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Mustafa Juma

Regular traffic changes on Nairobi roads tend to inconvenience many city dwellers who normally find themselves in the trap every time the changes are enacted. Are you aware of matatu saccos that have been suspended?

Well, National Transport and Safety Authority has suspended nine matatu Saccos for failing to comply with the provisions of the laws.

NTSA director general Francis Meja said in a statement on Monday that the nine failed to comply with section 5(1)of the NTSA’s regulations.

Meja urged the public not to board any vehicles belonging to the saccos to avoid any inconveniences. 

Companies affected include Mwamba Sacco which operates Komarock-Jogoo Road-Mfangano Street. 

Some of Mwamba Sacco vehicles operate on Mfangano Street-Eastleigh, Jogoo Road-Buruburu-Civil Servant-Garage. 

Marvellous Travellers Sacco which operates from Komarock-Savannah-Jogoo Road-Eastleigh-Mfangano Street was also affected. Fig Komba Sacco which operates from Dandora-Juja Road-Gikomba-Fig Tree-Ngara-Kiambio-Mathare North had their licence revoked September 27.

The license for Moonlight Coach Company which operates from Commercial-Thika Road-Mathare North has also been revoked.The authority also suspended Mwirona Sacco which operates from Bus Station-Thika road, Kasarani-Mwiki.   

Huruma Minibus that operates on-Pangani-Kariokor-Tusker Bus Station also had its licences revoked.

Also revoked was the license of Transafaris Sacco which operates from Nairobi-Nakuru-Kisumu-Busia.

The sacco also operates Nairobi-Busia-Nakuru-Kericho-Kisumu and Nairobi-Nakuru-Kisumu-Kakamega-Bungoma.

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The government has been forced to source for diving equipment from a South African company to help undertake the operation to retrieve two bodies and a car that slithered off the ferry plunging into Indian Ocean on Sunday evening.

Coast Regional Coordinator John Elungata on Monday said the operation will continue on Tuesday.

The regional administrator said operation to retrieve bodies of a woman and her daughter from Indian Ocean was delayed over lack of equipment to pull out the car from the Indian Ocean.

Mariam Kigenda Taita, 35, and her four-year-old daughter died after the vehicle they were traveling in slid off MV Harambee Sunday evening.

The family’s relatives, including Mariam’s husband on Monday camped at the Likoni channel as they waited in vain for KFS to retrieve the bodies of their kin.

Frustrated, the faulted the government for not doing enough especially since in navy officers could be seen nearby conducting drills.

Private divers – who have previously played a key role in rescue and retrieval efforts – refused to participate in the exercise, citing non-payment for previous work.


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Kenya Ferry Services has hired a private firm to locate and recover vehicle with its occupants following the Sunday evening tragedy, Managing Director Bakari Gowa says.

For over 12 hours after a saloon car plunged into the Indian Ocean killing a mother and her 4-year-old daughter, the family of the deceased is yet to receive the bodies of their loved ones. 

Mariam Kigenda Taita, 35, and daughter died after the vehicle they were traveling in slid off MV Harambee Sunday evening.

Grief-stricken family members now say not enough is being done to retrieve bodies of their kin.

Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) has earlier said it has no divers who can retrieve the bodies and are waiting for help from Kenya Navy divers. 

KFS and the family of the deceased, including Mariam’s husband, are camping at the Likoni channel, waiting for help to get the bodies and vehicle out of the sea.

Private divers – who have previously played a key role in rescue and retrieval efforts – have refused to participate in the exercise, citing non-payment for their previous work.

A section of Mombasa residents have accused KFS management of negligence, asking how officials failed to rescue the mother and child.

Residents further questioned KFS’ ability to assure the safety of the thousands that use the cross the Likoni channel daily.

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A Senate committee has recommended the arrest of Machakos County governor Dr Alfred Mutua.

The Senate County Public Accounts and Investment Committee was incensed on Monday after Mutua failed to appear before it for the third time.

Mutua was summoned to respond to audit queries in the 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18 financial years.

The Public Accounts and Investment Committee (PAIC) chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang begins a three-day whirlwind tour of the three counties in Ukambani region to investigate alleged misuse of public funds.

Governors Alfred Mutua (Machakos), Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni) and Charity Ngilu (Kitui) have been summoned to appear before the Kajwang committee to respond to audit queries and petitions raised by both the Auditor-General and locals.

However, the committee was forced to cancel Monday’s session after the Machakos County Assembly said it will not be available to host the intended Senate PAIC sittings because it is on recess.

In a letter seen by the Nation, Assembly Clerk Felix Mbiuki said he was only notified by telephone of the planned sittings in their chambers but MCAs and staff are also participating in the County Assemblies Sports Association (CASA) national games in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.

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Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga will be left homeless if Kibra constituency is taken away from him, political analyst Ambrose Weda has said.

Speaking on Monday morning during a morning talk show dubbed Morning Express on KTN News, Weda said that Kibra is like Raila’s home since he has represented it for a long time.

The analyst says that despite Raila’s native home being Bondo, his real political home is Kibra.

His remark comes a day after various aspirants in the forthcoming mini polls stormed Kibra on Sunday to launch their manifesto.

Jubilee Candidate McDonald Mariga, Ford Kenya candidate Khamisi Butichi, ANC’s Eliud Owalo and ODM’s Imran Okoth were in different parts of the constituency to woo voters.

While Mariga, Owalo and Butichi held rallies in different locations, Imran resolved to doing door to door campaigns after attending several church services in the region.

However, out of the three rallies, Mariga is believed to have had a huge crowd, which has been seen as a bigger threat to Raila’s ODM, an incident Kenyans say is an upper hand for Mariga.

Deputy President William Ruto has already expressed confidence that the Jubilee party will triumph in the coming Kibra Constituency By-elections scheduled for November 7th.

Ruto said that already, the Jubilee administration has transformed Kibra through the construction of roads and toilets, which he said had not been done for several years, despite the leadership of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

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Inmates at the Kamiti Maximum Prison on Monday refused to take their morning porridge to protest ongoing search for contraband in their cells.

Kamiti prison authorities said the situation is under control after reports emerged that there were confrontations between warders and inmates.

According to reports, the trouble started after some inmates resisted surrender of contraband.

Kamiti is Kenya’s biggest maximum security prison with cameras and hawk-eyed guards who screen people, vehicles and goods entering the correctional facility.

But criminals still sneak contraband into the facility in a racket suspected to involve warders and managers.

In past mop-ups, prison officers seized laptops, internet modems, sim cards and mobile phones— tools that inmates use to swindle unsuspecting members of the public.

Other contraband include cigarettes, hard drugs, knives and daggers curved from iron rods, electric cookers and coils and razor blades.

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Former Bomet governor, Isaac Rutto, on Sunday faulted the govt eviction of settlers in the Maasai Mau trust land.

Rutto, who was appearing on K24 TV’s Punchline show with Anne Kiguta, said the Maasai Mau has not been gazetted as a forest and the 60,000 people being kicked out should be compensated.

Confronted with the findings of a task force created by the former prime minister Raila Odinga into the encroachment of the Maasai Mau, Rutto faulted the team for not writing a memo to the Cabinet that would have formed a basis for a bill to gazette the land as a protected area.

“Maasai Mau is not government land. It is not under the Kenya Forest Service. It is not gazetted as a forest. We have not reached a solution to the Mau issue because every other time a solution is being pushed from the top. I would like a situation in which there is a clear discussion and engagement between the government and local community,” said Rutto.

The former governor said that land from which settlers are being evicted from has three ward representatives, several schools and government-built roads, including one that was officially launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“There is a certain area in Maasai Mau that is a catchment area. Do a survey and give us the coordinates. Officially, it is not a water catchment area. It is just a statement,” said Rutto.

In August this year, the government halted the second phase evictions of settlers from the Maasai Mau forest but gave them 60 days to voluntarily vacate the area.

The 60-day notice was given after government administrators were accused of kicking out the settlers inhumanely.

A 10-member task force was also formed, headed by the Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya, to over devise a plan for the second phase evictions.

The team comprises members from Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service and the Ministry of Environment.

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Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele has won the 2019 edition of the Berlin Marathon, coming just two seconds short of beating the world record currently held by Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge.

Bekele ran 2:01:41, and missed the World Record by 2 seconds.

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Bekele was faster than Kipchoge at 40km. By only 2 seconds – 1:55:30 for Bekele vs 1:55:32 for Kipchoge. But Kipchoge’s final 2.2km were 4 seconds faster than Bekele’s today.

Bekele staged an astonishing comeback to clock 2:01:41, setting the second-fastest time in history. Fellow countryman Birhanu Legese who dominated the better part of the race finished second in 2:02:48, becoming the third fastest marathon runner ever.

Sisa Lemma emerged third in 2:03:36, as the trio completed an all Ethiopian podium in the race.

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Kenyan athlete in the ongoing Berlin Marathon 2019 Gladys Cherono has just pulled out the race after getting injured along the race.

Cherono dropped out at about 32km for what looks like an injury with medical team turning out to give her attention.

Cherono was trying to break her personal best time and course record she set in last year’s race.

In the women’s race, Dibaba, Bekere, Chepyego and Tola are in the lead after Cherono dropped out.

The 36-year-old clocked 2:18:11 in winning her third Berlin marathon last year, which made her the sixth fastest in history.

The Olympic qualifying time for the women’s marathon in next year’s Games in Tokyo is 2:29:30, a target also shared by the home favorite Anna Hahner.

This year the Berlin marathon has already established a record with 46,983 runners entered.

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After betting giants SportPesa announced on Saturday that it has ceased operations in Kenya, it is now left with only five markets across the world.

The United Kingdom, Italy, South Africa, Tanzania and the Isle of Man are the five remaining markets SportPesa is left with.

The company says its European market is headquartered in Liverpool, the United Kingdom.

“Having established strong partnerships with some of the biggest football clubs in the UK, we are proud to have our new European head office in the stunning Royal Liver building in Liverpool,” says SportPesa.

Besides the UK, the firm has markets in other European territories, including Italy and the Isle of Man, which is a self-governing British Crown dependency in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland.

“As proud sponsors of Torino F.C. SportPesa is excited to add Italy to its portfolio of operations, and we look forward to extending our product offering and first-class service to Italian customers,” says SportPesa on its website.

In Africa, the firm has markets in Tanzania and South Africa, besides Kenya, which it has since suspended its operations in.

“From our office in beautiful Cape Town, SportPesa has recently secured a landmark four-year deal with the city’s leading football team, Cape Town City FC,” says the firm on its website.

“SportPesa sponsor three of Tanzania’s most popular and successful football teams, including 26-time Tanzania league champions, Yanga SC,” says the bookmaker.

On Saturday, September 28, SportPesa announced it was stopping operations in Kenya until the “hostile business environment” in the country improves.

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Premier League giants Manchester United have already strengthened their defence and forward departments in the summer transfer window by signing players like Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire and Daniel James.

However, they are yet to identify a quality player and invest in that midfield position. Reports are now stating that they could sign Premier League star Declan Rice for a reported £100 Million deal.

According to a report carried by Express, Manchester United will have to shell out as much as £100 Million if they want to draft in Declan Rice from West Ham United. The English star has been a pivotal figure for West Ham United since the previous season and has even become a regular part of the national team.

Manchester United were linked with Rice in the recently concluded summer as they were looking for someone who could partner or even replace Paul Pogba. The Red Devils were also at one point close to signing Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Bruno Fernandes but none of the deals materialised.

Since a lot of other teams were interested in him, the Hammers have put a huge price tag for him. Rice has as many as four years remaining on his contract and this means that Manchester United will find it hard to get the price down.

On the other hand, Manchester United might themselves lose some of the available midfield options. Pogba has been linked with a move to various clubs while Juan Mata is also being linked with a move out of the club.

It remains to be seen if the deal concerning Rice materialises though.

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Susan Ndung’u, wife to Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu on Friday pleaded with the court to give her back the Ksh4 million that she posted as cash bail in July in a graft case facing her.

She told the court that she had borrowed the money, and that time to refund her loaner had elapsed. She said she was yet to find alternative ways of settling the debt.

The suspect, therefore, requested the court to replace the cash bail with a surety of a similar amount. She gave the title deed of her land as a surety, a request that the court allowed.

Anti-corruption court magistrate, Lawrence Mugambi, however, asked the investigating officer to conduct valuation of the parcel of land before the title deed can be formally accepted in court.

Sixty nine witnesses have been lined up to testify against Susan Ndung’u, her husband Governor Waititu, and eight other suspects, who allegedly conspired to defraud the tax-payer of Ksh588 million in crafty road development projects.

State prosecutor, Nicholas Mutuku, told the court that his team will need at least 64 hours to successfully argue their case against the accused.

Mutuku, who adds that his team has 170 documents implicating the suspects, asked the court for 4 hours in each day that the case will be heard.

The State prosecutor further stated that his team will rely on six expert reports to nail the case.

Magistrate Mugambi warned the prosecution against disclosing information once witnesses testify.

Some of the documents that the prosecution will rely on have already been shared with the accused legal reps.

Governor Waititu’s lawyer, Gitobu Imanyara, confirmed he received the documents on Thursday, September 26, but says he is not yet prepared for pre-trial.

Magistrate Mugambi said the Ksh588 million gtaft case pre-trial cannot proceed until the defense legal teams receive all the documents.

The magistrate, therefore, set October 18 as the pre-trial date.

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A middle-aged man is being hunted by police after he allegedly made away with cash believed to be part of the Ksh72 million that was stolen from Standard Chartered Bank ATM in Nairobi West on September 5.

According to a local daily, James Macharia allegedly stole the money, whose amount is yet to be known, from his girlfriend, administration police constable Florence Wanjiru Karuku, at her Thika Town home.

Florence had allegedly been given the money to keep by her sister, Eunice Wangari Karuku, who had earlier received it from their brother, administration police constable Simon Gichuhi Karuku.

Simon and his wife, administration police constable Caroline Karuku, were arrested by the Special Crimes Prevention Unit (SPCU) detectives on Thursday, when they had allegedly gone to a lawyer in Thogoto, Kikuyu Sub-County, to help them apply for an anticipatory bail after learning that police were actively hunting for the Ksh72 million thieves.

Florence, who was the last to get the money in the chain, told police that upon receiving the cash from her sister, Eunice, who is a KDF officer stationed at the Kahawa Military Barracks, she called her boyfriend, James Macharia, who arrived and made away with the money.

Also Read: KDF, 3 AP Officers arrested over Sh72M ATM Heist

Macharia was last seen driving off from Florence’s house in Thika Town in a motor vehicle of registration plate number KCB 841X.

Police learnt that Simon had “already used part of the stolen money to buy a Toyota Mark X of registration plate number KBX 779R”, and gave it to his sister, Eunice.

The four suspects were taken to Lang’ata Police Station, where they are detained as investigations continue.

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Bungoma County senator Moses Wetangula on Friday morning found himself in a hard tussle with Kenyans on Twitter after he issued his piece of advice on KCB’s move to put Mumias Sugar Company under receivership.

Ponangipalli Venkata Ramana Rao, who KCB appointed as the receiver-manager on September 20, arrived at the company premises around 3.30 pm on Tuesday escorted by police officers from Mumias Police Station ready to take control of the struggling factory.

Rao then went to the administration block and issued managers with his notice of appointment from KCB.

The move has attracted mixed reactions from a section of leaders, with Wetangula taking to his twitter account to give his comments.

He said allowing Mumias to go under receivership is a terrible mistake, arguing that receiverships have never saved any enterprise.

Wetangula further noted that he was going to bring together key leaders from the region to respond.

“Allowing mumias to go under receivership a terrible mistake. Recieverships have never saved any enterprise. With Gov holding substantial interests in kcb & msc the move on mumias is sinister. I will bring together key leaders from our region to respond,” reads his post.

But Kenyans on Twitter did not take any of his advice, going ahead to tell him off the matter.

Some argued that the same leaders from the region are the ones who sat and watched Mumias being mismanaged.

Some told him to kindly give other alternatives too as he responds, arguing that they can’t just say it won’t work without giving other sustainable solutions to the problem.

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Three National Police Service constables and a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) corporal have been arrested over the recent robbery of Sh72 million that was being loaded into an ATM by G4S officials.

The incident occurred earlier this month at a Standard chartered bank ATM in Nairobi West, when Administration Police officers escorting the cash brandished guns and took off with the money

Police investigations show it was a well-planned robbery that involved officials the G4S officers, who have since been arrested and charged alongside other APs involved and who were found with part of the loot.

“We have arrested four more suspects linked to this robbery, and all are security officers,” George Kinoti, the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said.

Those arrested, he said, are a KDF officer from Kahawa Barracks and three Administration Police officers–including a couple.

They are Simon Gichuru Karuku of Thika, Caroline Njeri Waithira of Thogoto Sub County and Florence Wanjiru of Githurai Police Post, police said. the first two are a couple, while the third is Simon’s sister.

Kinoti said investigations have shown that the couple had sought to apply for an anticipatory bail through an advocate.

And following interrogations, Kinoti said, the suspects have identified the fifth person who is being sought after escaping with an unknown amount of money. He is a boyfriend to one of the officers.

Soon after the robbery, three Administration Police officers were arrested in Kisii and Homa Bay and Machakos and some of the money recovered. They have since been charges.

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Slain business tycoon Tob Cohen’s widow Sarah Wairimu’s lawyer Philip Murgor might be kicked out of the case as troubles for the widow intensify.

Questions of whether Murgor is still a special staff at the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) office have been raised, forcing the widow to spend five more nights behind bars.

DPP Noordin Haji, in January 2019, appointed Murgor in the special prosecutors’ team.

Murgor was appointed alongside former Mombasa Mayor, Taib Ali Taib, and lawyer James Kihara Murithi as public prosecutors in a notice dated January 15.

Haji said the move was aimed at strengthening the capacity at his office in light of the increasing complexity of crime in Kenya.

The move followed a long rigorous process that began in September 2018.

A public advertisement was made that requested interested lawyers to apply for pre-qualification to join the panel of ODPP lawyers for legal services.

Haji said 15 applications were received and processed but three were pre-qualified.

And now, Tob Cohen’s family lawyer, Cliff Ombeta, claims he does not remember Murgor being degazetted as a special prosecutor, and, therefore, a conflict of interest might arise as he represents Sarah Wairimu in court.

The prosecution, led by Catherine Mwaniki, asked the High Court in Nairobi to grant them more time to establish whether Murgor is still attached to the DPP’s office.

Mwaniki asked the court to push back Wairimu’s plea date to next week, a request that was granted by the court.

Wairimu, the key suspect in Tob Cohen’s murder, will, therefore, take plea on Tuesday, October 1.

Should the judge rule that Murgor is still assigned to the DPP’s office, then Sarah Wairimu could be forced to look for another lawyer, given Murgor would not qualify to represent the defense.

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