A group of retired Standard Chartered Bank Kenya staff not included in the “629 pensioners” category accused the bank and its pension trustees of ignoring multiple court rulings that found the lender unlawfully miscalculated their benefits. Through their lawyer Danstan Omari, the “non-629” members, said the bank had consistently defied the Retirement Benefits Tribunal, the High Court, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court, all of which confirmed that the wrong actuarial factors were applied when the scheme transitioned from a defined benefit to a defined contribution plan on January 1, 1999. They are now threatening to seek the…
Author: Pinnah Mokeira
The Court of Appeal overturned High Court rulings that found former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i, former Immigration Principal Secretary Dr. Gordon Kihalangwa, and former Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet in contempt of court over the dramatic 2018 detention of lawyer and activist Miguna Miguna at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. A three-judge bench comprising of Justices Wanjiru Karanja, Lydia Achode and Joel Ngugi held that while the State officials were accused of defying valid court orders, the High Court erred by convicting and penalizing them without following proper procedure. In March 2018, Justice George Odunga fined the three…
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) Friday dismissed as false and misleading allegations by Captain Kungu Muigai that judges were bribed to rule against him in long-running cases involving his companies. In a statement, the JSC said it had noted with concern a video posted on social media by Captain Muigai, accusing certain judges of corruption and faulting the Commission for dismissing his petitions. According to the JSC, Captain Muigai filed five petitions on October 11, 2024, seeking the removal of 10 judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. He accused them of misconduct for upholding what he…
The Court of Appeal will on February 27, 2026 deliver its judgment in a case challenging the constitutionality of key provisions of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, 2018. The matter was heard by a three-judge bench comprising Justices Patrick Kiage, Aggrey Muchelule, and Weldon Kipyegon Korir. During the hearing, counsel for the appellants, bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) Mercy Mutemi, told the court that the High Court had erred by upholding several sections of the law that unjustifiably limit constitutional rights. She said the Act was passed “as a panicked response” to the undeniable potential of the internet and…
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has promoted 117 Judicial Officers across the country in what it described as a move to boost efficiency and enhance access to justice. The promotions followed interviews conducted between August 4 and 13, 2025, and were ratified during Commission meetings held on September 11 and 15. The changes took effect immediately. In a statement released on Thursday, JSC said the promotions underscore its commitment to strengthening judicial capacity, improving service delivery, and rewarding excellence among officers. Nine officers were elevated to the position of Chief Magistrate, among them Esther Kalunde Kimilu, Paul Kipkosgei Rotich, James…
The African Centre for Corrective and Preventive Action and activist Kelvin Mugambi Kubai moved to court seeking a ban on several widely used pesticides and herbicides, claiming they endanger the health of Kenyans and the environment. In a petition filed at the Environment and Land Court in Nanyuki, the petitioners argue that chemicals including glyphosate, paraquat, imidacloprid, clothianidin, fipronil, chlorpyrifos, thiacloprid, thiamethoxam, fenitrothion, malathion and dinotefuran are “defective, dangerous to human health, harmful to bees, and unfit for use.” They accused multinational agrochemical companies, local distributors, regulatory bodies and government ministries of violating Kenyans’ constitutional rights to health, life, food…
The High Court dismissed a petition challenging the Judicial Service Commission’s (JSC) appointment of judges to the Court of Appeal. It ruled that the process was lawful and within the confines of the Constitution. The petitioner, Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah had argued that the JSC unlawfully recruited seven judges instead of six, contrary to its earlier advertisement. Omtatah claimed the process discriminated against judges from the Environment and Land Court and the Employment and Labour Relations Court. It was further alleged that the JSC’s actions violated constitutional provisions on transparency, accountability, and equality, and that the appointments marginalized judges of…
The inquest into the death of 29 year old protester Rex Masai continued on Monday, with two key witnesses Safaricom PLC’s law enforcement liaison officer and a senior firearms examiner testifying. Safaricom’s Senior Manager for the Law Enforcement Liaison Office Zachary Kirogoi Mburu, told the court that the company had received two separate court orders compelling it to extract call data records and geographical locations of specific mobile numbers between 18 and 20 June 2024. “A request comes in the form of a court order, and once it is confirmed, it is forwarded to our office where we extract information…
A Nairobi chief magistrate’s court on Monday allowed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to hold a woman accused of involvement in a murder at a city hotel for 14 days to allow further investigations. Principal Magistrate Paul Mutai issued the custodial orders after police sought 21 days to conclude investigations into the killing of Baranabas Oketch Voeller, who was found dead at Kirubros Hotel in Nairobi’s central business district on September 13, 2025. According to the DCI, the suspect, Bilha Nyaboke, was arrested at the hotel on the same day of the incident. They alleged that she had been…
A Nairobi chief magistrate’s court has summoned two Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers to appear on October 1, 2025 over claims that spyware was secretly installed on devices belonging to four suspects behind the BBC documentary Blood Parliament. Trial magistrate Eric Otieno Wambo issued the summons after the officers failed to show up in court on Monday. Lawyer Ian Mutiso, acting for the suspects, urged the court to compel the officers to personally respond to the accusations. “Your honour, we request summons for the two officers handling the matter so that they can address our application,” Mutiso said. The…
Juja Member of Parliament George Koimburi Ndung’u was Monday charged before a Nairobi court with four counts linked to an alleged scheme to fraudulently acquire land worth Sh10 million. Koimburi was accused of conspiring with others not before court, on or before March 26, 2020, to defraud Julius Gitonga Githinji of his 1.31-hectare parcel of land in Ruiru. The property is valued at Sh10 million. In the second count, the legislator is alleged to have forged a sale agreement, purporting it to be a genuine document signed by Gitonga. He was further charged with obtaining registration of the land by…
A Nairobi court on Thursday heard how a former director of Oki Trading Kenya Limited allegedly stole over Sh356 million from the company before resigning to start his own firm. Testifying before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Dolphina Alego, Oki Trading director Deepak Rajoria detailed how his predecessor, Honey Khatwani, misappropriated company funds between 2020 and 2024. Rajoria, who joined the company in January, 2025 after serving at its Dubai-based parent firm, told the court that soon after taking over as director, he discovered missing funds and key company documents. He told the court that he only learned of the financial…
Civil rights group Sheria Mtaani na Shadrack Wambui petitioned the High Court to stop the planned recruitment of 10,000 police officers, until a petition challenging the management of the National Police Service payroll is heard and determined. Through lawyer Danstan Omari, the group argued that the recruitment exercise cannot proceed because new officers must be added to a payroll system whose management is contested. According to the court documents, despite directions issued on August 13 requiring the Inspector General of police (IG) and the National Police Service (NPS) to file their responses to the petition within seven days, no such…
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) moved to court accusing state institutions of failing to uphold leadership and integrity standards for politicians. In a petition filed before the High Court, LSK who have sued the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Registrar of Political Parties (RPP), the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC), the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), and the Attorney General argue that for the past 15 years since the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution, the six institutions have failed to create and enforce proper codes of conduct to vet and regulate…
A Kiambu court will on September 9, 2025 rule on whether DCI officer Erick Gitonga Nyaga will be detained for 21 days as sought by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) over the killing of two boda boda riders. Deputy Registrar Jackline Karani on Monday directed that Nyaga remain in custody at Kiambu Police Station until the ruling is delivered at 3 p.m. Nyaga was presented in court after he allegedly shot dead 38-year-old Kennedy Ojuma and 39-year-old Stephen Mwenda along the Thika–Garissa Highway on Sunday, September 7, 2025. According to IPOA, the incident followed an accident involving Nyaga’s black…