Uganda’s judiciary pushed back against a directive by the country’s lawyers’ association instructing its members to stop addressing judges as “My Lord” or “My Lady” and to abandon the longstanding practice of bowing before them. In the directive, the Uganda Law Society (ULS) said such “feudal and colonial honorifics” elevate judicial officers above citizens, “who are in reality their employers”. But judiciary spokesperson James Ereemye told the BBC that the ULS had no authority to tell judges “what to do or say” and would continue to “demand the known decorum” from lawyers. Like many former British colonies, Uganda inherited its…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
Opposition movement Linda Mwananchi has accused President William Ruto’s administration of escalating political violence, undermining democratic institutions and attempting to influence upcoming elections through state resources, while declaring that the coalition will continue its campaign ahead of the 2027 General Election. In a statement issued following the 36th anniversary of the Saba Saba movement, the coalition said Kenya was still grappling with the same challenges of impunity, authoritarianism and demands for greater freedoms that inspired the 1990 pro-democracy protests. The group paid tribute to those who lost their lives during Kenya’s struggle for democracy, saying their sacrifices had paved the…
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has warned that it could postpone or cancel the July 16, 2026, Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election if escalating violence and electoral offences threaten the credibility of the poll. Speaking on Thursday, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said the commission was fully prepared to conduct the by-election but had deployed an investigative team to probe allegations of voter bribery, intimidation, violence and attempts by political leaders to unduly influence voters. Ethekon urged all candidates, political parties and their supporters to conduct peaceful campaigns and adhere to the Electoral Code of Conduct, warning that the Commission…
The United States has committed $14.5 million (approximately Sh1.9 billion) to strengthen Kenya’s preparedness for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), reinforcing the country’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond to potential outbreaks. The funding will support the Government of Kenya, county governments and public health partners in enhancing disease surveillance, laboratory systems, healthcare worker training, emergency response coordination, risk communication, community engagement and screening at points of entry. The initiative recognizes Kenya’s strategic position as a regional hub for trade, travel and transport connecting East and Central Africa, making robust disease preparedness critical for both national and regional health security. The…
Lawyer Ndegwa Njiru was Thursday released after the intended obstruction charge against him failed to proceed in court following confirmation that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) had not approved any charges. Njiru had been arrested earlier on Thursday morning over an alleged obstruction offense. The prosecution informed him and his lawyers that no charges had been preferred against him. Speaking after the court session, Njiru, through his lawyers Nelson Havi, Kibe Mungai and Vincent Lempaa, said the ODPP had not sanctioned the obstruction charge that police intended to bring against him. The legal team argued that…
Wiper Democratic Movement leader Kalonzo Musyoka paid an emotional tribute to former East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) member Abubakar Zein Abubakar, describing him as a courageous patriot, trusted confidant and one of the architects of Kenya’s 2010 Constitution. In a heartfelt condolence message following Zein’s death on Thursday, Kalonzo said the country had lost a principled leader who consistently chose “principle over politics and country over career.” “This morning, a family lost its anchor. Kenya lost a patriot, and I lost an invaluable colleague, friend and confidant,” Kalonzo said. He described Zein as a man of quiet courage who never…
Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, known for hits such as “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” has died at the age of 75, according to a statement on her website and Instagram account. Her death comes a few months after the pop star, whose legal name is Gaynor Hopkins, underwent emergency surgery and was put into an induced coma, reported the UK’s PA Media news agency on Thursday. “Bonnie’s family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for,” the statement said.…
A political gamble looks like it has spectacularly backfired. When British right-wing populist leader Nigel Farage announced he was resigning as a lawmaker and triggering a special election in the face of a swirl of allegations over personal financing, he sought the high ground, declaring that the “judges of my actions” should be his constituents. Instead, rival parties dismissed his actions as a stunt and said they would sit out the election, leaving his principal opponent as a garbage-can wearing comedian whose policies include forcing rule-breaking cyclists to ride unicycles. Farage, the leader of the Reform UK party – which…
The police investigations revealed the four men who were shot dead along the Eldoret–Kiplombe–Soy Road in Eldoret are linked to the murder of Nakuru PCEA cleric Reverend Julius Ndumia. This was after investigations forensically placed the gang at the site where Rev Ndumia was murdered on May 3, 2026, at PCEA Tabuga Church in Nakuru North Sub-County, officials aware of the case said. The gang also stole cash from the victim. Some of the attackers wore military uniforms during the attack. Police said they recovered the uniforms from the gang’s operational hideout in Huruma, Eldoret. “The four were behind the…
US President Donald Trump has said the ceasefire agreement with Iran is “over”, blasting the country’s leadership as “scum” and “cuckoo” after fresh exchanges of fire overnight. Speaking to reporters at a Nato summit in Turkey, the president said the US “hit them very hard last night” and will “probably hit them hard again tonight”. Trump said he’s “not happy” and accused Tehran of violating an interim deal signed by both countries in June that called for an end to the conflict, adding that they “lie” and “cheat”. A senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Akbar Velayati, warned new…
A judge has ordered that writer E Jean Carroll be paid the more than $5m (£3.7m) US President Donald Trump owes her after he was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming her in a civil case three years ago. Judge Lewis Kaplan on Wednesday ordered that a clerk release the money – with interest – from an account where Trump deposited it after the ruling. Trump was pushing to delay the $5.8m payment to ask the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision not to hear an appeal of the case. In May 2023, a New York jury awarded Carroll…
A US toddler who was found unresponsive in an Arizona pool and declared dead was later discovered to be alive in the hospital’s “cold room”, a newly released police report shows. The family of the 18-month-old frantically called police after they found him face down in the pool at a home in the Phoenix-area suburb of Gilbert on 8 February. First responders were dispatched and performed life-saving measures, before the child was transported to hospital and declared dead an hour later. According to the police report, officers told a physician at the hospital, Dr Aryan Toosi, that they had seen…
US President Donald Trump used the Nato summit in Ankara to lash out again at fellow member Spain, and revive his interest in taking over Greenland. Speaking as Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte looked on, Trump said he wanted to cut off all trade relations with Spain, condemning his European ally as a “wasted cause” and “terrible partner in Nato”. He also called Nato’s resistance to his plan for Greenland to belong to the US, rather than Denmark, as “a big problem for us”. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez later insisted that relations with the US were “very positive”, and…
A German palliative care doctor has been sentenced to life imprisonment for killing 15 of his patients. A court in Berlin found the 41-year-old man, named only as Johannes M. in line with German privacy rules, guilty of murdering 12 women and 3 men between September 2021 and July 2024. The authorities believe these killings could be just the tip of the iceberg. Prosecutors are currently investigating dozens of other incidents involving the doctor. His victims were between the ages of 25 and 94. The court heard how they were all critically ill, but that their deaths were not imminent.…
Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has warned that the growing misuse of veterinary medicines is fueling antimicrobial resistance (AMR), posing a major threat to public health and risking Kenya’s access to lucrative international meat markets. Speaking at the opening of the Kenya Meat Conference 2026 in Nyeri, Kagwe said antimicrobial resistance has evolved from a veterinary concern into a national economic, food security and public health challenge. He cited global estimates linking AMR to about 5.5 million deaths annually, noting that Kenya is among the countries significantly affected. “If left unchecked, antimicrobial resistance threatens not only human…