Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

The Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is at loggerheads with the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) over the ‘failed’ hate speech case against Meru Senator Mithika Linturi. A Nakuru court declared Linturi a free man in February this year after the prosecution failed to prefer ethnic contempt charges against the senator within the allocated time. Linturi had been arrested a month earlier by detectives attached to NCIC over the ‘madoadoa’ remarks made at a rally in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County. NCIC faulted the Noordin Haji-led directorate for failing to charge Linturi, further alleging a plot to…

Musician Kevin Mbuvi Kioko alias ‘Bahati’ is a distressed man after he was allegedly asked to drop his Mathare MP bid ahead of the August General Election. Bahati had secured the Jubilee party ticket in his quest to unseat Anthony Tom Oluoch of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) but has apparently been asked to withdraw from the race. Speaking to members of the press on Monday, a teary Bahati claimed that he had been asked to support an ODM candidate under the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition arrangement. Without mentioning names, the artiste said he was told that Mathare…

Aspirants gunning for the presidency in the August polls have four days to name their running mates, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has declared. IEBC made the declaration while dismissing Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party’s objection to the April 28 deadline. The Raila Odinga led outfit had written to the Commission seeking postponement of the Thursday deadline arguing that the presidential contenders have until June to submit names of their preferred running mates. Makau Mutua, the Spokesperson of the Odinga Presidential Campaign Secretariat, said the initial timeline for the submission of names is between May 29 and…

Five suspects have been arrested in connection with a series of robbery with violence incidents reported in Mombasa’s Old Town early this week. The five are believed to be part of a gang of young men operating in a group of about 15 captured on surveillance cameras, in two separate incidents, terrorizing two male pedestrians on Monday, April 19. https://twitter.com/DCI_Kenya/status/1517452387283316736?s=20&t=NmfTDsVcvVCfo05DGBjJdw The suspects were arrested on Thursday evening following an operation mounted by officers drawn from Mombasa’s Central Police Station backed up by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ Anti Terror Police Unit (ATPU) detectives. The five were separately arrested in Kibokoni,…

The Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party has officially unveiled its political lineup for Nairobi ahead of the August 9 General Election. In a press briefing on Friday afternoon, Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga said Jubilee party’s Polycarp Igathe will fly the coalition’s gubernatorial flag, deputised by former Kibwezi MP Philip Kaloki, a member of the Wiper outfit. Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi has dropped his bid for the city’s top job to defend his seat. Wanyonyi, an ODM member, had earlier refused to play second fiddle to any candidate. Also Read: Jubilee’s Richard Ngatia Says He Learnt of Polycarp…

Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Benson Mutura was on Friday arraigned in court after spending the night in custody over theft allegations. The Speaker was detained on Thursday after honouring summons by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations at the DCI headquarters on Kiambu Road. Appearing before Senior Principal Magistrate Esther Kimilu Mutura on Friday morning, Mutura was charged with Ksh5 million theft. According to the prosecution, Mutura stole as a servant by making impress of trips he never made. He allegedly committed the offence in February 2021. “On diverse dates between the 1st day of February 2021 and 28th February 2022…

Westlands Member of Parliament Tim Wanyonyi has agreed to shelve his Nairobi gubernatorial ambitions and deputise Polycarp Igathe after a protracted stalemate. The duo will fly the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party flag in polls slated for August 9, 2022. The deal was closed at State House in Nairobi on Thursday evening after hours of negotiations led by ODM leader Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta. Sources familiar with the latest development intimated to Kahawa Tungu that the meeting was moved to State House at around 5pm after Odinga failed to prevail upon Wonyonyi to step down for…

Businessman Richard Ngatia has distanced himself from discussions regarding the endorsement of Polycarp Igathe for the Nairobi gubernatorial seat. Ngatia, who is eyeing the seat on a Jubilee ticket, says he only learnt of Igathe’s bid for the city’s top job on social media. There have been speculations that the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) President was asked to drop his bid in favour of Igathe, who is President Uhuru Kenyatta’s preferred candidate in the governor race. “I learnt about Polycarp Igathe vying [for Nairobi governor’s seat] on social media. Later, TV aired the same report. I…

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has been arrested. The vocal legislator revealed this in a Facebook post on Thursday afternoon. He was picked by the police from his home county and taken to Nairobi for questioning. Reports indicate that a Nairobi court had issued a warrant of arrest against the lawmaker. Last month, the Senator caused scenes at the Milimani Law Courts after he got into an altercation with trial magistrate Wendy Micheni. Also Read: Cherargei Claims Senators Bribed With Ksh100,000 to Pass Controversial Parties Bill The senator, who is facing hate speech charges, had been arraigned on March 29 in…

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday morning chaired Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition party’s inaugural Council meeting at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi. The meeting is meant to iron out issues surrounding selection of the coalition’s presidential running mate as well as the alliance’s Nairobi lineup. The council is made up of 12 members. Apart from the Head of State and the coalition’s presidential candidate Raila Odinga, other members of the council include Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Kanu’s Gideon Moi, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, Murang’a Woman Representative Sabina Chege, Taveta MP Naomi Shaban, Narc Kenya leader Martha…

The Kenya Prisons Service has broken its silence after Citizen TV exposed how local correctional facilities have contributed to increased fraud in the country. The exposé dubbed “Kamiti Call Centre” that aired on Sunday, lifted the lid on mobile phone scams that have seen locals and foreigners lose millions of shillings to cons serving time at the Kamiti Maximum Prison. In a press statement on Wednesday, Commissioner General of Prisons Brigadier (Rtd) John Kibaso Warioba faulted the station for basing its story on an old clip. One of the convicts in the footage used by Lulu Hassan was David Tett,…

Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Benson Mutura has been arrested. Mutura was arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) at his office in City Hall on Monday afternoon. Photos seen by Kahawa Tungu show the speaker in handcuffs moments before he was whisked to DCI headquarters on Kiambu Road for grilling. In summons seen by this writer, Mutura is wanted over a recent theft incident involving a county employee at City Hall. “I am conducting investigation into an alleged …stealing by servant. I have reasons to believe that you, Benson Mutura is connected to the offence or has…

The High Court has dismissed a petition seeking to halt the operationalization of the Political Parties Amendment Act, 2022. In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, a three-judge bench comprising Hedwig Ongudi, Esther Maina and Daniel Ogembo found that the Bill signed into law by President Uhuru Kenyatta in January this year was constitutional. The petitioner, Salesio Mutuma Thuranira, sought to have the law suspended arguing that it threatens the political rights of Kenyans and the independence of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). The judges differed with the Nairobi resident’s submission that the Bill was passed in the National…

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is slowing down the prosecution of graft suspects ahead of the August General Election. The ODPP, in a statement on Tuesday, said while the prosecution and fight against corruption remains a strategic focus for the office it will not be a priority for the next three months. The Noordin Haji-led directorate noted that the office intends to prioritize election-related offenses, Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), Terrorism, and Terrorism Financing ahead of the polls. “It is noteworthy to note that the Fight against corruption remains our number one priority and will remain…

Kenya’s multi-billion project Nairobi Expressway is nearing completion and motorists can’t wait to use it. Ahead of its launch, Kahawa Tungu has established that all motorists planning to use the Ksh87.9 billion road project will be required to register with the company that will run it. Moja Expressway, a subsidiary of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), will operate the road for 27 years to recoup the money through toll fees. The 27.1-kilometre road stretches from Mlolongo through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and Nairobi’s CBD to the James Gichuru junction along Waiyaki Way. The government has promised that the…