The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has withdrawn the strike notice, set to expire at midnight today, and now instructs teachers to resume work tomorrow. This follows a day-long National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the union headquarters in Nairobi. According to Secretary-General Collins Oyuu, the strike was called off so as to offer the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the government a chance to address their demands. “The NEC has, therefore, today August 25, 2024, agreed to withdraw the strike action notice which was elapsing midnight August 25, 2024 since we have commenced addressing the remaining matters…
Author: Samuel Njihia
The University of Nairobi students exploded in uproar on Saturday, staging a fierce protest after the sudden disappearance of their Student Association (UNSA) President, Rocha Madzao. Outraged students blocked Uhuru Highway, leading to the deployment of anti-riot police, who clashed with the protesters as they attempted to clear the road, causing major traffic disruptions. The disappearance of Madzao is closely linked to his vocal opposition to a controversial new funding model for universities introduced by the government. Hours before his disappearance, Madzao had addressed a rally at the university and condemned the model, giving the government an ultimatum of one…
Safaricom is lobbying the Communications Authority (CA) to block foreign satellite internet providers (ISPs), including Elon Musk’s Starlink. The telco has written to the CA that it should compel satellite providers to operate in Kenya solely under an arrangement with a local licensee. “We would propose that the CA consider, instead, mandating that such satellite service providers only carry out their operations in Kenya subject to such providers entering into an agreement with an existing local licensee,” Safaricom said in a July 15 memo seen by Nairobi Law Monthly. The company is concerned that satellite ISPs operating without a physical…
The Ministry of Health on Friday confirmed a second case of Mpox in Kenya, raising fresh concerns about the disease’s spread within the country. The latest patient, a male truck driver, was identified at the Malaba One Stop Border Post in Busia County. The man, currently in isolation and receiving care at a Busia health facility, had travelled to the DRC, a hotspot for a severe Mpox outbreak. This confirmation follows the initial case reported on July 31. “Since the declaration of the first case of Mpox, 28 contacts of the said case have completed a 21-day follow-up period without…
President William Ruto has made significant new appointments, placing former Cabinet Secretaries Moses Kuria and Eliud Owalo, and digital strategist Dennis Itumbi in senior government roles. According to Felix Koskei, the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, President Ruto has appointed Kuria, the former CS for Public Service, as Senior Advisor in the Council of Economic Advisors. This move aims to enhance the implementation of the BETA Plan under the Broad-Based Government. “To bolster the implementation of the BETA Plan by the Broad-Based Government, the Head of State and Government has caused the appointment of Hon. Moses Kiarie…
The Ministry of Education has directed parents to register all school-going children in the new medical cover under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) before schools open next week. In a circular dated 16th August, the Principal Secretary for Basic Education Bellio Kipsang tasked regional and county education directors to ensure all students are registered in SHIF before the new term begins. “All school-going children are therefore required to register as dependants of their parents before the school opening dates for the third term of 2024,” Dr Kipsang said. The compulsory registration follows the discontinuation of the EduAfya health cover,…
Families of those accused of looting and vandalizing the Timba XO Club, owned by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, are urgently appealing for his intervention. The suspects, who were involved in the incident during anti-Finance Bill protests in Eldoret two months ago, are currently held at Eldoret GK Remand Prison. The families are pleading with Sudi to honor his earlier promise to withdraw the charges. The 11 suspects, including students from various universities and tertiary institutions, are among the 16 charged in connection with the June 25 incident. Five suspects have already been released after their families managed to provide the…
The government has no money to employ an additional 20,000 Junior School (JS) teachers, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has revealed. Speaking to Citizen TV on Thursday night, Mbadi revealed there was a challenge in mobilizing resources to adjust the teachers’ salaries amid a looming teachers’ strike. That means the government cannot further commit money for the employment of new teachers. “We don’t have resources to recruit JS teachers permanently, and the additional 20,000 positions were cut from the estimates. There is a shortfall of about Sh13 billion unless we make budget adjustments, which we don’t have space for,”…
A deal worth Sh14.2 billion has been signed between Kenya and German banknote printer Giesecke+Devrient for the supply of new currency notes over the next five years. This was revealed on Wednesday by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor Kamau Thugge who was appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Finance and National Planning. Parliament had summoned Dr Thugge to provide details about the deal. Dr Thugge explained that Giesecke+Devrient had taken over the role from British printer De La Rue, which previously handled the job. The decision was made following a classified procurement process, driven by concerns over…
Ousted Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza returned to her office on Thursday, a day after the High Court suspended the Senate’s decision on Tuesday night to uphold her impeachment. Security personnel were deployed early Thursday to guard the county premises, as Governor Mwangaza was expected to hold a cabinet meeting later in the day, among other executive duties. Kawira took to social media to say she expects to lead Meru County for 10 years without a break. “Kabati kabati kaende kaende #MbeuyaNgai #KumiBilaBreak. So help me God,” she posted on Facebook. On Wednesday, Justice Bahati Mwamuye suspended the Senate’s decision, saying…