Michuki, a Kenyan Politician with X-Factor

Kenyan native admits to role in multistate scam

Just Jail Me, Only Let Me Read

Nairobi — The ex-prisoner approached the prison gates with a peculiar request -- to be re-admitted into prison.

At first, Naivasha Maximum Security Prison authorities thought it was a sick joke, but the reality is finally dawning on them. They are now grappling with how to deal with the rare appeal from Joel Mwangi, 33.

Mr Mwangi, with four other former inmates, are willing to walk back to jail -- not to serve fresh terms, but to pursue studies, which they did not finish after completing their jail terms.Mr Mwangi had been sentenced to one-year by a Naivasha court for a minor offence in 2001. Immediately after conviction, he was thrown into a spin.

"I thought all my dreams had hit a dead end, and I was depressed. But I decided to accept the inevitable," he recalls.

He was first taken to Annex Prison next to the main jail where he was assigned kitchen duties. "I was a sweeper, a task I found totally boring. Keeping the dining hall clean was eating into my confidence," he said.

Soon he, requested to be transferred to the Maximum Prison to pursue higher education, a plea that a senior officer willingly acceded to. He began by studying business calculations but before he could finish, Mr Mwangi was freed following a Presidential Amnesty after serving only six months.

"By the time I was released, I was already booked for the exam," he said.

He returned and sat the exam, scoring impressive grades. For the former part-time secondary school teacher; the certificate was a big boost.

Harmonized Draft Constitution of Kenya- Play a part

The harmonized draft constitution of Kenya written by the Committee of Experts was released to the public on November 17, 2009 so that the public could debate the document and then parliament can decide whether to subject it to a referendum in early 2010. The public will have 30 days to scrutinize the draft and forward proposal and amendments to their respective Members of Parliament. After Parliament approves the draft, it will be subjected to a referendum in March 2010. Therefore its up to us to make an effort to read through the draft costitution and raise the issues we have with the committee failure to which we are failing to play our part in building our nation.

Proposed Changes

The key changes proposed by the Harmonized draft released are in the following areas:

• The Executive - who holds executive authority and the qualifications.
• The Legislature - the composition, and representation of the people. An introduction of an upper house - the Senate.
• The Judiciary - qualifications to hold office and appointment.
• Devolution to the regions and counties
• Dual citizenship - citizens who acquire foreign citizenship will not lose their Kenyan citizenship.

The Executive

The executive at the top most levels will constitute a State President and a Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The draft proposes a semi-presidential system also referred to as a presidential-parliamentary system.

State President key functions

• Head of State - largely be a ceremonial position.
• Commander-in-Chief - and will declare war and state emergency upon approval by the National Assembly and Cabinet respectively.
• Shall appoint the Prime Minister - The PM will be elected by the majority party in the National Assembly and the party will present a name to the President for appointment.
• Shall appoint - Deputy Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, their respective Deputies after they are nominated by the Prime Minister.
• May dismiss the Deputy Prime Minister or Cabinet Ministers upon consent from the Prime Minister.
• Shall accent bills into law or refer them back to parliament for further review.
• Shall appoint Judges to the Superior Court recommended to him/her by an independent Judiciary Service Commission.
• Shall appoint Ambassadors/High Commissioners to Kenyan embassies abroad.

Prime Minister key functions

• Head of Government - will yield executive authority and will co-ordinate and supervise all major sections of the executive branch.
• Nominate a Deputy Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, their respective Deputies and present them to the President for appointment.
• Preside over Cabinet meetings.
• Advice the President on dismissals from the Cabinet.

NB: The State President will not be a member of the Cabinet and will not be capable of nominating persons to the Cabinet. He/she will not dismiss the DPM, Ministers without the consent of the PM.

The Legislature

The Legislative branch will constitute of the following

An upper house - the Senate

• Each of the 70 counties will be have a Senator
• A senator will be elected by their respective county assemblies acting as an electoral college and not directly by the voters.
• Each of the 8 regions will have 2 women Senators and
• Each region to have 1 Senator to represented persons with disability.
• Tentative total number of Senators will be 94.

A lower house - the National Assembly

• Each constituency (# of constituency to be determined by Independent Boundary Review Commission) - currently there are 222.
• Majority of the Members of National Assembly will be directly elected by voters
• Each county assembly will elect a woman MP - therefore guaranteeing a minimum of 70 women MP's in the National Assembly.
• Each region will elect 1 MP to represent persons with disability - with the county assemblies acting as an electoral college.
• Tentative total number of MP's will be 295.

Regional Assemblies

• Each of the 8 regions will regional assemblies - the regions are comparable to the current provinces. The provincial administration will be abolished with the introduction of the new constitution.
• Each region will have a Regional Director elected by the county assemblies in the region acting as an electoral collage - An exemption will be for the Nairobi Region where the Regional Director - The Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be elected directly by the voters in Nairobi region.

County Assemblies

• The country will be divided to approximately 74 counties - the counties are comparable to the current districts.
• Each county will have a County Executive who will be elected by members of the county assembly acting as an electoral college. An exemption will be for the 4 counties in the Nairobi region which will work as region in accordance to article 215.

The Judiciary

There will be 3 superior courts:

• Supreme Court - highest judiciary organ comprising 5 judges with one acting as the Chief Justice. This court will handle appeals from the Appeals and Constitutional courts. It will also preside over Presidential impeachment proceedings.
• Court of Appeals - will handle appeal cases from the High Court and as prescribed by Parliament. It will constitute not less than 12 judges and will be headed by a President appointed by the CJ.
• Constitutional Court - shall take up cases pertaining to interpretations of the constitution. It will constitute not less than 5 judges lead by a Principal Judge appointed by the CJ.

An Independent Judiciary Service Commission will be setup to handle the appointment of Judges. They will nominate names of persons to be appointed as Judges by the President. The commission will comprise of the following:

• A Supreme Court judge - elected by members of the Supreme Court to chair the commission
• Court of Appeal judge - elected by members of the Court of Appeals to chair the commission
• The Attorney-General
• Two advocates, one a woman and one a man, each of whom has at least fifteen years' experience, nominated by the statutory body responsible for the professional

regulation of advocates

• One person nominated by the Public Service Commission.

Attorney-General

• Shall be appointed by the President - with approval from the National Assembly
• Hold office for only one term of not more than 6 years.

Devolution

Devolution to the regions and counties will only be in implementation of centrally planned projects, budgets, and distributed resources but will not allow regions to act autonomously similar to a federal system.

Dual Citizenship

• A person who is a citizen does not lose citizenship by reason only of acquiring the citizenship of another country.
• A person who as a result of acquiring the citizenship of another country ceased to be a Kenyan citizen is entitled, on application, to regain Kenyan citizenship.
  
  Down load the whole draft constitution here

Irish priest murdered in robbery in Kenya

Father Jeremiah Roche, an Irish priest, has been murdered during a violent robbery at his home in Kenya.

Mistress Morrigan: my husband is absolutrly fine what I do. Photo: Kate Peters

The photographer Kate Peters spent a year shooting dominatrices, or 'doms’, in Britain and was astonished at the contrast between the 'normal’ women she met and their leather-corseted personae. 'I remember one session in an ordinary east London terraced house. I was chatting to the dom over tea, when the doorbell rang. I opened it to an electrician in his twenties in overalls, holding a bottle of wine. His mistress started verbally abusing him. Minutes later he was lying fully clothed over her knee, being spanked.’

A traditional dominatrix does not have sex with clients, but instead enables their fantasies – no matter how bizarre. 'They’re England’s dirty secret, but they’re everywhere,’ Peters says. She estimates that about 70 per cent of the women consider their work as not just a well-paid job, but a labour of love. 'They get as many kicks from it as their clients do.’

Mistress V, in her late thirties, is of Spanish origin and grew up in Australia. she came to Britain last year and works in London

'When I was younger I put my parents through hell – moving around, changing jobs, trying to find something that made me happy. I worked in hospitality management, then became a stripper and finally entered the world of BDSM (bondage domination sadism masochism). This job is perfect for me – I’m domineering and headstrong, I love performing and the money is fantastic. I’m single; not many dominatrices have steady relationships as most men find it pretty tough to know what you are doing.

My mother knows what I do. I’m the black sheep of the family, so I don’t think she’s too shocked – she expects it and I’d rather be honest with her. But my father probably doesn’t know. To him I’m still daddy’s little girl.

I won’t do everything clients ask; it has to be something I enjoy. I refuse to do adult babies (when men want their nappies changed and suck dummies) and I don’t do needle-play (when you pierce clients or sometimes suspend them through hooks in their flesh).

I don’t like severe sessions either, where someone is begging you to stop but doesn’t actually want you to, or leaving marks on bodies. If there are marks on your bottom after a caning you’ll have some explaining to do when you get home. Before a session you need to find out if the client has health problems

and agree on a 'safe’ word. If a client has been tied up for a certain length of time you have to check that they’re OK. You don’t want them passing out on you.

This isn’t about providing our bodies for sex; it’s about role-playing and providing humiliation. You’re fulfilling a fantasy that someone has never been able to fulfil in their marriage or with their girlfriends. One client whose marriage ended badly, with his ex blackmailing him and calling him names, now likes us to re-enact those scenarios. I guess he misses something from that time and wants to replay it. Often I feel like a psychologist without a diploma, delving into people’s minds.'

Mistress Absolute is in her early thirties, works in London and has been a dominatrix for seven years

'As a child, growing up in Sussex, I loved locking people in cupboards and getting people to do what I wanted. I found an old school report the other day that said my 'dominant personality could be a little unnerving sometimes’. When I told my mother, she said, 'Oh, darling, but you’ve always been like that.’

Dominatrices are not the same as prostitutes. What I do is all about foreplay: linking into someone’s psyche. Clients put me on a pedestal and I tease them. They can’t touch me above the knee and don’t even get to see me in my underwear, though they may be naked.

Some come to me with specific requests for bondage, corporal punishment or foot fetishes. Others are slaves. I have one slave who follows me round in a butler outfit – we go shopping and he carries my purchases. Female slaves are rare, but I have one in America who has to send me precisely 100 words every day about what she’s been doing and ask my permission before she goes anywhere or does anything.

I am very privileged to be trusted with people’s deepest, darkest secrets and desires. One of the most fulfilling things for me is people calling me and talking me through their scenario. They ask, 'Is that really weird?’ When I tell them it’s common, a weight comes off their shoulders as they realise somebody understands something they’ve hoarded inside for so many years.

The things that people ask for can be absolutely hilarious and I often do find myself in fits of giggles. Sometimes I smirk sarcastically, which enhances the session. Sometimes it’s outright laughter. You do what’s appropriate in the situation. The big word in all this is playing – having fun, albeit in a very adult environment.'

Goddess Sophia is in her twenties and works in east London

'I grew up in Yorkshire and became fascinated by BDSM at about the age of 10, when I saw a television programme about it – obviously I was staying up much later than I should have! As I got older I became very involved in the goth and fetish scene and I moved into 'domming’ from there, although I also do fire-eating.

Rather than being sexual, dominatrix work is mainly psychological and very mentally demanding. Although, officially, the mistress is always right, you have to work to maintain the relationship and be very aware of the slave’s needs.

The majority of my clients are businessmen and I would guess most are married. It’s not a cheap hobby, and it appeals to people in demanding jobs who want to have the responsibility taken off them for a while. Work does get quiet in the school holidays – I figure most of them are away with their families.

Some clients come with a list; others ask me to make suggestions. Very occasionally a client will ask me to do the session in everyday clothes, but rubber and corsets emphasise and exaggerate the idea of female supremacy, so they tend to be the favourites. My flatmates used to joke that I should be a dom because I was so bossy and impatient – little did they know. When I’m with a client I only exaggerate those sides of my personality.

My mum knows a little about what I do from the way I dress, but it’s something I don’t really discuss with my family.'

Mistress Morrigan, 30, works in east London

'I grew up in Wales and got involved in the fetish scene in my teens. I trained as a make-up artist, then became a dancer before starting work in a dungeon [a venue specifically set up for BDSM activities]. My immediate family knows what I do and so do my friends. No one has said anything judgmental.

I’ve worked in dungeons in New York, which are amazing, like something from a film set. They have massive Catherine-wheels, suspension racks – where you

can stand or hang upside-down – and bondage chairs. But it’s perfectly possible just to nip down to B&Q and equip yourself with basics, such as ropes, and set them up in your living-room.

I have a goth image, so I tend to do a lot of ritualistic activities involving burning incense and candles, tarot cards, sensory deprivation and sometimes meditation. But others like role-play – the cruel female boss scenario is very common. One of my clients had a Pinocchio fetish – we acted out a scenario that he was a puppet, and it was really fun.

My husband is absolutely fine with what I do. He knows that my work isn’t intimate in a sexual sense, it’s more psychological. Nothing goes on in the dungeon that he need worry about.

Some people go out on a Friday night and get drunk, some drive fast cars. Everyone needs an outlet for stress and that is what I provide. One of my regulars always arrives totally stressed and leaves almost euphoric, having rid himself of life’s burdens while he’s here.'

Domina Heelena, aka Mistress Toe Tease, 29, works in London, often with her sister, Mistress Arella

I am from a little town in the Czech Republic and came to London, a shy young woman, to study. I’ve always been intrigued by non-mainstream sexual practices. Some years ago I met a Jordanian doctor who started to bite my feet. I was totally freaked out because I had no idea that such a thing as a foot fetish existed. I felt so awkward I never saw him again.

However, about three years ago, when I decided to leave my part-time office job, my sister, who was already working as a dom, introduced me to a foot fetishist. Since then we’ve worked with dozens of fetishists and included BDSM activities in our repertoire. We work together if requested – our sessions are very popular.

I like to be comfortable, so you won’t see me in PVC or latex, though occasionally I’ll wear leather to a fetish club. I prefer the dominant girlfriend/nasty wife and secretary scenarios, and will therefore wear my everyday clothes. It’s impossible to keep what I do secret from friends, and I enjoy entertaining them with my stories. My family, however, doesn’t know the full story.

I wouldn’t say that I was acting in my sessions; I don’t view Heelena as a different person. She’s become part of me and I’ve learnt so much from her. She is improper, outrageous, brave, outspoken, demanding and vulgar.

It is refreshing to behave like her and to laugh at a client’s 'predicament’. Enslaving a man who has high social or professional ranking is so empowering. Receiving regular foot massages from clients is addictive and I always appreciate having my house cleaned as part of a session, especially if the client in question reveals that he never cleans for his wife.

Every activity I engage in is consensual. I reject clients who ask for dangerous activities such as extreme asphyxia. But I can go really wild when administering corporal punishment. Most of my clients are seeking psychological release rather than pain-inducing activities.

I’m single, but work has definitely affected my intimate relationships – it’s made me more experimental and open-minded, as well as more demanding. Real dominatrices never have sex

with their clients. At least they never advertise it. Of course, I can only speak for myself, but it is tempting to use the best specimens as sex slaves.

Mistress Arella, 27, works in London and is Domina Heelena’s younger sister

I’ve always been rather unconventional and hated the nine-to-five office life I used to lead. I had my first kinky encounter when I was 17, but I started working professionally as a dominatrix when I was 25. I’m not ashamed of what I do, but I haven’t told my parents – I don’t want them to be hurt.

I see between five and seven clients in a typical week, usually for an hour’s session at a cost of L170. The better-known London mistresses charge about L250. The highs of my job include being my own boss, having more free time and money than in a conventional profession, elevated self-confidence and having fun.

The lows are that occasionally you don’t click with your clients and some men do mess around a lot, so as a consequence you become suspicious towards everyone.

I cause my clients pain if that is what they ask for and there can be some force in the context of role-play, but we have a safe word they can use to stop a session at any time, so they feel comfortable. I’ve always been naturally dominant so it’s not a big deal for me to cane clients or scold them for having a small penis.

I am married and my husband is comfortable with my job. My intimate life with him is 100 per cent 'vanilla’ [not BDSM-related] and I want to keep

it that way. We’d like children and I’ll probably keep working after I have them, though I may go part-time or specialise in long-distance arrangements.

"I am very excited about the future of the whole Episcopal Church, and I see the Diocese of Los Angeles leading the way into that future," Glasspool was quoted as saying on the diocese's website.

Glasspool has been a priest for 27 years and her father was also an Episcopal priest.

If her election is ratified, she would be ordained as a bishop next May to assist Bishop J. Jon Bruno in the 70,000-member diocese.

Also elected assistant bishop was the Rev. Canon Diane Bruce.

Glasspool's election comes as the United States grapples with sexual orientation issues, such as gay marriage, child adoption by same-sex parents and the status of homosexuals in the military.

Polls consistently show gays and lesbians enjoying growing acceptance in American society.

But fast-growing faiths in the United States, such as many evangelical Protestant churches and the Mormon church, regard homosexual relations as sinful and proscribed by scripture.

IDENTITY CRISIS: Tyrone Mears

THE JAMAICAN motto ‘Out of many one people’ may have been taken too far by the Jamaican Football Federation in their cock-up over the status of Tyrone Mears, who played for the national team but had no Jamaican father. His old man was in fact from Sierra Leone. What is interesting about the Mears story is that this young man did not know for certain who his father was, and so in the world of citizenship and legal entitlements, surely he could play for anyone he dreamed?

It is a particular predicament for young people of African-Caribbean and mixed-heritage backgrounds who are either in the care systems or with mothers who have mentally deleted the existence of the father. The real story here is about identity. It is interesting that in a world of increasing globalisation many countries, like those emerging from Eastern Europe, have increased their national pride.

In Britain, the question of your roots outside of Britain is still relevant. We categorise black children as being of African or African-Caribbean heritage. Poor Tyrone Mears, playing out in the hills of Burnley, told reporters that he always assumed his father was Jamaican.