Author: Francis Muli

A quarry operated by a company associated with powerful Interior Ministry CS Fred Matiang’i has been accused of causing havoc and misery to residents of Bobasi Constituency in Kisii County. According to documents in our possession and residents, the quarry operated by a company called  County Forty-Five Limited blasts stones just less than 300 metres from a school complex composed of Primary and Secondary Schools as well as a church. The quarry right opposite Nyamonena SDA Church and Schools complex is located in Nyamonema Getenga Sub-location, Nyangiti location, Bobasi Constituency Kisii County. The company which is owned by a brother…

Insurance service providers will not pay for your medical bills if you get coronavirus, the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) has said. This comes a day after the World Health Organization declared coronavirus a global pandemic. “The insurers will not be able to offer medical insurance cover for the condition at this moment. The insurers have this category of exclusion properly indicated in the policy documents,” IIRA chief executive Godfrey Kiptum told a local daily. According to AAR Insurance chief executive Nixon Shigoli, once a disease is declared a pandemic, the role of medical care provision shifts from insurers to the…

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) is set to take over Keroche Breweries factory in a bid to recover Ksh9 billion alleged tax arrears. KRA has already attached Keroches bank accounts at Equity Bank and at Absa Bank Kenya to recover the billions as row between the company and the taxman escalates. In a letter to Equity Bank, KRA deputy commissioner of Domestic Taxes department Mr Daniel Kagira ordered that the bank pays KRA Ksh9,116,835,985 on behalf of Keroche until the amount is fully recovered. Read: Keroche Breweries Headed To High Court Over Tax Tribunal’s Ruling Yesterday, the Tax Appeals Tribunal…

Mobile loans advanced by Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) stood at Ksh212 billion in the year ended December 2019 from Ksh54 billion in 2018, the latest financial results have shown. The cumulative disbursement via mobile over the past five years totaled to Ksh319 billion. This comes a time the lender has announced elevated profits for the full year ended December 2019, posting a 5 percent jump in profit after tax to Ksh25.2 billion. Net earnings increased from Ksh24 billion in 2018 on the back of loan book growth, non-funded income from the digital banking and cost management initiatives across the business.…

Unga Group, the millers of Exe brand of maize and wheat flour has issued a profit warning for six months ending December 2019. In a public notice published in the dailies, the company said that the slump in profits is attributed to reduced volumes in the animal nutrition segment. “The decline in profitability is attributable to reduced volumes in the animal nutrition segment and increased cost of maize and wheat grains, attributable to unfavourable local weather conditions and rallying world wheat prices. In addition to low customer demand,  local farmers faced increased competition from imports of farm produce from the…

Sleuths from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested Spencer Kipkorir Kosgey, a Lavington Security guard /supervisor in connection with the death of a University of Nairobi student namely Elisha Otieno Odeng alias Ras. The deceased succumbed to injuries allegedly inflicted by Lavington Security guards led by their supervisor at institution on the evening of Wednesday March 4, 2020. “Further investigations are ongoing to bring all involved to justice,” the DCI tweeted. https://twitter.com/DCI_Kenya/status/1237819351266443265 On Monday, the students went on rampage protesting the death of the student who had just reported back to school, torching some buildings in the school.…

The deadly coronavirus is now a pandemic, the World Health Organisation has declared. In a tweet, WHO said that its alarming levels of spread and severity made the world health body declare it a pandemic. “WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction. We have therefore made the assessment that #COVID19 can be characterized as a pandemic,” said WHO Director- General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1237776967526764544 A pandemic is a disease  occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting…

The Keroche Breweries Ltd has announced that it is moving to the High Court to challenge a decision by the Tax Appeals Tribunal (TAT) concerning the dispute between them and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). Earlier today, TAT dismissed six cases filed by Keroche clearing the way for KRA to collect tax amounting to Ksh9,116,835,985 from the company. Three appeals were related to Viena Ice Vodka, while the three others on the pineapple-based wines. In a statement, Keroche announced its dissatisfaction with the Tribunal’s decision, saying that it would head to the High Court. Read: Keroche Breweries Gives Gor Mahia…

The office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has taken over former Senior Police Training Institute to construct a Prosecution Training Institute (PTI), a training institute for public prosecutors. In a tweet, the ODPP said that the facility would create an environment for mentoring and training public prosecutors to a better standard. Speaking at the function, director of public prosecutions Noordin Haji said the PTI would build the capacity of prosecutors locally, regionally and internationally. “Efficient and effective prosecution depends on how trained and mentored prosecutors were in carrying out the office mandate,” he said. Read: DPP Refutes Claims…

Online lending app Zenka Finance has announced that it will honour loyal customers in the country with 40 smart phones. In a statement to newsrooms, the company announced that every registered account, already existing or newly opened will be eligible to participate. “Zenka’s celebrity brand ambassadors popular MC and radio host Jalas, comedians Obina, YY, Desagu, MJ, DJ Shiti, Diana and MCA Tricky have each been given a promo code which they will share with their fans. Customers are encouraged to share the code with family and friends who are yet to sign up to Zenka,” the company said. Read:…

The Co-operative Bank of Kenya is set to acquire 100 percent stake in Jamii Bora Bank (JBB) upon regulatory approvals. The announcement was made by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), which acknowledged receipt of the buyout proposal. “The proposed acquisition which is subject to regulatory approvals will lead to the acquisition of 100 percent shareholding of JBB by Co-op,” said CBK. Co-op commenced operations in 1965 and is predominantly owned by the 15 million member Kenyan co-operative movement. Read: Co-op Bank Launches Import Finance Product for MSMEs It was listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange in 2008. It was…

Homa Bay Members of County Assembly (MCAs) have voted to impeach acting speaker Evans Marieba and  majority leader Walter Dada. The motion to impeach the two was tabled by Kendu MCA Maurice Ogwang’ citing various violations of the Constitution, abuse of office, gross misconduct among others. 53 out of 60 MCAs voted to impeach the duo. The speaker was replaced with with Kabondo West MCA Geoffrey Anyango while the majority leader was replaced by Kanyaluo MCA Jeff Ongoro. Read: Who Wants DP William Ruto Dead? The Indicators So Far Mr Marieba came into office in an acting capacity in 2018…

Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji has refuted claims that he had applied to halt the fraud case against Samburu governor Moses Lenolkulal as reported in sections of the media. In a tweet, the DPP said that he had appealed a decision of a Magistrate court allowing cross-examination that would lead to admission of opinion evidence. “All the ODPP did was revise a decision of a Magistrate court allowing cross-examination that would lead to admission of opinion evidence but the judge declined stating that to intervene at this stage would amount to micromanaging the trial,” read the tweet. https://twitter.com/ODPP_KE/status/1237336628865175552…

Reinstated Thirdway Alliance Party officials have today presented a Punguza Mizigo Memorandum to the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) steering committee led by Senator Yusuf Haji. The officials led by party secretary general Fredrick Okango, Agnes Nduta Gachahi (chairperson of the women league) and Dr Angela Mwikali Nyalita (deputy party leader) presented the memorandum today amidst protests by Party chairman Miruru Waweru. Waweru had written to the steering committee terming the officials as ‘masquerades’, saying that they were expelled from the party and that the document represented personal views. Read: Suspended Thirdway Alliance Secretary General Fredrick Okango Reinstated “Our party as…

Police over the weekend shot dead one suspect and arrested another found vandalizing guard rails at Nairobi River bridge along Outer Ring Road. Kariobangi OCS Mr David Ole Shani confirmed that five suspects were confronted at 2am on Sunday morning cutting the guard rails and ordered to surrender but defied the orders. “These are among the big cartels mowing down street lights and removing road furniture in this pan of the city and we shall bring them all to book,” he said. Three more suspects escaped with gun wounds and police are searching for them. Read: Stand-by KDF Soldier Shot…