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Bomb attacks: Kenya deputy president blames judges

By WTOP Staff

TOM ODULA
Associated Press

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Faced with rising public anger over a wave terror attacks, Kenya’s deputy president appeared on Monday to blame the attacks on judges who have given bail to terror suspects.

William Ruto said that terror suspects Jamal Mohammed Awadh and Suleiman Mohammed Sayyed were free on bail and died Saturday while carrying out attacks on the Kenyan coast.

However, the families of the two men deny the two were involved or had been charged earlier.

Ruto claimed 22 other suspects accused of terrorism are out on bail and roaming freely in the country. He also cited the case of Fuad Abubakar Maswab, who is believed to have fled to Somalia while out on $116,000 bail.

Fuad, along with two British citizens, is accused of planning attacks over Christmas and New Year’s in 2011. One British suspect, Jermaine Grant, who has been remanded while his case is being heard, was found with explosives, Ruto said. The other British suspect, Samantha Lewthwaite, is still at large.

“We call on the judiciary to be a strong partner in the war against terror. We call on all players in the justice, law and order sector to stand with Kenyans. The Constitution provides a robust framework of civil liberties, which all Kenyans are meant to enjoy. The liberties must work for Kenyans, not against Kenyans,” he said.

“We believe that there is more that the judiciary can do,” Ruto said.

The families of Awadh and Sayyed held a press conference Monday in the coastal city of Mombasa where they said they were victims of Saturday’s blast at a bus stop.

“We demand the state to apologize for profiling innocent people,” said Sayyed’s mother, Leila Athufa.

The director of the rights group Haki Africa Hussein Khalid said the two men were working at the bus stop where the explosion took place and court records did not indicate they had been arrested or charged.

Kenyans expressed outrage over the attacks on social media. On Twitter thousands vented their fears, frustration and anger over the attacks and the fact that President Uhuru Kenyatta is in Nigeria on a state visit.

Kenya has suffered a string of terror attacks since it sent troops to Somalia in 2011. The latest came on Saturday — two blasts on Kenya’s coast that killed four — and Sunday, when bombs went off on two public buses, killing three.

Kenya has arrested thousands of suspects in recent weeks, mainly ethnic Somalis, in reaction to the attacks.

The security sweep has been heavily criticized by human rights groups who say officials have carried out abuses and are profiling Somalis. Police say the operation is aimed at weeding out terrorists and illegal aliens blamed for smuggling small arms and other weapons into Kenya through its porous borders.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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