Kenya Insider

  Kakamega deputy governor Ayub Savula has claimed that he was a victim of the disbanded DCI special service unit(SSU). Savula claimed the dreaded SSU threatened him and warned him against switching his political allegiance from Azimio to Kenya Kwanza. “Officers from the unit threatened me that they will take me where I wanted to go and Ngong forest is just near here. They told me that they will deal with me if I didn’t support Azimio. It was a nasty experience,”  he said. The former Lugari MP said President Ruto was right to disband the alleged killer squad a week ago. “It’s true DCI had a squad that was eliminating people. We want thorough investigations carried out and if there is anyone who killed anyone justice be done,”  Savula said. Savula also claimed officers from the DCI arrested him together with his two wives in 2017 and slapped him with fictitious charges. He said the officers asked him to abandon Ruto’s camp to be released. Savula spoke when he toured the Lu...

  The High Court in Nairobi has awarded a University student at least Ksh5 million following a decade-long intellectual property battle with Equity Bank. Eric Obiero Nyadida, 22, sued the lender for using a song he composed in Form Two to promote the ‘Wings to Fly’ programme without paying him. Nyadida told the court that he wrote the song in May 2013 and registered it at the Music Copyright Society together with other songs, “Running”, and “Flame Docks”. He said Equity Bank approached him with a proposal to publicise its education programme. He billed the bank Ksh10 million for the song but the bank offered a scholarship instead, which his parents rejected. “I was in form two at Maranda High School. I went and recorded the song and gave it to Equity through my manager. I had signed a contract through they were to pay me KSh 10 million but they didn’t pay,”  said Nyadida. The songwriter said Equity pulled out of the deal and allegedly caused his arrest. He was then charged wit...

  Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi has maintained that Peninah Malonza is the most suitable person for the Tourism, Wildlife, and Heritage docket and that she should be given a chance to serve in the capacity. According to him, Malonza failed during vetting because she panicked due to the full glare of cameras and MPs. “Penina Malonza is qualified to serve@Min_TourismKE only that she wasn’t good in public speaking. It’s not an easy task to address MPs with the full glare of cameras, maybe she panicked or got nervous. Nonetheless, she will be the best-performing CS. Let’s give her a chance,” Sudi said. While Sudi believes that Malonza’s poor performance during vetting was due to panic, South Mugirango MP Sylvanus Osoro, who is also a close ally of President William Ruto, claimed that her dressing and ‘mood’ might have contributed to the rejection. “I call upon my fellow leaders that let’s learn to put our country ahead of everything. I imagine that even the local politics must have playe...

  Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson has turned down a Ksh500 million budget set aside for the construction of official residences for the governor and deputy governor. Speaking on Tuesday during the launch of the proposed Kibera Soweto East Zone B Social Housing Project in Lang’ata, Sakaja said his administration’s priority is bettering the lives of Nairobi residents and not the construction of his official residence. Sakaja said he already has a house and directed that the money be allocated elsewhere. “I have just seen a budget which is allocating Ksh.500 million for the construction of the Governor’s and Deputy Governor’s houses. I have asked them to reallocate the money to other priority projects like the construction of markets and creating jobs for our young people,” Sakaja said. “I already have a place where I live, why do I need Ksh500 million for another residence? Let’s work for our people,” the county boss added. The Ksh500 million plan was contained in the Nairobi County ...

  President William Ruto has abolished the   Kazi Mtaani  social protection programme that was designed to cushion the most vulnerable youth in the informal settlements from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ruto announced the abolishment on Tuesday, October 25, saying Kazi Mtaani was outdated. He said his government was exploring better employment programmes for Kenyan youth. The Head of State spoke during the launch of the proposed Kibera Soweto East Zone B Social Housing Project in Lang’ata. “We want to make this programme a reality and every Kenyan to own a decent home wherever they are in the Republic of Kenya,”  he said. Ruto noted that the housing project was one way of creating employment opportunities for the youth in Lang’ata. “Najua mmeniambia mnataka kazi mtaani, sikizeni, mambo ya kazi mtaani ni mambo ya zamani. Ile kazi ya kuokota takataka tuachane na hiyo, sasa kazi itakuwa hii. Hakuna kazi mtaani tena, kazi ni hii ya kujenga nyumba. Wale watu wa k...

  President William Ruto says he only needs one year to fix the mess of his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta with regard to the high Unga prices. Speaking Tuesday, President Ruto said his Kenya Kwanza government is committed to reducing the cost of living in Kenya. The Head of State said the release of Ksh.3.6 billion subsidized fertilizer was the first step in the reduction of Unga prices. “Lazima tupunguze gharama ya maisha, na mimi niliwaambia lazima tuteremshe bei ya unga ikuje chini. Na hiyo safari ya kupunguza gharama ya unga na gharama ya maisha tayari nimeianzisha. Tumepatia wakulima wetu mbolea magunia milioni moja na nusu na tunawapatia ingine milioni sita wazalishe chakula,” Ruto said in Kibra during the launch of Affordable Housing project. The President faulted the previous regime in which he was Deputy President for messing up the cost of Unga in four years. “Wale walioharibu mambo ya unga mpaka ikafika shilingi 230 walikoroga hiyo mambo kwa miaka nne. Mnipatie mwaka moja p...

  Opposition leader Raila Odinga has vowed to fight the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Kenya. The Azimio Coalition leader on Tuesday said GMOs are not a cure-all for Kenya’s ongoing drought and food shortage, and committed to fight them in court and in farms across the country. Raila also demanded an explanation from President Ruto over the recent lifting of a ban on GMOs in Kenya. “We demand that Ruto’s administration explains to Kenyans the rationale behind the rush to reverse the 2012 the directive that stopped the importation and open cultivation of GOs due to concerns of the health risks of GMO foods and insufficient studies on their effects on small-scale farmers and the local food markets,” the statement signed by the Azimio leader reads in part. Raila argued that the reintroduction of GMOs is a cruel excuse that violates Kenyans’ rights and jeopardizes national interests at the expense of foreign commercial interests. The ODM leader also noted that GMOs are...