Author: KahawaTungu Reporter

The chief executive of social media giant TikTok will attend Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, US media said.  This comes as the incoming president reportedly weighs saving the app from a likely ban on US operations. Shou Chew will join several other high-profile social media and tech moguls reported to be attending the January 20 ceremony, including Tesla, X and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. Chew’s attendance, which was reported by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, will come shortly after the US Supreme Court is expected to rule on…

The latest test of Space X’s giant Starship rocket has failed, minutes after launch.  Officials at Elon Musk’s company said the upper stage was lost after problems developed after lift-off from Texas on Thursday. The mission came hours after the first flight of the Blue Origin New Glenn rocket system, backed by Amazon boss Jeff Bezos. The two tech billionaires both want to dominate the space vehicle market. “Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn. Teams will continue to review data from today’s flight test to better understand root cause,” SpaceX posted on X. “With a test…

Apple has suspended a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature that drew criticism and complaints for making repeated mistakes in its summaries of news headlines.  The tech giant had been facing mounting pressure to withdraw the service, which sent notifications that appeared to come from within news organisations’ apps. “We are working on improvements and will make them available in a future software update,” an Apple spokesperson said. The BBC was among the groups to complain, after an alert generated by Apple’s AI falsely told some readers that Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shot…

US President-elect Donald Trump has appointed three film stars to be special ambassadors tasked with promoting business opportunities in Hollywood. “It is my honor to announce Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone, to be Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood, which has lost much business over the last four years to Foreign Countries, BACK—BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!” All three celebrity figures have recently been associated with Trump and his election…

The official portraits of US President-elect Donald Trump and his second-in-command JD Vance have been released ahead of their inauguration on Monday. Both Trump and Vance are pictured in blue suits, white collared shirts and blue ties, with Trump wearing a small US flag pin on his lapel. Trump’s expression contrasts with Vance’s, with the president-elect’s head tilted slightly downward, one eyebrow raised and his lips pressed together. Vance smiles at the camera, with his arms crossed, in a more relaxed pose. The new image of Trump has drawn comparisons to his 2023 mugshot, which was taken in Fulton County…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delayed a cabinet vote to approve the Gaza ceasefire deal, due on Thursday, accusing Hamas of seeking last-minute changes to the agreement. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a “loose end” was being tied up and that he was confident the ceasefire would still begin on Sunday as planned. Although Israeli negotiators agreed to the deal after months of talks, it cannot be implemented until it is approved by the security cabinet and government. Hamas said it was committed to the deal, but the BBC understands it was trying to add some of…

A man trailed his wife from Nairobi to Nandi where he brutally stabbed and killed her in her parents’ kitchen before dying by suicide. The deceased man identified as Hanise Juma died by suicide within the same compound in the Wednesday January 15 incident. The man had laid his plans for the murder-suicide incident in a note found in his pockets, police said. The incident happened in Kibaita village in Nandi County on Wednesday January 15 at night. Juma trailed his wife, Winnie Akusuha to her family’s residence in Nandi before stabbing her more than ten times, police said. A…

After a significant lull, occasioned by politicised court drama and what has now been revealed to be manipulated cases, the Keroche Breweries behemoth appears ready to roar again and recapture the market with full tenacity and intent. This is after a timely intervention which saw Edward Muigai, the son of Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja and younger brother to popular Instagram influencer Anerlisa Muigai, take up the lead and personally embark on restarting the once-mighty brewer by injecting a fresh breath of air and bringing with him a re-energised business vigor. On January 15, Muigai unveiled a comprehensive drive aimed at…

Coast and Nairobi police regions have new police commanders following changes.  Also moved was the National Police Service spokesperson Dr Resila Onyango. The new police spokesperson will be Kiambu county police commander Michael Nyaga Muchiri. Dr Resila was moved to Diplomatic Police Unit. Coast Regional police commander George Sedah was moved to Nairobi in the same position to replace long serving commander Adamson Bungei. Bungei was recalled to police headquarters and named the director of operations. He will replace former presidential escort commander William Yiampoy. Kwale County police commander Ali Nuno was promoted and named the Coast Regional Police Commander…

The National Assembly Committee on Appointments has approved three Cabinet nominees for President William Ruto’s administration. William Kabogo has been nominated for the ICT Ministry, Mutahi Kagwe for Agriculture, and former Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui for the Ministry of Investment and Trade. This approval sets the stage for parliamentary debate before the nominees’ names are forwarded to President Ruto for formal appointment. The ICT Ministry is currently under the interim leadership of Prime CS Musalia Mdavadi, while the Agriculture docket is temporarily overseen by Environment CS Aden Duale. Salim Mvurya, the Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports CS, is serving…

An Australian influencer has been charged with poisoning her baby girl to elicit donations and boost online followers. The Queensland woman claimed she was chronicling her child’s battle with a terminal illness on social media, but detectives allege she was drugging the one-year-old and then filming her in “immense distress and pain”. Doctors had raised the alarm in October, when the baby was admitted to hospital suffering a serious medical episode. After months of investigation, the 34-year-old woman was charged with torture, administering poison, making child exploitation material and fraud. “[There are] no words for how repulsive offences of this…

A US-based short-seller which had published reports accusing top financial entities in India and abroad of financial wrongdoings and fraud is set to shut down. Nate Anderson, the founder of Hindenburg Research, announced on Wednesday that he was disbanding the company almost eight years after starting it. The firm had made headlines in India in 2023 after publishing explosive reports about billionaire Gautam Adani’s conglomerate, sparking political rows and major losses for the company. Mr Anderson didn’t share a specific reason for his decision, but expressed a desire to spend more time with friends and family in the future. Started…

Head of Presidential Special Projects & Creative Economy Dennis Itumbi has praised the National Intelligence Service (NIS) saying it is the backbone of the stability of the country and region.  His comments come in the wake of criticism from among others Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justine Muturi the NIS was behind the abduction of his son Leslie last year in June. Muturi fingered NIS Director General Noordin Haji for the incident and demanded an explanation on the motive. Muturi was then the attorney general of the country. On his part, Itumbi argued in a statement he stands with NIS and…

One person was killed and two injured in an accident involving two lorries and a bus on the Embu-Nairobi highway.  Police and residents in Embu spent over an hour cutting through the mangled wreckage of the two lorries to rescue victims following a collision with a passenger bus near the sewage area. The accident, which occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday claimed one life and left two others seriously injured, police said. The crash involved a lorry transporting maize, another carrying firewood, and a bus belonging to the Tahmeed company. Police said one of the lorries, heading toward Nairobi, had…

Outgoing US President Joe Biden has warned of a dangerous oligarchy taking shape in America, as he delivered his farewell address and brought a decades-long career in politics to an end. “Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that really threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedom,” he said on Wednesday. Biden touted his record in office and said the “seeds are planted” for Americans to feel the benefit of his policies in the years to come. But he used his final televised speech from the Oval Office to issue a…