Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has officially reclaimed leadership of the Jubilee Party, while the Wiper Democratic Movement, led by Kalonzo Musyoka, has rebranded to the Wiper Patriotic Front in preparation for the 2027 General Election. A gazette notice issued by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties confirmed Mr. Kenyatta as the Jubilee Party Leader, with his close allies Jeremiah Kioni and David Murathe reinstated as Secretary-General and Deputy National Chairman, respectively. The notice nullified the claims of nominated MP Sabina Chege and East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Kanini Kega, who had declared themselves as Party Leader and…
Author: Davin Muthoni
More than 42,000 candidates who qualified for university admission after the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) did not apply for placement through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), government figures show. Data from the Ministry of Education reveals that only 201,695 out of 244,563 candidates who attained the minimum university entry grade of C+ and above submitted applications during the recently concluded placement cycle. This leaves out 42,868 eligible students—approximately 17 per cent—who failed to seek placement via the official platform. Speaking during the release of placement results at Jogoo House, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius…
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has failed in his attempt to obtain temporary orders barring Nation Media Group (NMG) from publishing content allegedly linking him to recent unrest in the capital. Justice Nixon Sifuna declined to issue the interim injunction, instead directing all involved parties to appear before him later this month for a full hearing of the case. The judge further instructed: “In the meantime, parties are to file and exchange their skeletal arguments within seven days from today.” The hearing is scheduled for 24 July. Mr. Sakaja had argued that unless the court intervened urgently, he would suffer significant…
A Nairobi-based advocate has formally petitioned for the removal of Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki from the Roll of Advocates, citing their alleged involvement in state-sanctioned violence during nationwide protests. The motion, filed by lawyer Kepha Ojijo and received by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) on Monday, accuses both officials of gross misconduct and breaches of the Advocates’ Code of Conduct, tied to their leadership roles in powerful security ministries. According to Ojijo, the two oversaw police operations during the 2024 and 2025 Gen Z protests, which allegedly led to killings, injuries, forced disappearances,…
A new campaign is gaining ground to spare drug users from imprisonment and instead provide them with health support, while also advocating for the legalisation of marijuana through regulation and policy. This approach, known as the harm reduction strategy, is the result of extensive dialogue involving government leaders, law enforcement, public health experts, civil society, academia, and individuals with lived experience of drug use. Proponents argue that current legislation is inadequate and that anti-drug measures must go beyond criminalisation, incarceration, stigma, and exclusion. They call for prioritising public health access, respect for human rights, the fight against stigma and discrimination,…
Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, the 22-year-old mask vendor who was shot at point-blank range by a police officer during recent anti-police brutality protests, has been confirmed brain dead, according to his family. Speaking to the press outside Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) on Sunday, family spokesperson Emily Wanjira revealed that although Kariuki’s organs remain functional, his brain has completely ceased functioning. “The reality is that Boniface Mwangi Kariuki has been confirmed brain dead,” Wanjira stated. “For someone to be officially declared dead, the heartbeat must stop. His heart is still beating. We have left it to the doctors to confirm when he…
Public learning institutions in Kenya are grappling with a severe shortage of teachers, with the current deficit standing at 98,461, according to outgoing Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Chief Executive Nancy Macharia. Junior secondary schools are bearing the brunt, with a shortfall of 72,422 teachers. Despite the challenge, Mrs Macharia said the government is committed to addressing the issue. Speaking during the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) conference in Mombasa yesterday, she announced that the government has allocated Sh2.4 billion in the 2025/26 financial year for the recruitment of 20,000 intern teachers. “This will bring the total number recruited since…
President William Ruto and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga shared a platform on Wednesday, calling for national unity and peace as thousands marked the anniversary of the 25 June 2024 demonstrations. The two leaders, who joined forces following last year’s anti-Finance Bill protests, spoke during the funeral of Gideon Baya Mung’aro, father of Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro. Last year’s unrest left more than 60 people dead and hundreds injured. President Ruto urged Kenyans to demonstrate peacefully and avoid destruction. “Those with differing views must ensure their protests are peaceful. If we destroy our country, there is nowhere else…
The High Court on Wednesday evening ordered the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to restore signals to three independent television stations switched off after defying a directive to cease live broadcasts of anti-government protests. Justice Chacha Mwita directed the CA to immediately restore NTV, KTN and K24 signals following an application by the Law Society of Kenya. “I am satisfied that they raise fundamental constitutional questions touching on potential violations of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution and freedom of the media,” ruled Justice Mwita. Viewers of the three stations were left in an information blackout after police officers,…
Violent protests broke out across at least 27 counties in Kenya on Wednesday, leading to widespread looting and property destruction, with small and medium businesses reporting huge losses. In Nairobi, the epicentre of the unrest, traders around Bus Station, Mfangano Street, Khoja, and Moi Avenue bore the brunt of the chaos. Shops were vandalised, boutiques ransacked, and some buildings set ablaze. Wines and spirits stores were emptied, while electronics and fashion outlets were not spared. Two police water cannons and a Nairobi County fire engine managed to contain a blaze at the junction of Moi Avenue and Khoja, preventing further…
