Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) selection panel has shortlisted five candidates for the CEO position. The Commission, in a public notice on Monday, said a total of 511 Kenyans applied for the job. The shortlisted candidates are Acting CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan, Electoral and Governance Expert Zephania Aura, IEBC Mombasa County Election Manager Nancy Kariuki, George Michugu, and Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development Director Joel Mabonga. The five are scheduled to appear before the commission for interviews on Tuesday next week. The position of CEO has been vacant since the exit of Ezra Chiloba in October 2018. IEBC…

Mathira Member of Parliament Rigathi Gachagua has accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of betrayal. The legislator claims the President turned against his friends after re-election in the 2017 General Elections. Speaking during the Day Break show on Monday,  Gachagua claimed the Head of State has weaponised the war against graft, wrongly labelling Deputy President William Ruto’s allies as thieves. Gachagua, who is facing a Ksh7.3 billion graft case, claims he became the target of the state after declaring his support for the DP’s presidential ambitions. The legislator has been under probe for some time now and was in July last year…

There was drama at a Kenya Kwanza rally in Kitui on Thursday after a speaker lectured Deputy President William Ruto over unfulfilled funds promise. The woman only identified as Anastacia claimed that youth and women groups from the region were yet to receive a share of Ruto’s goodies, despite an earlier commitment. Anastacia, who introduced herself as a grassroots mobiliser, didn’t mince her words as she called on the presidential hopeful to honour his promise to locals. “Nachukua hii nafasi kumkaribisha naibu wa rais Mutitu. Ningependa kuongelelea mambo ya sacco ambayo Ruto amezungumzia hapa. Alipeana pesa Zombe lakini haikufukia wana…

The Kenyan government has issued an advisory to nationals stuck in Ukraine amid heightened insecurity due to invasion by Russia. Kenya, through its embassy in Ukraine, has advised Kenyans in Ukraine to consider leaving the country. “Following the escalating tensions and the attack on Ukrainian territory by the Russian Federation on 24th February 2022, all Kenyans living or studying in Ukraine are hereby advised to urgently consider leaving Ukraine and stay away until further notice,” the notice reads. “Those wishing to remain are strongly advised to exercise increased caution.” https://twitter.com/samirasawlani/status/1497127743040929792?s=20&t=zQMX5wkSSI-9WNMpc8McGQ Earlier, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Ambassador Kamau Macharia said experts…

A former student of the Moi Girls High School, Nairobi, has been sentenced to five years in prison for starting a dormitory fire that claimed 10 lives in 2017. In a ruling delivered on Thursday, High Court Judge Stella Mutuku sentenced the student to five years in prison for each of the life lost. The sentence will, however, run concurrently meaning she will only serve five years in jail for the manslaughter offences. While passing the sentence, the judge observed that the accused is a first time offender and no amount of punishment would serve for the lasting impact of…

Deputy President William Ruto says he respects President Uhuru Kenyatta’s decision to support ODM leader Raila Odinga for the presidency. The Head of State made it clear yesterday that he won’t be supporting his deputy’s bid for the top seat despite a promise made in 2013 and 2017. Speaking in Nyeri yesterday, Uhuru indicated Ruto is not fit to lead the nation. But responding to the President on Thursday, the country’s second in command said he is okay with the president’s move. He said the President’s change of heart doesn’t bother him since his competitor is Odinga and not Uhuru…

A 19-year-old man who was last week rescued in Chamasilihi village, Vihiga, after being nailed to a tree over theft allegations has broken his silence about the ordeal. Collins Sambaya, in a recent media interview, asked Kenyans on social media to stop making fun of his pain. He termed the experience as traumatizing, insisting that he was a victim of false allegations. “People should stop comparing me to Jesus or the two thieves who were crucified with him on the cross. I’m a victim of torture,” Sambaya told The Standard. He added: “In fact, I believe Jesus saved me from…

The Kajiado County government has been dealt a huge blow after a Ksh100 million bridge launched recently collapsed amid heavy rains being experienced in many parts of the country. The newly built bridge located in Paai area, Kajiado East, was swept away by floods on Wednesday night. The pillars of the bridge caved in after heavy rains causing the bridge to break up in the middle. Area residents, who spoke to members of the press on Thursday morning, said the remaining pillars appear shacky and the whole structure could come tumbling down any time. Read Also: Kajiado: Notorious Vehicle Theft…

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has launched investigations into an incident at the Jomo Kenyatta International Aiport (JKIA) that saw flights suspended after a plane stalled on the runway Wednesday evening. The incident involving a Fly540 Dash 8-300 flight saw all inbound and outbound flights suspended for over four hours. In a statement to newsrooms on Wednesday night, KCAA Director General Gilbert Kibe confirmed the incident saying the aircraft developed a nose wheel steering jam upon landing on one of the busy airport’s taxiways. The incident occurred at around 5pm. Read: KQ Pilot Ruth Karauri Speaks After Landing Plane Skillfully…

The Director of Youth Affairs in the Office of Deputy President William Ruto, Anthony Kibagendi, has formally defected to Raila Odinga’s ODM party, days after quitting the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party. Kibagendi was welcomed to the Azimio la Umoja camp by Odinga and Kisii Governor James Ongwae on Wednesday. The youthful politician ditched Ruto’s party last week after a nasty exchange, in a WhatsApp Group, with South Mugirango Member of Parliament Silvanus Osoro. The Ruto stewards in the Kisii region exchange words after differing on chances of being elected in the August General Election. Read Also: Ruto’s UDA Party…

Suspended Kiambu Principal Magistrate Bryan Khaemba has formally quit the service months after being reinstated. Khaemba was suspended in June 2019 on allegations of gross misconduct after granting former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu anticipatory bail. Waititu, who was still in office, had moved to the court on May 23 to stop detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission from arresting him in a probe involving misappropriation of county funds amounting to Ksh588 million. Khaemba is said to have been on sick leave when he issued the controversial orders, forcing then Chief Justice David Maraga to send him packing. Read: CJ…

A traffic police officer is nursing injuries in hospital after being knocked down by a speeding motorist in Mombasa. The incident happened on the busy Sheikh Abdalla Farsy Road near Petro fuel station on Monday at around 5pm. The female cop identified as Phiona Mutua Ndanu is said to have moments before the incident intercepted the motor vehicle registration number KCT 410E for operating without a valid insurance sticker. Read: Traffic Cop Killed in Multiple Vehicle Crash on Nairobi-Mombasa Highway Police said the officer asked the driver of the vehicle to pull over but he instead made a u-turn, knocking…

The Kenya Universities and College Placement Service (KUCCPS) has cautioned the general public of scammers purporting to offer its services. In a public notice on Tuesday, KUCCPS said an organisation by the name Colleges and Universities Placement Agency (CUPA) has been writing to schools and principals inviting them to attend workshops/seminars on activities that fall within the mandate of the state agency. KUCCPS distanced itself from the activities saying it’s the only state body mandated with government-sponsored student enrollment in tertiary institutions in the country. Read: Here Are The Most Sought-after Universities by 2020 KCSE Candidates “KUCCPS wishes to distance…

A Kibera court on Tuesday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for violently attacking and robbing his boss. Robert Kubasu is accused of violently attacking the Chinese employer in Kilimani, Nairobi, before stealing Ksh30,000 and a mobile phone from him. While convicting Kubasu, Kibera Senior Principal Magistrate Esther Boke said the prosecution had proved the case against the accused beyond reasonable doubt. According to the prosecution, the offence was committed on September 25, 2019, at the Silver harbour in Kindaruma road within Dagoretti sub-county. A total of five witnesses testified in the trial. In his testimony, the victim, Chen Daisheng, told…

Besieged businessman Jimi Wanjigi has protested against summons by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) terming them as state intimidation. The DCI on Monday ordered Wanjigi to surrender 11 firearms and 485 rounds of ammunition allegedly being held illegally. He was given 72 hours to do so or be arrested. Speaking to members of the press at his Kwacha Offices in Nairobi on Tuesday, Wanjigi claimed the ODM party, on whose ticket he intends to view for the presidency, with the help of President Uhuru Kenyatta were using the DCI to frustrate his bid for the top seat. He said…