Author: Francis Muli

The Tatu City story has been told severally, but has been mostly one sided, by one party and with a hidden agenda. The true story of the City has been hidden from the public, with the media taking sides and telling lies in most of their stories. Before 2007, Socfinaf, a Kenyan entity was a Belgian owned company that held assets comprising of nine coffee factories and one mill on a land bank of 11,000 acres in Ruiru. The company at that time was valued at $162 million (Ksh16.2 billion). This included the 1,000ha (2500acres) in Tatu Estate. The owners…

Kenyans have developed an online platform for construction products/services, WaziMart, in a bid to consolidate online Kenyan buyers and suppliers for construction services and materials. The website allows consumers to access hundreds of hardware materials from sellers who market their products and services on the platform. This joins other online platforms that have been creating a platform for buyers and sellers to interact without seeing each other, though most of them have shied away from hardware material in preference to electronics. Speaking about the new development, the CEO Antony Maina remains optimistic about the venture. “The online platform is making it easier…

Media Council of Kenya (MCK) CEO, David Omwoyo has written to Royal Media Services flagging Jeff Koinange’s behaviour in last night’s interview with veteran trade unionist Francis Atwoli on Citizen TV. In the letter, MCK cites various instances of unprofessionalism by the Koinange, including discussing personal and sexual matters with Atwoli, against clause 13 of the Journalist’s code of conduct which states inquiries into an individual’s private life are not acceptable. “(Koinange) breached clause 13 of the Code of conduct for the practise of journalism on protection of privacy. The article states that inquiries into an individual’s private life is not…

Respect hit maker Aretha Franklin, the preacher’s daughter whose powerful voice made her the long-reigning “Queen of Soul” is dead, at the age of 76. The Queen of Soul died at her home in Detroit.She had been battling advanced pancreatic cancer, and her family had asked for prayers. Franklin has made history by winning 18 Grammys and had some 25 gold records.   Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said few people in the city’s history had been as universally loved or had left as indelible a mark as Franklin, describing her as a “performer without peers.” Franklin’s father was a Baptist preacher…

Best Lady shop along Digo Road in Mombasa are decrying mistreatment by the county government, who dump construction materials at the doorstep of their shop in the name of doing road repairs. According to a worker who spoke to Kahawa Tungu about it, he says that the shop appealed an order given by the County Government of Mombasa ordering them to change colours, which would make them lose brand identity. Read: Uber Chap Chap Cars Failed Safety Tests, Risking Kenyan Lives “Every morning, the county we find a heap of mjego (construction)wastes dumped at the entrance by city trucks in the…

The Board of Directors of the Co-operative Bank has approved a Ksh200 million capital injection in the share capital of the Kenya Mortgage Refinance Company (KMRC). The money is in support of the affordable housing to the majority of Kenyans as envisaged in the Big Four Agenda. KMRC, is an initiative of National Treasury and World Bank aimed at supporting the affordable housing agenda by providing secure, long-term funding to the mortgage lenders, thereby increasing the availability and affordability of mortgage loans to Kenyans.  The bank announced the move today during the declaration of the half year financial results. Coop Bank announced a profit…

Evidence in possession of Kahawa Tungu now reveals that Victor Kiptanui, the officer in charge of Transport & Welfare department at the Kenya Pipeline, could be involved in a multimillion scandal with rogue travel agency, Angani Travel Agency. According to a source privy to the dealings of the state agency, the officer colludes with the agency by exaggerating, inflating and overpricing air ticket fare on their invoices which is too high as compared to other travel agencies and the system prices from the airlines. In 2017 alone, the company, registered in the year 2015 under AGPO(women), made  sales of air tickets amounting to…

Kimilili Member of Parliament Didmus Wekesa has written to the clerk of the National Assembly, seeking approval for the removal of the Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich in what he says he has failed in his duties. In the motion tabled to the Clerk yesterday, the MP accuses Rotich of poor implementation of the law capping interests, which became operational in September 2016. “For the few who have been able to access credits during the operation of the interest rate cap, they find themselves unable to meet their obligation in time because of a poor performing economy under Mr Rotich’s…

National Lands Commission (NLC) Chairman Muhammad Swazuri has been fired, and in his place the Vice Chair Abigael Mukolwe appointed to take over in an acting capacity. Swazuri has been facing graft charges in land acquisition at the SGR, and was yesterday ordered to stay out of office by anti-corruption court’s Senior Principal Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi until his case is resolved. However, he might not make a come back to his office after news today that the vice chair will take over as NLC Chair. Read: Police Chopper Crash-lands At Boni Forest Swazuri was charged alongside Kenya Railways Corporation boss Atanas…

A Kenya Police chopper crash-landed inside Boni Forest today in the afternoon, in what sources said was a mechanical hitch. According to reports by the Star, the incident took place at the forest’s Galgal area during routine patrols. Mechanical problems forced the pilot to land. A senior police official who did not want to be named said the aircraft had been heading towards Holugho border. Read: Government Approves Ksh1.4 Billion Cable Cars In Mombasa “The pilot had to force landing to avert danger. It wasn’t shot down as is being claimed,” he said. He added that the soldiers who were on board were all safe.…

The government has approved the 4.1 billion shillings Likoni Cable Car project through a Build Own Operate Transfer partnership. The project being undertaken through a joint venture between Kenyan investors and an Austrian company is expected to ease the movement of passengers between Mombasa Island and the mainland. Once complete, the cable car will have capacity to ferry eleven thousand passengers per hour in both directions. The half a kilometer Likoni Channel has been the only link between Mombasa Island and the mainland ferrying thousands of passengers using four ferries namely MV Jambo, MV Likoni, MV Harambee, and MV Nyayo.…

Embakasi residents, through their resident association Nyayo Embakasi Resident Assosiation have successfully stopped two National Social Security Fund officials from grabbing public land in the area allocated to the Kenya Police. In 2012, the two officers, Moses Chesoto who is the General Manager Finance and the then Chairman Mohamed Daud Aden hatched a plan to grab the said piece of land L.R. No. 97/1585/006 which was allocated to the Embakasi Police Division for expansion. According to a letter sent to the County Government of Nairobi through their chairman Rober Alai, NERA says that the duo allocated themselves the land without…

Airgate Centre along outering road, formerly Taj Mall, has been earmarked for demolition. Tenants occupying the building have been advised to move their properties as the exercise of demolition is set to start any time this week. The building had been set for demolition two years ago but owners moved to court and obtained court orders barring its demolition. Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko promised that the building will be brought down this week, after the time given by the court order lapsed. Members of the public have been complaining about the shopping complex, which has been built on land reserved for…

Four Information and Communication Authority employees have been accused of stealing more than Ksh184 million. Felix Ongaga, the acting Finance Manager Daniel Ouma, the authority accountant Peter Mwangi and the cashier Anthony Nyaga orchestrated a ‘petty’ cash withdrawals, that did not require authority from the CEO Robert Mugo. Mwangi and Nyaga would create requests in the system while Ouma and Ongaga would approve with the money being delivered by Wells Fargo cash courier services or picked from the bank by the cashier or accountant. The cover was blown last year, after more than an year of ‘under water operations’ by…

Twitter has created Twitter Lite for slow mobile networks in a bid to cut expensive data plans and cater for lack of space on mobile devices. Shah said it will ease accessibility to people with data, bandwidth and device constraints adding it will help consumers save money and data in real time. “When building new products, we want to make sure what we create allows people to have the best possible experience, no matter where they are,” said Product Manager Jesar Shah. She said the app minimises data usage, loads quickly on slower networks and takes up less space on electric…