Why choose The Anchor?

Opening New Frontiers
in Kenya's Journalism
Now you can read about the issues that define life in Lower Eastern Province- the area covered by the three Counties of Kitui, Makueni and Machakos.
The Anchor- with the tagline: Journalism of the Future, is designed to bring to the fore the issues that are never covered by the daily media, yet they inform the lifestyles of area residents on daily basis.

It is born out of the realization that the Daily media is too big for Kenya's rural enclaves. The big media remain entangled with the national agenda while the enclaves are thirsty about information that touches their daily lives like water, electricity, security and education concerns, among others.

It does not matter who you are... as long as you live within The Anchor's target area... the paper touches your life and is worth your while. It leaves you more knowledgeable than those who do not read it!
The paper aspires to go beyond the traditional roles of the media of informing, educating and entertaining. It inspires, analyzes issues and arouses citizens to take their rightful places in the governance processes.

This is key to the vision of Kenya's new Constitution.


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Youth in Sports: The Anchor, August 2011

Ngaakaa Youth Centre

makes Kenya Proud

By Daniel Kituku 

in Makueni County

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It is a little known institution, yet it has done this country proud. Ngaakaa Youth Talent Centre has left Kenyans wondering and praising as  its products emerged winners in the just ended   Special World Olympic  Games held at Athens, Greece with the centre pocketing two gold and  one silver medal.

Local Authorities: The Anchor August 2011

New faces at the helm of 
Region's Local Authorities

New faces in Machakos councils as Kitui and Mwingi retain theirs.

HEADS rolled in Local Authorities elections in Ukambani as civic leaders held the last elections under the old Constitution where councillors run councils.New leaders were elected in Machakos Municipal Council, Masaku County Council, Makueni Town Council and Mtito Andei Town Council while Kitui County and Municipal Councils, Mavoko Municipality and Kangundo as well as Mwingi retained the old order.

Malili City: So who stole from farmers? The Anchor Agust 2011

Revealed:Police Charged the wrong people

So who stole 

farmers' millions?

By Martin Masai

Mr Kilonzo(L) and Mr Kanyi during the trial.

The Anchor told you. What seemed like a criminal case against two directors of Malili Ranch was just a ploy to have thieves steal from Malili farmers.Now Nairobi Chief Magistrate Gilbert Mutembei has confirmed just that and set the two directors- Peter Mutua Kanyi and Julius Kilonzo free. It now turns out that the money they were accused of stealing was the cumulative figure of the amounts they received after the sale of plots they bought from farmers and sold to the government, making handsome profits in the process.

Main Story: Priest shot to kill

Fr Makewa: Graphics by The Anchor

Main Story

CID chief tells Court:

Priest Shot to Kill

By Martin Masai

DETAILS are emerging of a chronology of lies told by suspended Fr. John Wambua Makewa  that gangsters raided his Parish residence and shot a visiting Priest.

The Anchor: Editorial Comment: The Anchor August 2011

The Anchor: Editorial Comment: The Anchor August 2011: "Editorial This thievery must be brought to a halt THE emerging facts about Malili Ranching now require that a fresh attention be create..."

The Anchor: Editorial Comment: The Anchor August 2011

The Anchor: Editorial Comment: The Anchor August 2011

Editorial Comment: The Anchor August 2011

Editorial

This thievery must

 be brought to a halt

THE emerging facts about Malili Ranching now require that a fresh attention be created on the circumstances that followed after the State set aside Sh 1billion to buy 5,000 acres of land of the ranch to construct an ICT City known as The Malili Technopolis.

Towards open Government The Anchor June-July 2011

EDITORIAL
Hasten strides towards

an open government

Over the years citizens of the Republic of Kenya have hoped to benefit from the range of taxes they pay to the State, yet these hopes have been dashed.

SEUCO in Machakos The Anchor June-July 2011

South Eastern University College

 heralds a new dawn for Ukambani

South Eastern University College (SEUCO), a Public University College and the first to set foot in Ukambani is a successor to Ukamba Agricultural Institute (UKAI). UKAI started in the 1970s as one of the institutes established to harness the country’s skilled and semi-skilled human labour into productive development.

Konza Ranch's quest for sub-division. The Anchor June-July 2011

Why farmers want

to split Konza Ranch

The following is an abridged version of a presentation by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Konza Ranch Mr David Mutangili during a public hearing of the National Environment Management Authority(NEMA) on the pro-posed sub-division of the ranch to its owners

The Anchor June-July 2011

Alarm over  rising sexual

assault cases in Mwala

 Mwala district commissioner Ms Florence Amoit has expressed concern over increasing cases of child defilement and rape in the district. Citing official records, she said incidents of child defilement and rape had attained a worrying trend and vowed to ensure the culprits do not escape justice.

The Anchor June-July 2010

ACCOUNTABILITY

Pressure mounts on VP to account

for his long tenure in Parliament

TENSION is rising in Kitui County as Water and Irrigation Minister Charity exerts political pressure on Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka to account for his long tenure as MP and member of Cabinet.

The Anchor June- July- Main Story

America’s ultimatum to MP is…

A noose for Mwau

John Harun Mwau: Denies he's Kingpin

JOHN Harun Mwau  has a fully fledged war ahead of him. The Kilome Member of Parliament and aspiring Senator of Makueni county may well kiss away any aspirations he has in politics as long as the tag of a global drug kingpin hangs around his bushy neck.

Relief Food: The Anchor May- June 2011

Relief food delivered

to the hungry in Mwala

The government has delivered 700 bags of relief maize and 200 of beans for distribution to families most affected by food shortage in Mwala district.

Unrest soars at Kabaa High School:The Anchor May- June 2011

Unrest soars at Kabaa school

UNREST at Kabaa High School seems un-ending after six boys were taken into police custody over arson charges. They were arrested by the other students and handed over to the police at Kithimani police station.

Kitui residents enjoy free medical service: The Anchor May- June 201

Thousands enjoy free medical

 services in Kitui County

About 3,000 patient have benefited from a free medical camp organised at  the Kauwi Primary School in Kitui West District within the Kitui County by the Lions Club of Chania Falls Thika.

Special Post: Truth about Ngelani Ranch Primary School

Search this: Truth about Ngelani Ranch Primary School and see how serving officials stole your taxes....

Special Post. Theft of Free Education Funds in Machakos

The Anchor, February 2010

Feb 17, 2010

Old buildings will last longer than newly constructed ones due to shoddy workmanship and theft of funds. Some do not match the amount of money allegedly spent to put them up∫, said Mr Kinyua.Mr Hussein ordered education officials to ensure that the ... FOR one year now, The Anchor has been awash with stories on scenes the local education sector. Our approach has been broad; that education is not just the classroom setting where a teacher stands in front of the pupils. ...

Accountability Fears in Makueni The Anchor May- June 2011

Accountability fears as relief
food supplies resume in Makueni

 By Daniel Kituku

Government resumes relief food supply to over 24,000 starving residents in Makueni district after withdrawal of the food early this year over allegations of  abuse of the food by area  provincial administration.

 Makueni district commissioner Mr. Ochilo Oyugi confirmed  receiving this month’s food ration of 1000 bags of maize, 280 bags of beans and 252 carton of cooking oil for the hunger stricken families.

Chairing a stormy District Steering Group [DSG] committee meeting in his board-room, the DC denied that his office had abused the food prompting to cut off the food supply by the government in February this year.

 However Mr. Oyugi did not disclose the reason for the withdraw of the food “I received communication of the food cancellation from manager of National Cereal and Produce Board [NCPB] Wote de-pot and I have since then been following up the matter for resumption of the food” the DC told DSG meeting.

 The cancellation of the food was not communicated to DSG committee since no meeting has been held since February this year. “I could not convene the DSG meeting since there was no food and I only convene meetings when there is agenda” the DC said.

His remarks stunned those attending the meeting as one o it’s roles is to assess the food situation in the district and advise the government accordingly.  His assertion, wrong as it may be, is indeed a confirmation that the DSG may be headed in the wrong direction.

 He went on to offer a bizarre explanation to a starving community: “Properly the food supply might have been cut off at the arrival of March-May rain season in march” the DC told the meeting as the members demanded explanation over the food cancellation.

“It is hardly imaginable that the commencement of rains can be an answer to the urgent need for food for Makueni people and there is need to have an explanation why Makueni went without food rations even as residents face famine”, said nominated Councillor Peter Mwanthi from Kalawa, whose area is usually facing a food deficit.

 The meeting questioned why some bags were under weight forcing civic leaders to return the bags weighing up to 50kg in-stead of 90kg to NCPB depot, an indication that some powerful thieving hands are defining the supply chain.

 The manager NCPB Wote depot Mr. Peter Njeru confirmed of an incident where he replaced the underweight bags after Wote Town Ward Councillor Joseph Musau returned the bags.

 The committee at the same time demanded that secondary school account for the relief food allocated to them in January this year in terms of food for fees as bursary to poor and needy students in respective schools. The area district Education Officer Mr. John Ndundu was asked to give a report back over the same in next DSG meeting.

 The committee members expressed concern over lack of accountability of the food allocated to needy schools re-questing reduction of ration allocated to schools and increase of the food supply to members of public. If is feared that corrupt administration officials are conniving with Principals to channel relief food in fees deals and follow up to get money in lieu.

 Mr. Ochilo refuted reports appearing in one of daily papers last, week alleging the he was allocating the food without consulting DSG. However he did not respond to allegation of taking Sh 10,000 from secondary school principals in exchange of food allocated to them as claimed in the daily paper.

 ”I allocate the food to schools after I get list of needy schools from the district education office and then communicate to principals to pick their allocations” the DC told the DSG. He did not indicate what criteria the DEO uses to identify food needy schools as that ability is clearly out of an education officer’s competence.

 The District Education Officer told the meeting that no follow up is made by his office after the food is issued to the schools to quantify the food into fees for bursary to poor and needy students- indicating that there exists a great opportunity for abuse of the process