Author: KahawaTungu Reporter

An elderly woman was found dead after being burnt in her house in a tragedy in Mukuyuni area, Makueni County. Police said the incident happened on August 14 in the morning as Sekuda Mbovu tried to light a fire to make her breakfast. She fell into the same fire and was badly burnt, dying on the spot. Police said she lived alone in the house at the time of the incident. Her relatives visited her regularly. The remains were picked up and taken to a local mortuary pending autopsy and other investigations, police said. Elsewhere in Mwingi’s Kyanika village, a…

A Kenyan team on Thursday met and held talks with the newly elected head of Haiti’s transitional president, Laurent Saint-Cyr over the operations against surging criminal gangs in the Caribbean country. The team was led by Joseph Boinnet, who is the deputy National Security Adviser to President William Ruto, and the Kenyan Consul General to Haiti Noor Gabow. The head of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), Godfrey Otunge, also attended the meeting that lasted almost two hours. Officials said Saint-Cyr was happy with the MSS operations so far even as gangs that are fighting to take control of the…

California’s Democratic governor unveiled a high-stakes plan to redraw voting lines in America’s most populous state, in order to counter similar efforts by Republicans in Texas. Gavin Newsom called for a special election to be held in November, in which voters would be asked to approve lawmakers redrawing congressional districts before national midterms in 2026. He billed the move as an emergency measure in response to a Donald Trump-backed plan in Texas, which could see the Republicans pick up five more seats in the finely-balanced House. It is the latest development in a gerrymandering fight that runs the risk of…

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Friday’s summit in the US state of Alaska with contrasting priorities as they prepare for talks on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. Putin has been consistent on his desire to win Ukrainian territory, while Trump has made no secret of his desire to act as a global peacemaker. But both men may also sense other opportunities, such as diplomatic rehabilitation on the world stage on the part of Putin. Second-guessing Trump’s aims is harder, as he has recently made vacillating statements about his Russian counterpart. Here’s a fuller…

An employee at the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has been arrested for throwing a Subway sandwich at a federal agent deployed to Washington DC as part of President Donald Trump’s vow to crackdown on crime. Sean Charles Dunn, who had worked in the DOJ Criminal Division, was fired after video of the incident emerged. He is being charged with felony assault. The presence of federal law enforcement agents, as well as the National Guard, has led to widespread anger in the mostly Democratic city. Trump, a Republican, has said the deployment is necessary to fight crime and remove “drugged-out…

The Trump administration is in talks with Intel Corp. to have the US government take a stake in the beleaguered chipmaker, according to people familiar with the plan, in the latest sign of the White House’s willingness to blur the lines between state and industry. A deal would help shore up Intel’s planned factory hub in Ohio, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private. The company had once promised to turn that site into the world’s largest chipmaking facility, though it’s been repeatedly delayed. The size of the potential stake isn’t clear. The…

The Mombasa High Court heard harrowing testimonies from three witnesses in the murder trial of controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie and 29 of his co-accused, charged over the deaths of hundreds of followers in the Shakahola forest, Kilifi County. Testifying before Lady Justice Diana Kadveza, the witnesses under the witness protection agency, among them minors rescued from the forest, gave graphic accounts of starvation, beatings, and religious indoctrination that, they said, claimed the lives of many. One witness testified that followers would gather under ‘Mitola trees’, specific trees in the forest, where Mackenzie, commonly referred to as “Mtumishi”, conducted teachings. According…

The High Court on Thursday dismissed a constitutional petition challenging the mandatory retirement age for employees in both the public and private sectors. The court declared the age limits lawful, reasonable, and non-discriminatory. In the petition, Charles Chege Gitau contested the regulations that require employees to retire at 60 years — or 65 for persons with disabilities — arguing they contravene constitutional rights to equality, dignity, and fair labour practices. He claimed the policy perpetuates stereotypes about older workers’ productivity, fails to guarantee employment for youth, and is inconsistent with retirement exemptions for judges, MPs, and university researchers. Justice Lawrence…

The Kibera High Court on Thursday denied bond to three suspects charged with the murder of Member of Parliament for Kasipul Constituency Charles Ong’ondo Were. In a ruling delivered on August 14, 2025, Lady Justice Diana Kavedza denied William Imoli, alias Imo, Edwin Odour Odhiambo, alias Machuani and Ebel Ochieng, alias Dave Calo, bond after the prosecution established compelling reasons for denial of bail. “The prosecution asserts that key witnesses are close relatives and acquaintances of the accused. These witnesses have reportedly expressed fear for their safety and are currently under witness protection, which itself suggests a serious perceived threat,”…

A 44-year-old woman was killed after she stepped on an explosive device at the Kenya-Somalia border, Mandera Town. Fatuma Madnur Mohamed died Wednesday August 14, evening after stepping on a suspected explosive remnant of war, police said. Her right leg was dismembered in the explosion. Police said her stomach was badly damaged, leading to her death, while her daughter, aged 11, sustained serious injuries. The girl sustained injuries on both legs and was rushed to hospital in serious condition. The explosive device is suspected to have been thrown from the nearby Bulahawa region in Somalia where gangs are fighting regional…

The United States government expressed concern over the deterioration in Kenya’s human rights situation in 2024. It cited claims of unlawful killings, disappearances, torture, and restrictions on media freedoms. In its latest Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, the U.S. Department of State said the Kenyan government committed numerous abuses during youth-led ‘Gen Z’ protests in June and July 2024 against proposed tax increases. “Kenya experienced a deterioration in the human rights situation during the year.” “In response to nationwide protests in June and July, authorities reportedly committed numerous abuses, including unlawful killings, physical violence, and arbitrary arrests and detentions,”…

The High Court threw out a petition by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) seeking to shield advocates from arrest, prosecution, or harassment while discharging their professional duties. The petition was filed in 2019 and accused the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the Inspector-General of Police, and other state agencies of intimidating lawyers, compelling disclosure of confidential client information, and detaining them beyond the constitutional 24-hour limit. LSK sought orders requiring police to release advocates on free bond and to exhaust disciplinary procedures under the Advocates Act before preferring criminal charges. Justice Lawrence Mugambi ruled that the petition was “fatally…

South Korea’s top court ruled Thursday that the globally popular South Korean children’s song “Baby Shark” was not plagiarized, rejecting a copyright claim filed by a US-based composer. With its catchy lyrics, the “Baby Shark Dance” video is the most viewed on YouTube, with more than 16 billion views, roughly double those of the runner-up, “Despacito”, and third-place “Wheels on the Bus”. In 2019, New York composer Johnny Only, whose legal name is Jonathan Wright, filed a lawsuit in Seoul, alleging that the 2015 hit “Baby Shark” by South Korean education startup SmartStudy copied a song he had released in…

Presidents William Ruto and Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe co-chaired a virtual Joint Extraordinary Summit of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Wednesday to advance peace efforts in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The summit endorsed the appointment of former Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi to join the five-member Panel of Facilitators mandated to steer inclusive dialogue in Eastern DRC. The other members of the panel are former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Catherine Samba-Panza (Central African Republic) and Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia). The leaders endorsed the merger of the Nairobi…

Detectives are investigating murder after two bodies of women were found floating on a river in Embu County. The bodies had decomposed when they were discovered on Kapingazi River in Matakari area on Wednesday August 13, police said. The bodies had decomposed and one had its right foot missing, witnesses and police said. The motive of the murder is yet to be known, police said, adding there were indications the bodies had stayed on the water for more than four days. There is also a likelihood that the bodies were ferried to the scene after being murdered elsewhere. The bodies…