Five more witnesses testified before Lady Justice Wendy Kagendo at the Mombasa High Court in the ongoing Kwa Binzaro murder trial involving controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie and seven co-accused. The prosecution team presented a protected witness identified as N.K., a minor, who gave a chilling account of her experiences at Kwa Binzaro in Malindi. N.K. told the court that she was born and raised in Malindi, where she lived with her mother and three siblings. She testified that she was a follower of Good News International Ministries (GNI) in Furunzi, whose teachings discouraged formal education and medical treatment and emphasized…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
Florida lawmakers have approved new congressional maps that could help Republicans maintain control of the thinly divided US House of Representatives in the midterm elections this year. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to sign the measure into law, which could allow Republicans to gain as many as four House seats. The move comes hours after the US Supreme Court limited the ability of lawmakers to take the racial make-up of a state into account when drawing voting maps. Florida is the latest to join a national redistricting arms race that began after President Donald Trump urged conservative states to…
The High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Pretoria reinstated an order freezing the assets of businessman Wicknell Munodaani Chivayo, barring him from selling, transferring, or concealing any of his wealth pending the outcome of an ongoing legal dispute with his former wife, Louise Sonja Madzikanda. The wide-ranging order covers Chivayo’s bank accounts across multiple South African financial institutions, his immovable properties, and his companies and other business interests, all of which are now under strict restriction. Relevant government and regulatory agencies have also been enlisted to ensure full enforcement of the directive, particularly in matters involving property transactions and…
The family of the late rapper Tupac Shakur has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Los Angeles, seeking unspecified damages tied to the artist’s murder in 1996. The suit names former gang leader Duane “Keefe D” Davis, who is currently awaiting trial for his alleged role in the shooting, as the main defendant, alongside additional unnamed co-conspirators. Davis is the only person ever charged in connection with Tupac’s death, after years of investigations. He has pleaded not guilty. The new lawsuit, reported by several US media outlets, alleges there was a “complex conspiracy” to murder the star, and says its…
Former FBI Director James Comey surrendered to authorities on Wednesday to face a charge alleging that an image he briefly shared on social media posed a threat to the life of President Donald Trump. It stems from an Instagram post shared by Comey, which contained an image of seashells on a beach arranged to read “86 47”. “Eighty-six” is a slang term for “get rid of”, and prosecutors allege it encourages violence against Trump, the 47th president. Comey denies any wrongdoing, saying he did not know what the numbers meant, and accused the prosecution of political motivation. This marks the…
The High Court Wednesday dismissed a constitutional petition challenging the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) directive requiring public service vehicles (PSVs) to remove graffiti, decorative artwork, and tinted windows, dealing a major blow to matatu operators defending Kenya’s popular nganya culture. In a judgement delivered on Wednesday, Justice Bahati Mwamuye upheld the legality of the May 2025 enforcement notice issued by NTSA, ruling that the directive was lawful and necessary to promote road safety and compliance in the public transport sector. The petition had been filed by Michael Makubo, who argued that the directive unfairly targeted matatu operators and…
There was drama at Parliament Buildings on Wednesday when former nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba was arrested while attempting to access the Senate chambers. This followed a court ruling that reinstated her as a member of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA). Orwoba was blocked at the entrance by security officers as she attempted to enter Parliament, insisting she was reporting back to work and not serving court papers. “I am at my workplace, and you are obstructing me from going into my workplace. Who are you! Mimi ndio nafaa niwashike nyinyi wote,” she shouted while holding court documents. The outspoken Senator,…
Justice Mohamed Abdulahi Warsame was Wednesday nominated for appointment to the Supreme Court, marking a significant step in his judicial career and positioning him for elevation to the country’s apex court. The nomination follows a vacancy that arose in the Supreme Court after the exit of the passing of Justice Mohammed Kadhar Ibrahim in December 2025, creating an opening that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) moved to fill through a competitive recruitment process that included interviews of shortlisted candidates. JSC Chairperson Chief Justice Martha Koome announced on Wednesday, saying that Warsame emerged as the best candidate following the competitive interview…
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki called on local and global investors to invest billions of their money in the newly formed Infrastructure Fund, assuring them of Kenya’s long-term economic and political stability. The DP said the country’s ambition to modernize its infrastructure is on course and has been boosted by the establishment of the Fund that targets crowd-funding over 5 trillion shillings towards faster realization of the infrastructure upgrade. “We have an ambitious infrastructure programme covering the next 20 years. We want to make sure we modernize our airports, roads, seaports, railways. This ambitious infrastructure upgrade programme cannot be achieved by…
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki expressed confidence that the Universal Health Coverage being implemented by Social Health Authority (SHA) will be successful, challenging African countries to emulate Kenya’s resolve to ensure all its citizens enjoy a public-funded health insurance. Speaking on Wednesday when he presided over the closing ceremony of the World Health Summit Regional Meeting at the United Nations office in Nairobi, the DP said Kenya’s Taifa Care is not a quest to achieve a political ambition but fulfilment of a Constitutional requirement. “Kenya reaffirms its commitment to Universal Health Coverage through the Social Health Authority (SHA). Taifa Care is…
The US Supreme Court limited the ability of lawmakers to take the racial make-up of a state into account when drawing voting maps, in a ruling that could reshape politics across the American south. In a 6-3 decision, the conservative justices sided with a challenge to new districts in Louisiana that were created to comply with a landmark Civil Rights law meant to protect black Americans from racial discrimination. The way courts have previously interpreted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the court’s majority opinion, has sometimes forced states “to engage in the very…
Seven families of victims killed or injured in a mass shooting in Canada have filed lawsuits against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman in a California court, accusing him and the company of ignoring the shooter’s troubling interactions with ChatGPT. Eight people were killed, including six children, when 18-year-old Jessie Van Rootselaar opened fire at a secondary school in the Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, in February. Media reports have since revealed that Van Rootselaar’s ChatGPT activity was flagged by OpenAI’s safety team months before the attack for references to gun violence, but the company did not alert local police. Last…
The youngest son of Zimbabwe’s late former leader Robert Mugabe is to deported from South Africa immediately, a court in Johannesburg has ordered. Bellarmine Mugabe pleaded guilty to pointing a firearm and illegally being in the country earlier this month after he was arrested following the shooting of a 23-year-old man at his home. The 28-year-old has also been ordered to pay a fine of $36,000 (£26,700). His co-accused, and cousin, Tobias Matonhodze – who pleaded guilty to attempted murder, illegal immigration, possession of ammunition and defeating the ends of justice – was sentenced to three years in prison. Both…
Residents living along the Lower Tana River have been put on high alert following warnings that the Seven Forks dams could soon reach critical levels due to heavy rains upstream. Authorities say sustained rainfall in the upper Tana region, particularly around Mt. Kenya, has led to a sharp rise in water inflows into major reservoirs, including Masinga Dam. The situation has heightened fears of potential flooding in downstream areas, especially within the Tana Delta. In response, controlled water releases are currently underway at Kamburu, Gitaru, and Kindaruma dams to ease pressure on the system. However, officials warn that continued rainfall…
The National Police Service (NPS) issued a safety advisory warning of heightened flood risks and dangerous conditions across Nairobi and other parts of the country following days of persistent heavy rainfall. In a statement released Wednesday, the police said the ongoing downpours have already caused significant disruption, with rising water levels in major rivers increasing the likelihood of flooding, particularly in low-lying and downstream areas. Authorities highlighted the swelling of key waterways within the capital, including the Nairobi, Mathare, Ngong, Kamiti and Athi rivers—all of which feed into the larger Athi River system that is currently at critically high levels.…