Kisii County workers will have to wait longer for their July salaries after the county administration announced a delay in processing and releasing the payments. An internal memo dated August 12, 2026, and signed by the County Secretary and Head of County Public Service, informed all chief officers and county staff that payment of July salaries would be delayed. The administration attributed the delay to the late approval and uploading of the county budget, which it said had affected the processing and release of funds required to pay employees. “The County Government wishes to notify you that salary for the…
Author: Magati Obebo
An irate landlord has locked the Ichuni Ward offices in Kisii County over months of unpaid rent, leaving residents without a physical centre for accessing essential county services. The office has reportedly remained closed for the past ten months, forcing residents seeking assistance from ward officials to wait in open spaces, including roadsides, to have their issues addressed. Area MCA Wycliffe Siocha has described the situation as grotesque and shameful, appealing to Governor Simba Arati to intervene and ensure the outstanding rent is paid so that the office can reopen. Mr Siocha said residents had been unfairly denied services because…
When Kisii nominated Senator Essy Okenyuri reflects on her childhood, she does not begin with politics, power or privilege. She begins with the memory of her late father, Henry Ogechi—a colourful personality whose love for politics, newspapers and public debate may have quietly planted the first seeds of her own political ambition. To elderly residents who knew him, Ogechi was an entertainer, political raconteur and animated commentator whose antics earned him the nickname “Omotereki”. During his heyday, he would hold court at a favourite spot near the Kisii Post Office, drawing passers-by into lively conversations about political events and the…
Kisii gubernatorial hopeful Ezekiel Machogu has promised to double county bursaries from the current Sh5,000 to Sh10,000 if elected governor in the 2027 General Election, as he stepped up his criticism of Governor Simba Arati and President William Ruto. Machogu said his administration would make education a priority, arguing that increased bursaries would ease the financial burden on families struggling to keep their children in school. “If elected governor, I will increase the county bursary from Sh5,000 to Sh10,000. The county receives a significant portion of money that can be used in educating our children,” Machogu said. The former Education…
Former Nyaribari Masaba MP Elijah Moindi has returned to the political battlefield, launching an aggressive grassroots campaign and taking aim at incumbent MP Dr Daniel Manduku over stalled road projects in the constituency. At 65, Mr Moindi is seeking to reclaim the parliamentary seat he lost nearly a decade ago, banking on his experience, record in Parliament and extensive church networks to mount a comeback ahead of the 2027 General Election. His return is already generating political heat. For the past two weeks, the former legislator has crisscrossed Nyaribari Masaba, attending church services, community gatherings and other grassroots events as…
Jubilee presidential candidate Dr Fred Matiang’i has renewed the party’s countrywide mobilisation drive as the outfit moves to rebuild its grassroots structures and consolidate support ahead of the 2027 General Election. Matiang’i said Jubilee was ready to take its message to Kenyans across the country when he joined mourners at the burial of the late Eng. David Kiarie Toro in Kandara, Murang’a County. Toro, a former colleague of Matiang’i at the Ministry of ICT, was remembered as a dedicated public servant and professional whose contribution would be missed by those who worked with him. The burial brought together Jubilee leaders…
Jubilee Party aspirants from the larger Gusii region have urged opposition leaders to urgently agree on a joint presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 General Election, warning that continued delays could hand President William Ruto an easy path to victory. The largely youthful politicians said Kenyans were increasingly anxious to know who would emerge as the opposition’s flag bearer, arguing that prolonged competition among opposition leaders could split the anti-government vote and work in President Ruto’s favour. While calling for consultations, the aspirants openly backed former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, saying he possesses the experience, national exposure and administrative…
Kisii Senatorial hopeful Denis Masenge Tuesday called for inclusivity and fairness in the selection of the party’s leadership team in Kisii County, warning against attempts by a few elderly influential leaders to dominate the process. Masenge, a political science don said he had previously cautioned veteran politicians Richard Onyonka, Omingo Magara and Ezekiel Machogu against creating the impression that they were the only Gusii leaders entitled to lead the community or determine who should receive Jubilee Party tickets. He argued that Kisii County’s six clans must be given an equitable opportunity to participate in shaping the party’s leadership and political…
Several Jubilee Party aspirants from the larger Gusii region have rejected calls by pro-government leaders urging former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i to abandon his 2027 presidential ambitions and join President William Ruto’s administration. The aspirants said Matiang’i would not be persuaded to shelve his presidential bid by what they described as political manoeuvring aimed at weakening the opposition. The latest leader to reach out to Matiang’i was Nyaribari Chache MP Zaheer Jhanda, who, while speaking at Hema in Nyaribari Masaba on Monday, urged the former interior CS to abandon the opposition and support President Ruto. Jhanda claimed that the…
Nyaribari Chache MP Zaheer Jhanda has urged former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i to abandon his presidential ambitions and join President William Ruto in what he described as the urgent task of rebuilding Kenya. Jhanda claimed the opposition had already charted a different political course and was unlikely to accommodate Matiang’i in its plans ahead of the 2027 General Election. Speaking at Hema Comprehensive School in Masaba South on Monday, the MP claimed the opposition was positioning Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka as its preferred presidential candidate, leaving Matiang’i with limited political space within the emerging alliance. “Dr Matiang’i,…
A member of the Green Army is reportedly recovering from serious finger injuries following a violent confrontation with traders at Getembe in Kisii town, after county cleaners allegedly destroyed goods belonging to women selling rice at Nubia Market. The Friday confrontation reportedly began when Green Army personnel entered the market as part of their routine street-cleaning operations. Witnesses told Kahawatungu on Sunday that tensions escalated after one of the male sweepers allegedly interfered with a female trader’s rice, prompting angry traders to confront the county workers. The confrontation quickly turned violent, with one Green Army member sustaining serious injuries to…
A former Ruto ally turned critic in the Kisii County Assembly, Bouse Mairura, has accused some ward representatives of abandoning their constitutional oversight role and reducing themselves to “beggars” and errand boys under the county administration. Mairura, the UDA MCA for Masimba Ward, launched the scathing attack on Sunday as he intensified his campaign for the Nyaribari Masaba parliamentary seat, where he is seeking to unseat incumbent MP Dr Daniel Manduku. He accused some Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) of prioritising loyalty to Governor Simba Arati over the interests of residents who elected them. “In Kisii, the county boss…
Kisii University has reaffirmed its commitment to producing globally minded medical professionals following the return of its medicine students from a 21-day academic and cultural expedition at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. The students returned home on Sunday after a three-week programme that exposed them to new approaches to medical education, healthcare delivery and professional practice in an international setting. Kisii University Vice Chancellor Prof Nathan Ogechi said the students returned with more than academic knowledge, describing the expedition as an important step in preparing future healthcare leaders for an increasingly interconnected world. “They went, they saw,…
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Omingo Magara has said political consultations are underway to build a formidable team to unseat Kisii Governor Simba Arati in the 2027 General Election. Magara said an emerging political partnership involving former Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu and Senator Richard Onyonka is focused on assembling a team capable of defeating the incumbent. “We are doing consultations and building a team. The ultimate prize for this team is to make Simba Arati a one-term governor,” Magara said on Sunday. He, however, cautioned against rushing to allocate positions within the proposed political alliance, saying discussions were still at…
Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi has called for the unconditional release of detained Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, warning that the veteran politician could die in prison unless he is allowed to access specialised medical treatment. Mwangi claimed Besigye was critically ill and being held in poor conditions at Luzira Maximum Security Prison, alleging that his health had deteriorated because of torture and prolonged detention. “If he is not released immediately to receive specialised treatment, he will die in prison,” Mwangi said in a statement released to journalists on Sunday. The activist also raised concerns over the detention of Besigye’s former…