Author: Francis Muli

The government has withdrawn general service unit (GSU) officers guarding Deputy President William Ruto’s Karen residence, and in their place instituted officers from the Administration Police. According to reports, some of the recalled GSU officers have been reassigned to the President’s team. The officers have been given until the end of business day to exit the residence of the second-in-command. Some politicians allied to DP Ruto claimed that the officers had been totally been withdrawn and that there was no replacement. “DP Ruto’s security has been withdrawn few days after the president asked him to resign. So, we have sunk…

WhatsApp is getting a new, brighter and more exciting update on its colour scheme. The new colour updates will be noticeable on the major interface as well as the background and functional buttons. It is applicable for both light and dark themes. WhatsApp tracker, WABetaInfo said the colour scheme update is available for Beta users of WhatsApp for Android version 2.21.18.1. It is currently in testing and if all goes well, it should be rolled out to all users in the near future. Read: WhatsApp Testing Option for Messages to Disappear After 90 Days WhatsApp will maintain its green hue,…

Serena Hotels, operated by TPS Eastern Africa, has reported a Ksh557.3 million loss in six months to June 30, 2021. The loss was an improvement from a Ksh640.9 million recorded in a corresponding period in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit several parts of the world halting both domestic and international tourism which is the main source of revenue in the hospitality industry. The firm netted Ksh1.07 billion from contracts with customers, compared to Ksh1.1 billion recorded last year, as operating loss closed at Ksh254.8 million. During the period under review, Kenya received 305,635 international arrivals, according to data by…

The Cabinet secretary for Interior, Fred Matiang’I has issued a warning to social media users over fake news, insults and vulgar language. Matiang’i said that although Kenya is a Democratic country, a section of users were abusing social media freedom by spinning fake news. The CS was speaking at a youth forum Jumuiya centre in Limuru. He said social media users should exercise caution, especially since Kenya is just months away  from its general election. “The consequences of exceeding this freedom will be met with equal force,” Matiangi said. Read: CS Matiang’i Threatens to Sue Dennis Itumbi Over “Ruaraka Land…

The Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) is investigating the validity of academic papers held by Chuka Unversity vice-chancellor Prof Erastus Nyaga Njoka after it emerged that he might have acquired them illegally. Prof Njoka holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Agriculture (special Zootechny, animal products production technology) from Patrice Lumumba People’s Friendship University in Russia acquired in 1993. He also holds a Masters of Science in Animal Husbandry degree acquired in 1990 from the same institution. He also claims that he did a postgraduate diploma in research in the same university. His studies abroad were sponsored by the government…

KCB Group PLC has completed the acquisition of Banque Populaire du Rwanda Plc (BPR) from Atlas Mara Mauritius Limited and Arise B.V. This follows the securing of the requisite regulatory approvals in Kenya, and Rwanda in what makes KCB Group the majority shareholder in BPR, Rwanda’s second-biggest bank, with effect from August 25, 2021. KCB Group CEO and MD Joshua Oigara said that the completion of the transaction in Rwanda will give the Group a stronger edge in deepening the ongoing Group strategy to scale regional presence. “The combined history of BPR and KCB will take the Group to greater…

Detectives have arrested prison warder Edwin Omuse, who disappeared from duty on Tuesday armed with a G3 rifle, allegedly on a mission to kill his girlfriend. An enraged Omuse stormed out of Kangeta GK Prison in Meru, carrying the carefully concealed rifle in a sack. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) reports that the rifle which had been stripped had a magazine loaded with 20 rounds of ammo. Earlier, Omuse had been overheard saying that he would travel to Thika to eliminate his girlfriend whom he alleged had defrauded him Ksh900,000 that he had borrowed from a money lending institution.…

The Kenya National Library Services (KNLS) has enhanced its LAN, WiFi and cyber services to ensure young people continue to access uninterrupted research and learning services at the facility. The Eldoret branch Principal Librarian Ruth Jemo said the library is now offering computer literacy programmes to equip the youth with technological skills needed especially during this pandemic period. “At the moment we have 16 trainees who started their training at the beginning of the month and we expect more as we continue,” she said. The KNLS branch in Eldoret partnered with the Uasin Gishu county government to set up a…

The government has opened up the vaccination window for all Kenyan adults. Most of the people in the priority groups of elders aged 58 and above, medics and civil servants have already been vaccinated. In this phase, all adults above 18, working in any sector can easily walk into a health facility to get vaccinated. Although the window is open, many people still do not know how to get started to get vaccinated. The Ministry of Health has released a list of health facilities where the vaccines are available. Read: Here Is What You Need To Know About The COVID-19…

Twitter, just like any other social media network, was created for people to interact for different reasons including business, social interactions and knowledge. Unlike other platforms, Twitter had a limit of the number of characters one could post, 140 to be precise, which turned away so many people who thought this was a major limitation. The number of characters was revised upwards to 240 in November 2017. Twitter also had/has another “limitation”, according to critics; lack of an edit button. The two features or lack of meant one thing: anyone posting on Twitter had to be precise and with no…

Turkish businessman Harun Aydin, who is a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto, did not get a Ksh15 billion loan from Equity bank as alleged. Appearing before the National Assembly Finance Committee on Wednesday, Equity bank’s managing director Gerald Warui said that the allegations by Ruto were false since the bank did not have any banking relations with the Turk. “He does not operate and does not have a banking relationship neither does he have a loan with us,” Warui said. Initially, Ruto claimed that he made a phone call to Equity Bank to facilitate the loan for Mr…

Kenya’s first locally made USB cable chargers are now available in the market. Anthony Muthungu decided to start producing the USB cables after he realized he was spending lots of money buying cable chargers that would break down even while still new. “I started asking my friends on Facebook to sell me their USB cables that were not working. Within a short time, I had more than 5,000 USB cables.” Muthungu said. He documented the cables and their problems, and rounded up a small team to come up with something authentic, durable and of high quality. Mr Muthungu studied Bachelor…

Traders who deal with imported shoes can now breathe a sigh of relief after the government scrapped new taxes it had imposed on imported shoes. The new tax saw traders pay a tax of $1.5 (Sh164.4) per pair of leather shoes and $1 for sports shoes imported into the country, as opposed to the initial taxes of 25 percent per consignment. In the original tax, traders normally paid Ksh2 million per 40-feet container of shoes. In a letter by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Yatani suspended the taxes that had been in operation since…

Airbnb has offered free accommodation to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide. The company said it is working with NGOs and partner organizations to support the most pressing needs. “The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the US and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time. We feel a responsibility to step up.” Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky wrote on Twitter. He said the company would be footing the bill for the temporary housing arrangement for the incoming refugees. “I hope this inspires other business leaders to do the same. There’s no time to waste.” he added. Read:…

Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Xiaomi has announced that it is discontinuing the use of its ‘Mi’ brand. This includes branding on products such as the Mi 11 which will now carry the Xiaomi name. “Starting in 2021 Q3, Xiaomi’s product series ‘Mi’ will be renamed to ‘Xiaomi,’” a spokesperson from the company said. “This change will unify our global brand presence and close the perception gap between the brand and its products. This change may take some time to take effect in all regions.” Xiaomi however says it will maintain the Redmi brand as it will help clients identify the distinct…