Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

One of the suspects arrested over the weekend in connection with the death of a 28-year-old man identified as Kevin Omwenga in Nairobi’s Kilimani area on Friday night has claimed that the shooting was an accident. Reports indicate that Robert Bodo, in his police statement, said that the gun went off while they were scuffling over it after a disagreement. Bodo, who is a bodyguard to the second suspect Chris Obure, who is also in police custody, told sleuths probing the alleged murder that he took the gun from his boss’ office at Senteu Plaza next to Galana suits where…

Tiktok has officially announced that it will challenge U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order threatening to ban the social media application in the country. Trump had ordered ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to sell the app to an American firm within a period of 90 days or cease operation in the country. The company said it will file a suit on Monday. TikTok said it had tried to engage with the U.S administration for nearly a year, but faced “a lack of due process” and that the government paid no attention to the facts. Read: President Trump Gives TikTok Reprieve,…

The Ministry of Health has announced 246 new cases of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19), raising the number of confirmed infections in the country to 32, 364. In a statement on Sunday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the cases were from 4,179 samples tested in the last 24 hours. The new cases include 238 Kenyans and 8 foreigners. The youngest patient is a one-year-old infant while the oldest is 87 years. At the same time, CS Kagwe said six more people had succumbed to the respiratory disease. Covid-19 fatalities now stand at 548. The number of recoveries recorded in…

The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Secretary-General Seth Panyako has joined a section of Kenyans in calling out the ODM party over its statement yesterday regarding graft claims at the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA). In the statement issued by ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna on Saturday, the Raila Odinga party defended the inflated prices of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPES) procured by KEMSA arguing that the prices were lower before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and only shot up due to high demand. Panyako has told off Sifuna following the claims accusing the ODM party of attempting to…

As demand for skills in the job market, as opposed to a University degree requirement, become a priority in the modern world, tech giant Google has announced launch of a selection of professional courses that teach candidates how to perform in-demand jobs. At the end of the online courses that take about six months, candidates will be issued with what the company is calling Google Career Certificates. The courses, Google says, will teach foundational skills that can help job-seekers immediately find employment. With university degrees taking years to complete, the short courses could change the future of work and higher…

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Saturday hosted an invite-only birthday party for his wife Ida at their Karen home. Mama Ida Odinga was celebrating her 70th birthday. Top on the list of invited guests were ODM leader’s allies in the political arena and business associates. This writer understands that President Uhuru Kenyatta’s cousin George Muhoho, trade unionist Francis Atwoli and Jubilee Vice-chairman David Murathe graced the occasion. Reports also indicate that Uhuru’s brother Muhoho attended the party. Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, former Gatanga Member of Parliament Peter Keneth also graced the ceremony. Others are Wajir Woman Representative Fatuma Gedi, her…

A CCTV footage obtained from the 7th floor of Galana Suites apartment in Kilimani where businessman Kevin Omwenga was fatally shot on Friday night has revealed what transpired before and after the incident. In a video seen by this writer, Omwenga’s friend Robert Bodo, who has since been arrested in connection with the murder was at the scene of the crime. Bodo is alleged to have shot Omwenga over a fake gold deal gone wrong. “They were apparently arguing over money accrued from a deal they struck back in March,” a witness is quoted by the Standard. Moments before he…

In politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies, Embakasi East Member of Parliament Paul Ongili alias Babu Owino, knows this all too well. Well, Babu Owino, who used to be President Uhuru Kenyatta’s fiercest critic has over time changed tune and now seems to get along very well with the Head of State, who he once accused of denying his ODM party leader Raila Odinga victory in the 2017 General Elections through “electoral theft”. Apparently, the handshake between Odinga and President Kenyatta had a ripple effect in the ODM party as many of its leaders now accord the president…

The Ministry of Health on Friday confirmed 16 more Covid-19 related deaths raising the number of fatalities so far to 532. At the same time, Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Dr Mercy Mwangangi said 322 more people tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours from a 4,470 sample size. Kenya’s Covid-19 caseload now stands at 31,763. All the new cases were Kenyans except nine. The youngest is a three-year-old infant and the oldest 92 years old. In terms of distribution in the counties, Nairobi leads with 106 cases, Kajiado 53, Machakos 25, Nakuru 25, Kiambu 23, Kisii 23,…

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Nelson Havi has condemned what he terms as arrest of Kenyans to settle political scores or suppress free speech. Havi was reacting to the arrest of Charles Gichuki, creator of the government corruption tracker website. Gichuki was arrested on Thursday and Detained at Capitol Hill Police Station. According to Havi, Gichuki was later released without being charged. Earlier, the LSK boss had written to the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji expressing interest to represent Gichuki who he said was detained”incommunicado”. “The above-named individual was seized yesterday by persons claiming to be police…

President Uhuru Kenyatta is among African leaders, who have condemned the Tuesday military coup in Mali. Led by the African Union Chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa, the leaders have called for the immediate release of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and senior members of his administration among them the country’s Prime Minister Boubou Cissé, who were seized by mutinying soldiers during the takeover. Speaking on Thursday during a virtual meeting of the African Union Bureau, President Uhuru Kenyatta urged for a “speedy, peaceful and democratic” resolution of the crisis, State House said in a statement. President Ramaphosa called for dialogue to restore peace…

Deputy President William Ruto has downplayed claims that he is a stranger in his own government. In a tweet on Thursday evening, the second in command seemed to hit out on the government over recent scandals that have rocked the Ministry of Health on alleged embezzlement of funds in irregular procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) meant to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The DP alluded that he has been isolated in the government’s efforts to fight the pandemic saying that for the first time he won’t be blamed for the mess. He was responding to…

Troubled retailer Tuskys Supermarket is in trouble after auctioneers descended on its Kisumu branch on Thursday morning over unpaid Ksh26 million rent. Reports indicate that Auctioneers from Victoria Blue Services, acting on instructions from the property’s landlord, arrived at the Kisumu branch located at the United Mall on the Kisumu-Kakamega highway and locked its three entrances. The incident caught shoppers unawares. The supermarket is said to have been owing the landlord accrued rent of Ksh32million but had only managed to settle Ksh6 million by the time the auctioneers arrived. The auctioneer has attached the property worth equivalent of the owed…

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has distanced himself from a report carried by NTV suggesting that he called for the resignation of Deputy President William Ruto when he appeared before the Senate security committee on Wednesday. In a statement on Thursday afternoon, the interior ministry termed the report as false and malicious. “The unverified report is a misrepresentation of the true record of the proceedings readily and publicly available, even to NTV, in Parliament’s Hansard records. The net effect of such fabrications can cause disharmony in the executive arm of government, ” the statement reads. The ministry further stated that…

Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) on Thursday morning raided the homes and offices of Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and other county officials in what caught the individuals by surprise. In a statement issued after the raid, EACC boss Twalib Mbarak stated that the early morning operation is part of investigations into allegations that the Governor and other officials of the County Government of Kirinyaga, were irregularly paid travel allowances of approximately Ksh23 million and the monies were reportedly spent on non-existent trips. The search warrants, according to EACC, were issued by the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Nyeri.…