A Nairobi preacher has been driven into hiding due to escalating threats from unidentified individuals, which have intensified amid a dispute over the church’s demolition. Peter Maithya, affiliated with Bishop Margaret Wanjiru’s Jesus Is Alive Ministries, has expressed grave concerns for his safety as he continues to defend the church against demolition efforts. Maithya’s fears began to escalate following an attack on the church on 8 March, during which unknown assailants vandalised the church’s parking lot wall and assaulted Wanjiru, injuring her hand and a security officer. Wanjiru also reported that the assailants stole a guard’s weapon, camera, and phone.…
Author: Samuel Njihia
Mobius Motors, a Kenya-based automaker backstopped by Playfair Capital, has accepted a buyout offer just a week after it announced its closure. In the notice, Mobius director Nicolas Guibert informed, “On August 14, Mobius accepted a bid for the acquisition of 100% of its shares by an undisclosed buyer.” The parties look to close the transaction within 30 days. In light of the offer, Mobius postponed the Thursday planned creditors meeting, allowing the acquisition negotiations to continue. The firm had announced, “As such notice is hereby given that the meeting of the creditors originally scheduled to 15 August 2024 at…
The University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) has issued a seven-day strike notice over delayed and incomplete salary payments, which may paralyze academic activities in all public universities. This was announced by Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga on Wednesday after a meeting of the National Executive Committee and warned that learning in all public universities might be disrupted in September when new and returning students report. “There will be no learning in universities from September,” Wasonga said. The union also condemned salary cuts at the Technical University of Kenya, where staff are reportedly receiving only 65 percent of their July pay. “The union…
The government has convened an emergency meeting with the leadership of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) in a bid to avert a looming nationwide teachers’ strike. The Tuesday meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection, Alfred Mutua, and top Knut officials comes as the third school term draws near, with teachers threatening not to report to work over unmet promises in the government’s 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Tensions have been escalating, with KNUT Secretary-General Collins Oyuu declaring on Monday that teachers would not resume their duties when schools reopen unless the government fulfilled its…
The United States has approved more than $20 billion in arms sales to Israel, in a deal that reportedly includes F-15 fighter jets and close to 33,000 tank cartridges. US media on Tuesday reported that the deal was approved by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Associated Press reported that Congress was notified about the sale before the public announcement from the U.S. Department of State. The weapons sale is said to include over 50 F-15 fighter jets, Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), 120 mm tank ammunition and high explosive mortars, and military vehicles. “The United States is…
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has secured a landmark victory in a Sh1 billion Value Added Tax (VAT) fraud case against China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC). The case, which centred on an elaborate missing trader fraud scheme—a tactic used by organised crime groups to steal VAT from governments—involved the Chinese firm evading taxes through the use of shell companies. Investigations by the taxman revealed that the Chinese firm was filing fictitious invoices, and laying claims for an inflated input VAT through shell companies. “The upshot of the foregoing analysis is that the appeal lacks merit, and the tribunal accordingly…
A petition has been filed in court challenging Wycliffe Oparanya’s appointment as Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development. Fredrick Mulaa, the petitioner, says it was illegal for the Director of Public Prosecution, Renson Ingonga, to review and later withdraw charges against Mr. Oparanya. Mr Mulaa has argued that the decision of the DPP, which was made on 8th July 2024, to withdraw charges relating to corruption was not in the public interest and breach of legal requirements. Further, that it ran counter to several fundamental principles of transparency, accountability, social justice, and good governance. “In…
The High Court has lifted the orders it had previously issued freezing the issuance of the new-generation identity card, known as Maisha Namba, which is set to be renewed every 10 years. On Monday, Justice Lawrence Mugambi stated that the government had demonstrated that freezing the issuance of the document would have an adverse impact on applicants. The judge noted that at least 10,000 Kenyans were applying for the document each day. “There was thus a clear demonstration that the suspension of registration has very direct and immediate adverse consequences for a large population of people, and the second respondent…
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi is eyeing a reintroduction of some clauses from the withdrawn Finance Bill, 2024 in order to put the economy back on track. This is part of his economic recovery plan. During a handover ceremony from his predecessor on Monday, Njuguna Ndung’u, Mbadi hinted at the revival of non-contentious elements of the Finance Bill. Mbadi said that some provisions from the bill are crucial for the growth of this country. “The country must grow. There are provisions that were in the Bill that would help the Country to grow,” he stated. The major focus of…
The Kenya Aviation Workers Union has issued a strike notice, which is set to take effect early next week, protesting against a proposed development deal at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport involving India’s Adani Airport Holdings. The strike is likely to paralyze operations at one of the busiest travel hubs in the region and has huge ramifications for Kenya Airways. The union is opposed to the deal because, in their opinion, it is an “unlawful intended sale” of JKIA. In the proposed partnership, they say that there will be loss of jobs and the employment of non-Kenyan workers. “We shall…