Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has played down calls by the Orange Democratic Movement for a complete Kibra constituency voter register. The ODM party on Thursday accused the electoral body of “playing hide and seek games” with the vital document despite making a commitment that it would serve the party with the full register by October 17. Edwin Sifuna, the ODM Secretary General stated that the register it received from the electoral body didn’t have ID numbers hence “making the whole exercise a charade”. He gave the IEBC a 24-hour ultimatum to provide the complete register or storm…

Property estimated to be worth Ksh30 million was on Thursday afternoon destroyed following a fire outbreak at the Galole Constituency Development Fund (CDF) offices in Hola town, Tana River County. The cause of the fire was not immediately established but employees who spoke to a local media linked it to “sparks on electric wires”. An armature video from the scene showed the building totally engulfed by fire. Nathan Oddo, the CDF Chairman, said nothing was salvaged during the incident. https://twitter.com/Hot_96Kenya/status/1189862114690838528?s=20 Recent fire outbreaks in several County Finance offices in the country have sparked a heated debate among Kenyans with many…

A General Service Unit (GSU) officer on Thursday claimed that he was hired to kill a mother and her daughter at Katani area in Machakos County. The officer, Anthony Kilonzo, told the court that he had confessed to police that he was approached by a friend, whom he did not identify, to execute the plan. “I recorded statements when I was at the hospital and yesterday when I was arrested …I confessed that I was called by a friend to do the job of killing the lady,” he said. He was, however, cut short by the judge, who asked if…

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has vowed to storm the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) offices if they are not served with the full Kibra constituency voter register within the next 24 hours. In a statement on Thursday, Edwin Sifuna, the ODM Secretary General, accused IEBC of refusing to release a complete register of the Kibra constituency ahead of the by-election that has been slated for November 7. Sifuna accused the electoral body of “playing hide and seek games” with the vital document despite making a commitment that it would serve the party with the full register by…

Kenyan comedian and radio presenter Felix Odiwuor alias Jalang’o was on Wednesday evening involved in a road accident on Ngong Road. The Milele Radio host, who escaped the incident unhurt, shared photos of his damaged car, a convertible Mercedes Benz, SL450 2014 model, on his Instagram page saying it was “ripped” by a police land cruiser. “Not the best way I wanted my day to End…Headed to school down on Ngong rd this police cruiser has ripped off my ka baby!! (sic)” the funny man captioned one of the photos. Read: Jaber Is Jaber, Jalang’o Says As He Introduces Wife…

Sarah Wairimu, the widow of murdered Dutch tycoon Tob Cohen, has accused Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) George Kinoti’s lawyer Donald Kipkorir of contempt of court. In a sworn affidavit filed at the Milimani Law Courts, Wairimu, who was charged with the murder of Cohen, states that Kipkorir has in numerous times made unethical comments related to Cohen’s murder case on microblogging site, Twitter, in total disregard of a valid court order. High Court Judge Jessie Lessit last month barred the DCI as well as the prosecution from addressing the media on the investigations and evidence in the murder of…

WhatsApp has filed a suit against Israeli Technology firm NSO Group for allegedly hacking at least 1400 accounts by means of installing malware in users’ mobile phones. According to Will Cathcart, Head of WhatsApp, NSO Group launched the cyber attacks by exploiting a vulnerability in WhatsApp’s video-calling feature. The vulnerability was identified and blocked in May. “A user would receive what appeared to be a video call, but this was not a normal call. After the phone rang, the attacker secretly transmitted malicious code in an effort to infect the victim’s phone with spyware. The person did not even have…

Kenyans, who rely on loans for businesses or their day to day activities, should brace themselves for higher interest rates as Members of Parliament gave a nod to President Kenyatta’s recommendation to have the interest capping law repealed. The move by the National Assembly Finance and National Planning Committee chaired by Kipkelion East MP Joseph Limo comes just days after the President expressed his reservations with the interest rate caps introduced in September 2016. In a memorandum read out to the lawmakers on October 17, the President stated that the interest rate cap has caused “unintended effects that are significant…

Vocal activist Boniface Mwangi has slammed KTN TV host Tony Gachoka for allegedly censoring a recent interview with him to protect the interests of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his family. Mwangi, a fierce critic of the Jubilee government, appeared on Tonny Gachoka’s recorded show dubbed “Point Blank” on October 9. Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, Mwangi accused the host of editing out content that he felt was offensive to the President and the Kenyatta family. The award-winning photographer was responding to Gachoka’s remark on his 2017 article that economist David Ndiii is a genius. The political host sought to know…

Commuters boarding MV Harambee ferry in Likoni were on Tuesday left terrified after one of the passengers’ phone burst into flames. According to the Kenya Ferry Sevices, the incident happened at around 9 AM when the male passenger attempted to open the cover of his “faulty” cell phone. The terrified man threw the phone in the ocean as other passenger scampered for safety. The ferry staff and police onboard responded and contained the situation. Reports indicate that the passenger sustained minor injuries during the accident. Read: Controversy Surrounds Ksh200,000 Offered By KFS To Family Of Likoni Tragedy Victims “At 0900hrs…

The High Court has ordered the Treasury to suspend a directive on budget cuts for the Judiciary pending determination of a petition filed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). The society had petitioned to challenge the 50 per cent budgetary cut announced by acting Treasury Cabinet SecretaryUkur Yatan in a bid to reduce government’s recurrent expenditure. The proposed austerity measures cuts on recurrent and development funds. While issuing the order Justice James Kamau noted that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) provides a detailed report disclosing how the proposed budget cut would affect access and administration of justice. The declaration…

Peter Karanja, the second suspect in Dutch tycoon Tob Cohen murder case, has been freed on Ksh2 million cash bail or an alternative Ksh5 million bond. Karanja, the estranged husband of Gilgil Member of Parliament Martha Wangari, was arrested on September 13. In his ruling on Tuesday, Judge Daniel Ogembo ordered Karanja not to go anywhere near Cohen’s home. Ogembo further directed the suspect not to contact witnesses in the case. Before being freed, Karanja was directed to deposit his travelling passport with the court. Read: Court Rejects Gilgil MP Martha Wangari’s Bid To Be Enjoined In Tob Cohen Murder…

Imagine waking to find a dead body in your neighbourhood, not once but eight times in a month! Well, this is the state the residents of Njathaini in Roysambu, Nairobi County are coming to terms with. Reports indicate that in the last month alone, eight bodies including that of a woman were found dumped in the area by unknown people. The latest incident happened last weekend on Saturday. According to Nyumba Kumi chairman Mwangi Mugo, the bodies were either found naked or hands tied at the back. Read: Police Arrest Man With Cocaine Worth Ksh9 Million In Roysambu Mugo told a…

Austerity measures recently announced by the government as part of its effort to reduce the government recurrent expenditure has paralyzed operations at the Judiciary. The declaration by Labour Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatan over the intended reduction of the Judiciary’s budget by 50 per cent has left part of the Judiciary dysfunctional with many departments cancelling scheduled sittings and services. In documents seen by Kahawa Tungu, the National Environment Tribunal recently cancelled its sittings for a period of over two months citing the budgetary austerity measures as the reason for the decision. “The National Treasury has reduced our budget by 50%. Consequently,…

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCCA) has launched a probe into recent air incidents and an accident involving Silverstone Air Services. This is following a Monday morning incident where a plane operated by the local carrier crash-landed after losing one of its wheels. The aircraft, a Dash 8 300, with registration number 5Y-NOP was headed to Nairobi from Lodwar when one of its tyres fell off during take-off forcing the pilot to crash-land at Eldoret International Airport in Uasin Gishu County. In a statement on Monday afternoon, the state corporation announced that the audit is being performed to determine the…