Author: Francis Muli

The immediate former National Assembly Clerk Justin Bundi has died. Bundi succumbed to cancer on Saturday evening while undergoing treatment at Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi. The news were confirmed by the Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi, who said that Muturi will “Mr Bundi, a personal friend whom I have known since our days in high school succumbed to cancer last evening while undergoing treatment at Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi,” Muturi said in his message of condolences. Bundi retired from the civil service in March 2017. Bundi had also served as the personal assistant to former House Speaker Francis…

Another fire has broken out at Mt Kenya Forest, the fourth time this year. According to media reports, the fire broke on the moorland section of Marania Forest on the eastern side of the mountain, but was contained as of Sunday Morning. “There were small pockets of fire earlier this morning in the moorland. KWS and KFS teams and other stakeholders responded and managed to put it out,” said the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Eastern Regional boss Beatrice Mbula. The cause of the fire is yet to be revealed, and the extend of the damage caused. “Protecting the mountain is…

The Satanic Temple in the United States of America (USA) has been officially recognised by the government as a new religion. This earns the religion the right to tax exemption, just like other religious bodies across the US and other parts of the world. The controversial religion is headquartered in Massachusetts in a house that was formerly used as a funeral home. “This is our primary events room,” said Lucien Greaves, co-founder and spokesman of the Satanic Temple. “We weekly have people get together here; I guess you would say congregate.” The temple becomes one of the first religions in…

Whatsapp will stop working on phones running on Windows Operating System on December 31, 2019, the company has announced. In a blog post last week, the Facebook-owned app said that the phones do not offer “the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app’s features in the future.” Following the development, Whatsapp says that the last update for the platform will be issued in June. “Following Microsoft’s recent decision to end support for Windows Mobile devices in December, WhatsApp will release its final update for Windows phones in June. WhatsApp will continue working on Windows phones through the end…

Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and international monetary and security agencies are investigating African Banking Corporation (ABC) over money laundering allegations. The agencies are focusing their spotlight on the owners of the bank, who are said to be neck-deep into the vice of money laundering, which happens through the bank. According to sources, CBK’s ‘secret’ investigation could throw the bank off balance by exposing the rot therein. The head of the investigation is Gerald Nyaoma, the director of bank supervision department at CBK. Others digging for the rot in conjunction with Nyaoma include Paul Wanyagi, the director for currency operations,…

Kenyan government could part with a total of Ksh21.9 billion to Chinese firm ACEG-CAT JV, for no work done, following the cancellation of a tender to construct Greenfield Terminal at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). The company had already received Ksh4.3 billion before the contract was cancelled, and is now seeking Ksh17.6 billion for ‘losses’. Reports by Business Daily indicate that the firm is demanding Ksh2 billion for the preparation of bill of quantities (BOQ), Ksh2.4 billion in extra costs and Ksh708.2 million in Value Added Tax (VAT). The firm is also seeking additional Ksh5.6 billion for balance of…

All local online businesses will be required to pay taxes and file returns, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has announced. In a public notice, the KRA warned proprietors that are evading taxes, urging them to comply with the law unless they are exempted. “KRA has noted that some taxpayers engage in online business and they do not file returns or pay taxes on the transactions. KRA would like to advise that unless income or supply is expressly exempt in the law, appropriate taxes should be paid,” announced the taxman. Online traders are required to file and pay taxes, which may…

The government has abandoned plans to connect the old Nakuru-Kisumu railway line to the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) terminus at Naivasha. Instead, the government has opted to revamp the Naivasha-Malaba line at a cost of Ksh15 billion. Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said the Kisumu line was badly damaged, and reviving it would be equal to building a new line. “The reality is that the Nakuru-Kisumu line is not in good shape; it has 17 bridges, which have been vandalised, so it may require doing a new line altogether. We will have to weigh that against the fact…

On January 2, 2016, two naked new born babies were found by a gardener in a green plastic bag in the grove of trees in Kiambu. The baby on top had scratches suspected to be from a wild animal and a broken arm, and the baby on bottom (Baby John Kiano) was in better shape but both babies were very cold, severely distressed seemingly having been left all night and were in dire medical need. The tiny twin boys were rushed to Kiambu hospital. The brother, named James by hospital staff, died in the hospital and baby John was eventually…

Foreign Permanent Secretary Ambassador Macharia Kamau was on the receiving end of Kenyans’ wrath on Wednesday for terming Jerotich Seii as a nincompoop. Ms Seii was in KTN’s Inside Politics show as a panelist, where she questioned he government’s insatiable quest for loans, that it does not account for. Seii gave an example of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), which is yet to achieve its economic goal in the region. The line was supposed to go up to Malaba border, but the government announced that it would end at Naivasha, after failing to secure a new loan to extend it…

Cash strapped Uchumi Supermarket is now entangled in a land tussle with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) over a Ksh2.8 billion parcel of land along Thika Superhighway. The KDF is said to have already occupied the 20-acre parcel of land, which was on Uchumi’s recovery plan to turn around from loss making. KDF moved its equipment into the land, in which Uchumi was in the middle of transaction with Jewel Complex Ltd that had signed an agreement to buy it. To the disappointment of Uchumi, KDF spokesperson Colonel Njuguna stated that the land belonged to KDF, challenging the retailer to…

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party could crumble if the party leader Raila Odinga left, a new internal report has indicated. The report first tabled to the Party’s National Executive Conference in March chaired by Raila indicates that ODM relied so much on him for its existence. The report lays blame on the Secretariat, the National Executive Committee and National Elections Board of running down the party by bungling primaries. “ODM party primaries have been described as the party’s biggest vice. Party elections are thought to lack credibility and do not meet the standard of being free, fair and democratic,” read…

The battle between Nairobi County MCAs and Speaker of the County Assembly Beatrice Elachi is far from over, even as they (MCAs) vow to oust her despite being reinstated by the Labour Relations Court. In the case file by Ms Elachi to block her ouster, the court cited massive flaws when the MCAs impeached Elachi last year and dismissed the Assembly’s argument that the court has no powers to meddle in legislative process of Parliaments. “It is my finding that the conduct of the Nairobi city county assembly board calls for intervention of the court as it deliberately set out…

MPs irregularly awarded themselves Ksh250,000 monthly house allowances, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission has said. In a statement to newsrooms on Tuesday, Chairperson Lyn Mengich said that SRC has the sole responsibility to determine salaries and benefits for MPs and all other State officers. “Article 260 of the Constitution categorises Members of Parliament as state officers and as such, payment of any remuneration and benefits, which have not been set or advised by the SRC is in violation of the Constitution,” said Mengich. SRC said that it was reviewing the matter with a view of taking appropriate action against the…

Age limit for imported second-hand cars is just a policy draft that is far from implementation, the government has said. Appearing before the National Assembly’s Trade and Industries committee, Trade CS Peter Munya said that the policy that seeks to cap importation of used cars from eight to five years was yet to undergo public participation, hence it should not cause panic. “It is still in its draft form and yet to undergo public participation,” he said. The government had announced that starting July the age of second-hand cars imported into the country would be capped to five years from…