Author: Francis Muli

Former US President Donald Trump has announced the development his own social media platform dubbed “TRUTH SOCIAL” as he hits back at big tech companies including Facebook and Twitter that have barred him. Trump media and Technology Group has merged with a special acquisition company (SPAC) to form a new company that will develop TRUTH social. “We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American President has been silenced. This is unacceptable,” Trump said in a written statement included in the release. Read: Trump Alleges Massive Fraud In U.S. Election, Wants…

Kenyan Identification Cards will now have a microchip feature in line with the country’s digitization efforts. President Uhuru Kenyatta in his Mashujaa Day speech announced the development of the feature that is partly aimed at curbing criminal activities in the country. “Digitization aims to eliminate the duplication of efforts in data collection, processing, storage, and production of identification documents which has been a feature of government operations since the dawn of the Republic.” the President explained. Read: Police Offer Sh1 Million Reward For Kenyan Printing Fake IDs For Terrorists “Our policy interventions will also enhance the security of the current…

Facebook has announced plans to demote content in groups belonging to people who have violated its policies elsewhere on the platform. The move is aimed at limiting the reach that these rulebreakers have on the community. Existing policies already prohibit them from posting, commenting or inviting others into the groups. Facebook said in a blog post that it would alert group administrators about content that has been flagged for removal by showing a “Flagged by Facebook” tag. The admins will then be able to ask for a review if they deem the content appropriate or choose to remove the content.…

Google Kenya has taken to court the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) demanding Ksh58.7 million as tax refunds. According to reports by the Nation, Google Kenya wants the High Court to overturn a Tax Appeals Tribunal (TAT) decision that barred it from demanding refunds for Value Added Tax paid between 2010 and 2013. In its decision, TAT ruled that Google Kenya’s services, offered on behalf of Google LLC and Google Ireland, were consumed locally, hence the taxes cannot be refunded. “The tribunal erred in law and fact by misapprehending the nature of marketing and support rendered by Google Kenya to Google…

The National Police Service (NPS) has announced that bars should close by 7pm, despite President Uhuru Kenyatta vacating the 10pm to 4am curfew during the Mashujaa Day celebrations held in Wang’uru stadium, Kirinyaga County. In a statement posted on Twitter, NPS said that all other measures that were not altered by the President will remain in place. “Following the vacation of the COVID associated curfew by H.E the President during MASHUJAA Day speech, existing measures on closure of bars by 7.00pm remain in place for now. Enforcement of violation of this measure to continue,” read the statement. https://twitter.com/NPSOfficial_KE/status/1450861300960088072 Read: President Uhuru Kenyatta…

President Uhuru Kenyatta has inaugurated the first publicly-owned comprehensive Integrated Molecular Imaging Centre for the diagnosis and treatment of Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa. The center was built through a partnership between the locally-owned GE Healthcare’s entity and Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital (KUTRRH). The Center will provide lifesaving equipment along the cancer care pathway – from screening and diagnosis, to staging, to determining the correct treatments. This will support the improvement of cancer survival rates and serve patients across Kenya. Critically, it will also enable more cancer research to be carried out, offering the potential for KUTRRH to…

Instagram is rolling out ‘Collab’, a feature that allows users to share ownership of a post or Reel on the timeline. It will also roll out a new feature allowing users to add a non-profit fundraiser to a post. In addition, the company will this week roll out a a feature allowing users to create photos and videos right from their desktop browsers, as well as a a new music foucused effect on Reels. Collab will allow two accounts join their efforts in creating a single post or Reel. The post will then be displayed on each users’ timeline and…

Facebook is planning to rebrand itself with a new name that aligns more with the metaverse, an alternative digital world that the social media giant has set its sights on. According to the Verge, sources with direct knowledge of the matter indicate that Facebook is planning to announce the new brand name next week. According to the report,  the Facebook app and all other product apps such as Instagram and Whatsapp will now be positioned under one brand name. The same concept was adopted by Google when it established the Alphabet Brand, where Google, YouTube, Gmail and all its products…

Google has launched Taskmate, a crowdsourcing app, in Kenya. The app allows users to register and perform a set of tasks and get paid. Google launched the Beta version of the app for experiment purposes in Kenya last year and is now rolling it out to various markets across the globe. “Today we have launched TaskMate, and it’s the first time we have opened it in Africa and across the world,” said TaskMate product manager, Mike Knapp. The tasks on the app include translation, photography, surveys and local service ads. Payment is in form of rewards and fees for skilled…

A syndicate allegedly involved in the printing of fake government documents was busted by detectives yesterday in Eastleigh, Nairobi county. Six suspects were arrested following the raid at an establishment on 1st avenue, 3rd street, where national identification cards, refugee registration documents, academic certificates and other documents were being processed illegally. “Acting on information received via our Fichua kwa DCI hotline, detectives from the Transnational Organized Crime Unit backed up by Cybercrime sleuths stormed the office and recovered a bunch of fake documents that had been illegally processed,” said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). Read: LSK Castigates DCI For Trying…

The country’s and region’s biggest public hospital, the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), will be closed for six months for renovation. Built in 1901, KNH has been the last port of call for patients seeking public health facilities in the country, owing to its superior equipment and human resource. During the closure, the health system will bank on improved and new health facilities especially in Nairobi to handle the patients that used to be handled by KNH. “The best-equipped hospital in this country is KNH. If I was unwell, I would rather go to Kenyatta than any private hospital. Public hospitals…

Most of the property owned by slain athlete Agnes Tirop was transferred to new owners while she was in the Tokyo Olympics three months ago, it has emerged. According to the family spokesman Jeremiah Sawe, most of the property was later sold by her lover, Mr Ibrahim Rotich, who is now the prime suspect in the murder. “We have learnt with utter shock that majority of our daughter’s property has mysteriously changed hands. What is shocking is that the property changed hands three months ago and some have been disposed of by her lover, who is also the prime suspect…

The Board of Directors for Wapi Pay have announced that twin brothers, Eddie and Paul Ndichu are stepping down from their roles pending investigations into an altercation involving the two at a city hotel. Eddie has been serving the Fintech company as the CEO while his brother Paul, who was listed as a co-founder, was serving as the Executive Director. According to a statement from the board, the CEO position will be taken over by Elizabeth Kariuki, who will serve on interim. “The Board commits to conclude this matter within the next 30 working days,” read the statement. The two…

Pubs, Entertainment and Restaurants Association of Kenya (PERAK) has issued a statement saying the the sector has been left out even as other industries benefit from the relaxation of the Covid-19 rules. The Association said the industry had not yet bounced back despite the political class openly defying Covid-19 protocols barring public gatherings. “The actions of our leaders and representatives suggest that the protocols rolled out to limit the spread of Covid-19 are not necessary. Over the past month, presidential candidates have been holding rallies and meetings across the country to popularize themselves ahead of the elections.” PERAK Nairobi Chapter…

Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) has canceled the license of Reale Hospital Eldoret and the Hospital’s Medical Director Dr Erick Kipkoech Ruto for failing to release a detained body of a former patient. In a letter to Dr Ruto and the hospital on Tuesday, KMPDC CEO Dr Daniel Yumbya said that the hospital failed to preserve the dignity of individuals and communities. “The Council notes with concern that despite communication to yourselves on 28th September and 15th October 2021, directing your institution to release the body of the deceased for interment, you have failed, refused and or neglected…