The Social Health Authority (SHA) has warned health facilities that have not migrated from the old provider portal to certified Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) that they risk losing their contracts after the current extension period ends. SHA CEO Dr Mercy Mwangangi noted that the transition applies to all providers, whether or not they are contracted by SHA. She said no facility had been caught off guard, noting that the transition process began six months ago and involved extensive sensitisation and training of registered facilities. The warning comes as the government assures Kenyans that no one will be denied hospital…
Author: Special Correspondent
A 20-minute trip to the shop ended in anguish for a Kiambaa brother who returned to find his sister’s body in the kitchen and a message written in blood on the corridor wall. The body of 18-year-old Joy Wangui was found in a pool of blood at her family home in Moto Village, Molo Sub-County, Nakuru County, on Sunday evening. Her head was discovered along a corridor near the bathroom. Their neighbour, Charles Njenga, said Wangui’s younger brother had left her alone at the house while he went to the family shop, a few metres away. When he returned, he…
Kenya is bracing for wetter-than-normal short rains, with the Kenya Meteorological Service Authority (KMSA) warning of heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides in several parts of the country. KMSA Acting Head Edward Muriuki said rain has already started in parts of 24 counties in the Coast, western Kenya and the Rift Valley, and will spread progressively to other parts of the country in the coming days. Turkana and Samburu counties are expected to be the last to record the onset of the short rains season in the third or fourth week of October. The counties that are already experiencing the rains…
Right-wing Flávio Bolsonaro has won the first round of Brazil’s presidential election, beating left-wing President Lula da Silva, but falling short of an outright majority. There will be a run-off between the two candidates on 25 October. Bolsonaro is the son of the former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for masterminding a failed coup after losing the 2022 election. Sunday’s vote was close, with President Lula polling slightly ahead during the campaign. With almost all of the votes counted, Bolsonaro has 47% to Lula’s 45% of the vote. Bolsonaro’s result exceeded expectations, meaning the second…
A section of Luo elders on Saturday morning paid symbolic homage to East African Legislative Assembly Member Winnie Odinga by crowning her as the political heir to her late father, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The traditional ceremony has reignited speculation about the succession plan less than a year after the death of the former Prime Minister. The elders paid their respects at a memorial service for elders and veterans at Opoda Farm in Bondo, Siaya County. Rose Otumba, the Siaya Luo Council of Elders’ women’s representative, placed a traditional bonnet on Winnie’s head and wished her success as she…
Parliament is considering legislation that would bar the informal settlement of sexual offences and require such cases to be handled through the formal judicial system. The Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2025, National Assembly Bill No. 50 of 2025, sponsored by Garissa Woman Representative Amina Udgoon Siyad Kuno, seeks to introduce Section 40A to the Sexual Offences Act. The proposed section states that offences under the Act “shall be prosecuted exclusively through the judicial system” and that any agreement, settlement or process purporting to settle such offences outside the formal judicial process would be void and have no legal effect. Udgoon…
The Social Health Authority (SHA) has extended the deadline for healthcare providers to complete the contracting process for the 2026–2029 cycle by 14 days, giving them until October 14, 2026, to finalise the process. In a notice issued on Thursday, October 1, SHA CEO Mercy Mwangangi said the extension would give healthcare facilities additional time to complete contracting for the new cycle and maintain services to SHA beneficiaries. The extension covers the period from September 30 to October 14, 2026. However, providers must accept, sign and return an extension agreement through the SHA e-contracting platform within three days of receiving…
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has announced a nationwide candle-lighting ceremony on Friday, October 2, to honour former Prime Minister Raila Odinga ahead of the first anniversary of his death. The party has called on Kenyans at home and abroad to light candles simultaneously at 6pm in memory of Odinga, who died on October 15, 2025, while receiving medical treatment in India. The candle-lighting will mark the beginning of ODM’s month-long commemorative programme dubbed “Mwezi wa Baba”, which the party has dedicated to remembering Odinga’s political journey and public life. In Nairobi, a main gathering has been announced at Uhuru…
The Malindi Environment and Land Court has ordered parties to maintain the status quo on a disputed parcel of land set to host Aliko Dangote’s multi-billion oil refinery in Lamu ahead of the project’s scheduled groundbreaking on Wednesday. Justice Jane Onyango of the Environment and Land Court directed that the status quo of Land Reference No. 13061 in Hindi/Manda Magogoni area should prevail until an inter partes hearing scheduled for October 14, 2026. The order, which was issued on September 25, sought to prevent any clearing, excavation, fencing, demolition or other interference with the possession of the land in dispute.…
Recent robbery and sexual-assault cases investigated by Kenyan authorities are highlighting the risks people can face when meeting strangers they first encounter through dating applications and social-media platforms. In one recent case, a Nairobi woman reported being robbed by a man she had met through a dating application and dated for several months. According to her account, the two had travelled together before later visiting Nakuru, where they stayed in a rented apartment. The woman said she left her phone and cash in the apartment while the pair went out for breakfast. The man later allegedly left the restaurant, saying…
