UEFA Suspends defender Sergio Ramos for gross misconduct

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has been given a two-game suspension by UEFA for “clearly receiving a yellow card on purpose” in their Champions League win at Ajax.

Captain Ramos was booked in the 89th minute of Madrid’s 2-1 first leg last-16 victory in Amsterdam for a foul on Kasper Dolberg, which meant he would therefore miss the second leg at the Bernabeu.

But if the holders progress past Ajax, the 32-year-old will now miss the first leg of the quarter-finals following UEFA’s decision to give him a two-match ban, which includes the automatic one-match suspension for repeated yellow cards.

UEFA believe Ramos (right) was booked “on purpose” for his foul on Ajax’s Kasper Dolberg

Speaking immediately after the first leg, Ramos was quoted as saying he “would be lying” if he denied deliberately earning the booking.

Ramos, however, later used social media to stress it had not been intentional to collect a caution, and he was instead purposefully giving away a free-kick to prevent an Ajax equaliser.

Ramos had also given an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca to once more deny any wrongdoing.

Ramos has played in five of Real Madrid’s seven Champions League games this season
“I’m very surprised about all this. I was referring to forcing the foul, a foul that was inevitable. Not to forcing the booking,” the Spaniard said.

Asked if he knew the foul was likely to lead to a yellow card and a ban, he added: “Yes, but I had no choice.

“It was a very dangerous counter-attack in the 88th minute, with an open match and the tie as well.

Ramos has a club-record 25 red cards across all competitions for Real Madrid
“That’s why I said that I would lie if I said I did not know that I was carrying a penalty, just as I knew that I had no other choice than to make a mistake. And that’s what I meant when I said that in football you have to make complicated decisions.”

Ramos added: “If I had wanted to force a penalty, I could have done it in the group stage, in the match against Roma because we were already classified as first of groups and the last game, against CSKA, was inconsequential. By the way, a match in which I did not play.”

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Witchcraft leaves 6 dead in Obado’s Migori county

Six people are dead following a witchcraft related incident in Nyang’ao village in Rongo, Migori county.

This is after villagers torched houses at a homestead they linked to having bewitched one Joel Awuonda in a revenge attack.

According to Rongo Police boss Kibet Kirui four family members escaped the ordeal and are nursing serious burn wounds ar Migori Referral Hospital.

Trouble started when Joel Awuonda was attacked by one Omondi with a panga following a protracted family squabble.

Omondi was jailed for 12 years by Rongo Magistrate Court in December last year.

Awuonda was then verbally warned of serious consequences by Elijah Dwallo for leading to the jailing of his son.

The allegedly bewitched Awuonda began falling ill yesterday prompting villagers to take him to the home of the family alleged to be behind his woes to heal him.

“Awuonda was complaining that he was dying as he was writhing in pain, villagers took him to Dwallo’s family for him to be healed, but the family refused,” said Mary Atieno villager.

The villagers claimed that Dwallos mother Maritha Amollo, 80, was a witch and was responsible for Awuonda’s problems.

“They refused and said the pain and looming death was a result of the jail term of their son,” Atieno said.

In anger villagers slashed Dwallo with panga and attempted to lynch him with crude weapons before he escaped into nearby sugarcane plantations.

They set the homestead on fire killing Amollo, Dwallo’s wife Helida Akinyi, 40, and their children. One in classes seven, three and another in nursery school.

Awuonda also died from the alleged witchcraft.

The six bodies were taken to Rosewood mortuary in Rongo town.

Police who arrived at the scene are trying to locate a eight years old girl from the family if she was either burnt beyond recognition or escaped.

“So far we have not made any arrests but we are following leads and we will make arrests soon,” Kirui said.

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Why Super CS Matiang’i fired Sports CS Rashid Echesa, leaving DP Ruto crying

By Onyango Ochieng Jnr and Sospeter O

Rashid Echesa has been fired as a minister. On this, Uhuru has scored very big. This crook could not follow any meaningful discussion in Cabinet, or even understand any policy matters at the ministry, this got Matiangi angered, PhDs dont entertain stupidity that Rashid Echesa. Matiangi cannot stand a fool.

I am told the only reason why he was appointed is because he nearly broke the nose of the ageing Gov. Ambetsa Oparanya in Mumias. He was awarded purely for his violent gangster-like behaviour; skills, experience and expertise that fatally failed him at the ministry. The ministry needed brains, not thuggish abilities

Let’s support the president as he reorganizes his government to reflect Kenyans’ sentiments as he rids it of the corrupt Tangatanga elements. Echesa’s underperformance at Sports has made the poorly educated look bad, when there’s lots of average educated Kenyans with incredible talents. Prof Magoha is a close ally of chief minister Dr Fred Matiang’i the most trusted lieutenant and former colleague at the University of Nairobi.

It means Dr Matiang’i was at the centre of Prof Magoha’s appointment and not DP Ruto who just lost his goon. As chief minister it is important that Matiangi has to form his own team that he can work with and Uhuru seem to agree.

CS Amina Mohamed is just a diplomat,not colorful at all in academia, she got zero executive skills. Uhuru punished her for flip flopping at Education. She was all over the place on policy. She however survives because of her strong ties in the old KANU network that relies heavily on his brother a former a finacial advisor to retired president Mzee Moi one Ahmed Jibril.

Uhru should bear in mind that the Matiang’i agenda can only be achieved if he is allowed to reshuffle, fire or form own own cabinet. Of course in consultation with the president. This is a corporate model. Uhuru as Chairman, Matiang’i as CEO. Let’s see how it pans out.

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Dam scandal hits DP’s camp as Ruto maintains the purported amount by DCI is a big lie

The Sh63 billion dams scandal has triggered panic in Deputy President William Ruto’s camp as the arrests of high-profile government officials, including Cabinet secretaries, loom.

On Monday the Directorate of Criminal Investigations summoned 107 companies’ directors to be questioned over implementation of the Sh63 billion Arror and Kimwarer multi-purpose dams projects.

Since then Ruto has been meeting allies on how to respond to DCI investigations.

According to multiple sources, Ruto and his allies agreed to have senators, MPs and governors from the region, and their bloggers launch an aggressive campaign dismissing claims Sh63 billion could have been lost.

Yesterday, Ruto gave the deal a clean bill of health at a function attended by President Uhuru Kenyatta – amid indications two CSs are soon to be arrested over the dams saga.

Ruto also defended the proposed Jomo Kenyatta International Airport takeover by Kenya Airways. Reports had emerged that the DP’s wing opposed it.
Speaking when the Judiciary released its annual report in Nairobi, Ruto said reported figures on stolen funds were misleading.

“You’ve heard government lost about Sh21 billion, which is a flat lie! The money in question is about Sh7 billion, and for every coin paid, we have a bank guarantee,” he said.

“The correct information must be used so we can nail the real culprit,” he said.

“Sometimes we say Sh9 billion has been lost, we go to court and are told it’s Sh100 million. Sometimes we shoot ourselves in the foot.”

His chief of staff Ken Osinde is listed as a director of Sanlam Company, among the 107 companies whose directors were summoned to record police statements.

Detectives are probing why the firm was paid Sh47 million by Italian firm CMC di Ravenna, said to have pocketed billions for work not done.

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Kinoti is being used to blackmail Ruto towards 2022 campaigns: Murkomen

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen claims that Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss George Kinoti is being used to frustrate DP Ruto’s 2022 presidential bid.

The senate ,majority leader who was speaking on Citizen TV’s Tonight with Yvonne Okwara alleged that Mr Kinoti was being ‘used’ to paint the deputy president as corrupt, and consequently dim his chances of ever becoming president.

He went further to explain that there exists a coalition of cartels that is working to paint DP Ruto and the Kalenjin community as corrupt to advance selfish political agendas.

“I feel that all the campaign that have been going around on social media and the media that Kalenjins are corrupt is being engineered by cartels to scuttle DP Ruto’s 2022 bid,”Murkomen said in part.

His statement came just a day after news of a fresh scandal in which KSh. 21 billion meant for the construction of Arror and Kimwarer Dams In Elgeyo Marakwet County disappeared.

Murkomen argued that Mr Kinoti does not have any information on how the construction of the two dams was being handled, and therefore, his input was misplaced.

While explaining how an Italian company was paid over 7 billion as advance payment, Murkomen said that it was clearly agreed in on the contracts before work commenced that 15% of the projects cost would be paid to the contractor.

Further in a statement posted on his social media, Murkomen raised concern that the construction of the two dams had attracted undue attention from the media and the DCI while there were other projects across the country that were more expensive and had taken a longer time to commence.

He gave an example of the Raw water and treated pipeline from Thika Dam to Kigoro and Gigiri- a KSh. 6 billion project- whose contractors had received an advance payment of KSh 1.2 billion but was yet to commence work.

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List of Principal secretaries that have been re-assigned to other ministries

Permanent Secretaries have also been re-assigned as follows:

Susan N. Mochache, CBS-Ministry of Health

Mr. Ali Noor Ismail, CBS-State Department of Cooperatives

Dr. Ibrahim M. Mohamed, CBS-State Department of Environment & Forestry

Eng. Peter Kiplagat Tum, OGW-State Department of Labour

Dr. Margaret Mwakima, CBS-State Department of East African Community Affairs (EAC)

Dr. Susan Koech-State Department of Wildlife

Finally. Echesa out. Amb. Amina moved. She was messing education like she had no clue what was happening. Congratulations Prof. Magoha.

Rashid Echesa must be arrested now for all the crimes he has committed. pic.twitter.com/5SxVLnNyLT

— SokoAnalyst (@SokoAnalyst) March 1, 2019

Executive Order no. 3 2019#CabinetReshuffle
CS Rashid Echesa fired.
CS Amina Mohammed moved to Sports Ministrt
George Magoha new CS Education pic.twitter.com/zoLjxlrTGO

— Yvonne Okwara-Matole (@YvonneOkwara) March 1, 2019

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He was lazy and corrupt, Kenyans react to the sacking of CS Echesa

Kenyans have reacted to the recent sacking of Sporst cs Rashid Echesa terming it the best decision the jubilee regime has done, with many calling the Ruto ally as corrupt and incompetent.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE REACTIONS:

Rashid Echesa: Come and fire me.

Baba: pic.twitter.com/hlGNn6RH0O

— Limo. (@Limo_alan) March 1, 2019

I suggest @UKenyatta DISSOLVES his whole cabinet and FIRES top civil servants — and wholly reconstitutes his government — if he’s serious about fighting corruption. He must act — and stop futile lamentations @RailaOdinga @WMutunga @dkmaraga @HonAdenDuale @WilliamsRuto @thekhrc

— Prof Makau Mutua (@makaumutua) February 28, 2019

RASHID ECHESA's only claim to fame was that he was a sycophantic fool. So sad that he's been used and dumped like a bad habit. I don't consider his firing as part of decisive response to war on graft.#CabinetReshuffle

— Steve Ogolla (@steveogollaw) March 1, 2019

Enyewe Masomo ni ya maana! a class seven drop out can’t manage public affairs! Now Mr. @UKenyatta the energy , agriculture and water ministries are also rotten! Take some serious actions there …

— Sen. Ledama Olekina (@ledamalekina) March 1, 2019

The House, where fake gold and currencies were found apparently, apparently belongs to Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa. The cartels are sitting on the cabinet. Hey, President @UKenyatta when will you act? Sack these criminals from the cabinet. This is embarrassing.

— Robert Alai (@RobertAlai) February 28, 2019

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s firing of Sports CS Rashid Echesa is cosmetic surgery on the nose of a bed ridden heart patient. What he needs to perform is an open heart surgery to deal with the blocked pulmonary artery and vein: Finance; Energy; Agriculture; Water and Mining.

— Nelson Havi (@NelsonHavi) March 1, 2019

You fire Rashid Echesa then take a fat, clueless, tactless and lazy Amina Mohammed to head sports. You really hold sportsmen in this country with so much contempt. They only deserve complete nincompoops? Ok!!! Amina arudishe nyumba za NSSF near State House pia. #CabinetReshuffle

— Robert Alai (@RobertAlai) March 1, 2019

Rashid Echesa is unqualified, corrupt, dangerous & a public nuisance. The fact that he was even appointed to the cabinet shows the deep levels Kenya has sunk.

He should be thoroughly investigated!

— Wambui (@Waambui) March 1, 2019

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