By Mark Simitia A Sunday morning church service in Othaya, Nyeri County, descended into chaos on Sunday, January 25, 2026, after teargas canisters were lobbed into Witima ACK Church, disrupting worship and forcing congregants to flee in panic. Among those present was former Deputy President and Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua, who later claimed the incident was a deliberate attempt on his life. Witnesses said teargas quickly filled the church, forcing worshippers — including women, children and the elderly — to rush outside in search of fresh air, bringing the service to an abrupt end. Several…
Author: Special Correspondent
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has confirmed that the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) has ratified its 2026 Plan of Action, with structured engagement with former President Uhuru Kenyatta emerging as one of the key political strategies ahead of the 2027 general election. The plan was adopted following a three-day leadership retreat held in Mombasa, bringing together party legislators and senior officials to map out DCP’s political and organisational direction. Speaking after the meeting, Gachagua said the roadmap outlines how the party will conduct its activities in 2026 as it positions itself for broader opposition cooperation in the run-up…
A senior police officer in Belgut Constituency, Kericho County, was taken to hospital early Tuesday after being found hugging a tree inside a police station while in full uniform. Police described the incident as unusual and said Kennedy Wanjala, Officer Commanding Sossiot Police Station, was referred for medical evaluation. A report filed on January 20, 2026, stated that colleagues from the Operations Control and Communications Department (OCPD) and the Sub-County Criminal Investigations Office (SCCIO) discovered Wanjala embracing a tree at the station. Senior officers responded promptly, separated him from the tree, and escorted him for further care. Authorities noted that…
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are set to receive the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) flag following the conclusion of the 2025 finals in Rabat, Morocco. The ceremony will symbolise the honour bestowed upon the East African nations as they prepare to host the Pamoja 2027 Africa Cup of Nations Finals, with dates yet to be confirmed. Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi has reaffirmed the region’s preparedness and commitment to delivering a successful tournament, highlighting East Africa’s growing capabilities in infrastructure, coordination, hospitality, media, and overall hosting capacity. Senegal walk-off in AFCON final draws sharp criticism PS Mwangi is leading a…
At least 39 people have died in a train collision in southern Spain and dozens more have been injured in the country’s worst rail crash in more than a decade, Spain’s Civil Guard has said. Carriages on a Madrid-bound train derailed and crossed over to the opposite tracks, colliding with an oncoming train in Adamuz on Sunday evening. Four hundred passengers and staff were onboard both trains, the rail networks said. Emergency services treated 122 people, with 48, including five children, still in hospital. Of those, 11 adults and one child are in intensive care. Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente…
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado says that she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump at a private White House meeting on Thursday. “I think today is a historic day for us Venezuelans,” she said after meeting Trump, the first time the two have met in-person. It came weeks after US forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas and charged him in a drug-trafficking case. Trump expressed his gratitude in a social media post, saying the move was “a wonderful gesture of mutual respect”. The US president has declined to endorse Machado, whose movement claimed…
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has secured guilty pleas from six Iranian nationals in a major high-seas narcotics case involving more than a tonne of methamphetamine valued at Sh8.2 billion, marking a significant milestone in Kenya’s fight against transnational organized crime and drug trafficking. The six suspects—Jaseem Darzadeh Nia, Nadeem Jadgal, Hassan Baloch, Raheem Baksh, Imran Baloch and Imtiyaz Daryay—pleaded guilty to trafficking 1,036 kilograms of methamphetamine before Chief Magistrate Anthony Mwicigi at the Shanzu Law Courts. They were charged with trafficking in narcotic drugs contrary to Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, 1994,…
Iran’s parliament speaker warned on Sunday that the United States military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if Washington strikes the Islamic Republic, as threatened by US President Donald Trump. The comments by Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf came after The New York Times reported on Saturday that Trump has been briefed in recent days on new options for military strikes against Iran, citing anonymous US officials familiar with the matter. Qalibaf made the threat as lawmakers rushed to the dais in the Iranian parliament, shouting,”Death to America!” The comments represented the first to add Israel into the mix of possible targets…
United States President Donald Trump proposed a $1.5 trillion military budget for 2027 on Wednesday, a sharp increase from this year’s $901 billion, fuelling concerns about the potential eruption of wars. “After long and difficult negotiations with senators, members of parliament, secretaries, and other political representatives, I have determined that, for the good of our country, especially in these very troubled and dangerous times, our military budget for the year 2027 should not be $1 trillion, but rather $1.5 trillion,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. “This will allow us to build the ‘Dream Military’ that…
US President Donald Trump has withdrawn the US from dozens of international organisations, including many that work to combat climate change. Among the 66 groups, nearly half of them are bodies of the United Nations, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – a treaty that underpins all international efforts to combat global warming. The White House said the decision was taken because those entities “no longer serve American interests” and promote “ineffective or hostile agendas”. Trump has already stripped many multilateral organisations he dislikes of funds and previously rejected the scientific consensus of man-made climate change as a…
