The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has reinstated its voter verification portal after an unexplained outage left millions of Kenyans unable to access their registration information. In a statement issued on Sunday, the commission confirmed the portal is now operational following a period of system maintenance. The IEBC said the exercise was aimed at migrating its infrastructure to enhance performance and security. The outage had affected both the IEBC web portal and the SMS verification platform, which requires voters to send their ID or passport number along with their year of birth to 70000. The blackout caused widespread concern…
Author: Davin Muthoni
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has raised alarm over widespread human rights violations committed during the Saba Saba anniversary protests held on 7th July 2025, which turned deadly in parts of the country. In a press statement released on Monday evening, KNCHR Vice Chairperson Dr. Raymond Nyeris confirmed that by 6:30 p.m., the Commission had recorded ten deaths, twenty-nine injuries, two abductions, and thirty-seven arrests across seventeen counties. The protests, organised to commemorate the 1990 pro-democracy Saba Saba movement, brought normalcy to a near standstill in several regions. “Many citizens were unable to report to work, despite…
Youth-led protests have paralysed transport and disrupted business in several towns today as Kenyans mark Saba Saba Day — remembered for the 1990 push for free elections and multiparty democracy. Every year, peaceful protests are held on 7th July to mark the date when Kenya’s constitution was challenged, allowing the formation of other political parties. Today’s commemorations, however, have seen key highways and roads blocked, disrupting transport and paralysing business activities in major towns and cities. The Mwea-Embu highway has been closed at Ngurubani and Kimbimbi areas, while the Kerugoya-Kagumo-Karatina road has been blocked at Kagumo town. At 9am, protesting…
The United States has permanently ended foreign assistance through its long-running humanitarian agency, USAID, a move projected to result in the deaths of up to 14 million people globally by 2030. After 64 years of providing aid to poor and developing nations, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been dissolved. According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, future foreign aid will be directed by the State Department and “administered in a way that aligns with the Trump administration and advances American interests.” The termination of USAID is expected to have devastating consequences, particularly across Sub-Saharan Africa and…
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…
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…
