Author: Francis Muli

When President Uhuru Kenyatta was re-elected in 2017, he embarked on a legacy programme dubbed the Big 4 Agenda that entailed manufacturing, affordable housing, food security and affordable healthcare. One of the agenda, affordable housing, was expected to deliver 500,000 housing units in a span of five years to plug the gap estimated at between 1.8 million and 2 million units, and growing at 200,000 per year. Three years later, only 228 houses have been delivered. To realize the agenda, the government introduced a levy, which faced strong public opposition leading to a presidential directive for the levy to be…

The High Court has allowed the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to compel every taxpayer to provide details of their phone data for wealth that has not been disclosed during annual tax returns. The ruling was issued in a case filed by activist Okiya Omtatah that was challenging Sections 57, 58(2), 59 and 99 of the Tax Procedures Act that allowed KRA access to taxpayers’ premises, records and devices in a bid to catch tax cheats. Following the ruling, KRA will be within the law to access your computers, mobile phones, records and any other place that they feel could be…

Kenya Power has announced that its profit after tax fell by 92 per cent from Ksh3.27 billion to Ksh262 million for the year ending June 2019. The slump was attributed to the rise in non-fuel power purchase costs from Ksh52.795 billion to Ksh70.878 billion. Profit before tax for the period under review was Ksh334 million as compared to Ksh4.968 billion recorded in a similar period the previous year. This is despite a growth in revenue by Ksh16.994 billion from Ksh95.435 billion in the previous year to Ksh112.429 billion in the year ending June 2019. Read: Tough Times As Kenya Power…

Rubis Energie (KenolKobil) has been given a go-ahead by the Competition Authority of Kenya to take over Gulf Energy, though under tough conditions. The merger makes Rubis Energie the largest oil marketer in the country with a market share of 21.2 percent overtaking Total Kenya (16.4 percent) and Vivo Energy (16.2 percent). The merged entity will be required to retain the current employees, pay structure and remuneration. Read: Rubis Energie To Acquire Gulf Energy Months After Taking Over KenolKobil “The Authority is of the view that the proposed transaction is likely to lead to redundancies. The proposed merger is likely…

Yesterday, Kenyans were treated to surprise news of Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko handing over crucial county functions to the national government. According to deed of transfer signed between the two levels of government, Sonko acknowledged internal constraints and squabbles that had rendered it ineffective in the discharge of his duties. The National Government will take over functions of the County Health services, County Transport services, County Public Works, Utilities and Ancillary services and County Government Planning and Development. The deed of transfer shall be effective within three weeks from yesterday (February 25) and shall remain in force for a period…

Supreme Court Judge Smokin Wanjala has been admitted in Apollo Hospital in India, after being diagnosed with swine flu, which is caused by H1N1 virus. The Star reports that Wanjala is among top judges attending an International conference in India. Wanjala is not the first judge in the conference to test positive for the H1N1 influenza virus, as media outlets have reported that at least other six have been admitted over the same. It is reported that six judges from India’s top court had tested positive of the flu. Read: Why Justice Smokin Wanjala is a Man on the Run Swine…

Nairobi governor Mike Sonko has surrendered functions of Nairobi County Government to the National Government pursuant to Article 187 of the Constitution In a land mark agreement signed at State House today, Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko and Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa in concurrence with President Uhuru Kenyatta, signed an agreement, handing over functions of the Nairobi County Government to the National Government. The signing of the agreement was also witnessed by the Speaker of the Senate, Kenneth Lusaka and the Attorney General Paul Kihara. Read: JamboPay CEO Danson Muchemi Claims Life In Danger After Sonko Call The National Government…

Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Kahawa Garisson stand-by soldier Edwin Lemiso Sirinkit was last night shot dead in a suspected robbery case. According to police report, Mr Sirinkit was reported by civilians to have been robbing motorists along Mwihoko-Githurai Road, forcing police on night patrol to go there. On arrival, the police found the lone gunman armed with a G3 riffle. The police challenged him to surrender, but instead he opened fire injuring one officer identified as James Partoip who was rushed to Nairobi West Hospital for treatment. Read: KDF Says Teen Killed In Mombasa By Navy Soldier Defied Warning Shot…

Safaricom has moved its chatbot to Whatsapp, one of the leading conversation and chat app, an addition to the existing Facebook Messenger. A chatbot is a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the Internet. The Zuri chatbot currently does a couple of things including M-Pesa reversals, unsubscribing from annoying promo texts, paying bills and checking balance. Zuri can also be used in airtime topup- where you can top up from M-Pesa or scratchcard, Safaricom home internet, and other services like Mshwari and KCB Loan. Read: Samsung, Safaricom and M-Kopa Ink Deal To Sell Galaxy A10s…

The Ministry of Health is unable to account for Ksh1.6 billion of Ksh4 billion used to import maize during the 2017 food shortage, it has emerged. Appearing before the Parliamentary Accounts Committee yesterday, Agriculture Principal Secretary Hamadi Boga revealed that the government could only account for Ksh2,483,120,00 used in the imports. An Auditor General’s report shows that the missing Ksh1.6 billion was paid to Export Trading (Ksh1,072,000), Hydrey (P) Ltd (Ksh1,000,000,000), Export Trading (Ksh1,114,00), Mombasa Maize Millers (Ksh609,000,000) and Export Trading (Ksh1,400,000). The Ministry however lacks documentation for the payments. “After going through our cash books, bank statements and IFMIS…

Detectives are not hot in pursuit after Anthony Muhanji, a senior works officer at the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) after he received a deposit of Ksh90 million through his company, Mukitek Investment Ltd. According to court documents by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the payment was not supported by any documents, raising alarm over a possible fraudulent deal. “There are reasonable grounds to suspect that the respondents received public funds from Kenya Ports Authority through corrupt conduct contrary to the provision of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act,”court documents read in part. Read: Moi Company Now Linked to KPA…

Warrants of arrest have been issued against 19 Italians over the infamous Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal. Anti-Corruption Magistrate Douglas Ogoti okayed the move following an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) after the Italians failed to turn up in court to plead to corruption charges. On the other hand, the High Court has stopped graft trial of former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich following an application filed by Richard Malebe, one of the suspects. The suspension was done alongside 28 others who are charged with corruption related charges. The 19 Italians are among the accused in the scandal…

A city pastor, Pastor Godfrey Migwi, now wants Kirinyaga governor Anne Waiguru and Murang’a Woman Representative Sabina Chege to apologise to the Kikuyu community over the Narok BBI rally, that was termed by many as tribal. In the rally, Narok Senator Ledama Olekina said the community must stand firm to protect their land and territory as leaders from the Maa community, sentiments which were seen as targeting the Kikuyu community who have settled in Narok. “The community’s issues will be articulated by the Maasai people. We are very hospitable, we have invited everybody to this meeting. We must stand firm…

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has cut retail tariffs for big power consumers from Ksh10.10 per kilowatt hour (kWh) to Kshh7.99, a 20.8 percent fall. Industrial operators in Special Economic Zones close to the Naivasha standard gauge railway (SGR) station will however get electricity at a more cheaper price of Ksh5 per kWh, from the current rate of Ksh10.10 and Ksh12. Retail tariffs for domestic, commercial and small industrialists will however remain the same at Ksh10 per kWh. Kenya Power has been pushing the regulator to review the tariffs upwards following reduced profitability. Read: Procurement Review Board Cancels…

Web Tribe CEO Danson Muchemi has file a statement with the police claiming that his life is in danger, after differing with Nairobi governor Mike Sonko. Web Tribe is the parent company of JamboPay, a company that had been contracted between April 2014 and June 2019 by the Nairobi County to manage electronic revenue collection and payments system. The CEO says that he was involved in a suspicious accident along Nyahururu-Gilgil Road at about 10.30am on February 9, where a lorry rammed into his car. Read: Sonko’s Job Hangs In the Balance As MCAs Table Impeachment Motion Also, Muchemi says…