A Nairobi court certified as urgent a defamation case filed by Lugari MP Nabii Daraja Nabwera against Kakamega-based blogger Peter Amunga, accused of publishing false and defamatory statements against the legislator. In a ruling delivered on November 13, Senior Resident Magistrate Rawlings Liluma Musiega directed that the application, be served on the respondent immediately and scheduled the inter parties hearing for November 20. “The application is hereby certified as urgent. The application shall be served on the respondent immediately. Inter parties hearing shall be on November 20, 2025,” reads the order in part. In a separate ruling issued on November…
Author: Pinnah Mokeira
A police investigation officer Nicholas Olesena explained to a Nairobi magistrate’s court how a lorry carrying assorted copper materials valued at Sh2.9 million was intercepted outside a go-down in Industrial Area, leading to charges against businesswoman Sheilah Chao Mwaikwasi. Olesena, attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) at the Ministry of Energy, told senior principal Magistrate Ondieki that on January 30, 2024, he and colleagues found a truck parked at the entrance of Shilamwa Enterprises Limited. Upon inspection, the staff were unable to provide documents proving ownership of the materials, which included copper cables, bars, and lugs. The truck,…
President William Ruto’s 18-member task force on compensation for victims of police brutality and protest-related injuries has defended its establishment, saying it was lawfully created and anchored on the principles of justice and humanity. In submissions filed before the High Court, the team chaired by Professor Makau Mutua told the court that the President acted within his constitutional powers to form a panel that would help deliver long-delayed relief to families affected by past demonstrations. The taskforce argued that for years, victims of state violence have had to rely on slow and costly court processes, locking out many deserving Kenyans…
A Nairobi court has ordered a Kakamega-based blogger Simon Asievela, to issue an unequivocal public apology to Lugari MP Nabii Daraja Nabwera for allegedly publishing false and defamatory statements linking the legislator to the disappearance of a school principal. The order was issued by Milimani Commercial Court Senior Principal Magistrate Lucy Njora, who also certified the case as urgent and directed that the respondent be served with court papers. “The matter is certified as urgent. Respondent to be served. Prayer three is granted,” said Njora. The order against Asievela is part of three separate defamation suits filed by MP Nabwera…
A Nairobi Chief Magistrate’s Court released two employees of Equity Bank Kenya Limited, who are accused of stealing Sh4 million from their employer, on bail. Elijah Ndungu Gachanja, a Relationship Officer Operations, and Kevin Omato Manwa, a Relationship Supervisor Customer Service, appeared before Principal Magistrate Rose Ndubi facing charges of conspiracy to commit a felony and stealing by a servant. According to the charge sheet, the accused allegedly conspired to steal the funds on or before November 3 and are further accused of stealing Sh4 million from Equity Bank’s Westlands Branch on November 3, 2025. The money was reportedly in…
A Nairobi chief magistrate’s court released a 75-year-old woman accused of conspiring to defraud businesswoman Agnes Kagure Kariuki of land valued at Sh200 million. Ruth Wambui Kimani was freed on a bond of Sh1 million or an alternative cash bail of Sh100,000 after Principal Magistrate Rose Ndubi ruled that her application for lenient terms was merited. Wambui faces two counts conspiracy to defraud and making a false document contrary to the Penal Code. According to the charge sheet, on unknown dates within Kenya, she jointly with another person not before court, conspired to defraud Kagure of land parcel L.R No.…
The High Court in Nairobi temporarily halted the planned national recruitment of police constables following a petition challenging the legality of the process initiated by the Inspector-General of Police. Justice Bahati Mwamuye issued a conservatory order suspending the recruitment exercise advertised on November 4 by the Inspector-General, pending the hearing and determination of a petition filed by Eliud Karanja Matindi. Matindi has sued the Inspector-General of the National Police Service, the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), and the Attorney-General, naming the National Police Service and Katiba Institute as interested parties. In his petition, Matindi argues that the Inspector-General has no…
The High Court in Kerugoya allowed an application by Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo to be struck out as a party in three consolidated constitutional petitions challenging the formation of the Compensation Panel for Victims of Police Brutality. Justice Edward Muriithi ruled that there was no legal basis to retain Odhiambo in her private capacity after she resigned from the panel on October 6 and her appointment revoked by Gazette Notice No. 7904 issued on November 4. The petitions, consolidated as HCCHRPET/E010/2025, E011/2025, and E014/2025, were filed by Levi Munyeri, the GEMA Watho Association, and Eunice Nganga…
The High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition challenging the constitutionality of the mandatory death sentence. Justice Lawrence Mugambi also declined to hear a fresh sentencing request by the petitioner. Justice Mugambi ruled that the petition lacked merit and that the High Court had no jurisdiction to revisit a matter that had already been determined by a court of superior jurisdiction. The petition, filed on October 31, 2024, was supported by affidavits dated November 19, 2024, and sought to have the petitioner’s case reheard so that his mitigating circumstances could be considered. The petitioner Byron Robert, argued that the mandatory…
The High Court on Thursday gave the Attorney General, the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Urban Development, the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Housing and Urban Development, and the Affordable Housing Board 14 days to file their responses in a petition challenging the allocation of affordable housing units to teachers and police officers. Justice Lawrence Mugambi issued the orders after the parties agreed to drop a pending application and proceed with the hearing of the main petition. The judge also directed that all interested parties, the National Police Service (NPS), the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the Kenya National…
The High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition challenging the alleged fraudulent subdivision and acquisition of a parcel of land in Nairobi, ruling that the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Environment and Land Court (ELC). Justice Lawrence Mugambi said the court lacked the authority to hear and determine the dispute since the issues raised revolved around ownership, subdivision, and use of land, which are matters exclusively handled by the ELC under Article 162(2)(b) of the Constitution. The case stemmed from a petition originally filed on May 24, 2024, and later amended on July 31, 2024, in which the…
Thirty-five Ugandan nationals affiliated with the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party have sued the Kenyan government, accusing it of unlawful arrest, assault, and forcible deportation to Uganda. In a petition filed before the High Court in Nairobi, the Ugandans have named the Inspector General of Police, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, the Director-General of Immigration Services, and the Attorney General as respondents. The petitioners claim they lawfully travelled to Kenya on July 23, 2024, to attend a seven-day leadership training at Ukweli Pastoral Centre in Kisumu County, but were attacked in the middle of the…
Civil society group Bunge La Mwananchi and three activists have filed a petition seeking the immediate suspension of Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, accusing him of making ethnically divisive and inflammatory remarks in violation of the Constitution. In the petition filed before the High Court in Nairobi, the group alongside Lawrence Oyugi, Komrade Bush, and Nicholas Kimanzi argue that Governor Kahiga’s utterances at a public function in Nyeri in October 2024 amounted to hate speech and a breach of his oath of office. Through a certificate of urgency, the petitioners claim that Kahiga’s comments, delivered in the Kikuyu language, were loaded…
A Nairobi resident and voter has filed a petition at the High Court seeking to stop the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) from continuing with preparations for the 2027 General Elections. In the case filed under certificate of urgency, Bernard Mwanzia Munguí argues that the current electoral and governance framework is unconstitutional and must be reviewed before the next elections are held. Mwanzia has sued the IEBC, the Attorney General, and the Speakers of both the National Assembly and the Senate. He is seeking conservatory orders to suspend all IEBC preparatory activities, including budgeting, procurement, and planning, until his…
Several public service vehicle (PSV) Saccos have defended their operations at petrol stations in Nairobi, dismissing a petition seeking their removal as a politically motivated attempt to cripple the transport sector. In a replying affidavit, the Saccos among them Prestige, Kinatwa, KAM, Makos, Kamuna, Kangema Travellers, Inter-County, Muna, GTS Supreme, Kigumo T, Transline Classic, and NNUS Shuttle argue that they have operated safely from the same petrol stations for decades without a single fuel or gas-related incident. The petition, filed by Ezekiel Oyugi and John Karuru, accuses the Saccos and their host petrol stations of endangering public safety by using…