Former Mathare, Tusker, Ushuru, Thika United, and Nairobi City Stars striker Kevin Opiyo Oliech is dead.
He was born on December 24, 1986. Locally, he played for Tusker FC, Gor Mahia and Nakumatt FC.
Internationally, he played for German fifth tier side KFC Uerdingen 05 and second-tier Alemannia Aachen, among other teams.
Opiyo died while undergoing treatment at a German hospital.
He was the younger Sibling to former Harambee Stars players Dennis Oliech and Andrew Oyombe.
Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen has claimed that detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have been ordered to arrest and prefer false charges against at least five senators.
Taking to his official twitter account on Sunday August 16, 2020, Murkomen claimed that the targeted senators are those that are opposing the President Uhuru Kenyatta’s proposed County revenue allocation formula.
Terming the formula as oppressive, the former senate majority leader said that they will stand with Kenyans and ensure that the formula does not pass.
He claimed that the detectives have this morning gone for Samburu Senator Dr Steve Ltumbesi Lelegwe, terming the move as desparation.
He dared the detectives to go ahead and arrest any of them. Murkomen argued that should they get arrested, there will be no senate session tomorrow (Monday August 17, 2020.
“DCI has been ordered to arrest&prefer false charges against at least 5 Senators opposed to the oppressive Revenue Formula.They are currently going for Sen.Dr. Steve Ltumbesi Lelegwe, Samburu County.Desperation is real. Arrest any of us and there will be no session tomorrow,” Murkomen tweeted.
Senators are expected to convene tomorrow for a special seating to determine on which formula is the best for all the 47 counties.
Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka on Friday gazetted the special convention of Senator on Monday, the ninth sitting to be held in a span of two months, to debate and vote on the controversial formula.
Lusaka said the sitting will be strictly limited to the consideration of the third basis for the allocation of revenue to the counties.
The senators have failed in eight sittings to conclude the debate and vote on the formula that has divided the House down the middle.
One camp, dubbed Team Kenya, has opposed a proposal fronted by the Finance and Budget Committee of the House that cuts allocations to 19 counties by Sh17 billion.
Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen has claimed that senate speaker Kenneth Lusaka is moving around big hotels in Nairobi trying to lobby senators to support an adjournment motion that will be moved by Siaya senator James Orengo this afternoon.
Taking to his official twitter account on Friday August 14, 2020, the former senate majority leader accused speaker Lusaka of doing rounds in city Hotels to temper with a special sitting that he has convened on Monday August 17, 2020.
The senators are supposed to meet again on Monday to debate on the County Revenue Allocation formula that has brought the senate at a standoff.
The senate has been adjourning for the past eight times that they have met to discuss and make a decision on how the revenues will be shared among the 47 counties.
However, from Murkomen’s post, there is another plot to adjourn the senate of a record nine times.
“Speaker Lusaka has convened a special sitting on Monday but he is busy doing rounds in city hotels lobbying Senators to support an adjournment motion to be moved by Sen.Orengo in the same sitting. We have sunk this low ?” Murkomen posted on twitter.
Senators on Tuesday voted 25-20 to adopt Meru Senator Mithika Linturi’s amendment to the revenue sharing formula.
The senators are now expected to proceed to vote on the motion.
In the amendments to Nairobi’s Johnson Sakaja’s proposal, Linturi proposed a reduction to the baseline (equal share) from Sh316.5 billion as proposed by Sakaja to Sh270 billion.
Linturi suggests that other parameters of sharing revenue should apply to the difference of Sh46.5 billion.
Sakaja had suggested that the entire Sh316.5 billion allocated to the 47 counties in the current financial year be shared equally.
Former Kakamega County senator Boni Khalwale has found himself in trouble over a controversial statement he made against Suna East MP Junet Mohamed.
Junet has threatened to sue Khalwale for alleging that he has been paid money meant to fight Covid-19.
Khalwale while attending a public gathering in Busia early in the month, had alleged that Junet had been paid by Kemsa money meant to mitigate Covid-19 effects.
Through his lawyers, Junet said Khalwale’s sentiments had caused him gross distress and embarrassment while subjecting him to grave panic, fear, mental anguish and pain.
Khalwale further alleged that Homa Bay woman MP Gladys Wanga had been placed in the Finance committee to facilitate the deal.
According to the lawyers, Khalwale claimed that President Uhuru Kenyatta should fire Health CS Mutahi Kagwe for allowing Covid-19 money to paid to Wanga, Jubilee’s Party Sec-Gen Raphael Tuju and Junet.
“The statements in their ordinary meaning are calculated to mean our client is corrupt, dishonorable, unscrupulous, deceitful, untrustworthy, disreputable, unpatriotic a conspirator with others in the commission of criminal activities, immoral and above all a criminal,” read part of the demand letter.
Junet said as a result of the “reckless egoistic, careless and defamatory statements clothed with unparalleled impunity”, he has suffered injuries on his reputation while subjecting him further to public ridicule and odium.
“Our firm mandatory instructions are to demand from you an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the misplaced, wrong, malicious and illegal statements,” the demand letter said in part.
According to Junet, Khalwale in the said withdrawal, should publish it in broadcast media and print of wide circulation across the country.
“He should also tender an unconditional apology to our client after which the issue of quantum of damages and any other appropriate remedy may be discussed,” the lawyers said.
The lawyers said if Khalwale does not meet the demands in three days, legal proceedings will be commenced against him.
Former ODM leader Raila Odinga’s campaign manager Eliud Owalo has dumped Musalia Mudavadi.
Owalo on Friday August 14, 2020 resigned as a member of Amani National Congress (ANC )party.
In his statement, Owalo said he felt it was “imperative to create ample space within the Party”.
“… to enable the ANC strategically position itself effectively in the operational environment and craft a suitable road map moving forward without feeling suffocated by my views and suggestions,” he said.
“I also want to create a reasonable leg-room between myself and Mudavadi to safeguard and sustain our personal friendship, respect and positive professional engagements that has been in existence over a span of 25 years.”
His exit comes just a day after Barrack Muluka resigned as secretary general of the party citing similar reasons of giving the party ‘space’ to strategise.
In a letter addressed to Mudavadi on Wednesday, Muluka said ANC needs a fresh start ahead of 2022 polls.
“I doubt that i could add more value to what i have done so far. Moreover, it is now fitting that the space around you should be decongested. this will allow you to make critical decisions on the population and leadership of the party under the new constitution,” he said.
Muluka said his resignation will ease Mudavadi’s making of personal political choices in the lead up to the 2022 elections.
Kakamega senator Cleophas Malala and his Meru counterpart Mithika Linturi are among the senators who woke up to frozen bank accounts.
Kericho senator Aaron Cheruiyot on Thursday August 13, 2020 had claimed that a number of senators who voted in support of Senator Linturi’s amendment to the revenue formula report had woken up to frozen bank accounts and fictitious tax demands from Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
Linturi had moved an amendment to Nairobi counterpart Johnson Sakaja’s proposal on the disputed formula fronted by the House Finance committee which a section of Senators argued that was not favourable to “poor” counties.
He proposed a reduction to the baseline (equal share) from Ksh316.5 billion as proposed by Sakaja to Ksh270 billion.
Malala in an interview with the Star confirmed that indeed his accounts had been frozen but he had chosen to remain silent instead.
“Yes (my accounts have been frozen), but I have decided to remain silent on the matter though I remain firm on my decision to save Kenya,” he was quoted by the local daily.
On Tuesday, the Senate failed for a record eight-time to agree on how the Ksh316 billion from the national government should be distributed in counties.
The senators are set to reconvene today to debate on other proposals fronted by Senators Petronilla Were (nominated), Kimani Wamatangi (Kiambu) and James Orengo (Siaya).
Deputy President William Ruto has committed to fully fund a 500-chicken farm project for parents of two Nyandarua kids who paid him a visit at his Karen residence in Nairobi on Thursday August 13, 2020.
The second in command noted that the two kids, Teresiah Wakinyua and James Mwangi from Kwa Nganga village in Nyandarua County, reminded him of his childhood in his rural home, the daily challenge of budgeting for so little in the face of many needs.
Ruto went ahead to share the details of his conversation with Teresiah and Mwangi.
He said that he had encouraged them not to surrender, their circumstances notwithstanding.
Ruto assigned his farm manager to personally ensure their parents establish a fully-funded 500-chicken farm. This, he said, is to ensure that the kids have a stable foundation to make their dreams come true
He further noted that the two represent everyone’s collective story of possibilities as a people.
The kids who were with their parents had been accompanied by Nyandarua Women Representative Faith Gitau.
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party leader Raila Odinga has responded to Deputy President William Ruto’s outburts.
The second in command had on Tuesday August 11 claimed that there is a plan by the deep state and the system top rig him out in the 2022 general electuions.
The DP who was speaking at his Karen residence noted that he was unstoppable, saying that he would crash the so called deep state.
“I just want to tell them: ‘We’re waiting for you’. This system, this Deep State we are being told about, we are waiting for it. They’ll come with the system, but we will be there with the people and God and see who wins,” said Dr Ruto.
However, Raila on Thursday August 13 said he is unaware of the existence of an ineffable election results manipulator known as the Deep State.
“I, Raila Odinga, do not hold a position in the current Government. The Head of State is known, and the Deputy President is known. If you are talking of the Deep State, who is there? When someone talks about the Deep State [that is outside the Government circles], which one is it? We [in ODM] do not know about the Deep State,” said Raila Odinga while welcoming new members to ODM at Orange House in Nairobi on Thursday, August 13.
“From our previous experiences as ODM, we have learnt a lot; we know where we are coming from, and where we want to go,” he added.
After denying knowledge of the existence of a Deep State outside government circles, Raila was asked by a journalist to respond to his elder brother Oburu Odinga’s claim — that he (Raila) will be a beneficiary of the “system” in 2022 presidential race.
“Oburu Odinga is an individual [entitled to his own opinion],” the ODM leader replied, playing down the consequence of his brother’s remarks.
In late July 2020, Oburu Odinga said that the AU representative for Infrastructure lost previous presidential elections because he was not receiving the backing of the “system”.
“All these elections, we have been getting the most votes, but not ending up in State House because we did not have the system. But now in 2022, we have both the system and our votes which are always the majority — what more could we ask for?” Dr Oburu posed in a previous public address.
Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho on Wednesday August 12 also dismissed DP Ruto’s claims, arguing that there is nothing like the deep state in Kenya.
Drama ensued on Thursday August 13, 2020 after two lawyers representing Sirisia MP John Waluke clashed in Court during his bail hearing.
This forced the judge to adjourn Waluke’s bail hearing to Monday August 17, after the lawyers clashed in court over who was better placed to represent the jailed lawmaker.
Waluke, who was sentenced to 67 years in jail over Ksh 300 million maize scandal, followed the cases virtually from Industrial Area Prison.
His lawyers, Elijah Ongoya and Evans Ondieki, differed on who the MP had directed to argue the bail hearing in court.
“I was appointed by Waluke himself. That is why I have put a short supplementary submission through more documents to Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji,” Ondieki stated while appearing before Justice John Onyiego.
On the other hand, Ongoya argued that he was not aware of the new documents tabled before DPP, adding that Waluke directed him to argue the MP’s case too.
Ongoya asked the court to disregard the new documents furnished by lawyer Ondieki. The attorney added that Waluke was in a position that did not call for more frustrations of the case.
“I am embarrassed at the development because I had strict instructions to represent Waluke. He is keen to have the court hear and determine the application,” Ongoya stated.
Ondieki’s efforts to represent Waluke backfired after the court was informed that Waluke was to be represented by Ongoya and another attorney, Sam Nyaberi.
The judge did not listen to either party and threw them out of court to sort their confusion.
Interior Principal Secretary, Karanja Kibicho, has responded to Deputy President William Ruto’s ‘deep state’ and ‘system’ rant.
The second in command on Tuesday August 11, 2020, during a meeting held at his Karen residence in Nairobi, claimed that the ‘Deep State’ and ‘system’ are planning to rig him out in the 2022 general elections.
The second in command while insisting that he will be armed with voters and God to crash the system in 2022 cited that he was not afraid of the group dubbed Deep State, a term commonly being used in political debate to refer to boardroom politics.
However, PS Kibicho says that the shadowy entity referred by DP Ruto exists only in the minds of those who have already sensed electoral defeat.
Speaking on Wednesday August 12, 2020 during an interview with Spice FM, Kibicho noted that the deep state and the system that were referred to by Ruto don’t exit in Kenya.
Ruto while raising his claims had also recounted that similar tactics had been used during the 2013 campaign when he teamed up with Uhuru Kenyatta to seek the Presidency.
Ruto’s statement appeared to be a warning to his distractors, from a politician who has been deliberately restrained despite what his supporters see as a direct and repeated provocation by a section of Jubilee Party leaders.
The Deep State is used to refer to a group of highly influential individuals, government officials, and businessmen with deep pockets and wide networks and whose political interests and preferences can sway elections.
His comments come only days after Jubilee Party vice chairman David Murathe and trade unionist Francis Atwoli told the nation to prepare for a Raila Odinga presidency, comparing the ODM man to South Africa’s freedom hero, Nelson Mandela.
Just a day after rendering her resignation to President Uhuru Kenyatta, details have emerged on what led to Nairobi County Assembly speaker Beatrice Elachi’s decision to resign.
Elachi is said to have received a late night phone call from to state officials pushing for her resignation.
Despite initially resisting the idea and threatening a legal challenge if she was ousted, Elachi reportedly accepted to step down after being promised a government appointment.
While resigning on Tuesday August 11, 2020, Elachi thanked President Kenyatta for giving her the opportunity to serve Nairobi for the last three years and said she hoped to serve in his administration in any other capacity in the near future.
“Today I humbly relinquish my position as the Speaker of Nairobi. I want to thank the President for giving me the opportunity to serve for the past three years,” she said.
On Friday July 31, as the nation celebrated Idd-ul-Azha, a meeting was underway at State House, which seemingly would seal the fate of Elachi as Nairobi County Assembly Speaker.
According to the Standard, President Kenyatta had hosted 41 Jubilee MCAs for the two-hour long meeting to address the leadership crisis at City Hall and help forge a good working relationship with the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) to better service delivery for the electorate.
The meeting came days after chaos had rocked the Assembly when a number of MCAs tried to forcefully serve Elachi with a notice of Motion for her impeachment.
In attendance at the meeting, which started at about mid-day, were MCAs from the majority Jubilee Party, led by reinstated Majority Leader Abdi Guyo, deputy Majority Leader Peter Wanyoike, Majority Whip Paul Kados and deputy Majority Whip Waithera Chege.
Guyo is a fierce critic of the Speaker, who had to fight a faction allied to Elachi to regain the Majority Leader position.
Waithera, the South B MCA, was earmarked as the mover of the impeachment Motion against the Speaker.
Neither Elachi nor MCAs allied to her were present at the State House meeting.
Nairobi County Assembly speaker Beatrice Elachi’s decision to resign seems to have been a major win for a section of city County politicians.
Just moments after she rendered her resignation, governor Mike Sonko was the first one to activate the celebration mode, with a series of praise and worship songs posted on his social media handles.
Later on in the day, Sonko held a press conference top throw blames at Elachi, arguing that she was the cause of all the problems at City Hall.
Sonko even argued that Elachi was being wrongly used by some people at President Kenyatta’s office to frustrate the operations of the County government.
But is it only Sonko who celebrated Elachi’s Tuesday morning exit?
Well, some MCAs of the troubled Nairobi County Assembly are said to have retreated for a brief party along a Thika Road hotel shortly after speaker Elachi threw in the towel.
According to a report by a local daily, a cross-section of ward reps celebrated the exit of the embattled speaker by toasting and tossing down glasses of wine over nyama choma, despite the ban on the sale of alcohol.
The venue of the party is owned by a city politician who has been a top gun, pushing for Elachi’s removal.
The party was held in a hurry within two hours. MCAs were then allowed to leave after they agreed on a rendezvous outside Nairobi in the coming weeks.
Deputy President William Ruto has dared the deep state, citing that he was not afraid of the system.
Ruto in a video that went viral on social media on Tuesday August 11, 2020 termed the deep state as a shadowy group that allegedly controls and influences key decisions in the country, including outcomes of elections.
Ruto says that he will surprise the system in 2022 by ensuring that voters’ ballots will count in the next election.
We are being threatened that there is a system, Deep State, that will steal your votes when you cast your ballots,” said DP Ruto.
He said that this is not the first time threats have been issued.
He was speaking at his Karen residence during a meeting with leaders from Kajiado County led by Kajiado South MP Katoo Ole Metito and Senator Mary Senata.
The DP argued that as the Deep state relies on the system come 2022, he will come with God and voters, the only way he says the system can be outsmarted.
Citing the 2013 General Election when he joined hands with President Uhuru Kenyatta to form Jubilee Party which won the presidential election, Ruto said they were threatened with veiled threats their choice to run will have consequences.
“If I was a coward, I would not have supported President Kenyatta in 2013 because some people told me not to work with him,” he said.
President Uhuru Kenyatta is reportedly laying the ground for former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth to be his successor in Mount Kenya region.
And to achieve this goal, Uhuru and his strategists are out to have the Building Bridges Initiative passed and have Kenneth as the prime minister.
The picking of Kenneth as prime minister is part of Uhuru’s power game to win back the confidence of his Kikuyu tribesmen who incidentally together with others, are not happy with his leadership and claim he has been pushing for BBI so as to remain in power as prime minister after his tenure as president ends.
Another claim has been that Uhuru and Raila Odinga are pushing for the PM slot to have the president’s younger brother Muhoho Kenyatta land the post.
Sources say that Uhuru is aware of the ramifications and backlash in his Mount Kenya region if he grooms his kinsman to succeed him, hence the emerging Kenneth factor in the region, and nationally.
According to a local daily, Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa is part of the power-sharing formula and he is likely to be in the Raila-Uhuru lineup after Musalia Mudavadi refused to play ball.
Eugene may go for the Kiminini parliamentary seat 2022 in his plan to land a cabinet seat being as it is that if BBI is adopted, CSs would be MPs.
Surprisingly, in the new lineup,it is said that Raila is out to block Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka getting a position and prefers Kitui Charity Ngilu.
Claims by ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna that Kalonzo is hijacking and staging a coup in the handshake deal clearly shows that they are uncomfortable with him.
Baringo Senator Gideon Moi is another key player in the political arrangement. In Central region anti-Uhuru sentiments, and to an extent entire Kenyatta family, are widespread and a rebellion is largely looming.
Perhaps, aware that the Mt Kenya ground is not accommodative to him, Uhuru is working on plan B to endear himself to the vote bloc.
Together with powerful Kikuyu tycoons working under the umbrella of Mount Kenya Foundation, they are slowly grooming Kenneth to take care of the region’s interests.
Uhuru sometimes back told Kikuyus the person he will pick to unify them will surprise them.
It is true, picking on Kenneth, is a surprise political card as in 2013, Kenneth ran for presidency opposing Uhuru.
In 2017, Kenneth ran for Nairobi governorship and was Uhuru preferred Jubilee candidate, but William Ruto, who read the move as aimed at positioning PK to play a key role in Uhuru succession, decided to back Mike Sonko.
Locked out of Jubilee, Kenneth went for the top city seat as an independent candidate. Those surrounding Uhuru mostly from Murang’a county wanted to have Kenneth as city governor controlling billions of shillings and number two politician after Uhuru and easily succeed him as regional kingpin.
They have never forgiven Ruto for blocking the plan in 2017 thus Mt Kenya having a leadership vacuum.
Just minutes after Nairobi County Assembly speaker Beatrice Elachi rendered her resignation to President Uhuru Kenyatta, Nairobi County governor took to social media to celebrate her downfall.
Through his verified Facebook page, Sonko sent out coded messages which clearly implied that he was in celebrations.
The County chief posted three different video songs, in which artists are praising God for standing with them, and answering their prayers.
One of the videos had the message “God has listened to our prayers. There is a God in heaven who listens to our cries and answers them.”
The message in the other video also had a similar same message: “We have seen your mighty hand Lord. Your deeds are grateful from lower to higher. You have brought us from far. While holding our hand. You lift up your people and forever we praise you.”
He then posted Nadia Mukami’s ‘Maombi’ video song, which says “it is not witchcraft, but prayers.”
However, netizens who have reacted to his videos have warned him not to just celebrate yet, with some insinuating that Elachi’s resignation might be a well calculated move to dissolve Nairobi County.
Should it be dissolved, the city will be handed over to Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) under Director General Mohamed Badi.
Elachi while resigning on Tuesday morning said she was moving on to a new season in her political career and journey and going back to her Dagoretti North constituents.
She thanked President Uhuru Kenyatta for giving her the opportunity to serve Nairobi for the last three years and said she hoped to serve in his administration in any other capacity in the near future.
She asked the assembly to stand firm and support Nairobi Metropolitan Services Director-General Mohammed Badi in transforming the capital.
Elachi advised Governor Sonko with whom she has had a frosty relationship with to focus on God and stop intimidation.
Boya police station OCS and four other junior police officers have been arrested for stealing alcohol in Kisumu.
The five are being held at Kisumu Central police station on allegations of looting alcohol from a vehicle that had been involved in an accident.
Nyando police boss Leonard Matete who led the operation confirmed that they got complaints from the crew of the ill-fated vehicle that police officers had looted the alcohol the vehicle was ferrying.
Matete says he responded and after a search in the OCS house at the Boya police station they recovered 72 bottles of white pearl vodka.
He says the OCS William Cheruiyot, other junior officers including corporal Jane Chepkemei, police constables Bernard Macharia, Samuel Maina and Rodrick Laushuset are all being held by the DCI officers in Kisumu.