Author: KahawaTungu Reporter

Voting in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s high-stakes presidential election has been marred by lengthy delays and claims of fraud. Some polling stations did not open all day, leading to widespread frustration. Voting has been extended into Thursday in some areas. Four opposition candidates have called for the election to be cancelled. One of them described the poll as “total chaos”, following violence during the campaign. President Félix Tshisekedi faces 18 candidates as he seeks a second term. Some 44 million people were eligible to cast their ballots, following a campaign dominated by worsening conflict in the mineral-rich east. DR…

Kenya’s national carrier, Kenya Airways (KQ) signed a short-term lease agreement with Hi Fly, one of the world’s leading lease and charter specialist airlines to enhance operational efficiency during the peak festive season.   The ACMI lease will see the immediate introduction of an A330 Airbus into the KQ fleet to support operational efficiency as well as enhance capacity in the market.  The wide-bodied aircraft has a capacity for 299 passengers, split into 24 in the business cabin and 275 in the economy class.  And as a wide-bodied plane, it augments the existing cargo space with additional belly capacity. Read: Panic as…

Two men suspected of abducting a lady in Juja, Kiambu County and stealing over Sh645,000 from her were arrested by detectives in an operation.  Laban Chomba Muthini and Peter Mugera Maburi were arrested after the Nissan Note they were using was intercepted after a road chase with DCI’s Operations sleuths on Wednesday. This was moments after abandoning the blindfolded victim at Githingiri Estate near Thika Greens Gatanga in Murang’a County. Reporting her ordeal, the female victim narrated to police how the said vehicle occupied by two men and a woman had pulled over beside her on the morning of December…

Detectives in Siaya arrested one of the wanted suspects who had been on the run over the murder of a police officer and a teacher in the area.  Hastings Omondi Odipo aka Martin aka Umar, 25 was linked to an incident, where a police officer was stabbed to death and robbed off his rifle and that of a colleague as they escorted examination papers to Mahero Secondary School in Alego Usonga Sub-County in Siaya County on November 20, 2023. The weapons were later recovered in a police operation in the area where two suspects were killed a week later. Police…

The African Development Bank has decided to withdraw all its international staff from Ethiopia immediately.  The office will remain open under an Officer-in-Charge. As of September 30, 2023, the bank’s ongoing portfolio in Ethiopia comprising 22 projects, totalled $1.24 billion. These measures will not affect nationally recruited staff from Ethiopia who will continue their work and remain in the full employment of the bank, a statement said. “The bank will assure them and their families of its duty of care.” “These decisions follow the recent breach of diplomatic protocol and assault by Ethiopian security forces on two of the African…

Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir on Wednesday appointed Rose Mkalama and Justus Wabuyabo as Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Rural Electrification & Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) and Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA), respectively. Mkalama and Wabuyabo were confirmed after heading their agencies on an interim basis for three and six months respectively. CS Chirchir appointed Mkalama acting CEO of REREC in October after Peter Mbugua proceeded on terminal leave after serving for six years. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Strategic Management, a Master of Business Administration degree in human resource management from the University of…

Communication Secretary at State House David Mugonyi has been appointed Director General of the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA). Mugonyi who was named Head of Presidential Communication Service (PCS) early this year replaces Ezra Chiloba. “Reference is made to the above and a letter from the Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service (Ref: SH/GM/ 22) dated 19th December, 2023 (enclosed) conveying approval for the appointment of Mr. David Mugonyi as the Director General of the Communications Authority of Kenya,” said ICT CS Eliud Owalo in a statement. Chiloba resigned in October in a letter addressed to the…

Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome has ordered all police officers on leave to resume duties immediately. The announcement is part of the National Police Service’s preparedness for the festive season. “To enhance police visibility and security in the Country, we have also directed all Officers who are currently on Leave to resume duty immediately,” the IG said. The police boss urged Kenyans to remain watchful and notify the authorities of any suspicious conduct in order to curb any possible criminal activities. “I wish to call upon members of the public to remain vigilant even as you celebrate, and report…

Popular joint along Lang’ata Road is currently being raided, reports indicate. In videos doing rounds on social media, unidentified individuals are seen carting away valuables with police on guard. https://twitter.com/CalebManywele/status/1737398186371686434 In September, a court froze assets belonging Wilson Kanani who owns the joint. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) told an anti-corruption court that Kanani, a City Hall staffer was in possession of Sh643 million assets on a Sh55,000 salary. Read: EACC Seeks to Freeze Sh643 Million Linked To City Hall Staffer On A Sh55,000 Salary In 2022, Lady Justice Esther Maina granted the orders on Tuesday to allow the Ethics…

Police headquarters has ordered the redeployment of some traffic personnel to general duties.  This is after a new cohort was trained and graduated on traffic management issues. This means only trained traffic personnel will be allowed to carry out the duties following the directive. Deputy Inspector General of Kenya Police Douglas Kanja on Wednesday December 19 ordered that only trained traffic personnel be deployed to manage traffic issues. He said there will be no more attachment of police officers to traffic duties with no prior training on the issue. “You are directed to deploy back to general duties all those…

Detectives have been sent to a village in Tala, Machakos County after a man died by suicide in an incident linked to occultism. The body of one Chris Mutuku Mwaka, 36 was found dangling from an acacia tree with a nylon rope tied around his neck. A suicide note was recovered indicating how the deceased had joined a cult in the area that encouraged him to die by suicide. Occultism is one of the leading causes of suicide in the area, police say. An investigation has been opened into the claims. Such cases of occultism have been on the rise…

A 40-year-old man died after falling from the 14th floor of a building under construction in Nairobi’s Kilimani area. Police said David Otieno was among casual laborers at the Jabavu Residency site when he slipped and fell off. The house is under construction and there were dozens of workers at the site when the incident happened on Tuesday evening. He was rushed to Nairobi Women’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival, police said. The construction works were stopped following the tragedy for a while as a probe was opened into the same. Police said they are investigating the…

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels are stepping up their strikes on ships in the Red Sea, which they say are revenge against Israel for its military campaign in Gaza. The attacks have forced some of the world’s biggest shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes, which could potentially cause a shock to the global economy. The Houthis are believed to have been armed and trained by Iran, and there are fears that their attacks could escalate Israel’s war against Hamas into a wider regional conflict. Here’s what we know about the…

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the coronavirus subvariant JN.1 is now causing about 20% of new COVID-19 infections in this country, and it’s the fastest-growing strain of the virus. It’s already dominant in the Northeast, where it is estimated to cause about a third of new infections. JN.1 is descended from BA.2.86, or Pirola, a subvariant that came to the world’s attention over the summer because of the large number of changes to its spike proteins: more than 30. Scientists feared that it was so mutated that it would completely escape the protection of vaccines…

Some 44 million people have the chance on Wednesday to pick the next president of the Democratic Republic of Congo from a field of 19 candidates. On the face of it, the numbers suggest a thriving democracy. But insecurity in parts of the country, coupled with logistical challenges, tell another story. DR Congo sits on vast reserves of cobalt, currently a vital part of many lithium batteries, seen as essential to a future free of fossil fuels. The success of this election could go some way towards enhancing stability in the country and ensure that the metal is extracted in…