Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

At least 18 Kenyans have succumbed to the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) abroad, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Ambassador Macharia Kamau revealed on Tuesday. Speaking during an interview with Inooro FM, PS Kamau stated that most of the deaths occurred in the United States of America (USA). The US leads in the number of COVID-19 cases reported across the world with over 1 million cases and 56,803 deaths as of Tuesday, April 28. PS Kamau reiterated that the Kenyan government will not bring the deceased home due to the costs involved. However, the PS said families willing to bring home the bodies…

The Kenyan Embassy in the United Kingdom has announced a new date for Kenyans stranded in the UK to travel home following the cancellation of a Kenya Airways flight that was scheduled to depart from London on April 25. In a statement on Monday, Kenya’s Ambassador to the UK, Manoah Esipisu, said the cancelled flight will now depart from London Heathrow Airport on Monday, May 4, 2020. “Kenya Airways has loaded on its booking system the flight, which is available for sale on a first come first served basis with tickets selling at GBP 725 for Business class and at…

Needy households in Kenya are receiving Ksh1000 stipend from the government once every week to cushion them from negative effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho revealed on Monday. Speaking during an interview with Inooro FM, the PS said the government has identified 108,000 households in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi Counties who will benefit from the programme. According to the Kibicho the families have already received the money following the roll out of the programme. Each of the households, the PS said, received Ksh2,000 which they are expected to use for two weeks before the government processes…

Eighteen people are in police custody after they were busted partying while naked in an estate in Kilimani area, Nairobi. A police report indicates that the individuals (male and female) aged between 14-30 years were found in a house at Hurliqueen Courts Metropolitan located in Jamhuri estate. The arrest followed a tip-off from one of the residents in the apartment who reported the incident at about 6.45 pm on Sunday. Police believe that the individuals, who include two minors aged 14 years, were shooting adult content as they were found to be in possession of a camera. The individuals were…

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has addressed reports that Deputy President William Ruto had a hand in his recent threat to end County takeover deal with the National Government. Sonko had last week indicated that plans are underway to end the deed of transfer that saw four key county functions placed under the care of the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) office headed by Director General Major General Mohamed Badi. The City Hall boss cited frustration by government officials who he accused of having hijacked the process as the reason for the second thoughts. Reports in a section of the media indicated…

The Ministry of Health has defended itself over reports that a top scientist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) was wrongly dismissed for failing to release COVID-19 test results in time. Reports emerged on Sunday that Dr Joel Lutomiah had been demoted for not relaying the results in good time for Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe to update the public during the daily COVID-19 briefings. Kagwe who was angered by the delays on Friday, April 17 directed Kemri Director-General Yeri Kombe to remove Dr Lutomiah from any leadership position at the institution immediately. The developments elicited an angry reaction…

12 more people have tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Kenya, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 355. In a statement on Sunday, Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Dr Rashid Aman said eight more patients have been discharged from hospital after recovering. The number of COVID-19 survivors now stands at 106. Eight of the new cases are from Nairobi and four from Mombasa. All the patients are Kenyans and are aged between 14-60 years. Three have history of travel from neighbouring country Somalia. The Nairobi cases are spread as follows: Kibra (2), Karen (1) Dandora(1),…

Three ward representatives in Kisii and a County official are among seven people who have been quarantined for flouting curfew rules. The individuals were arrested on Saturday night drinking at Embassy Resort in Nyakoe during the curfew hours. “They were found drinking by officers on patrol. This is against guidelines set by government to contain the spread of coronavirus,” said County Police Commander Jebel Munene. The police boss said they were taken to the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) in Kisii town for the mandatory 14-day quarantine. At least 17 people are quarantined at the facility. The government had last…

A top scientist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) was recently demoted following reports that he had failed to release test results of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on time. Reports by Daily Nation indicates that Dr Joel Lutomiah, who until his demotion served as the Centre for Virus Research director, had been charged with the role of setting up the necessary infrastructure to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Lutomiah was also the chairman of the Kemri Rapid Response, which is in charge of laboratories. The roles put the researcher at the centre of the fight against COVID-19 as…

At least 73 employees of tyre distributor Sameer Africa will lose their jobs by end of May as the company struggles to stay afloat amid the economic crisis in the corporate sector. This is after the company directors resolved on April 20, to close down the tyre business. All the affected employees are engaged in various tyre distribution locations. In a letter addressed to the Nairobi County Labour office, Acting Managing Director Peter Gitonga said attempts to revive the company’s tyre business had failed despite implementing several strategies. “The implication of this is that a number of positions/roles within the…

The Employment and Labour Relations court has issued orders temporarily stopping Mediamax Network Limited from forcing or coercing employees to take up to 50 per cent pay cuts. The holding company of K24 and Kameme TV stations, People Daily, Milele FM and several vernacular radio stations had declared intention to subject its employees to 20 to 50 per cent salary cuts citing adverse effects of novel Coronavirus on its business. The orders issued on Friday by Justice Bryam Ongaya restrict the Media House from subjecting the employees to pay cuts unless the management proves that they are unable to pay…

Sergeant Fredrick Leliman, a suspect in the murder case of human rights lawyer Willie Kimani, his client and a taxi driver, is now facing additional murder charges following investigations by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). Lawyer Kimani, Josephat Mwenda and Joseph Muiruri were kidnapped after leaving the Mavoko Law Courts on June 23, 2016. Their bodies were retrieved a week later from Athi River near Donyo Sabuk police post, stashed in gunny bags. Four police officers including Leliman were implicated in the killing of the three. In the recent murder charges preferred by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)…

Five Kenyan drivers are among the 11 new cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) confirmed in Uganda in the latest update. Dr Henry Mwebesa, the director general of health services at the Ministry of Health, said three drivers arrived via Malaba Border Post while two arrived via Busia Border Post. The other six patients are Tanzanian truck drivers who entered the country via Mutukula Border post. Dr Mwebesa said all the new cases were from 1,020 samples tested from truck drivers at border points of entry. All the 11 drivers were asymptomatic. Some other 311 samples that were taken from the community…

Chief Justice David Maraga has issued a stern warning against Judges and Magistrates who he accuses of sabotaging efforts to conduct court hearings remotely as the country adopts stringent measures to combat the spread of novel Coronavirus. In an internal memo seen by this writer addressed to all Judges and Magistrates, the CJ stated that the frustrations had depicted the Judiciary in a bad light. “It has come to my notice that a few of us are frustrating, nay sabotaging, our efforts to conduct proceedings remotely and as a result, we are being barraged with all manner of complaints and…

Police in Kericho have arrested another person believed to have been among at least 50 people who escaped from a government quarantine facility at the Kenya Medical Training College in Nairobi on Tuesday. The man identified as Nelson Kiplangat was arrested at his home in Tabaita village, Tiriitab Moita with the help of detectives from Nairobi who located him in Kericho. Area police commander Silas Gichunge confirmed the arrest saying another person who managed to escape arrest is being trailed by the police. Asked how Kiplangat managed to sneak out of Nairobi at a time when several roadblocks have been…