Author: Francis Muli

A University of Nairobi study has revealed that 80 per cent of the African sausage commonly known as mutura is contaminated with deadly bacteria that could make you ill within hours. According to the study led by Henry Karoki Wambui, the bacteria could cause serious food poisoning to eaters. 100 samples of mutura from ready-to-eat vending sites in Westlands, Kangemi and Pangani were tested. In the samples, five types of organisms that could cause illnesses were found present in the samples. The organisms can “cause a sudden onset of illness in humans within three to four hours of ingestion”, as…

Auditor General Edward Ouko has revealed that Maasai Mara University is running on a deficit of Ksh101,322,923. In the latest audit report, the University has liabilities worth Ksh306 million against assets worth Ksh205 million. In 2016, Maasai Mara made a loss of Ksh7 million while in 2015 the institution lost Ksh6 million. The audit further reveals that the students fees collection only accounted for 61 per cent of the revenue, with more than Ksh109 million out of the total receipts being reported as uncredited in the cash book instead of being allocated to student accounts. Read: Management Lying About Accommodation Crisis…

Athi River Mining company (ARM) was dealt a blow today after the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) extended its suspension from the market for 75 more days. The company was suspended from the market on August 20, after it was placed under administration on August 18. United Bank of Africa (UBA), one of ARM’s creditors appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC)  Muniu Thoiti and George Weru as joint administrators. Read: Salt To Injury AS CMA Extends ARM’s Suspension On The NSE Market “The extension of suspension was issued by the Capital Markets Authority pursuant to Regulation 22(2) (b) of the Capital Markets (Securities) (Public Offers,…

A grenade explosion in an Isiolo orphanage has left a 12-year old boy dead, while injuring eight others. The explosion took place at Victors Children’s Home, owned by the Global Hope Church. One of those injured is a candidate of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary School examinations, according to media reports. The candidate  had just returned to the home after rehearsals for the tests that will begin on Tuesday. Read: DPP Withdraws Charges On 8 NYS Suspects Over Lack Of Evidence Later another explosive device was found in the compound of the orphanage, and was detonated by explosive experts. Isiolo County Commissioner…

Kenya is set to borrow up to $2.8 billion (Ksh287 billion) in Eurobonds offers and syndicated loan this year alone, to finance the 2018/2019 budget. According Treasury PS Kamau Thuge who spoke to the Bloomberg, the government is seeking to raise Ksh37 billion from commercial debt and a further Ksh250 billion from Eurobonds. This will be  the government’s third Eurobond. Kenya sold the first Eurobond worth $2.75 billion (Ksh275 billion) in 2014 before issuing a second one, worth $2 billion (Ksh200 billion) of 10- and 30-year Eurobonds in February. Read: Unga Prices To Hit Ksh100 As Millers Decry Maize Hoarding By Farmers…

Fear has engulfed Deputy President William Ruto’s camp over 2022 succession politics, with details emerging that he could have been sidelined by President Uhuru Kenyatta in favour of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. According to sources, Ruto has been kept in the dark over developments in the house on the hill, with him serving as a ceremonial Deputy President. Sources within Ruto’s 2022 Focus Team indicate that Raila’s appointment as the High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa came as news to Ruto at the Bukhungu stadium during the Mashujaa Day Celebrations, just like an ordinary Kenyan. Ruto allies believe…

Kenyans might be forced to dig deeper into their pockets to set ugali on the table, after the United Trade Millers Association announced plans to increase maize flour prices. According to a communication from the association’s vice chairman Ken Nyaga, Unga prices are set to rise from Ksh75 to Ksh100 per 2kg packet. Nyaga said that farmers are refusing to sell their maize, waiting for the government’s promised price of Ksh3,000 per 90 kgs bag. “The farmers are refusing to sell their maize because the government promised to buy the maize at Ksh3,000 per 90kgs bag. So they do not…

Kenya National Nurses Union (KNUN) secretary general Seth Panyako among other officials have been arrested by the police for allegedly inciting nurses at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) to strike. The arrest was instigated by KNH security boss Manase Mukhwana who termed Panyako as an outsider meddling with KNH affairs, illegally. “Panyako has no permit to incite nurses to strike. He is an outsider, hence, cannot come here to cause disruption at the hospital when nurses are at work,” Mukhwana said. The nurses have been decrying KNH management’s decision to bar them from joining a workers’ union. Read: Bereaved Mother Who Assaulted KNH…

IBM has reached a deal to buy open source software company Red Hat for $34 billion (Ksh3.4 trillion). This has been termed as the biggest tech merger in history. In an announcement made during the weekend, IBM said it will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Red Hat for $190.00 (Kh19,234) per share in cash. This will be more than $70 (Ksh7,086) above the $116.68 (Ksh11,812) at which Red Hat was trading on close of business Friday. “The acquisition of Red Hat is a game-changer. It changes everything about the cloud market. IBM will become the world’s…

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) has expressed interest of introducing to the market 40 new brands of beverages, including hot coffee. This was announced during the opening of a new Hotfill Juice Line at its Nairobi Bottling Plant in Embakasi in an expansion move. “This year we have already launched 50 new products and we will most likely launch around 40 next year,” says Daryl Wilson, Managing Director of CCBA subsidiary, Nairobi Bottling. Read: Telkom Hits The Market With ‘Any Network’ Voice Call Bundles Apart from hot coffee, Coca-cola has not revealed the new portfolio of beverages it is introducing to the…

Over 500 employees of Telkom Kenya will be handed redundancy letters by the end of November, in restructuring move. In a statement, Telkom says that it has notified Ministry of Labour of the move to sack the employees. The company says the move is aimed at propelling it to the number two spot in the mobile telephone industry. “The company must align its cost structure and skill-set with its Strategy. This requires Telkom to restructure its business, and as a result, this will impact the current and long-term needs of its workforce. This restructuring will enable Telkom to not only invest…

Kenya Airways (KQ) has secured an injunction barring the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) from advising its members to boycott the maiden direct flight to the United States on October 28. KQ had moved to court in a bid to ensure that a planned strike by KAWU does not inconvenience the maiden flight. KAWU had issued a strike threat that would have crippled the maiden flight to New York, decrying implementation of a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that would have increased incentives for the crew working in the US bound planes. Read: KQ’s Maiden Direct Flight To US At Stake As Workers…

Google has sacked 48 employees in the last two years in what Chief Executive Sundar Pichai termed as sexual harassment. According to an email sent to Google employees, of the 48 that were fired, 13 were senior managers or held more senior posts. Pichai said none of those employees received an exit package. In a New York Times article, the search engine company had been accused of protecting senior officers who were accused of sexually harassing junior employees. Read: Facebook Secret Software Pulls Down 8.7 Million Child Abuse Images Consequently, Google updated its policy to require all vice presidents and senior vice…

The board of Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) group has appointed Mr Andrew Wambari Kairu as the group chairman, which took effect on October 24. He takes over from Mr Ngeny Biwott who chaired the Group Board since 2013. Mr Kairu has been an independent Non-executive director of KCB since 2016. He has been in the banking career for over 30 years with stints at the Commercial Bank of Africa, Standard Chattered Bank and Citibank. At Citibank, he was appointed as the head of emerging markets financial institution business in London. “He has an outstanding interpersonal and leadership skills from managing key…

City hall politics have taken a new twist after ODM party replaced the Nairobi county assembly Minority Leader and Whip. In a letter to acting speaker Mwaura Chege, ODM chairman John Mbadi replaced Kileleshwa MCA Elias Otieno with Highrise MCA Kennedy Oyugi as Minority leader. On the other hand,Lower Savanna MCA Nicholas Okumu will replace Makongeni MCA Peter Imwatok as Minority chief whip. Political pundits see it as a game plan by former governor Dr Evans Kidero to stifle city politics and distabilise the current governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko. Kennedy Obuya was Dr Kidero’s bodyguard and a close ally. On…