A chilling tale of abduction, ransom demands, and murder that began with a young woman’s hope of meeting a university acquaintance ended in a High Court murder conviction on Wednesday. Justice Kanyi Kimondo found Duncan Livingstone Kimathi guilty of murdering Sarah Akello Aruwa, a final-year international relations student at the United States International University (USIU), in a judgment delivered at the Milimani High Court. The court ruled that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Kimathi, of malice aforethought, caused the death of the 22-year-old student by an unlawful act, contrary to section 203 as read with section 204…
Author: Pinnah Mokeira
A voter has filed a constitutional petition at the High Court in Nairobi, seeking to compel Senator Edwin Sifuna to account for millions of shillings raised through his Linda Mwananchi political movement, warning that the funds could be diverted if the senator abandons his presidential ambitions. Alan Masakhalia, who describes himself as a Nairobi County resident and pro-democracy activist, filed the petition on September 16, 2026, naming Sifuna as the first respondent and the Linda Mwananchi Movement as the second. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and the Registrar of Political Parties are listed as the third and fourth…
A city lawyer has been sued in the High Court and reported to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over allegations that he failed to remit Sh58 million from the sale of a Kitisuru property, money that court documents say was intended to fund the treatment and care of a terminally ill Alzheimer’s patient. Martin Muchoki Maina, of Martin Muchoki Maina & Associates, is accused of receiving the full Sh70 million purchase price into his law firm’s client account but transferring only Sh8.404 million to the property’s owners. According to a suit filed in the High Court’s Commercial and Tax…
A Nairobi court Thursday ordered the continued detention of a matatu driver accused of causing a fatal road crash along Enterprise Road that claimed four lives, pending the preparation of a pre-bail report. Principal Magistrate Paul Mutai directed that Sammy Murigi Maina remain in custody until September 24, when the court will consider the pre-bail report and deliver its ruling on his bail application. The court also ordered that the accused be accorded necessary medical treatment while in remand. Maina was charged with three counts of causing death by dangerous driving, two counts of driving without due care and attention,…
A Nairobi Chief Magistrate Court released nine representatives linked to Huruma Mosque on cash bail after they were charged over an alleged Sh15.1 million land dispute involving the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM). The nine Said Dorfa Akare, Mohamed Godana Kalicha, Jillo Gone Jillo, Molu Sora Bonaya, Adan oge Abdullahi, Ali Kibarabara Said, Noor Salim Nzioka, Hussein Mohamed Jillo and Mohamed Said, appeared before Milimani Chief Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo and denied a charge of forcible detainer contrary to Section 91 of the Penal Code. According to the charge sheet, the accused allegedly remained in possession of parcel Nairobi Block…
Deputy Inspector General of Administration Police Gilbert Masengeli suffered a blow after the High Court declined to halt the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) graduation ceremony scheduled for September 26. Lady Justice Nyaundi Patricia also declined to order the university to include Masengeli in the graduation list, pending the hearing and determination of his main petition challenging the handling of his PhD studies. The judge said Masengeli had failed, at this stage of the proceedings, to demonstrate that he had a legitimate expectation of graduating with his cohort. Justice Nyaundi said she had considered the communication between Masengeli and his…
The High Court is set to rule on whether to halt the United States International University-Africa’s September 26 graduation ceremony pending determination of a case filed by Deputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli over his delayed PhD examination process. Lady Justice Nyaundi Patricia Mande heard submissions from Masengeli and USIU-Africa on Wednesday, with his lawyers, Cecil Miller and Danstan Omari, urging the court to suspend the graduation or order the university to include the senior police officer in the graduation list. Miller told the court that Masengeli had been subjected to a “stonewall of silence” despite completing five years…
Deputy Inspector General of Administration Police (DIG-APs) Gilbert Masengeli has sued the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa), accusing the institution of delaying communication of his PhD dissertation examination results and putting his participation in the September 2026 graduation ceremony at risk. Masengeli, who heads the Administration Police Service, filed a constitutional petition and an urgent application at the High Court in Nairobi on September 8, through Miller & Company Advocates. The matter was certified urgent on September 9, by Justice David Mburu, who directed USIU-Africa to file and serve its response within three days of being served. The case is…
The High Court temporarily halted further steps in a tender by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for the supply of ballot papers and other election materials after a bidder challenged the procurement requirements. Justice William Musyoka, sitting in the Judicial Review Division at the Milimani Law Courts, granted a stay of the tender process following an application by Oilmax Ventures Limited. The company challenged a decision by the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB) concerning IEBC Tender No. IEBC/OIT/02/2026–2027 for the supply and delivery of ballot papers, tactile folders, the register of voters and statutory election result declaration…
A leading city lawyer has threatened to sue Kenya Airways over the cancellation of a flight from Zanzibar to Nairobi that allegedly left him, his wife and four family members stranded at the airport for more than seven hours. Senior Counsel Paul Muite, through Andrew M. Agaruiya & Co. Advocates, issued the national carrier with a seven-day ultimatum to refund the cost of their unused tickets, reimburse the family for a private charter flight and pay damages for the inconvenience, distress and disruption allegedly caused by the airline. The demand letter relates to Flight KQ491, which was scheduled to depart…
Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Senior Assistant Director of Forensics Joshua Mutua has produced a certificate of digital evidence in the inquest into the death of Rex Kanyike Masai. When the matter came up for hearing on Monday before Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo, Mutua who was recalled to the witness stand formally produced the certificate relating to a video recording he examined during investigations into Masai’s death. Mutua told the court that on July 31, 2026, he received a silver-coloured 8GB flash disk containing a video recording for forensic examination. His task was to review the footage and confirm its…
The High Court has temporarily suspended the enforcement of a decision barring Nicco Movers Limited from operating, granting the transport company interim relief pending further orders. Justice Janet Mulwa on Wednesday certified the application as urgent and stayed the decision of the Transport Licensing Appeals Board issued on August 31, 2026. The court directed Nicco Movers to serve the respondents within 24 hours and set the matter for mention on September 22, 2026. “In the interim, pursuant to powers granted to the court under Section 3A of the Civil Procedure Act to make any orders necessary for the ends of…
Two Kenyan companies have asked the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to investigate Absa Bank Kenya over alleged irregular and fraudulent auctions of several high-value properties, claiming the sales were conducted through a flawed process involving newly registered companies and an auctioneer who allegedly emerged as a successful bidder. Kimani Operations Limited and Kimani Ventures Limited lodged the complaint through lawyer Danstan Omari, urging detectives to investigate the conduct of the bank, Regent Auctioneers, Samatar Solutions Limited, Astralis Verge Limited and Fancy Friends Auctioneers. The complaint allege that two companies that allegedly acquired the properties were incorporated just weeks before…
A Nairobi court has temporarily stopped the burial of Rosemary Chemutai Koech Kimwatu, the late Head of Data Protection at KCB Bank Group, after her estranged husband challenged plans by her family to take charge of her funeral. Senior Principal Magistrate Agnes Mwangi on Friday issued interim orders barring the removal of the deceased’s remains from Lee Funeral Home and prohibiting her burial without the involvement of her husband, Kevin Migwe Kimwatu, pending the hearing of the dispute. This came amid reports the family had already buried her in Eldoret. The magistrate certified the application as urgent and restrained KCB…
A Mombasa court has acquitted a clinical officer who had been charged with raping a female dialysis patient after the complainant died before the trial began, leaving the prosecution without the key witness needed to establish the alleged lack of consent. Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina on Tuesday found Dias Juma Wabwile, a former employee of Pandya Memorial Hospital, not guilty of rape and the alternative charge of committing an indecent act with an adult, ruling that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. Wabwile had been accused of sexually assaulting the patient at the hospital’s dialysis…