Author: Francis Muli

Developers of the Great Wall Gardens Housing, Erdemann Property Limited, are now facing litigation following an alleged acquisition of land set aside for industrial use to develop residential property. Erdemann is also the developer of Seefar Apartments, which are facing demolition for being developed on a riparian land. According to court documents in our possession, the company colluded with National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to get approvals to develop residential houses on Land LR. No. 12581/13 in Athi River off Mombasa-Namanga Road. The proposed site is next to a distillery plant belonging to London Distillers (K) Ltd, which has moved…

Facebook could soon stop showing number of likes on your posts, “to lessen pressure on the platform” in the race for likes. This comes a few days after the company announced that a similar move on sister social media network, Instagram. The move which is being experimented was revealed by  Jane Manchun Wong, a technology enthusiast who claims to uncover unreleased features of technological firms. “I observed that Facebook has recently begun prototyping this hidden like/reaction count feature in their Android app by reverse-engineering the app and playing with the code underneath,” she said, posting screenshots of the feature. In…

The Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) has been been given green light by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) to acquire 100 percent stake at the troubled National Bank of Kenya (NBK). This comes at a time the deal has received a nod from shareholders and the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), and a green light from CBK was the only obstacle. “The acquisition will strengthen both institutions leveraging on their respective well-established domestic and regional corporate, public sector and retail franchises,” read CBK’s approval statement. Read: KCB To Inherit Ksh31.4 Billion Bad Loans In NBK Merger KCB Group is set to…

An Administration Police officer has died at tycoon Humphrey Kariuki’s Africa Spirits Plant in Thilka, under mysterious circumstances. The officer, Constable Samuel Njogu Mwaura, according to reports by the Nation,  was manning the facility on Saturday when he slipped and fell, dying on the spot. According to Thika Sub-County Deputy Police Commander Mr Bernard Ayoo, Mwaura slid from a spiral metal staircase within the factory and was pronounced dead at Thika Level Five hospital where he had been rushed. Read: Hitches At Newly Installed Integrated Customs Management System Delays Car Clearance At Mombasa Port “At the moment we cannot tell the…

Officers from the office of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) threatened Samuel Gateri Wanjiru with death if he did not implicate Deputy President William Ruto in the State House Director of Digital and Media Communications Director Dennis Itumbi alleged forgery case, it has emerged. In an affidavit where Gateri is listed as an interested party, he alleges that he was arrested on July 2 for being a member of a Whatsapp group dubbed Tanga Tanga that supports DP Ruto. Upon his arrest, he was taken to Embu Police Station by two DCI officers who said that they were acting…

Tob Cohen, the missing Dutch tycoon was in an unstable state of the mind before his disappearance, the wife Sarah Cohen has said. According to information published on her website, Sarah says that Mr Cohen would sometimes drink self to stupor before going rowdy on anybody who was around him. “Tob Cohen is known around club circles across the country as a rowdy and controversial individual. Our friends and acquaintances have, over the years, witnessed dozens of incidents where Tob gets intoxicated, and thereafter becomes violent. I will not go into much detail about some of the racist, abusive and…

Five tourists and a guide are feared dead after being swept by floods at Hell’s Gate National Park. Naivasha sub-county commissioner Mathioya Mbogo says one body has been recovered as search mission is on-going. The body recovered is that of a woman of Asian origin, recovered miles away at Suswa town. “We received reports of flooding in the gorges from a survivor, we managed to rescue him but six others are still missing,” said an officer at the Hells Gate National Park as quoted by the Standard. The incident occurred at around 4 pm,  following heavy rains at the areas…

Interim Safariom CEO Michael Joseph could stay longer at the helm, in what is seen as opposition to government’s call to have a Kenyan appointed the CEO. Addressing journalists on Friday, Joseph said that Safaricom was “his company” and he would stay on for as long as it is necessary. “Personally, this is really my company. I really want to make sure nothing happens to this company and will stay on for as long as is necessary. What happened was really unfortunate. However, how long I stay as interim CEO, I don’t know,” he said. The South African-born American served…

A man allegedly caught stealing in a church in Machagua village, Embu County has died in a police cell. Henry Muchangi Ireri, 24, was nabbed on Thursday night by a worshipper at a local Salvation Army Church. The worshiper had been laying trap in the church following constant stealing of property when she saw the suspect break into the kitchen. He was then violently escorted to Kigumo police post where he was locked up for interrogation. Mr Ireri collapsed in the police cell and died under unclear circumstances. Church leadership however denied claims that the man was attacked by mob…

Six people have died in an accident including a 14-seater matatu and a canter along Nairobi-Nakuru highway in Kinugi, and at least 10 injured. According to witnesses to the Saturday evening accident, the 2NK matatu driver tried to overtake a convoy that was ahead of him when he collided with the lorry head-on. “The matatu driver headed towards Nairobi swerved to the right, crashing into a lorry coming from the opposite direction,” said an eye witness as quoted by the Nation. Read: CCTV Footage Shows How Nairobi Man Lost Sh150,000 In Daylight Robbery  Naivasha Sub-County Deputy Police Commander John Kwasa…

Junior members of the police force at National Police College (Kiganjo Campus) formerly Kiganjo Police Training College are being evicted from the hostels (police lines), block A-F in favour of members of inspectorate. In a letter dated August 29 to the director of the school from Mathias Pombo for the commandant of the National Police College, the junior police officers have been told to vacate the houses by September 30. “Following the commandant’s directive the above blocks be occupied by members of inspectorate. I am under instructions to inform all members of other ranks residing in blocks A-F within police lines…

Things might not get any better for the year 2019 in terms of drought and food scarcity, the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) has said. The Authority reports that food, livestock, water, health and nutrition, education, peace and security will be hard-hit by the current situation, if appropriate mitigation measures are not put in place. “The most affected counties on the basis of the number of food insecure population are; Turkana, Mandera, Garissa, Wajir, Marsabit, Baringo, Tana River, Kitui, Makueni, Kilifi, and Meru (Meru North),” noted NDMA in the report. The number of those in dire need of food and…

Newly rolled out Integrated Customs Management System (ICMS) at the Port of Mombasa is now experiencing hitches, leading to a pile-up of imported cars at the port. The system was meant to help the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) clear goods faster at the port, and ease congestion whicha has been caused by slow clearance of goods. The system entails submitting export or import documents into a single-window system on motor vehicle imports processing. “KRA is working on enhancing user experience as piloting of additional cargo types kicks off. We are currently piloting on motor Vehicles with a controlled group of…

Orange Democratic Movement Party (ODM) has sacked its Director for Political Affairs and Strategy Wafula Buke following disagreements with party officials. Taking to Facebook, Buke confirmed that he had received a letter from ODM firing him, and that party officials were not picking his calls. “I was sacked yesterday as Director for Political Affairs and Strategy of ODM. Mr Edwin Sifuna, Mr Oduor Ongwen and Ms Pareno, since you can’t pick my calls, I hereby confirm receiving your letter. I ruffled snakes and have received my feedback. I disagree with you so I will see what to do about that.…

The Ruaraka land scandal has now taken a new twist after businessman Francis Mburu went back to court seeking over Ksh36 billion in compensation. Mburu has sued the Nairobi City County, National Land Commission (NLC) and the Attorney General, seeking orders from the court to compel the three to compensate him a sum of Ksh23 billion as the market value of the land and Ksh13 billion for the loss of rental income, plus accrued interest. This comes two months after the Environment and Land Court ruled that the 13-acre land on which Ruaraka High School and Drive Inn Primary School…