The government confirmed on Saturday that the death toll from the devastating fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County had tragically risen to 21. The fire erupted in the dormitory of the school around midnight on Thursday, catching over 150 young boys, aged nine to 13, while they slept. Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said the fire claimed 19 lives at the scene, with two more succumbing to injuries in the hospital. Of the 156 boys who were in the dormitory at the time, 135 have been located, either recovering at home or receiving medical attention. Mwaura described the incident…
Author: Special Correspondent
Kevin Kinyanjui Kang’ethe, a Kenyan sought by the United States for the murder of his girlfriend, Margaret Mbitu, has been extradited from Nairobi. The extradition, confirmed by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga on Monday, September 2, 2024, paves the way for Kang’ethe to face trial in the US. Kang’ethe, who fled to Kenya in 2023 after the crime, was captured by Kenyan authorities following an international manhunt. Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina approved his extradition on July 31, 2024, allowing him to leave Nairobi on September 1, 2024. In a statement, DPP Ingonga announced, “Kevin Kang’ethe has been successfully…
Sarah Moraa and Marion Jepngetich won gold and silver, respectively, on the penultimate day of the World Athletics Under-20 Championships at the Estadio Atlético de la Videna in Lima, Peru. The Africa 800m champion, Moraa, extended her winning streak to Peru’s capital, claiming the 800m title after controlling the pace and crossing the finish line in 2:00.36. She beat Australia’s Claudia Hollingsworth, who finished second with a time of 2:00.87, and the USA’s Sophia Gorriaran, who settled for bronze with a time of 2:01.04. The ever-smiling Moraa said that the victory had boosted her morale ahead of the 2025 World…
An American couple has sued Kenyan businessman Julius Mwale and his wife, Kaila Mwale, accusing them of defrauding them out of $1.7 million (Sh219,300,000). In the suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, Mathew and Brooke Shaw claim the Mwales lied about their financial status and the status of a “world-class” hospital project in Kakamega. The couple states in court that they met the Mwales in February 2022 at a private dinner in Utah, where they presented themselves as extremely wealthy and well-connected. Based on this impression, the Shaws were convinced by the Mwales to…
Former Samburu Governor Moses Lenolkulal has been hit with a mandatory fine of Sh83.4 million or four years in prison in default, following his conviction in the Oryx Filling Station scandal, in which he was found guilty of illegal acquisition of public property. In addition, Lenolkulal will pay a fine of Sh1 million or face four years in prison in default for conflict of interest. He has also been banned from vying for public office for ten years. The Anti-Corruption Court in Nairobi has made history by convicting and punishing Lenolkulal, marking the first time a former county governor has…
Three 1,500m athletes for the World Athletics Under 20 Championships have qualified to compete in the finals following their performance in the semifinals on Wednesday afternoon. Africa Under 18 1,500m gold medalist Josphat Kipkirui, Mary Nyaboke Ogwoka, and Miriam Chemutai Kibet will represent Kenya at the Estadio Atlético de la Videna in Lima, Peru. Kipkirui will be the sole Kenyan runner in the final, aiming to retain the title last won by Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot in the 2022 World Under 20 Championships in Cali, Colombia. It was a disappointing day for Collins Koech Kibiwott, who finished 6th in his heat…
Kenya’s candidate for the Africa Union Commission (AUC) Chairmanship Raila Odinga has hinted at plans to roll out AU Visas if his bid for the top seat is successful. Odinga said the AU Visas would enhance free movement of people and goods across the continent to promote intra-Africa trade. Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement which was signed in 2018, he said has failed to register success due to bottlenecks which hamper movement from one country to another. Traders and businessmen, he said are required to have up to 35 visas to travel across Africa whereas their counterparts who…
Telegram chief executive Pavel Durov has been arrested by French police at an airport north of Paris. Mr Durov was detained after his private jet had landed at Le Bourget Airport, French media reported. According to officials the 39-year-old had been arrested under a warrant for offences related to the popular messaging app. Russia’s embassy in France is taking “immediate steps” to clarify the situation, according to Russia’s TASS state news agency. Durov had been travelling on his private jet, French TV channel TF1 said on its website. Telegram is particularly popular in Russia, Ukraine and former Soviet Union states.…
A massive 2,492-carat diamond — the second largest in the world — has been discovered in Botswana, the Canadian mining company that found the stone announced Thursday. The diamond was discovered in the Karowe Diamond Mine in northeastern Botswana using x-ray detection technology, Lucara Diamond Corp. said in a statement. Lucara did not provide an estimation of the value of the find. In terms of carats, the stone is second only to the 3,016-carat Cullinan Diamond discovered in South Africa in 1905. “We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond,” Lucara president William Lamb said in the…
Two activists have taken the Environment and Lands Court to challenge the demolition of an almost completed Sh100 million factory by the devolved government of Homabay, which intends to replace it with an office block. Evance Oloo and Eugine Obisa accuse the devolved government of failing to seek public opinion and of wrongfully demolishing the factory. They argue that the demolition did not comply with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act 2015 (PPADA) and related regulations. The activists told the court that the County Government acted unlawfully by deciding to move the headquarters from its current location to the…