Author: Francis Muli

Cash strapped East Africa Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) has sent packing 136 supervisors and managers in a restructuring move. According to reports, the senior staffers were handed redundancy notices last week and are set to leave by October 19, even as the firm plans to fire more by the end of the year. Also, some of the staffers will be rehired, but with a chop of 60 percent of their previous salaries, leaving them with only 40 percent. According to  the acting managing director Stephen Nthei, the company plans to cut the staff population by a quarter from the current…

Ms Gabrielle Van Straten, the sister of murdered Dutch tycoon Tob Cohen, has left the country alongside her husband one day before the scheduled burial of the tycoon. The couple flew out on Saturday citing personal reasons and expired stay in the country, according to their lawyer Cliff Ombeta. Gabrielle was expected to attend the burial alongside close family members and Cohen’s widow Sarah Wairimu, who is a key suspect in the murder of her brother. Read: Revealed: Late Tycoon Tob Cohen Co-owned Kitisuru Home With Wife Sarah Wairimu This comes at a time Sarah Wairimu’s application seeking permission to…

An American man drowned this week while proposing to his girlfriend under water while in holiday. According to reports by the BBC, Steven Weber and his girlfriend, Kenesha Antoine were on holiday in Pemba Islands, Tanzania, staying in a submerged cabin. Mr Weber decided to surprise Ms Antoine by diving outside the cabin and pressing a proposal note against the transparent walls of the cabin asking her to marry him. “I can’t hold my breath long enough to tell you everything I love about you… BUT everything I love about you, I love more EVERYDAY,” read the note according to…

Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) CEO Ezra Chiloba has moved to court to sue his former employer over wrongful dismissal. Chiloba was sacked in October last year after serving a three-month compulsory leave since April 2018, which was turned into a suspension on June 14, 2018. Through his lawyers, Wandabwa Advocates, Mr Chiloba is now demanding at least Ksh52.5 million as compensation. “The claimant’s claim arises from a series of actions by the Respondent (IEBC) that were illegal, irregular, unfair and unjustifiable which can be categorised into (1) compulsory leave (2) suspension and (3) termination,” says Mr Chiloba…

Fairview Hotel, located along Second Ngong Avenue is on the spot for allegedly grabbing of public road and blocking members of the public from using it. The hotel management has barricaded the road which is under the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), and has placed guards who harass drivers trying to use the road. The road in question is located between Ngong Road and Bishop Road. Following the revelations, Kenyans online are up in arms against the hotel which is owned by City Hotels South Africa, revealing more rot. Read: How Fred Kubai’s Maid Grabbed Family Property Through Forgery It…

The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has approved the appointment of Mr Paul Russo as the managing director of the National Bank of Kenya (NBK), following its merger with the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB). Mr Russo was appointed to the position early this month and will lead the integration of NBK into KCB, taking over from Wilfred Musau, the outgoing NBK MD and CEO who has been assigned a new role at KCB Group to support the integration. On Thursday, the CBK gave a fit to serve approval for Mr Russo who is the KCB Group Director of Regional Businesses…

All Africa Advisors (AAA), a UK-based research firm that recently ranked governors in terms of performance is up in arms against the Council of Governors (CoG) for rubbishing the poll. In a statement today, the pollster through Nchogu, Omwanza & Nyasimi law firm, AAA demanded an apology from the CoG and its chair Wycliffe Oparanya, after which “the quantum of damages payable to the firm will be discussed”. The CoG had attempted to discredit the poll, but now will have to rethink its statement as AAA threatens to sue them In a statement yesterday, the CoG through Oparanya termed the…

Teachers found using Blood Ties, a book that has been found to be containing vulgar language, could be imprisoned for at least three years. This is according to the latest statement by the Ministry of Education, a day after Kahawa Tungu wrote about the book which was being sold at Text Book Centre. “You are therefore required to bring to the immediate attention of all Principals and Headteachers that only books listed in the Orange Book are allowed for use in schools,” read a statement from  Elyas Abdi, Director General for Basic Education. The publishers, Storymoja, on Thursday issued a…

Kabiangek Primary School, the school whose pupil took own life after menses shame, had 77 packets of sanitary pads in store, preliminary report by Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has revealed. Jackline Chepngenon took her life on September 6, following humiliation by her teacher Jennifer (Chemutai) for staining her clothes. “The (investigation) team visited her home and confirmed that she has used of the two packets of sanitary towels given to her by the school on 30th July 2019.The school had received its full consignment of sanitary towels for second term,” said TSC CEO Nancy Macharia in the report. The girl…

National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) is set to sell seven planes and one engine in a bid to reduce its fleet as part of recovery plans. Among the planes to be sold include six Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, one Boeing B777-300 and a spare GE engine. The carrier will lease back the planes after selling them according to contract documents between KQ and UK-based Air Partner. “Kenya Airways is conducting a series of sale and lease-back transactions covering six B787-8, B777-300 and GEnx spare engine. KQ has requested Air Partner to conduct a desktop review addressing a series of questions around…

HMD Global, the manufacturer of Nokia phones has opened pre-orders for the Nokia 6.2 and Nokia7.2 for Kenyans. The Nokia 6.2, is HMD’s  first 6 series smartphone to premiere a triple camera and PureDisplay technology. Nokia 7.2 will be the first Nokia smartphone to combine a triple camera and PureDisplay featuring a 48MP triple camera with Quad Pixel technology and ZEISS Optics. The pre-orders will be made through Jumia Mall as from September 17, 2019, according to the phone maker. Read: HMD Global Launches AI Powered Nokia 2.2 In The Kenyan Market “The Nokia 7.2 offers fans advanced tools to…

Parents have been advised against buying Blood Ties, a book some schools are recommending for class six kids. The book written by Zimkhitha Mlanzeli and published by Cover2Cover Books is already on sale by Text Book Centre, at the Primary section. Initially, the book was meant for grade 3-4 learners according to details on Amazon website. In one of the pages, the writer uses explicit words like the f-word, with one of the characters promising to kill two other characters. “F**k her now! Or I will kill you both,” he said, whipping out a knife. Masi turned and looked at…

Kenya Power has issued a profit warning for the financial period ending June 30, 2019, attributable to increase in non-fuel costs. Last year, the company issued a profit warning before posting a 63.7 per cent drop in net profit to Ksh1.92 billion due to escalated operational costs. “We wish to inform shareholders and the general public that the company’s net profit for the financial year ended June 30, 2019, are projected to decline by more than 25 per cent of the net earnings reported last year,” Kenya Power acting MD Jared Otieno said. Otieno also promised that the cost of…

Taxi hailing app Uber is set to blacklist drivers who have a star rating less than 4.6, in a bid to “create quality experience”. In a statement yesterday, the company gave drivers with less than the required rating 30 days to improve or be phased out. “In our efforts to provide a great Uber experience all around we are increasing the minimum required rating in your city to 4.6. If you currently fall below this rating, you will have 30 days to increase your rating to meet the new minimum requirement. Driver-partners that don’t meet the new minimum rating will…

Senior State counsel Catherine Mwaniki on Monday failed to appear in court for the pretrial mention against Keroche Breweries Limited owners Joseph and Tabitha Karanja over alleged Ksh14 billion tax evasion. Mwaniki, who represents Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had been previously ordered to supply the defence with witness statements and other documents to be used in the case. However, lawyers representing Mr and Mrs Karanja James Orengo and Kioko Kilukumi said that the prosecution was yet to comply with the order, preventing the court from proceeding with the case. Senior Magistrate Bernard Ochoi directed that the matter be mentioned…