Ukraine conflict: Russia accuses US of 'smear campaign'

Fighting in eastern Ukraine is ongoing and the West accuses Russia of aiding the separatist rebels there

Russia has accused the US of launching a "smear campaign" over its alleged involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.

The foreign ministry in Moscow said on Friday it rejects "unfounded public insinuations" from the US government.

But the Pentagon says it believes the movement of Russian heavy-calibre artillery systems across the border into Ukraine is "imminent."

The row comes as more bodies of victims from flight MH17, which crashed in Ukraine, arrived in the Netherlands.

Separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine have been accused of shooting down the Malaysia Airlines plane.

The US says it believes rebels shot down the passenger jet with a Russian-provided SA-11 Buk surface-to-air missile, probably by mistake.

Russia has frequently denied sending heavy weapons into Ukraine but rebel leaders have given conflicting accounts of whether they had control of a Buk launcher at the time the plane was downed.

The US has toughened its rhetoric towards Russia since flight MH17 was downed in eastern Ukraine

'Anti-Russian cliches'

The Pentagon said on Friday that it had evidence to suggest Russia is preparing to transfer more rocket launcher systems to the rebels.

"We have indications that the Russians intend to supply heavier and more sophisticated multiple-launch rocket systems in the very near future," Col Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said on Friday.

On Thursday, a US state department spokesperson said there was also evidence Russian troops were firing on Ukrainian soldiers from within Russia.

But in a statement, Russia's foreign ministry said the US was pushing "anti-Russian cliches" to protect their allies in Kiev by obscuring the "real reasons for events in Ukraine".

The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Moscow says that amid all the accusations of war-mongering, it seems Russia is keen to stress that so far, it has actually shown restraint.

Rebels remain in control of the crash site although Dutch and Australian forces may be sent to the area

Meanwhile, the EU has formally announced that it is strengthening sanctions against Russia, adding "15 further persons and 18 entities" to an asset freeze and a visa ban.

A statement released on Friday said that those targeted are "responsible for action against Ukraine's territorial integrity".

The fighting in eastern Ukraine erupted in April and is believed to have claimed more than 1,000 lives.

On Friday, the Ukrainian army said its troops had come under artillery fire from the Russian side of the border overnight and were attacked by rebels in several areas in the east.

The US has repeatedly accused Russia of fuelling separatist sentiment in eastern Ukraine and has toughened its rhetoric since flight MH17 was downed.

'Spy or a big one?'

Ukraine officials published the latest in a series of audio recordings on Friday that appears to be a conversation between rebels, minutes before MH17 crashed.

In the recording, which has not been independently verified, a rebel tells a commander that a "bird had flown" in his direction.

When the commander asks if it was a "spy or a big one?" the rebel says that he cannot tell because it is flying too high.

About 75 more bodies arrived at Eindhoven on Friday as forensic experts continue trying to identify remains

All 298 people on board the flight died in the crash on 17 July, including 193 Dutch citizens, 43 Malaysians and 27 Australians.

About 200 bodies were recovered from the crash site in eastern Ukraine and are being flown to the Netherlands, where forensic experts are working on identifying them.

The Dutch and Australian foreign ministers are negotiating with Ukrainian officials in Kiev to send police to the crash site, which is controlled by the rebels.

They hope that such a deployment would allow experts, who have faced difficulties gaining access to the site, to proceed with the investigation amid continuing fighting in the region.

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Governors push for biotechnology to raise food yields

A number of Western Kenya governors are pushing for use of biotechnology and production of drought-resistant crops to boost food security.

Speaking at a forum on biotechnology at Imperial Hotel in Kisumu recently, governors from five counties in Nyanza blamed poor farming practices as well as low investment in agricultural technology for food shortage.

Kisumu governor Jack Ranguma said that additional tractors would be made available for farmers to hire because the 23 that had been released early this year are inadequate. Farmers hire the tractors at Sh1,500 for an acre.

Mr Ranguma said they would procure additional farm machinery to increase land under agriculture from the current 3,000 acres, adding that the county was alarmed by persistent food shortage despite the immense agricultural potential of the region.

The governor, who is also the chair of the bio-technology committee in the Council of Governors, noted that counties are key in campaigns to improve farming systems and boost production.

“Food supply is low in the region with a heavy reliance on supplies from outside western Kenya, which are expensive.”

He said that the lessons learnt and gains made from a pilot sorghum farming project in Nyando constituency would be replicated in Kisumu where traditional crop farming methods have posted dismal results.

“We turned a number of rice fields into sorghum farms following realisation that challenges in rice trade were insurmountable,” said Mr Ranguma. “At the same time, we are vouching for the introduction of rice varieties that don’t need irrigation.”

Migori governor Zachary Obado blamed reliance on sugarcane in the county for the food scarcity experienced by residents.

He described as “misleading” the perception that sugarcane farming had higher returns, adding that farmers would have to start planting other crops.

“With the unending crisis in the sugar sector, we direct all farmers to secure a portion of their land for production of food,” he said without clarifying how the directive would be enforced.

His counterpart in Siaya, Mr Cornel Rasanga also blamed poor farming systems for food insecurity in the region.

READ: Modern farming, premium varieties increase fruit earnings to Sh49 billion

In his mid-term plan for the county, Mr Rasanga said that more than 120 acres of land would be set aside as a pilot project for farmers to learn best practices in food production.

He said that the pilot project would complement use of tractors, which were introduced to replace oxen for farm preparation.

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Obama: Migrant youths without claims will be sent home

US

President Barack Obama has told Central American leaders that migrant children flooding into the US without legitimate legal claims will be sent home.

The presidents of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador met Mr Obama at the White House on Friday to discuss the crisis at the US southern border.

More than 50,000 children, many unaccompanied, have been detained at the border since October.

Mr Obama said they must deter more children from attempting the journey.

"All of us recognise that we have a shared responsibility to address this problem," Mr Obama told reporters at the White House on Friday, flanked by Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez and El Salvador President Salvador Sanchez Ceren.

"The only thing he said was that he was scared" - Rajini Vaidyanathan reports on America's illegal child migrants

He praised his Central American counterparts for their ongoing efforts within their own nations to deter children from travelling illegally to the US, but said more work must be done to combat the "significant challenge" and alleviate the conditions that move parents to send them on the perilous trip.

"We have to deter a continuing influx of children putting themselves at great risk," he said. But he said, "Children who do not have proper claims and families with children who do not have proper claims at some point will be subject to repatriation to their home countries."

The migrants - mostly from Central America - have been driven north by a spike in gang violence in their home countries, by extreme poverty, and amid incorrect rumours children will be allowed to stay if they make it across the border.

Also at issue is a 2008 US law that grants unaccompanied children from countries that do not border the US an automatic asylum hearing, thereby preventing their immediate removal from the country.

In his remarks, Mr Obama called on Republicans in Congress to postpone their upcoming August recess until they can approve legislation increasing funding to ease the crisis.

Earlier this month, his administration requested $3.7bn (£2.2bn) in emergency funds for tighter border security, care for the children, detention and removal programmes, and immigration courts.

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Shilling slightly stronger against dollar, markets unchanged

At the 1300 GMT close of trade, commercial banks posted the shilling at 87.65/75, compared to 87.80/90 the previous day. One currency trader attributed the move to a liquidity squeeze in the money markets due to a delay in the release of government funds to local authorities.

The weighted average interest rate on the overnight borrowing market for banks rose to 7.8038 per cent on Thursday from 7.6651 per cent the previous day. Tighter liquidity in the money markets usually makes it slightly more expensive for banks to fund long dollar positions, cushioning the shilling.

Traders said the shilling could come under pressure next week when the government releases funds combined with the traditional end-month demand for dollars by importers.

"We might see liquidity improve next week," said a trader with a leading commercial bank.

The shilling has been stuck in a tight band of 87.50-88.00 for weeks, with worries over militant attacks limiting its gains. The central bank has also signalled it does not wish to see it slip below the 88.00 level.

On the stock market, the benchmark NSE-20 share index, was barely changed, shedding a modest 4.67 points to close at 4,879.09 points.

"It has been treading water," said Aly Khan Satchu, an independent trader and analyst, adding that investors were still waiting for interest rates to fall after the country issued its debut Eurobond last month before shifting out of cash.

Kenya borrowed $2 billion (about Sh175 billion) via the Eurobond issue at lower than expected interest rates but that has yet to trickle into the domestic market, where lending rates remain obstinately high.

Shares of Safaricom, Kenya's largest telecoms operator, rose 1.67 per cent to 12.20 shillings each after a parliamentary committee approved the award of a key security system contract by the government to the firm.

In the debt market, bonds worth Sh2.79 billion were traded, slightly up from the previous day's volume of Sh2.66 billion.

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Mombasa commissioner blames Likoni attacks on opposition party

"We have credible information that ODM youths are involved," Marwa said according to Kenya's Capital FM. "It does not mean that the top leaders are involved. These are youths who are being given money, and we have evidence towards that effect, where we have youths from a particular community being hired to kill people of their own community."

Marwa said the youth were paid up to 3,000 shillings ($34) to incite the public and turn citizens against the government, Kenya's The Star reported. He did not specify who was paying the youth, but said the search was narrowed down to two powerful individuals in the county.
"They should not use incitement so that they cause insecurity everywhere to that the government becomes unpopular and then their referendum gets support," Marwa told reporters at the provincial headquarters after a meeting with religious leaders and community elders.
Police also uncovered plans by the same operatives to cause religious conflicts, he said, involving youths attacking mosques in Mombasa, with the blame put on Christians, so as to prompt retaliatory attacks.
Marwa's claims follow a security sweep in Likoni on Thursday in which dozens of terror suspects were arrested after Kenya Defence Forces were called in to detonate a grenade. The county is on high alert after hooded gunmen killed four people in the Soweto neighbourhood last Sunday.

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AMISOM captures al-Shabaab camp, kills senior commanders

The camp, located in the village of Khadija Haji, 60 kilometres southwest of Bula Hawo along the Kenya-Somalia border, was a strategic base used by al-Shabaab to plan attacks on AMISOM and the Somali National Army (SNA), AMISOM said in a press statement.

Witnesses also reported that fighter jets struck the town of Jilib in Somalia's Middle Juba region. AMISOM confirmed it carried out an offensive operation there and destroyed an al-Shabaab logistical base, injuring several militants.
The gains come a week after the SNA and AMISOM killed two senior al-Shabaab commanders in Inimeey village near Bulo Burde.
"Last week two senior al-Shabaab commanders, Issa Mohamed Dhoore, the liaison officer with foreign elements and translator of Hiran region and a close confidant of the group's leader Ahmed Abdi Godane, was killed together with Sharif Ameey, also a top leader, during an operation by AMISOM and SNA forces," AMISOM said.

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A darling of the world, Rudisha is Kenya’s genuine global superstar

World 800m record holder David Rudisha during a past competition.

Kenya has produced an endless chain of Olympic and world champions over the last few decades but few of these have gone on to become household names and genuine global superstars.

David Rudisha could well be that rare exception.

Take a look at all the previews of the Commonwealth Games which began on Wednesday night in Glasgow and you will struggle to escape the name Rudisha in any of the stories.

When it was announced that the British home favourite, double 5,000m and 10,000m Olympic champion Mo Farah would not compete in the games, the BBC offered this consolation to readers: “In the athletics arena alone, these Glasgow Games can still look forward to the stellar talents of David Rudisha, the Olympic 800m champion and world record-holder, Kirani James, Olympic champion over 400m, and Olympic 100m hurdles gold medallist Sally Pearson.”

In its preview, the Guardian noted that one of the star attractions of the championship would be the young man from Kilgoris.

ONE-HOUR DOCUMENTARY

“Usain Bolt, Sir Bradley Wiggins (a British cyclist) and David Rudisha are among the stellar names that will grace stadiums and screens in the coming days. Other heroes will emerge while hearts will also be broken and dreams ended in Glasgow, a fitting stage for feats of bravura that will live long in the memory for those lucky enough to witness them.”

To use a football example which most Kenyan sports fans can relate to, when it comes to athletics, Rudisha and Bolt are the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldos of the game.

The BBC broadcast a one-hour documentary chronicling Rudisha’s life on Tuesday night which Kenyan TV sports editors should really seek to bring to the domestic audience.

It was named 100 seconds to beat the world: The David Rudisha story after the athlete’s performance in winning the 800m title at the London Olympics and smashing his own world record in what the legendary British athlete Seb Coe has described as possibly the greatest Olympic performance of all time.

Rudisha ran from the front and dragged the whole field with him as he galloped alone racing only against the clock. It was such a fast race that the man who finished last would have been Olympic champion in the last three editions of the games.

The peculiar thing about the Rudisha story is that someone noticed the shy young man was special when he showed up at Brother Colm O’Connell’s training camp at St. Patrick’s Iten and began to film his training regime right from the age of 16.

So we see images of Rudisha putting up as a teenager in the dormitories there, sipping white chai and bread and taking off on morning runs under the watchful eye of Bro. O’Connell and another 800 metre great, Japhet Kimutai.

“I knew something great would come out of Rudisha. He was raw but in him we immediately began to see that we had in our hands the next 800m superstar in the mould of Billy Konchellah and Wilson Kipketer.”

Rudisha’s father, Daniel, won the silver medal at the 1968 Olympics as part of Kenya’s 4 x 400m relay team and it was the younger Rudisha’s ambition right from a young age to add to the family’s medal collection.

He began practicing in Kilgoris running barefoot but realised he needed to have some support structure around him and travelled all the way to Iten on his own after hearing of Bro. O’Connell’s training camp.

The images of kids sleeping in double decker beds in spare and simple rooms will be familiar to many Kenyans and the cameras track Rudisha’s journey from a shy youth who did not really believe in his abilities to the increasingly confident athlete who became world youth champion.

A focus of the documentary is on his relationship with Bro. O’Connell, the Irish missionary who has presided over the training of a succession of Olympic champions and who believed in Rudisha’s potential from the start.

After every term, Bro. O’Connell would write to the parents of some of his charges and a letter he wrote to Daniel Rudisha dated April 27, 2005 thanked the elder Rudisha for releasing the athlete to Iten and summarised his view of the athlete: “He can be successful and we will continue to support him but you need to support him, too.”

In an interview, Rudisha’s father said that his son’s performances were a source of pride not least because his friends now know he was not lying when he told them he, too, was a successful athlete. “Wanaona kweli mzee hakuwa muongo wakati alisema alikuwa anakimbia.” (They can now see I was speaking the truth when I said I was a runner)

The most important part of the Rudisha story was the way he recovered from adversity. He was shattered when he failed to make the team to the Beijing Olympics due to injury.

Then in the 2009 World Athletics Championships, he suffered his most important defeat when he failed to make it to the final of the championship after leaving his kick to the last minute. That’s when he made his big decision to run from the front in all his races, just like the legendary Henry Rono and John Ngugi, who were both famed for not relying on pace makers.

On the track, at 8pm on August 9 2012, in London, his strategy brought him worldwide fame when he led from start to finish, tearing the field apart and smashing the world record in thrilling style.

It is a risky strategy and in the Commonwealth Games he will be up against several young stars including Botswana’s Nijel Amos, 20, who have learnt to trail Rudisha and then kick in the last 200m.

Whatever happens at the championships, Kenya can pride itself in having produced a genuine global superstar and Rudisha should serve as a model to encourage the creation of a national academy system to nurture talent, rather than just relying on them to spring up from nowhere as Kenya always has.        

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