Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

The number of the novel Coronavirus cases in the country rose to 2,989 on Tuesday after 127 more people tested positive. At the same time, three more people have succumbed to the disease raising the death toll to 88. In a statement, Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Rashid Aman said a total of 2,247 samples had been tested in the last 24 hours. Kenya has so far tested a total of 100,683 samples since the outbreak of the disease in the country in mid-March. Of the new cases, 84 were male and 33 female, with the youngest patient being a…

Tanzania’s opposition party Chadema now says the last night attack on Freeman Mbowe was meant to silence him over hard stance on President John Pombe Magufuli’s administration. In a statement on Tuesday, Chadema Secretary-General John Mnyika said the unknown individuals armed to the teeth accused Mbowe of frustrating government agenda through constant criticism. They reportedly told the Chadema national chairman that they were not sent to kill but to warn him. “Waliomshambulia Mwenyekiti Freeman Mbowe kuna maneno walikuwa wanayatamka zaidi ya haya ya kwamba wewe unaisumbua sana Serikali, walikuwa wanasema kwamba hatudhamirii kukuuwa lakini pamoja na kutamka maneno hayo walikuwa…

A section of Kirinyaga Member of County Assembly (MCAs) spent Monday night in the assembly ahead of the hyped impeachment of Governor Anne Waiguru. This writer understands that about 24 MCAs sacrificed their sleep in their usual comfy beds to sleep in the House to avoid intimidation and threats synonymous to impeachment processes. Photos of some of the ward representatives sleeping on the coaches have been circulating on social media. Former State House operative Dennis Itumbi said that the MCAs, determined to oust Waiguru, switched off their phones. Reports indicate that one of the MCAs is David Mathenge, who chairs…

Freeman Mbowe, the Leader of Opposition in Tanzanian Parliament and Chairman for Chadema party, was last night rushed to hospital after being attacked by unknown assailants. The opposition party broke the news via its Twitter handle early on Tuesday morning. Chadema indicated that Mbowe was attacked while he was returning to his Dodoma home. “Mwenyekiti wa Chadema Taifa na Kiongozi wa Kambi Rasmi ya Upinzani Bungeni (KUB), Mhe. @freemanmbowetz ameshambuliwa na kujeruhiwa na watu wasiojulikana wakati akirejea nyumbani kwake jijijini Dodoma. Amekimbizwa hospitalini kwa ajili ya matibabu. Tutawapatia taarifa zaidi baadae, ” the tweet reads. https://twitter.com/ChademaTz/status/1270157190939193351?s=20 The attack brings back…

The relationship between former Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen and President Uhuru Kenyatta is a classic example of friends turned enemies, at least from the recent developments in the political circles. Since his ouster as majority leader in the recent Senate purge that saw Deputy President William Ruto’s foot soldiers kicked out of plum positions in the House, the Elgeyo Marakwet Senator has turned out to be President Kenyatta’s fiercest critic as far as running government is concerned. Murkomen on Monday took to social media to weigh in on Chief Justice David Maraga’s rant over the President’s disobedience of court orders…

95 more people have tested positive for the novel Coronavirus in the country raising the national tally to 2, 862. In a statement on Monday, Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Rashid Aman said a total of 1,096  samples had been tested in the last 24 hours. The total number of samples tested in the country since the outbreak of the disease stands at 98,439. Out of the positive cases, 92 are Kenyans and three are foreigners. Three of the new cases are health workers from Nyeri County. The other cases are distributed as follows:  Mombasa (56), Nairobi (13), Busia (10), Kajiado…

The Office of Registrar of Political Parties has gazetted intended changes in Ford Kenya party leadership amid deep divisions. A section of the party members led by Secretary-General Esseli Simiyu met last week and voted to remove Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula as party leader. The party intends to replace Wetangula with Kanduyi Member of Parliament Wafula Wamunyinyi on an interim basis. In a gazette notice dated Monday, June 8, Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu called on any party member with an issue with the intended changes to make submissions within a period of seven days before the changes are…

Kipipiri Member of Parliament Amos Kimunya now says National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale has failed the loyalty test and must be kicked out in ongoing Jubilee purge. The President Uhuru Kenyatta ally, who was recently appointed Secretary for Jubilee Joint Parliamentary Group said whereas the Garissa Township MP had done exemplary well over the seven years as majority leader as far as pushing for Jubilee party agenda in the House is concerned, he had failed in uniting MPs in the House hence lost their trust. The former Finance Minister was speaking during an interview with K24 TV Punchline host…

The number of the novel Coronavirus cases in the country rose to 2,767 on Sunday after 167 more people tested positive. This is the highest number to be recorded in the country in a single day since the outbreak of the disease in mid-March. Health Cabinet Secretary said the cases were found in 2,833 samples tested in the last 24 hours. The new positive cases include 162 Kenyans and five foreigners. The cases are distributed as follows: Nairobi (54), Mombasa (47), Busia, (28), Kiambu (14), Uasin Gishu (11), Kisumu (4), Machakos (3). Migori, Homabay, Kwale, Siaya and Turkana have one…

Gospel singer Ruth Matete now says she is done begging the Nigerian Embassy in Nairobi to release her late husband’s body for burial. John Apewajoye’s remains have been lying at the Kenyatta National Hospital mortuary for close to two months. Apewajoye died on April 11 from what Government Chief Pathologist Johansen Oduor said were complications that resulted from the 60 per cent burns he suffered at their home on March 30 In a letter to the embassy through lawyer Robert Odanga, Matete, a former Tusker Project Fame winner said she is no longer interested in John Apewajoye’s body and shall…

Utawala Member of County Assembly Patrick Karani is among a group of 17 people who were arrested on Saturday night partying during curfew hours. The MCA and the group of young men and women were busted drinking inside a bar near Magunas Supermarket in Utawala a few minutes past 9pm. They were taken to Kayole Police Station where they spent the night. They are accused of contravening the laws and guidelines stipulated by the government of not being outside past curfew hours as well as failing to maintain social distance. Another group of 15 people was also arrested in Kayole…

As the number of the novel coronavirus cases in the country continue to balloon, there are concerns over the risk of most hospitals being overwhelmed due to lack of enough facility. Yesterday, President Uhuru Kenyatta, during his State of the nation address put Siaya County on the spot over its preparedness to fight the contagious disease. The President said the county has only 10 isolation beds and nine are already occupied. But this writer understands that many government hospitals across the 47 counties face a similar problem that needs urgent intervention by both levels of governments. To support local hospitals…

A Nairobi resident has won big in a case that he had been charged with robbery with violence in 2015. The High Court in Nairobi awarded the man identified as Anthony Murimi Waigwe Ksh4.5 million as compensation and an additional Ksh500,000 as punitive damages for wrongful arrest and prosecution. In a ruling delivered on Friday, High Court Judge James Makau said police and officers from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) violated Waigwe’s rights for preferring a robbery with violence charge against him without evidence. The judge castigated the officers for abuse of power. “I find that…

The African Union High Representative for Infrastructure Raila Odinga has welcomed a report that cleared of embattled  African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina any wrongdoing in integrity probe. Adesina had been accused of abuse of office by a whistleblower at the bank, including favouritism in hiring. The bank’s ethics committee recently dismissed the allegations as baseless after an internal investigation but some officials are now calling for an independent review into the matter. But Odinga, in a statement on Friday, differed with the individuals further accusing them of an attempt to circumvent the bank’s governing procedures by taking advantage of…

The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has today launched a media grants programme that will see over 25 Television Stations and 125 local Radio Stations benefit from the fund. The initiative with a budget of Ksh100 million directly from the government will support community and vernacular stations in the country produce content during the Covid-19 pandemic. With some of the media houses in the country laying off staff and some sending employees on unpaid leave due to limited funds, the council noted that the program will come in handy to give operational support and ensure that the stations retain their…