Author: KahawaTungu Reporter

A court in Rwanda has blocked efforts by prominent opposition figure Victoire Ingabire to lift a ban on her running in July’s presidential election. She was freed in 2018 after spending eight years in prison for threatening state security and “belittling” the 1994 genocide. In Rwanda, people who have been jailed for more than six months are barred from running in elections. Ms Ingabire said the court’s ruling was politicized. “The refusal of my rehabilitation is not merely a personal attack but is emblematic of the broader issues facing our nation, issues that human rights organizations and development partners of…

The Public Service Commission (PSC) has denied appointing former News Anchor Jacque Maribe as the Head of Communications at the Public Service Ministry. In a statement on Thursday, PSC said no such appointment has been made “neither has a request to employ her been received by the board”. PSC said the position will be filled through a competitive recruitment process should a vacancy arise. https://twitter.com/PSCKenya/status/1768159902281711962 The news of her appointment was announced by CS Moses Kuria on Sunday days after she was cleared in the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani. Maribe, who had been charged alongside her former fiancé Joseph…

The cabinet Wednesday approved measures introduced by the Private Security Regulatory Authority to curb crime incidents in lodgings and other related facilities. This was in response to public concerns arising from the alarming increase in crimes against persons, including murder, within short-term lease facilities such as furnished residential apartments, lodgings, and Airbnb rentals. A dispatch from State House on Wednesday March 13 said the cabinet sanctioned a raft of measures to enhance security in such premises which include maintaining Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in all common areas and ensuring that the footage is recorded, stored, and can be retrieved if…

Contingents of police officers were Thursday sent to Oyude area, Rarieda, Siaya County to hunt down a gang that stoned to death a senior police officer during a failed operation to recover suspected illicit alcohol. Police said Inspector Simon Mwangi Kariuki of Ndori police station was attacked by villagers as he and another officer arrested a notorious brew dealer in the area. The gang also robbed the slain officer of his Ceska pistol that had nine bullets. The incident happened Wednesday March 13 evening. A major hunt for the attackers and the missing weapon is ongoing. This is the latest…

Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) the Principal of Keekonyokie Mixed Day Secondary School in Narok County, for claims of bribery.  The principal was arrested on Wednesday on charges of soliciting a bribe from a businessman who supplied general merchandise to the school. According to EACC spokesperson Eric Ngumbi, the principal was arrested after being caught accepting a bribe of Sh40,000. The amount was part of the Ksh.50,000 bribe he had demanded, the commission said. According to the EACC, the official allegedly demanded the bribe in exchange for releasing payment to the supplier, who had provided the school…

President William Ruto Wednesday held a telephone conversation with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the developments in Haiti.  Blinken briefed Ruto on the decision of the Summit of Caribbean Countries (Caricom) and the US, together with other partners, on the political situation in Haiti. “He informed me that a new Presidential Council will be formed shortly to manage the situation in Haiti.” “I assured Secretary Blinken that Kenya will take leadership of the UN Security Support Mission in Haiti to restore peace and security in Haiti as soon as the Presidential Council is in place under an…

The Cabinet Wednesday endorsed measures the government has taken in the fight against illegal brews and narcotic drugs. These measures, announced by the Interior ministry, include a 21-day suspension of all the 52 licences and permits issued to manufacturers and distillers of second generation alcohol, revocation of all bar licences issued by counties against the law and an audit of conflict of interest within the ranks of enforcement agencies. Other measures are nationwide crackdowns on the sale, transportation, distribution and consumption  of illicit brews and narcotic drugs. The meeting resolved that any public officials who resist these measures against the…

The House on Wednesday passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app TikTok if its China-based owner doesn’t sell, as lawmakers acted on concerns that the company’s current ownership structure is a national security threat. The bill, passed by a vote of 352-65, now goes to the Senate, where its prospects are unclear. TikTok, which has more than 150 million American users, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd. The lawmakers contend that ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese government, which could demand access to the data of TikTok’s…

The Environment and Land Court issued orders stopping businesswoman Dorcas Joan Kiptoo from interfering with a parcel of land in Karen valued at Sh4.6 billion. In the case, Alvind Kanji Patel has sued and says the property is 66 acres of land with structures, buildings and offices. He said he will suffer irreparable injury which cannot be compensated in damages. According to court papers, Patel said that he has been in possession of the said land since 1965. On March 2, 2024, Patel says the defendants gained illegal entry to the property. This prompted him to move to court before…

Remotasks, the online working platform where users earn by taking up tasks such as copywriting, media labelling and AI model training, is down in Kenya.  This came amid reports it is ceasing local operations. The platform has in recent years been popular among young unemployed Kenyans seeking remote working opportunities and those in low-paying jobs or pursuing part-time gigs. Users are paid in US dollars through online payment platforms like PayPal. But from Tuesday, attempts to access the Remotasks website were met with an error message saying “Sorry, you have been blocked. You are unable to access remotasks.com.” Some Remotasks…

Over 42,000 police officers who have served in one station for more than three years will be transferred by next Wednesday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said on Tuesday. He said some 42,500 officers would be affected by the transfers which he termed as inevitable. “The government has decided to transfer all National Police Service (NPS) officers who have stayed for more than three years in one station. Some 42,500 officers will be transferred by Wednesday next week by all means possible,” Kindiki said during a security review forum in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County. But there are concerns internally the…

At least 74 people have been killed in separate attacks by bandits in north rift area in the past months.  This has also led to the displacement of more than 2,500 people hence affecting development activities, a group of legislators said Wednesday. The group of Members of Parliament made the revelations when they appeared before the National Assembly Committee of Cohesion. The MPs told the committee at least 74 people have lost their lives in the hands of the bandits despite the heavy presence of security apparatus in the region. “We have buried 74 people including an elected Member of…

Username Investment Limited Wednesday announced the appointment of Sarah Wahogo as the new Chief Executive Officer. Before her appointment, Sarah was the CEO of Safaricom Investment Cooperative and previously served as a Finance Manager at Username Investment Limited. She has over 18 years of experience in leadership, accounting and financial management. In 2023 Sarah was unveiled as one of the top ten women CEOs in the real estate sector in Kenya by the Valuable Brands Kenya. She holds a Higher National Diploma in Management Information Systems (MIS), Bachelor of Business Management degree (Finance and Banking option) from Moi University and…

At least four suspects were arrested and more than 6.8 kilos of elephant tusks found on them in an operation in Makindu, Makueni county. Police and officials from the Kenya Wildlife Service staged the operation on Tuesday March 12 leading to the arrest and recovery. The suspects were in possession of six pieces of ivory tusks weighing 6.8 kilos with approximate street value of Sh2 million. The suspects were detained at Makindu Police Station awaiting arraignment. They will be charged with dealing in wildlife trophies of an endangered species without a permit or other lawful exemptions, contrary to Section 92(2)…

Joseph Irungu alias Jowie, is set to face sentencing Wednesday March 13 in connection with the murder of businesswoman Monica Nyawira Kimani in Nairobi. The sentencing comes after a lengthy trial and recent postponements of the legal proceedings. The sentencing was initially set for Friday, March 8 but was postponed due to various reasons, including the late submission of crucial documents and a change in Jowie’s legal representation. Lady Justice Grace Nzioka pointed out that crucial documents expected to assist the court in reaching its final decision had been filed late. Jowie’s lawyer told the court he would need one week…