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Raila Odinga-led Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has come up with a new strategy to fight embattled Migori County governor Okoth Obado.

ODM in a statement signed by its chairman John Mbadi on Thursday afternoon revealed that it was going to furnish the government with the names of Obado’s allies who have been engaging in dirty deals at the County government.

The Orange party said it was going to forward the names of Migori County CECs, directors of various departments, contractors, Chief officers, MCAs, officials and suppliers who are currently involved in raising money and diverting public funds to bribe MCAs and finance violence in Migori.

ODM said that as soon as they forward the names, they will ensure that police arrest the said individuals so that law and order is maintained.

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Obado, a long-time friend of Deputy President William Ruto, has openly dared ODM leader Raila Odinga to bring on his impeachment motion, saying the party has no numbers to kick him out.

According to Obado, ODM placed MCAs in a closed meeting and intimidated them.

Obado is a long-time friend of DP Ruto dating from the time of the governor’s tenure at the defunct Kenya Sugar Board when Ruto was the Minister for Agriculture.

He has hosted the DP several times against ODM’s wishes, including shortly after he was released from prison on bail over the murder of his pregnant girlfriend Sharon Otieno. The case is ongoing. 

Then, he alluded to ODM’s hand in his woes and asked his constituents to allow him to work with Ruto.

For the impeachment to sail through, the motion will need approval of at least 43 members in the house which has 57 MCAs.

ODM has 41 MCAs, seven are independent, Jubilee Party has three, Ford Kenya two while PPOK has one.

Out of the 37 ODM elected MCAs who attended the meeting, 14 refused to sign up for the impeachment bid and only 23 appended their signatures despite persuasion from the party’s top leadership.

Mbadi who chaired the meeting confirmed that 23 signed up but stated that only five refused.

Mbadi, speaking on Wednesday morning – said out of 41 ODM MCAs in Migori, four skipped the function with apology for being sick and 23 “willingly without any intimidation signed and agreed to the impeachment.”

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Transport CAS Chris Obure has clarified how Kenya lost Covid-19 donations made by Chinese businessman Jack Ma.

Appearing before the National Assembly Health Committee on Thursday, September 3, 2020, Obure noted that 21 packages of assorted medical supplies did not reach Nairobi from Ethiopia. 

He said that five other consignments were received and stored in Kenya Medical Supplies Agency warehouses in Nairobi. 

“We received what we received in the manner in which it was packaged and dispatched from the source (Jack Ma Foundation (China). Am not aware if there was any repackaging in Addis Ababa.

“The 21 packages were missing after we verified with the parking documents from China. We realized that 21 packages were short delivered, I assure you we will continue to pursue the matter with the Ministry of Health to ensure they are delivered,” Obure stated.

According to Obure, MoH had reached out to Ethiopian authorities who were investigating the matter.

The CAS nonetheless distanced himself and his ministry from the scandal which saw President Uhuru Kenyatta issue two directives to investigating agencies and Health CS Mutahi Kagwe.

Earlier reports alleged that the Jack Ma donations were stolen and sold to MoH at inflated prices. 

President Kenyatta ordered the Directorate of Criminal Investigation and the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission to table a report on the KEMSA scandal in 30 days. Kagwe was also given 21 days to table his report.

On Wednesday, officials from the Ministry of Transport were hard-pressed to explain the ministry’s role in the clearing of Jack Ma Foundation donations that arrived in the country in March.

Obure, found it hard to convince the committee as he was accused of lacking facts regarding the clearing of the consignment.

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The Nairobi’s iconic Sabina Joy club is set to make a major comeback after having its doors closed for a long period of time.

The club is set to have its doors reopened for its customers once more as government seeks to reopen bars and clubs in a pilot project after a longer closure due to Covid-19.

As a way of ensuring safety during the Covid-19 pandemic period, the government has asked Liquor Welfare Group to pick two clubs for a pilot project, which will pave way for reopening of other clubs should the project work out.

Sabina Joy located at Ambassador area along Moi Avenue and the Green Club along Latema Road in Nairobi are the clubs that will be reopened, with a new face following renovations that are being done to ensure social distancing rules among customers.

Sabina Joy and Green Club are stepping up their efforts to have the bars ready for the project including setting up hand sanitisation points and fitting perspex screens to separate tables.

East African Breweries Limited is also involved in the initiative to ensure bar operators meet the set protocols.

A news story done by Citizen TV on Wednesday showed how the two clubs are working on the final touches to have their doors reopened again.

While in the clubs, the customers will maintain a 1.5 meters social distance, have their face masks on and wash their hands.

President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered closure of all bars and clubs as a measure of helping combat Covid-19.

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Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen on Wednesday September 2, 2020 painfully narrated how President Uhuru Kenyatta had kicked his deputy William Ruto out of a mansion in Mombasa, meant to be his official residence.

Early this year, drama ensued after DP Ruto was reportedly locked out of his official residence with his property packed and taken out of the palatial residence.

Reports indicated that the DP and his handlers had arrived in Mombasa and dropped off his personal effects at his newly refurbished official residence that was formerly Coast Provincial Commissioner’s residence before attending to other matters.

DP Ruto was set to spend the night at the residence but was treated to a rude shock when his personal effects that had been lodged at the facility were hurriedly packed.

Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV on Wednesday night, the seemingly heartbroken former senate majority leader narrated how the events happened.

Murkomen who had appeared on the famous JKLIVE show said that the president recently kicked his deputy out of a house in Mombasa.

“What became of Uhuru Kenyatta that today he chased William Ruto from a house in Mombasa. He is the same person who has been ordering the arrests of anyone associated with the DP,” he stated.

Murkomen also revealed that three years ago, he was flying with President Uhuru and DP Ruto in a private chopper to Nakuru to assure their supporters that they were ready for a re-run after the election results were nullified by Chief Justice David Maraga.

He however, found it difficult to point out what had exactly happened for the relationship between the party leaders to deteriorate at such a rate.

“What is this one sin that washes away all the good things DP Ruto has done for the President?” he asked.

According to Murkomen, President Kenyatta has been sidelining his deputy, using the Covid-19 pandemic as a cover.

“He hasn’t been inviting him to very important meetings nor has he been giving him any task. Let us stop trying to hide behind diplomacy, the fact is that the President is persecuting his deputy,” Murkomen asserted.

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Top Transport ministry officials were on Wednesday September 2, 2020 sent away by National Assembly committee on health, saying the team was unprepared to respond to its questions.

The Sabina Chege-chaired committee said the Transport ministry officials who appeared before them were not adequately prepared.

The Transport ministry was represented by Health CAS Chris Obure during the afternoon session.

He appeared before the committee to explain the ministry’s role in the clearing of Jack Ma Foundation donations.

Obure had told the committee that all the donations were cleared exclusively by the government clearing agency.

“The document before us from the ministry is not well prepared. We need to compare what was donated, what was received and what actually ended up in the warehouse,” Chege said.

The Health committee probing the loss of Covid-19 funds demanded written submissions.

Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny said the ministry is not prepared to face them in regards to the questions they have.

“…when we have people come here with half baked information, it causes tension,” he said.

“I will appeal that any institution invited here, if they are not prepared, they need to go back. I know you are experienced, you should not panic.”

Kutuny said the public should be fed with enough information on the investigations.

“I want to appeal to the government that they fine tune their communication,” he said.

Chege asked Obure to go and prepare himself and come back with facts.

“If we have this gaps you will keep Kenyans guessing. We will see you tomorrow at 9:30am on Thursday,” she said.

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Deputy President William Ruto has fired back at Jubilee Vice Chairman David Murathe’s remarks during his interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday night.

Murathe while being interviewed by Waihiga Mwaura dragged DP Ruto into the Covid-19 millionaires scandal, claiming that DP’s allies are at the center of the KEMSA scandal.

Murathe distanced himself from a company that had been associated with him and argued that it belonged to partners of DP William Ruto.

This is despite reports that Murathe and the owner of the company that was allegedly awarded a tender by KEMSA had previously partnered in other businesses.

According to Murathe, he partnered with the said individual in a lot of issues but  not on the deal with KEMSA.

He said he had not submitted his evidence to the investigating agencies since he had not been summoned.

Murtahe however, noted that he had filed a complaint with the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) against individuals who linked him to KEMSA scandal.

KEMSA was accused of inflating prices of personal protective equipment (PPEs) and masks and awarding illegal tenders.

In his response, DP Ruto claimed that he was being used as a scapegoat in the scandal and warned that the end of corruption in the country was coming.

“The corruption “consultants”, brokers and conmen, some bankrupt in 2013, are now billionaires after looting while scapegoating WsR (William Samoei Ruto).

“Their overgrown impunity is shamelessly making them steal even from the sick in a pandemic. The end is nigh. Nowhere to hide. No more scapegoating,” stated Ruto.

Ruto condemned the Covid-19 scandal a number of times and even accused ODM of double speak after the party called for thorough investigations in the graft. 

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Jubilee Vice Chairman David Murathe has distanced himself from Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) scandal that saw millions of shillings meant to combat Covid-19 get lost in poor procurement of equipment.

Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday night, Murathe shifted the blame on Deputy President William Ruto’s allies.

He distanced himself from a company that had been associated with him and argued that it belonged to partners of DP William Ruto.

This is despite reports that Murathe and the owner of the company that was allegedly awarded a tender by KEMSA had previously partnered in other businesses.

According to Murathe, he partnered with the said individual in a lot of issues but  not on the deal with KEMSA.

He said he had not submitted his evidence to the investigating agencies since he had not been summoned.

Murtahe however, noted that he had filed a complaint with the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) against individuals who linked him to KEMSA scandal.

KEMSA was accused of inflating prices of personal protective equipment (PPEs) and masks and awarding illegal tenders.

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Jubilee Party vice chairman David Murathe has once again lashed out at Deputy President William Ruto over his continued criticism against the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report.

Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday night, Murathe accused DP Ruto of mobilising a ‘No campaign’ even before the BBI team hands over its final report.

According to Murathe, it is wrong to oppose a referendum before knowing the contents of the BBI report.

“I’m surprised that some people are opposing a referendum yet they have not seen the final report. People are taking positions on a document they have not seen. A document that has not been unveiled or presented to the two principals, ” he said.

Murathe said nobody is privy to the contents of the BBI’s final report.”We are all waiting for the document to be unveiled and only then will we know what lies ahead,” he added.

He maintained that everybody  had a chance to present their views to the BBI task force as it was going round collecting opinions.

Speaking during the he weekend at the Coast, Ruto said the Constitution should be fully implemented and not amended.

Ruto had earlier said no one had sought his views on BBI as a member of Jubilee, but Murathe said the President’s stand is taken as the stand of the party.

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Embattled Thirdway Alliance party leader Ekuru Aukot has been barred by Political Parties Disputes Tribunal from accessing his party offices.

The Tribunal on Tuesday September 1, 2020 gave an order on barring the suspended Aukot, his servant, agents, or employees from accessing or entering the party’s offices pending the hearing and determination of his disciplinary case by party members.

Aukot was suspended on August 26 over allegations of financial impropriety and lack of transparency to party members.

Thirdway Alliance National Executive Committee (NEC) suspended Aukot following a meeting held at the party’s headquarters.

The party had sought a prohibitory injunction from the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal proscribing Aukot, his servants from accessing the office or dealing in any manner with the members of  NEC.

The Certificate of Agency from the party filed on August 31 demanded that Aukot be barred until the party Disciplinary Committee made its ruling on September 4.

Deputy Director of the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal granted the party their wishes, giving Aukot and interested parties seven days to file their complaints.

The tribunal will hold a virtual meeting with the concerned parties on September 9 to confirm compliance.

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Migori County Governor Okoth Obado has been released on a Ksh8.7 million cash bail or Ksh20 million bond in Ksh73.4 million graft case.

Chief Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi on Monday August 31, 2020 ordered that Obado be barred from accessing Migori County office until the case is concluded.

He directed that the governor be escorted to pick his belongings.

Obado was arrested alongside his four children on August 26 after surrendering to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) offices in Kisii for questioning over the alleged embezzlement of public funds.

The accused denied all the counts of graft at the Migori county government on Friday when they were arraigned.

In today’s bail ruling, Obado and his children were ordered to deposit their passports in court.

While approving the arrest and prosecution of the suspects last week, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji said the county chief irregularly received the money through his children from companies trading with the county.

This, according to Haji, happened between 2013/14 and 2016/17 financial years.

Investigations also showed that the companies belonged to persons closely related to Obado.

The companies are; Misoft Company Limited, Tarchdog Printers, Deltrack ICT services, Seletrack Consultants, Mactebac Contractors, Joyush Business, Swyfcon Engineering, Atinus Services, Kajulu business, Victorious Investment, Dolphins Softwares, Dankey Press and Pesulus Services.

The business proprietors are his three brothers: Jared Peter Kwaga, Patroba Ochanda and Joram Opala. The others were his mother, Penina Auma Otago and his sisters-in-law Christine Akinyi and Carolyne Onyango.

An audit trail showed that Ksh38.9 million was wired to his three children; Dan Okoth, Jerry Okoth, and Susan Okoth.

This money was used to pay for their school fees and daily upkeep. Some was also used to purchase two Toyota Land Cruiser V8.

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Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party communication director Philip Etale has dragged Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua into events that led to the rigging of elections in 2007.

Taking to his official twitter account on Tuesday August 18, 2020, Etale revealed how Karua was used to block Raila Odinga from accessing KICC, where elections were being rigged from.

Etale noted that he was a senior reporter at Citizen TV by the time, saying that he witnessed how Martha Karua was being driven in a maroon Toyota V-8 and stopped to block Raila’s convoy to KICC on the evening of election theft.

He went further to accuse the woman leader of yelling at the former Prime Minister like a kid.

“I was a senior reporter @citizentvkenya in 2007. I witnessed@MarthaKarua, being driven in a maroon V-8 guzzler stop & block @RailaOdinga‘s convoy to KICC on the evening of Election Theft. She yelled at RAO like a kid. I have never forgotten this. Mama, stop playing a good mama,” Etale tweeted.

However, Karua in her response denied the allegations, arguing that Etale was peddling some paid falsehood. She also wondered how the ODM communication boss was still remembering the car she was being driven in.

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Reports of match-fixing threaten to kill the beautiful game that is already at its deathbed in Kenya.

No real effort has been put by the federation or the law enforcers to try and combat the vice that has the potential to completely wipe out the beautiful game in the country.

Despite FKF and KPL living in denial over the existence of the vice, match-fixing is real in the Kenyan Premier League in the country and other lower leagues in the country.

In 2019 Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula blew the whistle over match-fixing in the country, FKF rubbished his claims but early this year he was proved right when four players that he had accused of match-fixing in the country were banned by FIFA who conducted their own investigations.

“This thing has been going on for some time now; since last season. I suspected the same in one of our games, but I didn’t have solid evidence, though this time around I got the evidence and players even confessed,” Shimanyula said in an interview last year.

He went ahead to name clubs that were taking part in match-manipulation in the country.

“I don’t have the evidence about the other clubs, but Gor Mahia, Sofapaka, AFC Leopards and Zoo’s names appeared prominently during my investigation on my own club, which I have concrete evidence, involving seven players, the coach, and assistant coach, that they were fixing matches,” he added.

Shimanyula’s claims were ignored by Football Kenya Federation and Kenyan Premier League managers but it definitely caught the ears of FIFA who stepped in to investigate the matter and found four players guilty. One of them was handed a lifetime ban while the other three will serve four-year bans each.

Sofapaka president Elly Kalekwa too admitted that some of his players had been involved in match-fixing. After signing a deal with Singaporean company Living 3D Holdings, one of the demands in the deal was that the company signs and pays five foreign players. Little known to Kalekwa, the foreign players would engage in match-fixing.

“I confronted the foreign players one after the other, and they confessed. They told me that indeed they had been instructed to throw away matches, but that they had not yet started doing it. I had to let them all go because I do not condone match-fixing,” he told the Daily Nation.

The same was the case at Zoo FC in Kericho when they sacked give players for allegedly being part of the match fixing syndicate.

“We used to concede goals suspiciously, and I had to dig and know what is happening, and that is when I realised the three were fixing matches,” head coach Herman Iswekha stated.

“They were working with a certain individual on how many goals to concede in half and full-time. After investigating them, we managed to obtain enough evidence and after further questioning, we decide to let them go to keep the name of the club clean,” he added.

The admissions by the three leaders is a clear indication that match fixing is real in the country and it needs a sober approach and measures to curb it.

One of those interested in killing the vice is Wazito FC president Ricardo Badoer, the Swedish businessman offered to pay 20 million to anyone willing to give information on syndicate in the country.

“I know for sure there are people that have proof of match-fixing. It is ruining our sports and I am sticking to my guns by giving 10 million to 20 million shillings if the proof is strong enough,” the ambitious businessman stated.

Badoer’s offer is a clear case of someone willing to fight the vice and ensure that the game is clean. He is offering solutions and all stakeholders should come on board and support the noble course.

A clean game is the least Kenyans deserve and with people like Badoer, Kenyan game is in safe hands.

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Former Mathare, Tusker, Ushuru, Thika United, and Nairobi City Stars striker Kevin Opiyo Oliech is dead.

He was born on December 24, 1986. Locally, he played for Tusker FC, Gor Mahia and Nakumatt FC.

Internationally, he played for German fifth tier side KFC Uerdingen 05 and second-tier Alemannia Aachen, among other teams.

Opiyo died while undergoing treatment at a German hospital.

He was the younger Sibling to former Harambee Stars players Dennis Oliech and Andrew Oyombe.

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Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen has claimed that detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have been ordered to arrest and prefer false charges against at least five senators.

Taking to his official twitter account on Sunday August 16, 2020, Murkomen claimed that the targeted senators are those that are opposing the President Uhuru Kenyatta’s proposed County revenue allocation formula.

Terming the formula as oppressive, the former senate majority leader said that they will stand with Kenyans and ensure that the formula does not pass.

He claimed that the detectives have this morning gone for Samburu Senator Dr Steve Ltumbesi Lelegwe, terming the move as desparation.

He dared the detectives to go ahead and arrest any of them. Murkomen argued that should they get arrested, there will be no senate session tomorrow (Monday August 17, 2020.

“DCI has been ordered to arrest&prefer false charges against at least 5 Senators opposed to the oppressive Revenue Formula.They are currently going for Sen.Dr. Steve Ltumbesi Lelegwe, Samburu County.Desperation is real. Arrest any of us and there will be no session tomorrow,” Murkomen tweeted.

Senators are expected to convene tomorrow for a special seating to determine on which formula is the best for all the 47 counties.

Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka on Friday gazetted the special convention of Senator on Monday, the ninth sitting to be held in a span of two months, to debate and vote on the controversial formula.

Lusaka said the sitting will be strictly limited to the consideration of the third basis for the allocation of revenue to the counties.

The senators have failed in eight sittings to conclude the debate and vote on the formula that has divided the House down the middle.

One camp, dubbed Team Kenya, has opposed a proposal fronted by the Finance and Budget Committee of the House that cuts allocations to 19 counties by Sh17 billion.

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Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen has claimed that senate speaker Kenneth Lusaka is moving around big hotels in Nairobi trying to lobby senators to support an adjournment motion that will be moved by Siaya senator James Orengo this afternoon.

Taking to his official twitter account on Friday August 14, 2020, the former senate majority leader accused speaker Lusaka of doing rounds in city Hotels to temper with a special sitting that he has convened on Monday August 17, 2020.

The senators are supposed to meet again on Monday to debate on the County Revenue Allocation formula that has brought the senate at a standoff.

The senate has been adjourning for the past eight times that they have met to discuss and make a decision on how the revenues will be shared among the 47 counties.

However, from Murkomen’s post, there is another plot to adjourn the senate of a record nine times.

“Speaker Lusaka has convened a special sitting on Monday but he is busy doing rounds in city hotels lobbying Senators to support an adjournment motion to be moved by Sen.Orengo in the same sitting. We have sunk this low ?” Murkomen posted on twitter.

Senators on Tuesday voted 25-20 to adopt Meru Senator Mithika Linturi’s amendment to the revenue sharing formula. 

The senators are now expected to proceed to vote on the motion.

In the amendments to Nairobi’s Johnson Sakaja’s proposal, Linturi proposed a reduction to the baseline (equal share) from Sh316.5 billion as proposed by Sakaja to Sh270 billion.

Linturi suggests that other parameters of sharing revenue should apply to the difference of Sh46.5 billion. 

Sakaja had suggested that the entire Sh316.5 billion allocated to the 47 counties in the current financial year be shared equally.

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Former Kakamega County senator Boni Khalwale has found himself in trouble over a controversial statement he made against Suna East MP Junet Mohamed.

Junet has threatened to sue Khalwale  for alleging that he has been paid money meant to fight Covid-19.

Khalwale while attending a public gathering in Busia early in the month, had alleged that Junet had been paid by Kemsa money meant to mitigate Covid-19 effects.

Through his lawyers, Junet said Khalwale’s sentiments had caused him gross distress and embarrassment while subjecting him to grave panic, fear, mental anguish and pain.

Khalwale further alleged that Homa Bay woman MP Gladys Wanga had been placed in the Finance committee to facilitate the deal.

According to the lawyers, Khalwale claimed that President Uhuru Kenyatta should fire Health CS Mutahi Kagwe for allowing Covid-19 money to paid to Wanga, Jubilee’s Party Sec-Gen Raphael Tuju and Junet.

“The statements in their ordinary meaning are calculated to mean our client is corrupt, dishonorable, unscrupulous, deceitful, untrustworthy, disreputable, unpatriotic a conspirator with others in the commission of criminal activities, immoral and above all a criminal,” read part of the demand letter.

Junet said as a result of the “reckless egoistic, careless and defamatory statements clothed with unparalleled impunity”, he has suffered injuries on his reputation while subjecting him further to public ridicule and odium.

“Our firm mandatory instructions are to demand from you an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the misplaced, wrong, malicious and illegal statements,” the demand letter said in part.

According to Junet, Khalwale in the said withdrawal, should publish it in broadcast media and print of wide circulation across the country.

“He should also tender an unconditional apology to our client after which the issue of quantum of damages and any other appropriate remedy may be discussed,” the lawyers said.

The lawyers said if Khalwale does not meet the demands in three days, legal proceedings will be commenced against him.

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