President William Ruto gifted Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DeKUT) students Sh1 million. The university will now give each student Sh180 after consulting them on how the money will be shared.
A public participation exercise conducted by the university saw 51 per cent of the students demand the splitting of the cash donation equally among them.
The remaining half was split between those in favour of a bursary proposal and a luncheon.
“Following the outcome of the public participation, it has been decided that every registered undergraduate student during the January-April 2024 semesters including students who are on internal attachment during the semester will be given sh 180,” University’s Director of Students’ Welfare Esther Nthiga said in a memo dated April 9.
Nthinga attached a schedule indicating when students in different classes will claim their share.
The Head of State visited the institution on March 26 and donated the money as a token to the university students.
The Nyeri-based institution said it conducted public participation via Google form.
As doctors’ strike continues for the fourth week running, the Kenyatta University Teaching Research and Referral Hospital (KUTRRH) has hired five oncologists from the East African region and recalled patients who were on chemotherapy.
Hospital Board Chairperson Prof. Olive Mugenda said three doctors were sourced from Ethiopia and one each from Tanzania and Malawi.
Speaking to journalists at the facility today, the Prof said the five will help revive the oncology unit, the facility’s flagship area, whose operations had stopped due to the strike.
She divulged some 45 patients who had already started chemo but stopped and forced to go home due to the strike have been recalled and another 40 new ones are being attended to.
The new medics, she said, have been approved by the government and will be incorporated in the facility even after the strike is called off to help address the huge demand for cancer treatment at the facility.
“The hospital receives a very high number of cancer patients and the doctors will be highly required at the facility,” she said.
At the same time, the Prof said despite the strike, some units in the hospital have been operational, including the radiotherapy department, the renal and imaging center, as well as the accident and emergency units.
She added that the hospital has dismissed some of the striking doctors and given suspension letters to others over the strike which she said was uncalled for.
“From the facility, 132 doctors are engaging in industrial action while about 82 doctors are working. The striking doctors should resume work and give dialogue a chance,” she said.
Prof Mugenda spoke even as cancer patients who had jammed the facility expressed relief about resumption of treatment.
Rachel Nyokabi Kariuki, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, said she had contemplated committing suicide out of desperation after her hopes to get treatment were dashed by the strike.
“I lost my left breast to cancer and I have been going for radiotherapy services at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) until the doctors went on strike. I’ve been living with excruciating pain and even contemplated committing suicide,” she said.
Nyokabi says she received a call to be taken to KUTRRH for free treatment from the Health Ministry, much to her relief.
“I received a call from the head of Oncology from KUTRRH who told me to report at the facility and that I’d be treated for free on directions from the Ministry. I am grateful and my hopes of living longer have been revived,” she said.
Esther Wanjiku, another cancer patient, from Kiambu was grateful for the resumption of services at the hospital.
She too received a call from the hospital to resume chemotherapy services. She noted that the pain was unbearable and made her weak.
“Patients are suffering out here and a solution needs to be found. The pain I was going through was too much and luckily, the hospital heard our cry,” said Wanjiku.
Former State House spokesman Kanze Dena, on April 8, 2024, took to social media to dismiss claims that she is battling with cancer.
This was after rumors circulated on social media platforms for several days, claiming that Kanze Dena was suffering from cancer
Posts on various social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, alleging that Kanze was suffering from nasopharyngeal cancer (throat cancer), went viral, with many Kenyans sending prayers for the former Citizen TV news anchor.
She is a famous Kenyan journalist and former spokesperson in the executive office of the president of the of the Republic of Kenya.
Kanze Dena served as a Deputy State House Spokesperson and Deputy Head of PSCU in charge of coordinating digital, messaging, research, branding and press at State House during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s regime.
She previously worked as a news anchor for citizen TV before resigning in June 2021.
In a caption on Instagram alongside her photo, she wrote, ”This race called life …not exiting anytime soon. The lord is my refuge and strong tower”
She posted the second photo she wrote,
”Life na good oh!. Not EXITING this race called LIFE anytime soon. Fixing my eye on Jesus the Author and finisher of my life. I stand and declare God’s word that He shall honor me and Satisfy me with long life. No evil shall befall me, neither shall any plague come near my dwelling.
I shall live to declare the works of the Lord in the land of the leaving. GOD I thank you for your word for it shall not go out and return void.
I am confident of this Every tongue that raises itself against me in judgement is condemned. This is my heritage,” she said.
South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma is free to run in May’s general election after an electoral court overturned a ban on his candidacy.
Last month the electoral commission barred him over a contempt of court conviction.
It argued the constitution prevented people from holding public office if convicted of a crime and sentenced to more than 12 months in prison.
Mr Zuma, 81, has been campaigning for the new uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party.
A former stalwart of the governing African National Congress (ANC), he is a controversial figure and served as president from 2009 until 2018, when he had to step down because of corruption allegations.
He was sentenced to 15 months in jail in 2021 for failing to testify in a corruption investigation, though he only served three months on health grounds.
The ruling could have a significant impact on the outcome of next month’s election.
Mr Zuma is the face of a newly formed MK opposition party, which is named after the ANC’s former military wing.
The ex-president sees himself as the true heir to the revolutionary roots of ANC, once led by Nelson Mandela.
Mr Zuma’s court victory means he can now run as the MK’s leading candidate.
Rather than voting directly for a president, South Africans elect members of the National Assembly. The head of whichever party can muster a majority is likely to become the country’s leader, though it could put forward another candidate.
The ruling will also be a blow to the ANC, which after 30 years in power, faces a potentially bruising election.
For the first time since the start of the democratic era in 1994, the ANC’s vote share could fall below 50%, several opinion polls predict.
The MK party is seen as popular in Mr Zuma’s home region of KwaZulu-Natal.
Kenyans especially from marginalized communities can now breathe a sigh of relief after the government announced plans to abolish the national identification card vetting process.
President William Ruto announced on April 8 while attending a Muslim leaders’ Iftar dinner at State House, Nairobi on Monday.
The president said that he will soon issue a policy document to ease the ID application process from May 2024.
“Starting Next month (May 2024) there will be no vetting for Kenyans who want to get ID cards,” said Ruto.
“I’m going to be issuing a policy document to make sure that we have a mechanism that is similar to other Kenyans so that we don’t discriminate based on religion or region.”
The announcement is more of a relief, especially to applicants from Asian, Arab and Nubians who are not considered ‘indigenous’ communities in Kenya.
It has been an issue among the indigenous communities in Kenyans as they often view it as a form of discrimination following the stress they go through to get legal document.
Ruto also reiterated that it’s discriminatory noting that the government was amending the guidelines on ID card issuance.
“Every Kenyan should be treated equally. We have changed the old policy and have concluded the policy documents,” he added.
The president also promised to gazette the Kenya Nubian community as a tribe by December 2024.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has said he will provide Starlink services free of charge for schools in Brazil if the government chooses to follow through and cancel a contract for the service in the country.
Many schools in Brazil have reported using the company to provide internet access to their citizens. Starlink terminals connect to the company’s satellites in low Earth orbit and provide high-speed communications.
Brazil’s government has reportedly announced plans to suspend all contracts with Starlink. Prompting Mr. Musk to offer the service free of charge.
“Starlink will provide free Internet for schools in Brazil if the government won’t honor their contract,” he said in an April 8 social media post.
The moves come amid a growing stoush between social media company X, also owned by Mr. Musk, and the Brazilian government.
According to an April 6 post on the platform, the global affairs team announced they were being “forced by court decisions to block certain popular accounts in Brazil.”
“We do not know the reasons these blocking orders have been issued. We do not know which posts are alleged to violate the law. We are prohibited from saying which court or judge issued the order, or on what grounds,” the post said.
The global affairs team claimed the company had been threatened with fines if they didn’t comply with the order. They also said they were unable to provide a list of which accounts were impacted.
“We believe that such orders are not in accordance with the Marco Civil da Internet or the Brazilian Federal Constitution, and we challenge the orders legally where possible,” the post from the global affairs team said.
“The people of Brazil, regardless of their political beliefs, are entitled to freedom of speech, due process, and transparency from their own authorities.”
The announcement came after a report by investigative journalist Michael Shellenberger and colleagues David Ágape and Eli Vieira, titled “Twitter Files Brazil.”
Mr. Shellenberger said that sitting members of Brazil’s Congress and journalists were among those named by Brazil’s highest court for censorship. He has shared his findings on X.
Mr. Musk announced soon after he had removed all content restrictions in Brazil in defiance of the order.
As a result, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes opened a probe into Mr. Musk for alleged obstruction of justice after he challenged a court order requiring the removal of certain X accounts.
In his decision on April 7, Justice de Moraes said Mr. Musk will be probed for alleged obstruction of justice, criminal organization, and incitement.
Mr. Musk has made serious allegations of corruption against Justice de Moraes and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In a follow-up April 8 post, Mr. Musk claims that events have since escalated and all Twitter Brazil employees are in danger of arrest. Once safe, he will release the information proving his allegations.
“We need to get our employees in Brazil to a safe place or otherwise not in a position of responsibility, then we will do a full data dump,” he said.
“They have been told they will be arrested. Save the Brazilian X employees.”
The Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) has raised concerns over the suitability of David Kiplagat Kerich for the Washington DC, USA Ambassadorial post.
The commission through a recommendation to the National Assembly Committee on Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations committee stated that there is an active investigation against Kiplagat.
“We have received a letter from EACC indicating you were under investigation and your file was submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP),” said the Committee Chair and Belgut Member of Parliament Nelson Koech who however allowed the Nominee to make his submissions.
During his vetting, Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan questioned why the nominee could not wait to dispense with the case before taking up the diplomatic assignment.
“Your image is already tarnished. Your integrity is being questioned. Is it not better for you to deal with your integrity issues first instead of taking that damaged image to Washington, DC? Because you’re not going to be an effective representative of Kenya with your integrity questions?” posed Yusuf.
Kerich, a lawyer and former Baringo County Assembly Speaker, was further scrutinized due to an adverse report from the EACC linking him to irregularities in a Ksh 100 million rehabilitation project in Baringo County.
Fredrick Lusuli, MP for Shinyalu, pressed on the issue: “Mr. Kerich, how do you respond to the allegations of irregularities in the Baringo project?”
David Kiplagat Kerich responded unequivocally: “I am innocent of any wrongdoing and will cooperate fully with any investigations.”
Lack of diplomatic experience
MP Yusuf further compounded Kerich’s case when he questioned his lack of diplomatic experience, pointing out that “the ambassador to Washington DC is one of the appointments any diplomat would want to get. It is where capitals send their most senior and best diplomats.”
“I look at your CV and you’re completely underwhelming. You have no diplomatic experience. You’re not a diplomat yet you have been elevated to the peak of diplomatic posting. Do you have what it takes to represent Kenya in Washington, DC?” asked the Kamukunji legislator.
“It is true I have never been a diplomat but I have the knowledge and experience. I studied public international law module at university in my degree. I am not that green in diplomacy. It is a matter of knowledge,” the nominee answered.
“This is not a one-man show. Washington is led by a team of qualified Kenyans who work together. I will be there to offer guidance. I have the ability to learn and seek guidance and this will help me play the role of a Kenyan diplomat to the USA,” he added.
During his vetting, the lawmakers acknowledged the importance of the USA as a strategic partner through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) which is Kenya’s biggest export market.
Kiplagat said he will leverage the trade agreement and increase export volumes.
“We can sensitize our farmers and traders on AGOA as well as take advantage of the export processing zone to promote the apparel sector,” he said.
Mr. Kerich was previously nominated by the president for the moribund CAS position for mining.
The allure of State jobs with hefty salaries and chunky perks has spawned a vicious racketeering ring that is fleecing millions from individuals who think they are bribing their way into corner offices of Kenya’s parastatals.
Even before the dust settles on Robert Monda’s impeachment as Kisii deputy governor, partly over claims he nearly bankrupted a relative with the promise of securing a job, The Weekly Reviewhas established that high ranking officials from the same county are running a similar scam.
So brazen are the fraudsters that in some instances , they register new phone numbers in the names of senior government officials, such as Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, to hoodwink their prey into believing that bribes are being channeled to the right people in high places to facilitate plum jobs.
Perhaps of more concern, the racketeers have infiltrated some State corporations, whose staff use official emails to trick victims into thinking that they are being considered for corner office jobs. This, it turns out, is just bait to extract more bribes from the unsuspecting victims.
James Abuki had grand dreams in October, 2022 after the Public Service Commission sought to fill Principal Secretary and Chief Administrative Secretary positions. The 54-year-old imagined he could land a CAS slot, which would become a stepping stone to the Cabinet and the presidency in future.
But those grand dreams have quickly become a nightmare as he has been left Sh9 million in the red, after borrowing extensively to pay “facilitation fees” to people he thought were senior civil servants close to President William Ruto, and who would catapult him into a corner office.
And police, in Abuki’s case, are seemingly reluctant to investigate his tribulations as his June, 2023 complaint to Kasarani Police Station is yet to elicit any investigation or response.
After seeing the PSC advertisements in October, 2022, Abuki approached an influential MP in the Kenya Kwanza administration to help him secure a nomination. Abuki met the legislator at a popular club in Nairobi in the company of three others, including a former TV journalist.
“I asked him to assist me secure one of the positions. He told me he could not promise a CAS job but he could push for an appointment as CEO of a parastatal, or an ambassadorial post, if I met some requirements. He asked for Sh500,000 right away,” Abuki told The Weekly Review.
The MP was filling out club membership forms and asked Abuki to send Sh115,000 to the journalist, whom he introduced as his private aide. “I sent the money by MPesa and he told me to deliver the balance of Sh400,000 to his office.”
On November 1, 2022, Abuki asked a friend to accompany him to the Parliament Buildings, where they were received by the journalist, who escorted them to the MP’s office.
“After I delivered the cash, we exchanged numbers and he then told me to WhatsApp him my CV. The MP said more facilitation would be needed. He also told me that I should always execute the journalist’s instructions, adding that the next move was to see the Head of Public Service. On why he didn’t want us to communicate directly, he said this was to avoid prying eyes from intelligence,” added Abuki.
The journalist would later introduce him to another aide of the MP, *Jacob, who told him that he was being considered for the position of Geothermal Development Company (GDC) chief executive officer.
“I later got a letter from GDC, inviting me to apply for the position of CEO. I submitted an application to accompany my CV, and gave it to the journalist to take it to the Head of Public Service’s office.”
The MP’s team later registered a fake number under the name Felix Koskei, the Head of Public Service, through which money was to be channelled. “The journalist told me Sh800,000 was required as a facilitation fee at Koskei’s office, which I sent him through M-Pesa at various times as indicated in M-Pesa statements,” he said.
“The journalist later brought in another individual, a *Mr Koech, whom he introduced as Koskei’s private aide. I kept asking whether the MP was well briefed about this and the answer I was given was in the affirmative. I tried to reach the MP on the phone in vain.
“Koech told me that facilitation was required at the ministerial level and that two senior executives had to be facilitated to fast-track my appointment. One was to receive Sh500,000, while the other Sh300,000, which I delivered in cash.”
At the same time, one of Abuki’s friends reached out to a GDC board member to help push the bid. “The board member called me immediately. We talked about my application and he told me he would send his PA for some facilitation.”
Abuki was now dealing with chains of “facilitators” at every stage of the elaborate plot. “I was later called by a person who introduced himself as *George Chacha, the board member’s PA. He had been sent to pick Sh950,000 for the board members, which I also delivered in cash.
The board member later called him and initially asked for what he told me was a negotiated figure of Sh1.2 million for a senior member of the executive, but this was later revised to Sh2 million, which I gave to the PA. The PA told me he delivered the money to the senior executive.”
Abuki would later receive an email from the Human Resource and Administration Manager at GDC via [email protected], dated January 9, 2023, inviting him to an interview with the board. The email stated: “We believe that your skills and experience would be a valuable asset to GDC and we would be excited to have you join our team. If you are interested in this opportunity, please do not hesitate to apply and bring your hardcopy application on January 11, 2023, at 2pm, at Kawi House, South C, Bellevue, Popo Lane off Red Cross Road, Nairobi Kenya.”
On Thursday, TheWeekly Review visited GDC headquarters in South C for an audience with the board member after several attempts to reach him by phone and SMS proved futile. He was not in, so we sought an audience with the CEO, Paul Ngugi. He referred us to a senior manager who confirmed that the email belonged to the company but was not the one used for such correspondence.
“[email protected] is indeed one of our email addresses but it is not used for such communication. In fact, the HR department does not use it. It was not, therefore, possible for the HR Manager to use it,” the manager disclosed. He promised to reach out to the CEO to help facilitate an audience with the board member over the allegations raised by Abuki.
On January 11, 2023, Abuki received another email rescheduling the interview to January 18, 2023, before another one followed, titled: ‘Time-Sensitive Request for Interview Documents.”
“Before the interview, I received a call from GDC informing me that it had been rescheduled once again until February 8, when I received a regret through email,” said Abuki. It stated: “After conducting a comprehensive review of the available candidates and considering all relevant factors, we have decided to cancel the invitation for this role. While we were initially impressed by your skills and experience in the energy sector, it has become evident that your qualifications are no longer a suitable match for the current needs of our company.”
That’s when Abuki realised he had been taken for a ride. “I didn’t get the job. I have since been asking for refunds in vain.” The GDC board member avoided him for a while, but when Abuki eventually got him on a conference call, alongside his friend and the GDC HR manager, the man allegedly issued threats. “He threatened us with dire consequences. He said he didn’t know me. He also threatened my friend, sending characters to his home until he was forced to report at Kisii Police Station that his life was in danger,” offered Abuki.
“I had even committed my vehicles’ log books to get most of the money and auctioneers are now on my neck.” One of the messages he received stated: “Dear James Abuki, your Sacco debt of Sh793,350.00 has been outsourced to auctioneers for recovery in full.” Abuki cannot pay school fees for his children and meet other basic needs. He was running a successful restaurant business, but it’s now performing poorly because resources were diverted. His world is crashing.
Abuki reported his tribulations at Kasarani Police Station in June last year, but to date, nothing has been forthcoming. He said that his efforts to pursue the matter at the station had stalled since nobody had been arraigned in court. “I reported there and even wrote a statement to that effect but I have never received any feedback,” he told The Weekly Review.
Cases of unsuspecting job seekers being swindled out of their hard-earned money have lifted the lid on the desperation of many Kenyans seeking employment.
For instance, a Sh800,000 bribe for a job that never was — backed by mobile money trail — was at the heart of allegations that recently sunk Kisii Deputy Governor Robert Monda, less than two years into office. Senators voted to kick him out over various charges, including abuse of office charges.
In an emotional impeachment hearing punctuated with tears in February, the witness-in-chief, Dennis Mokaya, narrated how together with his father Joseph Misati, they met Dr Monda at his residence in Keumbu where an agreement was struck that they part with Sh800,000 in exchange for the vacant Gusii Water and Sanitation Company (Gwasco) commercial manager position.
At the May 28, 2023, meeting, said Mokaya, Sh500,000 was sent to the former Nyaribari Chache MP in tranches and the balance of Sh300,000 was to be delivered at the DG’s office at Gusii Stadium.
The transactions trail consisted of bank and mobile money exchanges to the tune of Sh500,000, with both Mokaya and Misati as the senders. “After leaving his residence, we had given him a sum of Sh500,000. We were to give him the remainder of Sh300,000 at his office the following day,” said Mokaya during the Senate hearing in February.
On Sunday, Rwanda paid solemn tribute to genocide victims. In accordance with tradition, the country’s President Paul Kagame ignited a memorial flame at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where more than 250,000 victims are thought to be buried, to mark the start of the commemoration ceremonies on April 7 — the day Hutu militants launched the horror massacre against Tutsis in 1994.
Kagame, together with several other African leaders and other foreign guests, laid wreaths on the mass graves.
The president also delivered a speech at a 10,000-seat arena in the capital, saying that the international community had “failed all of us” during the genocide.
“Rwanda was completely humbled by the magnitude of our loss. And the lessons we learned are engraved in blood. […] It was the international community which failed all of us, whether from contempt or cowardice,” Kagame said in Kigali during the commemoration ceremony.
But what caused this tragedy, and could it have been prevented?
Causes of Genocide and Its Beginning
The causes of the genocide were based on the policies of the German and then Belgian colonial rulers, who sought to maintain their power in Rwanda by exacerbating internal contradictions. Belgium initially supported the Tutsi monarchy, then made concessions to the majority Hutus. As a result, in Rwanda, with the support of Belgium, the polarization of the population along ethnic groups finally took shape, and ethnically oriented political parties were formed.
The trigger for the start of the genocide against the Tutsi was the death of ethnic Hutu Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana, whose plane was shot down by a missile on April 6, 1994. Hutu leaders blamed ethnic Tutsis for the murder and began their extermination the next day. In 100 days, more than 800,000 people were brutally killed, according to the most estimates. The vast majority of the victims were Tutsis, but those Hutus who refused to kill their neighbors also suffered a sad fate.
These numbers are mind-boggling: murders occurred at an approximate rate of one every 10 seconds.
The annihilation of the Tutsis was planned over several months: local armed groups were created, mass propaganda was carried out, and machete knives were purchased and distributed to the population. There was no mercy for anyone — neither children nor the elderly, nor pregnant women. People seeking refuge in schools and churches were pelted with grenades and burned alive.
Local and International Response
Surprisingly, the governments of UN member countries were more concerned about the fate of their own troops, according to the UN itself. The Security Council only decided to reduce the size of the already poorly staffed UN Mission in Rwanda.
The UN made these decisions while the force commander of the mission, Romeo Dallaire, saw the atrocities taking place and therefore repeatedly requested logistical support and reinforcements. He also urged to shut down Free Radio and Television of the Thousand Hills, from which the instructions to kill Tutsis were constantly coming.
Despite Dallaire’s efforts, all his requests were left unanswered. Nevertheless, his troops managed to save about 30,000 Tutsis.
The Flame of Remembrance that was lit, will burn for the next 100 days in commemoration of those lost.
Paul Rusesabagina, who was a hotel manager in the capital Kigali, also made a significant contribution to saving the Tutsis. Using his influence and connections, he was able to shelter 1,268 Tutsis at his hotel.
As for the international community, only on May 17, a month and a half after the massacre began, the UN Security Council decided to send a contingent to Rwanda. The troops arrived at site only at the beginning of August.
However, by then it was all over thanks to the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) led by Kagame. After forcing the 40,000-man Hutu army out of Rwanda, the RPF advanced and took control of the country.
In July 1994, although Kagame de-facto gained supreme power in the country, he chose to announce the creation of a coalition government including both Hutus and Tutsis, as envisaged in the 1993 Arusha peace accords. Pasteur Bizimungu, a representative of the “moderate Hutus” became president, and Kagame himself became vice-president and minister of defense.
It’s worth noting that later, Kofi Annan, who was back then the UN Secretary General, also blamed the global community for the lack of response.
“We must all acknowledge our responsibility for not having done more to prevent or stop the genocide. Neither the United Nations Secretariat, nor the Security Council nor Member States in general, nor the international media, paid enough attention to the gathering signs of disaster. Still less did we take timely action,” Annan said in a speechmarking the 10th anniversary of the genocide.
French Role in the Massacre
In 2021, a special commission led by French historian Vincent Duclert released its report on the role of Paris in events in Rwanda during the period of the Tutsi genocide and on the eve of it.
The report, presented to French President Emmanuel Macron, noted that France did not pay attention to the preparations for the genocide in Rwanda, and in this sense bears significant responsibility for what happened. During a May 2021 visit to Rwanda, Macron formally asked for forgiveness from the people of that country for Paris’s failure to prevent the catastrophe.
In 1994, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda was created in Tanzania under the auspices of the UN to prosecute those responsible for crimes in Rwanda, which existed until December 31, 2015. During its work, the tribunal considered the cases of 93 accused.
One of the criminals, Fulgence Kayishema, a police inspector of the Kivumu commune who ordered the killing of 2,000 Tutsi men, women and children, was recently brought to justice after more than 20 years on the run.
Last June, former Rwandan military police officer Philippe Hategekimana was found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity by a Paris court and got a life sentence.
Despite the imprisonment of some participants in the genocide, the search for other perpetrators continues. Last summer, Rwanda asked Malawi to help find 55 genocide suspects who are currently hiding in the southern African nation.
A former CNN anchor Don Lemon recently tied the knot to his longtime love, Tim Malone.
People reports the couple exchanged vows in front of 140 guests on Saturday, April 6.
The husbands got hitched in NYC at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States ambassador to the UN, officiated the ceremony.
The 55-year-old said, “She’s a friend, and it means that much to us.”
The pair have been engaged for five years and decided to have a traditional wedding. Lemon, who is a Baptist, stated he “wanted to have a religious service.”
He continued, “I wanted to get married in the church. So, Tim made that happen.”
The television journalist shared how he and the real estate broker incorporated their culture’s traditions.
He stated, “Tim is from a big Irish family so we planned a big Irish blessing in there in his ceremony.”
Additionally, Lemon said “At the end, we jumped over a broom,” which is an African American tradition. It was illegal for those who were enslaved to be married. It was a way for the podcaster to honour his ancestors.
Don’s career
As previously reported, the anchor gained millions after his unexpected departure from CNN. The network settled his contract for $24.5 million.
The award-winning journalist secured a partnership with X, formerly known as Twitter. It was quickly canned after a tense interview with Elon Musk.
The billionaire allegedly didn’t like Lemon’s line of questioning.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday that Israel has completed its preparations to respond to any possible scenario against Iran days after Iran’s consular building in Damascus had been subjected to a bombing.
This came in light of Israeli preparedness for Iran’s response to the assassination of several Revolutionary Guard officials in Damascus, according to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.
“The defense system has finished preparations for a response against any scenario that may develop with Iran,” said Gallant at an assessment conducted at the headquarters of the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv.
At least seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two top generals, were killed on April 1 in an attack on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus.
Iran has accused Israel of carrying out the attack and vowed to respond.
Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack.
The escalation in tensions came as Israel waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack in early October by Hamas killed less than 1,200 people.
More than 33,100 Palestinians have since been killed and over 75,800 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.
Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.
The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which last week asked it to do more to prevent famine in Gaza.
Former First Lady Margaret Kenyatta has presided over the closing ceremony of the inaugural Leadership Program for County Social Transformation held at the Sarova Whitesands Hotel in Mombasa County.
The Beyond Zero Initiative has partnered with the Kenya School of Government (KSG), the oldest public sector training institute in the country, to establish the Margaret Kenyatta Institute (MKI).
The establishment of the MKI and initiatives such as the Leadership Program for County Social Transformation highlight the broader recognition of women’s crucial role in driving economic growth and social progress.
In her address to the first cohorts of the program on Saturday, Kenyatta noted that the vision, mission, and mandate of the Institute, which is embedded in the Kenya School of Government’s core mandate, is to transform society through services and programs that promote: Social Justice, Gender Equality, Wellness and Health, and Empowerment.
The caucus gathered County First Ladies from Kilifi, Elgeyo Marakwet, Migori, West Pokot, Kakamega, Narok, Siaya, and Bomet to engage in strategic discussions and initiatives focused on promoting social change at the grassroots level.
Kenyatta extended her gratitude to the participating County First Ladies for their involvement in the event.
“I thank you for being the first cohort of this inaugural program which recognizes the unique leadership roles you play in your counties as spouses of Governors. We applaud you for your diverse aspirations, in what may sometimes be uncharted paths or challenging roles you play to make a difference in your communities,” she added.
The caucus gathered County First Ladies from Kilifi, Elgeyo Marakwet, Migori, West Pokot, Kakamega, Narok, Siaya, and Bomet to engage in strategic discussions and initiatives focused on promoting social change at the grassroots level.
The Kenya School of Government collaborated with the Beyond Zero Initiative to craft the Leadership Program curriculum. Initiatives such as the Leadership Program for County Social Transformation highlight the increasing recognition of the essential role women play in fostering both economic development and social advancement.
“I hope that the case studies and experiential learning reflect the opportunities to help you overcome challenges and promote continuous engagement in the future,” Mrs. Kenyatta remarked.
During the week-long event, the First Ladies were introduced to a range of strategies and initiatives to promote social change in their respective counties.
Notable speakers included Lady Justice Njoki Ndungu, Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, former First Lady of Ekiti State, Nigeria, Nicole Brzeski and Cora Neumann of the Global First Ladies Association, Lucy Mathenge from UN Women, and Jacqueline Wambua from ROCHE E.A.
The discussions revolved around topics such as the Interface between Government and Politics, Gender and Social Development, Legacy Building for Enduring Impact, Championing Causes for Social Transformation, Philanthropy and Resource Mobilization, and Partnerships.
With confidence, the former First Lady expressed her belief that this training will empower County First Ladies to champion noble causes in their respective regions, contributing to a brighter future for all citizens of Kenya.
Also present at the ceremony were: the Chairperson, Kenya School of Government, Hon. Rtd. Justice Charles Nyachae, Lynette Otwori, Acting Director of MKI, and senior administrative officials from KSG.
The son of rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman on a yacht during a family holiday in St Martin in 2022.
Grace O’Marcaigh says Christian “King” Combs physically and sexually assaulted her, according to a lawsuit filed in a civil court in Los Angeles on Thursday.
His father, who is facing a federal sex trafficking probe, is also named in the lawsuit for aiding the alleged assault.
Last week, Sean Combs’s properties were raided as part of the investigation.
Their lawyer, Arron Dyer, said the latest allegations were “lewd and meritless” claims made up of “manufactured lies and irrelevant facts”.
It is the latest in a string of serious sexual assault allegations against Sean Combs, and now his son.
Ms O’Marcaigh, who worked as a steward on the yacht, alleged that the luxury vessel was often crowded with intoxicated people, suspected sex workers, celebrities and drugs.
She believes that drinks served for her and other women on board may have been spiked with drugs because she saw people “falling over themselves, panicking, or passing out”, the court document states.
Sean Combs, 54, is named as a defendant in the lawsuit for “premises liability” as he chartered the luxury yacht.
The rapper “turned what was sold as a wholesome family excursion into a hedonistic environment,” the court document says.
The lawsuit claims that Christian Combs, 26, insisted that Ms O’Marcaigh drink tequila with him, and then became “violent”, grabbing her arm when she tried to leave.
She says he groped her and “proceeded to kiss her neck, face, and hands.”
The Combs’s record producer, Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, who has filed his own suit against Sean Combs, was recording at the time. Transcripts are included in the lawsuit.
In a separate incident, Ms O’Marcaigh alleges that Christian Combs tried to force her to perform oral sex on him in the yacht’s cinema.
She says a complaint she filed with the ship’s captain was not taken seriously, and alleges that Sean Combs paid a hefty tip to the ship’s crew to keep her complaint quiet.
As a result of the alleged attack, Ms O’Marcaigh says her long-time romantic relationship broke down and that she has developed an eating disorder and suffers from epileptic seizures.
One of the most successful music moguls in the history of rap, Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing a list of sexual assault allegations from several people, including his long-time partner Casandra “Cassie” Ventura.
In a statement given to Variety magazine on Friday, lawyer Aaron Dyer took aim at attorney Tyrone Blackburn, who also filed Lil Rod’s lawsuit.
“This is just another lewd and meritless claim from Tyrone Blackburn – just like what he filed in the Rodney Jones lawsuit, which he still has not served,” Mr Dyer said.
“This complaint is filled with the same kind of manufactured lies and irrelevant facts we’ve come to expect from Blackburn.
“We will be filing a motion to dismiss this outrageous claim.”
Zimbabwe has introduced a new gold-backed currency called Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) to replace it’s battered Zimbabwe dollar.
It is the latest attempt to stabilise an economy that has lurched from crisis to crisis for the past 25 years.
Unveiling the new notes, central bank governor John Mushayavanhu said the ZiG would be structured, and set at a market-determined exchange rate.
The ZiG replaces a Zimbabwean dollar, the RTGS, that had lost three-quarters of its value so far this year.
Annual inflation in March reached 55% – a seven-month high.
Zimbabweans have 21 days to exchange old, inflation-hit notes for the new currency.
However, the US dollar, which accounts for 85% of transactions, will remain legal tender and most people are likely to continue to prefer this.
The new ZiG banknotes come in denominations of between 1 and 200.
Coins will also be introduced to overcome the shortage of US coins, which has seen people receive change in sweets, small chocolates and pens.
Mushayavanhu said the new currency was being rolled out with immediate effect and banks must convert current Zimbabwe dollar balances to the ZiG.
He committed to ensuring that the amount of local currency in circulation was backed by equivalent value in precious minerals – mainly gold – or foreign exchange, in order to prevent the currency losing value like its predecessors.
Zimbabweans have a historic mistrust of the central bank, dating back to 2008, when it was printing Z$10tn notes while inflation had run out of control.
It then abolished its own currency and for many years only used foreign banknotes such as the US dollar and the South African rand.
In late 2016, the body introduced a new currency called the bond note that was backed by the US dollar loan facility. The then-central bank governor John Mangudya vowed it would remain on a par with the US dollar. But the bond note crashed when the government began printing excess money.
Promises have now been made by the central bank’s new governor that overprinting will not be allowed to happen again.
But public reaction on Friday to the latest currency reveal has been subdued.
“We now end up in the same place where we started – where assurances are being given to the market that the government will live within its means,” economist Godfrey Kanyenze told the BBC.
“The political culture has not changed – the critical point is discipline on the part of the authorities.”
The announcement of the new currency comes as the country is grappling with the effects of a serious drought, which has destroyed half of the country’s crop of the staple food, maize.
While the controversy over the recent embarrassing escape from custody of an executive of the cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, Nadeem Anjarwalla in Nigeria through the Nnamdi Azikwe International airport rages on, key players across the country’s aviation sector have described the development as confirmation of the lack of synergy amongst security agents at the airports.
Nadeem Anjarwalla, the regional manager for Binance in Africa, was reported to have fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport through the Abuja airport to escape trial and prosecution. He holds both UK and Kenyan citizenship.
Many stakeholders who reacted to the news condemned the lapses in Nigeria’s security system and intelligence which they argued made it seamless for the Binance official from perfecting his escape.
Reports from Nigerian publication citing anonymous source, queried how a passenger could go through many uniformed personnel at the airport to not only process his papers but comfortably travel through the airport unnoticed.
Commenting on the controversy, the Chief Executive Officer at Selective Security International Ltd, a private firm, Mr Ayo Obilana described the escape of the Binance executive as unacceptable.
According to Obilana: “I rate the efficiency of the securitymen in charge of airport immigration and state security as unacceptably poor on controversial escape of Mr Anjarwala if he passed through them.
“It’s not about porosity this time but about human error and failure which definitely points in one direction of either systemic failure or compromise. I believe his name should have been put on watchlist in the data base of the two security agencies. There are other possibilities, however, the matter should be thoroughly investigated and thereafter, the tasking authorities should take appropriate steps for redress or mitigation. I hope the airport has a functional CCTV system and if it has, the fugitive’s movements through the airport can be easily tracked including those who aided his escape.”
Equally, the Managing Director of another security agency, Centurion Security Services and a onetime military commandant of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Group Captain John Ojikutu, retired, likened the escape of the Binance official to what happened with the escape of the now known popular underwear bomber, Farouk Abdulmutalab through the Lagos airport in 2009.
His words “Security begins with intelligence which is more than 60% of the Airport Security Defence Layers. If they get intelligence early and it is appropriately shared, what we saw happened last week would not have happened. What happened last week with the escaped man is not different from what happened with the Abdulmutalab escape in December 25, 2009 even when the father warned the National Intelligence Agent and the US Embassy about the irregular behaviour of his son.
While arguing that the airline that boarded the Binance official can only be blamed if it was informed earlier that the man was on the watch list or no-fly list.
“The airport government security agencies on the Aviation Security Defence Layers too appeared not to have any information about the man. What I can tell you from the experience of the Abdulmutalab case and his escape through the Avsec Defence Layers is the disconnect between the government security agencies in their line of duties. Starting with the intelligent agency to the border security agencies which include the immigration, DSS, Avsec/Airlines through the NCAA, etc.”
Other stakeholders who spoke on the controversy further took a swipe at the crop of security personnel manning the different airports who they accused of just sitting at their duty posts idly.
“Our airports are the only airports where security personnel sit instead of on their feet moving around. The Binance official can still come back to Nigeria and make another return same way as he escaped without being detected. The level of corruption in the airport security system particularly with immigration and State security protocols is unimaginable.
The key players also faulted the type of multiple security checks at the international airports which they said does not exist at any known airport in the world. “What obtains at our international airports is indeed shameful and some of us have tirelessly and repeatedly pointed same out to the tasking authority for corrective action but to no avail.”
The battle of wits and fears that artificial intelligence would outrun the human intelligence continue to spark debate.
In a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have revealed that artificial intelligence (AI) may have better clinical reasoning capabilities compared to human physicians.
Lead author Dr Adam Rodman, an internal medicine physician and investigator at BIDMC, highlighted the significance of the findings, stating, “It’s a surprising finding that these things are capable of showing the equivalent or better reasoning than people throughout the evolution of clinical case.”
Physicians compete against AI
The study used a validated tool called the revised-IDEA (r-IDEA) score to assess clinical reasoning. Physicians and the AI model were tasked with working through 20 clinical cases, each comprising four sequential stages of diagnostic reasoning: triage data collection, system review, physical examination, and diagnostic testing/imaging.
Results revealed that the LLM achieved the highest median r-IDEA score, outperforming physicians and residents. While diagnostic accuracy and correct clinical reasoning were similar between humans and the AI model, the researchers noted that the LLM exhibited more incorrect reasoning.
AI in medical decision making
This highlights the potential of AI as a complementary tool rather than a replacement for human expertise in healthcare.
Dr Stephanie Cabral, a third-year internal medicine resident at BIDMC and co-author of the study, emphasised the potential role of AI in improving patient-physician interactions and reducing inefficiencies in healthcare delivery. “Even now, they could be useful as a checkpoint, helping us make sure we don’t miss something” she stated. “My ultimate hope is that AI will improve the patient-physician interaction by reducing some of the inefficiencies we currently have and allow us to focus more on the conversation we’re having with our patients.”
The findings suggest that AI could significantly impact clinical practice by increasing healthcare providers’ diagnostic and reasoning capabilities.
Further research is still needed to determine the optimal integration of AI into medical decision-making processes.
Could AI improve the healthcare system?
While the study marks a significant advancement in AI-driven healthcare, the researchers acknowledge potential conflicts of interest, including grant funding and employment affiliations with various organisations.
As AI continues to evolve, its role in healthcare decision-making will likely expand, offering new opportunities to improve patient outcomes and streamline clinical workflows. With careful integration and validation, AI may become a valuable partner in pursuing better healthcare delivery.
The Ministry of Agriculture has asked farmers to discontinue three fertilizer brands by KEL Chemicals after the affected labels failed tests by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
“ALL Fertilizers being distributed meet the required quality requirements except those manufactured and distributed by Ms KEL Chemicals branded Kelphos Plus, Kelphos gold and NPK 10:26:10, which did not meet all required test parameters,” Kilimo House said in a statement on Friday.
It said the government had instituted corrective measures to prevent further distribution of affected brands, circulated between March 5 and 10, 2024.
“The Government has further seized and impounded all fertilizer stocks distributed by KEL Chemicals at the National Cereals Produce Board (NCPB) facilities,” the ministry stated.
“In line with ensuring public safety and maintaining quality standards, KEBS has initiated legal action against KEL Chemicals for distributing substandard products as per the Standards Act Cap 496.”
“This measure underscores the Government’s commitment to upholding stringent product quality and safety standards, ensuring accountability and safeguarding the agricultural sector and the wider public,” Kilimo House indicated.
The response by the Mithika Linturi-led ministry came a day after the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Agriculture served him yet another invitation to respond to concerns over the distribution of fake fertilizer.
The Committee slated Linturi to appear on April 8 after he failed to honour an earlier invitation on March 20.
Substandard fertilizer
Members of the committee held a session with KEBS which revealed certification violations.
KEBS accused a Kenyan-based regional fertilizer merchant of fraud after it emerged the firm supplied substandard fertilizer to NCPB.
KEBS said the firm applied for certification on January 13 and secured approval on January 28, 2023.
KEBS Managing Director Esther Ngari told MPs that initially, the company had complied with all requirements which prompted the agency to issue them permits to supply organic fertilizer but later committed fraud by violating the standards.
The standards agency certified SBL-Innovate Manufacturer to supply organic fertilizer but the firm supplied diatomite, which relies on a biologically generated form of Silica to enhance soil conditions, Ngari told lawmakers.
She said KEBS picked the brand during surveillance operations after learning the product’s circulation in NCPB stores.
“Test reports showed the product failed on organic matter,” Ngari said.
Justice (Prof) Joel Ngugi has today convicted three people among them a former member of County Assembly of Kiambu for the murder of Lucy Njambi Nyagiko.
The three, Samuel Ndungu Njoroge a former MCA for Riruta Ward 2013-2017, Joyce Njambi Mungai and Wilson Mwangi Munyua are alleged to have committed the offence on 24th January, 2018 at Kiambu County.
When Wilson Mwangi, Joyce Njambi and Samuel Njoroge were presented in court over the murder of Lucy Njambi. Photo/X
Through the testimonies from 38 witnesses lined up by the prosecution, Justice Joel Ngugi who is currently a judge of the court of appeal and was granted authority by the chief justice to conclude the matter, noted that the court was satisfied with the evidence adduced by prosecution witnesses.
In his ruling, the Judge said the compelling evidence provided by the prosecution highlighted the excessively jealous nature of the first accused, who had a history of assaulting the deceased and displaying aggression towards perceived romantic rivals.
The judge found that marital discord drove the first accused to orchestrate the crime. The involvement of the second accused in purchasing sulfuric acid, used in the attack, and the presence of the third accused near the crime scene as confirmed through mobile phone data records solidified the case. Justice Ngugi emphasized that the prosecution’s evidence formed an indisputable chain leading to the guilt of all accused parties.
The deceased was allegedly kidnapped from her home in Thindigua estate along Kiambu Road on January 24, 2018, at around 8pm, raped, doused with acid, and left for dead in a coffee plantation near Kamiti corner along the Ruiru-Kiambu road.
She was rescued by a Good Samaritan who rushed her to Kiambu Level 5 Hospital, where she was given first aid, then transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital for specialised treatment. She died on January 26.
Njorege, the court was told he was Njambi’s estranged husband. They had been married since 2012 until late 2017 when they separated.
While Joyce Njambi is said to have been Njoroge’s girlfriend when the incident happened, Wilson Mwangi is said to have been a close friend of the duo.
Kisii Governor Simba Arati on Friday claimed former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi was facing an imminent danger to his life alleging a pursuit by criminal gangs.
Arati pleaded with the government to accord Matiangi, said to have retreated to his rural home in Borabu, Nyamira County, State security due to his prominent role in Kenya’s anti-terrorism efforts under President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration.
“Matiangi dealt with Al Shabaab and restored peace and security in our country. Even if he was loyal to his boss, he needs security from the government because his life is in danger,” Arati said during an event at Gusii Stadium.
Arati claimed that following the withdrawal of State security, Matinagi has had to switch vehicles intermittently to evade gangs.
He accused President William Ruto’s administration of dictatorial tendencies challenging the government to work towards uniting Kenyans.
“The national government dictatorship cannot help. Let’s see how we can bring every leader on board,” Governor Arati said.
Matiangi, who became a vocal critic of Ruto in the latter years of the Kenyatta presidency often calling out the then Deputy President for wrecking the ship from within, has taken a low profile since alleged attempts to arrest him in February 2023.
Accused of reining terror on Ruto allies and sanctioning dramatic arrests under former Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti, Matiangi told off judges issuing anticipatory bail for undermining security agencies.
Matinagi would later dash to court to obtain an anticipatory bail for fear of arrest event as his successor, Kithure Kithiki, denied plans to arrest him
British lawmakers who may have been targeted in a sexting scam were urged Friday to go to police, after a senior Conservative admitted disclosing the personal phone numbers of some colleagues to an unknown individual who held “compromising” material on him.
William Wragg, who chairs the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee in Parliament, told The Times of London newspaper that he had handed over the phone numbers to a man he met on a gay dating app, after he had sent intimate pictures of himself.
Wragg, 36, told The Times that the man had “compromising things” on him and he was “scared” and “manipulated” into giving his colleagues’ numbers to the unknown individual he had met on the gay dating app Grindr.
“I gave them some numbers, not all of them,” he said. “I got chatting to a guy on an app and we exchanged pictures. We were meant to meet up for drinks, but then didn’t. Then he started asking for numbers of people. I was worried because he had stuff on me. He gave me a WhatsApp number, which doesn’t work now. I’ve hurt people by being weak. I was scared. I’m mortified.”
Treasury minister Gareth Davies urged those affected to go to the police.
“Will Wragg has rightly apologized for the action that he took, but I think it’s clear to anybody hearing about the situation that he was in, people react in different ways,” he told Sky News.
The honeytrap sexting scam has been described as “spear phishing,” a type of cyber-attack that targets specific groups. It involves scammers pretending to be trusted senders in order to steal personal or sensitive information.
Wragg’s revelation came after days of speculation, stoked by an article published in Politico, that a number of current and former parliamentarians had been contacted by an unknown number on WhatsApp, detailing prior meetings with politicians, in efforts to acquire personal or sensitive information. The report said some of those targeted were sent naked images, with at least two reported to have responded by sending images of themselves.
“I would say to anyone watching this that if you ever feel like you’re in a compromised position, if you ever feel like you’re being blackmailed, then you should go to the police immediately because it’s an incredibly serious matter,” Davies added.
Leicestershire Police in central England has confirmed that it is investigating a report of malicious communications after a number of unsolicited messages were sent to a local lawmaker last month.
Tory MP, William Wragg/Google.
Who is Tory MP William Wragg?
As a senior member of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, William Wragg has seen many moments of political drama.
He was one of the most prominent campaigners for Boris Johnson to quit over the Downing Street parties scandal and seemed to relish the bombshell of announcing to the Commons that he had submitted a letter expressing no confidence in Liz Truss.
But now Wragg finds himself in the spotlight. Remorseful about his actions, he says he felt compelled to respond to the demands of a person he met on a gay dating app who bombarded him with requests for fellow MPs’ phone numbers. He planned to stand down anyway at the next general election, but now risks leaving parliament with a shadow over his record.
Wragg arrived in Westminster fresh-faced and in his twenties. He once said that his “misspent youth was spent getting into parliament”. A former teacher, he took the seat of Hazel Grove in Stockport in 2015.
He beat the Liberal Democrats and became the first Tory MP there since 1997.
He shunned the ministerial ladder, instead preferring the role of scrutineer. Wragg took over as chairman of the public administration and constitutional affairs committee and enjoyed delving into the world of Whitehall.
He reached a far more influential role as vice-chairman of the 1922 Committee — traditionally known as “the men in grey suits”. When a party leader needs telling their time is up, it is the 1922 Committee that does the job. Wragg was part of the collective of MPs who told a defiant Johnson that he had to go.
He also accused Tory whips of blackmail and criticised plans to shield the former MP Owen Paterson from suspension for breaking lobbying rules.
“It’s not simply the opposition who should provide scrutiny to government, it’s also the governing side who should be able to, in a very healthy way, do that,” Wragg told The Guardian last year.
“Being a backbencher is an enormously liberated thing to be, if used accordingly. And I do feel for my colleagues who become ministers.”
Now Wragg himself will come under scrutiny. A police investigation into reports of malicious communication is under way, which is likely to halt other inquiries.
But the Commons standards commissioner may decide to open his own investigation once the police matter is dealt with. Similarly, the Tory whips will have to decide whether to continue to let him sit as a Conservative MP.
When reflecting on why he decided to leave parliament at the age of 36, Wragg said he knew there was “a risk of being institutionalised”. Succumbing to the darker side of Westminster may suggest he has already left it too late.
