Author: Eva Nyambura

Africa’s most populated country is dealing not only with Coronavirus or COVID-19 but a much deadlier epidemic. Nigeria is fighting an epidemic known as Lassa Fever that has been around for years now but has gradually become lethal. According to the World Economic Forum, Lassa fever, a severe viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) just like Ebola and Marburg occurs throughout the year in Nigeria and was declared an “active outbreak” by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) towards the end of 2019. The disease is spread through contact with food or household items contaminated with urine and feces of a…

Africa Nazarene University has suspended learning in its main and Nairobi campuses after Kenya confirmed its first case of coronavirus. In a letter, the institution of higher learning asked its students to exercise caution amid fears of Covid-19 spread. Further, the learners were asked to vacate premises between Saturday, March 14 and Monday, March 16. Thereafter, only authorised personnel will be allowed into the varsity. Distance learning classes will however continue as scheduled. The management has also asked international students who will not manage to check out of the campus within the stipulated timelines to consult the Dean of students…

Retailer Tuskys has assured its customers that commodity prices will not go up, hours after Kenya confirmed its first coronavirus case. According to CEO Dan Githua, Tuskys has engaged its suppliers and will continue to receive commodities at the standard prices. “For more than 90 percent of the general supermarket merchandise, we have in-country stocks and manufacturing capacity to service local demand,” the statement reads in part. He also noted that the retailer experienced “shop floor traffic spike” as fears of items running out spread. The high demand for foodstuffs and cleaning products saw the Competition Authority (CAK) demand that…

Dutch billionaire Tob Cohen’s widow Sarah Wairimu Cohen wants detectives who took over her Kitisuru matrimonial home six months ago ordered out. On Friday, her lawyer Phillip Murgor told the court that the officers have delayed investigations into the case. “The continued holding of her matrimonial property by the DCI is without lawful cause and there is no sufficient legal cause [for it],” Murgor said. Read: Sarah Cohen Accuses DCI Of Lying About Dogs Whereabouts, Wants Them Released Into Her Custody According to her counsel, Inspector Maxwell Otieno has stated that the home is still an active crime scene. But…

In 2019 police officers moved out of government houses in accordance with a September 2018 presidential directive. But Interior CS Fred Matiang’i said some 20,000 officers would have to stay put owing to the nature of their jobs. According to Matiang’i, officers from the Border Police Unit (6,000), Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit (CIPU) (8,280), and 5,000 from the Anti-Stock Theft Unit would not move out of the government houses. Also needed to remain behind was Recce Squad and the Rapid Deployment Unit. Administrative Police officers attached to VIPS are also required to live in their camps as it is much…

Politics is the last thing on my mind, Jubilee party secretary-general and CS without portfolio Raphael Tuju has said. Tuju flew in on March 7 after receiving specialized treatment in the United Kingdom on President Uhuru Kenyatta’s orders. Speaking during a Heart to Heart Foundation press briefing, Tuju said he sustained injuries to the intestines and 13 broken ribs. “My lungs collapsed because I had 13 broken ribs and doctors had to make the life and death decision by removing the life support system so that I would go for specialized treatment in London,” he said. Read: Jubilee Party’s Raphael…

While much is made of the potential of new technologies like cloud, IoT, AI and Blockchain, their success depends entirely upon ubiquitous connectivity. There can be little doubt that the much-touted Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is underway, to the extent that this latest evolution could be described being less about the technology itself than how to use it to enable advancement. The 4IR could be seen as being about the ‘rise of connectivity’, which will unlock new avenues for creating value and additional opportunities to deliver solutions and services that can significantly and positively alter society as a whole. Essentially,…

Prime suspect in the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani, Joseph “Jowie” Irungu walked to freedom on Wednesday evening and is currently in Nakuru. This has been confirmed by his friend and former radio presenter, Joe Muchiri. “Jowie was successfully released yesterday in the evening after the family succeeded in fulfilling the BOND requirements as ordered by the court. The BAIL was too much, it was 2 million cash & 3 sureties of the same which was 8 million in total,” Muchiri tweeted. https://twitter.com/JoeWMuchiri1/status/1238023049938690048 According to Muchiri, the family could not raise the Sh2 million cash bail and the 3 sureties…

A Kiambu family on Wednesday surprised many after they held a burial ceremony for their loved one, but without the body. The family of Brian Kimani, 13, held a “virtual” burial for the boy who succumbed to Acute Myeloid Leukemia in February at ACK Saint Stephen’s Gatuikira church in Ndenderu, Kiambu county. The boy was receiving treatment at Gertrude Hospital when he lost the battle to cancer. Read: KNH Dispels Rumours Of Coronavirus Patient Being Admitted At Facility According to the family, they had failed to raised money to pay off the hospital bill which stood at 17.8 million. The…

Former Sports CS Rashid Echesa claims he has suffered embarrassment and loss of dignity since his vehicles were impounded by DCI detectives. Through his lawyer, Bryan Khaemba, the ex-CS wants his Range Rover (Reg No KCR 786H) returned to him. “The respondents’ continued confiscation of the vehicle has subjected me to embarrassment and loss of dignity because I am now forced to use public transport, and even sometimes travel on foot,” he said in his application. He castigated the DCI for subjecting “my car to vandalism and rot where it is impounded at the DCI headquarters”. Read: “DCI Drama Meant…

Taxi-hailing app Uber might suspend accounts of riders and drivers who have tested positive or have been exposed to the COVID-19 or coronavirus, CNN reports. The US-based company has indicated that it has a team working with public health services to help curb the epidemic that has so far claimed over 4,000 lives. “We have a dedicated global team, guided by the advice of a consulting public health expert, working to respond in every market where we operate around the world,” Uber said. Read: Hong Kong, Singapore Sevens Pushed Back Over Coronavirus Fears “We’ve already helped drivers in some affected…

University of Nairobi (UoN) will no longer pay per diems for trips not organized by the institution as a cost-cutting measure. In an internal memo by acting university registrar Peter Muturi dated February 26, the institution refers to the National Treasury circular on austerity measures that directed Education ministry’s chief administrative officers and principal secretary to cut back on cost. “The executive office of the president/head of public service has directed that all travel requests that are sponsored by the organisers will be treated as such and hence no quarter per diem will be approved,” the memo reads. Read: Kenyatta…

Msambweni Member of Parliament Suleimani Dori has been laid to rest in Gazi, Kwale county. The legislator passed on on Monday morning at the Aga Khan Hospital where he was receiving treatment. He succumbed to cancer. During his burial, Suba South John Mbadi was booed by mourners for linking Deputy President William Ruto to the Sh39 billion fake arms deal. Read: The BBI Report Released Yesterday Was Fake – Moses Kuria The deceased was a close ally of the DP after he (Dori) and his Malindi counterpart Aisha Jumwa were expelled from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party for backing…

Africa Merchant Assurance Company (Amaco) risks closure, again after a petitioner filed an application for its liquidation. Bernard Kihiu Magothe through his lawyer Njoroge Baiya & Company advocates filed a liquidation application and has asked others to join. In a Gazette notice no 1929 released on March 9, the petitioner has filed a petition against the underwriter which will be heard  April 17, 2020. Read: Amaco Insurance Loses Office Furniture Over Ksh15 Million Debt “The petition for the liquidation of the above-mentioned company by the High Court was on March 2, 2020, presented to the said court by Bernard Kihiu…

Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok is safe after surviving an attempted assassination in the state’s capital, Khartoum, state media reports. Mr Hamdok has according to Al Jazeera been moved to a safe location. A bomb went off shortly after his convoy passed the Cooper suburb, northeast of the capital Khartoum. Read: Terrorists Planning An Attack In A Nairobi Hotel – US No injuries have been reported. Sudan has been in an economic crisis nearly a year after former leader Omar Al Bashir was ousted. Inflation stands at 60% and the unemployment rate, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was at…