Wednesday 29 September 2010

Strong Valerie Kimani makes a comeback

Actress and reality TV star Valerie Kimani makes a major comeback to public limelight later tonight (29 Sept), after disappearing for almost a year. She has been out of public view since she got pregnant, with controversy surrounding the identity of the father of the baby.

He appearance at French Cultural Centre will be Valerie's second public appearance, after attending a function at Nairobi's prestigious The Tribe Hotel last week. Tonight's, though, will be a major one as she is expected to speak about how she has been over the past 13 months or so.

She has told her friends that her voice will not break, and her performance will be a sort of launch back to public limelight - with a stronger face.

She wants to make a point that she is a strong woman - and indeed her friends say she is. She will be performing with Suzanna Owiyo at the French Cultural Centre (29th September) starting early evening.

Valerie, px from her Twitter a/c
Valerie Kimani has not been in public since she became pregnant sometime last year. She has had a baby. The last major role that Valerie took part in was Mo Faya; a political musical performance.
Tabloid The Star said the creative director of the play, Eric Wainaina, got romantically involved with Valerie. The paper suggested that Wainaina is the father of the baby, and bloggers said that was indeed true. Before Mo Faya, she played a role in Shuga, an MTV-funded TV drama about on HIV/AIDS.

On 27 September, Valerie tweeted: ''On feels great to be back! Catch me on the 29th of October alongside Suzanna Owiyo on 'The Stage' French Cultural Centre. A day earlier, she had tweeted, ''excited! I feel brand new. I'm a new mum, so sleep-deprived''.

The most recent time she tweeted was in April and earlier in January 2010 when she wrote: ''What a year! Heard all the opinions, read all the blogs. Wondering if critics are now expecting that I roll over and die?''. This was in reference to social media and newspaper reports that she had been pregnant, and she had refused to speak about the identity of the father of the baby.

See you at the French Cultural Centre, later.

Tuesday 28 September 2010

Minutes of Kenya's State House violence planning meet

There were no minutes taken during a meeting held in early January 2008 at the State House Nairobi to plan retaliatory attacks against the people who were killing supporters of President Mwai Kibaki following the 2007 disputed elections.

Details of action points spoken during the meeting were taken, but they were not official; and no one was to speak to any other party, at all, after the meeting.

I am posting these details after The Daily Nation on the evening of 27 September published a story saying that the ICC had been denied access to minutes of a meeting said to have been held at State House at the height of the post-election violence. The newspaper further said, unnamed ICC officials in Kenya said the government had declined to make available any information regarding the meeting.

Number one: Kenya is not interested in helping ICC do anything in Kenya over the 2008 violence. More correctly, President Kibaki does not want to be thrust to the limelight when he retires in 2012 - being called to say something at the ICC or his officials saying things if some of them are taken to the ICC for trials.

Number two: There were no minutes of the State House meeting. If the Daily Nation story is to be believed, then the ICC fellows are misguided. They will not get anything. Of course, the government of President Kibaki has said no such meeting took place.

According to non-judicial commission into the 2008 violence, (Waki Commission), the State House meeting was attended by some leaders of Mungiki sect and security officials as well as some Kikuyu political leaders.

The report further said it received evidence that government and political leaders, including key office holders at the highest level of government may have directly participated in the preparation of the attacks.

The report linked the attacks - largely seem as retaliation against the earlier one against the Kikuyu people in the Rift Valley - to the meeting. The Waki Commission report said the retaliatory attacks was pre-planned and executed by Mungiki members who received the support of political leaders.

This week, some junior ICC officials are visiting Kenya to start groundwork on ICC probe into the violence. Since the government is keen to frustrate them, some ICC consultant suggested that they speak to Mungiki rank and file who are privy to the details to the State House meeting.

They will not get as far.

There is a massive operation against the Mungiki underway across Kenya; and the leadership appears to have seriously fallen out of favour with security people in the land. This blog has been told that detectives are tracking communication of top Mungiki leaders who know anything about the meeting.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga wants the ICC to continue investigations in Kenya, to be able to inhale jitters in some politicians. But Kibaki does not want any nonsense to do with the ICC; he wants national reconciliation and healing.

On 19 September, Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo said ICC investigations are unnecessary now that Kenya has adopted political reforms with the coming into effect of new constitution. Mr Kilonzo takes orders from the president.

Panorama repeats, ICC in Kenya is a hoax.

Wednesday 22 September 2010

Sammy Kirui to open radio station

Suspended Local Government Permanent Secretary Sammy Kirui is planning to start a Kalenjin-language radio station.

The yet to be named radio will be broadcasting from Kericho to parts of Rift Valley and western Kenya. 

The former Communications Commission of Kenya boss, the state company whose duty is to allocate frequencies, is reported to be having frequencies on standby.

He has spoken to a staffer with Citizen Radio and former Kass FM journalist/producer to go manage the new radio. Kericho has other radio stations: Sema FM and Radio Injili. Other radios broadcasting from Nairobi, Eldoret, Nakuru and western Kenya can be heard in the tea town.
Kirui, as the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government was suspended on 29 April over land cemetery scandal.

He has been charged in court and denied charges relating to the 283m-shilling cemetery scandal. Kirui was charged together with 14 other people.

According to the charge sheet, Kirui and the 14 acquired 283m-shillings from the local government on diverse dates between December 2008 and April 2009. 

The case in continuing a t a Nairobi graft court. 

Monday 20 September 2010

Horrors of Kenyan Facebook pornography

Young Kenyan boys and girls, some as young as eight years, are on Facebook, posting and accessing explicit pictures, and no one will do anything about it.

These children are spending hours daily on the laptops of their parents, guardians; mobile phones or even in some cyber cafes on the outskirts of towns to upload or download graphic porn material.

Meaning, thousands of children are evading age restrictions imposed by the social networking site to illicitly access it. And, parents are alarmingly ignorant of the danger posed by Facebook to their kids.

Many of the kids on Facebook are posting pictures of themselves, full name, the school they attend and even cell phone numbers (of their parents). Besides exposing the children to the dangers of pornography, Facebook is now providing child predators with the exact information they need to track down kids.


I picked this from Facebook; profile picture
I have seen many pictures of young girls posting pictures of themselves practically naked (and drinking). In recent days, a contact told me of her 13-year-old daughter who has been running a phoney Facebook account with nude picture of her as the profile picture. Her mom discovered of the pictures in a data stick that the girl forgot in her (mom's) PC. 

After I heard of this, I ran through public profiles on Facebook to see if I could find anything. To no surprise, I came across several profiles with half-naked bodies of young girls and boys on display. Ideally, this should not shock many adults who are already exposed to cases of violence on TV and much worse on the internet, but the shocking bit is, kids are the ones posting these pictures.

Even for those not posting nude pictures of themselves naked, they post sexually provocative pictures of themselves, along with personal details.

Facebook today has just over half a billion active users. That means millions of information is shared.

In the UK, and the USA, parents have largely resigned to fate in seeking to control their children, who after all, are already exposed to more violence on TV and nudity in tabloids. 

But in much of backwater Africa, many parents and guardians do not think that their children are quickly in step with their western counterparts: they are hopelessly wrong.

There are many computer programmes available to parents to monitor emails, instant messages, and the websites that kids visit, but that is half the issue.
With Google, Yahoo search and the like, settings often make it difficult for kids to access pornographic stuff online, but with Facebook, they are bypassing such settings to post and access reams of intensely personal detail about themselves and others.

Nicholas Biwott is selling Yaya Centre

Yes Nicholas Biwott is selling his Yaya Centre is what may be jitters linked to the coming into force of the new constitution. And sources that can be trusted have said that people close to President Kibaki are the ones assessing the property to buy it.

Yaya Centre was put up in late 1980's, and over the years, it has become one of the leading shopping malls in Nairobi, very close to the league of Sarit and the like. Behind the shopping mall are about 100 furnished apartments for short term and long term accommodation.

The mall has the following tenants: Mr Price,  Woolworth’s, Truworths, Nairobi Sports House, Dorman’s, Phonelink, Nairobi Java House, Chandarana Supermarket among others. There is also a cosmetic shop operated by a wife of Biwott.
Yaya, the mall and apartments behind
It is quite difficult to tell how much the new buyers are seeking to acquire the property for.

Biwott has not spoken to his aides or friends in recent months about plans to sell Yaya. However, this blog has established that people close to Kibaki, including activist Wambui are planning to buy the property.

A source close to Biwott said it can be understood that indeed he may be planning to sell the property, because of concerns that the new constitution may open floodgates of scrutiny on how various properties were acquired, especially during President Moi's time in power.

Thursday 16 September 2010

Possible food riots in Kenya as fuel prices rise

Fuel prices crossed the 100-shilling mark today (16 September) over a row with a top oil marketer, threatening to ignite frustration and even riots similar to those seen in Mozambique a few days ago.

Beyond the fuel prices, food prices have been escalating in the east African nation. Recently, the president ignored by parliament's call that food prices be regulated.

On the evening of 15 September, major oil marketers in Nairobi, Shell, KenolKobil, Oil Libya adjusted their pump prices up by at least two shillings, the second time in a few days.
Now, in some pump stations, the cost of petrol, used by many motorists was selling at 99.97 shillings, 3 cents short of 100 shillings. A contributor to this blog reported seeing petrol selling at 100.10 shillings in a Nairobi suburb.

''Now, companies are adjusting their price display boards to take more than two digits,'' a source said, referring to the fact that price display has often taken two digits, but now, going beyond 100 shillings, adjustments have to be made.

A rise in fuel cost in Kenya, as is the case in may countries, results in rise in inflation and especially food prices. Already, over the past three weeks, the price of 2kg bag of wheat flour has risen to 126 shillings, up from 95 shillings.

The current rise in fuel prices in Kenya is not occasioned by international trends. It revolves around a row involving KenolKobil, as well as issues to do with inefficiency at the country's main refinery. The issue also revolves largely around fuel shortage on the market.

This is how the KenolKobil issue started and escalated.

The dispute between Kenya Petroleum Refinery Limited (KPRL) and KenolKobil started in 2006 when the oil refinery sought to raise processing fees. KenolKobil protested, citing alleged inefficiencies and quality of products coming from the oil refinery. (Indeed there are massive inneficiencies at the KPRL)

The row escalated after KenolKobil started processing its crude elsewhere, ignoring an law that requires all oil marketers to refine at least 40 per cent of their products at the national refinery. In fact, it is not just 40 per cent, it is actually more, a source said. KenolKobil has also been buying its oil products from other marketers, locally.

And in August, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) asked KenolKobil to explain why it should not be penalised for not complying with the law (above). Two weeks later, ERC wrote to KenolKobil informing the company that its licence had been revoked upon the expiry of a  notice it had been given to resolve the dispute with the KPRL. ERC last week insisted that KenolKobil importation license remains suspended.

In mid to late 2008, the price of petrol in Kenya rose to the highest point, 108 shillings a litre. This was attributed to the fact that international crude price was at 147 dollars per barrel. For now, the current internal crude price has remained at between 70 and 79 dollars per barrel.

Wednesday 15 September 2010

Nigerian leader declares presidential bid on Facebook

The good luck Nigerian president has posted a statement on his Facebook account declaring that he will run for president in 2011 elections, pulling the rag off the feet of his opponents, and also effectively stoking religious and sectarian tensions in the country.

And he was soo keen not to promise anything at all if elected. And more interesting, he said he consulted with the opposition before declaring his candidature.

At 0900 gmt, Goodluck Jonathan wrote: ''Today, I confirm that after wide and thorough consultations spanning the six geo-political zones that make up Nigeria, with members of my family, my party, the opposition, civil society... I Goodluck Ebele Jonathan... offer myself and my services to the Nigerian people as a candidate for the office of president in the forth coming 2011 elections.''
 
Jonathan, who is from the Niger Delta in the south, inherited the presidency when late northern President Umaru Yar'Adua died earlier this year during his first term. Now, some in the ruling party PDP say the next leader must be a northerner because Yar'Adua did not complete his term.

 ''In presenting myself for service, I make no pretense that I have a magic wand that will solve all of Nigeria’s problems or that I am the most intelligent Nigerian. Far from it. What I do promise is this.

''I do not want to win your affections by giving you promises of things I would do in the future which others before me have given and which have largely been unfulfilled. Rather, I would want you to judge me by my records,'' he wrote.

''If I am elected President in 2011, I will make a covenant with you the Nigerian people to always do right by you, to tell you the truth at all times, to carry you along and most importantly to listen to you,'' he added.

Huh, this is a new one - from Obama's Blackberry to declaring bid for president on Facebook.

Nigeria is where many people have mobile phones they use to access internet (and of course Faccebook)

Monday 13 September 2010

Spooky mix of killings and love stalking Kenya

Strange things are happening in Kenya.

Over the past two or so years, all Kenyan FM radios have been discussing relationships every day. The shows have highlighted the frustrations that the people of Kenya have been facing in seeking relationships, or being in relationships. There is a sense of frustration with these relationships.

Now, in early September, a Nigerian pastor, Chris Ojigbani, tells desperate single Nairobi women that it is easy to ''get married without delay''.

While entering the venue of the meeting, thousands of women fought, shoved and screamed to listen to the "apostle of marriage'', Chris Ojigbani.

Preaching for several hours, the pastor told the women: ''Good men are not all taken. By the end of today, you will get your suitor. The spirit has told me that one of you by morning will have four suitors. Now, who will you choose?''
Pastor Chris Ojigbani runs a ministry called ''Covenant Singles and Married Ministries''.

A week later, 27-year-old man Alex Mwaura was shot in the head a day before he was due to marry on 11 September. His fiancee, Maureen Nduta, a nurse, was shot in the chest. She was still in hospital by 13 September.

The attack happened as Mr Mwaura dropped her at her father's home just outside Nairobi at around 8.30pm. Kenyan newspapers say the two couple had dated for three years since Mwaura returned from UK where he was studying.

Sometime in late August, another couple was carjacked in Langata, with the man being killed, adn the partner wounded. I think she is out of hospital now.

It is so difficult to connect a running thread with these issues, although it is so easy to see something.
I will post the results of homework on this subject soon.

Thursday 9 September 2010

Senegalese prostitutes return to work as Ramadan ends

Ramadan will be coming to an end tomorrow or Saturday, with Eid celebrations expected to be observed by Muslim faithful.

But lost to the excitement of the season is the fact that some other people will be celebrating too, for a totally different, yet related reason.

This blog does not subscribe to any news agency. But this story on prostitution, versus Ramadan carried by AP is too sexy to be ignored.

''It has been a rough month for sex workers'' in Senegal during the holy month, with very low sales and returns.
 There has absolutely been no business. This is because, although prostitution is legal in this country, 94 percent of the population is Muslim - meaning that clients are unavailable.

Its end means return to business.

During Ramadan, Muslims don’t eaten all day, refrain from drinking, smoking and having sex. During the months, sex is allowed only among spouses - at night. Meaning the rest will have to look elsewhere.

Ramadan marks the time when the Koran was first revealed to Prophet Mohammed. Muslims are encouraged to become more spiritual during this period by praying more, reciting the Koran and giving alms to the poor - while at the same time abstaining from sex out of wedlock.

Wednesday 8 September 2010

Watchdogs' silence over arrest of Kenyan radio scribe

Two global media watchdogs have remained mum, days after a Kenyan radio journalist was arrested over alleged links to a recent Uganda bomb attack.

Maybe then, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF), know something about the story, and they don’t want to step forward to ''defend terror suspect''.
By 8 September, the two organizations had not said anything at all about the arrest of Habib Suleiman Njoroge of Radio Salaam on 4 September.

Police said they arrested Seleiman on suspicion of links 11 July Uganda bomb blasts which killed 76 people. A total of 32 people have been charged in Uganda over the suicide attacks on two bar-restaurants in Kampala.

This blog understands that the radio journalist will be transferred to Uganda for more interrogation and trial. His wife, as well as some other Radio Salaam staff, has been arrested.

The story has been covered widely, with agencies like AFP running the story on 6 September. It is a bit odd that CPJ and RSF have remained silent over the story. Not that they need to condemn, but to report the story, even in their guest blogs section.

Monday 6 September 2010

Director of Kenyan state radio/TV sacked

Debt-ridden Kenyan state radio/TV (KBC) sacked its director today over a scandal relating to the June World Cup. No one really expected David Waweru, who was suspended several weeks ago, to go back to work at the station, anyway.
Waweru

An insider told this blog that KBC board said Waweru and the corporation's secretary Hezekiel Oira were being sacked with immediate effect. 

Both Waweru and Oira were suspended in June over a scandal involving the contract to broadcast the FIFA World Cup 2010 matches live from South Africa.
The KBC board said the two were sacked so that forensic audit of the controversial contract is done.

A few days ago, The Standard newspaper of Kenya published details of what it said were irregularities on how KBC handled the issue of rights to screen World Cup matches.
The story said KBC single-sourced Radio Africa Limited as a partner to screen the tournament (which was wrong), besides several other issues of impropriety.

The board did not name a new director, meaning that top editor Waithaka Waihenya will continue acting as managing director.

By suspending the two officials, KBC is seeking to deflect attention of FIFA which may still raise issues about how KBC, given exclusive rights to air World Cup matches, still went ahead to bring in other parties.


Waweru was appointed as the managing director in 2006 and took over from Waruru Wachira who is now the director at Royal Media Services (Citizen).

His contract -  Waweru's - was extended in August last year for another three year term.

Sunday 5 September 2010

Kenyan KTN follows in footsteps of TIME

KTN logo
A row that seems to have some parallels with a recent issues involving TIME magazine of the USA has raised questions about ethics and competence of reporters and editors at Kenya's premier television, KTN.

The issue revolves around a three-part ten-minute each series on human trafficking that the station, owned by The Standard, Kenya's oldest newspaper, aired last week; in English and Kiswahili.

In the story, KTN reporters are seen on the video chasing supposed illegal Somali immigrants and, with some women running away. 

After the KTN investigative series, a bitter uproar has escalated. The station has said reporters and senior staff have received serious threats about the story. Also, serious complaints about the reports have been raised. The complainants are saying the stories targeted the Somali people as well as Muslims. In an editorial before the main news on 4 September, KTN said it is investigating if its reporters went beyond normal journalism practice.

On KTN official Facebook page, many people criticized the station on how the story was packaged.

''KTN, we want to know apart from chasing and harassing a few elderly women, what else did jicho pevu (the news series) achieve in the last episode?,'' a Facebook user wrote on KTN wall. Another user asked, ''If it was Americans who had been found entering Kenya illegally, would this have been a hot issue as this?''.

And on the evening of 4 September, a Facebook page asking largely Muslims and Somalis to boycott KTN and Standard newspapers was created. 

''BOYCOTTING KTN'' on http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=150452498310626&v=wall#!/group.php?gid=150452498310626&v=wall is the group that had 130 members by midday on 5 September Nairobi time.

A recent posting said: ''Dear brothers and sisters in Islam please all I ask that you email the boss at KTN Standard Group and voice our complaints against biased coverage that is inciting the public against Muslims and Somalis in particular.''

This blog submits that indeed there were ethical issues that the reporters should have reviewed. In all fairness, KTN should do a thorough review the capacity of editors to notice issues of unethical reportage.

A recent TIME magazine issue can best illustrate how important it is for journalists to remain focused on the story and be fair to both sides.
 
Controversial TIME cover
Early last month, TIME (global edition) published a disturbing cover photo of Aisha, a 18-year-old Afghan woman who was sentenced by Taliban commander to have her nose and ears cut off for fleeing her abusive in-laws.  ''Aisha posed for the picture because she wants the world to see the effect a Taliban resurgence would have on the women of Afghanistan,'' TIME said.

Her picture was accompanied by a powerful story on how Afghan women have embraced the freedoms that have come from the defeat of the Taliban — and how they fear a Taliban revival.

The headline of the TIME next to the portrait read: ''What Happens if We Leave Afghanistan''. Please notice that there was no question mark. And that is where the issue of ethics started.

Critics of the American presence in Afghanistan have called it '“emotional blackmail” and even “war porn,” while those who fear the consequences of abandoning Afghanistan see it as a powerful appeal to conscience.

1. Without a question mark, the statement means ''this is what will happen if American marines leave Afghanistan. Women abuses will come back…'' Richard Stengel, TIME, Managing Editor had to publish a lengthy article to explain, but it did not help.

''I felt that the image is a window into the reality of what is happening — and what can happen — in a war that affects and involves all of us. I would rather confront readers with the Taliban's treatment of women than ignore it. I would rather people know that reality as they make up their minds about what the U.S. and its allies should do in Afghanistan''.

2. The picture itself is disturbing. The managing editor said ''I'm acutely aware that this image will be seen by children, who will undoubtedly find it distressing. We have consulted with a number of child psychologists about its potential impact. Some think children are so used to seeing violence in the media that the image will have little effect, but others believe that children will find it very scary and distressing … I apologize to readers who find the image too strong, and I invite you to comment on the image's impact''.

This issue probably gives KTN some reprieve; that even TIME can make a mistake. Though with TIME, it may have been an issue of deliberate slant.

Panic as ''Death Calls'' reach Tanzania

Twenty-four hours after the authorities asked Tanzanians to ignore messages warning  against receiving calls from some telephone numbers, there is still some panic among many.

Messages were still being forwarded today on Sunday, even after the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority said the threats were a hoax.

The text message forwards first appeared in Tanzania on 1 September, when Kenya was just getting over the same hoax.

Interestingly, the same text message and e-mail forwards were the same ones that sparked panic in Kenya (see posts below) around the same time. It seems that some people in Kenya forwarded the text messages to some friends/numbers in Tanzania.

By today, there was fear among mobile phone users, with many still ignoring calls from numbers they don’t know of.


The message that was circulated in Kenya and Tanzania started in Pakistan in 2007!

Thursday 2 September 2010

Shame of Swaziland's sexual exploitation parade

Maidens
Thousands of supposedly virgin Swazi girls will this afternoon be making a journey to the Queen Mother's Ludzidzini Royal Village, carrying bundles of reeds, on the fourth  day of eight-day cultural event whose climax on 6 September will be King Mswati III choosing one of them as his wife.

On that day, King Mswati - who already has 13 wives - is unlikely to pick a 14th. 

He is keen not to draw attention to himself following embarrassing revelations that his 12th wife - Nothando Dube - had slept with the now sacked Justice Minister Ndumiso Mamba.

Beyond that, it is clear that Reed Dance (or Umhlanga) -  an annual event where naked girls dance in public for the Queen Mother - is a sexual event bordering on exploitation. It has continued to prop up perception that women are sexual objects.

In the event, tens of thousands girls and women travel from their villages to take part,  in the eight-day event. Only childless, unmarried girls can take part.

King Mswati
 The main idea of the ceremony is to encourage girls to remain virgins until they are married.

That may have missed the point with the fact that the main idea for some (or most) girls is to catch the attention of King Mswati III and be possibly picked as the next wife. 

The Reed Dance has been a big date on the Swaziland cultural calendar since Mswati began the ceremony in 1999. The authorities say the event is also meant to help take down the numbers on HIV infection. But it does not seem to have helped. Nearly 40 per cent of Swaziland’s adults are infected with HIV.

By and large, it seems someone is hiding behind culture while clearly exploiting young girls. For years, women’s virginity has always been a favourite topic in patriarchal societies. And Swaziland is a kingdom where women do not have much say on public affairs. And they remain kinda minors under the law.

Umhlanga
It seems that the men in this tiny nation are so much obsession about women’s sexuality. Because if the even was held purely to encourage chastity in girls, without the king choosing one of them to marry, then probably someone could argue a point about culture.

For now, the event does nothing to address the status of women, but rather degenerated into a breast pageant! Swazi women need to be disabused of cultural notions that demands that they parade semi-naked before men.

This event has set a bad example by encouraging polygamy and teenage sex. The king himself has often taken teenage girls to be his wives. He formally marries them when they become pregnant. Ridiculous!

Wednesday 1 September 2010

Kenyan ''Red Call'' hoax goes viral

''Red call'' hoax has gone viral in Kenya, with convergence featuring blogs, social media, text messages and now mass media, a few months after another Kenyan internet sensation, Makmende, made it to CNN and Twitter Trending Topics.

Red Call or Death Call refers to forwarded mobile phone messages warning people not to accept calls from some numbers which allegedly transmit high-frequency signals, causing brain haemorrhage and death.

According to informed estimates, thousands of mobile text messages have been sent from 31 August, with Kenyan mobile phone firms making thousands of dollars in revenue. Reactions have flooded Facebook, Twitter and blogs.

There has been genuine panic among Kenyans, some in backwater rural areas, as local-language radios picked up the issue on 31 August and on the morning of 1 September.

And now, Kenya police, on traditional media, have sought to calm tempers. They has asked Kenyans to ignore the messages.

The latest craze follows Makmende, a fictional Kenyan superhero character which became the first viral internet sensation in Kenya earlier this year.

See post below for background details of the story.

Pakistani ''death calls'' horror hoax infects Kenya

''Death call''
A 2007 Pakistani death call hoax has appeared in Kenya, causing panic among mobile phone users and radio callers.
 
(Caption: The images that accompanied the death calls)
 
Forwarded mobile phone messaged are warning people not to accept calls from some (Pakistani) numbers which allegedly transmit high-frequency signals, causing brain hemorrhage and death. 

 The wave caught the Kenyan capital late on 30 August and peaked on the evening of 31st, even as the east Afican nation concluded a mandatory process of registering details of mobile phone users.

Apparently, the message that was being circulated among mobile phone users and in social media in Kenya was the same one that sparked some panic in Pakistan.

Kenyan radio stations were discussion the issue on 31 AUgust and today morning!

This is how the message goes:

Its very important news for all of you. Do not pick up calls Under given numbers.

9888308001
9316048121 91+
9876266211
9888854137
9876715587

These numbers will come in red color, if the calls comes up from these numbers. Its with very high wave length, and frequency. 

If a call is received on mobile from these numbers, it creates a very high frequency and it causes brain ham range. 

It's not a joke rather, its TRUE. 27 persons died just on receiving calls from these numbers. Watch Aaj Tak (NEWS), DD News and IBN 7. 

Forward this message to all u'r friends and colleagues, and relatives 

Of course this is a hoax. (the listed numbers are Pakistani as well as the TVs)
This blogs submits that cell phones are incapable of emitting sound frequencies that can cause immediate physical injury.
Death immortalized

In Pakistani when the issue came about, mobile phone providers issued statements challenging the truth of the rumors but still, the rumous spread to India, the Middle East, and Africa.

Such hoaxes have been reported in Ghana and Nigeria.