Author: Francis Muli

The Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs last week announced that the Huduma Centre, GPO station, would be open for business starting August 17 (today). The difference this time is that henceforth, the branch will only be providing services on appointment. This latest development means that Kenyans in Nairobi will now be required to book a date before going to the GPO Huduma Centre to procure any services. The Ministry says this will help reduce people traffic and time spent waiting to be served. The first instance of a similar arrangement was at the Immigration Ministry after a…

Facebook has been planning for a long time to merge its messaging feature on its Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp apps. It looks like they finally took a step towards the integration as the company recently announced that it is merging Instagram and Facebook Messenger. Some Instagram users reported seeing a pop up on Instagram with the message “There’s a new way to Message on Instagram”. The pop up also listed some new features including a new colourful look for chats, additional emoji reactions,swipe-to-reply function and the mother of them all, “chat with friends who use Facebook.” Upon updating the app,…

Messaging app, Telegram has launched one-on-one video calls for Android and iOS. The company announced the new development noting that 2020 had highlighted the need for face-to-face communication. Telegram announced the news through a blog post which also celebrated its seventh anniversary. To launch video calls, update your Telegram app on iOS or Google Play store if it has not updated automatically. To start a video call, simply tap the profile of the person you want to communicate with, tap the three dots on the top right hand side for the menu and select ‘video call’ from the drop down…

Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has announced plans to auction 101 planes in various airports to recover accumulated parking fees that the owners have failed to pay. The owners have been given 30 days to to claim them before the auctioneer’s hammer falls, even as KAA declares them a safety risk. “The said aircraft will be sold by public auction and the proceeds of sale shall be defrayed against any incurred charges and the balance if any shall remain at the owners’ credit but should there be a shortfall, the owner shall be liable thereof,” said KAA acting managing director Alex…

On Sunday night, NTV ran an investigative piece on how Covid-19 billions had been stolen by unscrupulous businessmen and state officials. At the centre of the exposé is one Gordwins Agutu, the director of Network Action Against Corruption (NAAC), an anti-corruption lobby group. In the recent times, Agutu has been in the headlines pushing for quick action in anti-graft cases. His most recent media appearance was in July, when he EACC to investigate allegations of corruption at the Kenya Ports Authority. Unknown to many, Agutu was arrested in 2017 in a fraud case, where he was in possession of several…

Alleged officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Sunday night raided the homes of Bomet Senator Dr Christopher Langat and his Kakamega counterpart Cleophas Malala, demanding to arrest them. Dr Langat’s home in Nyayo Estate Embakasi was the first to be raided at around 10pm, forcing fellow senators to come to his rescue. The officers however held their ground, and by the time of going to press they were surrounding his house. Speaking through the window of his house, Senator Langat held that he would not go anywhere till morning. “I was in church in the morning if…

Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) is unable to account for at least Ksh43 billion meant for the fight against Covid-19, it has emerged. According to the Network Action Against Corruption (NAAC), there have been massive misappropriation and looting of funds by top government officials and businessmen. The looting has not only been on public funds, but also donations meant to help in the fight against Covid-19. According to an investigation piece by NTV’s Denis Okari, the first donation to the country by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma was looted by government officials and businessmen and a third of it sold to…

271 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Kenya in the last 24 hours raising the total number of confirmed cases to 30,120. From the cases, 268 were Kenyans and three were foreigners. The male are 170 and 101 female. The youngest case is an eight months infant, while the oldest is 86 years old. This was after 3,746 samples were tested in 24 hours, according to daily updates by the Ministry of Health. The cumulative number of those tested stands at 391,416. Nairobi County leads with 126, followed by Busia 14, Kirinyaga 13, Machakos 12, Narok 12, Kiambu 11,…

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has lifted the ban on importation of secondhand clothes (mitumba) that was imposed on March 31 due to Covid-19. In a public notice published on the local dailies today, KEBS said that it had gotten ‘new’ information from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hence it would allow controlled importation. “The Government through the Ministry of Industry, Trade & Enterprise Development, Ministry of Health, and KEBS held several consultations culminating to the development of protocols to guide on the importation and sale of used textiles and…

Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) CEO Ezekiel Mutua has said that Ohangla musician and producer who produced a song promoting paedophilia and degradation of women will be arrested. Without giving names of the two and the song, Mutua said that he had alerted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), after the Board received several complaints from the public including from Kisumu Woman Representative Rosa Buyu. “The Board is inundated with complaints about an obscene Ohangla video that’s promoting paedophilia and degradation of women. We have alerted the DCI to arrest the singer and the producer. Thank you Hon. Rosa Buyu…

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen now claims that at least five senators who have opposed the Commission for Revenue Allocation (CRA) formula will be arrested. In a tweet, Murkomen said that officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are currently going to arrest Samburu senator Dr Steve Ltumbesi Lelegwe. “DCI has been ordered to arrest&prefer false charges against at least 5 Senators opposed to the oppressive Revenue Formula.They are currently going for Sen.Dr. Steve Ltumbesi Lelegwe, Samburu County. Desperation is real. Arrest any of us and there will be no session tomorrow,” said Murkomen. https://twitter.com/kipmurkomen/status/1294915556215345154 In a tweet on…

ODM leader Raila Odinga now says that his enemies wished him death while he was on a medical trip to Dubai. Speaking during the burial ceremony of Elizabeth Olango in Bondo, Raila said that some of his enemies claimed that he had lost speech, and that he was being fed through a tube. “They were praying that I should die. Some of them said I had lost my speech and that I was on my deathbed. They even said that I was being fed using a tube,” Raila said. “Shame on you. I am fit as a fiddle and ready…

11 suspects escaped from Bungoma Police Station after digging a hole through the wall of the holding cells. According to reports, the police were alerted at around 3am by other suspects being held in the station, who discovered a hole dug on the rear wall through which the 11 had escaped. “The escapees had cut an angle line metal bar that reinforced the cells door and used the same to dig the hole,” read a police report. Among the escapees include Brian Ochieng Onyango (robbery with violence), John Wanyonyi (robbery with violence), Clerkson Otieno (burglary), Simon Wekesa (assault), Collins Juma…

Elgeyo Marakwet senator and the immediate former Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen has termed the current Majority Whip in Senate Irungu Kang’ata a clown, who cannot convince anyone. In a tweet on Sunday night, Murkomen accused Kang’ata of using blackmail to try and win Senators’ support in the revenue sharing bill. “Murang’a people left a solid negotiator Sen. Kembi (Gitura)  and elected a clown called Kang’ata who can’t convince anyone. He should know I am not one of those BBI boys to be blackmailed. How did Jubilee replace Sen. (Susann) Kihika with such a loser? Yes R.Valley would gain and…

A suspected drug dealer, Tom Ouma Aero, has over the weekend been arrested by detectives from the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU), Special Services Unit (SSU) and Anti Narcotics Unit(ANU) detectives from his hideout in Utawala. According to a report by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspect’s arrest was in connection with the seizure of 368.5 kilograms of cannabis sativa valued at over Ksh11 million from motor vehicle Registration Number KCQ 741V that was intercepted along Nakuru – Nairobi Highway on August 14, 2020. “The suspect is also believed to sponsor gangs in Korogocho, Huruma and Dandora to…