Author: Francis Muli

The national carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) has suspended the chief financial officer (CFO) Hellen Mathuka after a strategy disagreement with the executive. The CFO was sent on compulsory leave on Friday by an order that was supposed to be kept secret as an ‘internal matter’ according to chairman Michael Joseph. “She is on leave. I’m a bit disappointed that you people of the media want to report every detail including internal matters at KQ,” Joseph told Business Daily. Ms Mathuka was appointed to the position in 2017, replacing Dick Murianki who was moved to head the cargo department. Read: How…

Tala, an online mobile lender is shutting down its operations in Tanzania. Tala gave the announcement this evening without giving an explanation, but promising to give more details later. “We regret to inform you that Tala is currently not offering loans in Tanzania. We appreciate the opportunity to serve you, and we wish our loyal customers continued success in your financial journeys,” the company said in a statement. Customers with pending loans in Tanzania will still be required to clear the debts. Read: EPZ Firm Simba Apparel In Changamwe Sends Home Over 2,000 Workers Over Strike “Due to legal reasons,…

Counties are losing millions as a result of persistent downtime of the E-construction permit system, which has slowed down the process of giving construction permits. The system has not been working in several months depriving counties revenue from the construction, which is one of the leading source of revenue for some counties. For instance, Nairobi City County has not processed permit for the last two months, ostensibly due to a technical challenge hence leading to a stall in several proposed constructions in the city. Nairobi leads in the contribution of Kenya’s GDP by contributing 21.7 percent of the national GDP…

Monica Wanjiru Gashwe, the wife of the late Naivas Supermarket chairman and co-founder Simon Gashwe has died, three weeks after the husband. Mrs Gashwe died at the age of 58 at the Aga Khan University Hospital after a long illness, according to an announcement by the family. The two married in 1982 and had four children together. They had eight grandchildren. The husband died in the same hospital three weeks ago after suffering a stroke while at home. Read: Naivas Supermarkets Chairman Simon Gashwe Passes On Mr Gashwe was one of the four directors with a 25 per cent stake…

Outgoing auditor general Edward Ouko’s latest report has put the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) on the spot over Ksh2.3 billion which it cannot account for. In the report tabled in parliament, Ouko says the amount is from the sale of 2,303,235 million bags of fertiliser in the year ended June 2018. The audit realised that the amount was not banked at the Kenya Commercial Bank account for onward transmission to the statement department’s account at the Central Bank of Kenya. NCPB sold the fertilisers for a subsidised price of Ksh1,500 for a 50kg bag of all planting and…

Simba Apparel, an Export Processing Zone (EPZ) firm in Changamwe shut down its operations on Sunday, consequently sacking over 2,000 employees that were on strike. The workers had been on strike for the last seven days, in which the firm said that it had made a loss of Ksh20 million for failing to export over 100,000 pieces of garments to the US. “We decided to shut down the factory because the workers have refused to honour two return-to-work agreements we signed with their representatives. Since the illegal strike started the management has lost a total of Ksh20 million. We would…

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is investigating a Ksh600 million scandal that saw outdoor advertising company Magnate Ventures supply faulty screening machines at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). The screening machines supplied by Magnate Ventures from Rapiscan Eagles Gantry (G60) are said to have failed from the word go, putting to question the kind of contract entered between the supplier and the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA). “The investigations are touching on a contract between KAA and M/S Magnate Ventures Limited with the scope being the design and installation of screening facilities at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)…

Rarieda member of parliament Otiende Amollo has called for an overhaul of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries (IEBC) following the clearance of McDonald Mariga to vie for Kibra seat on Jubilee ticket. In a tweet, Amollo faulted the decision by the IEBC to clear Mariga, who had been barred form contesting for the seat on grounds that his name was not found in the voter’s register. The tribunal headed by IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati and Commissioners Boya Molu and Prof. Abdi Guliye ruled that the Jubilee candidate was duly registered as a voter. Read: IEBC Tribunal Clears Jubilee’s Mariga To…

Anti-graft agencies are training their guns towards the management of Turkana University over embezzlement of at least Ksh121 million through imprest, petty cash, double payment for goods and falsification of documents. According to reports by People Daily, those targeted include accountants and individual officers accused of withdrawing huge amounts of money to meet fictitious budgets. A recent audit report dated between November 26 and December 1 reveals that  cash procurement of Ksh5,124,402 lacked details and breakdown hence could not be accounted for. Read: Tycoon Jaswant Rai’s Bid To Freeze Sale Of ARM Rejected “As observed, the office has a high…

A prison warder in Hola Prison, Tana River County has shot to death his colleague. According to County Police Commander Fredrick Ochieng who confirmed the shooting, the incident took place at around 6am. The shooter is reported to have shot Mr Joseph Katama accidentally after he was handed a pistol to keep at the armoury. Read: Hotel Boss Shoots Dead Modern Coast Manager In Kisumu “It appears the officer did not check the gun only to realise that it had an extra bullet,” said Mr Ochieng. Mr Katana was taken to Malindi Sub-County Hospital where he was pronounced dead on…

The police have found the body of 24-year-old Anne Kathure, a bartender who went missing on Thursday night dumped at Gachanka village near Meru town. Her clothes were found near the bar where she worked, after her husband reported her disappearance on Friday Morning. Nicholas Murimi, Ms Kathure’s husband, said that her wife did not get back home at the end of her shift at 11.00 pm. They however managed to get clothes Ms Kathure wore on Thursday including a trouser, a top, jumper, pair of shoes and a brassiere dumped outside their house. Read: Hotel Boss Shoots Dead Modern…

Digital Editor at CGTN Africa Kelvin Mokaya has accused the police of allowing a suspected car thief to use his identity card. In a public statement posted on his social media pages, Mokaya says that he lost his ID card on September 5 while at the gym in TRM Mall. The same was reported at Kasarani Police Station on the same date and recorded under OB Number 100/5/9/19. On September 10, the Directorate of Criminal investigations (DCI), through their social media pages, announced the arrest of two suspected car thieves, Kelvin Mokaya and Moses Alimlim, as they tried to leave…

Former Director of Public Prosecutions Philip Murgor was on the receiving end of Kenyans wrath this weekend after accusing the police of stage managing the discovery of tycoon Tob Cohen’s body, who was murdered almost two months ago. Lawyer Philip Murgor has dismissed claims that Sarah Wairimu had a hand in the alleged murder of her husband Tob Cohen. “Wairimu has been in detention for 17 days. Wairimu had no opportunity to do anything in her house. I have talked to pathologists, and they have said there is no possibility that after close to 50 days a body would be…

A section of parents at The Nyali School are now accusing the principal of bringing witch doctors from Nigeria to perform rituals in the school following a school bus scandal exposé run by this blog. Kahawa Tungu, a month ago reported how the principal orchestrated a Ksh13 million scandal in the transport department. In his effort to fight back, the principal is said to be instilling fear into Mombasa parents calling for his resignation, saying his exit will disrupt studies. “Several times since the revelation of the bus scandal, the principal has gone on to bring a witchdoctor from Nigeria…

Kenyans made mobile money payments and transfers worth Ksh5.2 trillion in the first seven months of 2019, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has said. According to the new data, Kenyans transacted between Ksh328.2 billion to Ksh368.4 billion every month. As of July last year, Kenyans had transacted Ksh2.25 trillion, reflecting an 11.1 percent increase this year. In June, the amount transacted stood at Ksh346.8 billion, while in July the amount rose by Ksh20 billion to Ksh366.4 billion. The growth is attributed to the influx of mobile money banking adopted by banks and lending apps, which make it easier and…