Janet Walsh- Huffingtonpost

Eight years ago, I walked into the Nairobi office of the Centre for Rights Education and Awareness expecting a mildly helpful discussion of my project on women’s property rights in Kenya. Ann Njogu, CREAW’s director, was clearly very busy and a serious lawyer. Within minutes, I knew that she was also a passionate, forceful advocate. She wasted no time in picking up the phone to hook me up with women to interview, deluging me with legal information, and guiding me on strategy.

This week, the US State Department is honoring Ann with the 2010 International Women of Courage Award. With this award the US government pays tribute to outstanding women leaders worldwide, recognizing the courage they’ve shown as they struggle for social justice and human rights. In over a decade as a women’s rights activist, I’ve never met anyone who deserves this award more than Ann Njogu.

That first day in Ann’s office, she told me harrowing stories of clients she had represented in divorce, inheritance, domestic violence, rape, and other matters. CREAW had a legal clinic to represent poor women and a psychological counseling service, and led workshops to inform women of their rights.

The next day, I got to see Ann in action at a community workshop. It was in a simple, tin-roof-and-cinderblock church in a slum. Several hundred women were packed in the church listening with rapt attention as Ann and her team explained that the practices of denying women inheritance, and sometimes even of forcing widows to marry their brothers-in-law in order to keep their property, violated their human rights. They instructed the women on how they and their husbands could write simple wills, and how to enforce them. They explained that women are entitled to keep family property upon divorce. A troupe of actors did a wild theatrical depiction of a woman being disinherited, and fighting for her rights.

The women attending the workshop cheered, asked questions, and shared their stories. They left seeming empowered to take a stand for their rights. Many asked Ann to take their cases.

Over the next few years, I saw Ann’s efforts to promote human rights explode in new directions. She has been at the forefront of campaigns for a new constitution. Her organization, not being content with welfare services, pursued social solutions that tackled the root causes of violence and discrimination. CREAW spearheaded work in taboo areas like sexuality, bride price, widow inheritance, and women’s political participation.

When violence erupted after Kenya’s flawed 2007 general election, leaving over a thousand people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced, Ann and her team sprung into action. Alongside other civil society advocates, Ann condemned the government for failing to hold anyone accountable. CREAW documented the sexual and gender-based violence experienced by women in the post-election violence. That documentation assisted a commission that investigated the violence, and is now being used by the International Criminal Court.

Recently, CREAW set up a radio station. In this venture, Ann’s team is once again taking on controversial issues. In a single day, the station’s website covered issues that stir passionate debates in East Africa, such as the rights of homosexuals, government corruption, judicial failure, and police abuse of sex workers.

All this comes with a price. Ann has been arrested and brutally beaten at peaceful protests, sexually assaulted by the police, and threatened by politicians. Staff members at her organization are constantly concerned about her–and their–security. At every step, Ann knows she is at risk. She has to wonder, every single day, whether her two children might also be at risk. Threats against her family are subtle, but sinister nonetheless.

And every day, Ann summons her courage and strength. She simply will not stop speaking out against injustice, and fighting for the right of all Kenyans to live in a fair, peaceful, prosperous society. Those who would silence Ann might as well give up. It will never work.

When I spoke to Ann about the International Women of Courage award, she instantly changed the subject from herself to all Kenyans. While honored, she sees it as an award for the many Kenyan women and men who pay a high price for demanding respect for their human rights. She hopes it will serve as an encouragement to all human rights defenders, in this generation and the next, working for a better Kenya.

Former Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Martha Karua addressing a Town Hall meeting in Dallas, TX. Photo by Antony Karanja/jambonewspot.com

By ANTONY KARANJA in DALLAS, TEXAS
 
Former Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Martha Karua faced heavy questioning during a town hall meeting held on Sunday in Dallas, Texas on the drama that erupted during the 2007 general elections in Kenya.
 
The MP for Gichugu who is currently on a tour of the US, fielded questions from attendees of  the event organized by Kenyans for Change who sought to know “who really won” in the disputed elections and what her role was in having President Kibaki declared as the winner.
 
Some participants took issue with the fact that Mrs Karua was present in the hall when the seemingly insurmountable lead held by Raila Odinga over his rival President Kibaki “suddenly” evaporated.
 
The former Minister was reminded of the popular footage from the KICC of an argument between her and Mr. William Ruto who was acting on behalf of Mr Odinga.
 
Mrs Karua defended herself by emphatically reminding the questioners that the results can only declared by the Kenya Electoral Commissioner and she only acted as an agent for President Kibaki.
 
“Mr Kivuitu declared the results and not me,” Karua said. “He declared the results after receiving the remaining votes from the Mt Kenya region which were not in and which subsequently wiped out Odinga’s lead.
 
She continued to defend herself by saying that she was only against announcing of the results before the total tally was in as she felt that a substantial number of votes were cast in the Mt Kenyan region and they would alter the dynamics of the race once they were received.
 
Answering another question from one of the town hall moderators, Ms Susan Kariuki of the East Africa in Focus, she defended herself against accusations that she abandoned Kenyans at a time of need when she quit government.
 
Karua asserted that she did not abandon the country by resigning but was rejecting how things were being run by the two principals, Raila and Kibaki.
 
“I was not happy with the way things were being done and I was not prepared to live a lie,” Karua responded. “If you can all remember the measures we discussed before Kofi Annan who came to mediate during the post elections violence were never implemented though I kept pushing for them,”
 
She reminded the attendees that Kenya was supposed to have a tribunal to look into the perpetrators of the post elections violence but that never came to pass.
 
“This was simply disregarded,” she said. “The body language of the two principals simply said they didn’t care even after urging them to support the recommendations put forth before Kofi Annan and there was no way I could work in such conditions.”
 
Dismissing infotrack Poll
 
When asked about the infotrack poll appearing in the Kenyan newspapers over the weekend that showed that only 9% of Kenyan women trust political leadership of a female, Karua said those statistics do not add up and that she does not put stock on such polls.
 
The poll showed that women trusted Prime Minister Odinga more than Ms. Karua though in totality, 53% of the respondents would vote for a female presidential candidate.
 
“I do not trust such polls,” Karua responded. “I will not worry about those statistics until I see the questions posed to the respondents. People manipulate polls you know.”
 
She reminded participants that she has always been a woman and has run for political office before and people trusted her enough to elect her.
 
She said that her political detractors often point to the fact that she is a woman and this was not something new.
 
She declared that in spite of such tactics, “the race is on” and she will not be cowed.
 
Corruption Cartels
 
On the issue of corruption, Mrs Karua also pointed out that some of the problems that Kenya is facing are being brought about by corruption cartels that are presently in the country.
 
She said that these cartels finance Kenyan elections and that it becomes very difficult to prosecute the same people who fund the politicians and hence corruption takes hold and makes it difficult to eradicate it.
 
She promised that her party Narc-Kenya will not accept campaign funding from these cartels and that they would raise money from the grassroots.
 
Whereas she came to Dallas to articulate what she was going to do for Kenyans if she is elected President in 2012, Karua spent most of her time on the ropes defending her record as the town hall participants bombarded her with questions pertaining to her short stint in the government.
 
An unfazed Karua was adamant that she had advocated for the necessary reforms to the best of her abilities and that there was only so much she could have done.
 
She reminded Kenyans who sought to know why she did not push for the prosecution of the perpetrators of the post elections violence that the Justice and Constitution Minister does not prosecute but rather acts as a government adviser.
 
She also said that she did vehemently defend the government policies that she agreed with but also opposed and spoke out against those she did not agree with.
 
She pointed to reforms that she had initiated in the Ministry of Water department as a clear indication of what she can do in other areas of government.
 
The Grand Confusion
 
Turning to the current coalition, the former Minister referred to it as a “grand confusion” and also at an earlier luncheon as “grand corruption”
 
She said that the current government has done nothing to weed out corruption and that it had created distractions hence frustrating efforts to prosecute those who engage in corruption.
 
She accused Prime Minister Raila Odinga of scuttling the focus on the Maize scandal by announcing the suspension of two ministers in the heat of the debate.
 
“He knew only the President could suspend the two ministers but decided to do this to cause a tactical distraction from the maize scandal,” Karua pointed out. “Now we are no longer talking about the scandal.”
 
On an earlier joint interview with the Dallas media houses Truthsayer Talkshow and Jambonewspot.com, Mrs Karua said that as President, she will revisit earlier corruption scandals that have never been prosecuted.
 
She insisted that retaining Attorney General Amos Wako has not helped in solving these cases and it is not practical for Kenyans to do the same old thing and expect a different result.
 
“Mr. Wako is tainted and nothing much can be expected from him,” she said. “He has been in the position for too long.”
 
Karua did not spare the media. She lamented the fact that the media has not been adequately highlighting the scandals that have involved government officers.
 
She lamented the short focus by the media on serious issues affecting Kenyans and that lack of coverage usually buries the issues.
 
Karua said the media can help Kenyans by staying focused on contentious issues and not letting the politicians get away and by putting pressure on government officers to take responsibility for their actions.
 
The aspiring Presidential candidate also urged the Kenyan public to put sustained pressure on the government for reforms saying that lack of pressure from the public has given leeway for politicians to act as they wish as the publics gets easily distracted.
 
During the meeting, the presidential aspirant adopted a populist tone and promised that she would always fight for the ordinary Kenyan.
 
She lamented the fact that the government was able to drive away the poor from Mau catchments but has not been able to do the same with the rich.
 
Karua also decried the fact that able professionals are out of work in Kenya whereas foreigners are taking up professional jobs in Kenya as part of conditions imposed contracts on foreign aid.
 
Highlighting how foreign aid works, she described it as “a bubble” as it comes attached with so many strings.
 
She said that most of the aid received from foreign governments ends up back in those government’s hands as they send along their workers instead of seeking local employment.
 
She noted that Kenya has enough resources to sustain itself but lack of proper governance and rule of law has set the Kenya backwards and hindered the country from taking advantage of its vast resources.
 
Karua is also scheduled to speak at Harvard Law School in Massachusetts on Monday.

HE Peter Ogego in a Q7A session during the launch of the East Africa Chamber of Commerce over the weekend

By ANTONY KARANJA in Dallas, Texas

Kenya’s ambassador to the US has urged Kenyans in the Diaspora to take full advantage of the opportunities which are bound to open up when the East African Community becomes a reality.

HE Peter N.R.O Ogego made those remarks when he was presiding over the official launch of the East Africa Chamber of Commerce (EACC) in Dallas, Texas on Saturday.

The chamber was founded in 2009 with the broad vision to advance social and economic relationship of government and businesses between East Africa and the United States.

Addressing attendees, he reminded them that there will be free movement within the EA community and that this will make it easier to expand their businesses anywhere within the bloc.

The Ambassador lauded the move to start the chamber and said that this was an idea that was long overdue.

He encouraged Kenyans to start their own businesses saying he is ready to support those who want to do so.

Many Kenyans own businesses in the Diaspora and the ambassador was quick to remind them that petty politics will only serve to divide them and hinder their progress.

He cited as an example, Mr. Ken Muthoka, the owner of Nai Sports Bar & Grill, the Kenyan owned restaurant where the ceremony was held and commended him for his efforts.

In his speech, Mr. Ogego reiterated that the Kenyan government takes keen interest in those in the Diaspora and it has always been supportive of initiatives that seek to develop them.

During the ceremony, Mr Ogego reminded Kenyans that the Ministry of Home affairs has a fully fledged desk dedicated to matters involving them in the Diaspora and encouraged them to seek any assistance they require from his staff.

“I will always support business initiatives by those in the Diaspora and I encourage those who need my help to contact the Kenyan embassy staff and we will always respond,” Mr. Ogego said. “I am always accessible to all of you.”

He also lamented the fact that so many opportunities for investments in Kenya by other American businesses were lost in the aftermath of the post-election violence that engulfed the country in 2008.

In stressing how important this new chamber is, he said that he had lost so many contacts that he had made prior to the elections and in the absence of such a chamber, these contacts simply evaporated. He however said that with a lot of hard work these contacts can be recovered.

In attendance at the function was Mr. Ron Hartfield, the Director of the In our Own Little Way, a foundation that has been involved in several projects in Kenya which include medical missions and construction of small reservoir dams across eastern Kenya.

Mr Hartfield urged participants to take advantage of the chamber to expand their influence.

He said that it is important to maintain as many contacts as possible as this enables may lead them to acquiring vast information as well as resources that will help them in their businesses.

The attendees were also addressed by the Board Secretary, Mr. Charles Mulisa and Mr. Edwin Karuga who both expressed optimism that the chamber will be able to provide the much needed networking between businesses in East Africa and the US.

In his closing remarks, the Chairman of the newly launched chamber, Mr. Ben Kasue urged East Africans in the Diaspora to take advantage of this new chamber and expand their horizons in order to maximize their potential.

Anthony Maina, 19, played a 'critical role' in a plan to steal £30,000 in takings from the store, just five months after he stabbed an A-level student to death for a mobile phone

A teenager who took part in a robbery which left a shop manager dead was on bail for murder at the time of the killing, it has been revealed today.

Anthony Maina, 19, played a ‘critical role’ in a plan to steal £30,000 in takings from the store, just five months after he stabbed an A-level student to death for a mobile phone.

He had been arrested in connection with the killing of 17-year-old Rizwan Darbar in October 2007, but police had to bail him because there was not enough evidence to press charges.

By March of the following year he had been recruited as a look-out for the Matalan robbery in Hackney, east London, during which popular manager Jamie Simpson, 33, was stabbed to death.

Maina was finally charged with Rizwan’s murder in January last year and was convicted after a trial. He was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum 14-year sentence in July.

The teenager was also charged with Mr Simpson’s murder in March last year.

Mr Simpson was knifed in the back and neck after bravely ‘refusing to yield’ when he was confronted on the shop floor by 17-year-old Kobina Essel.

He had only been working late that night after swapping shifts with a colleague.

The gang also included inside man Roy Williams, 31, a Matalan security guard and friend of Mr Simpson.

He allowed the three robbers in to the shop just before closing on March 22, 2008, to hide in a staff staircase at the shop in the Kingsland shopping centre, Hackney, before ending his shift.

Essel, now 19, has been convicted of murder.

Ringleader Simeon Jumah, 25, Maina, now 20, and Randy Osei-Owusu, 17, were convicted of manslaughter after the jury failed to agree on the murder charge.

Williams, recruiter Jamal Chambers, 18, and getaway driver Duane Owusu, 20, were cleared of both murder and manslaughter but convicted of conspiracy to rob.

Prosecutors today decided not to press for a retrial for Jumah, Maina and Osei-Owusu and asked for the murder charge to be left on file.

Judge Martin Stephens QC then lifted the court orders banning reporting of Maina’s background and the name of Osei-Owusu.

All seven men will be sentenced on March 22 this year.

During the trial, jurors heard Williams planned the robbery with his friend Jumah, a father-of-one and former school caretaker and Argos delivery driver.

With the help of Chambers, his girlfriend’s cousin, they recruited three young robbers and in a series of meetings at Jumah’s house Williams gave detailed plans of the shop floor, CCTV coverage and staff movements.

The gang picked the Easter weekend, hoping there would be bumper takings in the store’s cash office by closing time on Saturday.

The day before the robbery several of the gang members went on a recce of the shop before finalising the plans.

On Saturday evening, shortly before the store shut, CCTV cameras captured the three robbers slipping in to the shop, hooded and wearing dark clothing.

Williams who was patrolling the first floor allowed the robbers to get to the stairwell before telling colleagues the shop was clear of customers.

He left with a second guard as Mr Simpson cashed up.

The robbers hid in the staircase for almost an hour, their shadowy movements caught on camera, while Mr Simpson emptied all the tills on both floors.

Devastated: Jamie Simpson's mother Lorna and his sisters (left to right) Helen, Vanessa and Claire-Marie

As he exited the cash office shortly before 8pm, carrying only a set of keys, Essel left his hiding place and approached him on the shop floor.

The store’s cameras captured the six-second confrontation during which 19-stone Mr Simpson was stabbed three times in the back and neck and left for dead as the robbers fled empty handed through a fire escape.

Essel said Jumah had told him to bring his ‘ting’ for the robbery, so he armed himself with a 10in kitchen knife, which he later discarded and has never been found.

Mr Simpson, clutching his neck, tried to raise the alarm with shop assistants who were working nearby.

Staff desperately grabbed clothes and towels from shop rails and attempted to staunch the bleeding.

Police and ambulances arrived just after 8pm, shortly before a doctor in an air ambulance helicopter, but Mr Simpson’s life could not be saved.

This image shows three of the gang during the raid which killed Mr Simpson. As the robbers wore hooded tops they could not be identified by witnesses or CCTV

The wound to his neck had cut through the jugular and the carotid artery.

Mr Simpson, originally from Derby, was only on duty having swapped his shift with colleague Rachel Ryan the day before.

Maina was arrested almost a year later after his prints were found in a vehicle used to car-jack the Ford Fiesta used for the gang’s getaway.

After extensive investigations in to mobile phone records and movements, CCTV and the use of cars, police were able to round up to Matalan gang members.

Hidden in a shed in Essel’s garden officers found his white hooded top and a JD sports bag that was spattered with Mr Simpson’s blood.

Following their arrests several of the gang claimed they were not aware that a knife was being carried or would be used.

Jumah, of East London; Williams, of North London; Owusu, of East London; Maina, of East London; Chambers, of East London; and Essel and Randy Osei-Owusu, from East London; all denied murder.

Williams, Chambers and Owusu also denied conspiracy to rob between December 1 2007 and March 23 2008, but were convicted.

Jumah, Essel, Maina and the teenager admitted the charge.

Jamie Simpsons parents, Lorna, 54, and Lambert, 57, wept as footage of what the prosecution called a ‘tragically one-sided encounter’ was shown in court.

Mrs Simpson later described the experience as ‘tremendously difficult’ – and said those responsible for her son’s death were ’scum’.

Mrs Simpson described the killing of her son as a ’sickening betrayal’.

Recalling the moment she was given the news, said: ‘It was like my world came to an end.’

She added: ‘He was my friend as well as my son. I couldn’t have asked for a better son. From when he was little he’s been my little buddy.’

The victim’s parents spoke of their belief that many young people had become desensitised to violence and saw life as like a ‘video game’.

Mr Simpson said: ‘Teenagers today play that much games, they look upon life as a joke. They expect when they kill someone they are going to get back up again.’

Claire Simpson, the victim’s 22-year-old sister, said in a statement that his death was like losing a ‘vital organ’.

She added: ‘What’s the point in living when there are people like this in this world that just don’t care what consequences their actions have, and behave in such a way that makes you question what kind of society is this?

‘Is there even a thread of common decency any more?’

‘Entirely needless’ killing of gang member’s first victim

Double killer Anthony Maina’s first victim was a popular and kind-hearted teenager whose death tore his family apart.

Maina stabbed 17-year-old Rizwan Darbar in the stomach during a mobile phone robbery in October 2007 in West Ham Park, east London.

The A-level student had been sitting in the flower garden of the park listening to music on the phone with two friends when he was attacked.

Maina was jailed for life with a minimum term of 14 years at the Old Bailey for the murder which Judge Timothy Pontius described as ‘an entirely needless and wholly unjustifiable tragedy’.

Aftermath: Police forensic experts arrive at West Ham Park to gather evidence following the murder of Rizwan Darbar in October 2007

Rizwan’s brother Tausif Darbar said in a statement read in court: ‘My family’s world was turned upside down.’

Detective Inspector Simon Pickford said: ‘Rizwan was a young man with everything to live for.’

The court heard that Maina’s friend Kirkland Gayle had snatched a phone from a friend of the victim, then urged the knifeman to ‘poke’ Rizwan so he would not have to give it back.

Alan Kent QC, prosecuting, said he did so, ‘jabbing the knife at fast speed into the stomach area of Rizwan Darbar’.

Rizwan told his friends ‘I have just been duked’ as the attackers ran off.

Gayle was jailed for eight years after he was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter and robbery.

Rizwan was preparing for A-levels when he was killed. He wanted to study accountancy and get a job in the City, and was a volunteer for events held in his area to promote the 2012 Olympics.

His brother said: ‘Rizwan was your average teenager – he loved his friends, football and music. He was extremely popular among both family and friends due to his great humorous personality.

‘He was kind-hearted, generous and gave everybody the time of day. He was very obedient and respected and loved his family and friends tremendously.

‘His death came as an immense shock as only a few hours earlier he was sitting at home with his family.

‘The news of his death brought pain which no one should never have to suffer. The screams and my parents’ faces that night still haunt me today.

‘The loss of Rizwan was more painful with the knowledge that someone had taken his precious, promising young life due to their selfish actions.

‘By their violent actions, they have torn our family apart.’

-The Daily Mail

His Excellency Peter N.R.O Ogego

East Africa Chamber of Commerce Official Launch
GUEST OF HONOR: Ambassador of Kenya H.E. Peter Ogego
VENUE: NAI SPORTS BAR & GRILL, 15375 ADDISON RD. ADDISON, TX 75001
214-363-2900
DATE: February 27th 2010
TIME: 3 00PM – 5 00PM

East Africa Chamber of Commerce (EACC) was founded in 2009 with the broad
vision to advance social and economic relationship of government and
businesses between East Africa and the United States. This year, the
Chamber will mark the milestone of an official launch. To this end, we are
honored to have the support and presence of the Kenyan ambassador to
officiate the launch.

We cordially welcome all business minded Citizens from the East Africa
member States and their American counterparts to this auspicious occasion.
Come and discover the value of being associated with a vibrant business
organization that will better position your prospects between the two
regions. Kindly forward this invitation to all who may be interested.

No reservations required, however, we ask for punctuality.
Charles Mulisa
Board Secretary
EAST AFRICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

A GLIMMER of hope has emerged in the visa battle facing a Kenyan couple fighting to bring their young sons to Angus.

With the clock ticking down on a 28-day appeal deadline, UK Border Agency officials have told Joseph and Christabel Lumbasi they will re-examine the case of the couple whose dream of a family life together in Forfar has been dashed following the refusal of visas for their boys.

The pledge comes amidst a growing support for the couple, both on-line and from individuals including a Fife woman who Joseph came to call his “international mother” when he first arrived in Scotland three years ago to study at St Andrews University.

Last week, the Lumbasis had to break their promise to Lance (6) and Leslie (4) that they would be bringing them home to Restenneth Drive in Forfar when immigration officials refused to sign the required documentation because of a dispute over bank account levels which are part of the residency requirements.

Angus MP Mike Weir has taken on the couple’s case and is pursuing the authorities in a bid to resolve what he had described as a “ludicrous” situation.

The Border Agency stance has also been condemned by local councillors who say the young couple are hard-working and an “asset” to the area.

Yesterday, Phil Taylor, the regional director of the UK Border Agency in Scotland and Northern Ireland, said an issue with the Lumbasis application concerned the documents which were presented in support of their case.

“The rules for those applying for visas for family members are clear and apply to everyone fairly,” Mr Taylor said.

“In this case, there were a number of issues with the applications, along with problems with the documents supplied by the family, which were photocopies and not originals.

“We are happy to look again at any application where the correct documents are subsequently supplied to us.”

Joseph’s former housemother at the Gannochy Halls in St Andrews said she was “outraged” at the situation facing her friend.

“I could not believe it when I read what had happened to such a gentle man,” said Glenda Clarke, from Fife.

“I know he would have worked his socks off to get the money to bring his family here—that is all he lived for.

“When students arrive here from abroad, no matter how old they are, you need a friendly face and a friendly voice if you are far away from home and that is what I tried to give Joseph.

“He managed to get himself a job, he did anything he could to get extra money for his wife and family and even at Christmas he could not afford to go home.”

She added, “He is a good man, very quiet by nature and I was just so shocked to learn about this situation.

“Good people come here and they want to work here because they like Scotland and the Scottish people but it seems the Border Agency pursue the wrong people too often and I know this will not be nice time for Joseph.”

-The Courier-UK

By Jessica Bell

A SALE father’s death was a “tragic accident”, an inquest heard.

Simon Ayoo, 46, a dentist with practices in Dublin and St Helens, was found dead in his Sale flat on Holmefield in February 2008.

Coroner John Pollard recorded a verdict of accidental death after the inquest at Stockport Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, February 16th heard that Mr Ayoo had died from positional asphyxia with alcohol intoxication.

The inquest heard how the newly-divorced father-of-two had been drinking heavily before his death on Saturday February, 22nd, at a friend’s house before getting a taxi to the centre of Manchester.

When he returned home it is believed that he fell down the stairs leading into his basement flat, where he was found by police on Tuesday, February 25th.

The exact time of death is unknown.

A toxicology examination revealed that Mr Ayoo was between three and four times over the legal limit for driving when he died.

Mr Ayoo was born in Eldoret, Kenya in 1962, and studied at Nairobi University before moving to the UK in 1995.

Friends and family described him as an intelligent, confident and sociable person who was in good health.

He had two children, Arnold and Nicola, with his wife Dr Margaret Maloba, but the pair separated 18 months before his death and were divorced on January 18th, 2008.

Dr Maloba, from Timperley, said My Ayoo’s life had started “spiralling out of control” after he left the family home and that he had begun drinking heavily, been convicted of drink driving and become involved in several relationships.

“He was living a life surrounded by alcohol,” she said.

But his girlfriend Juliet Bennett and sister Adah Ayoo both said Mr Ayoo did not drink to excess.

Detective Sergeant Frank Hayley, from Greater Manchester Police, said: “Mr Ayoo met his death as a result of a tragic accident.”

-The Messenger Newspapers-UK

By Graham Brown

THE CASE of a Kenyan couple whose dream of a new family life in Angus has been shattered by a visa wrangle has sparked a vociferous campaign against the “ridiculous” situation.

Joseph Lumbasi and his wife Christabel (pictured) were forced to leave their two young sons in their homeland last week after the boys’ departure from Africa was blocked by immigration officials.

The couple had returned to Kenya to bring Lance (6) and Leslie (4) to their new home in Forfar after building up what they believed were sufficient funds to meet UK Border Agency requirements.

Joseph (36), who studied at St Andrews University and has been working as a development officer with Dundee-based abuse support charity Izzy’s Promise since 2007, believed they needed to prove they had around £1800 in their bank account, but officials said the figure was £4000.

The devastating blow meant they had to sneak away in the dead of night to avoid upsetting the youngsters, who are living with Christabel’s mother in the west of Kenya.

Now back in Forfar, the family’s plight has sparked widespread support, and a pledge from Angus MP Mike Weir to pursue their case to a successful and happy conclusion.

Mr Weir was contacted by Joseph’s employer after the heartbreaking situation emerged and has pressed the UK Border Agency for answers.

“Despite numerous approaches we are still awaiting a response from the UK Border Agency on this,” he said.

“It is a ridiculous situation that these parents, who are working hard in the community, are being denied a proper family life here because of this scenario.”

Angus SNP councillor Donald Morrison, who has also been pressing the couple’s case, said, “It seems once again that the authorities have failed to look at this on an individual case basis.

“It seems ludicrous that they are being denied a proper family life here.”

Forfar councillor Bill Middleton met the couple yesterday and said, “This is a dreadful situation and I just hope it can be resolved as soon as possible.

“They strike me as a decent, hard-working couple who would be an asset to the community, and it seems unfair that they are being treated this way.”

Fellow town member Colin Brown added, “It is incredible that two hard-working people who have been determined to build a new life here are being denied the right to have their family with them.

“To hear that they had to sneak away in the middle of the night because of the upset they knew the situation would cause the boys is very distressing, and any parent will realise how difficult that must have been.”

Source: The Courier-UK