THE GAY TERRORIST THREAT!

Mombasa Anglican Church of Kenya Bishop Julius Kalu says that the gay movement poses a greater threat to Christianity than terrorism. “Our greatest fear as a Church should not be the grenade attacks, but the new teachings like same sex marriages”, he told a congregation at the weekend. What about gay terrorists asks the Kenya Forum?

We can’t help but feel that the guy pictured on the left could be in deep trouble if he bumps into the good Bishop Kalu!

AFRICAN UNION ELECTION SHOCK

Another step forward for women’s emancipation in Africa: 63 year-old South African Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has been elected the first female leader of the African Union (AU). At the same time, Kenyan Erastus Mwencha was re-elected to serve a second term as vice-chairman of the AU.

Not only does the election of Ms Dlamini-Zuma and the re-election of Mr Mwencha break the long tradition that the two posts should be filled by a candidate from one francophone country and one anglophone country, they are also thought to be two of the few appointments in sub-Saharan Africa of people not related to Raila Odinga! (Ms Dlamini-Zuma was, however, married to South Africa’s President Zuma).

NHIF, THE NSSF AND MIGUNA MIGUNA’S “CASH COW” ALLEGATION

News that Kenyans may soon have to pay up to Sh 3,885 per month for their National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) contributions to cover health insurance will have come as a shock to many. The NHIF has been embroiled in financial scandal for some time as regular Forum readers will know (see ‘NHIF: Kenya’s Ailing Medical Scheme’, 28 May) so no doubt they need the money.

The NHIF is not the only national scheme to have come in for criticism recently. In his book ‘Peeling back the mask’ (page 430), Miguna Miguna, former aide to Raila Odinga, alleged that, “Those in the know say that the NSSF [National Social Security Fund] is a cash cow” and that those “working closely with its top managers have suddenly become fabulously rich”.

DID MIGUNA MIGUNA ‘FLEE’ KENYA?

Whilst we are on the subject of Miguna Miguna, those readers that read the Kenya Forum’s postings regarding the publication of his book may have noticed that although we were interested in the subject of the allegations made in it we did not exactly warm to the man himself. However, we would like to put the record straight in respect of one allegation made against him: Miguna Miguna did not ‘suddenly’ flee the country last Monday.

Quite why so many journalists and commentators ran with the story only they can say. This Kenya Forum correspondent was told at a bookshop the day before the launch of ‘Peeling back the mask’ that Miguna Miguna would be leaving Kenya three days later and returning about three weeks after that. It was also openly mentioned at the book’s launch apparently.

ALEXANDER MONSON: SOME MYSTERY

Finally, for the moment, an investigation by Kenya’s CID has found that the death of Alexander Monson, the young British aristocrat who died at Diani Beach in May after a night in police custody, remains a mystery and that the local police were not in any way to blame.

Mr Monson died as a result of a blow to the head. The autopsy found that he also had bruised testicles and bruising to his arm. Earlier on the night that he died he was seen in a police cell alive and well. The CID report, however, admitted that it was not known ‘how, where or when he was hit, or by who’.

The Kenya Forum, which has followed the Monson story, had difficulty in finding an appropriate photograph or image to illustrate this news but hopes the neighbouring graphic speaks for itself.

Meanwhile, as reported in the Standard on Saturday, questions remain as to the true circumstances surrounding the deaths in police custody, or shortly thereafter, of James Mugo Waithera (aged 16) in September 2011; Rashid Kombo in August 2011; John Muturi Kariuki also in August 2011; Martin Kamau in 2012; and Samuel Munyi in 2011. They, along with many others, must not be forgotten.