Author: KahawaTungu Reporter

The Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has finally addressed the inquiry into the abduction and murder of Meru-based blogger Daniel Muthiani aka Sniper. Social media has been awash with claims of lacklustre performance on the DPP’s side. But according to the public prosecutor’s office, a suspect identified as Vincent Muriithi Kirimi aka Supuu wa Mioro was arrested over the deceased’s abduction. The DCI through the DPP sought custodial orders pending completion of investigations. Read: Meru Blogger was Strangled, Autopsy Shows  But the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Maua declined to grant the orders and instead released the suspect on a Sh20,000 cash…

Tragedy struck a police post in Meru when the officer in charge there died by suicide on Wednesday morning.  The junior police officer was found dead in his house after he had shot himself in the head in a suicide mission at Ngusishi police post, Meru County. The body of corporal Simon Gitonga who was in charge of the police post was found lying in a pool of blood in his house after the shooting on December 27 morning, police said. His colleagues said they heard gunshots from the house he lived and when they checked they found he had…

Militants from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) jihadist group burned a grandmother and two children to death on Christmas Day in western Uganda, local officials said Tuesday. The attack in a remote village of Kamwenge district comes a week after 10 people were killed in the same area by the ADF, a deadly militia affiliated to the Islamic State group. Kamwenge resident district commissioner Isiah Byarugaba told AFP the attackers set a home ablaze with the victims inside. “The ADF rebels killed three people, an old woman and her two grandchildren. They were burnt in their house last night,” he…

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry has said at least 241 people were killed in the past 24 hours, as Israel’s military operation continues in the territory. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called the war a “grave crime” against his people. Israel’s army chief Herzi Halevi said the conflict with Hamas would continue for “many more months”. Israel says it hit more than 100 sites on Tuesday, amid reports of impending ground operations in central Gaza. Loud explosions could be heard from the Gaza Strip across the perimeter with Israel in the early hours of Wednesday. Gaza’s health ministry said 382 people…

Renowned Australian chef Bill Granger – the “godfather” of avocado toast – has died. A self-taught cook from Melbourne, Granger became a celebrated global restaurateur and food writer. He passed away in a London hospital on Christmas Day, aged 54, his wife and three daughters by his side. “He will be remembered as the ‘King of Breakfast’, for making unpretentious food into something special filled with sunshine,” they said on Instagram. “He will be deeply missed by all.” His cause of death has not been made public by his family. Over his 30-year career, Granger published 14 cookbooks, made multiple…

South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, best known for his role in Oscar-winning film Parasite, was Wednesday found dead, say local media outlets quoting police. The 48-year-old was found unconscious in a car at a park in central Seoul on Wednesday. Burning charcoal was reportedly found next to him in the passenger seat. It is unclear if Lee had taken his own life, but police had received a report that Lee left home after writing a memo, the news agency said. He had recently been under police investigation for alleged drug use since early this year, with a Yonhap report saying…

Detectives are investigating an incident where unknown people broke into a shop at the Siaya County Referral Hospital and made away with oxygen cylinders.  The equipment is worth over Sh270,000, officials said. Siaya County Police Commander Cleti Kimaiyo said the suspected theft was discovered at around 6am on Christmas Day. Police said the hospital’s head of maintenance, Joseph Odunga, reported to police that security guards who were changing shifts noticed that nine cylinders were missing when they were being handed over. The cylinders were stored in an area that is always under 24-hour surveillance. It is not clear how the…

At least six people have died in separate accidents on Boxing Day across the country.  Police said more than eight others were injured in the accidents. The first incident happened after the driver of a lorry lost control and veered off the road in the Bulemia area of Budalang’i, Busia County killing four people on the roadside. Police say the lorry was headed towards Mundere Port Victoria road when the accident occurred on Tuesday morning. The lorry ran over the victims killing them. Bunyala Sub-county Commander Isaiah Mose, one person survived the accident but is in a critical condition. Police…

Experts and police are investigating an explosion that happened inside an oil ship docked near the African Marine Terminal in Liwatoni, Likoni. The incident happened at the Southern Engineering Company, Mombasa during repairs mission on Tuesday afternoon, officials said. The loud bang, which sent shockwaves to buildings kilometres away, caused a fire that damaged parts of the vessel, christened East Wind II. Tugs and fire engines from the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) rushed to extinguish the fire, while people at the scene were quickly evacuated by rescue teams. Police said no injuries were reported in the incident. Mombasa Central Police…

A mission to recover stolen cows turned tragedy when a police officer was shot and killed in a shootout with bandits in Acher’s area, Samburu County.  The incident happened on Christmas Day as a team of police officers tried to recover a herd of cattle that had been stolen from Mutuati area, Meru County, police said. Constable Victor Kosgey of General Service Unit died on the spot after being struck in the head with a high caliber bullet. His colleagues said the bullet entered upper side of his eye and burst his rear skull killing him. He was in the…

A Pakistani Islamic preacher was shot and killed as he and a group of eight preachers were headed for a ritual session in Garbatula, Isiolo County.  A second Pakistani preacher is nursing gunshot wounds in hospital after the shooting incident on Christmas Day, police said. The deceased was identified as Muhammad Asghar, 48. Police said the victims were in a group heading to annual Islamic congregation in Garbatulla for Ijitmai when gunmen believed to be bandits attacked their vehicle in Kachuru, Isiolo County. They were not under armed escort. The gunmen were escaping a police operation in the area when…

One of the UK’s richest men, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has built a multi-billion pound business by buying unloved assets. He has now agreed a deal worth about £1.25bn to acquire a 25% stake in one of the UK’s best-loved brands: Manchester United FC. United’s men’s team, 20-time English champions, are languishing in the Premier League and have been dumped out of other competitions this season under manager Erik ten Hag. But as a business, the club has always scored highly, boasting fans around the world. The Ineos founder first expressed his interest in buying a stake in the club in…

British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has agreed to buy a 25% stake worth about £1.25bn in Manchester United. As part of the deal, Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group will take control of the club’s football operations. Ratcliffe, 71, will also provide $300m (£236m) for future investment into Old Trafford. The announcement comes 13 months after the club’s owners, the Glazer family, stated they were considering selling to “explore strategic alternatives”. The American family bought the club for £790m ($1.34bn) in 2005. United have struggled on the pitch this season and have not won the Premier League since 2013, while there have been…

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) Sunday announced the temporary closure of a section of Mombasa Road for a week. The closure will commence on Monday, December 25, at 9:00 pm to Sunday, December 31, at 4:00 am. This may cause chaos on the affected road even though most motorists have left the city for festive season. KeNHA Director General Kungu Ndungu clarified that the closure is essential for the evacuation and installation of a cross channel along the Mombasa Bound lanes of Mombasa Road (A8) near Imaara Mall. “This is to allow for the excavation and installation of a…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the Gaza war has come at a “very heavy price” for his side. The military says more than a dozen soldiers have been killed in the territory since Friday, bringing the total of the ground assault to 154. Saturday was one of its deadliest days – but the Israeli PM there was “no choice” but to keep fighting. Meanwhile, the health ministry in Gaza – run by Hamas – says another 166 people were killed in the last day. More than 20,000 people have been killed – mostly women and children, and 54,000 injured…