Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

Deputy President William Ruto now says President Uhuru Kenyatta is not part of a fraudulent process aimed at changing top Jubilee party officials. In a tweet on Sunday, the DP seemed to dismiss claims that the President is part of the “cartels” in the Jubilee party that is determined to “edge him out” as reported by the Daily Nation. Ruto noted that the cartel that is keen to stop him includes “political rejects and conmen”. “The President and party leader of JP did NOT and CANNOT be party to any FRAUDULENT and ILLEGAL changes to officials of our party. This…

With researchers around the world burning the midnight oil in an attempt to save the universe from the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19), a new study has revealed that COVID-19 related deaths are much lower in countries with Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccination programme. BCG, a vaccine primarily used to fight off tuberculosis, is now being studied in clinical trials in some parts of the world as it’s seen as a potential threat to COVID-19. The vaccine has been available around the world for more than 100 years. According to US-based experts, the BSG vaccine could be used to improve people’s immunity hence…

Kenyans seeking to join various health departments in the country in the ongoing mass recruitment have been directed to submit their applications to various County Public Service Boards. Speaking on Friday during the daily COVID-19 briefings, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe clarified that the hiring of the 5000 health workers will be done at the County level and not by the Public Service Board as earlier communicated. The Public Service Commission had last week advertised the jobs in local dailies urging members of the public to apply. “I am aware that there was an advertisement by the Public Service Board…

Five more people have tested for Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Kenya bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 189. In an update on Friday Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe stated that all the patients are Kenyan citizens. One of the patients is from a local quarantine centre. “The others were picked by our surveillance teams,” the CS said. Kagwe noted that three of the new cases are from Mombasa, one is from Nairobi and the other from Nyandarua. The five patients are aged between the ages of 27 and 58 years. Two are male while three are…

Nine Police Officers in Mwatate, Taita Taveta County, have been placed under mandatory quarantine after returning from the National Police Training College in Kiganjo. The officers, based at various police posts in Mwatate sub-county, were ordered to self-quarantine for 14 days after they came into close contact with a trainee who, tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19) at the college based in Nyeri County. Reports indicate that an officer in charge of Mwatate Police Station directed the men in uniform not to interact with their colleagues and families until the mandatory quarantine period is over. Already, Heath officers in the county…

The Jubilee Party is seeking to change its leadership in the National Management Committee. The party has already forwarded five names to replace holders of the positions. The party intends to replace Fatuma Shukri, Pamela Mutua and Veronica Maina with Lucy Nyawira Macharia, Prof Marete Marangu, Walter Nyambati, Jane Nampaso and James Waweru. In a Kenya Gazette Notice dated April 6, the Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu called on any member who wishes to challenge the process to do so within seven days. “Any person with written submissions concerning the intended change by the political party shall within seven…

The government has allowed foreigners in the country to extend their visitors’ passes weeks after the service was suspended. The Immigration Department had suspended the service on March 16, to limit the number of people visiting its offices as part of the measures to contain the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country. The foreigners will now be required to extend their stay in the country online by visiting the Foreign Services Portal as from Monday, April 13, 2020. According to Immigration Director General, Alexander Muteshi, all residents whose permits have expired will also be required to apply for an…

Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi was on Thursday charged with willfully and unlawfully exposing the public while suffering from an infectious disease (COVID-19) contrary to the Public Health Act. Appearing before Senior Resident Magistrate Ritah Amwayi at Mombasa Law Courts, Saburi denied the charges. The Magistrate directed that the DG be detained at Port Police station till Wednesday, April 15 when the court is expected to receive a file on his COVID-19 status. The court had earlier dismissed the prosecution’s application to hold the DG at Manyani Prison for 14 days pending investigations citing violation of the accused’s rights. “This…

A Mombasa court has dismissed the prosecution’s application to have Kilifi Deputy Governor remanded at Manyani Prison in Taita Taveta County for 14 days. The prosecution had asked the court to detain the DG at Manyani Prison to allow police complete investigations. Senior Resident Magistrate Ritah Amwayi ruled on Thursday that the application lacks merit and would violate the accused’s rights. Saburi’s legal team had opposed the prosecution’s prayer to detain him saying it would be illegal as he had not been charged. Saburi was arraigned at Mombasa Law Courts on Monday following his arrest on Friday last week for…

Absa Bank Kenya Plc, formerly Barclays Bank Kenya Limited, has been suspended from Forex trading for seven days, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) said on Thursday. In a statement, CBK said Absa bank had flouted anti-money laundering rules after its management failed to provide information about some specific foreign exchange trades that it conducted in March 2020. “In investigating these and other earlier transactions it is evident that Absa Kenya did not have satisfactory assurance of the underlying commercial transactions supporting these trades, as is required, nor did the bank ensure the standard checks on anti-money laundering and combating…

The government has directed all barbershop and salon operators to wear face masks while attending to their clients as part of the measures to contain the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Health CAS Dr Mercy Mwangangi issued the directive on Wednesday when she announced seven new cases of COVID-19 bringing the tally to 179. Dr Mwangangi said the government will soon issue further instructions on how the attendants will restrict clients as they go on with their operations to avoid overcrowding in their places of work. This comes days after the government directed all Kenyans to buy face masks while in…

The Council of Governors (CoG) has indefinitely postponed its Annual Devolution Conference citing the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the country. The 7th Annual Devolution Conference was scheduled to take place in Makueni County from April 20 and was expected to reach its climax on April 23. “The Devolution Conference 2020 is postponed to a later date this year. The new date shall be communicated, ” CoG Chairman and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said. https://twitter.com/KenyaGovernors/status/1247840954226282496?s=20 The overall Conference theme was Multi-level governance for climate action and the guiding theme: Strengthing sub-national governments to act on climate change and develop stronger mitigation…

KTN News’ Point Blank show host Tony Gachoka on Wednesday announced that the political show will not be airing starting today, April 8, until further notice. Gachoka cited negative effects of COVID-19 as a reason for halting the show. He went on to mention that a raft of measures issued by government to prevent the spread of COVID-19 including social distancing had negatively affected the show’s production schedule and activities. “Covid19 has affected how we interact, communicate & congregate @KTNNewsKE @StandardKenya it has changed how we decimate news & record interactive shows. I have decided to suspend #KTNPointblank with immediate…

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has shelved scheduled door to door food distribution activities in the Capital. In a tweet on Tuesday night, the county boss claimed that he had been “banned from distributing the food until further notice.” Sonko, however, didn’t go into details on who issued the directive. The Governor had on Sunday, April 5, stated that he had begun food distribution in Nairobi to cushion needy Nairobians from the negative effects of COVID-19 on the economy. He also announced that his teams were fumigating the city to protect residents from the contagious disease. Sonko said the food will…

As governments across the world continue to introduce a raft of measures to contain the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19), it’s no doubt that individual responsibility will go along way in flattening the curve. According to current evidence, the virus is transmitted between people through respiratory droplets and contact routes. For this reason, the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to emphasize the importance of frequent hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and environmental cleaning and disinfection, as well as the importance of maintaining physical distances and avoidance of close, unprotected contact with people with fever or respiratory symptoms. Use of masks has also…