Author: KahawaTungu Reporter

The US government will give Sh14.5 billion (USD 100 million) to the Kenya Police-led peacekeeping effort in Haiti. Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated Friday that the Biden administration was keen on ensuring that the police mission is successful. According to Blinken, the support will include logistics, intelligence, communication, and medical assistance. “The people of Haiti cannot wait much longer. Improved security must be accompanied by real progress to resolve the political crisis. The support mission will not be a substitute for political progress,” he stated. The announcement by the Biden administration was made hours after Blinken held a meeting…

The Federal Republic of Somalia has asked the United Nations Security Council to reconsider the withdrawal of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) troops. The authorities argued that the ongoing drawdown should be paused for three months due to security challenges in the country. Tentatively, it is anticipated that by December 2024, over 20,000 soldiers will have been in the country, handing over security responsibilities to the Somali National Army (SNA). Already, 2000 soldiers have left and an additional 3,000 are expected to leave by the end of September. Somali authorities recently wrote to the United Nations requesting…

Two suspected poachers were Friday arrested and ivory worth Sh10.6 found on them in Embu. Officials from the National Police Service and Kenya Wildlife Service arrested the two suspects in possession of three pieces of elephant tusks weighing approximately 53 kilograms. Police said they will be arraigned for the offences of dealing in and/or possession of wildlife trophy. Officials said the seizure shows up to ten elephants had been killed and there is a likelihood the incidents happened in the nearby Meru National Park. This is despite stringent measures in place to address the menace of poaching in the country…

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) secured orders from the High Court to freeze the former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu family’s unexplained wealth amounting to nearly Sh2 billion pending the ongoing civil suit seeking orders for forfeiture of the said assets to the State. The assets include bank accounts, vehicles, land, and buildings belonging to Waititu, his wife Susan Wangari Ndung’u, and their daughter Monica Njeri Ndung’u. EACC has accused Waititu’s family of acquiring the assets through corrupt conduct and abuse of office during his tenure as the governor of Kiambu County. The commission has also forwarded two files to…

There was drama at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport when a late passenger forced himself into a wrong plane. Farah Awad, 34 was arrested for entering a restricted area on Friday night ahead of planned arraignment. He was headed for Mombasa at about 9pm when he arrived late. He tried to plead with staff at the Terminal 1D but they turned a deaf ear on him. According to Kenya Airports Authority officials an angry Farah forced himself through the gate at Terminal 1 D. By then, the gates to the Kenya Airways flight he was to board had closed. According…

An auctioneer who had been on the run for ten months was arrested over claims of demanding a bribe of Sh2 million in Ruiru, Kiambu county. Detectives from Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission arrested one John Obura Dimo, an auctioneer with Keysian Auctioneers, an Agency engaged by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). The official demanded a bribe of Sh2 million from a private company in order to assist in “waiving” Sh19.5 million in tax arrears owed to KRA. The suspect has been on the run since December 2022 when the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) concurred with recommendations of EACC to…

A Member of the Busia County Assembly has been arrested. In a police report seen by Kahawa Tungu, Bunyala West Ward Representative Carlbenz Okonya is in custody over alleged defilement. Okonya is currently being held at Port Victoria Police Station pending arraignment on Monday. “On 22/9/2023, MCA for Bunyala West ward in Bunyala Sub-county Hon. Carlbenz Okonya was arrested at Port Victoria Police Station for the offence of defilement. He was placed in custody pending to be arraigned before court on Monday 25/09/2023,” the report reads. More follows

Detectives arrested nine employees of a savings and credit Sacco society in relation to the disappearance of approximately Sh160 million. The employees of Njiwa Sacco, belonging to staff of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) were rounded up following comprehensive joint investigations, conducted by detectives and officials from the spy agency. The 9 include senior SACCO officials Amos Kipchumba who was the internal auditor, the loans manager Violet Wali, the accountant Caren Langat and system analysts Hamisi Zaunga and Miriam Nthenya. Others are a teller identified as Nicodemus Osiemo, Eric Rono from Sure-step Systems, Moses Ntoinya an NIS officer who colluded…

Former Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, the first in the country’s history to be reelected to office, has died, according to the nation’s press service ANSA. He was 98. The former president, who served from 2006 until 2015, was the first in the country’s history to be reelected to the office. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived president in the history of the modern Italian Republic. He was also the first official from the Italian Communist Party to visit the United States. In 1978, he arrived in the U.S. to deliver a series of lectures at Harvard and other leading institutions.…

Head of the Public Service Felix Koskei has asked the Board of the Athi Water Works Development Agency to suspend its Chief Executive Officer Eng Michael Thuita. According to the State House chief of staff, Thuita is being probed over alleged irregularities in the award of tender for the construction of Ruiru II, Karimenu and Kitui Matuu water projects. Koskei also wants the Board of Central Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency to suspend its Chief Executive Officer Eng Samuel Oruma pending investigations into alleged procurement irregularities in the implementation of the Water Supply and Sanitation System for Bomet/Longisa/Mulot towns…

Detectives Friday recovered clothes believed to have been worn by the main suspect during the cold blooded murder of Nairobi Hospital’s Acting Finance Director Eric Maigo. The clothes a red checkered shirt and a grey pair of animal-print pants were found in a semi-permanent wooden shack in Bombolulu village, deep inside the sprawling Kibera slums. The suspect who has since been identified as Ann Adhiambo alias Nut, is currently on the run and is believed to be between 15 to 17 years old. She is said to have sat her KCPE examination at the Dagoretti approved school between 2021 and…

President William Ruto has reappointed former Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro as the Chairperson of the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) for a period of five years. In a gazette notice, the head of state said the former Senate speaker’s re-appointment was effective from September 19. “President of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces William Ruto re-appoints Ekwee Ethuro to be the Chairperson of the Higher Education Loans Board, for a period of five years, with effect from the September 19, 2023,” the notice reads in part. Ethuro was first appointed by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018, after losing…

The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal has extended orders barring the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) from ousting Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda and MPs Phelix Odiwuor aka Jalang’o and Elisha Odhiambo from the party. The tribunal on Friday directed that the matter be mentioned on October 3. The court also ordered the Raila Odinga-led party to file their responses within 5 days of the date of service. “In the interim and pending the hearing and determination of this Application, this Honorable Tribunal hereby issues interim conservatory orders staying the implementation and/or execution of the decision of the 1st Respondent to expel the…

An $8.5 million settlement has been reached in the civil lawsuit involving a 28-year-old man who died after deputies and staff at a Virginia hospital pinned him down for 11 minutes during a mental health crisis. A Virginia Circuit Court judge approved the settlement between the family of Irvo Otieno and the County of Henrico, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Henrico County Sheriff, attorneys for the family said in a news release. “The family is pleased that they were able to find a resolution outside of court in a manner that honours Irvo Otieno’s life,” the attorneys said in a statement. The state, county and…

Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni almost came to blows with EALA MP Hassan Omar on Thursday during the Bipartisan Talks meeting at the Bomas of Kenya. Speaking to Spice FM on Friday, the former Ndaragwa MP said Omar criticized him over his stance on the cost of living. Kioni has insisted that talks must be centered on lowering the cost of living. “The cost of kerosene has gone up by Ksh.33. We were supposed to lower the cost of living in Kenya; how is it that we are talking of borrowing Ksh.890 billion between April and June and the high…