Some Safaricom services will be temporarily unavailable tonight as the company conducts scheduled maintenance from 10 p.m. on October 26 to 5 a.m. on October 27. During this period, Safaricom customers will not be able to access airtime top-up services, Okoa Jahazi, bundle purchases via airtime or M-PESA, and all subscription services. Postpaid payments, Sambaza, Bonga services, and SIM swaps will also be unavailable. Other services, however, will remain accessible. “We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to improve our services,” the company said in a statement.
Author: David Wafula
Minority Party Leader Junet Mohamed has denied any interest in taking up the role of Interior Cabinet Secretary. Although the position is not officially vacant, Interior CS Prof. Kithure Kindiki was recently nominated as Deputy President after the impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua. Prof. Kindiki, however, has not yet assumed the office as a court case regarding the nomination is set for hearing on October 29. Junet Mohamed clarified that neither he nor his party, ODM, is interested in pursuing the position. “While an opportunity to serve Kenyans is always welcome, I wish to inform the public that I am neither…
Football Kenya Federation Premier League club AFC Leopards has parted ways with Acting CEO Albert Wesonga following the expiration of his contract. Wesonga had held the position on an interim basis since November of last year after the club dismissed former CEO Victor Bwibo. Bwibo, who joined AFC Leopards in 2018, was removed after five years with the club due to a series of disappointing performances, culminating in a 2-0 defeat to arch-rivals Gor Mahia. “This is to notify our esteemed customers, suppliers, and the general public that Albert Wesonga is no longer the Acting CEO of AFC Leopards SC…
Mining and Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Ali Hassan Joho has directed the immediate shutdown of Simba Cement’s quarries in Kabe Ribe, Rabai Sub-County, Kilifi County, citing environmental damage and local complaints. The directive was issued during a public hearing held by the National Assembly Committee on Environment, Forest, and Mining. “I direct my PS to initiate the process of issuing a notice to this factory until they fully comply,” Joho stated. Residents have raised concerns that Simba Cement’s quarry operations have led to environmental degradation and property damage from blasting activities. They also accused the company of using underhanded tactics…
Apple convinced a federal jury on Friday that health monitoring tech company Masimo’s smartwatches infringe two of its design patents. The jury, in Delaware, agreed with Apple that Masimo’s W1 and Freedom watches and chargers willfully violated Apple’s patent rights in smartwatch designs, awarding the tech giant $250 in damages. Apple’s attorneys told the court the “ultimate purpose” of its lawsuit was to win an injunction against sales of Masimo’s smartwatches after an infringement ruling. The jury also determined that Masimo’s watches did not infringe Apple patents covering smartwatch inventions that the tech giant had accused Masimo of copying. Masimo said in a statement that the company appreciated…
A week after Liam Payne’s death in Argentina, all five of One Direction’s albums have returned to the UK charts. The band’s third album, Midnight Memories, leads the field, re-entering the chart at number 13, with sales and streams increasing 517% week-on-week, according to the Official Charts Company. Three of One Direction’s singles also re-enter the Top 40, while Payne’s final solo single, Teardrops, made its chart debut at number 85. The star died on 16 October at the age of 31 after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. He is survived by his seven-year-old son, Bear,…
Grammy Award-winning US rapper Lil Durk has been arrested on a charge of murder-for-hire, according to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner. Police records seen by US media show the star, real name Durk Devontay Banks, was arrested in Broward County, Florida, on Thursday night and is being held without bail. The arrest comes a day after five people with ties to Banks’ hip-hop group, Only The Family (OTF), were reported to have been charged in Chicago in connection with a 2022 shooting that killed the cousin of rival rapper Quando Rondo. Lil Durk has had six albums in the…
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has cautioned that a proposed extension of term limits for Kenyan elected leaders could incite public unrest. The Constitution of Kenya Amendment (No. 2) Bill, 2024, introduced by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, has been open for public feedback since October 2. If approved, it would extend the terms of the President, Governors, Senators, Members of Parliament, and Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) from five to seven years, although the President and Governors would still be limited to two consecutive terms. ICJ Kenya Chair Protas Saende warned that public patience is running low, especially following…
The Senate’s official email system crashed this week after receiving over 200,000 public submissions on the proposed Constitution of Kenya Amendment (No. 2) Bill, 2024. This bill seeks to extend the terms of elected leaders, including the President, from five to seven years. “Thank you for the overwhelming response to the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2024. Due to high submission volumes, our email system has temporarily experienced issues,” read a statement from the Senate on X, formerly known as Twitter. The Senate noted that the massive influx of feedback had filled the capacity of allocated email addresses.…
Senator Gideon Moi has been appointed to lead a Commonwealth team of experts tasked with observing Botswana’s general elections scheduled for October 30, 2024. The team, selected by Commonwealth Secretary-General Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, comprises five members with expertise in politics, elections, media, law, and civil society. Joining Senator Moi are Judge Peter Herbert OBE, a retired human rights barrister and judge from the United Kingdom; Chipokota Mwanawasa, policy adviser to the President of Zambia; Idzuafi Hadi Kamilan, Executive Director of Malaysia’s Institute for Political Reform and Democracy; and Temitope Kalejaiye, Public Relations and Engagement Officer at the Commonwealth Secretariat.…
Iconic singer Kate Bush, known for her reclusive nature and powerful music, recently told the BBC that she is “very keen” to start working on new music. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today program, Bush revealed that she has “lots of ideas” and is eager to return to her creative roots after a long break. Her last studio album, 50 Words for Snow, came out in 2011, and since then, she’s only released live and compilation albums. In a rare interview with Emma Barnett, Bush also launched a new project—a four-minute animated film titled Little Shrew. The black-and-white short, set…
Amazon Prime members now have a new benefit to add to their list: fuel discounts. The latest perk from Amazon allows members to save 10 cents per gallon at approximately 7,000 BP, Amoco, and AM/PM stations across the United States, potentially saving members up to $70 a year. To access the discount, members need to link their Amazon account to BP’s Earnify app, a loyalty program platform. Although current gas prices are at their lowest since January, the recent Middle East conflict has driven global oil prices up, causing concern over potential price hikes at the pump. Amazon’s new fuel…
Kenya police alongside the Haitian troops staged raids on separate strongholds of criminal gangs in the larger Port-au-Prince and recovered assorted weapons. The team under Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) said they arrested dozens of suspected criminals in the October 21 raid in PaP, at Artibonite and the wider Western departments. MSS Force commander Godfrey Otunge said they will sustain the operation to pacify areas under the control of the gangs.. The heinous attack at Pont Sonde some weeks ago saw the immediate deployment of police officers drawn from MSS and HNP who have been conducting night and day patrols…
The Ministry of Labour has announced new international job openings for Kenyans. A Qatari company, in collaboration with the ministry, is offering positions. Labour Cabinet Secretary (CS) Alfred Mutua revealed that the Qatari company is seeking workers in two categories: Hospitality & Service Industry and Construction & Technical Roles. “A Qatari company, in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, is in Nairobi conducting interviews for various job opportunities over the next two days,” Mutua said. The company is seeking to employ nurses, commis, demi chefs, chef de partie, kitchen helpers, barbacks, runners, waitresses, and steward supervisors in…
Police have recorded 339 cases between August to October. Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja expressed concern over the recurring pattern of killings during this period in three years. In 2023, 336 cases were reported, while 341 cases were recorded in 2022. The latest incidents are currently under investigation. In one case, the partially decomposed body of Willis Onyango Aiyeko, 52, a Wells Fargo employee, was discovered in Mungowere stream, Khwisero Sub-County. He had been reported missing at Siaya Police Station on October 21, 2024. His family is expected to transport the body to Nairobi from the Siaya Teaching and…