Category: News

Independent Policing Oversight Authority Chairman Issack Hassan, Senior Counsel Katwa Kigen are among 15 lawyers who have appointed to serve in the Court of Appeal.

Others include Judges Chacha Mwita, Hedwig Ong’udi, Mathews Nderi, Mumo Ndolo, Lucy Njuguna, Samson Okongo, Rachel Ngetich, Radido Okiyo, Brown Kairaria, Paul Lilan, Munyao Sila, Johnson Okello and Byram Ongaya.

Judicial Service Commission Chairperson and Chief Justice Martha Koome said the names of the nominees will be transmitted to the President for appointment, in accordance with Article 166 (1) (b) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010,” Chief Justice Martha Koome said in a statement on Thursday.

She explained that the Commission decisions were guided by constitutional principles, including merit, integrity, fairness, gender parity, inclusivity and regional balance.

“Candidates were evaluated on professional competence, written and oral communication skills, integrity, fairness, good judgement, legal and life experience and a demonstrable commitment to public service, the rule of law and constitutionalism,” the JSC Chairperson said.

Koome said the additional judges will increase the capacity of the Court of Appeal from 27 to 42 judges, a move that will strengthen the Court’s ability to address the existing backlog of cases and enhance access to justice through the timely hearing and determination of appeals.

“The Judicial Service Commission reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the effective, efficient and transparent administration of justice,” the CJ emphasised.

The champagne moment came too early and too loudly. Within hours of a High Court decision that merely paused a high stakes defamation trial, word filtered out of a Mombasa boardroom that the fix was in. “We know the system,” associates linked to tycoon Mohamed Jaffer were heard boasting, a celebration that many within legal and business circles read not as confidence in the law but as a brazen taunt to it.

The optics were damning. A temporary procedural pause was being sold as a decisive victory, and the message was unmistakable. Power, not principle, still rules.

The case at the centre of the storm pits the Joho family against Jaffer’s camp over a vicious smear campaign that accused Abubakar Joho of drug trafficking and multibillion shilling fraud. The High Court granted prosecutors time to respond to a challenge on the admissibility of digital evidence, effectively suspending proceedings. That is all the court did. Yet the reaction from Jaffer’s inner circle suggested something else entirely, as if the judiciary had been bent to will rather than consulted through law. For a country struggling with public confidence in its courts, the celebration landed like a middle finger to justice.

Court records and testimonies already paint an unsettling picture. The alleged author of the defamatory material, a personal assistant to Jaffer, halted her prosecution by attacking the forensic report as defective under the Evidence Act. Missing signatures, absent certificates, a broken chain of custody and a handwritten police statement that somehow vanished from the court file were laid bare in open court. The involvement of Anti Terror Police Unit officers in what should have been a routine cybercrime investigation raised further eyebrows. These are not small clerical issues. They are the cracks through which impunity thrives.  

It is within this context that the “we know the system” boast becomes explosive. In the corridors of Mombasa and Nairobi, that phrase is not interpreted as legal brilliance. It is shorthand for something uglier. The insinuation is not subtle. It speaks to buying time, buying silence and, critics whisper, buying outcomes. No court has found bribery and no judge has been accused in these proceedings, but the culture that such bravado evokes is one Kenyans know too well. When powerful litigants celebrate procedural delays as total victories, the suspicion is inevitable. Justice delayed is justice denied, and delay has long been the currency of the well connected.

A deeper look at Jaffer’s long trail of disputes reinforces why this moment has struck a nerve. For decades he has dominated port logistics through Bulkstream, formerly Grainbulk Handlers, enjoying exclusivity that competitors describe as suffocating. Rivals who dared challenge that dominance tell a familiar story of relentless litigation, regulatory roadblocks and character attacks that arrive just as competition heats up. In this very case, Abubakar Joho testified that the smears began when he entered the port business, accusing Jaffer of orchestrating a campaign to eliminate a rival rather than compete fairly.  

Beyond Kenya, the pattern echoes. Licences revoked, projects stalled and bitter court fights in neighbouring countries have followed Jaffer’s expansion attempts. Each episode ends the same way, with the tycoon retreating not in disgrace but intact, his empire unshaken. Critics argue that survival itself has become the proof of impunity. Not because the allegations collapse on merit, but because the system bends long enough for storms to pass.

What enraged observers this week was not the High Court’s ruling, which was procedural and lawful, but the gloating that followed. Celebrating a pause as a conquest suggests foreknowledge, or at least the belief that outcomes can be managed. It feeds the darkest public suspicions about how justice works for billionaires. It also deepens the pain for families dragged through mud by allegations that courts have not tested and may yet vindicate as false.

The Joho family has made clear that this fight is not just about reputation but about the integrity of business competition and the courts themselves. Their supporters see the current suspension as a fork in the road. Either the judiciary reasserts itself and interrogates the evidence without fear or favour, or Kenya slides further into the belief that some men are simply too rich to lose.

For now, the celebration has done more damage than any ruling. It has hardened perceptions that Jaffer and his lieutenants do not fear the law because they believe they own the pathways around it. In a nation where faith in institutions is fragile, that swagger may prove more incriminating than any document challenged on a technicality. The case will return to court. When it does, the country will be watching not just for a verdict, but for proof that knowing the system is not the same as owning it.

The Milimani Law Court has released Michael Macharia Njiri, widely known as DJ Brownskin, after ruling that the prosecution did not present enough evidence to support charges arising from the death of his wife.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Milimani trial magistrate Caroline Nyanguthi held that the State failed to establish its case to the legal threshold required in criminal proceedings.

DJ Brownskin had been facing accusations that he influenced or encouraged his wife, Sharon Njeri Mwangi, to end her life on July 29, 2022, at their residence in Kariobangi South within Buruburu Sub-County.

Prosecutors had also accused him of failing to take reasonable action to stop the incident, despite allegedly being aware of what was happening.

The court heard that Sharon died after consuming a poisonous substance.

The matter drew intense public interest following the circulation of a video online that was alleged to be connected to the events surrounding her death.

In a separate charge, the prosecution claimed that the accused deleted material from his phone on June 1, 2023, knowing that the information could be relevant to ongoing or future judicial proceedings, thereby interfering with potential evidence.

After reviewing the evidence and witness testimony, the court found that the prosecution had not sufficiently proved the essential elements of the offences.

Magistrate Nyanguthi ruled that the gaps identified in the State’s case meant the charges could not stand.

The court therefore acquitted DJ Brownskin of all counts, bringing the case to a close.

He had been charged in June 2023 following investigations into his wife’s death.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 21 — Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested a husband and wife in connection with a Sh20 million fraud linked to the government’s Kazi Majuu labour mobility programme.

Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua confirmed the arrest of Vincent Omondi Oyugi and his wife Rachael Njoki Kariuki, whom he described as the suspected masterminds behind the defrauding of Kenyans recruited to work abroad.

In a statement on Wednesday, CS Mutua commended the DCI for apprehending the suspects after what he termed “a day of hide-and-seek,” noting that the arrests came despite his earlier directive for the suspects to voluntarily present themselves to police.

“I wish to commend the Directorate of Criminal Investigations for arresting the suspected masterminds behind the defrauding of innocent Kenyans who were recruited by Zawadi Jobs Abroad Ltd in partnership with Glorivin International, Gig Connect, and Taushi Tours and Travel,” Mutua said.

According to the Cabinet Secretary, the suspects will now be processed in accordance with the law.

He added that investigations will be expanded to ensure all affected youth, including those whose travel was financed through the Youth Fund, receive justice.

Mutua reiterated that the Kazi Majuu Programme remains on track, insisting that the government is committed to eradicating rogue agents and unscrupulous individuals who exploit unemployed youth.

“This administration is determined to protect and empower the youth with genuine employment opportunities. As I stated yesterday, con artists and rogue agents should know that their days are numbered,” he said.

The arrests come against the backdrop of a report by a multi-agency task force formed in July 2025 by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, in collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office, the DCI, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), to investigate fraud within the labour mobility programme.

The task force revealed that, 390 cases are currently under investigation following complaints from members of the public whe 15 case files have been completed and forwarded to the DPP for review and approval to charge.

The report also indicated that 116 cases involve travel agents.

In some instances, Mutua says, victims have already been reimbursed, while a number of suspects are facing charges in court for obtaining money by false pretence.

However, a few agencies have obtained conservatory court orders temporarily halting prosecution.

The Ministry urged Kenyans seeking overseas employment to remain vigilant, advising job seekers take various measures including dealing only with NEA-registered agents, and conduct personal due diligence and report suspicious agencies.

Despite the challenges, the Ministry reported significant progress in labour migration.

Since 2022, Mutua said over 538,000 Kenyans have travelled abroad for work, with daily departures ranging between 450 and 500 people.

The figure is projected to reach one million within the next year.

Motorists buying vehicles through auctions, bank repossessions, or court-directed sales have been cautioned that ownership will not be recognised unless a special transfer procedure is followed, the National Transport and Safety Authority has said.

The authority, in a notice on Wednesday, said the process, referred to as an alternative or forced transfer, is compulsory for vehicles acquired through repossession auctions, court orders, and tender-based sales.

NTSA noted that the requirement is meant to ensure all ownership changes are properly recorded in the national vehicle register.

For vehicles sold following bank repossession, NTSA said buyers must provide proof that the auction was conducted lawfully. This includes a certified copy of the auctioneer’s current licence, the auctioneer’s registration certificate, and KRA PIN details.

Buyers must also submit tender documents and an official letter from the bank instructing the auctioneer to conduct the sale.

NTSA further stated that successful applicants are required to present a certificate of sale, the original receipt confirming payment, a discharge letter issued by the bank, and a formal transfer request. The original logbook of the vehicle must also be part of the application.

In addition, the authority said further verification documents will be required to complete the transfer. These include certificates of incorporation for both the bank and the auctioneer, KRA PINs for the two entities, and a letter from the bank identifying the highest bidder.

Sworn affidavits from both the institution that conducted the auction and the buyer are also mandatory.

NTSA added that applicants must obtain a tape lift from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, complete the prescribed transfer form Form C, and submit proof that the vehicle sale was advertised in a newspaper to demonstrate openness and accountability.

According to the authority, the transfer process begins on the NTSA service portal, where applicants must select the alternative or forced transfer option and provide details of the vehicle and transaction.

All original documents must be scanned and uploaded as one PDF file, after which the applicant selects a logbook collection centre and names the person authorised to collect it.

Applicants are then required to make online payments for the forced transfer and vehicle inspection services. NTSA explained that the system enforces a mandatory seven-day waiting period before allowing the buyer to book a vehicle inspection at a preferred NTSA centre.

On the scheduled inspection date, the vehicle must be presented together with all original documents for verification by NTSA officers. Once the inspection is completed and approved, the new owner is notified through an SMS message.

NTSA said the cost of the transfer depends on the engine size of the vehicle and applicable inspection charges, adding that once verification is successful, the transfer is usually finalised within three working days.

Form Four leavers seeking to pursue hospitality and tourism courses will, for the first time, be placed at Kenya Utalii College through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).

The milestone follows a new partnership between the two institutions, which now opens a new pathway for Form Four leavers seeking careers in tourism at one of Kenya’s most prestigious hospitality training institutions.

The collaboration is expected to widen access to Utalii College’s hospitality and tourism programmes by bringing the specialised institution onto the national placement platform that allocates government-sponsored students to universities and colleges.

Under the arrangement, applicants to Utalii College will enrol through KUCCPS, a move that the two institutions say will enhance fairness, merit and national reach in student admissions.

Plans are underway to roll out the partnership ahead of the 2026 placement application cycle for universities and technical and vocational education and training institutions.

Speaking on Monday during a meeting at Kenya Utalii College in Nairobi, KUCCPS chief executive Mercy Wahome and Utalii College principal Mark Ogendi described the collaboration as a major shift in access to hospitality training.

Wahome said the KUCCPS placement system was designed to promote equity and transparency in access to higher education and training opportunities, while enabling institutions to attract students from across the country.

“There is equity in the process, ensuring that institutions achieve the face of Kenya,” she said, noting that placement through KUCCPS would allow Utalii College to reach learners from diverse regions and backgrounds.

Beyond student placement, the partnership will also extend to labour market research, career pathway development and grassroots mobilisation to encourage students to take up available training opportunities in the hospitality and tourism sector.

The initiative forms part of the wider whole-of-government approach aimed at taking technical and vocational training closer to citizens.

Last week, KUCCPS and Kenya Utalii College joined the ministries of education and tourism at Tinderet Integrated Training and Vocational Institute in Nandi County, where Utalii College formally launched its programmes.

Ogendi said joining the KUCCPS platform would also create opportunities for collaboration with other institutions offering tourism and hospitality courses.

“With KUCCPS’ coordination, we also look forward to engaging with other colleges offering tourism and hospitality programmes to harmonise training standards,” he said.

The end goal is to harmonise training standards across the sector, he said.

Kenya Utalii College becomes the latest specialised institution to come under the KUCCPS placement framework, which is billed as fair, efficient and transparent.

Other institutions that have joined the platform in recent years include the Kenya School of Law and the Morendat Institute of Oil and Gas.

Last year, the Kenya School of Law began offering its Diploma in Law (Paralegal Studies) through KUCCPS, while the Morendat Institute availed its certificate and diploma programmes on the same platform.

Ogendi said working with KUCCPS would help Utalii College reach students from all parts of the country as it seeks to expand its physical presence beyond Nairobi to other regions, including Kisumu, Kilifi and Narok counties.

Kenya Utalii College, an affiliate member of UN Tourism, is a recognised centre of excellence that has trained skilled workers for the Kenyan and global hospitality and tourism markets for five decades.

The institution is known for its competency-based training model, which has produced graduates working in leading tourism establishments locally and abroad.

KUCCPS is a government agency established under the Universities Act, 2012.

It’s mandated to coordinate the placement of government-sponsored students to universities and colleges, developing career guidance programmes and collecting data on student placement to higher learning institutions.

The KUCCPS placement cycle for the 2026/27 academic year is expected to open around March/April 2026 for the initial application for KCSE graduates, with revision periods expected in May/June.

During the January 17-18 weekend, the service carried out citizen engagement and career guidance activities in Nandi and Kirinyaga counties with key activities including career guidance, KMTC application support and tree growing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The agreement required completion within 90 days from August 2024.

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

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

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

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

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

The disagreement persisted for several weeks.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nairobi residents are unknowingly living in death traps, with a staggering 85 per cent of buildings in the capital unsafe for human habitation and vulnerable to collapse even from minor tremors, professional architects and engineers have warned.

The chilling revelation came as construction industry professionals broke their silence following the South C building collapse that killed two people last week, painting a grim picture of a city where corruption, greed and regulatory failure have turned homes into potential mass graves.

“If a tremor, even on a very low Richter scale, happened today, many buildings would come down. We are living by the grace of God,” declared Architectural Association of Kenya President Prof George Ndege in a stark warning that has sent shockwaves through the nation.

The professionals revealed that a 2018 audit by the National Building Inspectorate covering 14,925 buildings found that only 2,194 structures were safe. A staggering 723 buildings were classified as very dangerous, while 10,791 were deemed unsafe and 1,217 rated as fair.

“NBI took a sample of 15,000 buildings and only 15 per cent of them were safe. You are talking about all the others as being unsafe,” said Institution of Engineers of Kenya President Shammah Kiteme, his voice heavy with the weight of the statistics.

The implications are terrifying. Millions of Kenyans go to bed each night in buildings that could become their tombs at any moment. Children attend schools, families worship in churches, workers toil in offices, all within structures that professional engineers warn are fundamentally unsound.

Prof Ndege painted a disturbing picture of daily life in Nairobi’s residential buildings. “How many buildings have natural light during the day? How many have fresh air, family-friendly spaces, proper sanitation and access to open areas for children to play? If you have to switch on your lights during the day, that is a problem. If there is a sewer outside your house, that is a problem. The number of buildings that are not fit for human habitation is extremely high.”

The South C tragedy, where a 16-storey residential building crumbled like a house of cards, has exposed what professionals describe as a toxic cocktail of corruption, political interference, counterfeit materials and regulatory capture that has turned Kenya’s construction sector into what they call a “ticking time bomb.”

Speaking at a joint press conference, leaders from eight registered professional bodies, including the Institution of Engineers of Kenya, The Architects Alliance, Kenya Institute of Planners, Institution of Surveyors of Kenya and Institute of Quantity Surveyors of Kenya, laid bare the rot in the sector.

“Many investigations have been done. There is no evidence that we have implemented the lessons learnt from the dissections and investigations. The failure to make people take responsibility makes this culture of impunity entrenched and there is no way to stop it,” the lobbies warned in a damning indictment of the system.

The professionals revealed that developers routinely add extra floors to buildings mid-construction without redesigning foundations, a practice that significantly increases structural load and the risk of catastrophic collapse. Counterfeit construction materials flood the market unchecked, while quacks masquerading as qualified engineers sign off on deadly designs.

“We worry about counterfeit alcohol because it kills, yet our buildings are killing us silently. We don’t know the quality of materials being used and that is the harsh reality professionals are grappling with,” said The Architects Alliance President Senator Sylvia Kasanga.

Perhaps most shocking is the revelation that corruption has become so entrenched that approvals are routinely fast-tracked through bribery, with powerful political connections shielding rogue developers from consequences.

The South C building itself exemplified the systemic failures. Investigations revealed that the National Construction Authority issued registration before mandatory approvals from county government and the National Environment Management Authority were secured. Additional floors were approved without proof of structural review. The developer was listed as the engineer, raising red flags about conflict of interest. Construction continued despite enforcement notices issued in May, July and December 2025.

“Looking at the rubble, it is clear this was a poor job. Everybody involved took shortcuts. The county bears responsibility for approving four additional floors when the building was nearly complete,” said Lands and Public Works Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome.

A human rights activist has now petitioned the High Court to remove NCA Executive Director Maurice Akech, alleging regulatory failures that contributed to building collapses. Francis Awino argues that Akech is unfit for office due to alleged negligence, incompetence and failure to enforce construction laws despite repeated warnings.

The professionals warned that without immediate and comprehensive reforms, the question is not if another building will collapse, but when. Since 1990, over 200 people have lost their lives in building collapses, with thousands injured and the economy losing over Sh2.4 billion worth of investments.

“The audit must go beyond this incident to examine systemic failures. If we do not address this mess comprehensively, we will forget this tragedy and another building will collapse,” Kiteme warned.

The professionals demanded accountability across the entire chain, from developers and contractors to county governments and regulatory agencies. They called for the blacklisting of rogue contractors, public disclosure of unsafe buildings, and criminal prosecution of those who cut corners.

As Nairobi’s skyline continues to sprout new towers at breakneck speed, the question haunting every resident is simple but terrifying: Is my building next?

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

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

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

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

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

Return from Forced Exile

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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