Author: KahawaTungu Reporter

Kenya has effective September 1 removed visa requirements for Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) nationals. Immigration and Citizen Services Director General Evelyn Cheluget said in a circular that the waiver is in compliance with “the East Africa Community (EAC) regulations on free movement of persons within the member states.” “The government has removed DRC from category 2 to category 1 of the visa requirement in compliance with the East Africa Community,” reads the circular addressed to regional heads, missions abroad and officers in -charge of border points. Read: How To Acquire A Passport In Kenya “You are required to bring this…

Former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero and 12 others Friday pleaded afresh to charges of defrauding the Nairobi City County of Sh58 million. They appeared before Chief Magistrate Felix Kombo and denied the corruption charges. The accused included Kidero, Nairobi County Chief of Staff George Wanaina, former Nairobi Mayor John Kariuki, former Councillor Paul Mutunga Mutungi, Philomena Nzuki, Ng’ang’a Mungai, Ekaya Alumasi, James Mbugua, Elizabeth Wanjiru, Alice Njeri, John Wanaina and the Cups Limited. Ekaya, Alice, Elizabeth, James, Mungai, Philomena being former accountants at the county were accused of using their office to ‘improperly confer a benefit of Sh58 million on…

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki Friday ordered security agencies to ensure no person is allowed to hang around the vicinity of Nyayo House. This is part of efforts to address a mess in processing passports. Speaking on Friday on his second-day consecutive visit to Nyayo House Kindiki indicated that the government is determined to streamline services at the Immigration Department, noting that any idlers loitering around the area risk arrest and prosecution. “No person will be allowed to hang around the precincts of Nyayo House and security officers will strictly enforce law and order, and apprehend any person soliciting bribes…

President William Ruto Friday signed into law the Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting of Terrorism Financing Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Climate Change (Amendment) Bill. The National Assembly on August 23 passed the Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting of Terrorism Financing Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The Bill will see the amendment of at least 18 Acts of Parliament relating to anti-money laundering, countering the financing of terrorism, and countering the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in addressing deficiencies identified during the Mutual Evaluation of Kenya. Some of the amended Acts include; the Extradition (Contiguous and Foreign Countries) Act…

X, formerly known as Twitter, will collect biometric data on its users, such as a photograph of their face, in an update to its privacy policy. People signed up to its subscription service, X Premium, can choose to provide a selfie and photo ID for verification. The policy also states X may collect employment and educational history. This would be to “recommend potential jobs for you, to share with potential employers when you apply for a job”. There has been speculation that X may want to offer recruitment services. In May, X Corp acquired a tech recruiting service called Laskie,…

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Friday asked the High Court to set aside the decision to acquit Embakasi East MP Babu Owino in a case in which he had been charged with misusing his gun in the shooting of DJ Evolve. Babu was a licensed gun holder. In its appeal before the High Court, the DPP said the trial court made a mistake in acquitting him without considering the weight of evidence and testimony adduced by their witnesses. “The trial Magistrate made a mistake in acquitting Babu by failing to properly consider the credible and convincing evidence adduced by…

A boda-boda rider was Wednesday killed brutally and robbed of his motorcycle in a robbery incident in Loresho area, Nairobi. The body of Peter Newton, 36, was found in a coffee plantation near Lion’s Eye Hospital with deep cuts in the head. Police said the body was discovered on Thursday night long after he had been murdered by unknown people. He was also a cleaner with a private cleaning agency that works at an I&M Building. His wife told police he would work as a part-time boda-boda rider. He had apparently failed to return home on Wednesday night and did…

Security officials are investigating an incident in which an unknown number of gunmen raided the Kakuma refugee camp in Turkana and killed a South Sudanese refugee in an attack. The deceased was identified as Francis Lado Abraham, 29. Police said the incident happened at Kalobeyei village 3 neighborhood 20 compound 1 house 9 within Kakuma refugee camp. According to the police, the incident happened on Wednesday, August 30 at dawn. Read: Locals Clash With LGBTI Members In Kakuma, One Person Injured The gang, which was armed with AK47 rifles had cut the deceased’s house using a sharp object to gain entry,…

A man who was dredging a water well drowned therein in a tragic incident in Karuri, Kiambu County. Ndung’u Kimani, 34, had been dredging the 82-foot borehole when he slipped and drowned in the water. Police said they were called and informed the deceased had been hired to help in the dredging when the incident happened Wednesday afternoon. A fire brigade from the county was called to help in retrieving the body from the water, police said. The body was moved to the mortuary pending autopsy. Locals said Kimani was an expert in dredging of wells in the area. Read: 6…

Police Thursday arrested a 54-year-old suspected criminal believed to be behind a string of violent robberies in parts of Kiambu and Murang’a Counties. Simon Gitonga, alias ‘The Axe Man’, was apprehended on Thursday by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau unit who were supported by police officers from Imenti North and Murang’a County. “The 54-year-old man who is a serial offender has been on the run and has a warrant of arrest issued by the Thika law courts, for his arrest,” the DCI said in a statement. Gitonga, who was found in possession…

A section of key roads in Nairobi will be closed from Monday to Wednesday next week during the Africa Climate Summit (ACS). The event kicks off from 4-6 September, 2023 and president William Ruto will open the global conference at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) which brings together over 30,000 leaders and investors from Africa and beyond. Nairobi regional police commander Adamson Bungei said they have mobilized dozens of security officials to ensure smooth running of the event. He warned there would be disruption of traffic flow on major roads and highways before, during and after the summit. “We…

President William Ruto shifted his anti-corruption campaign towards the Judiciary, firing a warning shot at some judicial officers who he says are part of a wider graft enterprise. Ruto accused some judges, whom he did not name, of turning the courts into a safe haven for the corrupt. “There are judicial officers who are part of the system of corruption that is why only specific judges handle corruption cases,” he said. Read: Officials Facilitating Graft to Face the Law – Ruto He claimed the judges have become the weakest link in the war on graft. He accused them of colluding with…

A leader of the far-right Proud Boys has been sentenced to 17 years in prison, one of the longest sentences yet handed out over the US Capitol riot. Prosecutors said US Army veteran Joe Biggs, 38, was an “instigator” of the storming of Congress on 6 January 2021. The former Infowars correspondent was convicted of seditious conspiracy and other charges in May. In court, Biggs pleaded for leniency and expressed remorse for his actions. Biggs was convicted of a slew of charges in May, including seditious conspiracy, conspiracy to use, intimidation or threats to prevent officials from discharging their duties…

The crackdown on suspected brokers and their accomplices linked to passports-issuance racket will be extended to other cities and towns. Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said similar exercises to last week’s arrest in Nyayo House of four suspected brokers will be extended to the Directorate of Immigration’s regional offices. “The crackdown that is around Nyayo house will be extended to other cities and towns like Mombasa, Kisumu, Kisii and many other places where there are complaints from Kenyans that are not able to get services because they’re people who are suspected to be abetting corruption,” he said.…

The Judiciary is embracing technology and harnessing its potential to ensure that justice is done swiftly, transparently, and impartially. Speaking during the launch of Ol Kalou Law Courts complex, Nyandarua High Court, Nyandarua ELC and E-filing system, Chief Justice Martha Koome said the launch of e-filing in Nyandarua marks the tenth County to adopt the digital initiative as the Judiciary extends the reach of justice beyond physical boundaries in the country. She said that e-filing, coupled with virtual courts and the Case Tracking System, forms a critical cog in the digitization agenda adding that through these technological advancements, the Judiciary…