Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

A Kirinyaga pastor, who admitted to defiling and impregnating his two teenage daughters, has been sentenced to 140 years in jail. In a ruling delivered on Thursday, Baricho Senior Principal Magistrate Anthony Mwicigi slapped John Gichina with a 70-year jail term for sexually assaulting each of the girls, totalling to 140 years in prison. The 51-year-old had on January 5 admitted to defiling the girls aged 14 and 16 years despite being warned that he could serve life imprisonment if found guilty of the offence. The magistrate then ordered the prosecution to produce birth certificates of the girls to confirm…

A local human rights group has criticized Kenyan authorities over arrest of three nationals following protests in Nairobi over Uganda elections. The three,  Haki Africa Executive Director Hussein Khalid, Beatrice Waithera and Ojiro Odhiambo, were among Kenyans who had assembled outside Uganda House, along Kenyatta Avenue, Nairobi, on Wednesday morning to protest against political injustices in Uganda ahead of today’s General Election. The three were arrested at around 10am and taken to Central Police Station. In a statement, Defenders Coalition which is the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders in Kenya termed the arrest and detention of the activists as…

The ruling Jubilee party will not participate in scheduled Matungu, Kabuchai and Machakos by-elections, Secretary-General Raphael Tuju announced on Wednesday. Speaking to members of the press at Jubilee Headquarters in Pangani, Nairobi, Tuju said the decision is in the interest of the bigger picture of the good working relationship with National Super Alliance (NASA) affiliate parties that previously held the seats. “It is the decision of the Jubilee party that given the bigger picture of bringing this country together through the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) avenue ceding ground to the NASA parties is essential to ensuring that we do not…

A secondary school student has been arrested in Kitutu Masaba Constituency, Nyamira County, over an alleged plot to attack a teacher with a machete. The Mokwerero Secondary School Form Two student was arrested on Wednesday morning while armed with a machete and a sharpening file in the institution’s compound. Police reports indicate that the 18-year-old’s target was the school’s deputy principal. The teacher was rescued by colleagues before the student made good of his threats. The motive, however, remains unknown. The incident comes a day after another student was arrested after stabbing two teachers at Kisii High School, Kisii County.…

The United States embassy in Uganda has cancelled its diplomatic observation of the country’s General Election slated for Thursday, January 14, 2021, citing frustrations by the local electoral body. In a statement on Wednesday, US Ambassador Natalie E. Brown said the Electoral Commission of Uganda had denied more than 75 per cent of the US election observer accreditations requested hence the move to boycott the exercise. “With only 15 accreditations approved, it is not possible for the United States to meaningfully observe the conduct of Uganda’s elections at polling sites across the country, ” the statement reads. Despite multiple requests,…

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has defended a move to block all social media sites and messaging applications as the country heads to elections on Thursday, January 14, 2021. In a televised speech on Tuesday night, the Head of State, who was dressed in a military jacket, accused tech giant Facebook of arrogance. While seemingly referring to the choice of candidates in the Thursday polls, Museveni said he would not accept anybody to “play” with the country or decide who is good or bad. The man who has been accused of ruling Uganda with an iron fist stated that if Facebook…

Ugandan authorities have ordered internet service providers in the country to block all social media platforms and messaging applications until further notice ahead of a General Election slated for Thursday, January 14, 2021. According to AFP News Agency, the order was issued by Uganda Communications Commission Executive Director Irene Sewankambo in a letter addressed to the firms. “Uganda Communications Commission hereby directs you to immediately suspend any access and use, direct or otherwise, of all social media platforms and online messaging applications over your network until further notice,” the letter reads. Already, some Facebook and WhatsApp users have started complaining…

Former Treasury Principal Secretary Kamau Thugge can now breathe easy after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) withdrew graft charges in dams scandal case. Thugge will now be a key prosecution witness in the Arror and Kimwarer multi-billion corruption case and will testify against his former boss Henry Rotich. The application to withdraw the charges against Thugge and former Wildlife PS Susan Koech was filed by Assistant DPP Alexander Muteti. Anti-Corruption Chief magistrate Douglas Ogoti allowed the application and directed that Thugge and Koech’s cash bail be given back to them. Read: CS Rotich, PS Thugge And…

British supermodel Naomi Campbell has agreed to become Magical Kenya International ambassador, the Ministry of Tourism announced on Tuesday. In a statement, the ministry said Campbell, 50, will help promote the marketing of Kenya as an ideal tourism and travel destination to the world. The ministry made the announcement after the model held a meeting with Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala over the weekend. “We welcome the exciting news that Naomi Campbell will advocate for tourism and travel internationally for the magical Kenya brand,” the CS said. Read: British Supermodel Naomi Campbell In Malindi For Christmas, New Year’s Festivities During…

Ugandan opposition presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine was on Tuesday morning forced to cut short his interview with Kenya’s Hot 96 Radio after military reportedly raided his Kampala home. Speaking to Jeff Koinange and comedian Professor Hamo of the Royal Media-owned station, the musician-turned politician said the men in uniform were attempting to break into his compound and his security team was being assaulted. “So I am sorry even right now as we speak, we are being raided by the military. I have to end the interview because I can see soldiers beating up my security guards. I…

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i on Monday announced escalation of the war against illegal gambling activities in the country. Speaking in Kericho County, the no-nonsense CS directed the Immigration department to begin a progressive audit of all foreign investors in Kenya to root out persons involved in illegal gambling businesses. This comes barely a month after the CS ordered deportation of 14 foreigners, a majority from Eastern Europe, who were accused of running gambling businesses without licences. Matiang’i had also In May 2019 ordered deportation of 17 foreigners linked to illegal gambling activities in the country. Those deported then were…

Lawrence Simon Warunge, a prime suspect in the murder of his family members in Kiambu County, has been locked up for 14 days pending investigations into the heinous act. A Kiambu Court on Monday also allowed police to detain Warunge’s girlfriend Sarah Muthoni for the same period as sleuths continue with investigations. During the 14-day period, the suspects will undergo mental assessment. The prosecution will also rely on DNA tests and postmortem results to build on their case against the two. Warunge, a second-year Mt. Kenya University Bachelor of Business in IT student and the eldest son in the family,…

Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper party has settled on former Senator Johnson Muthama’s estranged wife Agnes Kavindu for Machakos Senatorial by-election slated for March 18, 2021, as the political rivalry between the two Kamba leaders escalates. Muthama is the chairman of the recently unveiled United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, formerly Party of Development and Reform (PDR). The party which is linked to Deputy President William Ruto is yet to name its flag bearer in the race amid claims that Muthama might be cleared to contest in the by-election. He is, however, yet to declare interest in the seat that fell vacant following…

Deputy President William Ruto has said that as the country heads to elections scheduled for next year, the focus should be on ideologies and not tribe. Speaking at the House of Hope Church in Kayole on Sunday, the second in command said that tribal politics will take Kenya backwards. “We cannot go back to tribal politics, we can only move forward if leaders stop seeking leadership positions based on their tribes, and instead focus on ideologies,” he said. The DP was speaking a day after President Uhuru Kenyatta criticized the hustler Vs dynasty politics ahead of the much anticipated 2022…

Six more patients have succumbed to the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19), raising the number of fatalities recorded in the country so far to 1,710, the Ministry of Health announced on Sunday. In a statement, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said 87 more people have tested positive for Covid-19, from a sample size of 3,766, tested in the last 24 hours. Kenya’s Covid-19  caseload now stands at 98,271 while the total number of samples tested so far has risen to 1,092,144. From the cases, 78 are Kenyans while 9 are foreigners; 58 are male while 29 are females. Read: PS Mochache’s…