Author: Francis Muli

A subscriber in Uganda, Mr Gideon Tugume, has sued telecommunication companies over airtime and money left in mobile wallets after the owners die or leave the country. In the suit, Tugume faults the companies for secretly retaining the monies as their own and reselling the SIM cards to new subscribers. Reports by the Monitor indicate that the man wants the court to order all telecom companies to display in leading newspapers all mobile money balances on dormant SIM cards whose owners have died. “Surprisingly even if one goes outside the country for study, work or to do anything beyond three months,…

Kenya cannot construct her own refinery for the Lokichar oil basin in Turkana, since it is “too little for economic viability”. According to Andrew Kamau, principal secretary at the petroleum and mining ministry, the Lokichar basin can only produce an average of 80,000 barrels per day. Tullow Oil estimates that Lokichar contains 560 million barrels of crude oil in proven and probable reserves. However, according to Kamau, a refinery would make money only when it has refining capacity of at least 400,000 barrels a day. “And we have 80,000 barrels a day, so where are we going to make money on that?…

A Somali tycoon, the owner of Sahuma Trading Company Limited, is facing losses after he was sold property by Joseph Mwangi Maina, which was under litigation. The company agreed to buy the property which is located in Nyamakima area in Nairobi’s CBD for Ksh170 million on December 22, 2017. Unknown to Sahuma, the court had issued an order two days earlier barring Maina from selling or transferring it to another party pending determination of an ownership dispute. The dispute had been filed by Elias Waithanji before Lady Justice Bor, challenging his eviction from the premises. While signing the deal with…

A 13-year-old girl was defiled by 10 men during week-long detention in one of their houses in Bomet, the police have said. According to area OCPD Geoffrey Walumbe, one bodaboda rider has been arrested in connection to the vice. This comes only a few hours after reports emerged that a 16-year old girl in Homa Bay killed her boyfriend following sexual advances. The girl, who is still a student had gone home for her mid-term break when she met the alleged 21-year-old boyfriend before an argument ensued. The body of the man,  a casual labourer at a local farm, was found after neighbours…

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) have come under attack for failing to go and collect samples of a fertiliser nabbed in June last year for allegedly containing mercury. Previous samples that were collected for investigation are said to have been lost/ destroyed, and the DCI and DPP have been reluctant to take new samples for investigation. However, Kahawa Tungu’s investigative desk discovered that there could be collusion if the arms of law with cartels to do away with cheaper fertilisers. Veteran lawyer Paul Muite lashed out at the DCI for conducting shallow investigations while enjoying…

A 16-year old girl in Homa Bay who killed her boyfriend has been arrested at her parents’ home. The girl, who is still a student had gone home for her mid-term break when she met the alleged 21-year-old boyfriend before an argument ensued. The body of the man, a casual laborer at a local farm, was found lying on the floor after neighbours heard noises coming from the home. “My office liaised with police officers from Ndhiwa who arrested the suspect at the home,” said the area chief. Read: Kitui Senator Enock Wambua Faults Ngilu’s KICOTEC Project Homa Bay County Police…

About four months ago,much hyped Kitui County Textile Centre (KICOTEC) was opened by Governor Charity Ngilu in a bid to tackle youth unemployment nightmare and wealth creation within the county. According to Kitui Senator, Enoch Kiio Wambua, the the investment is a breach of law as he is not aware of any regulations passed by Kitui County Assembly to regulate the textile centre’s operations. Addressing journalists after the send off ceremony of Kakundi Kyavoa in Nguni within Mwingi central of Kitui County, Wambua said KICOTEC has no any basis of law. “I believe the investment is a breach of the…

A number of Catholic nuns at the Assumption Sisters Of Nairobi (ASN) are calling for the dissolution of the body following several allegations of embezzlement of funds by their senior, Sr Bernadette Ndele Munyao. The money amounting to over Ksh170 million was withdrawn from ASN accounts at Prime Bank, GT Bank and NIC. At Prime Bank, the accounts affected include 2000101299, 2000101305, 3000035472, 3001035488, 3000035460 and 200083760. In GT, Sr Munyao is said to have withdrawn funds from account number 2140013999, a salary account of the Fr William Fryda Management. She also stretched to make withdrawals from account number 1005392183 of the…

Being a farming nation, Kenya relies heavily on imported farming resources, fertiliser being on the list especially for maize farmers. Just a month to planting season, the government announced that there would be no subsidised fertiliser as it has always been. The big question is: Is the government genuine? Every year, Kenyans are treated to news of ‘fake’ fertilisers nabbed somewhere in the country. But after the news, where the fertiliser goes and the owners remains a mystery. Kahawa Tungu however learns that it is not fake fertiliser, but the arrests are instigated by cartels in the industry so that…

Several students of unnamed school were captured on camera possibly drunk, with extra alcohol and at the same time chewing miraa (khart). The video which has gone viral shows the students in a public service vehicle with loud music and most probably speeding heading to unidentified location. In January this year, a school girl was caught on camera drunk in Kitengela when she revealed that she was following her mother’s footsteps. “Kama mum hukuja kama ametei, kwanini mimi nisitei?” the girl poses when asked why she was drunk,” the girl told a woman who had rescued her. Read: Naivasha High School’s 33 Students,…

Songtress Esther Akoth alias Akothee has in the  last 12 hours come under strong criticism from netizens over stunts he made while on stage. The stunts, which include spreading her legs and showing her butt did not augur well with the Kenya  Film Classification Board (KFCB) CEO Dr Ezekiel Mutua who termed it as “filthy and stupids stunts she has to pull to remain relevant”. “Kenya has got talent but as long as we keep celebrating this kind of madness, our entertainment industry will never grow. Akothee is talented but the filthy and stupids stunts she has to pull to remain…

The rot at the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) seems deep rooted, involving several agencies and individuals that have benefited from the proceeds of graft. The latest to be roped in the troubled Africa Merchant Assurance Company (Amaco) Ltd, which was involved in a tender it never applied for. The tender, KPC/PU/001-OT/16 for KPC’s “All Risk Industrial and Terrorism & Sabotage Cover”, was won by CIC Insurance but later Amaco got a 30 percent stake while CIC retained 70 percent under unclear circumstances. This happened just three months into the contract, on September 2016. The contract started in June 2016, and is…

Expelled Somalia ambassador to Kenya Mohamoud Ahmed Nur has arrived at Aden Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu today, a day after Kenya broke ties with the Horn of Africa country. Kenya broke her ties with Somalia yesterday, recalling her ambassador to Somalia Lt-Gen (Rtd) Lucas Tumbo, as well as expelling Somalia’s ambassador to Kenya Mr Nur, alias Tarzan. The two countries are at loggerheads over alleged auctioning of oil blocs belonging to Kenya by Somalia. In a statement, Kenya says that the auction took place in London, United Kingdom, last week. There were demos on February 7 against the deal in which protesters…

Diamond’s London-based half sister Zubeida Juma has landed in Tanzania in a quest to resolve Diamond-father feud which has led to neglect of the father by the flamboyant singer. Global Publishers reports that Zubeda is disappointed with Diamond for neglecting their ailing father, Nasib Abdul Juma. “Naishi London, nimekuja Tanzania kwa ajili ya baba, Mzee Abdul. Actually nimekua na baba kama kipindi cha miezi sita. Nimesikiliza, nimeangalia YouTube kama ni kweli au si kweli kwamba you are not willing kuongea na Mzee Abdul (I live in London, I come to Tanzania for the sake of (our) father, Abdul. Actually, I have been with dad for a period of six months. I…

Nine people have been confirmed dead in the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway accident at Kamara. The accident involved a Greenline bus which was coming from Eldoret and a trailer which collided head on at Kamara area. Seven people, including the driver of the trailer died on the spot according to Kamara chief Mr Joseph Korir who was among the first to respond. Two died while in hospital. “The accident occurred at a sharp bend corner at 1am. From our observations the bus might have been overtaking since it had joined the lane for oncoming traffic. Seven people died on the spot,” said…