Author: Our Correspondent

KILIFI, Kenya – Twenty-two seafarers are living a nightmare aboard a stranded fishing vessel off Kilifi Creek, abandoned by their employer who has disappeared without paying them three months’ salary totaling over Sh2 million.

The multinational crew of FV Kivu Spear II, comprising 18 Kenyans and four foreign nationals from Indonesia, China, Tanzania and Pakistan, have been trapped on the vessel for more than 15 days without food, clean water or electricity after the ship’s generator broke down five days ago.

In a desperate bid for survival, the sailors are now relying on the mercy of well-wishers and local fishermen who bring them food and drinking water as they refuse to abandon ship until their wages are paid.

“The situation is bad. We have no food and we cannot leave until we are paid our dues. I expect to get about Sh110,000 for the days I haven’t been paid,” said Ezekiel Odhiambo, one of the Kenyan crew members, speaking by phone from the vessel.

Odhiambo revealed this is the fourth time in his career he has been abandoned at sea, but this incident is the worst because it is happening in his own country. He is now contemplating quitting the profession altogether.

The crew members, who are paid according to their job classifications, say they are owed salaries ranging from Sh30,000 to Sh70,000 per month for Kenyan workers, while expatriate crew members are paid in US dollars. None have received payment for at least three months.

The vessel has become embroiled in a murky ownership dispute that has left the crew as pawns in a legal battle beyond their control. Documents seen by The Star confirm that the Kenya Ports Authority ordered the vessel held over the ownership dispute, effectively trapping the crew in bureaucratic limbo.

East Africa Deep Fishing Limited, the vessel’s local placement agent, admitted the crew have been living without pay and confirmed they terminated all crew contracts on January 5 this year to disengage them after the employer ignored their concerns.

“We have been engaging the employer after it emerged there is a dispute over the ownership of the vessel. We terminated crew contracts since we do not know when the dispute will end,” an EADFL spokesperson said.

The agent confirmed pending salary arrears will be settled once the owner responds to their communications, but admitted the employer has gone silent.

“We have sent emails to the owner but he hasn’t replied. Once we get money from her, we shall pay the workers depending on their rates and arrears,” EADFL stated.

Mombasa Mission to Seamen Chaplain Moses Muli confirmed the crew reported the matter to the International Transport Federation, which has taken over the case.

“We have taken up the matter. We are coordinating to supply food, water and any medication as we plan how best to evacuate them. We understand they are living in deplorable conditions,” Muli said.

Former Seafarers Union of Kenya official Andrew Mwangura warned that seafarer abandonment is becoming an alarming trend not only along the Kenyan coast but globally.

“Abandonment typically occurs when shipowners fail to meet their basic obligations under international maritime law. Crews are left without wages for prolonged periods, denied repatriation at the end of their contracts, and sometimes abandoned on vessels that are no longer seaworthy or supplied,” Mwangura explained.

He said that while the Maritime Labour Convention of 2006 sets clear standards on crew welfare, including financial security to cover abandonment, the growing number of cases shows compliance and enforcement remain dangerously weak.

“In many instances, shipowners simply disappear, leaving crews trapped in legal and bureaucratic limbo,” he added.

According to the International Transport Workers’ Federation, more than 2,280 seafarers have been abandoned aboard 222 vessels so far in 2025, representing a troubling 30 percent increase compared to the previous year.

Tanzania recorded 26 abandonment cases in 2025, Comoros reported 18 cases, and South Africa also reported multiple incidents, showing the crisis extends across the region.

The Kenya Maritime Authority and Kenya Ports Authority have been drawn into the dispute, but the crew remains stranded as authorities work to resolve the ownership conflict.

As the standoff continues, the 22 crew members face an uncertain future, trapped between their right to fair wages and the complex legal machinery grinding slowly toward resolution. For now, their floating prison off Kilifi Creek serves as a grim reminder of the vulnerability of seafarers whose livelihoods depend on employers who can vanish without consequence.

A Nairobi property dealer is on trial over claims that she defrauded a buyer of Sh65 million in a failed luxury home transaction in Lavington that collapsed after alleged structural defects were discovered.

Grace Kerubo Orioki, also known as Grace Kerubo Omambia Omwega, is accused of obtaining the money from Eunice Mbinya Musembi through false pretences in connection with a high end residential property on Kaputiei Road.

The court heard that Orioki, who was trading as Nazziwa Investment Limited, had agreed to sell the house to Musembi and her family at a purchase price of Sh75.5 million.

The agreement required completion within 90 days from August 2024.

Testifying before Magistrate Rose Ndombi, Musembi said she identified the property in July 2024 after it was advertised for sale on social media and later met the accused, who presented herself as the vendor.

She told the court that by the time the dispute arose, she had already paid about Sh65 million, approximately 85 per cent of the purchase price, through bank transfers from Standard Chartered Bank to I&M Bank.

Musembi said the payments were made in good faith on the understanding that the house would be vacated to allow a proper inspection before the balance was cleared.

“We were clear that we wanted to view the house when it was vacant before paying the balance,” she told the court.

According to her testimony, the transaction stalled after the accused declined to vacate the premises, insisting that full payment had to be made first.

The disagreement persisted for several weeks.

Musembi said the accused eventually vacated the house in November 2024, but access remained restricted.

She told the court that their advocates were only granted a one hour supervised inspection, which she said was insufficient to assess the condition of the property.

During the inspection, Musembi said they observed visible cracks on pillars, beams and the servants’ quarters.

Alarmed by the findings, she said they engaged a structural engineer who later prepared a report indicating that the building’s structural integrity had been compromised.

The report was shared with the vendor through advocates alongside a request for remedial works, Musembi testified.

She said no repairs were undertaken and communication later broke down, even as a balance of Sh10 million remained unpaid.

Instead, she said she was issued with a 21 day demand notice requiring her to clear the balance or risk termination of the sale agreement.

“We did not feel protected. We had paid most of the money, but the house was not in a condition we could live in,” Musembi told the court.

She said she opted to terminate the transaction and demanded a refund, but none was forthcoming.

She added that the property was later put back on sale, prompting her to seek the intervention of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

Prosecutors told the court that the accused restricted access to the property despite repeated requests for inspection and declined to refund the money, leaving the buyers exposed after paying a substantial portion of the purchase price without receiving completion documents.

During cross examination, the defence challenged Musembi’s testimony, arguing that the sale agreement was entered into voluntarily and that its terms were clear on timelines and vacant possession.

Defence counsel maintained that access to the house was granted and disputed claims that inspection was denied.

They also pointed out that no official public or government authority has declared the house uninhabitable.

The defence further argued that a related civil dispute over the same funds is pending before another court, where the money is currently held, insisting that the matter is contractual rather than criminal.

Orioki has denied the charge of obtaining Sh65 million by false pretences contrary to Section 313 of the Penal Code.

The hearing is set to continue on March 5, 2026, when the court will hear further submissions from both the prosecution and the defence.

The Kenyan government is planning to spend up to Sh100 million annually to pay social media influencers and bloggers to promote pro-government narratives online, a strategy document reveals, in what critics are calling a desperate attempt to control the digital space after months of devastating youth protests.

The Ministry of Information, Communication, and the Digital Economy has outlined the controversial plan in its National Communication Strategy, seeking funds to recruit 30 influencers who will be paid quarterly stipends to create hashtags, promote government messaging, and counter what officials call misinformation.

The revelations, first reported by Business Daily, have sparked fury among Kenyans who accuse the government of prioritizing propaganda over critical services like healthcare and education. The timing of the budget request is particularly explosive, coming barely eight months after authorities were exposed by Amnesty International for weaponizing social media against Gen Z protesters who brought the country to a standstill in 2024 and 2025.

Under the plan, 10 macro-influencers with more than 100,000 followers each would pocket Sh100,000 quarterly, while 20 micro-influencers with between 10,000 and 100,000 followers would earn Sh50,000 quarterly. Their duties include creating and promoting hashtags on social media, a tactic eerily similar to what Amnesty International documented as state-sponsored online attacks against young protesters.

The National Communication Strategy document makes a stunning admission that has sent shockwaves through digital rights circles. The ministry confesses that the government has found it increasingly difficult to control information as multiple voices have emerged, particularly through digital media. It aims to leverage diverse media platforms and communication assets for the government’s advantage, including enlisting social media influencers and bloggers to push government narratives.

This is not the government’s first rodeo with paid influencers. A damning Amnesty International report released in November last year exposed how Kenyan authorities systematically deployed technology-facilitated violence as part of a coordinated campaign to suppress Generation Z-led protests between June 2024 and July 2025. The report titled “This fear, everyone is feeling it” documented how the government paid bloggers to intimidate and send threatening messages to young protestors, using online harassment and smear campaigns as core state tools to undermine critics.

At least 128 people died, 3,000 were arrested, and over 83 were forcibly disappeared during the Gen Z protests that rocked 44 of Kenya’s 47 counties. The youth-led demonstrations, organized through hashtags like #RejectFinanceBill2024, #OccupyParliament, and #SisiNiNumbers, exposed the government’s desperation to control the digital narrative after protesters breached Parliament buildings on June 25, 2024, forcing President William Ruto to reject the controversial Finance Bill.

In 2021, Mozilla also reported that influencers were paid to dilute criticism and shape online debate following the Pandora Papers leak, which exposed business dealings by the Kenyatta family abroad. The practice of using keyboard warriors to shape public discourse is widespread across Africa, but digital rights advocates universally condemn it as an assault on free expression.

The proposed Sh100 million budget comes at a time when public anger is at boiling point. Kenyans have taken to social media to blast the government for what they call misplaced priorities. One prominent politician, Justina Wamae, captured the mood with a sharp biblical analogy, calling the plan a cup washed outside but dirty inside, implying the government is focused on appearance over substance.

Other reactions on platform X accused the government of governing through PR. One viral comment read: “At a time when 800,000 pupils are yet to join grade 10. At a time when patients are buying own syringes to be treated. No amount of PR can hide incompetence. We will be here.”

The influencer recruitment drive is part of a broader strategy designed to enhance synergy and coherence across all communication efforts while fostering a citizen-centric culture in public discourse, the ministry states. Part of the budget will pay influencers stipends, while the rest will provide tools and resources to help them fight misinformation in their communities and participate in regular engagement events with state officials.

Kenya currently has one of Africa’s most vibrant influencer economies. In 2025, marketers reportedly paid influencers a total of Sh645 million for advertising deals, according to data firm Statista. The government’s entry into this space with a Sh100 million budget signals its recognition of the power these digital creators wield, particularly among young people who have increasingly rejected traditional media.

The National Communication Strategy also reveals the government’s anxiety about its loss of control over the information landscape. With the rise of digital media, the government has found it increasingly difficult to gate-keep information as a multiplicity of voices has emerged, the document admits, noting that the advent of new media platforms and the rise of Artificial Intelligence have further complicated communication dynamics, with the government now competing with citizens in terms of agenda setting and information sharing.

The proposal emerges against a backdrop of heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 General Elections, leading many observers to view it as a tool for political image-making rather than genuine public communication. The government has already increased surveillance capabilities, with Parliament allocating Sh150 million to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations for the Optimus 3.0 system to track social media users nationwide.

Digital rights advocates warn that the combination of paid influencers, increased surveillance, and the recently enacted Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, 2024, gives the state unprecedented power to monitor, silence, and potentially endanger citizens who criticize the regime. President Ruto signed the contentious law in October despite mounting concerns that it could exacerbate state-sponsored repression.

The Kenya Human Rights Commission and presidential aspirant Reuben Kigame have gone to court to challenge the constitutionality of the cybercrime law, arguing it represents a dangerous escalation in the government’s war against free expression.

For Gen Z activists who organized the historic protests of 2024 and 2025, the influencer budget represents yet another attempt by the government to manipulate the digital space they dominate. Unlike previous protests led by political figures, these leaderless, tribeless, and partyless demonstrations relied on decentralized digital strategies that bypassed mainstream media gatekeeping and censorship.

Live-streamed videos on TikTok allowed demonstrators to document police crackdowns in real time, countering government narratives and drawing international attention. X Spaces facilitated instant live discussions, with President Ruto himself joining one in a desperate attempt to placate protesters. WhatsApp groups provided logistical coordination, including updates on safe routes, legal aid, and first-aid support.

The government’s new influencer strategy appears designed to infiltrate and neutralize these same digital spaces. By recruiting influencers from within the communities that organized the protests, officials hope to reshape narratives from the inside out. But whether Kenyans, particularly the defiant Gen Z demographic that stormed Parliament and forced a president to back down, will accept government-sponsored messaging remains to be seen.

What is clear is that the battle for Kenya’s digital soul is far from over. As one activist put it after surviving state-sponsored online attacks during the protests, the threats made me believe that I was doing the wrong thing by protesting. We were fighting for people who don’t care. I’m not sure I will protest again. That chilling effect, exactly what the government aims to achieve with both its surveillance apparatus and its influencer army, may be the real victory the Sh100 million is meant to buy.

NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 8 – Controversial lawyer and political activist Miguna Miguna has announced his intention to run for the presidency in the 2027 General Election.

Miguna made the declaration during a live television interview on TV47, where he said his bid would focus on prioritising the interests of Kenyans and restructuring governance to serve the public good rather than elite interests.

“I am going to vie as President of the Republic of Kenya. I’m going to do it on a transformative vision a vision that identifies the interests of the Republic of Kenya and the people of Kenya as the core and foundation of moving the country forward. It is a vision built on integrity and built on socialism,” Miguna said during the interview.

The announcement positions Miguna among a growing list of politicians and public figures already signalling interest in the 2027 race, as early campaigns begin to take shape across the political divide.

Miguna’s bid adds to a growing list of aspirants including former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Former CS Fred Matiang’i and former Chief Justice David Maraga  all positioning themselves for the 2027 contest.

Return from Forced Exile

Miguna’s declaration comes against the backdrop of a long and contentious political journey that saw him forcefully removed from Kenya in 2018 following his involvement in the symbolic swearing-in of opposition leader Raila Odinga after the disputed 2017 presidential election.

He was deported to Canada and remained in exile for nearly five years after being denied re-entry into the country multiple times under Former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration. Miguna has consistently maintained that his deportation violated his constitutional rights as a Kenyan citizen.

Following the election of President William Ruto in 2022, the new administration facilitated his return to Kenya, ending a prolonged standoff that had played out in courts, airports and international diplomatic channels.

Reflecting on the period in exile, Miguna said he did not remain idle despite the injustice of being barred from his country. He explained that he re-established his legal practice in Ontario to support himself and his family and to continue exercising his profession.

“If you are forcefully removed from your country and denied the right to return for five years, you would not just sit somewhere doing nothing,” he said.

“I was fortunate that even in exile, I could continue with aspects of my life. I re-established a law firm so that I could support my family and continue doing the basic things that normal human beings do.”

He added that, like many Kenyans working abroad as professionals, maintaining his overseas practice remained necessary even after his return, noting that he could not simply abandon clients and professional commitments built over several years.

Miguna highlighted what he described as the unequal application of rights in Kenya, arguing that some leaders travel freely without accountability while others face restrictions and persecution.

“You choose when to travel in or out of Kenya without being questioned on where you are going or why. The same rights apply to me,” he said, adding that his experience had given him a deeper appreciation of constitutional freedoms and the need to protect them.

The Kenya Wildlife Service is once again at the centre of a procurement scandal that could see taxpayers lose millions of shillings after the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board declared the agency’s cancellation of a Sh710.9 million medical insurance tender unlawful and procedurally flawed.

In a damning ruling delivered this week, PPARB overturned KWS Director General Dr Erustus Kanga’s decision to terminate the three-year staff insurance contract, ruling that the cancellation was poorly explained and violated established procurement laws. The board has now ordered KWS to complete the procurement within 60 days, but the delay and procedural chaos have already cost the agency time, resources and credibility.

The latest scandal represents yet another blow to Dr Kanga’s embattled administration, which has been buffeted by corruption allegations, internal rebellion and systematic accusations of mismanagement over the past 18 months. What makes this case particularly troubling is that it marks the second time the same tender has been tainted by irregularities, suggesting that something is fundamentally broken in KWS procurement systems.

The tender saga began in April 2025 when KWS advertised for comprehensive medical insurance cover for its board members and staff. Eight major insurers submitted bids, including Jubilee Health Insurance and Britam General Insurance. After an initial evaluation was challenged and overturned due to a sophisticated forgery scheme that saw Jubilee wrongfully disqualified, PPARB ordered a fresh evaluation in May 2025.

Following the re-evaluation, Britam emerged as the lowest bidder at Sh710.9 million. But instead of approving the award and allowing staff to finally receive the medical cover they desperately need, Dr Kanga made a decision that has now been ruled illegal. He declined to approve the award and instead terminated the entire tender, citing vague “material governance issues” that the procurement board has now declared insufficient and legally untenable.

The board’s ruling was scathing in its assessment of KWS actions. It found that the agency failed to provide specific and factual reasons for the cancellation that bidders could understand or contest. The mere recitation of statutory language, PPARB emphasised, is not enough when a public entity is terminating a major procurement process. Bidders and taxpayers deserve concrete explanations, not bureaucratic generalities.

KWS attempted to justify the cancellation by citing a letter from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations about a past business relationship between one bidder and a broker. But investigators found no evidence of wrongdoing in the tender process itself and recommended no further police action. PPARB ruled that this did not constitute sufficient grounds for cancellation, noting that governance concerns must be specific and substantiated, not speculative or historical.

Even more troubling, the board discovered that KWS had failed to follow mandatory legal procedures when terminating the tender. The law requires an accounting officer to submit a written termination report to the procurement regulator within 14 days and to notify all bidders with clear reasons for the decision. KWS did neither. No termination report was filed with the regulator. The letters sent to bidders contained no meaningful explanation for why months of evaluation work was being thrown away.

These procedural violations matter because they expose taxpayers to legal liability and waste public resources. The tender was first advertised nearly nine months ago. Insurers invested time and money preparing bids. Evaluation committees spent weeks reviewing submissions. Staff have been left without proper medical cover while bureaucratic games are played at headquarters. All of this costs money, delays essential services and damages KWS reputation with the business community.

The ruling raises serious questions about Dr Kanga’s judgment and the quality of legal advice he is receiving. Why would a director general with over 20 years of conservation experience and a doctorate reject clear procurement procedures? Why cite governance concerns so vague that even a procurement tribunal cannot understand them? Why fail to file the most basic documentation required by law?

For Jubilee Health Insurance, which challenged the cancellation, the ruling represents vindication after months of fighting what it described as procedural manipulation. The company argued that KWS was using vague governance claims to avoid completing a procurement process that had already been marred by forgery and irregularities during the first evaluation round. PPARB agreed, ruling that the termination was unjustified and ordering the process to be completed properly.

The insurance tender debacle cannot be viewed in isolation. It forms part of a pattern of procurement failures, internal chaos and leadership breakdown that multiple sources have documented over the past year. An Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission report released in August 2025 named KWS as Kenya’s most corrupt institution, revealing that job seekers were forced to pay over Sh200,000 in bribes to secure employment. The agency alone accounted for more than 35 percent of all bribe money exchanged across the entire country during the survey period.

Internal whistleblowers have compiled detailed dossiers alleging that Dr Kanga presides over a toxic work environment where transfers are weaponised to punish dissent, technical expertise is ignored, and a small cabal of loyalists makes decisions affecting Kenya’s entire wildlife heritage. Rangers report not receiving uniforms for three years. Staff meetings where grievances could be aired have been cancelled indefinitely. Medical insurance sits in arrears while officers nurse injuries from wildlife encounters.

Female officers say they have been completely shut out of senior management positions. Key parks have allegedly been captured along ethnic lines. The traditional practice of hiring lower cadre staff from communities surrounding protected areas has been abandoned, weakening the local cooperation that conservation depends on. Seasoned conservation professionals with decades of field experience sit idle while juniors with minimal qualifications are parachuted into sensitive positions.

The strategic plan launched with fanfare in 2023 appears dead in the water. Departments working on human wildlife conflict mitigation, tourism development, security and community relations report paralysis caused by confusion, resource shortages and unclear guidance from headquarters. Funds that once flowed directly to field stations for operational needs now require personal approval from a small inner circle, creating bottlenecks that leave rangers watching helplessly as elephants raid crops and poachers slip through surveillance gaps.

The insurance tender scandal is particularly galling because it involves the health and welfare of KWS own staff. These are the men and women who confront armed poachers in darkness, who wade through swamps tracking wildlife criminals, who spend weeks away from families protecting elephants and rhinos. They deserve medical cover that actually works, procured through processes that are transparent and efficient. Instead they are caught in bureaucratic quicksand while their leaders play games with procurement procedures.

The cost to taxpayers extends beyond the direct financial waste of repeated evaluations and legal challenges. Every day that KWS lacks proper insurance cover for staff is a day of institutional risk. Every procurement process that collapses due to procedural violations damages Kenya’s reputation with the private sector. Every tender that takes nine months instead of three months represents resources that could have been deployed to conservation instead of administrative fire fighting.

Tourism operators are already furious with KWS over massive park fee increases and illegal levies imposed despite explicit High Court orders. The brazen defiance of judicial directives signals an organisation that believes it answers to no one. Now procurement tribunals are having to force the agency to follow basic tendering procedures. The pattern suggests an institution that has lost its moorings and abandoned the professional standards that once made it the envy of African conservation.

International donors and conservation partners who once queued to fund KWS programs are increasingly wary of an agency associated with bribery scandals, tender manipulation and internal dysfunction. Global conservation organisations that send their wildlife managers to Kenya to learn best practices are reconsidering whether KWS still represents excellence or has become just another cautionary tale of institutional decay.

The 60 day deadline PPARB has imposed for completing the procurement offers Dr Kanga one last chance to demonstrate that his administration can execute even the most basic functions properly. The tender documents exist. The bids have been submitted and evaluated. The legal framework is clear. All that is required is following established procedures without the drama, secrecy and procedural violations that have characterised this process from the beginning.

But if the past 18 months are any guide, there is little reason for confidence. This is an administration that has presided over systematic bribery, defended forged documents in procurement processes, defied court orders on park fees, allegedly allowed mining cartels into protected areas and failed to provide basic equipment to frontline rangers. The insurance tender represents a test case for whether KWS can still perform routine functions or whether the rot has progressed to the point where even straightforward procurements collapse into chaos.

The implications stretch far beyond medical insurance. KWS is responsible for protecting wildlife that generates billions in tourism revenue and supports thousands of jobs. It maintains national parks that are global treasures. It represents Kenya’s commitment to environmental leadership. When such an institution becomes synonymous with corruption and mismanagement, the damage extends to the entire country’s international standing and economic prospects.

Dr Kanga came into office in August 2023 with a sterling academic background and two decades of conservation field experience. He was supposed to represent a new generation of professional leadership that would modernise KWS and restore public confidence after years of drift. Instead his tenure is becoming defined by the EACC report crowning KWS as Kenya’s most corrupt agency, multiple procurement scandals, whistleblower dossiers alleging systematic abuse and now a procurement tribunal ruling that his decision to cancel a major tender was unlawful.

The question facing the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, the board of trustees and ultimately President William Ruto is how much longer this situation can continue before irreversible damage is done. Wildlife populations do not wait for procurement disputes to be resolved. Tourists making decisions about African safaris do not ignore headlines about corruption and mismanagement. International conservation funding does not flow to agencies that have lost institutional discipline.

The 60 day clock is now ticking. KWS must complete the insurance tender properly, following every procedure, documenting every decision, treating all bidders fairly and ensuring that staff finally receive the medical cover they need and deserve. If the agency cannot manage even this basic task under the direct supervision of a procurement tribunal, then the evidence will be overwhelming that leadership change is not just desirable but essential for institutional survival.

For now, taxpayers are left counting the cost of yet another procurement failure at an agency that is supposed to be protecting national heritage, not wasting public resources on bureaucratic incompetence and procedural violations. The rot at KWS is no longer hidden behind closed doors or whispered about in ranger posts. It is being documented in official reports, exposed in tribunal rulings and laid bare for all Kenyans to see.

Whether anyone in authority has the political will to act on what is now undeniable remains the only question that matters.