Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

15 nurses at the Pumwani Maternity Hospital have tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease, the Kenya Union of Nurses (KUN) said on Monday. Boaz Onchari, the KUN Nairobi Chairman, said the trend is worrying. “I cannot tell the accumulative number of health workers at the hospital who have tested positive. But I can speak for nurses and I can confirm that 15 of them have tested positive,” said Onchari. Onchari, however, said that none of the nurses is in a critical condition as most of them are asymptomatic. Further reports indicate that at least 22 health workers working at…

A Kenya Air Force helicopter has crashed at Kanyonga area in Masinga, Machakos county. The chopper with Reg. No. AU003-539 crashed at around 11am at a farm killing two soldiers on the spot. “This was a training flight. Onboard were two pilots who have been evacuated from the crash site, ” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. It was not immediately clear what led to the crash but investigations are ongoing. https://twitter.com/OleItumbi/status/1282620960953294849?s=20 The aircraft is part of the six American-made light-attack helicopter gunships that were acquired by the ministry in January this year. Today’s incident comes a…

Thomas Scheller, a German national charged with several counts of defilement and human trafficking has been denied bond by a Nairobi Court. The court directed that the 71-year-old remain in custody until July 27 when the case will be heard. Scheller was arraigned in court on May 26 and charged with six counts among them dealing with child pornography, child trafficking and defilement. The retired engineer is accused of committing the offences in Kisumu and Nairobi counties. It is alleged that between March and April at Nyalenda in Kisumu Central, he defiled a 13-year-old child. He is also accused of…

Necessity is the mother of invention best sums efforts by the Kenyan Jua Kali sector businessmen to get things done as the coronavirus pandemic threatens to cripple the economy. Several artisans have come out to showcase their skills amid concerns over lack of isolation facilities in counties. With Covid-19 cases rising by the day and imported hospital beds proving expensive local artisans are determined to solve the facility crisis. The durable beds are made from steel, iron sheets and some artisans use timber for some parts. The beds are fitted with adjustable features to provide comfort for their users. One…

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga is back in the country after a successful back surgery at a German Hospital in Dubai. Kahawa Tungu understands that the former Prime Minister made a low key return on Sunday night aboard the luxurious Constellation Aviation Airline Airbus A318-112(CJ) Elite A6-CAS, MS4211. The 19-seater private jet landed at Jomo Kenyatta Internation Airport a few minutes to 10 pm having left the Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai at 5:13pm on the same day. Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho and Suna East Member of Parliament Junet Mohamed had left the county to Dubai…

The Public Service Commission (PSC) will from Monday scale down operations as a section of its employees in Nairobi was confirmed to have contracted Covid-19. 10 employees at Commission House tested positive following mass testing that was carried out on July 1, 2020. In a memo, the commission directed all employees to self-isolate for 14 days at their homes effective Monday, July 13 to Friday, July 24. Access to the commission offices will be restricted. During the period, the offices shall be fumigated “to ensure that any contamination of surfaces by the virus is eliminated”. “In this regard, all staff/interns…

The Kitui County Assembly has set Wednesday, July 15, as the date for the hearing of an impeachment motion against Governor Charity Ngilu. The besieged county boss will be required to appear personally before the county assembly at 10.00am to respond to the allegations in the impeachment motion. Alternatively, the assembly has given Ngilu an option of choosing at least two lawyers to represent her. “This is to notify you that the Motion dated 16th June, 2020 calling for the removal of the governor, County Government of Kitui by impeachment shall be considered by the County Assembly of Kitui between…

Armed goons attacked Ford Kenya Headquarters in Nairobi on Sunday morning escalating leadership wrangles within the party. Reports indicate that the group of youth allied to party Secretary-General Eseli Simiyu’s camp attempted a take over of the party headquarters with the intention of handing them over to Kanduyi Member of Parliament Wafula Wamunyinyi in fresh attempts to kick out party boss Moses Wetangula. The group was repulsed by youth allied to Wetangula. Property of unknown value was destroyed during the chaotic morning with police recovering crude weapons. Wamunyinyi was elected by Eseli’s camp to replace Wetangula in May but faced…

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has condemned a Friday attack of a police officer in Mombasa by locals as he attempted to arrest individuals who were not wearing face masks. In a statement on Sunday, IPOA Chairperson Ann Makori warned that such acts are likely to foster anarchy and break established order in the society. “Independent Policing Oversight Authority has noted with concern the incident in which members of the public attacked and seriously injured a police officer in Kibokoni in Mombasa County yesterday, ” the statement reads in part. The police officer, Gerald Sumba, sustained serious injuries during…

Police in Migori County have launched a manhunt for Ntimaru West Member of County Assembly (MCA) Francis Magori following an assault complaint filed by a county worker. Magori is accused of assaulting Benjamin Chacha, a road engineer in Kuria East sub-county, on July 7 during an inspection of the ongoing road work in his ward. Police say that the MCA has gone under and the authorities are trailing him for questioning. “I was to check on condition of the murram which the MCA complained was deficit and the road work was shoddy. We were at the murram pit site in…

Governors in the western region have changed tune on the privatization of public-owned sugar mills, setting stage for leasing of the mills to investors as part of the national government’s bid to revive the ailing industry. According to Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and his Kisumu counterpart Anyang Nyong’o, the move will boost sugar production and increase income for sugarcane farmers. The region’s leadership had opposed a previous bid to privatize the industry. They successfully obtained an injunction that delayed the leasing plans. “The leasing of sugar mills will inject fresh investments into the mills, leading to higher productivity and subsequent…

Kenya’s immigration department has revoked a work permit of a South African national working at Nissan Kenya (Crown Motors Group) illegally. The department noted that whereas the man identified as Ashwin Ramraj held a work permit indicating that he held the position of Director Markert Expansion in the company, he worked as a Sales Manager. “The company did not engage an understudy and he did not possess skills/professional qualifications that are not available in the Kenyan Labour market,” the department explained why Ramraj’s work permit was revoked in a letter addressed to the director Crown Motors Group dated July 7.…

The government has confirmed 473 new Covid-19 cases after testing 6,979 samples in the last 24 hours. The number of infections reported in the country since the outbreak of the disease now stands at 9,448. So far, a total of 206,584 samples have been tested. Addressing the nation from Kilifi county on Friday, health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said eight more people had succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours. The Covid-19 death toll now stands at 181. Among those who succumbed to the disease is a 38-year-old medical doctor. Dr Doreen Adisa Lugaliki, a gynaecologist by training,…

A Kenyan health worker has succumbed to the novel coronavirus, Kahawa Tungu has learnt. Reports indicate that the 38-year-old medical doctor identified as Doreen Adisa Lugaliki succumbed to the virus within 48 hours of being admitted at a private hospital in Nairobi. Dr Lugaliki, who contracted the virus in the line of duty, is suspected to have had an underlying medical condition that put her at a high risk of succumbing to the disease. The mother of three had trained at the University of Nairobi both as an undergraduate and for her postgraduate as an obstetrician gynaecologist. Dr Mercy Korir,…

The eviction of more than 20,000 residents accused of settling illegally in Ngong Forest has been halted after a section of the residents moved to court to challenge the planned demolitions. Justice Benard Eboso of the Environment and land Court extended orders barring Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko and the Kenya Forest Service from demolishing the homes pending the hearing of the case on July 28. In the petition challenging the demolitions, the residents argue that they obtained title deeds lawfully and the planned demolitions are thus illegal. One of the residents identified as Kagwanja Thuo said that he acquired…