Author: Eva Nyambura

Siaya priest Richard Oduor has been set free on a Sh500,000 bond or a Sh150,000 cash bail after denying knowingly spreading COVID-19. The Catholic priest who  is based in Rome, Italy was arrested on Thursday last week after being discharged from the Kenyatta Hospital. On Tuesday, father Oduor appeared before Magistrate Martha Nanzushi who directed that he is detained for two additional days at the Kileleshwa Police Station pending investigations. Read: Government Pathologist Says Siaya Burial Was Unprocedural, Rules Out Exhumation Today, however, the priest was released and ordered to self-quarantine for 14 days at Assisi house on Adams Arcade.…

A Mombasa court has freed Kilifi deputy governor Gideon Saburi on a Sh200,000 cash bail or an alternative of Sh500,000 bond with a surety of a similar amount. The deputy county boss will also be required to self quarantine for another 14 days. Magistrate Elvis Micheka also ordered Saburi to deposit his travel documents with the court and to not communicate with witnesses. Saburi has been in custody for 13 days after he was charged with unlawfully and willingly exposed the public to an infectious disease. According to test results from Kenya Medical Research Institute in Kilifi, the DG tested…

Gospel artiste and former Tusker Project Fame winner Ruth Matete lost her Nigerian husband pastor BlessedJohn Apewajoye on Saturday in a gas cylinder accident. She announced his death in a Facebook page saying, “My Husband Beloved John Apewajoye has gone to be with the Lord ..I humbly ask for your prayers during this difficult time.” Fans and fellow celebrities condoled with the singer who is in her first trimester. But according to the deceased’s manager and friend Jessy McJessiey, Matete could have had a hand in his death. In a 17 minute video shared on YouTube, the manager raises pertinent…

DCI has warned of criminals taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to scam unsuspecting Kenyans. In a series of tweets, the DCI noted that there is a new crop of fraudsters selling non-existent products by circulating phishing emails. https://twitter.com/DCI_Kenya/status/1250400745209442304 The scammers sell the products specially via social media. Potential customers are asked to follow a link for free goodies among them money, data bundles. “Messages accompanying such links are enticingly packaged with captivating words meant to prompt potential but unsuspecting victims to click onto them with a promise of getting something declared therein,” DCI wrote. These links, DCI explains further,…

Do not celebrate the number of coronavirus cases just yet, Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said as he announced 9 new cases. This brings the total number of cases to 225. In the last 24 hours the ministry has tested 803 samples, he said. Of the 9 new cases, five are from Nairobi while the other four are from Mombasa. They are all Kenyan nationals without history of Foreign travel. The new cases are aged between 9 and 69 years. Unfortunately, one more person has succumbed to the novel COVID-19 bringing the number of fatalities to 10. The CS did however…

The government will not evacuate Kenyan nationals stuck abroad as the spread of the novel COVID-19 wreaks havoc across the world. Appearing before the Parliamentary Defence and Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Amb. Macharia Kamau said the cost of evacuating citizens is too high. Amb. Kamau pointed out that there are an estimated 3 million Kenyans in foreign countries hence evacuating a fraction of them would prove difficult. He further noted that chartering flights in different parts of the world is not the same as hiring a matatu. “Those asking us to send planes, should know…

South African retail giant Shoprite is set to close up shop at the Waterfront, Karen branch. In a letter addressed to Kenya Union of Commercial Food and Allied Workers secretary general, the retailer declares their intention to close the outlet as it is no longer viable. Shoprite management further notes that all the employees at the branch will as a result of ceasing operations be declared redundant. The retailer has at least 104 employees at the outlet which opened its doors on September 26, 2019. In the letter, employees have been served with a month’s notice, after which they will…

On Sunday, Deputy President William Ruto claimed a section of Jubilee Party members were keen on edging him out of the party. In a tweet, the deputy party leader did however clarify that his boss and the party leader was not party to the illegal process that was meant to change members of the National Management Committee. “The President and party leader of JP did NOT and CANNOT be party to any FRAUDULENT and ILLEGAL changes to officials of our party. This is the works of political rejects, conmen & fraudsters who’s party allegiance is already elsewhere. They should give…

The government will roll out mass testing for COVID-19 as the number of positive cases hit 216. 12,000 kits will be deployed in the first phase of the exercise.They will be distributed among Mombasa,  Nairobi, Siaya and Mandera counties. Speaking during the daily briefing, Health CAS Dr Mercy Mwangangi said eight new cases of the respiratory disease have been confirmed. They were among the 694 samples tested in the last 24 hours. Six of the eight cases had a travel history from Dubai, Pakistan. Of the new cases, six are from Nairobi while Siaya, Nakuru reported one case each. One…

Even as the country grapples with the novel COVID-19, Kenyans can now rest easy after fuel prices dropped significantly. In the latest Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) review, super petrol, diesel and kerosene have dropped by Sh18, Sh4 and Sh18 respectively. Starting Wednesday, super petrol will retail at Kshs.92.87, diesel at Sh97.56 while kerosene will sell at Sh77.28 down from Sh95.49 . “The changes in in this month’s prices are as a consequence of the average landed cost of imported super petrol decreasing by 34.61% from US$472.59 per cubic metre in February to US$309.03 per cubic metre in March,”…

A police officer attached to the Presidential Escort Unit was on Sunday arrested at a roadblock after flouting the dusk till dawn curfew. In a police report at Embakasi Division, the officer identified as a Mr Kiragu is said to have been arrested at around 10 pm at the former GSU training school junction where a roadblock was erected. The report “visit by a senior officer” indicated that the Prescot officer was directed by Major-General Ayub Matiri, the Commanding Officer of the National Command Centre for Covid-19, to head back but declined. Mr Kiragu explained that he was from work…

Two police officers were caught on tape fighting two boda boda riders transporting charcoal in Magarini constituency, Kilifi County. In a seven minute video, one officer appears drunk while the other clashes with the riders. He is heard demanding for a bribe. The riders blatantly defy the orders forcing one of the officers to draw his firearm. The officer, now angry at the riders, waves the gun at them as the heated argument attracts a small crowd. At some point, the gun brandishing officer is asked to identify himself. He replies that he is not a Kenya Police officer. In…

Detectives on Monday arrested four people for stealing mobile phones worth over Sh120 million on April 10. They are; Mwangangi Kyalo (41), Jacob Waithaka (39), Patrick Irungu (45) and Newton Mwenda (35). https://twitter.com/DCI_Kenya/status/1249791569743564801 According to the DCI, the shipment was on transit from African Cargo at JKIA to Rolling Cargo Ltd warehouse in Eastleigh. DCI says that the lorry transporting the 750 cartons diverted from the designated route and was found abandoned along Masai Road while empty. “The said cargo parked in 750 cartons was being ferried on an Isuzu FRR lorry Reg. No. KBZ 628X driven by 40-yr-old Daniel…

Kenya has on Monday confirmed 11 cases of COVID-19 bringing the total number to 208. Health CS Mutahi Kagwe while addressing the press at Afya House,  said 674 samples have been tested in the last 24 hours. “We have scaled up our preparedness in response to contain the disease, and scaled-up our Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) where we have spent millions of shillings, upwards of Ksh40 million. We have also tested over 8000 samples from quarantined persons and their contacts,” he said. All the 11 cases are Kenyan nationals with 4 having traveled to the UAE. Of the 11 confirmed…

An attaché at Kenya’s Consulate-General in Los Angeles, US is dead. Ruth Anyango Ogonda was last week admitted at Olympia Medical Centre, Los Angeles with COVID-19 like symptoms. In a statement, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau mourned Ogonda as a “seasoned, calm, effective staffer, collaborating well with her colleagues and leadership”. He did however indicate that the cause of death is still unknown. The ministry is awaiting autopsy results that will be released sometime this week. “It is with the deepest regret, that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya, announces the untimely demise…