Principals, will it be justifiable for a second party to speak on behalf of Prime Minister, said Khalwale.

However, visibly angry MP's demanded that the statement be postponed to be delivered next week by the Prime Minister and to give room for members to study document he tabled on the floor of the house by Mudavadi.

Somalia recants President's stand against Kenyan troops

By HUDSON GUMBIHI AND RACHEL MBURU

The Somali Transitional Government (TFG) has clarified its position, stating that it still needs the help of Kenya and other regional countries to crush the Al Shabaab threat, three day after President Sheikh Sharif protested the presence of Kenyan troops in Somalia.

The TFG issued a statement last night, through its Ministry of Information, following a protest by the Kenya government over President Sharif's wavering position on the ongoing military offensive targeting the Al Shabaab militia.

The clarification, sanctioned by Somalia's Prime Minister Abdiweli, came as police in Nairobi engaged high alert gear against terror threats.

A man suspected to have been involved in a grenade attack that killed one person in downtown Nairobi on Monday, and of being in possession of cache of arms was hauled to court where he admitted all charges against him.

In the volatile Kayole neighbourhood where the suspect had been arrested on Tuesday with grenades and guns, police closed in on another suspicious incident when another hand grenade was recovered in an abandoned saloon car at the Masimba bus stop.

From Mogadishu, the TFG issued a carefully worded statement that restated that an agreement of cooperation in crushing Al Shabaab existed between Kenya and Somalia, but insisted that TFG forces must spearhead the operation.

To evolve a common security strategy, we agreed with our brothers, the Kenyan government on the following: Cooperation in undertaking coordinated security and military operations spearheaded by TFG soldiers, trained by Kenyan government, read part of the statement.

It added that the two parties has also agreed on, Cooperation and collaboration in sharing and exchange of information that is relevant to the fight against cross border crimes and operations.

The TFG acknowledged the support it had received from Kenya in training of its security forces, but restated that its sovereignty must be respected.

The TFG has reportedly been under pressure from a faction of its leaders to reassure the population that Kenya was only interested in routing Al Shabaab, but not creating a buffer zone within Somalia.

On Monday, Sharif was quoted saying the Kenyan military was operating inside Somalia without the invitation of his government.

The position taken by Sharif had sharply divided the war-torn country with a section of his government ganging up with the masses to condemn their President while applauding the Kenyan operation.