Author: Eva Nyambura

National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) on Wednesday reduced the number of international flights as coronavirus continues to spread globally. In a statement,  KQ said that it has suspended two weekly flights to London on Tuesdays and Thursdays effective March 19 to April 16. Two flights to Paris (Monday and Wednesday) will starting March 25 until April 16 stand suspended. The carrier banned all flights on the Bangkok, Djibouti, Mogadishu, Khartoum routes until further notice. The suspension of these routes starts on March 17 but not later than April 30. KQ flights to Dubai have been reduced to once per day…

Learners will starting Monday, March 23 resume classes but via the internet and broadcast media, Education CS Prof George Magoha announced. The CS said primary and secondary learners will with the help of Kenya Broadcasting Services continue with their studies amid coronavirus scare. For instance, Magoha said, KBC will broadcast radio programmes daily from Monday to Friday through Radio Taifa and English Service. “Radio Taifa lessons will run from 10 am to 11 am. The English Service lessons will run from 9.15 am to 12 pm, and from 2 pm to 4 pm,” said the CS. For those interested in…

President Uhuru Kenyatta has warned traders and business owners against hiking commodity prices amid coronavirus spread scare. Speaking at State House on Wednesday morning, Uhuru urged the business fraternity to avoid taking advantage of other Kenyans as the government deals with the crisis. “To our traders and supermarkets, do your business but do it justly, no one is opposed to you making profits but indeed it is highly immoral if you take advantage of an unfortunate situation to make huge profits,” he said. The head of state further noted that the government was cracking down on unscrupulous traders trying to…

Pictures of a computer laboratory at Brookhouse International School took netizens by surprise. The state-of-the-art lab is well kept with every student at their work station. If you attended a public school, secondary or otherwise, you at some point had to wait in line for your colleagues. The Brookhouse students, unlike those in public schools can be seen using Mac computers. It is no secret that parents pay top dollar for their children to go to this school. For example, annual fees for children aged between 2-18 years averages at Ksh2,030,000. A report by International Schools Database showed that Nairobi…

A Kenya Power employee was on Tuesday apprehended after allegedly asking a former ward representative for a Sh300,000 bribe. Francis Macharia is said to have demanded for a pay off so as to reconnect former Mutithi Ward MCA Jinaro Jamumothe’s electricity. Jamumothe who has been without power for a month had apparently requested to have his line reconnected into a three-phase line instead of single phase line at Kagio. Following negotiations between the two parties, the bribe came down to Sh50,000. The suspect, a meter reader at the Kenya Power Kerugoya offices had allegedly been on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission’s…

President Uhuru Kenyatta has declared Saturday, March 21 a national prayer day following the coronavirus outbreak. According to the head of state, the event will be lead by religious leaders at State House starting noon. Kenyans will join in prayer from wherever they will be as they avoid public gatherings “…I have thought it necessary that this day of prayer be observed in our homes, in our places of work or wherever we shall be residing on that day,” Uhuru said. Uhuru asked Kenyans to turn to God and thank Him for his blessings and to lean on him during…

There was drama in the National Assembly as members of parliament protested the presence of Eldas MP Adan Keynan. Lawmakers wanted Keynan ordered out of the House on grounds that he was in London, recently. Speaker Justin Muturi was forced to order the MP out. As of Monday, London had 480 confirmed coronavirus cases. Some 55 people have died in the UK, with 14 being from London. Kenya on the other hand just confirmed her fourth case of COVID-19. The patient is said to have traveled from London on March 8. The first case was a woman who traveled from…

Kisii county deputy governor Joash Maangi is in trouble with the authorities over alleged assault of a domestic worker at his Riagongera rural home in Bomachoge Chache Sub County. Addressing reporters on Tuesday after recording his statement, Mr Maangi, an ally of Deputy President William Ruto said the matter is meant to malign his name. He further noted that his political detractors were manipulating the complainant to intimidate him. This he said as he wondered why the woman only came forward almost three months after the alleged incident. According to the DG, the matter that took place on December 24,…

There is a lot of misinformation circulating on the internet about the coronavirus which has so far spread to several parts of the world. Rumours being spread on the interwebs have, for example, in Kenya caused panic which on Friday translated into panic shopping and hiking of prices. While Kenya has only confirmed three cases of COVID-19, more people continue to work from home as learning is suspended in schools and universities. Anyway, let us help you debunk some of the lies or myths you might have heard from the interwebs. 1. You Need To Be Close To Someone For…

A Kenyan man has disappeared with money running into billions of shillings from individuals of the Somali descent. According to a Somalia-based publication, Hiiran Online, the Kenyan only identified as Abdalla created what was believed to be a forex-trading company. The company has been identified as Maalin. Reports indicate that he stole money from 20 Somalia MPs, senior Somalia government officials and members of the Somali community in the diaspora. Through the lawmakers, Abdalla made at least Sh6 billion. It is said that Abdalla operated 3 accounts while his employees cobtrolled 10 others. Maalin had registered 600 members mostly from…

Kenya’s largest telecommunications company Safaricom will for the next 90 days not charge person to person M-PESA transactions below Sh1,000 following the Covid-19 pandemic. The telco has also increased daily transaction limits from Sh70,000 to Sh150,000. On Sunday, President Uhuru Kenyatta asked telecos to consider reducing transaction fees as Kenyans avoid the use of physical bank notes. “In the meeting, it was agreed that all person-to-person transactions below Sh1,000 shall be free,” Safaricom  CEO Michael Joseph said. Further, Kenyans will be able to transact up to Sh300,000 up from the current limit of Sh140,000. As the people move away from…

Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) on Monday raided a clinic in Hurlingham, Nairobi for stocking fake coronavirus test kits. Avane cosmetics dermatology clinic and medical spa has been swindling unsuspecting Kenyans scared of contracting the deadly Covid-19. In an advert, the clinic purports that the kits, going for Sh3,000, will give the customers results in 15 minutes. The transaction, the clinic advises should be done via Mpesa to “avoid hospital queues or crowds”. “We are already at the facility and they will not stock the kits anymore,” Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council CEO Daniel Yumbya told Standard…

Bluebird Aviation Pilot Subow Mohamed Ahmed is expected in court today (Monday) over links with the Sh39 billion fake military equipment deal. Mr Ahmed,  a son of a Kenyan ambassador to a Middle East country was arrested on Saturday at the JKIA following a stop order. He had just arrived from India where his father was receiving treatment. According to those privy with the goings-on, the pilot admitted to knowing former Sports CS Rashid Echesa who is the prime suspect in the scandal. He also told detectives that he accompanied Echesa to Poland where they inspected the military equipment. He…

A Kenya Airways (KQ) flight from Lusaka, Zambia has diverted to Tanzania following two failed landing attempts at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi. Flight 708 was scheduled to land this morning at JKIA which has been deserted following the confirmation of Coronavirus in the country. The flight, Kahawa Tungu understands was supposed to land at 7.35 am but has been in the air for close to two hours now. The passengers left Lusaka at 3.45 am, Monday. Reports indicate that it was foggy at JKIA hence the failed landing attempts in the morning. The flight successfully landed…

22 people who are believed to have come into contact with a woman diagnosed with Covid-19 have been isolated at Mbagathi Hospital. Addressing reporters on Saturday, Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi stated that the “specimen of the 22 are currently undergoing testing at KEMRI.” Ms Mwangangi also stated that 23 other people who traveled with the woman have been identified and asked to self-quarantine for 14 days. Health officials also visited “patient zero’s” home area of Ongata Rongai where they fumigated homes close to her residence. The woman who flew into the country from the United States via London on March…