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Talk of Town: Millionaire politicians left in shock after bribe fails to buy favourable survey
Two prominent leaders are left staring at disastrous approval ratings after failed political bribery attempts.
MPs fume as clerk pockets Sh10 million
A lead clerk attached to a powerful parliamentary committee is reportedly on an extortion spree as MPs cry foul over his conduct. The clerk is said to have collected Sh7 million from an institution facing a backlog of audit queries before the committee. In another incident, the wily clerk is said to have pocketed Sh3 million from a former chairperson of an institution in exchange for clearance from a controversial audit query that had troubled the institution for years. According to our bird in the corridors of Parliament, the man boasts that he enjoys the protection of powerful figures in government. Some MPs now want the clerk dispatched to another less influential committee.
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Opinion polls findings shock leaders
Two politicians who apparently had poured millions of shillings in order to influence the outcome of an opinion poll were shocked by the outcome. The politicians, according to our mole, wanted a favourable outcome in order to boost their political image and chances of a lucrative position. However, the plan failed at the last minute as those interviewed returned a negative opinion about them, and the pollsters could not tamper with the results. It is now back to the drawing board.
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Civil Society’s plan for ‘clean’ candidate
An influential but small group of civil society players has hatched an intricate plan to raise campaign funds from foreign donors for their presidential aspirant ahead of the 2027 election. Even though the prospective president is largely considered a non-starter in the bigger scheme of things, an impeccable set of credentials is all the civil society players say they need to sell the aspirant to wealthy foreign donors as the answer to Kenya’s problems. Even though a similar plan to propel an outgoing governor in 2022 failed before it started in earnest, the group believes that this time things will be different.
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Leader flies directly to national park
An African leader who had been invited to the recent African Forward Summit in Nairobi decided to start the trip by enjoying himself first before proceeding to the function. A source whispered to Talk of Town that the leader spent two nights at the famous national park before showing up for the Summit looking relaxed. Unbothered by what was going on at the Summit, the leader took the opportunity to unwind, away from the chaos of running public offices back home. To the leader, the Summit in Nairobi provided him with a perfect opportunity to take a break from the pressure in his country.
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Mystery of media ‘blackout’ at Summit
Still on the France-Africa Summit, whose idea was it to suddenly limit the access for media on Day 2 when they had all along been granted accreditation to cover plenary sessions? Some security officials argue that badges had been given to some people who turned out to be hawkers eyeing lucrative sales. Yet others claimed guests had reported stolen items a day earlier, and it forced security managers to limit access to the plenary halls. The blanket ban frustrated journalists seeking stories that often emerge from plenary sessions. It was yet another lesson on the limits of some venues to host big events and poor organisation.
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Media shy chairman irks scribes
Journalists covering a critical parliamentary committee are getting impatient with the man leading the team of MPs over his hide-and-seek games. The man is never available for any comment or clarification of matters before his committee. Anytime the man who chairs the critical committee sees a group of journalists in Parliament, he walks very fast past them and never even bothers to offer greetings or engage in any way. The scribes are now wondering how he was handed the powerful committee that handles issues affecting millions of Kenyans if he cannot be available for questions or any clarifications.
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