Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

A case has been filed in court challenging the appointment of six Kenyans to four State agencies under the Ministry of Labour. A lobby group led by East African Students Union President Antony Manyara alleges that Labour Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui failed to follow the law when he appointed Isaac Chebon, Luka Kipkemei, John Saiyaton, Paul Kibet, Limo Kipkorir and Nicholas Kokita as members of the Hotel and Catering Trade Wages Council, Maritime Wages Council, Oils Gas and Mineral Extraction Industry Wages Council, and Protective Security Wages Council, respectively. The minister announced the appointment of the six through gazette notices…

Mbagathi Way in Kenya’s Capital Nairobi is now Raila Odinga Way. A road sign bearing the name of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader was erected on Thursday night. This comes weeks after the Nairobi County Assembly passed a motion to rename the road in honour of the former Prime Minister, a key figure in the fight for multi-party democracy in Kenya. The motion that was approved mid-October was sponsored by Makongeni MCA Peter Imwatok. The ward representative argued that Odinga has greatly improved Kenya’s democratic and economic development and there was a need to immortalise him. Read: Nakuru…

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has been given the green light to end the Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise. This is after the High Court lifted conservatory orders extending the process on Thursday. The ruling means that Kenyans have until tomorrow (Friday) 5pm to register as voters in the exercise that began on October 4. The conservatory orders were issued by the High Court in Eldoret following a petition filed by a voter identified as Patrick Cherono. Read: Court Quashes IEBC’s Decision to Disqualify Moses Kuria’s Candidate in Kiagu By-election The petitioner argued that IEBC can not…

Members of Parliament allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta have threatened to kick out Deputy President William Ruto from the ruling Jubilee party over association with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party. In a statement on Thursday, the MPs, under the Jubilee Parliamentary Caucus, said they would sever links with the deputy party leader in a National Delegates Conference (NDC) scheduled for this month. The legislators said the DP and his allies had attempted to rock the party from within and only defected to UDA after failing to achieve their goals. “Fortunately, they have failed, and we can now see that…

The management of the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) has released all non-core staff to work from home for 30 days as the agency kicks off restructuring processes. In a statement to newsrooms on Thursday, KEMSA Board Chairperson Mary Chao Mwadime said the move follows recommendations made by a multi-agency Taskforce formed to provide an independent operating recovery strategy for the agency to facilitate organisational effectiveness. The Taskforce was formed in June following claims that billions had been lost in irregular procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country in March last…

A total of 1.4 million Kenyans have been added to the register of voters in the Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise out of a projected target of 6 million voters, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced. In a statement to newsrooms on Wednesday night, Wafula Chebukati, the Commission Chairman, said a total of 352,679 registered voters have applied to transfer from their current registration centres to other centres of choice between October 4 and November 3. The exercise was scheduled to close on November 2 but the High Court in Eldoret ordered an extension. IEBC resolved…

Businesswoman and politician Catherine Wanjiku Irungu has moved to court in an attempt to have Jimmy Wanjigi barred from contesting for the presidency on an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party ticket. In a petition filed before the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal at the Milimani Law Courts, Cathy Irungu accuses the ODM party of failing to conduct an integrity probe on the wealthy businessman. Through lawyer Edwin Saluny, the petitioner faults the ODM party for permitting a “stranger” to launch campaigns for the party’s presidential ticket, a move she says has tainted the reputation of the party. “That the Respondent has…

Tomorrow, Thursday, November 4, is a normal working day, the government has told Kenyans. In a brief statement on Twitter on Wednesday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i dismissed a gazette notice declaring the day a public holiday as fake. “The Government has not declared a public holiday on Thursday, Nov 4, 2021. The purported gazette notice declaring a holiday is fake!,” said Matiang’i. https://twitter.com/InteriorKE/status/1455848775369601030?s=20 The drafters of the fake notice purported that the government had declared Thursday a holiday to mark Diwali. Read: Kenya Beefs Up Security in Its Boarders Following State Of Emergency In Ethiopia Diwali which will be…

Kenya is on a high alert following the declaration of a state of emergency in Ethiopia. In a statement to newsrooms on Wednesday, Police Spokesperson Bruno Shioso said Kenya has enhanced security along the border with Ethiopia and other neighboring countries facing insecurity. The police boss said Kenya may be adversely impacted by the consequences of the crises in the countries. “The Government of Kenya notes with concerns recent and unfolding events that disturb the peace and stability in neighbouring countries and the greater Eastern Africa region. As an immediate neighbour to some of the affected countries. Kenya may be…

A Ugandan woman has been arrested in Nairobi in connection with drug trafficking links. Bizu Rubi Halima, 27, was arrested at a hotel room in Hamza along Jogoo Road with 30 pellets of heroin on Tuesday night. Police reports indicate the pellets of the addictive drug were carefully concealed as potato crips. The woman is believed to have been waiting for her Kenyan contact to deliver the drugs to him. Halima was arrested by detectives from the Transnational Organized Crime unit who had been tipped of about her suspicious activities. Read: Suspected Drug Trafficker Arrested Preparing To Swallow 60 Pellets…

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has resolved to continue with the countrywide mass listing of voters pending a ruling on its appeal today. IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati issued a statement on Monday night saying the Commission had appealed a ruling delivered by the High Court in Eldoret extending the exercise by a week. The registration exercise that began on October 4 was scheduled to close on November 2. “On 1st November 2021, the High Court sitting in Eldoret issued exparte orders prohibiting the Commission from closing the national voter registration exercise scheduled to end today 2nd November 2021.…

Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja has joined the race for the city’s governor position. Speaking to a local publication on Tuesday, Sakaja declared that he won’t step down in favor of anyone in the polls scheduled for August 8, 2022. In 2017, the first-time senator had also declared bid for the top county job but shelved his ambitions in favor of former Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko. Sonko won the seat on the Jubilee party ticket but was kicked out in December last year in a successful impeachment process initiated by the Nairobi County Assembly. Sakaja indicated that he arrived at the…

Twenty-four students from two schools in Nyeri were on Tuesday charged with malicious damage of property in a recent riot. The students from Kanjuri and Kiarithaini High Schools in Mathira are accused of destroying an electricity transformer valued at Sh1.1 million. Police say the incident took place at Kanjuri High School on October 28. The students were arraigned before Karatina Principal Magistrate Karen Njalale after investigations by police who assessed the damaged properties which included school dormitories. Njalale proceeded with the charges against the students after rejecting an application by State Counsel to have the charges facing the students deferred…

What remains of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto’s political ties could soon be in tatters as the ruling Jubilee party plans to expel rebels. Kahawa Tungu understands that the party plans to hold its National Delegates Conference (NDC) at the end of November where the DP and his allies are expected to be shown the door over links with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) outfit. During the meeting, delegates are also expected to ratify a coalition deal with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party and usher in former Prime Minister Raila Odinga as the new partner. Speaking…

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has rubbished claims from a section of the political class over plans to interfere with next year’s General Election. MPs allied to Deputy President William Ruto had accused the CS and his ICT counterpart Joe Mucheru of interfering with the work of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). But in a statement on Monday, the CS stated that he won’t resign as asked further maintaining that the claims were meant to distract him from discharging his duties. “Those calling for my resignation want to distract him and security officers from executing their responsibilities of…