Author: Francis Muli

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives have arrested a 45 year old suspected online fraudster by the name Anthony Njenga Wanjiku. This follows several complaints by members of the public against Njenga who runs a Facebook page purporting to sell electronic goods where unsuspecting members of the public are lured to buy them but are blocked immediately after paying for the said items. Three mobile phones, a HP laptop and 32 sim cards registered under different ID numbers have been recovered in his house at Highridge. He will face charges of obtaining money by false pretense. https://twitter.com/DCI_Kenya/status/1249767387697754113 Email your news…

ODM leader Raila Odinga was today spotted heading to Central Organization of Trade Unions secretary general Francis Atwoli’s home in Ildamat, Kajiado County. Raila was in the company of Devolution CS Eugine Wamalwa and President Uhuru Kenyatta’s ally David Murathe, who is also Jubilee Party Vice Chairman. https://twitter.com/oleitumbi/status/1249675868928122880?s=21 Earlier in the day, Raila met Baringo Senator Gedion Moi in the house of Paul Otuoma, but it is not clear what was discussed. https://twitter.com/RobertAlai/status/1249039773798469633 This comes in the midst of a political tussle in ruling Jubilee Party, which saw members of the National Management Council (NMC) changed. It is thought that…

The Kenyan government has inked a deal with Ethiopian Airlines to operate passenger planes grounded due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) for shipment of cargo between the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport ( JKIA) to Europe and Asia. The deal was signed on April 3, allowing Ethiopian Airlines to fly cargo using six of its passenger planes from Mombasa to Nairobi and Asia and Europe, posing a threat to the Kenya Airways (KQ) cargo business. “Reference is made to your letter… this is to advise you that approval is granted to Ethiopian Airlines to operate as cargo flights from April 3 to…

Activist Okiya Omtatah has moved to court to overturn the appointment of Dr Peter Kamunyo as the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) CEO on grounds that the recruitment process was opaque and shambolic. In Court papers filed on April 9, Omtatah argues that the board flouted recruitment laws and handed the CS for health imaginary powers to handpick one candidate. “The Board abandoned a responsive recruitment process which commenced in the July 2019, and resulted in names of the top three  successful candidates being presented to the Cabinet Secretary for appointment, although this was not necessary because the CS’s powers…

American tech companies Google and Apple have collaboratively developed an initiative that will enable trace people who come into close contact with Coronavirus (Covid-19) patients. The initiative will be available for over 3 billion people who enable location tracking through Bluetooth. Users who came into contact with a person who tests positive for Covid-19 will be alerted on their phones automatically. “To further this cause, Apple and Google will be launching a comprehensive solution that includes application programming interfaces (APIs) and operating system-level technology to assist in enabling contact tracing,” announced Google and Apple. Read: TikTok : The New Social…

The government now says the bizarre Siaya burial of a suspected Covid-19 victim was not according to the stipulated guidelines. Speaking to Citizen TV last night, Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor however ruled out possibility of exhuming the body for a decent burial. “I don’t think that was what we meant when we came up with the guidelines. What we meant was burying the body within 24 to 48 hours. Even when you are burying the body, cultural, religious observation should be taken care of,” said Dr Oduor. The burial took place in Kamalungi village in Simur, North Ugenya even as…

Telkom recently announced, that its partnership with Loon, the Alphabet company working to bring balloon-powered Internet to Kenya. The initiative has now received all regulatory and Cabinet approvals to begin flying balloons in Kenya. The balloons will be dispatched from Loon’s sites in the United States, and will arrive in the country in the next few weeks. Already, four balloons have arrived in Kenyan airspace and are being used to expedite network integration testing. The Loon service, will seek to use its 4G LTE Internet solution to connect unserved and under-served communities in Kenya. Initial coverage areas have already been…

Telkom Kenya has partnered with the University of Nairobi to provide a tailored data solution for their E-Learning progamme. The company will provide a customized data solution to over 40,000 faculty members, staff and students across the University’s 13 campuses in the country during the Covid-19 pandemic period. The Soma na Telkom Bundles, are monthly post-paid data bundles that have been tailored to meet the needs of the University’s 40,000 plus population, to continue working and studying wherever they are. The UoN has 13 campuses with 35 Faculties, schools, institutes and centres. The President ordered all schools to be closed…

The battle is not yet over for Kirinyaga governor Anne Mumbi Waiguru, as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC)  comes knocking days after impeachment motion was dropped. The governor is being investigated for conflict of interest in awarding a Ksh50 million tender, as well as awarding MCAs allowances for fictitious trips. Investigations will commence immediately after the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic is contained, according to EACC Central region manager Charles Rasugu. The investigations will rope in a former acting speaker, who is said to have a role in the graft allegtions. Read: Chaos As Alleged Kirinyaga Deputy Governor’s Supporters Clash With…

The rift in Jubilee Party is still widening, with the party Secretary general Raphael Tuju now claiming he acted on instructions from President Uhuru Kenyatta to change party officials, who is the party leader. Speaking to the Standard, Tuju said most members of the National Management Committee had joined the government and consequently resigned, leaving a vacuum. “This was a simple procedure of the party leader replacing vacant party positions within the NMC, Ms Shukri and Ms Mutua have since joined the government and therefore could not hold the positions in the party,” said Tuju. His sentiments were echoed by…

A Nyandarua police officer has been admitted in hospital after he allegedly shot himself six times, in a suspected failed suicide mission. The officer, Police Constable Geoffrey Iriko, was on duty manning the Mirangine Police Station report office and cells alongside his female colleague. According to Nyandarua police boss Gideon Ngumi, Mr Iriko excused himself to go for supper in his house, where he shot himself with his G3 riffle. “The female officer heard the gunshots soon after the victim left…the gunshots were from the officer’s house. She rushed to the scene where she found said officer unconscious on the…

Fraudsters are behind the proposed change of Jubilee Party officials, Deputy President William Ruto has said. Ruto, who is also the Deputy Party leader says that he has already notified the registrar of political parties of the ‘fraud’, and the matter is being handled. “As Kenyans are focused on the Covid-19 pandemic,some shadowy characters are attempting to FRAUDULENTLY institute ILLEGAL changes in officials of Jubilee party. As deputy leader I have alerted the registrar of the fraud. Party members should know that the matter is being handled,” tweeted Ruto. https://twitter.com/WilliamsRuto/status/1248630975401254914 The party wanted to change the National Management Committee, according…

No Kenyan billionaire has featured in the latest list of top 20 super rich individuals in Africa, the Forbes Magazine has revealed. Kenya is the biggest economy in East Africa and the eight largest in Africa but does not have a Dollar billionaire currently, according to Forbes. South Africa and Egypt have the biggest number of dollar billionaires, each with five, followed by Nigeria (four) and Morocco two. Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote is the richest man in Africa, with an estimated net worth of $10.1 billion (Sh1 trillion) followed by Egypt’s Nassef Sawiris ($8 billion), Nigeria’s oil tycoon, Mike Adenuga ($7.7…

Every few years, the internet comes alive with a new social media app. Tiktok is the latest sensation with millions of users flocking to sign up on the app. Going by the recent statistics, Tiktok is the platform to watch in 2020. Background In 2014, a social media app Musical-ly became popular with young people between 13-18 years old. The app allowed users to combine their own videos with popular songs. The most common use of the app was to create videos where users were lip-synching to their favourite songs while dancing. By 2017, the Musical-ly app had garnered over…

“We wish to confirm that your services with the company have been terminated effective today” was the message that marked the beginning of an end for employees of Spencon, a giant construction firm that was based in Kenya. This was on Friday January 13, 2017, through a memo authored by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) executives Kuria Muchiru and Muniu Thoithi who were appointed administrators of Spencon. The company that once recorded revenues worth $100 million (Ksh10.3 billion) in 2007 was  now crumbling, and going down so fast than expected. In 2006 and 2007, US investment firm Emerging Capital Partners (ECP) invested $15…