Author: KahawaTungu Reporter

The United States of America Embassy in Nairobi issued a new directive requiring all Kenyans applying for a Visa to list all their social media usernames or handles on every platform. The embassy, in a statement on Friday, said the social media details – dating back the last five years – should be indicated on the DS-160 Visa application form. The DS-160 Visa grants one temporary travel to the U.S, be it for tourism, business, studies, or medical treatment. “Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last…

Social media activist Mwabili Mwagodi, who is a staunch critic of President William Ruto’s regime, has been reported missing in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, under unclear circumstances. He is suspected to have been abducted. His disappearance has raised concerns as he was at the frontline in voicing opposition to church fundraising campaigns. CEO of Vocal Africa which is a human rights organisation Hussein Khalid shared the news in a post on X, confirming that Mwagodi’s sister, BBC Swahili news anchor Isabella Kituri had reached out to him over the matter. Kituri shared that her brother, who works for Amani Beach…

President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would not destroy Elon Musk’s companies by taking away federal subsidies and that he wants the billionaire tech entrepreneur’s businesses to thrive. The remarks follow a public clash with his former close ally over his tax bill. In July, the space and automotive billionaire announced the formation of a new political party, saying Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax bill would bankrupt America. “Everyone is stating that I will destroy Elon’s companies by taking away some, if not all, of the large-scale subsidies he receives from the U.S. Government. This is not so!” Trump said…

Tesla shares tumbled more than eight percent early Thursday after it reported lower profits and CEO Elon Musk warned the company faced more potentially “rough” quarters ahead. Near 1415 GMT, Tesla shares were at $304.15, down 8.4 percent. Tesla reported second-quarter profits of $1.2 billion, down 16 percent from the year-ago level, its third quarter in a row in which profits fell. Musk, on an earnings conference call, suggested the company’s recent slump would continue or worsen in a difficult interim period until new autonomous transport ventures can be monetized. The company expects lower sales after a $7,500 federal tax…

Detectives are investigating an incident where a one-and-a-half-year-old was electrocuted in a food café in in Nakuru’s Section 58 area. The boy had accompanied his father to the Yadah Fast Food for chips when the incident happened on July 22, police and witnesses said. According to the witnesses, the boy was wandering in the café and accidentally touched an open electrical socket with naked cables. The cables had power, which electrocuted him. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Police said they are investigating the incident. In St Mary’s area, Nakuru, the body…

France will officially recognise a Palestinian state in September, President Emmanuel Macron has said, which will make it the first G7 nation to do so. In a post on X, Macron said the formal announcement would be made at a session of the UN General Assembly in New York. “The urgent need today is for the war in Gaza to end and for the civilian population to be rescued. Peace is possible. We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” he wrote. Palestinian officials welcomed Macron’s decision, while Israeli…

US President Donald Trump has spent months attacking the head of the US central bank on social media and in remarks to reporters, calling Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell names like “numbskull”. On Thursday, the dispute played out in person, with cameras rolling, as the two men clashed over the cost of building renovations. The tense moment came as Trump has been escalating his pressure on Powell, who Trump says is moving too slowly to cut interest rates. He has repeatedly floated the possibility of firing Powell, only to quickly disavow the idea, which analysts say would rock financial markets…

An $8bn (£5.9bn) merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media has been approved by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The merger between the independent film studio and one of Hollywood’s oldest and most storied companies was first announced in 2024. The approval came just weeks after Paramount Global agreed to pay $16m (£13.5m) to settle a legal dispute with US President Donald Trump over an interview it broadcast on subsidiary CBS with former Vice-President Kamala Harris. FCC head Brendan Carr, who was appointed by the president, announced the merger’s approval on Thursday, saying he welcomed Skydance’s ideas to make…

A US tech company’s chief people officer who was apparently caught on a big screen at a Coldplay concert embracing the company’s CEO has resigned. Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s chief people officer, is no longer with the company and has resigned, the firm told the BBC in a statement. Her departure follows that of Andy Byron, the company’s former CEO, who left last week after the company announced he would be placed on leave and investigated. The BBC has been unable to independently confirm the identities of either person in the clip. It shows a man and a woman, who were…

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) is likely to tap Prime Cabinet Secretary and former ANC Party leader, Musalia Mudavadi, to spearhead its campaign in the upcoming Malava Constituency by-election. Mudavadi is expected to rally support across Malava, one of Western Kenya’s politically active constituencies, with a message grounded in unity, continuity, and service to the people. Speaking in a consultative meeting with over 100 clan chairpersons and elders drawn from the 29 Kabras clans, the dominant sub-tribe in Malava, Mudavadi reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that UDA fields a candidate who embodies the values and aspirations of the people. “Until…

Kenya has intensified a campaign to boost tourist numbers into the country, President William Ruto has said. With a target of five million international visitors by 2027, Ruto said the campaign aims to promote Kenya as the home of human origin and a top travel destination for innovation, sports and conference tourism, adventure, wildlife, culture, and beach holidays. “We are expanding our tourism products beyond wildlife, national parks and beaches to include a wide array. Digital innovation, sports and conference tourism, and culture are the new areas on offer,” he said. He made the remarks when opened the 2025 Great…

A company behind the importation of 24,000 substandard power extension cables worth Sh2.5 million from China has been named. This came as Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and Kenya Revenue Authority announced they are tightening the noose on tax evaders and importers of fake goods. Faces behind this companies can now be revealed after it emerged that Hilalium and Sons are not new to controversy around tax evasion, document fraud and importation of substandard goods in the country. Hilalium and Sons Limited is owned by Lihui Wang a Chinese national and John Kiumi Wambugu. The consignment was handed to the…

The High Court in Nakuru sentenced police Constable Jackson Kipkoech Konga to 30 years in prison for the fatal shooting of his superior, Sergeant Christopher Kimeli in Nakuru. The incident happened on August 8, 2023, at the K9 Unit in Nakuru East Sub-County. The sentence follows a successful prosecution by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). Prosecutors Emma Okok and Nancy Sang presented testimony from 10 witnesses, effectively proving the case beyond reasonable doubt. According to witness accounts, the incident began with an altercation between the two officers inside the report office. Constable Konga reportedly became enraged…

A suspect in two murders that occurred at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in February and July 2025 will be detained at Mbagathi Hospital in Nairobi pending investigations. He was detained for 10 days over Identity and health concerns. During a case hearing on Thursday, Kibera Magistrate Daisy Mutai noted that Kennedy Kalombotole could not be held in a police station due to his medical condition. Kalombotole is said to be having a mental health condition. “It is clear that the suspect is unwell. What I am gathering is that it is something that requires close monitoring,” said Mutai. Lawyers…

India has resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals after a five-year gap as the two countries continue to explore ways to mend their strained relationship. The Indian embassy in Beijing made the announcement on Wednesday via the Chinese social media app Weibo, the state-owned Global Times newspaper reported. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the development was a “positive move” and added that China was willing to work with India to improve the “facilitation of people-to-people exchanges”. India suspended visas to China, restricted investments and banned several Chinese apps after the 2020 military clashes in Galwan Valleykilled at…