Author: Eva Nyambura

Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja has reached out to the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai. In a tweet, the “Super Senator” claimed to have been trailed by six police officers on Friday afternoon. According to Sakaja, the officers were using a white Isuzu KBZ 317X. They apparently sped off once the legislator blew their cover. “@IG_NPS kindly advice your 6 officers who’ve been trailing me all afternoon in a white Isuzu KBZ 317X to have some more tact. If they want a presentation on the formula that unites Kenya, give them my number. I’m available. They sped off when I…

Blogger cum YouTuber Edgar Obare is at Gigiri Police Station awaiting interrogation. In an Instagram post, the blogger with a more than 200,000 following, thanked his followers for the messages of support. “Am in Gigiri police station still awaiting interrogation thank you so much for the supporting messages (sic),” he wrote. Obare was arrested by DCI sleuths from his Kisumu home on Thursday. Reports indicated that his arrest was over a social media post about Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho and YouTuber Natalie “Tewa” Wanjiru. “So yesterday, I was informed I am being summoned to the DCI. I was kindly…

Chinese nationals residing in Kenya on Friday morning sought to flee the country, a day before international flights resume. Long queues were witnessed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) this morning. https://twitter.com/news_viusasa/status/1289138737016799232 According to a local blog, the Chinese nationals were leaving on request by their government. “The group is scheduled to fly to China on a repatriation flight. These flights are approved via a bilateral agreement between nations,” Kenya Airways Communications Director Dennis Kashero told the blog. Those asked why they were fleeing the country, they noted that the upsurge in Covid-19 cases was worrying. Others said that…

Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) acting secretary general Dr Chibanzi Mwachonda has tested positive for the novel COVID-19. In a statement, Dr Mwachonda said that he contracted the virus while dispensing his official duties. He did however note that he was in a stable condition and was self isolating. “My family is safe, contact tracing and testing of all close contacts is ongoing,” he said. The medic also stated that the disease was well in the community but that should be no cause for alarm or stigma. “The disease is in the widespread community transmission phase, all…

Kenya will starting August 1 allow travellers from 11 countries whose cases of Coronavirus have gone down. Speaking during the daily COVID-19 briefing, Transport CS James Macharia listed the countries with Tanzania missing from the list. Tanzanian President John Magufuli declared the country COVID-19 free with the last update on the deadly disease being on April 29. Flights from China, South Korea, Japan, Canada, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, France, Rwanda, Uganda, Namibia and Morroco will be allowed into Kenya. According to the CS, all arriving passengers with a PCR-based Covid-19 negative result, whose temperature is not above 37 degrees Celcius and do…

Kenya’s virus load on Thursday inched closer to the 20,000 mark after confirming 788 new cases of Coronavirus. Addressing the press from Afya House, Health CAS Dr Rashid Aman said the newly detected infections were from a 5,521 sample size. As a result, the total number of infections shot to 19,913. Of the new cases, 785 were Kenyans while three were foreigners. In terms of gender, 475 were male and 313 were female. He urged men to re-evaluate their diet, adding: “I urge all of us to adopt a healthy lifestyle, avoid smoking and alcohol and engage in physical activities.”…

Bondo officer commanding the police division (OCPD) Antony Wafula died of COVID-19, Governor Cornel Rasanga has confirmed. The county boss told the Public Accounts Committee of the Senate that the deceased tested positive for the virus posthumously. Rasanga also noted that two other officers within his government had contracted the novel COVID-19. Further, all officers at Bondo Police Station and those who came into contact with the deceased were directed to take the Coronavirus test. Mr Wafula developed breathing complications and was rushed to Bondo Sub-county Referral Hospital on Monday night at around 10pm. Unfortunately, he passed on at 1am…

An International nongovernmental organisation (NGO) Search For Common Good with the support of EU, has launched a new approach in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The project dubbed, Pamoja Dhidi ya Corona – Working Together Against Corona, will run for 15 months and will help marginalised communities in Kenya to fully implement their Governments’ COVID-19 response measures by providing accurate and trustworthy Government information. At the same time, the initiative will make sure that these communities’ voices are heard by the authorities in a two-way process, through dialogues and feedback mechanisms leading to more effective COVID-19 prevention and management measures.…

Governor Mike Sonko is to blame for the chaos that has rocked the Nairobi County Assembly, Speaker Beatrice Elachi has said. Speaking to Citizen TV, the county assembly speaker said that the governor has been fueling confusion in his quest to resolve supposed differences with the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) boss. “Instead of bitterness and fuelling confusion that no one understands, just sit down and use the law, not everyday hiring people to disrupt the assembly sittings,” Elachi said. She also accused the governor of hiring young men to disrupt the running of the city and stalling operations at the…

The Ministry of Health is upset with a surgeon at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) who has been carrying out his duties despite testing positive for COVID-19. The unnamed medic is said to have tried operating on a patient but was reported by a nurse. As a result, patients at the referral hospital are on high alert as it is unclear if he passed on the deadly virus. The medic also practiced at his private practice while sick with the virus. On Wednesday, Health CS Mutahi Kagwe visited Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council offices where he cautioned health practitioners…

A man accused of publishing false information about Interior CS Fred Matiangi’s health status has been released on Sh50,000 bail. Isaac Kibet was on Monday arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts and charged with publishing on social media claims indicating that the CS had contracted Covid-19 and was in the ICU. The police had requested the court to allow them detain the suspect for 14 more days to conclude investigations in the cybercrime case. The magistrate declined to grant the request which was opposed by the suspect’s lawyers. The suspect, a 33-year-old a freelance journalist, was arrested on Saturday at…

The Kenyan government will probe cases of mistreatment over at the Beirut consulate, Lebanon. This was following a report by CNN that highlighted cases of mistreatment among women who sought help at the consulate. The report indicated that the Kenyan Honorary Consul in Beirut, Sayed Chalouhi, and his assistant Kassem Jaber, physically and verbally assaulted the women. The women also told the Cable News Network that the two officials urged them to work as sex workers so as to raise money for their repatriation. “They started pushing me and beating me and I also pushed them,” a woman only identified…

Nominated Senator Sylvia Kasanga has replaced Nairobi Johnson Sakaja as the chairperson for the senate ad-hoc committee on Covid-19. Kasanga previously served as Sakaja’s vice chair. In a tweet, Kasanga thanked the committee members for allowing her lead the all important Committee. “It is with great humility that I humbly thank the Senate Ad hoc Covid-19 Response Committee for deeming me fit, to assume leadership as their Chairperson. This honor comes at a time when the response against the pandemic is at its peak, and when infections are on a steep rise,” she wrote. https://twitter.com/SylviaKasanga/status/1288409807750336514 On Tuesday, Bomet Senator Christopher…

Mlango Kubwa MCA Patricia Mutheu wants Inspector General of Police (IG) Hillary Mutyambai to sack four officers who assaulted her at City Hall on Tuesday. According to Mutheu, the officers attacked het with no provocation and caused her grievous harm. Through her lawyer, Cliff Ombeta, the ward representative asked that the IG be held accountable for the events that took place yesterday. “It’s with such in mind that we demand from you as the Inspector General of National Police Service to accept liability and it appears that you are now not able to control such rogue officers under your watch…

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe on Tuesday announced  606 new cases of COVID-19. This was after testing a 4,888 sample size in the last 24 hours.  Kenya’s virus load is now at 18,581. Of the newly detected infections, 583 are Kenyans while 23 are foreigners. 409 are males while 197 are females, with the youngest case being a 4 month old infant and the oldest an 85 year old person. Further, CS Kagwe said that another 75 patients have been discharged, pushing the total number of recoveries to 7,908. Unfortunately,  14 patients have lost their lives to the novel COVID-19. Fatalities…