A Kenyan-based US philanthropist David Smittcamp has sharply criticised the government’s approach to orphan care, accusing it of systemic hypocrisy, empty promises and failure to protect the country’s most vulnerable children. Speaking during a press conference on Sunday, the cleric said government policy statements paint a picture of robust funding and support for vulnerable children, yet the reality on the ground tells a very different story. He argued that the education system lacks a compassionate foundation, effectively denying orphans an equal chance at education. “If you look at government policy papers, you will see claims of massive funding for the…
Author: Magati Obebo
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leaders on Sunday closed ranks in a show of force against internal dissent, insisting the party’s place in government is irreversible despite simmering feuds over leadership and direction. At a packed rally in Sameta, Kisii County, party heavyweights — including Party Leader Dr. Oburu Odinga, Deputy Party Leader Simba Arati, Chairperson Gladys Wanga, Minority Whip Junet Mohammed, Migori Governor Ochillo Ayako, and several legislators — rallied delegates and supporters in what many described as a defining moment for the party’s future. Dr. Oburu struck a defiant tone, vowing to safeguard and advance the legacy of ODM…
UDA-affiliated leaders from the Gusii region on Sunday launched a scathing attack on former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i, warning him against anchoring his presidential ambitions on retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, whom they said no longer wields the political clout to influence national succession politics. Speaking during a charged church service at Nyansakia village in Kegogi, Kitutu Chache North Constituency, the leaders told Dr Matiang’i that tying his political future to Mr Kenyatta was a “doomed gamble” that would lead to a humiliating defeat in 2027. The leaders argued that the former president failed to secure victory for ODM…
Kisii Governor Simba Arati is a man walking on clutches. And as he quietly assembles the machinery for a second-term bid, familiar controversies are resurfacing to test his political footing in Kisii County. The latest storm centers on explosive allegations of biased fuel levy allocations and deepening claims of administrative lethargy—potent ammunition that critics are eagerly loading to derail his re-election momentum. At the centre of the raging debate is the county’s utilisation of fuel levy allocations meant to maintain and upgrade rural road networks. Adding a fresh twist is the growing number of ward representatives who have turned the…
Months after vehicles were vandalised at the Kisii County Assembly parking lot, no arrests have been made, prompting affected Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) to raise concerns over alleged police inaction and selective enforcement of justice. The leaders suspect paid goons were trucked into the assembly to cause havoc. During the raid, Thomas Obare (Bobasi Boitangare Ward) and Amos Mokaya’s (Nyatieko Ward) cars were extensively vandalised. At least one had its tyres slashed and its body badly damaged. Later the MCAs described the raid as a coordinated attack aimed at silencing dissenting voices within the Assembly. And speaking to…
While concerns persist over low transition rates to Grade 10, several secondary schools in Kisii County are now reporting a notable rise in enrolment, offering a glimmer of hope for the education sector. By late Monday, some schools had recorded a sharp increase in admissions, a trend teachers attributed to intensified media sensitisation and targeted government interventions. At Hema Mixed Boarding Secondary School, a C4 institution, Principal Meshack Orure said enrolment had significantly improved compared to the previous week. “By this afternoon, we had enrolled more than 150 students, and more are still streaming in,” Orure told journalists late Monday.…
Property of unknown value was destroyed Sarturday evening following a strike by students of Moi Gesusu High School in Masaba South, Kisii County. The students were protesting poor performance in the recently released KCSE results. The unrest began shortly after Sabbath service late Saturday with thr students vandalising property inside the school before forcing their way out into the Keroka -Nyangusu highway where they blocked traffic for hours. Photos gleaned from the extra County school showed smashed glasses and torn books scattered on the floor of what appears an extensively vandalised class. Outside the streets, they chanted slogans castigating the…
Jane Moraa sits quietly under a tent outside Menyenya Mixed Secondary School in Nyamira County, her daughter standing close by. In her hands is an admission letter that is creased, unstamped, and heavy with uncertainty. “I have the letter, I have the child, but I don’t have the money,” she says, her voice low. As Grade 10 admissions entered their third day this week, scenes like these are playing out across many secondary schools in the Gusii region. Empty desks and half-filled classrooms reveal the growing cost of Kenya’s harsh economic climate. For many parents, the transition to senior school…
As discussion around national examination performance fades and admissions into Grade 10 continue in senior schools, proprietors of private secondary schools in Kisii County say their institutions’ strong academic results are often overshadowed by persistent funding challenges and lack of bursary support for needy students. For instance, at Nyacheki Township Junior and Senior Secondary School in Bobasi, director Thomas Menge said the impressive results posted by private schools reflect the dedication and resilience of both learners and teachers, many of whom work under difficult conditions. “Our candidates continue to perform well despite numerous challenges,” Menge said. “This success shows what…
Nyamira County Governor Amos Nyaribo has seen and survived all. These include a frosty relationship with his late former County boss, John Nyagarama, and a series of groveling appearances before Senate Committees over graft queries. Nature did not endow him with charisma. Yet, somehow thrust him from the shadows of serving as deputy governor to the public limelight, setting the former banker on a journey to big politics. Little is known much about his academics save a small detail that he has financial related skill. Nyaribo has survived three impeachment attempts emerging bruised but still standing. And as the polls…
Most secondary schools across Kisii County were reporting significantly low turnout for grade 10 during the official reporting date on Monday. Some closed the business day with as few as 20 admissions. At Sengera Girls, an Extra County school in Bomachoge Chache, a paltry 15 students had checked in by 12 Monday. School authorities, however, sounded optimistic saying they were looking forward to at least 300 admissions by Wednesday this week. Duke Marube, Acting Deputy teacher and who was overseeing the exercise said the school had admitted to the upward of 700 students but only 300 had agreed in the…
Candidates at Nyabururu Girls High School re-affirmed the national school’s status as an academic powerhouse in the region after posting strong results in the recently released Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations. It reported an impressive mean score of 8.8, with 462 out of 505 candidates attaining university entry grades of C+ and above. The results included nine As, 45 A- grades and 114 B+ grades. Principal Joyce Orioki attributed the success to hard work and adherence to integrity. “These results are a true reflection of commitment, consistency, and teamwork among our students and teachers,” Dr Orioki said. Dr…
For decades, sugarcane farming has been portrayed as a key economic pillar away from soapstone of South Mugirango in Kisii County. Blessed with fertile soil and reliable rainfall, the region embraced the crop as a pathway to prosperity. Though officially classified as a sugarcane-growing zone, the region lacks a single operational sugar factory. This has made thousands of households that had invested their land, labor, and savings into sugarcane, convinced that steady returns would transform livelihoods slowly sink into despair. The pain is acute and largely compounded by a stalled plan by an investor to set up a sugarcane factory…
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka disputed reports that Jubilee Party presidential hopeful Fred Matiangi has been abandoned by his people in his quest for the country’,s top job. Onyonka said Matiangi still remains a formidable national figure with deep grassroots support across the country “Let it be very clear: nobody has deserted him. This definitely a fake narrative,” Onyonka said. Leadership, he added, is not about making noise every day. “Some leaders work quietly, strategically, and effectively,” he added. The Senator separately fought off claims that he has ditched Matiangi. Onyonka had recently kept a low profile, fueling speculation about his…
For a man who has seen it all- unparalleled power in the country’s political corridors, one could expect that Dr Fred Matiangi could draw massive popular support from his people. Not so quick, it has emerged. Though enjoying greater national fame and considerable national appeal, Matiangi continues to remain relatively shunned by the political class at home. Not even his local MP from South Mugirango, his original home, feels convinced that he has what it takes to lead the nation. For one who literally ran the government together with President Kenyatta, Matiang’i is now forced to learn the hard way…