Kenya Insights

Tag: President Kenyatta

  • Uhuru blocks move to eject Ruto

    Uhuru blocks move to eject Ruto

    President Uhuru Kenyatta has neutralized the spirited move by his allies to eject Deputy President William Ruto as the Jubilee deputy party leader. Kenyatta pulled the surprise move as the National Management Committee-the second most powerful organ with sweeping powers-meets review their decision.

    The NMC is expected to reverse its earlier decision to have Ruto ejected as the deputy party leader of the ruling Jubilee party. The committee recommended the removal of Ruto and was only awaiting ratification by the National Executive Committee this week but NMC is today expected to drop Ruto’s ejection after President Kenyatta intervened.

    Reliable sources revealed to KI that the President is not keen on having Ruto stripped of his powers as the Jubilee deputy leader although he has technically walked out and running the affairs of UDA Party.

    But the move eject Ruto from the Jubilee Party leadership was expected to face legal challenges since the party’s Constitution provides that the deputy president automatically assumes the role of the party’s deputy leader.

    Besieged: DP Dr William Ruto [p/courtesy]
    Jubilee’s second termed has been marked with waves of purges that have routed out politicians allied to the deputy president. Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata was fired from his Majority Whip seat in early 2021 days after nominated senator Isaac Mwaura also ditched the president for Ruto’s Tangatanga.

    Many had also been kicked out last year including the Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen who was the majority leader, former committee chairs John Kinyua (Devolution), Samson Cherargei (Justice and Legal Affairs (JLAC)), Christopher Lagat (Education) and Mithika Linturi (vice chair JLAC).

    But efforts to eject DP Ruto as Jubilee deputy party leader has left the ruling party divided right in the middle with a section of members of the powerful NMC piling pressure on party leader President Uhuru Kenyatta to convene  a meeting on Tuesday this week to proceed with the ouster.There is also another faction that has adopted a wait-and-see approach.

     

  • Government To Spend Sh80Billion To Rehabilitate Sewers

    Government To Spend Sh80Billion To Rehabilitate Sewers

    President Uhuru through DP Ruto has said that the government has set aside sh80 billion to rehabilitate and expand sewarage infrastructures in the country.

    The President has also directed the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation to follow inducements intended for increasing use of recycled water to expand irrigation.

    DP Ruto while reading the Head of States speech during the official opening of Water and Sanitation Conference at KICC, the President said that there was need to reduce water wastage in the country.

    “Industries are required to include pre-treatment facilities in their premises to ensure acceptable standard of waste water is discharged into the sewerage system and to the environment and the rivers,” said President Kenyatta.

    President Kenyatta advised the Water Services Providers through the Council of Governors to curb spillage of raw sewerage into water ways. He also noted that major pollution emanates from improper disposal of solid waste, especially in the cities and towns.

    “The provision of quality and sustainable water and sanitation plays a focal role in ensuring a healthy nation; if sustained, it breaks the disease-poverty cycle, contributing significantly to poverty alleviation and wealth creation agenda. Dumping of domestic and other solid waste on the river banks is not a solution and must be discouraged,” said President Kenyatta.

    “In this regard, I am directing the Ministry of Education to introduce a compulsory curriculum on water and sanitation in all schools,” the President added.

    Currently, the access to clean safe water stands at 62 percent while average national sewerage coverage lurch at 25 percent.

    “Hence, we are investing over Sh80 billion for rehabilitation and expansion of sewerage infrastructure in the country; this will increase access to sewerage services to about 40%.” DP said.

    The Head of State noted that the country requires an annual budgetary allocation of Sh 100 billion for the maintenance and rehabilitation of Water and Sanitation infrastructure.

    Other leaders present at the conference were Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretaries Simon Chelugui, East African Community and Regional Development counterpart Adan Mohammed, Senate and National Assembly chairpersons of Committees on Lands, Environment and Natural Resources Paul Githiomo and Kareke Mbiuki and Principal Secretary Joseph Irungu.

     

  • Rotich: My Seniors Stopped Picking Up My Calls

    Rotich: My Seniors Stopped Picking Up My Calls

    Treasury Cabinet secretary Henry Rotich has been left to fry alone after DPP Hajji and DCI director Kinoti turned their  ‘guns’ on him.

    According to sources speaking to media, Rotich had foreseen his arrest, prosecution and sacking from the Cabinet almost three months ago.

    Sources close to Rotich told media that people close to him, Rotich, who are senior officials in government had stopped picking his calls.

    Rotich is reported to have confided in his friends and close business allies that he felt the government had thrown him under the bus and his Seniors left him to fry alone.

    According to sources speaking to local media said that Rotich must have been aware that something bad was coming up because he told us that his seniors had stopped responding to his text messages after the saga of the dams broke out.

    Rotich told his friends that he felt frustrated and betrayed according to a source.

    “We could tell that he was a disturbed man when he told us that in the past his messages were promptly responded to. It was like he was telling us that he had been left on his own,” Said a source speaking to Media.

    Rotich goose started cooking early this year when he was summoned to the DCI headquarters for questioning over the dams scandal.

    CS Rotich was first questioned by Police on 18th February this year. He was later to make four more visits to the DCI as investigations progressed.

    Rotich became a close friend with President Uhuru Kenyatta after working together at Treasury when President Uhuru was Finance minister under Retired President Mwai Kibaki’s reign.

    When Treasury CS was sucked into the dams scandal, their close ties with Head of State vaporised and since then, President Uhuru vowed that all top government officials implicated in corruption will carry their own cross.

    Rotich was arrested yesterday almost immediately after the DCI director George Kinoti and Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji jetted in from their two-week visit in Italy.

    Kinoti and Hajji left for Italy on July 9 to meet government officials and the Italian government-owned insurer, Service Assicurnativi Dei Commercio Estero (SACE), which was paid Sh11.1 billion as insurance premium for a loan to build the two dams.

    “The investigations established that government officials flouted all procurement rules and abused their oath of office to ensure the scheme went through,” DPP Haji said in a press briefing.

    According to DPP Hajji, government officials went ahead to award the contracts to CMC Di Ravenna of Italy to run concurrently while aware that the firm was, at the time of award, straining and getting into voluntary liquidation back in Italy.

    The DCI director Kinoti had also asked CS Rotich about the missing National Environment Management Authority reports and lack of public participation in the Dam projects.

    According to records, a leading supermarket was paid Sh4 million for supplying pillows and bedsheets while a food and wine company based in Nairobi’s Lavington was paid Sh15 million for supplying food and wines to CMC.

    Car hire services costed Sh7 million while Sh18 million was used for aerial survey services and another company supplied alleged foodstuff worth Sh10.2 million.

    Another company was paid 6million to supply generators while another one was paid Sh19 million for physical studies.

    The records further indicate that another company was paid 13 million for provision of air tickets and yet another got 6 million for generators.

  • Political Leader’s Tributes To The Late Football Legend Joe Kadenge

    Political Leader’s Tributes To The Late Football Legend Joe Kadenge

    Kenya’s football legend Joe Kadenge is dead.

    According to the family, Kadenge, who has been ailing for quite a while, passed away on Sunday while undergoing treatment at Meridian hospital in Nairobi.

    The 84 year old succumbed to his constant illness.

    Kadenge’s once robust fame had been turned into a pale shadow of constant illness.

    Joe, the Former Kenyan winger who tortures defenders manning him during his hey days.

    In January 2006, Joe suffered stroke.

    Joe condition worsened as days passed. He collapsed at Camp Toyoyo grounds in Jericho, Nairobi, while watching a football match on December 23.

    President Uhuru Kenyatta expressed his condolences, terming Kadenge’s death as “a loss to the sporting fraternity and our nation.”

    “It is with profound sadness that I have learnt of the demise of Mzee Joe Kadenge. His death is a loss to the sporting fraternity and our nation. Joe exemplified talent, dedication and patriotism. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this time,” said President Kenyatta.

    The President posted his condolences via the official twitter account of the State House of Kenya,

    Deputy President William Ruto also sent his condolences saying “Kadenge was a wonderful man, on and off the pitch; approachable, gentlemanly, courteous and a role model. May his soul rest in peace.”

    “Condolences to the family and friends of football legend Joe Kadenge. At his prime, Kadenge was unplayable; he terrorised defenders with dribbles, nutmegs and was a joy to watch. He raised a family of great footballers: Francis, Evans, Rogers and Oscar, who excelled in the sport,” reads Ruto’s tweet.

    Opposition chief Raila Odinga has also mourned also Kenya’s best ever known winger Kadenge.

    “We have today lost one of the greatest talents to ever grace a football pitch in our national uniform. Joe Kadenge was a true ambassador for the country and Kenyan soccer. May he rest in eternal bliss. May his spirit inspire more young people to pursue the game,” reads Raila’s tweet.

    ANC Party Leader Musalia Mudavadi said was the most legendary of Kenyan footballers and shall be remembered for his exploits on the pitch

    Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula has also sent his condolences to Joe’s family.

    “The curtain has fallen on our football legend Joe Kadenge. His football artistry equaled modern day Thierry Henry, Christian Ronaldo, George Weah, Samuel Etoo etc. We must have a proper policy for the welfare of our sports heroes/heroines. RIP Joe.”

    Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho also sent his condolences to Joe’s family saying Kenyans will miss him because he was part of Our rich football history.

    Sports CS Amina Mohamed had this to say about Joe, “We celebrate Mr. Joe Kadenge as an enviable part of Kenya’s identity and aspire to keep his ever present spirit in the soul of our sporting nation. May the Almighty grant him eternal rest and fortify his family to bear this loss”

    Nairobi governor, Mike Sonko also joined the political fraternity in mourning and sending sincere condolences to the the family of the late Kadenge