Author: KahawaTungu Reporter

A former Florida police chief said he received a call from Donald Trump in 2006 in which the now-president told him “everyone” knows about the disgraced financier’s behaviour, according to an FBI document released in the latest batch of Epstein files. The document is a written record of a 2019 FBI interview with the former Palm Beach police chief, who alleges Trump called him after the department launched an investigation into Epstein and said: “Thank goodness you’re stopping him, everyone has known he’s been doing this.” The officer’s name is redacted, but the document identifies the interview subject as the…

Three suspects were arraigned before the Milimani Law Courts over a fraudulent scheme that saw an unsuspecting Kenyan woman lose Sh3.8 million in a bogus mercury trade deal. The court heard that the complainant was allegedly lured into the purported mercury business on December 13, 2025, after being introduced to the venture by a friend who promised lucrative returns. She was subsequently linked to Joseph Mutua Maingi, who claimed to be a close associate of one Godana Hamisi, described as a prominent mercury dealer operating an upscale exchange in Mombasa. According to investigators, two days later the complainant travelled to…

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has lowered the Central Bank Rate (CBR) by 25 basis points to 8.75 percent from 9.00 percent, citing subdued inflation, improved private sector credit growth, and a resilient economic outlook. The decision was taken during the MPC meeting held on February 10, 2026, as policymakers sought to further ease monetary conditions to support economic activity while keeping inflationary pressures firmly contained. In its deliberations, the Committee observed that global economic growth has remained resilient, with growth estimated at 3.3 percent in 2025. This performance was attributed to lower-than-expected tariff rates on imports into the United…

The Cabinet has approved Phase III of the Kenya–China Project to equip 70 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges with modern training equipment, paving the way for full implementation of Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET). The programme will cover eight priority technical disciplines and train 1,190 instructors, with the aim of strengthening industry-relevant skills, supporting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and advancing human capital development in line with Vision 2030. In infrastructure development, Cabinet authorised an additional $128 million (Sh16.6 billion) in financing to complete the Mwache Multipurpose Dam Project in Kwale County, following cost escalations that…

The Cabinet expressed confidence in the country’s macroeconomic outlook, with GDP growth projected at 5 per cent in 2025 and 5.3 per cent in 2026, supported by favourable weather conditions, improved agricultural productivity, climate-smart investments and continued implementation of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). The outlook is outlined in the 2026 Budget Policy Statement (BPS), themed “Accelerating Gains under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth.” The BPS signals a shift from fiscal stabilisation to scaled-up investment aimed at driving the next phase of economic growth. Priority spending under the policy framework targets education, health, energy,…

The Cabinet authorised the release of Sh4.1 billion to scale up drought response interventions in affected parts of the country as conditions continue to deteriorate following the failure of the October–December 2025 short rains. Briefing the Cabinet, officials reported that drought conditions have worsened rapidly since January 2026, with an estimated 3.3 million people currently facing acute food insecurity. The number could rise to 3.6 million by June 2026 if urgent interventions are not undertaken, including in pockets of counties outside the traditional arid and semi-arid regions. Mandera, Wajir, Kwale and Kilifi counties are currently classified in the Alarm phase,…

The Cabinet approved far-reaching payroll reforms aimed at sealing long-standing integrity gaps in government payroll management and ensuring all statutory deductions are uniformly applied at source across public institutions. The decision follows a special audit of the 2024/2025 financial year, which revealed serious governance, integrity and cybersecurity failures within the Government Human Resource Information System–Kenya (HRIS-K). According to the audit findings presented to Cabinet, widespread payroll anomalies were detected involving identity records, tax compliance and bank account details. These challenges were exacerbated by weak system integration and the failure of nearly 300 State Corporations to migrate to the HRIS-K platform.…

The Eldoret business owners have today expressed deep concern over the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill currently before the Senate, warning that the proposed ban on flavours in products such as vapes and nicotine pouches would severely harm legitimate businesses and accelerate the spread of illicit goods in the Kenyan market. Speaking in Eldoret today, the traders reaffirmed local business owners’ support for government initiatives aimed at strengthening regulatory enforcement and eliminating untaxed and unapproved goods from the market. “As responsible businesspeople, we fully support all lawful measures that bring sanity, order, and accountability across every sector of the economy,” Said…

A postmortem on the body of Sheryl Adhiambo, the 21-year-old girl allegedly shot by police in Huruma estate in Nairobi showed she died as a result of a single bullet wound to the head. She was shot and killed in the head on Saturday night, sparking a two-day protest that turned violent. Adhiambo was a student at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC). The exercise, conducted by two pathologists, found that the bullet entered through the left side of Adhiambo’s head and exited from the back, rupturing the cerebral cavity. The pathologists, Grace Midigo and Simon Omuok, said the injuries…

Safaricom PLC has partnered with the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) to roll out Ziidi Trader, a new service embedded in the M-PESA app that allows Kenyans to buy and sell NSE-listed shares directly from their mobile phones. The launch marks a major push to widen participation in Kenya’s capital markets by leveraging the scale and familiarity of M-PESA to deliver a secure, user-friendly investing experience to millions of customers. Ziidi Trader operates under the supervision of the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), a framework that Safaricom says ensures investor protection, transparency, and market integrity. The platform also incorporates disclosures and investor…

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) moved to reassure airlines, passengers, and industry stakeholders that aviation operations remain uninterrupted following a notice of intended industrial action by the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU). In a statement issued on Tuesday, KCAA confirmed it had received the notice dated February 9, 2026, and said it was handling the matter in line with the Constitution, the Labour Relations Act, 2007, and relevant government labour policies. The Authority said it had already initiated engagements with the Union through established consultative frameworks aimed at resolving the issues raised amicably and in good faith. It emphasized…

A man slaughtered his wife, killing him before he died by suicide in a village in Kilibwoni, Nandi County. Police and locals said Duncan Kimaru aged 31, first attacked and killed his wife, Hardlight Jelegat, 24, by slashing her head and slitting her throat. This followed a domestic fight in their house on Monday, February 9, 2026. He then left the body of the woman in the house and walked to a nearby dam, where he drowned himself. His body was retrieved from the dam long after the incident. The two bodies were moved to the mortuary pending an autopsy…

Detectives from DCI Turbo apprehended an uncle and aunt accused of jointly inflicting fatal punishment on their 19-year-old nephew in a harrowing incident that unfolded on February 2, 2026, in Kiplombe Location, Turbo Sub-County. On that grim day, officers at Baharini Police Station received a distress call about a person who had been brutally beaten to death at Kaplelach village. Without wasting a moment, officers raced to the scene, where they discovered the lifeless body of Kevin Kipkorir Meli, lying beneath an avocado tree at his uncle’s homestead. Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) officers meticulously documented the gruesome crime scene. The…

A 14-year-old boy died after being crushed against a gate pillar as he hung out of a school bus in Kimende, Kiambu County. The deceased was a student at ACK St Paul Academy, Kereita. The student was among a group that was returning from Gituamba Primary School after a soccer competition on February 8, 2026, when the incident happened, police and witnesses said. The group had finished the day’s activities and were returning to their school on a bus. On reaching the gate of the school, the Grade nine pupil stretched his head outside through the window oblivious of the…

President Donald Trump has threatened to block the opening of a bridge connecting the US and Canada until Washington is “fully compensated for everything” it has given to its northern neighbour. The Gordie Howe International Bridge, connecting the Canadian province of Ontario to the US state of Michigan, would not open until Ottawa “treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve”, Trump wrote on social media. According to the project’s website, the bridge is being funded by the Canadian government but will be publicly owned by both Canada and Michigan. It is not clear how Trump…