Author: NLM Correspondent

Former Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) director, Davy Koech, has been granted a presidential pardon by President William Ruto. Koech had previously been sentenced to a six-year prison term for his involvement in corruptly acquiring Ksh19.3 million. The decision to pardon Koech, along with 37 other individuals, was made under the Power of Mercy Act 2011, following a recommendation from the Advisory Committee, according to the Gazette Notice. Koech’s conviction stemmed from accusations of transferring Sh19.3 million from the institute’s bank accounts to his personal accounts while serving as the Managing Director. The funds in question were originally designated for…

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has said there was an elaborate scheme to frame his son with illegal firearms and drugs during the Friday night operation last week. “This gun issue is surrounded by lots of propaganda to divert attention from what has been happening,” Mr. Kenyatta said, as he shared his concerns with journalists on Monday, July 24, 2023. “I believe they wanted to plant drugs and guns in my son’s compound. I went because of a distress call from my son; I was not drunk, I was extremely hurt.” According to a report by Citizen Digital, the former President…

Sudan Armed Forces General Yasser Al-Atta has challenged President William Ruto to a showdown of might amid the ongoing war in Sudan. The tensions between Ruto and the Sudanese military leaders have deepened with accusations from the Al-Atta, who claims that President Ruto has been funding the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been battling for control of Khartoum since the collapse of the transitional government. RSF leader, Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo, is reportedly a close ally of the Kenyan president. In a video circulating online, General Al-Atta scornfully advised President Ruto not to rely on East African forces and…

Global rating firm Fitch has downgraded Kenya’s rating from stable to negative due to elevated debt repayment. The agency last week revised the Outlook on Kenya’s long-term foreign-currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to negative from stable and affirmed the IDR at ‘B’. Fitch attributes the downgrade to increased external financing constraints amid high funding requirements, including a $2 billion (Sh283.6 billion) Eurobond maturity in 2024, weakening international reserves, rising financing costs, and uncertainty on the fiscal trajectory. “The rating affirmation balances Kenya’s relatively high government debt and external indebtedness and its narrow revenue base against the authorities’ commitment to fiscal…

Wiper Party Leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, has been placed under house arrest, the Azimio la Umoja Coalition has claimed, a move intended to prevent him from participating in the ongoing anti-government demonstrations. National Assembly Minority Leader and Ugunja MP, Opiyo Wandayi, while addressing the media on Friday, July 21, lamented what he referred to as a “witch hunt” orchestrated by the State. According to Wandayi, the government’s aim was to not only detain Musyoka but also to frustrate other opposition leaders during the ongoing protests that commenced on Wednesday, July 19. For the past two days, Kalonzo Musyoka has allegedly been…

In a powerful display of public outcry, Kenyans have thronged the official Facebook Page of the International Criminal Court (ICC), demanding formal investigations on President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga in connection with the loss of lives during recent demonstrations. The online uproar came after the ICC shared a post commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Rome Statute adoption on July 17, 2023, at the UN in New York. The demonstrations in question were part of the ongoing protests organised by the Azimio One Kenya Alliance, calling for a repeal of a finance law that imposed new taxes.…

The Senate is this week set to debate the County Government Cash Disbursement Schedule for the 2023/24 Financial Year, setting stage for the transfer of funds to county governments in the new financial year. The House is expected to consider the matter after it received a letter from Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndungu transmitting the draft Disbursement Schedule to the House in accordance with Section 17 of the Public Finance management (PFM) Act. “Pursuant to the Public Finance Management Act, the Schedule is supposed to be approved not later than May 30 every year,” Prof Ndungu said in a letter…

Bishop Gilbert Deya, the controversial preacher at the centre of the “miracle babies” scandal, has been acquitted by the court after facing child theft charges for over two decades. The ruling has sparked mixed reactions and reignited discussions about faith and accountability. The preacher stood accused of stealing five babies between 2002 and 2004, allegedly deceiving his followers that he possessed extraordinary powers to help infertile women conceive “miracle babies” in Kenya and Britain. The case drew international attention and finally reached its climax as Milimani senior principal magistrate Robison Ondieki delivered the judgment. After careful evaluation of the extensive…

Kenyan motorists along the border have been making a beeline for neighbouring Tanzania in search of more reasonably priced fuel as pump prices continue to surge. In the region, Tanzania stands out with its affordable fuel prices. Global Petrol Prices report that a litre of petrol in Tanzania is currently retailing at Sh158.23, while in Kenya, the same quantity is selling at Sh195, the highest price in the region. Kenyans residing near the border and those with convenient access to Tanzania have opted to fuel in Tanzania, especially those at the Namanga border.  Notably, there has been a significant decrease…

The government has signed a €2.5 million (Sh389 million) financing agreement with Equity Bank and the German government. The funds, according to Treasury cabinet secretary Njuguna Ndung’u, will go towards supporting about 6000 small scale farmers in the country and establish irrigation schemes. The signing of the amended subsidiary financing agreement was signed between Prof Ndung’u, Equity Bank chief executive officer James Mwangi, German Ambassador to Kenya Sebastian Groth, and Water and Irrigation cabinet secretary Alice Wahome. In a statement released after the signing of the agreement, Prof Ndung’u said the additional blended financing will scale up irrigation activities to…