Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati is on the spot for allegedly threatening Royal Media Services journalist Jimmy Simiyu. In a statement released on Monday condemning the act, the Media Council of Kenya said the Governor has been threatening the journalist over a story he has been pursuing. Reports indicate that the journalist has been following up on a story where a Bungoma Member of County Assembly was allegedly attacked by the governor’s goons on Saturday, June 12. The reporter alleges that the governor called to threaten him over the story. He reported the matter at Bungoma Police Station under OB No …

Kenya has confirmed 161 new cases of Covid-19 from 2,805  samples tested in the last 24 hours. In a statement to newsrooms on Sunday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the total number of cases confirmed in the country now stands at 175,337. Cumulative tests so far conducted are 1,866,825. Kenya’s Covid-19 positivity rate is now at 5.7 percent, a drop from 7.4 percent recorded on Saturday. From the new cases, 158 are Kenyans and three are foreigners. 81 are females and 80 males. The youngest is a two-month-old infant while the oldest is 91 years. The distribution of the…

Local news outlet, The Star, was on Sunday forced to pull down a story criticizing President Uhuru Kenyatta, following an uproar from a section of members of the public. The Radio Africa Group-owned publication pulled down the opinion article that called for President Kenyatta’s resignation from its website just hours after publishing. In the article titled ‘Uhuru should resign or be forced out through civil disobedience’, Henry Makori, the author, poked holes into Uhuru’s administration, saying the Head of State had turned into a dictator. According to the author, President Kenyatta had become so unpopular that he was relying on…

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has been dealt a blow in her bid to stop auction of her house located in Kitisuru Nairobi to settle a debt owed to the developers of Kihingo village. The High Court in Nairobi gave the developers a green light to auction the property and recover the Sh4.5 million debt. The developers, former Tetu Member of Parliament James Gethenji and his brother Gitahi Gethenji, owe Frame Consultants Sh4.5 million. Justice Alfred Mabeya ruled that since Waiguru was yet to finish the payment of the house, the duo is the rightful owner of the property. The judge…

Kenya will soon receive a major boost in the fight against terror group Al Shabaab from the United States government. This is following the approval of the deployment of US soldiers to Kenya by President Joe Biden. Media reports indicate that Biden has already written to the US Congress informing the House of the move to deploy troops to the East African country under threat of terror activities by the Al-Qaida linked group. Biden’s letter, titled War Powers Resolution, however, didn’t indicate the number of troops being deployed to Kenya. Read: US President-elect Joe Biden Promises To Build Stronger Ties…

An inmate at the Nyeri’s King’ong’o Prison has been sentenced to seven years in jail over the killing of his roommate. Justice Florence Muchemi ruled that the prosecution had proved that Peter Mwangi caused the death of his roommate Peterson Mwandia alias Kamure on November 19, 2019, at the maximum prison section. The inmates were serving life sentences after they were found guilty of robbery with violence. Kahawa Tungu understands that Mwangi was acquitted last year after a succeful appeal. He was, however, arrested again and charged with the murder of Mwandia. The prosecution later reduced the murder charge to…

The Somalia government has welcomed Kenya’s move to reopen its airspace for flights to and from the country following a month-long closure due to a diplomatic tiff. In a statement seen by this writer, the Somalia government said the move is an important step forward in the process of enhancing bilateral trade, communication and movement of citizens between the two countries. “The positive gesture by the Government of Kenya is a starting point to commence negotiations aimed at full normalization of diplomatic relations between Somalia and Kenya,” the statement dated June 10 reads. “The two brotherly nations have always collaborated…

Hundreds of Kenyans stranded in India over the Covid-19 pandemic arrived back home on Thursday. Then Asian country is fighting a devastating second wave of outbreak that started in February and accelerated in April and early May, which overwhelmed the country’s health-care infrastructure. On Thursday, the second-most populous country in the world recorded 6,148 daily Covid deaths, the highest ever in the world. Kahawa Tungu understands that a Kenya Airways flight carrying the passengers touched down at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) at 11am Thursday. The travellers were required to produce a Covid-19 negative test conducted four days prior…

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have re-arrested the main suspect in the brutal murder of Catholic Priest Michael Kyengo after skipping bail. Michael Muthini Mutunga, who was out on Sh300,000 cash bail, was arrested on Thursday afternoon at one of Nairobi’s informal settlements following a warrant of arrest issued against him. According to the DCI, the suspect has been on the run for one year since he was granted bail by the Embu High Court in 2019. Mutunga was among suspects who were charged with the murder of the priest which occurred on October 8, 2019. “Detectives…

The High Court in Nairobi has quashed an Executive Order issued by President Uhuru Kenyatta last year reoganising the Judiciary and other independent offices. In the Executive Order No. 1 of 2020 dated January 14, 2020, the Head of State had placed Judiciary, Tribunals, Commissions, and Independent Offices under the Executive. The Law Society of Kenya moved to court to challenge the reorganisation that also affected state departments and ministries. In court documents, LSK argued that Executive Order titled ‘The Organization of Government’ can impair the independence of the Judiciary, commissions and independent offices. In a ruling delivered on Thursday,…

Jubilee Vice Chairperson David Murathe has broken his silence over the party leadership crisis amid claims that there are looming changes meant to bring in fresh blood. Over the recent past, Murathe and Secretary-General Raphael Tuju have been on the receiving end of a section of Kenyans wrath over mismanagement of the party. The ruling party performed poorly in Juja, Bonchari and Rurii by-elections that were held last month. The party lost the seats to People’s Empowerment Party, Orange Democratic Movement and United Democratic Alliance (UDA) outfits respectively. But in an interview aired on NTV last night, Murathe, who is…

A court has issued a warrant of arrest against Murang’a South’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss David Cheruiyott over disobedience of orders. The officer is accused of ignoring court orders in a case where two Nigerians are charged with trafficking cocaine. The suspects Solomon Nduba Abuzike and Cletus Okeke Onyabuchi, through their lawyer, Elkana Mogaka, had filed a complaint that the DCI boss had refused to release their phones. The lawyer told the court that the suspects have not been able to secure their freedom despite being granted bail since they can’t reach their families. The suspects, who argued…

Immediate former Chief Justice David Maraga has criticized President Uhuru Kenyatta for refusing to appoint six judges as recommended by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). In an interview with KTN News’ Sophia Wanuna from his Karen residence on Wednesday, Maraga said the President’s move was unconstitutional. President Kenyatta on Thursday, June 3, appointed 34 judges from a list of 41 submitted by JSC and left out the six that included George Odunga, Aggrey Muchelule, Joel Ngugi, Weldon Korir, Judith Cheruiyot and Evans Makori. Kahawa Tungu understands that the six judges were omitted over alleged integrity issues. President Kenyatta had delayed…

The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) board has appointed Dr David Njengere as the council’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). KNEC Chairman Professor John Onsati said the educationist will serve for a 5-year term effective July 1. Njengere takes over from Mercy Karogo who has been acting CEO since 2016 when then Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i dismissed top KNEC officials including then-boss Joseph Kivilu over mismanagement of exams. Karogo was appointed ostensibly to restore the credibility of the examinations. Njengere was until his appointment an education advisor to the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Education, Kenya. Read: Teachers Marking KCSE…

Police in Nairobi have launched investigations after a colleague from Gigiri Police station allegedly took his own life while on duty on Tuesday. Police Constable David Machwa Mbatia (No 233456), police reports indicate, committed suicide by shooting himself using an AK 47 Riffle on Tuesday afternoon. At the time of the incident, the officer was discharging his guard duties at the Amisom offices located behind the United States of America Embassy, four kilometres from the station. The officer had reported to his workstation together with a female colleague at around 8:00am. The female officer told her seniors, who visited the…