Author: KahawaTungu Reporter

A new study on the theft and illegal trade in donkeys and donkey products has called for sweeping legal, policy and enforcement reforms, warning that Kenya risks losing its donkey population unless authorities dismantle organised criminal networks behind the illicit trade. The report recommends coordinated action by government agencies, law enforcement, prosecutors, border control authorities and civil society to curb what it describes as an increasingly sophisticated criminal enterprise. The National Crime Research Centre (NCRC) on Thursday launched a landmark report detailing the extent of theft and illegal trade in donkey skins and related products in Kenya, shedding light on…

Two mourners were killed and at least 26 others injured after a hearse transporting mourners overturned along the Muhoroni-Londiani Road in Kericho County early Thursday morning. The accident occurred at about 4.50am near the Tunnel area in Fort Ternan when a Mercedes-Benz bus lost control and rolled. Police said the vehicle was heading towards Muhoroni while carrying mourners escorting the body of the late Jayden Kamau when the driver reportedly lost control. The bus veered off the road to the left before rolling once. Two passengers, identified as 36-year-old Mathew Obiero and 21-year-old Margaret Areyo, died at the scene. Twenty-six…

Fifteen elephants that died over the past month in southern Kenya are suspected to have been poisoned by tomatoes contaminated by cyanide, wildlife authorities said Wednesday. Authorities did not say who they suspected in the contamination of tomatoes from farms neighboring the Amboseli National Park. In the past farmers have been suspected of deliberately poisoning elephants to prevent them from eating crops. The park in southern Kenya borders an area where farming and the raising of livestock are prevalent. Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Erustus Kanga said preliminary laboratory tests detected cyanide. “Cyanide is a highly toxic chemical, particularly for…

The US military says it has begun launching strikes against Iran in retaliation for an attempted surprise attack on American forces in the Middle East. Centcom said on X the strikes were “a powerful response” to Tuesday’s firing by Iran on US bases in Jordan and at ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The latest hostilities came a day after the conflict expanded with the first publicly announced joint US-Saudi strikes, which targeted Iranian proxies in Iraq. When the US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran in February, Trump said the war would last only a few weeks, but…

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that his administration is considering asserting more power over artificial intelligence (AI) tools after recent cybersecurity incidents. Asked about OpenAI’s tools being responsible for improperly breaching the private technology of other companies, Trump said: “We’re looking at AI, we’re looking at controls, we’re also making sure that we lead.” It marks a change of tone for his administration, which has taken a more hands-off approach to the technology. Trump’s comments come after an escalation of not only the apparent hacking capabilities of popular AI tools, but White House threats aimed at competing Chinese…

Meta shares plunged on Wednesday as investors balked at its promise to keep spending on artificial intelligence (AI) projects while profits dwindle. Shares in the firm behind Instagram and Facebook fell 11% after its results for the quarter from April to June showed revenue grew 28% from a year ago to $61bn (£45.6bn), while profits fell 14% to $6bn. Meta said it would spend $130bn to $145bn this year, mostly on AI projects, up from the $125bn it said it planned to spend just three months ago. Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the company’s AI spending was “accelerating every part…

Detectives in Nairobi have launched investigations into the death of a one-year-eight-month-old girl and the acid attack on an 18-year-old woman in an incident that unfolded in Githurai 44, Kasarani Sub-County. Police said they responded to a report from a member of the public who informed them that a young woman had been splashed with acid in the Rurii area. Upon arriving at the scene, officers established that the victim aged18, had already been rushed to St. John’s Hospital for treatment. While at the hospital, the woman told investigators that a child had been strangled to death in the same…

Two suspects were Thursday arrested for grilling in connection with the fatal shooting of clinical psychologist and mental health researcher Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso in Nairobi. The persons of interest are a mother and her son, police revealed. They are believed to know how and why Dr Mutiso was killed. This is after it emerged the murder could be linked to the family dispute over property. Dr Mutiso was shot dead by gunmen in a suspected targeted attack in Nairobi on Wednesday morning. Police said Dr Mutiso was ambushed near Kenyatta National Hospital while travelling in a taxi to her…

World 3000m Steeplechase champion Faith Cherotich delivered a masterclass on Wednesday evening, storming to a magnificent gold medal at the ongoing 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Cherotich crossed the line in a staggering 9:01.76, setting a new Games Record and securing Kenya’s second gold medal of the championships. The 22-year-old track star executed a perfectly measured tactical display to slice through the field and smash the previous mark. Facing stiff international competition, Cherotich stayed patient before unleashing an unanswered burst over the final water jump to leave her rivals trailing in her wake. “I ran my race and I was…

The national women’s football Harambee Starlets will step on the grass again tomorrow Thursday July 30 at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat with renewed hopes. They face a dented Senegal in a second Group A match of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Starlets’ hopes of winning their first ever WAFCON game received a major reality check after suffering a humbling 4-0 loss against a near flawless Atlas Lionesses who are managed by the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup winning coach Jorge Vilda. Ahead of the ‘tough’ 8PM (Kenyan time) Senegal encounter, coach Beldine Odemba says she has been working on…

A 30-year-old police officer attached to the Presidential Escort Unit (PEU) was found dead in an apparent act of self-harm at his residential quarters in Juja Sub-County, Kiambu County, early Wednesday morning. The deceased was identified as Police Constable Dennis Kibet Cheruiyot, whose body was discovered inside his residence within the PEU residential lines. He is believed to have shot himself fatally. Senior police commanders, including the PEU Deputy Commandant, the Juja Sub-County Police Commander, and crime scene investigators from Juja, responded to the incident and processed the scene. Preliminary investigations indicate that a single gunshot was fired. Police officers…

Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Ali Joho l ordered the immediate suspension of all mining operations by Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited over what the government says is persistent failure to comply with Kenya’s mining laws and regulations. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs said the suspension will remain in force until the company fully complies with the Mining Act, its regulations and all other applicable legal requirements governing the country’s mining sector. The ministry said the decision followed years of engagement between the State Department for Mining and the company over its…

A Lamu court on Tuesday fined a man Sh50 million or, in default, sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment after convicting him of trafficking narcotic drugs. Resident Magistrate Flavian Mulama found Abdulrahman Issa guilty of trafficking cannabis sativa and diazepam by storing the drugs, contrary to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act. The accused committed the offence jointly with others not before the court on March 12, 2026, at Tchundwa Village in Lamu East Sub-county, Lamu County. Police officers on patrol found the convict carrying an orange bag. Upon searching it, they recovered 250 grams of Cannabis sativa,…

Victims of the Finland and Canada scholarships scandal on Tuesday staged demonstrations in Eldoret town demanding refund of their money. They also threatened to continue with the protests every week until their funds are refunded. Police did not disrupt the protests that came days after some of the key suspects in the scandal were acquitted by a Nakuru Court. “If they don’t return our money, we will continue with the demonstrations, or they should give us an alternative solution,” said one of the protesters. The victims accused leaders for not pushing for their rights after the court acquitted senator Jackson…

A three-year-old boy died after falling from the third floor of an apartment building in Kitengela, Kajiado County. The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday at Sky Con Plaza in the Kyangombe area of Isinya Sub-county. Police said the boy was rushed to Kitengela Sub-County Hospital after the fall but was pronounced dead on arrival. According to preliminary investigations, the boy had been playing on the rooftop of the third floor where the family resides. Police established that the rooftop is enclosed by a guard wall measuring approximately 3.2 feet high, but the child somehow fell to the ground below. The…