Author: Opinion

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri and his Devolution counterpart Eugene Wamalwa are expected to appear before the Director of Criminal Investigations over the contentious Ksh21 billion dams scandal. According to reports, the two CSs are scheduled to be grilled by the detectives separately. Whereas CS Kiunjuri will be interrogated at the official DCI offices from 10:30 am, Eugene Wamalwa is reported to have already arrived at Mazingira House. The two cabinet members are being summoned over the controversial Arror and Kimwarer dams in Elgeyo Marakwet. The CSs are being investigated over the allocation of tenders for the construction of the…

Members of National Assembly have on Wednesday rejected government’s request for the allocation of more funds for the construction of the Kenya-Somalia border wall. The MPs refused the reject on grounds that they want the resources directed to a “viable measure in the war against terrorism.” This is after details emerged that the contractors had used Ksh3.3 billion to build a 10 kilometre stretch or Ksh300 million per kilometre. “Before handing over of the project to the Ministry of Defence, the ministry had expended a total of Sh3, 380, 353, 960.52 as tabulated below,” stated a report tabled in the…

Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia wants the Chinese firm that built the multi-billion shilling Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to be awarded a new contract worth Ksh2.5 billion. The CS wants the firm to be given the contract to refurbish the Nairobi commuter railway network in what is referred to as a single-sourced deal. Macharia seeks to have the Cabinet to approve the hiring of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) without subjecting it to competitive bidding. If the contract is approved, the firm will be tasked to upgrade the railway stations as well as ballasting of the rail network in…

Kenyan Embassy in Doha, Qatar has been blamed for the woes facing most Kenyans working in Saudi Arabia. According to sources, thousands of Kenyan youths who go to the country in search for employment opportunities, are facing various issues which the Embassy has allegedly turned a blind eye to. The youth working in Qatar have accused the Kenyan government office of neglecting them and leaving them to the mercies and exploitation of their employers. A Kenyan employee working in Doha has revealed that despite their plea to the Embassy to set a minimum wage for the employers, like other countries…

Four Supreme Court judges are facing ouster threats following allegations that they violated the Constitution during the Wajir gubernatorial petition, that was ruled on last month. The statement issued by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) noted that Justices Mohammed Ibrahim, Jackton Ojwang, Smokin Wanjala and Njoki Ndung’u are being implicated. The JSC noted: “The petition was considered and the Commission directed that the same be served upon the named judges. They were given 14 days to respond to the issues raised therein.” The commission also accused the judges of gross misconduct as well as breach of the Judicial Code of…

Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia on Tuesday told Members of the National Assembly of the ministry’s plan to regulate fares. In a presentation made in parliament on behalf of the CS by his CAS Chris Obure, the CS noted that the action is aimed at protecting the public against exploitation by Public Service Vehicles (PSVs). He noted that they have already drafted amendments to the Traffic Act and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) Act that seeks to control fares charged by PSVs across the country. Obure further revealed that the proposals are at an advanced stage with the…

Siaya County Finance CECM Joseph Warega has resigned after clashing with his governor Cornel Rasanga. The outgoing Minister is noted to have walked out after disagreeing with Rasanga over the use of public funds. According to Daily Nation, the CECM resigned after facing sacking threats. Confirming his minister’s resignation, Rasanga claimed that Warega opted to resign as opposed to facing accountability issues. “I have received the letter from the finance head. He opted to resign rather than confront accountability issues we had raised with his office,” the governor stated. It is reported that he had been summoned by the County…

The Supreme Court of Kenya has upheld a ruling that has affirmed the removal of former High Court judge Joseph Mutava from the judiciary. The ruling was delivered by Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu and Justices Mohamed Ibrahim, Jackton Ojwang’, Isaac Lenaola and Njoki Ndung’u. The former judge had appealed a ruling made by the tribunal seeking reinstatement after it found him unfit to serve as a judicial officer. During the delivery of their ruling, the tribunal has found him guilty of gross misconduct and  recommended to President Uhuru Kenyatta to have him removed from the judiciary. Mutava had asked…

Families of the victims who succumbed following the Ethiopia Airlines crash will have to wait for at least five days to begin receiving the remains of their kins. In a statement issued by on Tuesday, the company noted that the identification of others might take even longer. Ethiopian Airlines spokesman Asrat Begashawt told reporters in Addis Ababa on Tuesday, “The process of identifying the victims will take at least five days.” However, due to the impact and the ensuing fire, the identification of some remains could take weeks or months and may need to be done via dental records on…

Rwandan President Paul Kagame was on Monday pictured driving his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta in one of his presidential cars to the airport. Kagame was seen bidding Uhuru farewell at the end of his brief working visit to Rwanda before he made a stopover at Uganda. The photos were shared by the Office of the President of Rwanda. Uhuru’s visit included private talks with the Head of State as well as a National Leadership Retreat. During the event dabbed #Umwiherero2019, President Uhuru applauded the continued cooperation between the countries to the benefit of their citizens. President Kenyatta stated that he…

Royal Media Services owner SK Macharia has lost a case to bar a businessman from declaring him bankrupt over a Ksh500,000 debt that has since grown to Ksh155.6 million. The case which has been on court for almost 30 years now, was ruled against the media mogul by a three judge bench. The Court of Appeal judges William Ouko, Asike Makhandia and Gatembu Kairu ruled that Mr Macharia and his wife challenged an earlier court ruling on the existence of the debt as opposed to the bankruptcy suit. Macharia challenged the debt in the bankruptcy proceedings initiated by businessman Livingston…

Among the 32 Kenyans who died during the Ethiopian Airlines’ plane crash were five members of one family. Even as the country mourns the death of its citizens, Kelvin Karanja is mourning the death of his mother, sister and three children who were headed to Nairobi from Ethiopia to reunite with the rest of the family. Speaking on his loss, Karanja stated: “My mother had been in Ethiopia for six months and was coming to be with the rest of the family in Kenya.” According to the Star, Karanja had not seen his sister for eight years. However, Karanja is…

Phillip Murgor, a Nairobi-based lawyer, has resigned as a public prosecutor, four months after his appointment. In a noticed issued to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Murgor stated that he will no longer serve in the capacity, without giving any reasons for his move. He went ahead to thank the DPP Noordin Haji for the appointment. Speaking on his resignation, Murgor revealed that Haji’s office did not assign him any cases hence he couldn’t act against the DPP in any matter. “Following the formal gazetting of my appointment on January 16, 2019, I have not been assigned any case…

Gloria Wangari’s one and a half year long anticipation to reunite with her mother was cut short following the Ethiopian airline crash that happened on Sunday. Her mother, Florence Wangari, who was a Kenyan missionary worker, was among the 157 people on board in the plane that claimed the lives of 32 Kenyans. According to her husband, Peter Kimani, Florence left for Democratic Republic of Congo nearly a year and a half ago. Speaking to the Standard, Kimani stated: “She told us she would arrive at 10am on Sunday morning but didn’t tell us the flight number, so we were…

French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to be in the country on March 13 and 14,2019. In what makes the first state visit by a French President to Kenya, Macron will be jetting in from another visit in Ethiopia. Macron will be accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Environment minister François de Rugy, and their Higher Education counterpart Frédérique Vidal. Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Director-General will also be in the delegation It is noted that he will be focusing on cementing Franco-Kenyan agreement on the promotion of skills and talents through education, training, innovation and research. French…