Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

Kenya has confirmed the first case of coronavirus in the country. This was made public on Friday by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe. In a statatment, the CS said the patient is a woman who travelled from the U.S. to Nairobi through London. The 27-year-old woman is said to have jetted into the country on March 5. The CS pointed out that the patient is stable and her temperature has gone down to normal. Kagwe has urged Kenyans not to panic as the woman has been isolated and is under medication. “What we have is a corona virus positive test.…

Sleuths from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Thursday carried out a raid at Goldenscape Agribusiness Investment offices in Karen, Nairobi. Reports indicate that the detectives rounded up five employees, who were in the office, before grilling them on alleged fraudulent dealings. During the operation, the officers seized several documents and computers for examination in the ongoing probe. According to sources familiar with today’s developments, the detectives seized 10 desktops and documents believed to contain crucial evidence that will help the detectives with investigations. Detectives are pursuing the firm’s Chief Executive Officer Peter Wangai said to be on the…

Keroche Breweries bank accounts have been frozen in the wake of a tax standoff with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). In a statement on Thursday evening, Tabitha Karanja, the Keroche CEO, stated that the firm can not make any transactions from their bank accounts just two days after the Tax Appeals Tribunal allowed KRA to collect Ksh9 billion after winning six appeal cases filed by the firm. KRA has already attached Keroches bank accounts at Equity Bank and at Absa Bank Kenya to recover the billions. In a letter to Equity Bank, KRA deputy commissioner of Domestic Taxes department Mr…

Kenya Airways has suspended flights on the Rome-Geneva route over the massive outbreak of the coronavirus. In a statement on Thursday evening, KQ stated that the suspension that is effective immediately will last until April 30, 2020. Rome is the Capital City of Italy while Geneva is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich). All the affected customers, who had active reservations, KQ said it will rebook them on alternative flights. The airline said it will extend a full refund to those who would like to cancel their travel or waive booking fees for those willing to reschedule their…

A 37-year-old man died on Thursday aboard a Qatar Airways flight to Nairobi. The Kenyan national identified as Samuel Gachohi was in the flight from Doha that touched down at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) at 8:10 am. The man is reported to have died after suffering a heart attack during the flight that lasted six hours. Confirming the incident Kenya Airports Authority Police Commandant Titus Karuri said that Gachohi was pronounced dead upon arrival at JKIA. “The passenger was travelling to Nairobi from Doha when he fell short of breath, started gasping for air and died,” said Karuri.…

Kenyans planning to fly to Saudi Arabia have been dealt a blow after the country extended travel ban to Kenya in the wake of coronavirus outbreak across the world. The ban also affects citizens from the Europeean Eunion, Switzerland, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia. The country in Western Asia has also barred its citizens from travelling to the named countries. According to reports by Saudi Press Agency (SPA), citizens and residents in the affected jurisdictions have been given 72 hours to return to the Kingdom. The ban is an extension of a…

The ministry of health will on Sunday carry out a “simulation” of a “real” case of coronavirus at Mbagathi hospital in Nairobi. Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe made the revelations on Thursday morning, saying the exercise is expected to start at 11 am. The CS urged the members of the public not to panic during the exercise. “On Sunday at 11 oclok we will be carrying out a simulation of a real case at Mbagathi hospital. I would beg the media to say because I don’t want when the ambulance start wailing away for people to think we have a…

The Nairobi County government has been given a 48-hour ultimatum to clear all uncollected garbage in the city. The National Environment Management Authority of Kenya (NEMA) made the declaration on Wednesday evening as residents decry the filthy state of the city. In a tweet, NEMA directed officials responsible to report on compliance of the directive within 7 days failure to which they will be arrested and prosecuted. “Nema gives Nairobi County 48 hours to clear all the uncollected solid waste that has littered the city and report on compliance to the Authority within 7 days failure to which officers in…

Joseph Irungu alias Jowie, the man charged with the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani, has finally been released from prison after depositing Ksh2 million cash bail as ordered by the court last month. The suspect, who has been in remand for 533 days, was freed from Kamiti Prison on Wednesday afternoon. Jowie was granted bail on February 13, but his family members and close friends were not able to raise the money to secure his immediate release. By February 15, Jowie’s sister, Nelius Irungu, said the family had only managed to raise Ksh80,000. While granting Jowie bail last month, Justice…

Machakos County Governor Alfred Mutua has announced several changes in the county government leadership, accusing some of the officials of incompetence. In the changes announced on Wednesday, the county boss dismissed Eng. Michael Maina (Chief officer, Special Programs, Research and Development). Two members of the County Executive Committee were suspended. Mutua directed that the CECs be paid half salary for the two months they will be out of office. They are Francis Mwaka (Minister for Trade, Industrialization and Innovation) and Kimeru Kimeu (Minister for Public service, Quality Management and ICT). Other county employees who have been suspended are Carlos Kioko…

A woman died on Tuesday afternoon after being trampled by an elephant at Olgulului Group Ranch in Olmoti Area, Kajiado County. The death was confirmed by the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) on Wednesday morning. The woman was collecting firewood in a thicket when she was attacked by the jumbo. “The incident was reported to our team in Amboseli National Park by a lady who had accompanied the deceased to collect firewood, ” KWS said in a statement. The patrol team that responded to the scene secured the body and later transferred it to Loitoktok mortuary for postmortem. Read: KWS Issues Warning…

The Nairobi Hospital board has appointed Dr Allan Pamba as the facility’s substantive Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The appointment was effective yesterday, March 9, 2020. Dr Pamba takes over from Christopher Abeid who has been the acting CEO since the exit of Gordon Otieno Odundo, whose contract was terminated in April last year. Odundo’s exit followed a protracted row with the board of directors. In 2018, a standoff ensued at the hospital after Odundo reportedly locked himself in his office way into the night to avoid being served the suspension letter. Read: Nairobi Hospital Fires Embattled CEO Gordon Otieno Odundo…

National carrier Kenya Airways flights between Kenya and Italy have elicited an angry reaction from a section of Kenyans in the wake of the spread of coronavirus in the world. Kahawa Tungu understands that KQ is still operating flights on the Nairobi-Rome route despite Italy being one of the country’s that have recorded the highest number of coronavirus deaths outside China. According to Flightradar24 aircraft tracker, KQ128 flight departed from Rome at 10:34 am and is expected to touch down at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Nairobi, at around 7 pm. This comes days after Transport Cabinet Secretary James…

A Nairobi court has rejected a request by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji to withdraw a criminal case in which Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed’s brother Ahmed Rashid Jibril and his wife are accused of land fraud and forgery. While declining to allow the DPP’s application, Milimani magistrate Rosalyne Aganyo ruled that the charges the couple is facing are very serious in nature hence directing that the case be heard to its conclusion. “I hereby disallow the application and do order that the matter shall proceed for hearing in the normal manner before this court to its conclusion,”…

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has not sought call logs from any of the local telecommunication companies as claimed in the probe of the alleged murder of Deputy President William Ruto’s guard sergeant Kipyegon Kenei, it has now emerged. According to multiple sources from the telcos who spoke to the Standard, contrary to publicized media reports, the DCI is yet to request for the crucial data nearly three weeks after Kenei was found dead in his house at Imara Daima Estate, Nairobi. The police probing the death linked to the Ksh39 billion fake arms deal involving former Sports Cabinet…