Kenya Insights

Author: Nicholas Olambo

  • How long will flip-flopping Shahbal stay in ODM?

    How long will flip-flopping Shahbal stay in ODM?

    The entry of businessman Suleiman Shahbal in ODM party has angered politicians lining up to succeed the outgoing governor Hassan Joho. Shahbal who ran on a Jubilee party in 2017 and lost to Joho has ‘bought off’ the ODM party leader Raila Odinga who is behind his strange entry into the orange party.

    His recent defection from Jubilee to ODM has now triggered a heated fight for the party’s ticket for Mombasa gubernatorial contest as supporters of Deputy Governor William Kingi and Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir express their dissatisfaction.

    Both Kingi and Nassir are interested in succeeding Joho in 2022 with Nassir challenging Shahbal to publicly apologize to ODM, its leadership and supporters for the past insults.

    “I challenge Shahbal to first apologise to Raila and Joho for his past utterances because he is known for flip-flopping parties” Nassir told the media.

    But defection has been the norm for Mr Shahbal since the beginning of his politics. Just before the 2013 general elections, the businessman defected from ODM to UDF and then to Wiper party all in less than a month.

    He had also expressed his confusion in 2020 when he attended a Wiper party office opening function where Kalonzo Musyoka introduced him as the sole party candidate for the Mombasa gubernatorial in next year’s polls but a week later, the flip-flopping politician was seen drumming up support for the ODM candidate in Msambweni parliamentary by-election.

    Mvita MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir. He wants to be the next governor of Mombasa County [p/county]
    But going with the ODM tradition and its messy nominations Shahbal will be dealt a big political blow when the battle for ODM ticket gets to the nominations stage.  Deep rooted insiders like Nassir will ensure he is beaten.

    Nassir is a longtime loyalist and preferred choice of the outgoing Joho who doubles up as ODM party’s deputy leader with reliable influence connection with financiers.

    Until his defection, Shahbal was Jubilee Party’s key point-man in Mombasa but has been joining Odinga’s entourage at the coast before he announcing his dream to vie for the Mombasa gubernatorial seat on an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket.

  • Governor Khaemba turns Trans-Nzoia into a hotbed of nepotism

    Governor Khaemba turns Trans-Nzoia into a hotbed of nepotism

    Nepotism is the criteria for appointment in Trans-Nzoia county which is run by governor Patrick Khaemba and his wife Lydia Khaemba who is equally calling shots in her husband’s administration.  Any qualified job seeking Kenyan without a relative or friend at the Tranz-Nzoia’s county offices or assembly stands no chance of employment to improve service delivery.

    The vice has pushed the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to freeze accounts of some unqualified employees at the health department where all the officers are relatives.

    Governor Khaemba’s wife Lydia Khaemba pushed her husband to influence the employment her brother Dickson Kirwa as as a clinical officer, the same position where the chief officer in charge of livestock Shadrack Kimtai also employed his brother Kosgei Shadrack.

    The CEC in charge of public service management Susan Murumba has employed her daughter, Dolphin Murumba, as nutrition and dietetics technician-the same position where Evelyn Nanyama, the daughter to the county assembly protocol officer is serving.

    Governor Patrick Khaemba and his wife Lydia in a past PR event [p/courtesy]
    The human resource manager Imelda Agoi who runs the county public service board has also employed her sisters Lillian Kasandi, Edith Khavere and her cousin Amos Barasa in the position of orthopedic technologist.  Stephen Obare, the son to the Trans Nzoia county assembly CEO is also employed in the position of health administrative officers through the influence of his corrupt father.

    The long list also includes the county’s public service board secretary, Mr. Soita who used his position to influence the handpicking of his daughter Rael Naliaka to serve as a nurse.

    Mr John Meng’wa who is eyeing the Saboti parliamentary seat but currently in charge of environment influenced the employment of his brother Javan Kimtai Meng’wa while county secretary Wakofula Sifuna is found to have employed his daughter Mary Nasimiyu in the position of physiotherapist.

    Also in the spotlight is Trans Nzoia deputy governor Stanely Tarus who influenced the employment for his daughter Cynthia Kepkosgei as health administrative officer. Other practitioners of the vice include Chereng’ani sub-county administrator Dorothy Musikoyo who employed her sister Saenyi Eugene as a medical officer while Diana Seme, a ward administrator also sneaked in her sister Rose Nafula.

    Trans-Nzoia’s County assembly finance officer Moses Lupao also influenced employment of his sister Stella Pepela at the county offices.

  • Kalonzo, Kibwana to face off in village politics

    Kalonzo, Kibwana to face off in village politics

    The rivalry between Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Makueni governor Prof. Kivutha Kibwana is set to move a notch higher following the death of Nguu/Masumba ward MCA Harris Ngui who perished last week after the car he was driving collided head-on with a lorry along Mombasa-Nairobi highway.

    Ngui who died on the spot was elected on a Wiper ticket just like governor Kibwana who has fallen out with Kalonzo and is expected to back a candidate from a rival party in the coming by-election to replace the deceased MCA.

    Makueni county police commander Joseph Ole Naipeyan in his report said that the lady died from serious injuries on her way to Machakos Level 5 Hospital.

    “Salama Police Station is reporting a fatal injury road traffic accident which occurred today 15/06/2021 at about 1830hrs within ACK area along Mombasa Nairobi highway,” the report read in part.

    Nguu/Masumba ward is in Kibwezi West, Makueni county which voted with Kalonzo in the 2017 elections but the by-election will present a proper platform for both Kalonzo and Kibwana to face off a head of 2022 polls where both of them have expressed quests for presidency.

    The late Nguu/Masumba ward MCA, Harris Ngui [p/courtesy]
    Kalonzo who served as the country’s tenth vice president was quick to send condolences to the family of the late MCA saying that his Wiper party had lost a brilliant mind. Ngui was elected MCA in 2017 on the Wiper ticket after garnering 4,054 votes and beating Timothy Maneno, an independent candidate who came a distant second with some 1,169 votes.

    The coming by-election will be a clear showcase of Kalonzo-Kibwana rivalry over Ukambani supremacy battles after cracks emerged in Kalonzo’s Wiper party ahead of the 2022 elections.

    The split in the biggest political party in the region deepened after Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana accused Kalonzo Musyoka of hiding behind the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) to stoke political wars kill to dim his political star.

    Prof Kibwana has over the time asked Makueni residents to rethink their support for Kalonzo  whom he claims does not value the region.

     

  • How Prison Cartels Plotted Sh1 billion loot

    How Prison Cartels Plotted Sh1 billion loot

    The State Department for Correctional Services is on the spot for irregularly paying out Sh975.7 million to faceless supplies who made no deliveries to the Kenya Prisons in a National Youth Service (NYS) looting style.

    Auditor General’s report has revealed that the huge amount was paid to fake suppliers in respect of pending bills on behalf of many prison stations across the country.

    “Verification of the payment vouchers at the stations revealed various irregularities as…suppliers who were paid at the headquarters were not known to the stations,” Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu said.

    The AG also stated that deeper investigations unearthed how other payments of up-to Sh555,652,356 were made on behalf of various prison stations in a scheme that was executed at the headquarters of the prison’s department.

    Auditor General Nancy Gathungu [p/courtesy]
    The Prisons Department plays host to 129 correctional institutions including the nine maximum-security prisons where the unscrupulous businessmen purport to supply food items.

    The Auditor General also found out that another Sh419,976,543 of the pending bills was overpaid compared to actual deliveries the ‘ghost suppliers’ made at the various prison stations.

    Ms Gathungu said that verification of the payment vouchers at the stations showed  that ‘suppliers’paid were not even contracted to supply anything to those stations.

    Further examinations also revealed that  payment vouchers were attached to unverifiable S13 accountable documents. She added that the stations did not order for or receive ration on the dates indicated in the questionable delivery notes.

    “7 prison stations book not reflecting orders or deliveries of the same and prison stations counter receipt book register not having series of those counter receipt vouchers (S13) used,” said MS Gathungu.

    The AG who is captured in the an audit of the department books of account for the year ended June 2020 said that an audit of the historical pending bills detailed data that co-related with Treasury’s Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) and total expenditure returns at prison stations showed that an over-payment of Sh419,976,543 was made for deliveries that actually amounted to Sh190,347,882.

    The report also found that IFMIS payments amounted to Sh610,324,425 and the matter is currently being investigated by sleuths from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

    “It should, however, be noted that the above matters regarding irregular payments, doubtful procurement and over-payments are currently under investigation by the EACC.

    Zeinab Hussein, the Principal Secretary for Correctional Services Zainab Hussein. [p/courtesy]
    The prisons department is bursted just three months after Parliament directed Correctional Services PS Zeinab Hussein to settle all the verified pending bills to suppliers who  made deliveries worth Sh6.2 billion.

    The Public Accounts Committee which is chaired by Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi said that the National Treasury Pending Bills Closing Committee had finalized verifying the pending bills.

    “Within two months upon adoption of this report by the House, the accounting officer must ensure that all the pending bills amounting to Sh6,204,906,533 and duly verified are fully settled.

    “A report on the same to be submitted to the National Assembly at the lapse of the aforestated two months duration,” PAC chair said in a report adopted by the parliament.

     

  • How corrupt Ogwe is evading EACC dragnet

    How corrupt Ogwe is evading EACC dragnet

    Corrupt Homa Bay county secretary Isaiah Ogwe has gone into hiding to avoid a possible arrest by Ethic and Anti-Corruption Commission detectives. Ogwe became a wanted man after EACC officials confiscated his vital documents to aid the probe into his proceeds of corruption.

    Ogwe who attributes a recent raid into his home to his political rivals like the Women representative Gladys Wanga has switched off his phones to stay off the EACC radar.

    Both Wanga and Ogwe are eyeing the Homa Bay gubernatorial seat in 2022 but the latter became a controversial figure due to the numerous corruption cases he is facing. Other than EACC, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is also perusing him over the theft of Sh2 billion from the county coffers.

    Investigation into the Sh2 billion raid has seen him being summoned to appear at the DCI Headquarters along Kiambu Road, Nairobi, for questioning. The then finance and economic planning CEC David Okeyo, accountant Noah Isoche and Joseph Rading among those questioned alongside the tainted secretary.

    Governor Cyprian Awiti. He has failed to curb looting in Homa Bay county [p/courtesy]
    The the recent raid into his home has drawn mixed reactions since Ogwe was considered an untouchable officer in Governor Cypian Awiti’s kitchen cabinet.
    He is also part of the powerful looting cartels which is responsible for the sluggish development in Homa Bay county where billions of public funds are channeled to the pocket of rogue officials at the top.

    The Homa Bay secretary for instance has ensured that his loyalists are planted in plum positions at the procurement docket to aid his looting schemes. He is also manipulating the procurement office under the watch  of deputy governor Hamilton Orata, another 2022 gubernatorial aspirant.

    He is accused of being behind the fall-out between Awiti and DG Orata as part of his scheme succeed Awiti against other corrupt individuals including the former governor of Nairobi Dr. Evans Kidero and Suba South Mp John Mbadi.

     

  • Sossion reduced to a shell ahead of KNUT polls

    Sossion reduced to a shell ahead of KNUT polls

    Kenya National Union of Teachers national secretary general Wilson Sossion is already sensing defeat a head of the union’s elections due to the rift between him and the acting first national chairman Collins Oyuu.

    Sossion’s camp which is considering a power sharing deal is prevailing upon him to step down and let Oyuu go in unopposed. They are arguing that Mr Oyuu who joined Knut in 1996, elected Bondo chairman in 2003 and rose to Rarieda chairman in 2008 is experienced enough to replace the washed out nominated Mp.

    Oyuu rose to be a national executive council member in the year 2013 and later as assistant
    secretary general in 2015.

    It is doubted that the already ‘ shivering’ Sossion can beat an experienced unionist who grew with him in the union like  Oyuu who began shining when Sossion changed to a hardliner against the union.

    Many  teachers have expressed disappointments over his leadership. Only 15 out of 110 branches in the country are supporting Sossion to retain the seat.

    But Oyuu is enjoying sycophantic support in Eastern, Nyanza, Central, Nairobi, Western, North Eastern and Rift valley. His camp consider some two regions are battle grounds.

    KNUT’S acting National chairman Collins Oyuu [p/courtesy]
    Sossion is fighting many was including on and off beefs with the  Teachers Service Commission chief executive officer Nancy Macharia which has exposed him to the looming defeat.

    Even his would be allies like the Bomet branch executive secretary Malel Langat disclosed that less than 10 officials out of 31 officials in his branch are backing Sossion.

    The ODM nominated MP is struggling to defending his seat after a majority of national officials accused of being a dictator who runs the union without consultations with his team. Oyuu has joined forces with Mutai to oust Sossion who they accuse of killing the union.

    The former Tenwek High School teacher survived several attempts by the government and a section of knut officials  to oust him from his seat. He is also facing a fierce challenge from one Patrick Munuhe  and Stanley Mutai, a long serving national executive council member who is eyeing the national vice chairman seat.

    Candidates are now left with a week to campaign with elections set for June 26 2021.

    Election’s are coming when close to  300,000 teachers are unsure when their next pay hike will be. Their Collective Bargaining Agreement is is also about to expire.

     

  • UDA wars intensify in Muthama’s backyard

    UDA wars intensify in Muthama’s backyard

    The former senator of Machakos, Bwana Johnson Muthama is facing serious criticism from followers of the United Democratic Alliance in Ukamba.

    His closer allies including Ben Metho have threatened to desert the outspoken politician whom they accuse of arrogance, pride and misplaced dictatorship.

    Metho who has been rumoured of holding night meetings with Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka now claims that the future of UDA in Ukambani remains bleak since Muthama turned into a ‘Mr know it all’ who bullies party supporters.

    UDA which is associated with the Deputy President Dr. William Ruto was recently floored in a Machakos senatorial by-election. Metho who has made up his mind to quit the UDA party claims that Muthama secretly campaigned for his estranged wife Agnes Kavindu who won the seat.

    UDA follower Ben Metho and DP William Ruto in an old courtesy photo.

    Muthama was among the first politicians to congratulate Kavindu senator  after the win.

    Metho added that Muthama is being ditched by most of his former as he called on UDA to do a post mortem to establish why it lost the Machakos senatorial by-election where it was expected to win.

    But Metho continues to hold night meetings with Kalonzo who is laying out strategies to tame Muthama ahead of next year general elections.

    Muthama fell out with the former VP and Kamba politics supremo after he openly stated that Kalonzo is not ripe for presidency in 2022.

    The former Machakos Senator has maintained that UDA leader William Rutois the man to beat in August 2022 general elections.

    Other ranking politician from the region who are eyeing presidency apart from Kalonzo are Machakos governor Alfred Mutua and his Makueni counterpart Kivutha Kibwana who parted ways with Kalonzo.

    But it’s not only Metho, many first term MPs from Ukambani who are allied to the DP Ruto have also accused Muthama of pocketing their hand-outs from the country’s second in command.

     

  • Details of Kenya’s Sh108bn fresh Eurobond

    Details of Kenya’s Sh108bn fresh Eurobond

    Debt ridden Kenya has once again raised Sh108 billion ($1 billion) in a fresh Eurobond. The bond issued at an interest rate of 6.3% for the 12-year bond is the fourth sovereign debt to be floated by the country under President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration since 2014.

    The National Treasury reported that the offer that was oversubscribed has attracted bids worth Sh582.7 billion.

    Kenya hit its target of Sh108 billion on Thursday to get the loan whose principal will be paid back in two tranches.

    Dr Haron Sirima, the director general of the country’s debt management office said that he is struggling to reduce borrowing rates and lengthen repayment periods in attempts to ease pressure on the country’s cash flow.

    “We went to the market seeking to raise $1 billion and stuck to the discipline of our target amount despite the over-subscription and competitive pricing,” Sirima said.

    Public debt management office wants to ‘Amortise the bond’ so that the principal is paid in installments rather than one bullet to ease the rolling over of the bond when it will be due.

    Public Debt Management Office director-general DR. Haron Sirima [P/courtesy]
    “We are optimistic that Kenya will successfully execute liability management operations in the next fiscal year in line with the debt strategy of lowering cost and minimizing risks in the public debt portfolio.” he added.

    Dr Sirima also said that the move will spare the country the burden of looking for a huge amount of dollars to pay back the lenders at one go like will be the case in June 2024 when the $2 billion of the 10-year tranche of the infamous Eurobond issued in June 2014 becomes due.

    In 2019, the bond raised $2.1 billion in two tranches of $900 million priced at 7% for a seven-year paper and 8% for a 12-year, $1.2 billion tranche.

    Kenya’s commercial debt is mainly in eurobond and syndicated loans which accounted for close to 26% of external public debt last year.

    A debt review by the IMF has also revealed that the country’s loans from multilateral lenders sky-rocketed from $10.2 billion in 2019 to $13.7 billion in 2020.

     

     

     

     

  • NBK to auction drug baron’s home over debt

    NBK to auction drug baron’s home over debt

    The National Bank of Kenya (NBK) has put the palatial home of  Mombasa based drug baron Ali Punjani for auction over more than Sh1 billion debt which includes interest and penalties.

    The eight bed roomed double-storey mansion in Nyali with staff quarters, a swimming pool sits on 0.4 acres is registered to Shrike Investments Limited G/T Rising Star Commodities.

    Punjani’s home came to the limelight in 2019 when it was raided by police who spent more than 20 hours in pursuit of Mr Punjani over links to trafficking of narcotics.

    “The property is situated within Nyali Estate, Mombasa County. Access off Links Road is through Nyali Road to Moyne Drive, through to Kenyatta Avenue and Green-Wood Drive. The subject is situated along an unnamed Cul-de-sac Access Road and it’s a second-row beach plot approximately 300m off Green Wood Drive,” Garam auctioneers wrote.

    Ali Punjani’s palatial home in Nyali that is up for auction [p/courtesy]
    Punjani is a close ally of the Akasha brothers, Baktash and Ibrahim who are serving jail terms in New York for running a narcotics network in East Africa, Middle East, Europe, and USA.

    The move to auction the baron’s home has been stepped up by the KCB Group which bought the NBK  bank in 2019.

    KCB is in pursuit of loan delinquents to help clean up a number of bad debts that accumulated over the years.

    The National Bank of Kenya aims to recover all the bad loans that which are threatening to leave it a crippled lender even after the government merged it with KCB in 2019.

    [Image: courtesy]
    The gross non-performing loans at the bank were Sh26.3 billion in September 2020 but stood at Sh2.2 billion in 2012.

    Mr Punjani shady dealings with NBK raised eyebrows in 2016 during a court case in which the bank’s relationship manager Edwin Kipchumba revealed how the narcotics trafficker used backroom channels to receive millions from the crippled bank.

    Kipchumba was fighting to be reinstated to his position after an audit by Deloitte & Touché unearthed the misrepresentation of the lender’s non-performing loans.

  • Mwaura now wants nomination rules reviewed

    Mwaura now wants nomination rules reviewed

    Embattled Jubilee nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura has called for the review of the rules governing the nomination process by political parties.

    Mwaura raised concerns that nominated leaders are not given the same package for the number of staff, the staff salary and operational costs as elected leaders.

    He was nominated by Jubilee Party in 2017 to represent people with disabilities and was serving his first term only to switch allegiance to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), linked to the Deputy President  William Ruto after Jubilee broke into Kieleweke and Tangatanga factions.

    Mwaura who unsuccessfully vied for Ruiru parliamentary seat has been walking a tight rope after the Jubilee Party settled on expelling him and six other nominated Senators over disciplinary violations on February 8.

    He was expelled together with Mary Seneta, Falhada Iman, Naomi Waqo, Victor Prengei and Millicent Omanga who had appeared before Jubilee Party’s disciplinary committee on two occasions over charges of insubordination and misconduct.

    But on May 6, the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) chaired by Desma Nungo declared that their expulsion unlawful and against the Jubilee constitution.

    And a day later, the tribunal overturned its own ruling, dismissing Mwaura’s claims that Jubilee had not furnished him with the charges leveled against him.

    The party then went ahead to gazette former Samburu Senator Sammy Leshore has as Isaac Mwaura’s replacement in the Senate.

    Ex-Samburu Senator Sammy Leshore who was gazetted to replace Isaac Mwaura [p/courtesy]
    “When you are nominated people do not see you on an equal basis with others. That’s what the problem is. We end up producing tricksters and conmen who become a gang of robbers, affecting the welfare of Wanjiku.” Mwaura said on Citizen Tv.

    He further complained that nominated politicians are gagged by party bosses which leads to the suffering of the representation from “institutionalised marginalisation”.

    “You have to claim marginalisation for you to get a seat at the table – nominated leaders need to have a voice.” he added.

    Mwaura who was nominated by ODM in 2016 mditched the party to join Jubilee said he will run in 2022 but he also claimed that leadership goes beyond parties or being elected into to transform a country and the lives of its people.

     

     

     

  • 36 shortlisted to battle for IEBC jobs

    36 shortlisted to battle for IEBC jobs

    Thirty-six applicants have been shortlisted to battle it out for the four vacant positions of commissioners at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

    The Selection Panel for the appointment of the commissioners has published the names of the 36 individuals from a pool of 660 applicants who had expressed interest to fill up the four positions.

    The Elizabeth Muli led panel has also invited members of the public to  submit written memoranda or any information of interest regarding the suitability of the shortlisted applicants not later than June 25, 2021.

    “It is notified that the selection panel may interview any member of the public who submits a memorandum on any of the applicants,” Muli said.

     

    IEBC selection panel [p/courtesy]
    The shortlisted applicants include activists, former members of the constitutional commissions and university lecturers who are eying the four vacant positions at the IEBC.

    “The youngest applicant was 23 years old and the eldest 73 years old,” Muli added.

    The four positions fell vacant following the resignations of Dr. Roselyn Akombe, Paul Kurgat, Margaret Mwanchanya and Connie Maina after the disputed 2017 general elections.

    The shorlisted candidates include Former KNCHR chairperson Florence Shimbiri-Jaoko (Nairobi), Koki Muli and former NCIC commissioner Joseph Gitile Naituli (Meru).

    Former national police service commission member Abdalla Mohamed (Nairobi), former judges and magistrates vetting board vice chairperson Roseline Doreen Adhiambo Odhiambo Odede (Siaya) and former KNCHR chairperson Kagwigira Mbogori (Meru).

    Juliana Whonge Cherera (Mombasa), Julius Kiplagat Rotich (Nandi), Justus Abonyo Nyang’aya (Homa Bay), Justus Maithya Munyithya (Kitui), Koli Muli Grognon (Kitui), Lucy Jebet Chelimo (Baringo) and Maurice Amutabi (Vihiga).

    Others include  Francis Wanderi (Nyeri), Harriette Igonanga Chiggai (Kakamega), Irene Cherop Masit (Elegeyo Marakwet), Irene keino (Uasin Gishu) and Joseph Kang’ethe Ng’ang’a (Kiambu).

    Muli claimed that her panel will discharge its mandate with utmost fidelity to the constitution as she warned candidates that any attempt to influence the process will lead to outright disqualification.

     

  • Desperation pushing Mvurya to form own party

    Desperation pushing Mvurya to form own party

    The outgoing Kwale governor Salim Mvurya is poised to form his own political party that would carry the hopes of the Coastal people after his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi was coerced to abandon a similar move.

    Mvurya’s counterparts at the coastal region including Mombasa governor Hassan Joho were convinced after a tea session with President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House in April.

    The meeting aimed at locking out Deputy President William Ruto who has made serious inroads into the region that voted with opposition chief Raila Odinga in the past three elections. Confused Mombasa governor had hinted at going for ODM’s presidential ticket but has since made a weak u-turn with his political star going dim ahead of 2022.

    Mvurya who is DP Ruto’s pointman in the country is struggling to influence the election of his successor where he has shown strong support for his deputy Fatuma. But other Ruto’s men in the county like Lunga Lunga MP Khatib Mwashetani are proving to be hard nuts for him to crack as he advances at taking over from the diminishing Mvurya.

    To succeed in pushing his agenda and support for DP Ruto, Mvurya has chosen to be the champion behind the formation of a political party with coastal roots to avoid competition with Ruto’s UDA where Mwashetani is also a force to reckon with.

    Information is still scanty if he will buy some small party and build or if he will form a new one from scratch.

    Kilifi governor Amason Kingi. He abondoned quest to form a coastal based party [p/courtesy]
    Umoja Summit Party of Kenya and KADU Asili have been mentioned as parties that can be revived to carry the dreams of the coastals even before the confused Kingi abandoned the push to form a coastal based party.

    Mvurya’s push is also formed by the noise that people from the coast are fed of clinging on parties owned by outsiders and that time could be ripe for the region to have party where they can call shots.

    Though he is Ruto’s sycophantic follower, Mvurya was conspicously mising from a meeting at the Sun and Sand Hotel where Ruto met professionals from the region to advance his 2022 journey.

    But other leaders like Mombasa’s Joho who was bought by KANU’s Gideon Moi just after the handshake have also opposed formation of a coastal party because he comes from the minority Arab extract.

    Joho has been under scathing attacks from other coasltal leaders who have accused him of letting the region down and only benefiting his family since he became governor nine years ago.

    The push to form a regional party had also been dismissed by leaders including Owen Baya of Kilifi North and Magarini’s Michael Kingi who expressed opposition to Kingi’s quest for a regional party.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Inside Brookhouse-KRA feud over Sh140m tax

    Inside Brookhouse-KRA feud over Sh140m tax

    Brookhouse school has moved to the Court of Appeal over its long-running Sh140 million tax feud with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).

    The up-market school and the KRA row emanated from the subsidized tuition fees Brookhouse granted to its staff  but the High Court Judge David Majanja ruled in April that that benefit must be taxed.

    The school went back to court and convinced Justice Majanja to suspend his decision, pending an appeal.

    The judge allowed the plea to suspend his earlier decision but also directed the school to furnish a bank guarantee of Sh15 million within 45 days, failure to which the taxman was free to go for the money.

    “Turning to the issue whether the respondent will suffer substantial loss should the court deny it stay, I hold that the sum of KES 140,217,163.00 adjudged due to the Appellant is not insubstantial. If execution proceeds, the respondent’s business which comprises offering educational services to local and international students, is likely to shut down,” the judge ruled.

    Justice Majanja also clarified that it was not disputed that the school was a going concern like many businesses which are struggling to grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic but any execution would affect its reputation as an international school.

    Justice Majanja had in April allowed the KRA to collect the money arguing that any benefit granted to the employees by the school is taxable.

    “I find the Commissioner’s position reasonable since staff members would pay the normal and ordinary school fees, which constitute the market rate, but for the employment-related benefit,” Justice Majanja said.

    James Mburu, KRA’s commissioner general [p/courtesy]
    But the court dismissed an argument by Brookhouse that the law was ambiguous on the value to be attached to non-cash benefits granted to it’s employees.

    And according to KRA’s audit of the school’s account between 2010 and 2014, it is claiming taxes amounting to Sh186.6 million including the Paye, corporate tax, and withholding tax.

    But the  management of Brookhouse International School refuted the computation, and taxes levied non-cash benefits and Paye granted to its staff.

    The elite school argued that in the absence of clear law on taxation of school fees benefits, it charges its teachers 15% of the applicable school fees following best practice.

    The school also argued that even if all benefits were taxable,  KRA should not be subject it to the full 85% of the benefits but 10%.

    But the their objection was reviewed and still ended up maintaining the Sh140 million for Paye and Sh43 million withholding tax.

  • How Imwatok’s bribe sucked Sifuna into City Hall fiasco

    How Imwatok’s bribe sucked Sifuna into City Hall fiasco

    The outspoken ODM secretary Edwin Sifuna is under serious criticism over his role in the party’s leadership confusion witnessed in Nairobi county assembly.

    Sifuna became part of the mess after he wrote a letter to counter the ouster of the corrupt majority whip Peter Imwatok who has been tainting the image of the orange party through his dirty deals.

    MCA Imwatok has been bragging of buying off Sifuna to defend him against his own party, members where members are supporting his ouster. He was kicked out of the plum position but still chose to camp at the Chungwa House where he reached a backdoor deal with the starving Sifuna to reverse his ouster by ODM MCAs.

    Imwatok brags that Sifuna had to accept his bribe and save him from losing the prestigious position at the City Hall because they all hail from the same region, Western Kenya. He also added that offering of bribes is the culture at the Raila Odinga led party.

    Embattled MCA Peter Imwatok [p/courtesy]
    His deep fall out with the ODM party has been deep to an extent that saw his office being broken into by his colleagues to send a message to Raila Odinga to kick him from the party since he was being fed with lies from hungry cartels like Sifuna.

    Sifuna joint forces with Imwatok to peddle lies that ODM MCAs were being used by their Jubile counterparts who control the County Assembly. Imwatok even went ahead to forge a letter where he accused ODM MCAs of colluding with Jubilee MCAs to plot a coup against him.

    But instead of taking action against the tainted Imwatok, Sifuna purported that ODM did not authorize his removal and that his ouster went against the desires of the party leadership. Imwatok who has been riding on Sifuna’s support then resorted to sending threats to his colleagues who participated in his ouster as he threatened some with expulsion from the ODM party and committees.

    Sifuna now remains a man sucked into City Hall scandals to protect corrupt ODM MCAs especialy Imwatok who was bribed with a Toyota V8, Sh15 million and an apartment along Langata Road. He was bribed by the corrupt city lawyer Prof. Tom Ojienda whom he helped recieve a controversial Sh50 million pay from City Hall.

     

     

  • Nyamira MCAs call for probe into collapse of Assembly building

    Nyamira MCAs call for probe into collapse of Assembly building

    The leadership of the Nyamira County Assembly leadership is calling for investigations into the cause of the collapse of a building that is still under construction at the county headquarters.

    The nasty accident saw ten construction workers injured with three other workers who sustained critical injuries being admitted at Nyamira County Referral Hospital for two days.

    Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo visited the scene of crime where he called for calm, while the Assembly speaker Moffat Teya described the incident as an unfortunate occurrence in a County that is still constrained for office space.

    The shoddy project was the proposed County Assembly headquarters which went down after construction had progressed to the fourth floor.

    Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo [P/courtesy]
    Audit General’s Report showed that the Nyamira County assembly had awarded a contract to M/S Jetta Builders Limited to construct a six-floor office block at an inflated sum of Sh367 million.

    The contract which began on June 13, 2018 was expected to end on June 13, 2021, after 156 weeks as agreed on the contract.

    Physical verification on the progress of the project carried out in October 2019 showed that upto Sh44 million had been paid but the project was still far behind the schedule.

    Speaker Teya maintained that the main constructor must be investigated and amicable solution found after millions of taxpayers’ money had gone down the trenches with the collapsed building.

    “We task the Department of Public Works, particularly the project management and the entire team of engineers together with the contractor to expeditiously investigate and give a comprehensive report on this matter,” he said.

    Governor Nyaribo’s tenure at the county helm has been marred with controversies, accidents and waned relationship with the MCAs.

    The collapse of the Assembly offices also come at a time when the High Court has stopped the Nyamira County Assembly from vetting Deputy Governor nominee James Gesami for the post.

    This is the second time that vetting has failed even after Governor Nyaribo mended his bad relationship with the MCAs, majorly from the ODM party.

    Most of the ODM MCAs have been against Gesami’s nomination for the post but Nyaribo made a deal with them to allow him nominate Gesami.

     

     

     

  • Tycoon Nginyo’s children intensify battle to control family estate

    Tycoon Nginyo’s children intensify battle to control family estate

    The battle to control the Sh4 billion estate belonging to the late businessman and politician Nginyo Kariuki has escalated into fight between the eldest son and his sister.

    James Anthony Kariuki is battling his sister Jane Wambui in court over the control of bank accounts, rent and apartments.

    Wambui is challenging her elder brother’s petition in which he is seeking authority to run the estate.

    Tycoon Nginyo Kariuki died on February 24 2020, leaving behind a contested Will, a widow (Margaret Wangari Nginyo) and nine children, including three from two he sired out of wedlock.

    But the spat between James and Wambui has exposed the cracks in the family that is now fighting over wealth and home responsibilities that the late businessman took care of including school fees and payment of the workers.

    The latest fight has erupted in Margret’s house that was initially united against their siblings born out of wedlock – Brenda Nyambura Kiragu, Alex Ndoria Karuri and Austine Wachira Karungo.

    James told the court that he wants all rent proceeds from properties belonging to his late father deposited directly to Mr Nginyo’s bank accounts arguing that they belong to the estate. He also claimed that some rent payments have been made to third parties who are not authorized.

    But Ms Wambui challenged her brother to account for the house he occupies and monies allegedly loaned to him by their later father.

    “There is no property registered in the name of Lawrence Nginyo Kariuki where rent is not being paid. All the properties are well maintained and there is no risk of disrepair or wastage as alleged by James.

    James in his response claimed that he was gifted the property by his late father on his wedding day as he denied owing Nginyo Investments Sh21 million. He claimed that the said amount is part of his pay for the 25 years he has worked in the family business.

    He further claimed that the entire family is not comfortabl with his sister Wambui and her family staying in their late father’s property without paying rent.

    Jams went on to accuse his siblings Silas Macharia Kariuki, Scholastica Njeri Kariuki and Jane Wambui Kariuki of swindling a total of Sh71 million held in fixed deposit accounts of Pema Holdings Limited at I&M Bank without his knowledge.

    “Without the knowledge of my mother or having misled her, [they] transferred Sh10 million and later Sh61 million into an account at I&M Bank without my knowledge and without valid company resolutions,” James stated in court documents.

    But his sister Wambui dismissed him with claims that father had dropped James as a signatory to the said account.

    “Since 18th February 2008, the applicant was removed as a signatory to all company accounts by the deceased as noted in the bank mandate letter,” said Ms Wambui.

    The late tycoon left behind a vast estate, including real estate, farming, bank deposits and government bonds. He also had a total of Sh335 million in fixed deposit accounts, with most of the cash stashed at the Consolidated Bank of Kenya.

    Nginyo also owned land and buildings in Nairobi’s CBD, Kiambu and Ngong valued at Sh3.2 billion.

    Nginyo Towers in Nairobi’s Central Business District [p/courtesy]
    His other properties include a 120-acre farmlands in Tigoni, Kiambu where he grew coffee, tea and also kept livestock. He also left behind some investment firms including Nginyo Investments and Pema Holdings which boast of assets worth Sh221.3 million.

    The tycoon also invested Sh84.1 million in government bonds which generates an annual interest income of Sh9.4 million.

     

  • Inside the nurses’ bid to oust Panyako

    Inside the nurses’ bid to oust Panyako

    The Kenya National Union of Nurses is embroiled in nasty power wars as ‘politics’ intensify to kick out the current union secretary general Seth Panyako.

    A section of the union that boasts of 27,000 registered members is pointing an accusing finger to the Registrar of Trade Unions of being partisan.

    This comes after 38 centres had officials elected unopposed out of 50 election centres.

    The rebellion within the union also saw a faction of nurses’ representatives meeting in Kitui town piling pressure on embattled Panyako to for call elections of fresh office bearers.

    Panyako’s rivals like the former Machakos county nurses representative Halima Adan said KNUN is at the brink of a possible collapse due to poor of leadership as she demanded for immediate elections of new officials.

    It has also emerged that even where officials were unopposed several incumbents were not listed in the returns as the registrar pretended to be unbothered. Even in what should be national elections, several positions were returned blank including that of the national executive council.

    The February 26 elections held in few centres were also in a complete disregard of an order that had barred the union from holding them.

    Disgruntled members now argue that the procedure followed in conducting the union elections was violated after Panyako introduced new rules that gave him an upper hand against his opponents.

    Nurses Union aspirant Halima Adan [p/courtesy]
    Panyako camp chose to extract rules from a controversial constitution whose case (ELRC 681 of 2020) is pending in court.  The troubled SG is also accused of acting as the election board chair, overseer and a member of the board and handpicking of officials.

    But the Halima-led team which is demanding for elections of new officials across all branches has sworn to push Panyako out of the union’s top leadership.

    The team is already enjoying the backing of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions after Mzee Atwoli came out to strongly express his opposition to the February elections. He described the elections as dishonest and should be repeated.

    “We wish to thank Cotu boss Francis Atwoli for bringing out the impunity at the helm of our union. An audit must be conducted for us to know where and how our affiliation fee and other funds have been utilised,” Halima said.

     

  • How Mutua’s men looted Covid-19 funds

    How Mutua’s men looted Covid-19 funds

    The Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has unearthed how Machakos County officials misappropriated Sh425 million that was allocated for Covid-19 response in March 2020.

    The rogue officials cooked up a scheme which they termed as health staff lunch allowances to loot the public funds meant for combating covid-19.

    The scheme saw some 74 ghost healthcare workers getting Sh542,500 as lunch allowances. None of the ‘workers’ is registered with Machakos county human resource master data but were found to be close relatives to Governor Alfred Mutua’s men who plotted the  scheme.

    Machakos county health CEC Ancent Kituku [p/courtesy]
    Machakos county health CEC Ancent Kituku is one of the beneficiaries who was overpaid with Sh47,000, Lucas Mwove was paid Sh31, 500 while Jackson Muthini, Naomi Mutie, Morris Aluanga, and Robert Maitha who are also staffers in Machakos were underpaid.

    County’s records, however, show that 526 people were paid allowances totaling Sh1.9 million but the payments schedule is missing.

    Even some non-medical staffers also received allowances including Stephen Alphonse Kioko who is Governor Alfred Mutua’s driver. Kioko, Muinde Janeffer, and Wambua Jacob Nduki were paid Sh75, 000 in total.

    In his usual PR stunts, Governor Alfred Mutua confronted his chief driver was fronted by in a move aimed at distancing himself from the scandal involving his officers.

    There were also duplicate payment of allowances made to four staff members with the double payment costing Sh120,000. The rogue officers implicated in the duplicate payments include Muia David  Mutunga Regina,  Mbatha Martin and Musau Michael Musyoka. Musyoka and Muia spent their loot in buying expensive suits.

    Some two ward administrators who were also implicated in the scandal were found to have used the same phone number registered in the name of one Festus and Michael Mutuku.

    Corruption has crippled many projects in Machakos including 2019 when Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission raided county offices to probe the twin dam scandal involving the outspoken flamboyant governor.

    EACC detectives were investigating the Sh89 million deal for the de-silting of Marumba dam and another Sh50 million that came from the Danish International Development Agency.

    The detectives were found that no work had commenced by 2019 while the Sh89 million contract was awarded to Waki Clearing and Forwarding Agents on January 5, 2016.

  • Mali’s President, PM detained by military

    Mali’s President, PM detained by military

    Top military officers in Mali arrested President Bah Ndaw, prime minister Moctar Ouane and defense minister Souleymane Doucoure on Monday and put them in a military detention outside Bamako.

    The move has worsened the political impasse in the West African nation just months after a military coup ousted the previous president and his administration.

    President Ndaw, PM Ouane and the defense minister Souleymane Doucoure were all arrested then taken to a military base in Kati just hours after two members of the military lost their plum positions in a government reshuffle.

    The arrests come after another military ouster in August toppled President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita leaving the country exposed to violent Islamist groups linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State which are controlling the northern regions.

    Political instability and constant military squabbles have made it impossible for Western powers and neighboring countries to restore peace and stability in Mali.

    The United Nations mission in Mali has since called for the group’s “immediate and unconditional” release as it promised to take action on the rogue officers behind the detentions.

    “The international community rejects in advance any act imposed by coercion, including forced resignations,” the group said.

    Both Ndaw and Ouane had were tasked to preside over an 18-month transition which should see Mali back to civilian rule after the August coup but they have went against the military and took control over a number of key positions in government.

    Detained Mali prime minister Moctar Ouane [p/courtesy]
    But a ranking military official in Kati, which is a few kilometres away from the capital Bamako said this was not an arrest but the two were wrong to rearrange the government.

    “What they have done is not good. We are letting them know, decisions will be made.” he said.

    The military base in Kati is notorious for ending the rule of  civilian leaders in Mali.  In August 2020, the military detained President Keita in Kati where they forced him to resign. A mutiny there helped topple his predecessor Amadou .

    Mali has been chaos since the ouster of Keita’s predecessor, Amadou Toumani Toure in 2012 which triggered an ethnic Tuareg rebellion to take control of the northern two-thirds of the country which is under jihadists.

    French forces defeated the insurgents in 2013 but they have since regrouped and now carrying out regular attacks on the army and civilians and crossing into the neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.

     

  • CS Amina rolls out new sporting guidelines

    CS Amina rolls out new sporting guidelines

    Cabinet Secretary for Sports Amina Mohamed has unveiled a raft of measures that will guide the resumption of sporting activities in the country but spectators will still be kept off the sporting events.

    The CS also announced that Kenya will send its first delegation of athletes to Kurume City in Fukuoka on July 5 for a pre-camp ahead of the Olympic Games scheduled to begin on July 23 in Tokyo, Japan.

    This year’s Olympic will see participating teams accommodated at designated Bubble training camps in strict adherence to the guidelines of the Japan’s Ministry of Health and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games playbook.

    “Testing of Athletes shall be done every 96 hours until the commencement of the Olympic Games to ensure that Kenyan athletes are safe and exposed to the rigors of Covid-19 control expected in Tokyo,” the statement reads.

    CS Amina’s announcement comes two weeks after President Uhuru Kenyatta directed the Ministries of Sports and Health to develop a road map to resumption of sports as he lifted the suspension on all sports activities and cessation within five counties including Nairobi, Kiambu, Nakuru, Kajiado and Machakos.

    Nick Kithuku Mwendwa, President, Football Kenya Federation [p/courtesy]
    “I thank my colleague in the Ministry of Health, Hon. Mutahi Kagwe for the support in revising and approving these guidelines and call upon all stakeholders to comply with them. “Together, we can fight the pandemic and maintain a low case load to guarantee continued play,” said CS Amina.

    The announcement will see FKF Premier League will become the first top-flight football competition to resume action in Kenya when Kariobangi Sharks face off with Kakamega Homeboyz in Nairobi on Friday.

    The league was halted on March 26 after President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the indefinite suspension of all sporting activities citing a spike infections weeks before the Easter celebrations.

    FKF has been struggling to have the league resume but the Ministry of Health stuck on the decision that plunged the Kenyan league into uncertainty on whether it will be played to the end or it will be cancelled like the 2019-20 season.