Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

At least five counties are staring at the reintroduction of stricter Covid-19 measures, as Kenya’s positivity rate remains at over 10 per cent in the last few days. On Sunday, the National Emergency Response Committee (NERC) chaired by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe held a crisis meeting to deliberate on a raft of measures aimed at containing the spread of the virus in the country. Kahawa Tungu has learnt that the committee expressed concerns over the Covid-19 situation in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kericho, Nakuru and Turkana counties. The five counties were marked as Covid-19 hotspots, setting them up for a possible…

Nandi County offices have been closed for 14 days after eight members of staff tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Kahawa Tungu understands that six of the staffers are from the Finance and Economic Planning Department, one from Public Health and Administration and another from Public Service and e-government. “The offices shall remain shut to cut the chain of transmission. Meanwhile, the staff from the said departments shall proceed to work from home for a period of 14 days from October 19, 2020,” Dr Francis Sang, the County Secretary and Head of County Public Service, said in a…

A Nairobi court has postponed the trial of four police officers and an informer charged with the murder of lawyer Willie Kimani after one of the suspects contracted the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Presiding judge Jessie Lessit was told on Monday that the second accused, Administration Police officer Stephen Cheburet, who is remanded at Kamiti Maximum prison, is undergoing Covid-19 treatment. Following the development, Justice Lessit directed that the case be mentioned on October 26 for further directions from the court. So far, the court has heard from 41 witnesses and only two are remaining to close the prosecution case.…

Malindi Member of Parliament Aisha Jumwa and her bodyguard Geoffrey Okuto Otieno were on Monday arraigned in a Mombasa Court to face murder charges. Judge Njoki Mwangi ordered that the two undergo a mental assessment at the Coast General Hospital before the plea taking. The two will be remanded at Port Police Station until Thursday, October 22 when they are expected to appear in court again. This comes days after the Office of Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) approved murder charges preferred against the two over killing of a man during Ganda by-election last year. In October 2019, the MP…

K24 TV anchor and Punchline host Anne Kiguta has apologised to her viewers after her interview with Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro was cancelled by the management. The fiery lawmaker allied to Deputy President had been invited to the show by Kiguta on Sunday night to weigh in on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) debate and the 2022 succession politics but moments later the show was cancelled without any explanation. In a bold statement during the show, Kiguta stated that she disagreed with the management’s move as Kenyans deserve to hear why the lawmaker is against some of the BBI…

Deputy President William Ruto now says that he is not worried about who will head Kenya’s electoral body ahead of the 2022 General Election. Speaking in Embu town on Sunday, the DP, who is considered by a section of Kenyans as a front runner in the race to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta, said the outcome of the 2022 polls would be decided by Kenyans and not the chairman or the commissioners of the Independent Electoral Commission IEBC. Reacting to reports that ODM leader Raila Odinga and his allies are determined to make key changes in the electoral body ahead of…

Onesmus Masaku, a Makueni-based lawyer, who was recently assaulted by a policewoman at his home, has succumbed to his injuries. Masaku, who lost his hands during the brutal attack, died on Sunday morning at the Kenyatta National Hospital where he has been receiving treatment. The lawyer’s death was confirmed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Nelson Havi and Southeastern LSK representative Justus Mutia. Police Constable Nancy Njeri, who is accused of attacking Masaku on October 7, is still in custody at Wote Police Station as investigations continue. In her statement with the police, the cop claimed that the…

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has launched an investigation into a chopper crash incident in Narok on Saturday that left the County Governor Samuel Tanui and other occupants with minor injuries. In a statement on Sunday, KCAA Director General Gilbert Kibe confirmed that no fatalities were recorded during the incident. He added that the authority will update the public once investigations are complete. “The aircraft had a total of three persons on board including Narok Governor H.E. Samuel Tanui. No fatalities have been recorded, ” said Captain Kibe. “The Air Accident Investigation Department (ARID) of the Ministry of Transport,…

The National Emergency Response Committee (NERC) is currently holed up in a crisis meeting amid rising cases of Covid-19 in the country, Kahawa Tungu has learnt. Reports indicate that the committee chaired by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe is deliberating on a raft of measures to contain the spread of the virus in the country. The country has over the past few days experienced a surge in the daily Covid-19 cases announced by the ministry. The positivity rate that had dropped to about 5 per cent has increased to over 10 per cent in the recent past following the government’s…

Garissa Township Member of Parliament Aden Duale is in mourning following the death of his elder brother Mzee Dubow Bare. Reports indicate that Bare, a retired military officer, was involved in a road accident along the Garissa – Nairobi Highway on Sunday morning. A photo seen by this writers shows the mangled wreckage of the white Toyota Harrier that Bare was travelling in during the tragic accident. Until his death, Bare, 62, was a businessman based in Garissa Town. Eldas MP Adan Keynan was among the first leaders to confirm the death of Duale’s brother. “My sincere condolences and prayers…

The pilot of the ill-fated chopper carrying Narok Governor Samuel Tunai that crash-landed shortly after takeoff on Saturday says he suspects bad weather and high altitude as possible causes of the mishap. The Saturday crash left the governor and three others with minor injuries after the chopper crash-landed in a vast wheatfield as they left Enkipejus village in Narok North Sub-county, where they had attended the burial of Mzee Tompo ole Sasai, father of county Finance executive Julius Sasai. While the cause of the crash could not be immediately established reports pointed at a mechanical problem. But speaking to The…

Kenya has confirmed 437 more Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours from a 4,311 sample size. The total number of cases in the country now stands at 43,580. Cumulative tests conducted so far stand at  611,552. In a statement on Friday, the Ministry of Health stated that eight more patients have succumbed to the respiratory disease raising Kenya’s death toll to 813. 140 more patients have recovered from Covid-19 bringing the total number of survivors to 31,648. A total of 72 patients who recovered were from the home-based care program while 68 were discharged from various health facilities. New…

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) representative to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) Macharia Njeru has accused Chief Justice David Maraga of sabotaging the process of recruiting his successor. Maraga, who assumed office in October 2016, is expected to proceed on terminal leave on December 15 and retire on January 15, 2021. In a press statement on Friday, Njeru claimed that external and internal forces are working with the CJ to derail the process of recruiting his replacement. The former Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) chairman accused the CJ, his deputy Philomena Mwilu, and Justice Mohamed Warsame of opposing the…

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and his Nakuru counterpart Susan Kihika will now bear the cost of dragging the Jubilee party to court over a coalition agreement with Kanu. The two leaders allied to Deputy President William Ruto moved to court in May after they were stripped of their roles as Majority Leader and Chief Whip respectively seeking orders to overturn the merger. Jubilee party Chair Nelson Dzuya and Secretary-General Raphael Tuju were listed as respondents in the case. However, the Senators backtracked and withdrew the case. Offended, Dzuya, Tuju and Kanu sued the lawmakers and asked the court to condemn…

President Uhuru Kenyatta has nominated three former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners as deputy foreign mission heads. In a press statement issued on Thursday by Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua, Margaret Mwachanya, Consolata Nkatha Bucha and Paul Kibiwott have been nominated to be deputy mission heads for Islamabad, Rome and Moscow respectively. The three resigned from the electoral body in April 2018 claiming that under the Wafula Chebukati’s leadership the electoral agency’s boardroom had turned into “a venue for peddling money, misinformation and grounds for brewing mistrust.” However, the High Court in Nairobi invalidated their resignation saying…