A White House teleprompter operator is being investigated over allegedly using inside information to place bets and make nearly $100,000 on US President Donald Trump’s speeches. Gabriel Perez, who had worked at the White House since 2016, is accused of placing bets on words the president would use during major public addresses, including the State of the Union speech. The trades were made on Kalshi, a prediction markets platform where users can bet on real-world events. The firm confirmed it reported the activity to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which regulates the platform. Kalshi froze Mr Perez’s account before…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
A section of opposition senators aligned to the Linda Mwananchi faction has condemned the removal of Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna as Senate Deputy Minority Whip, alleging the decision was orchestrated at State House before being implemented through what they described as an unlawful parliamentary process. The lawmakers claimed Sifuna’s ouster was agreed upon during a meeting between President William Ruto and a section of ODM leaders before being formalised at a hastily convened Azimio parliamentary group meeting on Wednesday evening. Speaking after Senate Speaker Amason Kingi communicated the leadership changes to the House, the senators accused the Executive of interfering…
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has intensified efforts to combat child trafficking and sexual exploitation through a new partnership with child protection organisation Marici Kenya. The collaboration was formalised on Thursday through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between DCI Director Mohamed Amin and Marici Kenya Chief Executive Officer Benson Shamala. The agreement is aimed at strengthening cooperation in preventing child trafficking and sexual exploitation by enhancing investigations, building institutional capacity, supporting survivors, and increasing public awareness. Under the partnership, the two organisations will work together on capacity building, community engagement, survivor-centred support, and coordinated responses to…
The government’s plan to modernise Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) has reached a major milestone following the signing of the Engineer-Consultant Contract for the multi-billion-shilling project. The agreement was signed by Principal Secretary for the State Department for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Teresia Mbaika, on behalf of the Ministry of Roads and Transport, and representatives of Dar Al-Handasah Consultants, marking the start of the project’s implementation phase. The consultancy firm will be responsible for design review, project management, contract administration and construction supervision to ensure the successful delivery of a modern, efficient, safe and sustainable airport that meets international standards.…
Chief Justice Martha Koome, called for speedydelivery of appellate justice and a renewed focus on eliminating case backlog while emphasizing the central role of the Court of Appeal within Kenya’s constitutional architecture. Speaking during the installation of Justice Gatembu Kairu as the President of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Justice noted that as the country’s principal appellate court and the final judicial forum in most disputes, the Court safeguards consistency in the interpretation of the law, promotes legal certainty and strengthens public confidence in the administration of justice. She highlighted the Court’s remarkable institutional growth over the past five…
New Zealand actor Sam Neill, who passed away on Monday at a Sydney hospital, died from pneumonia, his agent has confirmed. Best known for his roles in Jurassic Park and Peaky Blinders, the 78-year-old’s family described his death earlier this week as “sudden and unexpected”. Neill’s long-time agent Philip Grenz released a statement on Thursday about the cause of death after speaking to the actor’s family and due to what he said were “inaccurate and outright falsehoods” in the media. In April this year, Neill announced he was in remission after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma – a type of…
Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku announced that public servants across the country will begin receiving enhanced salaries from August 1, 2026, following a government-approved pay review. Speaking at Londiani Boys High School in Kericho County, Ruku said President William Ruto had directed the salary review as part of the government’s commitment to improving the welfare of public servants. He said the increment will apply to both basic salaries and key allowances. “The Government is committed to ensuring that public servants are fairly remunerated while strengthening efficiency and accountability in public service,” Ruku said.…
Eleven people died in a fire at a foster care facility in Algiers, Algeria’s capital city. The country’s civil protection department said 19 others were injured in the blaze, which firefighters began to tackle at 03:30 local time (04:30 GMT) on Thursday. They were still attempting to extinguish the fire just over three hours later, when the authorities released an update on the situation. Their statement did not specify the ages of those killed or injured. The civil protection department deployed 10 fire engines and 16 ambulances to the scene. Algeria has been experiencing a heatwave for several days, and…
A father and his son were sentenced on Wednesday to a one-year jail term each for assaulting a woman on false claims of causing the disappearance of the son’s genitals. Benson Ngala Daniel, 49, and Ruphus Chai Ngala, 19, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm contrary to Section 251 of the Penal Code. Kilifi Principal Magistrate Ivy Wasike heard that the two jointly and unlawfully assaulted Asha Samini, occasioning her actual bodily harm. The incident occurred on July 5, 2026, at around 5.00 p.m. in Mdangarani village, Kauma sub-county, Kilifi county. The two convicts ignited the incident when…
Tehran has launched fresh attacks on US military bases in neighbouring Gulf states, while Washington continued to strike sites across Iran overnight. Tehran said it had struck targets in the region, including in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, as a sixth day of renewed hostilities strained their preliminary deal to end the war. Meanwhile, the US military said it inflicted a six-hour wave of strikes in multiple locations to “degrade Iran’s ability to threaten innocent mariners” in the Strait of Hormuz. The latest exchanges came after US President Donald Trump warned Iran it had “better behave” or face further military action…
Police in Ruiru, Kiambu County, launched investigations after the body of an unidentified man was discovered floating in a drainage tunnel near Zetech University. The incident was reported on Wednesday by officials from the university, who alerted authorities after spotting a body in the drainage system outside the institution. Police officers responded to the scene along the Thika Superhighway and confirmed the report. Preliminary investigations established that the body of a middle-aged man was found floating in sewage water inside the drainage tunnel. Police said the deceased had not yet been identified and the cause of death could not be…
Defending champions Ruaraka A maintained their flawless start to the Nairobi County Cricket Association (NCCA) Super Division 50-Overs League with a commanding 127-run victory over Nairobi Gymkhana A, thanks to another batting masterclass from Satyalaksha Jain and Omkar Ghule. The win, their third in as many matches, lifted Ruaraka A to the top of the standings on 12 points, underlining their dominance in the opening weeks of the season. Batting first at Sir Ali Ground after Gymkhana opted to field, Ruaraka piled up a daunting 389 all out in 49.5 overs. Jain smashed a breathtaking 164 from 107 deliveries, striking…
A special police team has begun investigating the killing of a provincial leader of an anti-migrant group in South Africa. Police confirmed that Andile Mvuyelwa Somgxada, the Gauteng province leader of March and March, was shot outside his home east of Johannesburg earlier this month and died several days later in hospital. “It’s a retaliation,” March and March spokesperson Sandile Dube told the BBC, explaining how the movement believed he was targeted because of its campaign to get undocumented migrants to leave the country. He said other leaders of March and March, which has been organising anti-migrant demonstrations across the…
Veteran sports administrator and table tennis icon Jane Pinto has died at the age of 91, exactly one week after celebrating her birthday. Pinto passed away in Nairobi on Wednesday, bringing to a close a remarkable career that spanned decades and left an enduring mark on Kenyan and international table tennis. She served as President of the Kenya Table Tennis Association from 2002 to 2014, having previously held the position of Deputy President for eight years. During her leadership, she played a pivotal role in transforming the sport in Kenya by strengthening the national team and championing opportunities for talented…
A day after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were directed to halt most traffic stops in the wake of two fatal shootings by federal officers, President Donald Trump urged them to resume. Trump’s administration ordered the pause on most ICE traffic stops on Tuesday, after the fatal shootings of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston and Joan Sebastian Durán Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine, prompted calls for independent investigations and reignited criticism of the agency. Both were killed during federal immigration enforcement operations, but neither man was the target of those operations, sources have said. The nation’s border czar, Tom Homan, on…