Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

Ford Kenya has recaptured the Kabuchai Constituency Parliamentary seat in the hotly contested Thursday, March 4 by-election. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) declared Ford Kenya’s candidate Majimbo Kalasinga the winner of the poll on Friday morning. Majimbo garnered 19,274 votes with his closest rival, United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Evans Kakai emerging second with 6,455 votes. Amos Wekesa of the Federal Party of Kenya came a distant third with 1,454 votes followed by Dr Gasper Wafubwa at the fourth position after he garnered 1,236 votes. According to IEBC Returning Officer Benson Esuza, the voter turnout was 51.68 per…

Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka has deferred tabling of the BBI Constitution of Kenya Amendment Bill, 2020. The Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) had been slotted in the Senate order paper for introduction in the House for first reading today afternoon after the Speaker’s directive on Wednesday. “After consultation with our legal affairs committee and that of the National Assembly, I wish to differ Order No. 8. I will give more information at a later date,” said Lusaka. Lusaka directive yesterday meant that the Bill would be introduced in the Senate and the National Assembly concurrently. The Speaker had also directed the…

The office of the Inspector General of Police has denied media reports that an aspirant for Member of County Assembly in Kiamokama Ward was arrested earlier today. Nyandusi Nyakeramba, a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate, according to the media reports, was arrested over voter bribery. Also said to have been arrested on Thursday morning as polls opened in Kiamokama Ward are politicians and businessmen Don Bosco Gichana,  Zaheer Jhanda and a press aide in the Kisii County Governor’s office Dalfant Nyatige. But in a statement on Thursday afternoon, Police Spokesperson Charles Owino clarified that no aspirant had been arrested in…

A group of Deputy President William Ruto allies was on Thursday morning teargassed at London Ward in Nakuru County after chaos erupted during the ongoing by-election. The lawmakers including Langata MP Nixon Korir are agents for United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Nzuki Antony Wachira. Korir is reported to have been roughed up by a group of youths at the Milimani Primary School polling station. In the chaos that ensued, police were forced to lob teargas canisters to disperse the crowd, paralysing the voting exercise. Other DP Ruto allies caught in the melee are Senators Susan Kihika (Nakuru), Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo…

The African Union (AU) has called on international donors to hasten the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines to the African continent through the COVAX scheme as the global rollout of the doses accelerates. The United Nations-backed COVAX scheme is a global initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines to participating countries, regardless of their income level. In a statement, the AU through its Vaccine Acquisition Task Team [AVATT] welcomed an announcement from the COVAX team to begin releasing vaccines to Africa. The international donors had announced plans to distribute 75 million vaccines to African countries between March and May 2021.…

Kenya’s electoral body has set Tuesday, May 18, 2021, as the date when it will hold by-elections for Member of the Senate, Garissa County, Members of the National Assembly, Bonchari and Juja Constituencies. In a gazette notice, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati also scheduled a by-election for Member of Rurii County Assembly ward, Nyandarua County, for the same date. All the four seats fell vacant following the death of elected leaders Yusuf Haji (Garissa), Oroo Oyioka (Bonchari), Francis Munyua Waititu (Juja) and John Mburu Githinji ‘Wamaria’ (Rurii). Senator Yusuf Haji and MP Oroo Oyioka died on…

The High Court in Nairobi has extended orders barring the County’s leadership from increasing parking fees from Sh200 to Sh400. The temporary order issued on Wednesday by Justice Anthony Mrima will be in place until April 21 when a case challenging the hiking of the fees will be heard. Justice Mrima extended the orders following a plea by the Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek) and Matatu Owners Association. Cofek moved to court in December 2019 to challenge a move by City Hall to double the parking fee within the Central Business District (CBD). Through city lawyer Henry Karauka, Cofek said…

Over 1,700 bales of stolen Kenya Seed Company’s certified hybrid maize seeds were on Tuesday recovered from a private warehouse in Narok town by detectives from the Serious Crimes Unit. The maize seeds valued at over Sh7 million are believed to have been stolen from Narok’s Kenya Seed Company Branch. Two businessmen of Asian descent only identified as Yogesh and Gaurav have been linked to the fraud. According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the well-coordinated syndicate involves a store supervisor at Narok’s Kenya Seed Company Branch, Brian Meja, who has been working closely with the two traders based…

Newly appointed Jubilee Deputy Secretary General Joshua Kutuny has said that he will not hesitate to support a motion to kick out Deputy President William Ruto from the ruling party over perceived disloyalty to his boss, President Uhuru Kenyatta. Kutuny, a former Ruto ally, said although he is not aware of any plans to oust the DP, who has declared his intentions to succeed President Kenyatta, he supports removal of Jubilee members undermining the Head of State. Ruto is Jubilee’s deputy party leader. “At the moment I am not aware of any plans to remove the Deputy President. I have…

Elgeyo Marakwet County Assembly on Tuesday became the third County to reject the BBI Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2020. 17 members of the county assembly voted against the initiative to amend the 2010 Constitution through the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) while 15 others supported it. Baringo County Assembly was the first to reject the Bill that has received support from 42 out of 47 counties. The assembly voted overwhelmingly against the Bill with 30 MCAs voting no and 11 voting yes in a session marred by chaos. Four ward representatives did not participate in the February 11 exercise. Nandi…

Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) party leader Isaac Rutto has opened up on his recent decision to back Deputy President William Ruto’s 2022 presidential ambitions after falling out in the run-up to the 2017 General Elections. According to the CCM boss, he could no longer stomach what he termed as unwarranted tribulations the second in command was subjected to by President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration and Raila Odinga’s camp. He said the two leaders had ganged up against the DP after their March 9, 2018, handshake making him “suffer” despite holding two big positions both in the ruling Jubilee party and in…

Seminarian Kevin Kipkoech suffocated a woman and her eight-year-old son before he took his own life at the Government Quarters on Nairobi’s Jogoo Road, police have concluded. The bodies of the three were discovered by the 35-year-old woman’s husband on February 23. The killer, who police say was a close friend to the woman was due to graduate as a priest this year. He was schooling at St Thomas of Aquinas Seminary in, Karen, Nairobi. A team of investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have concluded that Kipkoech first killed Charity Cheboi and her son Allan Kipngetich by suffocating…

Fredrick Owino, a rogue matatu driver, who was filmed harassing a female motorist, has been granted Sh90,000 cash bail. Owino, who was arrested in Thika on Saturday after the video went viral on Saturday morning, was arraigned at Makadara Law Courts on Monday and charged with malicious damage and a traffic offence. He pleaded not guilty to the two counts. In the armature video recorded by the victim, Owino is heard exchanging words with the motorist before hitting the car from the side and then crashing the windscreen before speeding off. “You can take videos all you want. I will…

Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata on Monday set tongues wagging after a video of him running towards a church service in which Deputy President William Ruto was in attendance surfaced online. In the viral video, the youthful senator in a blue suit was spotted sprinting towards Gatura AIPCA church in Gatanga Constituency, Muranga County, that his security detail struggled to catch up with him. https://twitter.com/silasjakakimba/status/1366308401400152064?s=20 Several narratives emerged online with a section of netizens claiming that the former Senate Majority Whip was being chased by a hostile crowd. Others claimed that the Senator was running to meet the DP. Read: Irungu…

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has expressed concerns over rising cases of teenage pregnancies in Trans Nzoia County. Teenage pregnancy cases in the county stand at 10,000, the highest in the country, the ministry said. To curb the vice, the CS has ordered speedy investigations with the aim of bringing adults responsible for the pregnancies to book. Matiang’i also banned night discos popularly known as “disco matangas” in the county with immediate. He directed chiefs and assistant chiefs to enforce the directive. Read: EACC Probing County Accountant With Ksh286 Million Accumulated Wealth On A Ksh129, 527 Salary The CS is…