Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

Exiled Kenyan lawyer Miguna Miguna has declared interest for the Nairobi gubernatorial seat following the impeachment of Mike Mbuvi Sonko. In a post on social media on Saturday night, the self-declared National Resistance Movement (NRM) General, who lives in Canada, stated that he had consulted widely and arrived at a decision to run for the seat from exile having tried unsuccessfully to return home. “To CJ David K. Maraga, CJ Willy Mutunga, Law Society of Kenya, Waikwa Wanyoike and other constitutional lawyers: Given Despot Uhuru Kenyatta’s refusal to allow me entry to Kenya in violation of many court orders, doesn’t…

The swearing-in of Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Benson Mutura as acting Governor has been postponed to a later date. Assumption of Office Committee Chairperson Justus Kathenge said the exercise was postponed due to time restrictions. Kathenge said the judge who was to preside over the ceremony arrived late. “The Constitution stipulates that the exercise be conducted from 10am-2pm,” he said on Friday. Mutura is set to take over as governor of Nairobi in acting capacity following the ouster of Mike Mbuvi Sonko who didn’t have a deputy. An election to the office of county governor shall be held within sixty…

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), have arrested a Kenya Defence Forces Private and three civilians over a kidnapping incident in Nyeri County. According to the DCI, Private Kelvin Muturi together with his accomplices Kelvin Gacheru, Francis Mwangi and Peter Mwangi, all aged between 26 and 32 years, kidnapped the businessman whose identity was not revealed at Kiawara Trading Centre in Nyeri. The four, DCI said on Friday, lured the unsuspecting businessman to their trap through his employee’s mobile phone. “Upon arriving where the gang’s vehicle, a Toyota Fielder KCE 348J lay in wait, the victim was bundled…

Preparations for the burial of veteran politician and former cabinet minister Joe Nyagah are in high gear at his Kamutungi farm in Mbeere South Constituency, Embu County. The family disclosed on Thursday that at least 1,000 mourners are expected to attend the burial ceremony set for Saturday. The burial will be conducted under strict Covid-19 protocols including mandatory wearing of masks, the family said. According to the family, the late politician had issued firm instructions on how the burial should be conducted. The family will be keen to ensure that all the burial rites the politician had insisted on are…

The Senate on Thursday upheld the impeachment of embattled Nairobi County Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko. Sonko was impeached by the Nairobi County Assembly on December 3 on grounds of gross violation of the Constitution, abuse of office, gross misconduct and crimes under national law. 27 Senators voted to support the impeachment in all the four charges, 16 opposed and two abstained. Those who abstained include Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja and his Makueni counterpart Mutula Kilonzo Junior. Once again, the handshake politics played in the impeachment process as a majority of senators allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta and Orange Democratic Movement…

Baringo County Chief Health Officer Gideon Toromo was on Thursday arraigned in court for allegedly issuing a death threat and assault. Toromo was arrested yesterday evening and detained at Kabarnet Police Station. He appeared before Kabarnet Resident Magistrate Vienna Amboko and was charged with threatening to kill and assaulting a colleague. The court heard that Toromo on November 25, 2020, at the County Governor’s office in Kabarnet, without lawful excuse, uttered words “Ayabei leo nitakumaliza” directed to one Francis Kibenei Ayabei who works at the Baringo county government payroll section. Toromo, according to the police, stormed the county human resource…

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has urged members of the public to take precautionary measures while shopping online during the festive season. In a statement on Thursday, DCI said many shoppers had fallen victim of online fraud. “The DCI has noted an increase in online fraud cases, caused by an upsurge of online shopping, due to the festive seasons’ needs, ” said DCI. “Many shoppers have fallen victim. We, therefore, advise the public to take precaution while engaging in online business dealings, to avoid falling prey to online scammers and fraudsters.” Read: Kenya Hit By 6 Million Cyber Attacks…

The Kenyan government is set to deport 14 people, mainly from Eastern Europe, said to be in the country illegally, Kahawa Tungu has learnt. Reports indicate that the deportation orders against the individuals have already been signed by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i. Officials in the CS’s office told Capital FM that the deportations are part of a wider crackdown by the government against gambling in the country. Those targeted are foreigners running gambling businesses in the country without licences. Read: 17 Foreigners Involved In Illegal Gambling Business Deported After Matiang’i Order “The orders have been signed for 14 citizens,…

A Kenyan man was on Wednesday charged in the United States for allegedly training in the Philippines to conduct a 9/11-style attack on American soil on behalf of the al-Shabab group, an affiliate organization of Al Qaeda based in Somalia. According to Federal prosecutors in Manhattan and the US Justice Department, Cholo Abdi Abdullah, aged 30, was arrested in the Philippines in July 2019 and transferred to the United States on Tuesday to face six federal charges related to alleged terrorism. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. The prosecutors said that the accused conspired to hijack an aircraft and…

Embattled Nairobi County Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko has been dealt a blow after the High Court declined to stop the hearing of his impeachment in the Senate. In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, Justice Nduma Nderi said he cannot interfere with the hearing that is ongoing. The county boss wanted the court to halt the impeachment process. Meanwhile, Senate Speaker Keneth Lusaka this afternoon declined to stop hearing of Sonko’s impeachment. Lusaka dismissed the governor’s application to halt the ongoing hearing citing unlawful procedures by the Nairobi County assembly. Read: Governor Sonko Impeached As 88 MCAs Vote In Favour Of…

Matungu Constituency by-election has been set for March 4, 2021, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced. In a gazette notice, IEBC said the by-election will be held alongside Huruma, London, Hell’s Gate, Kiamokama and Kitise/Kithuku ward polls. This comes just days after National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi declared the Matungu Parliamentary seat vacant following the death of Justus Murunga. Wafula Chebukati, the IEBC Chairperson, said each political party intending to participate in the by-elections is to submit the names of the persons contesting in a party primary and the date of the party primary on or before…

The Aga Khan University Hospital has announced a ban on the use of masks with valves in its facilities. In a statement on Wednesday, the hospital explained that the masks only protect the wearer and offer no protection to those around them. “The design of these masks allow inhaled air to be filtered but the exhaled air is not. The exhaled air can be expelled towards others even more than from a person not wearing a mask,” the hospital said while referring to the spread of Covid-19. “These masks therefore pose risk to others.” https://twitter.com/AKUHNairobi/status/1339093907712438273?s=20 Read: Kenya’s Covid-19 Fatalities Cross…

Former Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama and Belgut Member of Parliament Nelson Koech have been released from police custody following their arrest yesterday during the chaotic Msambweni by-election. The two, who were election agents for Feisal Bader, an independent candidate, were arraigned at Kwale Law Courts on Wednesday morning. However, they were not charged as the presiding magistrate said he did not have their file. They were transferred to Diani Police station and later freed on Ksh30,000 police bond each. Read: Nyali MP Mohammed Ali Accuses Joho Of Assault as Msambweni Mini-poll Turns Dramatic The two leaders had been accused of…

Feisal Bader is the next Msambweni Member of Parliament, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) declared on Wednesday morning. Bader, an independent candidate was declared the winner of the Tuesday by-election with 15,251 votes. Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party’s Omar Boga emerged second with 10,444 votes. “I declare Feisal Abder as the winner and the elected MP for Msambweni Constituency,” said IEBC Returning Officer Yusuf Abubakar. Wiper party’s Shee Mohamed finished third with 790 votes. https://www.facebook.com/51790559057/posts/10157084030109058/ Bader received support from Deputy President William Ruto’s Tanga Tanga camp, while Boga was backed by pro-President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila…

404 more people have tested positive for Covid-19, from a sample size of 4,878 tested in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry announced on Tuesday. This now brings to 92,459 the number of confirmed positive cases in the country. Cumulative tests are now at 978,683. In a statement to newsrooms, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said that of the new cases, 266 are male and 138 are female. The youngest is an eight-month-old child and the oldest is aged 79 years. The CS said 11 more patients have succumbed to the disease raising the number of fatalities recorded so…