Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

Nairobi County Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko now says he will withdraw all cases filed against the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS), following yesterday’s truce with NMS boss General Mohamed Badi. Speaking on Thursday, Sonko said that they had reached an agreement with Badi to iron out contentious issues as directed by President Uhuru Kenyatta and petitions challenging the deed of transfer of county functions to the national government will be withdrawn. “After yesterday we agreed to polish the issues in the MOU and we agreed with my brother Badi that all cases in court will be withdrawn to allow for service…

The African continent is very slowly peeling apart and scientists believe that a new ocean is being formed. Geologists working in the remote Afar region of Ethiopia say the ocean will eventually split the African continent into two. This, however, the scientists say, will take about 10 million years. According to the scientists, the East African Rift that stretches from the Afar region of Ethiopia down to Mozambique splits at 7mm annually. Read: 400 Times Stronger Swarm Of Desert Locusts To Hit Kenya Threatening Food Security There exits what the scientists call the Victoria microplate, which is one of the…

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani has varied the term of office for the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Commissioner-General from three to five years. In a special gazette notice, Yatani handed KRA boss James Githii Mburu an additional two years to serve in the office. Mburu, who was appointed to the position in June 2019 by former Treasury CS Henry Rotich, will now serve until July 1, 2024. The former KRA’s Intelligence and Strategic Operations Commissioner took over from John Njiraini whose term expired having joined KRA in March 2012 following his appointment by President Uhuru Kenyatta, then finance minister. Read:…

On Wednesday, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) called on members of the public aware of the whereabouts of a suspected fraudster by the name John Ng’ethe Mwaura to report to police. The DCI has confirmed that Mwaura has since been arrested and is in custody. “We can confirm that this individual is in our custody. We thank all for the information we have received since we issued this alert, ” the DCI said on Thursday morning without going into details. Mwaura, who also identifies himself as an overseer of the Christ Love International Ministry, is said to be a…

The Kenyan government has rejected a request by Oman Air to repatriate Kenyans stranded in India. The airline through Vineet Nayyar, its North India Manager, had requested the Kenyan embassy in the Asian country to lobby New Delhi government to allow it to ferry home Kenyans stuck in the country that extended the international flight ban till August 31 over the coronavirus threat. However, in a letter dated Monday, August 10, Kenyan Ambassador to India Willy Bett rejected the request on grounds that the Middle Eastern carrier is engaging in a government function. Bett stated that clearance for special/evacuation flights…

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested a man accused of posing a senior government official to defraud unsuspecting members of the public. Martin Kikwau Mutangili was arrested on Tuesday night in an operation at Syokimau, Machakos County by detectives from the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU). Mutangili is accused of posing as a civil servant working in various government ministries to con members of the public. According to the DCI, the suspect also introduced himself as a member of the disciplined forces and a National Intelligence Service officer to his victims. “Responding to numerous complaints from…

18 more patients have succumbed to the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the country in the last 24 hours raising the death toll to 456, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday. Among the fatalities is Kamau Mugenda, who served as Director of Corporate Affairs at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Mercy Mwangangi said that 679 more people also tested positive in the last 24 hours from 6,590 samples. Cumulative tests carried so far stand at 369,091. The number of infections confirmed in the country now stands at 28,104. Of the new cases, the…

Amani National Congress (ANC) Secretary General Barack Muluka has resigned amid leadership wrangles that have rocked the party in the recent past. In a letter addressed to ANC boss Musalia Mudavadi, Muluka cited the need to give ANC a fresh start ahead of the 2022 elections. Muluka says he was instrumental in pushing for reorganization and strengthening of the party as well as helping Mudavadi in writing of his biography titled Soaring Above the Storms of Passion. “It is now ready, in my considered view, to compete for political power against other major political parties. The coming into being of…

Members of the Nairobi County Assembly are set to elect a new speaker on Friday after the office was declared vacant by acting clerk Pauline Akuku following resignation of Beatrice Elachi. Elachi resigned on Tuesday after a protracted row with the ward representatives citing threats to her life and frustrations as some of the reasons for leaving the office. She appointed Ruai MCA John Kamangu to take her place in acting capacity pending further communication. “It has been tough and I can’t hold any longer. I therefore tender my resignation and thank President Uhuru Kenyatta for giving me this opportunity…

For a record eighth time now the Senate has adjourned after failing to resolve county revenue sharing standoff. Speaker Keneth Lusaka adjourned the debate to Thursday when the House is expected to continue with the discussion and vote on changes made to the main motion. Ealier, Senators voted 25-20 to adopt Meru Senator Mithika Linturi’s amendment to the revenue sharing formula in a heated session. Linturi’s amendment was opposed by Majority Whip Irungu Kang’ata and like-minded senators. Linturi had moved an amendment to a proposal by his Nairobi counterpart Johnson Sakaja in a bid to “protect” interests of losing counties.…

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has named human rights lawyer and equality activist Catherine Muyeka Mumma as the National Elections Board chairperson. Mumma, who takes over from nominated senator Judith Pareno, will serve for a five-year period. The changes made by the party’s Central Committee were announced on Tuesday by ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna after a meeting with party leader Raila Odinga. Other members in the reconstituted elections board include Abdulahi Diriye, Richard Tairo, Syntei Nchoe and Emily Awita. “During a meeting held in Nakuru on 27th to 28th of June 2019, the National Executive Committee (NEC) under…

Firefighters are currently battling a huge fire that broke out on Tuesday near Lunga Lunga Square In Industrial Area, Nairobi. The fire is said to have started at a timber yard, Timber Projectiles, shortly after 2.30pm. Redcross said that its response teams have been dispatched to the area. https://twitter.com/KenyaRedCross/status/1293156930567929858?s=20 By the time of going to press the cause of the fire had not been revealed. Here is a video of the fire courtesy of NTV: https://twitter.com/dailynation/status/1293161249690341377?s=20 Email your news TIPS to Editor@kahawatungu.com or WhatsApp +254707482874. You can also find us on Telegram through www.t.me/kahawatungu

Former Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen is not taking kindly words of Majority Whip Irungu Kang’ata regarding the contentious third-generation basis formula on revenue sharing among counties. The Murang’a senator had on Tuesday morning accused Murkomen of attempting to deny his county and Nyeri funds with a new formula proposed by Meru counterpart Franklin Mithika Linturi. “Linturi and Murkomen new formula wants to punish Muranga and Nyeri counties.Why ? What wrong have we done to you?” tweeted Kang’ata. In a rejoinder that may further fuel the “sibling” rivalry in the ruling party Jubilee, Murkomen told off the Senator urging him…

Five police officers in Nyando, Kisumu County, were on Monday arrested in connection with stolen alcohol after a non-injury road accident involving a lorry ferrying alcoholic white pearl vodka spirits. The five include OCS Boya Police Station William Cheruiyot. Others are Corporal Jane Chepkemei, Police Constables Bernard Macharia, Samuel Maina and Rodrick Laushuset. According to a police statement seen by this writer, the officers stole alcoholic spirits which were being transported in an Isuzu lorry — registration number KCK 959L — instead of guarding the goods in line with police regulations. Read: Asian Community in Kisumu Hailed for Supporting Nyando…

The Tanzanian government has banned all domestic licensed broadcasters from carrying foreign-made content without state permission. The new directive is part of the revised guidelines issued by the country’s Communications Regulatory Authority. After obtaining permission to air content from international media houses like BBC, DW and CNN, the authority details that the licensed broadcasters will take responsibility for any content deemed “unsuitable”. “Baada ya kupata kibali cha kujiunga na mtoa huduma mwingine wa maudhui. Mwenye leseni atawajibika kwa maudhui yoyote yasiyozingatia sheria na kanuni izi,” the government said. The new regulations further require a government official to accompany any local…