Author: Mercy Auma

A regional Court in Mogadishu, Somalia has jailed four senior officials from the Ministry of Health for corruption and misappropriation of public funds. According to online sources, the officials who have been convicted had been in custody for close to three months with the Health Ministry Director General Abdullahi Hashi Ali sentenced to nine years in prison with a $2,366 (approximately Ksh240,000) fine. Apparently, the officials diverted money meant to cushion citizens amid the COVID-19 pandemic among other donor funds. Others are Mohamud Bule Mohamud (Director administration and finance department) who was given an 18-year jail term while Mahdi Abhir…

Residents of Kisumu and Nakuru on Monday staged protests over the theft of COVID-19 funds calling for the arrests, prosecution of the culprits. In photos and videos circulated online, human rights activists used banners with messages  #Arrestcovid-19Thieves as they chanted and marched in the streets. In one of the videos in Kisumu, a lorry carrying police officers is seen passing close to the demonstrators as they called out the government over the alleged theft. https://twitter.com/InsecurityKE/status/1297811802907181057 Read: Clinical Officer Shot Dead In Migori Supreme Court Demos https://twitter.com/InsecurityKE/status/1297801370108559363 Lobby groups in Nakuru also took to the streets using boda boda and others on…

Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader Musalia Mudavadi has urged the government to hold off plans of amending the constitution and rather focus on more important issues affecting Kenyans. According to Mudavadi, the focus should be on reviving the economy that has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, thousands have lost jobs and others have been laid off and left with no sources of income. In an interview with a local TV station, he said that the state’s priority should be to address these issues rather than amending the constitution through a referendum. “The country is reeling from…

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has slammed the Deputy President Wiliam Ruto following his statement on the theft of COVID-19 funds. Through a statement on Twitter, ODM indicated that a person of DP’s status should not be focused on going public with juvenile improper statements rather should be committed to the development of the country. For instance, the party faults the DP’s statement where he alluded that for once he would not be blamed for any theft in the country adding that the message okays stealing of funds as long as he is not to be blamed. “It is…

Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and former Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama attended a funeral service in Machakos County on Friday where they exchanged bitter words. The duo had attended the funeral of the late Samuel Mutuku Mulu, firstborn son to the late patriarch and politician Hon Mulu Mutisya. https://twitter.com/skmusyoka/status/1297113608279732224 https://twitter.com/skmusyoka/status/1297119139484631040 Read: Kalonzo Musyoka Bodyguard Abducted Along Mombasa Road, Valuables Stolen This was the first time Muthama and Kalonzo were physically meeting following the former’s declaration to ditch Wiper party and join the Ruto camp ahead of the 2022 general elections. According to K24, Muthama urged the members of the Kamba community…

Ezekiel Ayieta, a 70-year-old man who disappeared from his Nyangoge home in Nyamira County at the age of 25 was forced to return home due to COVID-19. Ayieta reunited with his family who had forgotten him after 45 years. According to Standard, when Ayieta disappeared, he had been living in Central Kenya ever since keeping no touch with his family. Ideally, he was referred to as Omonyamwaka, in his home village, a term used for people who went away and forgot about their families. “We had forgotten about him and as his kinsmen, we had assumed he may have died…

The late sergeant Kipyegon Kenei’s father, John Chesang has called on the government to fast track investigations into the death of their kin, adding that they are certain he did not kill himself. Speaking to a local daily, Chesang intimated that the family is still in pain from their kin’s mysterious death hence they need the case solved for the pain caused to go away. “We don’t understand what happened but what we know is that my son never killed himself. He was a vibrant and jovial young man, full of life and with great plans. Whoever killed him will…

The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) has announced that a section of Outer Ring road will be closed on Sunday, August 23, from 8 AM to 2 PM. Through a notice on Twitter, KURA indicated that the move is to allow the installation of a footbridge truss. “We wish to notify the general public that outer ring road will be closed at Nairobi river on Sunday, August 23, 2020 as from 8 AM to 2 PM to allow installation of a footbridge truss,” reads the notice in part. Read: A Section Of Thika Superhighway To Be Closed For Five Days Thika…

President Uhuru Kenyatta has warned politicians to refrain from dragging him into the Senate debate on Revenue Sharing formula. According to the head of state, the debate has nothing to do with him as it was proposed by the  Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA). Speaking at the KICC while issuing title deeds to Embakasi residents, Uhuru further weighed in on the matter indicating that denying Nairobi a big share in the name of it being a more developed county will hurt slum dwellers. “Do not pull me into the Senate debate. That was not my formula, it’s CRA’s. My deeds…

Three years since ICT manager Chris Msando was brutally murdered, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced a vacancy in the post. According to the details of the application, the commission has declared the position and is looking for a suitable replacement. The procedure details an online application where one fills forms through IEBC’s recruitment portal https://www.iebc.or.ke/iebcjobs. Upon completion of the online application, one is required to submit hard copies of the application letters backed up with a Curriculum Vitae (CV), academic papers, testimonials and an original Identity Card (ID). Read: “Tell DCI What You Know,” IEBC Boss Chebukati…

Two bloggers, Jack Okinyi (Business Illustrated) and Milton Were (Kenya Today) walked away scot-free after the charges leveled against them detailing false publications were rejected by the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Haji. The duo had been abducted and detained by the officers from the DCI with the intent to charge them with the publication of false information contrary to the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act. According to the state counsel Geoffrey Obiri, the charge sheet did not meet the threshold and merit to warrant prosecution and did not disclose the offense committed. On Monday, Kahawa Tungu reported that…

Kirinyaga County Governor Anne Waiguru says that the raid conducted by the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) at her homes and offices is a ploy to distract Kenyans from the various multimillion corruption cases in the country. In a statement shared on Twitter, Waiguru also linked the raid to 2022 politics, further adding that she has been used before as a political decoy before. “The amount was Sh10 million. Why do they see the need to shore up numbers? This is not about the travel imprests but a wider scheme to shape 2022 succession politics in Mt Kenya…and to…

Health CAS Dr Mercy Mwangangi has announced 426 new Coronavirus cases in the country after 5,158 samples were tested within the last 24 hours. Speaking during the daily COVID-19 briefings, the CAS further announced 257 recoveries bringing the tally to 17,869. Out of the new cases, 9 are foreigners while 417 are Kenyan nationals. Ideally, 239 are male while 187 are female. A total of 195 of those discharged were from the home-based programme, while 62 were discharged from various health facilities. On a sad note, however, 10 patients have succumbed to the deadly virus with the number of fatalities…

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko now links the ‘system’ to Interior CS Fred Matiang’i alongside PS Karanja Kibicho. Speaking during an interview with Citizen’s JKL, Sonko alluded that the top officials in the Ministry of Interior are the ones responsible for the division in the county assembly among other frustrations recently witnessed in the country. Consequently, Sonko intimated that the duo, Matiang’i and Kibicho should be held accountable for the recent dramatic arrests of Senators just before they voted in the Revenue Sharing Debate. “The people who are messing this country is ‘the system’ not the President… The ‘system’ is Matiang’i,…

The family of the late Changamwe MP Ramadhan Kajembe is yet again in mourning after the daughter, Aisha Langoni Kajembe passed on in a suspected case of COVID-19. According to reports, Langoni had been admitted at Pandya Hospital and was in the ICU for weeks, before finally succumbing. Star reports that the former MP’s daughter died on Wednesday night, 10 PM after being on oxygen support for a number of days. Her death comes barely two weeks after the father succumbed to COVID-19. Apparently, Lingoni was unable to attend her father’s burial as she was admitted at the hospital. Read: Former…