Top Newspaper Headlines Review for Monday, June 7

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1. Daily Nation

Deputy President William Ruto-led Tanga Tanga team is now claiming that the coming General Election may not go as planned due to an alleged plan by President Uhuru Kenyatta to use the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) as a ploy to extend the term of parliament and consequently his own.

BBI supporters have held that the forthcoming polls must be preceded by a referendum whose time continues to glide away.

With the likelihood of the referendum timeline clashing with the next year's polls, TangaTanga politicians have alleged it is a deliberate plan to have the polls put off.

The politicians have vowed to challenge the motive saying they will bank on Kenyans to block any attempts to have the polls postponed.

Nevertheless, the BBI proponents have dismissed the claims asserting only war could instigate polls delay.

The proponents also add that the plebiscite will be inevitable, and if postponing the coming polls will help accommodate the constitution change, then the delay will be unavoidably essential.


2. The Standard

The daily reported a looming rift between ODM leader Raila Odinga and other NASA principals over the goodies delivered to the Luo-Nyanza region during Uhuru's three-day working visit.

The leaders say as it seems, it will need them to be close to the presidency to witness such multi-billion projects launched by the president.

Leaders loyal to Musalia Mudavadi have vowed to fire up the ANC party leader to vie for the country's top seat to have their regions also benefit.

"You have seen what happened in Nyanza lastr week, we in Western want Musalia to clinch the presidency so that we can also benefit,": said Ayub Savula, Lugari MP.

They wondered why Raila would not push for the same in other regions, including Western and Ukambani, whose leaders have previously supported him.

Those from Ukambani have also sworn to rally behind Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka to go for the seat so that their region can also be counted among beneficiaries if government proects.

3. People Daily

The publication reported the likely reasons behind Uhuru's rejection of the six judges nominated by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

According to People Daily, the judges were dropped due to their questionable handling of several cases, including the drug trafficking case involving the Akasha brothers and other terrorism-related cases.

In his defence as to why the judges could not be sworn in alongside their colleagues, Uhuru said integrity issues informed his decision.

The judges are also said to have received bribes to influence their rulings on different cases, with others being accused of "their propensity to give bail to terrorism suspects.

Those dropped include George Odunga, Joel Ngugi, Weldon Korir and Aggrey Muchelule, who had been nominated to the Court of Appeal.

Others are Evans Makori and Judith Cheruiyot, who had been slated to join their colleagues in the High Court.

Regarding the Akasha drug lords, it is believed the local courts failed the Judiciary arm of government by bungling the case.

The brothers who had been extradited from Kenya were later found guilty and jailed in the US.

Uhuru's decision to appoint only 34 out of the 40 ignited uproar from various quarters that accused him of setting a bad precedent in the country.

Others claimed the president was settling scores with the judges that had sat on the bench that nullified the BBI process.

The 34 were sworn in on Friday, June 4, in an event held at the State House, Nairobi and which was presided over by the president.

Chief Justice Martha Koome wrote to Uhuru to fill the void left by the six judges.


4. Taifa Leo

Taifa Leo highlighted the intrigues in Uhuru's succession next year. The publication pointed at how the president is trying to employ the tacts used by Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel Moi when they were grooming their successors.

The aforementioned could not stand criticism and thus frustrated those challenging their administrations.

Since the Raila-Uhuru handshake three years ago, Ruto allies have found themselves in the cold, finding themselves humiliated for dissenting from the president.

Ruto's loyalists have been punished in parliament, where they lost their positions to those deemed loyal to the president.

Kipchumba Murkomen lost his Senate majority leader position to Samuel Pogishio, with Aden Duale losing his National Assembly majority leader post to Amos Kimunya.

The same was experienced in Mzee Kenyatta and Moi regimes, where leaders would be fired and even tortured for holding divergent opinions against the government.

5. The Star

The publication highlighted a possible ouster facing Speaker Justin Muturi, who has recently faced opposition from a section of leaders since his installation as Mt Kenya region's spokesperson.

It is reported that some anti-Muturi lawmakers have been holding meetings in the home of a governor from Central Kenya to discuss the plans to eject the National Assembly speaker.

Muturi has vowed to remain unbothered even as his opposers hatch the plan. "Let them bring the motion and I will be the first to sign.

That is a very minor thing, it cannot shake me. Whoever thinks he can approach the threshold, let him try," the Speaker said on Sunday, June 6.

Muturi's coronation a few weeks ago was trashed by a section of leaders who argued he does not have the political support warranting his installation.
 
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