Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

Leading telecom operator Safaricom has announced a 6.8 per cent reduction in net income in the financial year ending March 2021. In the 2020-2021 full-year financial results released on Thursday, Safaricom’s profits fell to Ksh68.7 billion from Ksh73.6 billion posted last year. This is the firm’s first annual profit dip in nearly a decade since the year closing in March 2012. Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa attributed the reduced revenues to tough economic conditions triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. Between March and December last year the telco waived fees on mobile money transactions of up to Ksh1000. Read: How…

Kenyan journalist Larry Madowo has landed a new role with Cable News Network (CNN), a multinational news-based pay television channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. In a statement seen by this writer, Madowo, 33, is leaving the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to take up a new position with CNN as the network’s Nairobi-based correspondent. This was announced on Thursday by Deborah Rayner, Senior Vice President of International Newsgathering and Managing Editor, Europe, Middle East, and  Africa, for CNN International. At BBC, Madowo served as the British media’s North America Correspondent in Washington, D.C., covering major U.S. news stories including…

The head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations at Embakasi in Nairobi was on Thursday arrested after allegedly shooting and killing a night guard in Kayole. Simon Mwongela, who is attached to Embakasi Police Station, is said to have shot dead the security guard after an altercation outside a club and lodging in Masimba area. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) officer, witnesses said, arrived at the joint at around 4am and demanded the guard to open the gate and allow him to have a rest at the lodging. He had apparently been on a duty overnight. Read: DCI Imposter…

Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) will from July this year start rejecting walk-in-patients, Kahawa Tungu has learnt. The move is part of the government efforts to decongest the referral hospital, Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) Director-General Mohammed Badi has confirmed. Patients seeking medical attention will be required to visit other hospitals in the city. This includes 24 health facilities currently being managed by NMS. Plans to close KNH doors to walk-in patients were revealed in March by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe. Read: KNH Suspends Elective Surgeries Due To Oxygen Shortage The CS announced a planned upgrade of hospitals in informal parts…

The Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has withdrawn murder charges against a Nyeri businessman accused of plotting the killing of his son. Stephen Wang’ondu died on Friday last week at a private hospital, days after he was freed on a Ksh1 million bond. The deceased, 75, had been charged with the murder of Daniel Mwangi alongside four other people. Daniel died on January 1, 2021. The other four suspects are the late businessman’s driver James Mwangi, Eddy Ngari, Raphael Wachira and Geoffrey Warutumo. Appearing in court on Tuesday, State Prosecutor Duncan Ondimu told Justice Florence Muchemi the Office of the…

Former Samburu Senator Sammy Leshore has been picked to replace Isaac Mwaura who lost his nominated senate seat. In a gazette notice dated May 11, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati said Mwaura stands disqualified as a member of the senate representing persons with disabilities. Leshore served as a Member of Parliament for Samburu East between 1993 to 2002. He was elected Samburu Senator in 2013 but lost the seat to Ltumbesi Lelegwe in the 2017 General Election. A gazette notice declaring Mwaura’s seat vacant was released yesterday by Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka. “It is notified…

The Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai has ordered arrest of hotel staffers captured on camera assaulting their general manager in Kwale County. In the video shared on social media, the individuals, who have been identified as employees of the Kaskazi Beach Hotel in Diani town, were filmed dragging Chris Indeche on tarmac road as they protested delayed salaries. In a brief statement shared on Twitter, the IG said he had directed Regional Police Commander-Coast Region to immediately arrest all the perpetrators of the offence and arraign them in court. “Nobody is above the law and such acts of impunity…

Nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura has lost his seat, months after being expelled by the ruling Jubilee party. In a gazette notice seen by this writer, Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka declared the seat vacant. “It is notified for the general information of the public that pursuant to Article 103(1) (e) (i) of the Constitution and section 37 of the Elections Act, the seat of the Member of the Senate elected under Article 98(1) (d) of the Constitution and held by Hon. Isaac Mwaura Maigua became vacant, with effect from 7th May 2021,” the notice dated Monday, May 10 reads. Read: Senator…

Police Spokesperson Charles Owino has reportedly been moved in the latest changes affecting the National Police Service. Owino has been moved to the Kenya National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons (KNFP) and appointed deputy director. NPS, The Star reports, is in the process of identifying Owino’s suitable replacement. Current NPS deputy Spokesman Charles Kosgey and Trans Nzoa County Police commander Fredrick Ochieng are among officers touted as Owino’s possible successors. Owino is currently on leave and Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai is the one who has been signing statements from the police body. The KNFP was…

Five Pakistani nationals arrested over the weekend in Kisumu over suspected terror links have been transferred to Nairobi as investigations into their motive in the country continue. Kisumu County Police Commander Samuel Anampiu said the suspects were transferred to Nairobi for easy processing. According to the police boss, detectives handling the matter initially ran into language barriers, necessitating the use of an interpreter. The officials have already contacted the immigration department to authenticate their papers. Read: Five Suspected Terrorists Nabbed with Explosives in Makueni The five, who are said to have crossed the Ugandan border into Kenya, were arrested on Sunday…

Simiyu Robinson Wanjala is the top student in the 2020 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination. Wanjala, who sat his exams at Murang’a High School scored an A plain of 87.33 points to emerge the top student out of the 747,161 candidates who registered and sat for the 2020 exams. The second candidate is Wasonga Allan from Agoro Sare. He scored 87.17 points. The third position was taken by Sharon Chepngeno from the Kenya High School who scored an A of 87.13 points. Other top ten candidates nationally are Rob Ongare – Alliance High School (87.173), Mbugua Esther -…

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha is later today expected to release the 2020 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination results. The CS is expected to brief President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, Nairobi, before proceeding to the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) where the ministry will release the results. A total of 752,891 candidates registered for the KCSE exam in 10,437 centres. Marking of the exam ended on Friday, with Magoha indicating that the results would be released when they are ready. He had promised to release the results by May 10, which is today. Read: Teachers Marking KCSE…

Struggling retailer, Tuskys, on Saturday night lost Sh320,000 after an employee reportedly confronted a cashier at the supermarket’s Karasha branch and disappeared with the money into thin air. Reports indicate that the cashier had gone to the branch’s safe to collect the money at around 7pm when the colleague brandished a knife at her forcing her to surrender all her day’s collection. Police have since launched investigations into the incident. Preliminary investigations indicate that the CCTV server at the supermarket had been destroyed and the incident was not captured by surveillance cameras. Read: Court Gives Auctioneer Nod to Sell Tuskys…

The National Police Service (NPS) has been forced to respond after a video of a policewoman lamenting over unfair treatment and harassment went viral on Sunday. In the video, the officer, whose name has not been revealed, accused the department of internal affairs of rampant corruption and frustrations to junior officers. She said her efforts to resign from the service had proved futile due to frustrations from her bosses adding that her letters have never reached the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai. In a brief statement released on Sunday afternoon, NPS alluded that the officer attached to the Traffic…

Nyandarua County Assembly Speaker Ndegwa Wahome has been impeached. In a special sitting held on Saturday, 31 Nyandarua Members of County Assembly (MCAs) voted to impeach Wahome over gross misconduct, abuse of office and nepotism. Six MCAs opposed the motion to impeach Wahome while one abstained. This is the third attempt to send the speaker home in less than six months despite a court order reinstating him. On April 29, a High Court sitting in Nakuru reinstated Wahome who had been impeached in early January and February until a case challenging his ouster is heard and determined. Justice Hillary Chemitei…