Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has been suspended from the Senate for three consecutive sitting days after refusing to withdraw remarks in which he described President William Ruto’s recent roadside pronouncements as “yapping.” The disagreement first arose during Wednesday’s afternoon sitting, while Omtatah was contributing to a discussion on the President’s comments regarding the closure of small businesses run by foreigners and the Tata Chemicals matter. Omtatah argued that Ruto’s roadside declarations breached the Constitution. “The roadside pronouncements by the President, first of all, violated the Constitution, Article 135, that does not allow the President to go yapping around and saying…
Author: Davin Muthoni
A key prosecution witness in the murder trial over the death of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang has died before he could testify in court, police have confirmed. Corporal Stephen Maina Nderitu, a police officer attached to the Office of the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Nairobi’s Central Police Station at the time of Ojwang’s death, collapsed at his home in Nairobi on Monday, September 7, hours after leaving work, and was later pronounced dead. A post-mortem examination identified acute ulcers, cardiac arrest and depression among the findings cited in relation to his death. His family has said they are…
President William Ruto has signed four Bills into law, introducing new rules covering public finance management, population planning, air passenger charges and trust administration, marking a significant legislative package aimed at strengthening governance and service delivery across the country. Ruto assented to the Bills on Tuesday, September 8, at State House, Nairobi, in a ceremony announced via his official X account. The four pieces of legislation are the National Council for Population and Development Bill, the Air Passenger Service Charge (Amendment) Bill, the Public Finance Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Trust Administration Bill, all of which had already completed…
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has taken a 90-day leave of absence from office, beginning September 7, to mourn the death of her husband, Hafidh Ameir, Tanzania’s Chief Secretary has confirmed. Chief Secretary Moses Kusiluka announced the leave in a statement dated September 8, saying that government duties would continue to be handled by Vice President Deogratius Ndejembi and Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba in accordance with the law during the President’s absence. “Further information will be provided by the relevant authorities as necessary,” Kusiluka said. Ameir, born on January 1, 1946, died on September 7 at around 8 a.m. while…
The government and Tata Chemicals have agreed to set up a joint technical committee to resolve the compliance issues that led to the suspension of the company’s mining operations in Magadi, easing a standoff that had drawn in President William Ruto himself. Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho announced the agreement on Tuesday, September 8, after hosting Tata Chemicals executives at his office to discuss the concerns his ministry had raised. The Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs had suspended the company’s mining and export activities on July 28 under the Mining Act, citing gaps in mineral beneficiation, royalty…
President William Ruto has signed a deal with the Government of Italy and Italian firm GKSD Group to build 15 new hospitals across 15 counties, in a move meant to widen access to healthcare and push Kenya closer to universal health coverage. The deal was signed on Tuesday, September 8, at State House in Nairobi. It falls under Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa, a programme Rome uses to build closer ties with African countries through investment in areas like healthcare, energy, agriculture and infrastructure. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, GKSD Chairman Kamel Ghribi, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, governors and other…
State House has announced a 90-day window for foreign nationals running businesses in Kenya to regularise their immigration and licensing status, softening last week’s enforcement deadline while firmly warning Kenyans against taking the law into their own hands. State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed announced the reprieve in a statement issued on Tuesday, September 8, explaining that the period is meant to give affected foreign nationals an opportunity to bring their businesses and immigration status into full compliance with Kenyan law before stricter enforcement begins. “Every person conducting business in Kenya is required to comply with applicable immigration, work-permit, registration and…
The inquest into the killing of Rex Masai during youth-led protests more than two years ago has been formally closed, after 30 witnesses testified and the prosecution presented CCTV footage and photographic evidence relating to his death. Masai was shot dead in Nairobi late in the evening of June 20, 2024, as protesters rejected the Finance Bill, 2024, and died from excessive bleeding and became one of the defining figures of the wider Gen-Z-led demonstrations that swept the country that year. State Counsel Jalson Makori informed the court that the prosecution had completed calling its witnesses, bringing the evidentiary phase…
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has appointed Robert Kibet Kibor as its new Registrar, filling a position that had been held in an acting capacity for more than two years. The Commission announced the appointment in a statement dated Monday, September 7, confirming that Kibet was appointed under Section 10(2) of the Judicial Service Act, Cap. 8A, following a competitive recruitment process. The vacancy had been advertised on January 16, 2026, with interviews for shortlisted candidates conducted on June 30, before the Commission settled on Kibet. “The vacancy in the Office of the Registrar, Judicial Service Commission arose following the…
The Director of Public Prosecutions has approved corruption charges against former Sports Principal Secretary Ambassador Peter Kirimi Kaberia and nine other individuals over the alleged misappropriation of Sh330 million allocated for Kenya’s preparations to host the 2018 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN), with six companies also facing prosecution over the alleged financial misconduct. DPP Renson Ingonga announced the approval in a press statement dated September 7, confirming that the charges followed investigations carried out by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), whose inquiry file was submitted to his office for review and guidance. “Upon an independent and thorough evaluation of the…
