Author: Opinion

Traders operating at the popular Kongowea market in Mombasa have been silently counting losses over time as police manning the trading center numerously extort them. According to a disturbed trader, the askaris in the market have been asking the traders who seek to get products from the farmers’ markets as a customer to part with Ksh20. “For you to access the farmers’ market as a customer, you have to part with 20 bobs if your hands are holding anything else apart from money,” lamented the trader on Kenya’s popular Facebook page Buyer Beware. He further revealed that despite the askaris…

Popular Kikuyu benga musician John Mwangi’s wives have on Saturday stunned many Kenyans as they publicly declared their support for each other. Speaking during the late singer’s funeral, his first wife Sarafina Wairimu John warned the media not to come between her and her co-wife, Carolyne Waithera. While eulogizing her late husband, Ms Sarafina narrated that when De Mathew was alive, the two had never encountered any problems accommodating each other, unlike the norm in other polygamous families. Ms Sarafina stated: “Let no one come between us. Carolyne has respected me, I’m mama Shiku, she is mama Mathew and we…

President Uhuru Kenyatta together with his family is to be among the first Kenyans to be enumerated at 10 pm as the census exercise kicks off on Saturday. The first family will be enumerated by the Planning PS Julius Muia and Director General of Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Zachary Mwangi Chege at State House. During the press briefing issued on Saturday morning, Government Spokesman Rtd. Col. Cyrus Oguna reiterated the importance of the exercise saying it is for posterity. “This is an important government tool to plan for your child who will be born, who are yet to…

Former President Mwai Kibaki’s grandson, Sean Andrews, has disclosed a time when almost took his own life. Speaking on his struggle with mental health and depression, the fashion icon noted that at the time, he had lost people close to him and was being bullied a lot. “When I lost my maternal grandfather when I was 13 years old, I went through depression and it got so bad that I wanted to take my life at some point,” he revealed in an interview with The Standard. “My grandfather was my rock. He was my everything and my best friend. He…

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested five men for stealing from a construction company. According to the DCI, the five stole from S.S. MEHTA and SONS LTD site. The suspects are currently in police custody and are awaiting their arraignment. The police revealed that they recovered 2,550 liters of tar which were packed in 13 drums. The police have stored the evidence to be used as exhibits. https://twitter.com/DCI_Kenya/status/1164795212801069057 The police further noted that they seized an Isuzu lorry which was being used in the theft. The five include Samuel Mbugua,  James Muthoka, Meshack Wafula, Moris Wambua…

Keroche Breweries directors Tabitha and Joseph Karanja have been released on Ksh10 million and Ksh2 million respectively. Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi, however, granted them seven days to make the payment failure to which they will be arrested and put in custody until they honor the directive. The couple is also expected to deposit their passports in court. However, they can notify the court of any intensions to travel for as long as the travel does not interfere with court dates. Ms Tabitha and Joseph were both arraigned in court on Friday morning following their arrest on Thursday over tax fraud…

Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) Joe Mucheru has told off former Communications Authority (CA) boss Francis Wangusi after he refused to resign. Mucheru stated this after Wangusi insisted on Staying on the job despite the authority’s board naming his Ms Mercy Wanjau as his replacement. According to the CS, Wangusi is a retiree and has no option but to leave. Read: I Will Not Hand Over To Incompetent Mercy Wanjau – Francis Wangusi Speaking on the issue, Mucheru stated: “He is 61 years old and ought to have retired last year, and his contract has now expired.” Affirming the board’s…

A couple in Nairobi has been left confused following Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Fred Matiang’i’s order that all social spaced be closed on Saturday and Sunday by 5 pm ahead of the census exercise. According to one of the groom’s men, Ben Ouma, the wedding was scheduled to take place on August 25 at a popular city entertainment joint. Afterwhich, the guests were to celebrate with the couple in an afterparty at the same venue, which now seems like won’t happen. The disappointed couple is claimed to now try to adjust their timings to ensure that the wedding ends before…

Wajir North Member of Parliament (MP) Ahmed Ibrahim Abdsalan was shot at by unidentified gunmen on Thursday afternoon. The assailants also torched his vehicle. The legislator was traveling with the census staff when the attack occurred near an abandoned mosque at Masalale. He was luckily rescued from the scene by his security team. Read: Ikolomani MP Bernard Shinali Involved In Road Accident Hours After Burying Son According to reports, the MP has since been rushed to a hospital. The Wajir MP was traveling with the census staff for the pre-listing exercise. The group had just arrived in the area when…

Uganda has blocked the access of its citizens to multiple Rwandan-based news websites just hours after President Yoweri Museveni and President Paul Kagame signed a pact to restore ties. According to The New Times in Rwanda, Uganda’s communications regulator wrote to their Internet Service Providers ordering them to effect the blockage. The public relations officer of the regulator, Uganda Communications Commission, Ibrahim Bbosa, confirmed the incident. “We wrote a letter to the operators instructing them to block the websites,” Bbosa stated. Read: Uganda Upset Kenya Simbas In First Elgon Cup Played In Kisumu He further noted that the sites were…

Keroche directors Tabitha Karanja and Joseph Karanja have been arrested on Thursday afternoon over tax fraud claims. The two have been nabbed from the company premises in Naivasha following the orders from DPP. The couple is set to be arraigned in court over Ksh14.45 billion tax evasion claims. According to Haji, investigations into the company have revealed that they have been found guilty of 10 counts of tax fraud. It is noted that in an inquiry file submitted by the KRA commissioner-general,  Keroche Breweries was found culpable of having evaded payment of tax talling Ksh14,451,836,375. Read: DPP Orders Arrest Of Keroche…

The Communications Authority has appointed Mercy Wanjau as its new Acting Director-General following the exit of Francis Wangusi. In a statement issued on Thursday, CA noted that Wanjau will be responsible for coordinating all the organization’s activities. Additionally, CA Board chairman, Ngene Gituku, congratulated Wanjau on her appointment asking on all industry players to offer her adequate support in order for her to sustain the gains in the sector. Read: CA Director General Wangusi Changes Tune Over Sim Card Switch Off Remark After Backlash Acknowledging the role played by the outgoing director-general Mr Gituku mentioned that Wangusi played a key…

Nominated Senator Millicent Omanga has harshly criticized Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Fred Matiang’i’s order that all bars remain after 5 pm during the census exercise. Omanga termed the directive as “unwarranted, unjustifiable and punitive to business people and to lovers and admirers of booze.” Additionally, she expressed her concerns over the losses Kenyans will make especially those who rely on those businesses to make a living. She exclaimed: “…They’ll have no cash to pay their employees, suppliers, and landlords.” Read: Government Orders Closure Of Bars By 5PM During Census According to her, Kenyans can be counted from anywhere and at…

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has surprised Kenyans as he dropped a song to celebrate his second year anniversary in office. The song, dubbed The Score Card Nairobi County 047 highlights Sonko’s achievements since he was elected in office for his first term. Sharing the video with Kenyans, the County Chief posted on his Facebook page the song written by Lucky Boy. The video that features Sonko in almost every frame, bears beats similar to those in one of Tanzania’s crooner Diamond Platnumz’s hit song The One. Read: Sonko’s Post On Rev Natasha, Raila Elicits Hilarious Reactions (Photo) The video begins with…

Keroche Breweries director Tabitha Karanja has dismissed claims that her company has been evading to pay tax worth Ksh14 billion. Speaking hours after the DPP ordered her arrest, the CEO now states that the issued arrest orders are malicious. Addressing the issue on phone to Standard, Tabitha affirmed that she is a law-abiding citizen who is ready to present herself to the DCI officers. Read: DPP Noordin Haji Orders Arrest Of Africa Spirits Directors Over Tax Evasion She mentioned this as DCI and KRA officer had camped outside the Naivasha based company to arrest the couple. “Am shocked by the…