Speaker of the Senate Amason Jeffah Kingi has officially launched the County Fiscal Performance Measurement Index (CFPMI), describing it as a landmark tool that will strengthen fiscal oversight, improve accountability and enhance the management of public resources across Kenya’s 47 counties. Speaking during the launch, Kingi said the publication marks another milestone for the Fourth Senate and reflects its commitment to strengthening devolution through evidence-based oversight. He commended the Parliamentary Budget Office, Senate management, senators and technical experts whose contributions made the development of the index possible. “The CFPMI is more than a publication. It provides a practical framework for…
Author: David Wafula
The National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Environment, Forestry and Mining has announced plans to undertake a nationwide inquiry into the rising water levels of lakes and dams across Kenya. The inquiry follows the House’s receipt of a statement request on June 17, 2026, regarding the effects of rising water levels in Lakes Baringo and Bogoria on communities and educational institutions in Baringo South Constituency. During a planning meeting chaired by the committee’s Vice Chairperson, Charles Kamuren, members observed that the phenomenon extends beyond Baringo County, with several lakes across the country experiencing significant increases in water levels. The committee noted…
The National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee has considered a legislative proposal seeking to establish an independent body to investigate transport accidents and strengthen safety oversight across Kenya’s road, rail, air and maritime sectors. The committee, chaired by Vice Chairperson Robert Pukose, reviewed the proposed Kenya Transportation Safety Board Bill, 2026, sponsored by Dagoretti South MP John Kiragu Chege, during scrutiny of its financial implications. The Bill proposes the establishment of the Kenya Transportation Safety Board, an independent agency mandated to investigate transport-related accidents and incidents, determine their causes and make recommendations aimed at preventing similar occurrences in the future.…
The Senate Standing Committee on Trade, Industrialization and Tourism has intensified its oversight of the cooperative sector after questioning the Commissioner for Cooperative Development, David Obonyo, over governance failures, regulatory oversight and financial accountability at the Kenya Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives (KUSCCO). During the committee session, senators sought answers on how significant financial irregularities at KUSCCO went undetected despite the Commissioner’s representation on the union’s board as an ex officio member. Committee member Jackson Mandago questioned the effectiveness of the oversight role played by the Commissioner’s representative on the board. “KUSCCO is the apex of the cooperative movement…
Former Chesikaki councillor and aspiring Mt Elgon Member of Parliament Nathan Wasama Masai was shot dead by unknown assailants at his home in Tuikut, Cheptais, Bungoma County. According to preliminary reports, the attackers struck on Thursday night, shooting Wasama multiple times before fleeing the scene. He succumbed to his injuries, although police had yet to issue an official statement confirming the circumstances of the killing by Friday morning. The motive for the attack remains unclear, and authorities have not announced any arrests or identified suspects. The killing comes just weeks after Wasama publicly declared his intention to contest the Mt…
A legislative proposal seeking to establish a standalone legal framework to govern Kenya’s maize sector is under consideration by the National Assembly. The National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee, chaired by Endebess MP Robert Pukose, reviewed the proposed Maize Bill, 2026, which has been sponsored by Moiben MP Phylis Bartoo. The Bill seeks to amend the Crops Act, 2013, by removing maize from the list of scheduled crops. It also proposes amendments to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) Act to facilitate the transfer of maize-related assets and functions to a newly established Maize Board of Kenya. Presenting the…
The National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Energy has raised concerns over the slow implementation of the Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project (KOSAP), warning that the country risks failing to realise value for billions of shillings borrowed to finance the programme. During a meeting with officials from the State Department for Energy and Kenya Power (KPLC), Members of Parliament questioned the project’s low completion rate and announced plans to conduct site visits to assess progress on the ground. KOSAP is a World Bank-funded initiative designed to expand electricity access in 14 underserved counties through mini-grids and standalone solar systems. The project,…
The government has spent nearly Sh4 billion to establish 588 Digital Hub sites across 274 constituencies as part of its drive to expand digital access and equip Kenyans with ICT skills. The National Assembly Committee on the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), chaired by Eldama Ravine MP Musa Sirma, was briefed on the progress of the implementation and operationalisation of the Digital Hubs Programme. Appearing before the committee, Principal Secretary for the State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy John Tanui said the 588 Digital Hub sites have been allocated across 274 constituencies at a cumulative cost of…
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) says it is investigating the deaths of 16 elephants in the wider Amboseli-Kimana ecosystem after preliminary laboratory findings pointed to cyanide poisoning as the probable cause. In a statement issued on Friday, KWS said the elephant mortalities were reported between June 24 and July 31, with the affected animals mainly being adult females and calves that exhibited weakness and partial paralysis of their hind limbs. The agency said it immediately deployed veterinary and scientific teams from Nairobi, Tsavo and Amboseli after the first case was reported on June 24. The teams conducted post-mortem examinations, collected…
Mukasa Mwambu Muliro has been appointed the new leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), succeeding the late Cyrus Shiakhalaga Khwa Jirongo. The appointment was confirmed by the Registrar of Political Parties, John Cox Loririonok, in a Gazette Notice dated July 31, 2026. Muliro takes over the leadership of the party following the death of Jirongo, who served as UDP leader until his demise in December 2025. Jirongo was a prominent Kenyan politician who contested the presidency on the UDP ticket during the 2017 General Election. In the 2022 General Election, he vied for the Kakamega governorship under the same…
President William Ruto directed all government agencies to expunge all reference made to Private Security Officers (PSO’s) as watchmen or guards describing the terms as “colonial” and that they do not show respect to the officers. Speaking on Thursday at State House Nairobi during a meeting with the PSO’s, Ruto affirmed that the government has made strides to implement the Private Security Regulation Act 2016 aimed at transforming the sector into a professional and globally competitive industry. The President noted that the PSO’s are just like any other worker and they deserve to be appreciated and respected just like other…
A senior official in the Kitui County Government and six company directors were arrested over an alleged Sh17.5 million procurement scandal involving conflict of interest, abuse of office and corrupt tendering practices. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) said it arrested Kitui County Chief Officer for Agriculture and Fisheries Gladys Mami Kivoto alongside directors of companies allegedly used to secure county contracts through proxy arrangements. According to the anti-graft agency, investigations established that Kivoto, while serving as Chief Officer and an Authority to Incur Expenditure (AIE) holder in the Departments of Irrigation and Agriculture and Fisheries, allegedly traded with the…
Police officers from Athi River Police Station, working in collaboration with members of the public, have rescued a medical doctor who had been abducted by armed suspects who demanded a Sh3 million ransom for his release. The victim, Emmanuel Kerich, was reportedly accosted while in the company of friends at Juja City Mall by three men who handcuffed him before forcing him into a Subaru Forester. Preliminary investigations established that the vehicle’s side mirrors bore a different registration identity, KDQ 640F, in what officers believe was an attempt to conceal the vehicle’s identity during the commission of the crime. The…
Facebook owner Meta has become the latest tech firm to say one of its AI models was able to connect to the internet and hack into another organisation’s systems, during testing. The incident, which Meta says occurred during an evaluation by an independent company, is the fourth recent incident of its kind disclosed by AI companies. Similar breaches by OpenAI and Anthropic models have raised cyber-security concerns and prompted calls for tougher safeguards and more rigorous testing. A Meta spokesperson told the BBC that it was investigating the hack, which it said had been caused by a “misconfiguration” by its independent tester.…
Andre Lavoie joined SpaceX in 2009 as an engineer, designing the pressure tanks that help power its rocket. He was paid partly in stock – a common trade-off at start-ups as a hiring incentive. Some 17 years on, those 200,000 shares he was given are worth about $23m (£17m) – and the 63-year-old says he’s ready to start cashing them as soon as he can. “Every chance I get going forward, I’ll sell a little bit more,” he tells the BBC. “The shares have been going up so radically it keeps messing up my life plans – you really can’t…