Autopsy reveals what caused the death of Njambi Koikai’s father

By

-

June 19, 2024

An autopsy conducted on the body of Daniel Koikai, a former Kenyan diplomat and father to the late media personality Njambi Koikai has revealed the cause of his death.

The examination, conducted at the Montezuma Monalisa Funeral Home in Nairobi on Tuesday, June 18, confirmed reports that the former ambassador died by suicide.

According to the reports, Ambassador Daniel Koikai died from excessive bleeding caused by two self-inflicted deep stab wounds to the neck.

Investigators handling the case also disclosed the contents of the message the deceased sent to his daughter moments before taking his life.

“Am sorry it had to come to this,” Koikai’s message to his daughter read.

Reports revealed that his lifeless body was discovered in his apartment within Tatu City in Ruiru on June 14, 2024.

When the lifeless body was discovered, police found the deceased holding a kitchen knife in his right hand hence the preliminary conclusion that he used a knife to take his life.

The autopsy was conducted by government pathologist Grace Midigo at the Montenzuma Monalisa Funeral home.

Authorities stated that Daniel Koikai was deeply troubled by the passing of his daughter, Mary Njambi Koikai, earlier in the month.

At Njambi’s requiem mass, her father was present, and, in his speech, he apologized to the late Njambi, expressing regret for what he described as failing in his duties as a father.

Barely 24 hours later, Daniel Koikai’s life came to an unexpected end in an unfortunate and tragic way that would shock his family.

Reports indicate that he committed suicide in his bedroom while Njambi’s was being laid to rest at Lang’ata Cemetery.

S.Africa’s Ramaphosa sworn in for second full term as president

By

John Mutiso

-

June 19, 2024

South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa was sworn in for a second full term as president in Pretoria on Wednesday, after his weakened African National Congress (ANC) struck a government coalition deal.

Chief Justice Raymond Zondo led Ramaphosa’s oath of office ceremony before lawmakers, foreign dignitaries, religious and traditional leaders and cheering supporters at the Union Buildings, the seat of government.

“In the presence of everyone assembled here, and in full realisation of the high calling I assume as President… I Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa swear that I will be faithful to the Republic of South Africa,” Ramaphosa said.

Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to re-elect the 71-year-old last week, after a May 29 general election that produced no outright winner.

Numerous heads of state, including Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Angola’s Joao Lourenco, Congo Brazzaville’s Denis Sassou Nguesso and Eswatini’s absolute leader King Mswati III attended the inauguration.

Guests in suits, fancy dresses and coats to keep warm in the chilly winter weather started to arrive early in the morning amid a heavy police presence.

VIPs, some singing anti-apartheid struggle songs, were allowed into a small amphitheatre within the imposing, sandstone government building.

Other attendees, some holding South African flags, sat on a lawn outside as dancers and musicians performed on a big stage.

After Ramaphosa took the oath, a band played the national anthem, followed by a 21-gun salute and a fly past by army helicopters towing large South African flags.

Third time lucky

It was the third time Ramaphosa took the oath.

The former trade unionist turned millionaire businessman first came to power in 2018, after his predecessor and rival Jacob Zuma was forced out before the end of his term under the cloud of corruption allegations.

Ramaphosa was then re-appointed for a full five-year term in 2019. In South Africa, voters elect the parliament which then votes for the president.

Ramaphosa promised a new dawn for South Africa, launched an anti-graft drive and started to reform a collapsing energy system.

But under his watch, the economy languished, blighted by power cuts, crime remained rife and unemployment increased to 32.9 percent.

In May, he led the ANC into yet another vote, but the historied party of the late Nelson Mandela came out bruised.

It won only 40 percent — down from 57.5 percent five years earlier.

For the first time since the advent of democracy in 1994, it lost its absolute majority in parliament and was left scrambling to find coalition partners to remain in power.

It has since agreed to form what it calls a national unity government with several other parties.

They include the centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA), the Zulu nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party, the anti-immigration Patriotic Alliance and the small centre-left GOOD party.

The deal allowed Ramaphosa to comfortably see off a last-minute challenge by firebrand leftist politician Julius Malema, with 283 lawmakers in the 400-seat National Assembly voting to put him back in office.

But it has faced a vociferous opposition from the left, with Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters and former president Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) refusing to take part and denouncing the inclusion of right-wing parties and the white-led, free-market DA.

MK came third in the election but has contested the results.

Party spokesman Nhlamulo Ndhlela said in a statement that its lawmakers would snub the “farcical inauguration of Cyril Ramaphosa as the puppet DA-sponsored President”, also using a racial slur to describe the ANC leader.

Ramaphosa is expected to announce his cabinet within days of his inauguration, as talks with coalition members continue.

Putin gifts Kim Jong-un new limousine, dagger and tea set

By

John Mutiso

-

June 19, 2024

A Russian-made limousine, tea set and artwork are among the gifts exchanged by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

Mr Putin was welcomed to North Korea with a lavish ceremony marking his first visit to the country in almost a quarter of a century.

He was met with smiles and hugs from leader Mr Kim, while stallions, balloons and huge posters of the two leaders adorned the surrounding buildings in Pyongyang, with a tea party and gala concert to come.

Mr Putin, who spent about two hours speaking one-to-one with Mr Kim, gave the North Korean leader a luxury Aurus limousine, Russian state media reported, citing Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.

The two heads of state were pictured taking a spin in an Aurus, with Mr Putin behind the wheel – but it was unclear whether it was the newly-gifted car.

Back in February, Mr Putin gifted Mr Kim another of the Russian-made Auruses – a sedan of the type used by the Russian leader himself. It was delivered to North Korea in violation of UN sanctions.

Mr Kim is believed to be a car enthusiast and to have a collection of luxury foreign vehicles. It is not clear which Aurus model he was given this time.

He has been seen in a Maybach limousine, several Mercedes, a Rolls-Royce Phantom and a Lexus sports utility vehicle.

The Russian leader was also said to have given Mr Kim a tea set and an admiral’s dirk – a dagger.

Mr Ushakov said the tea set was “very beautiful”, according to Russia’s Tass state news agency.

Meanwhile, the aid said Mr Putin was given “also very good presents”.

He said they included artwork, which he hinted was “related to the image” of the president, including busts.

Mr Ushakov said they were all “rather skilful”, Tass reported.

The show of unity comes at a time when both countries face international isolation.

Ties between the two states have increased in recent years, especially since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

North Korea is thought to be supplying Russia with artillery, rockets and ballistic missiles for the war, despite international sanctions on both countries.

Both sides deny breaching sanctions.

During their talks, Mr Putin thanked Mr Kim for his “consistent and unwavering support for Russian policy, including in the Ukrainian direction”.

Mr Kim said their two countries’ relations were “entering a period of new flowering”, calling Russia North Korea’s “most honest friend”.

They have signed a deal to help each other in case of “aggression”.

The pair last met in September, when Mr Kim visited the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Russian Far East. It was his first trip abroad in four years.

During that visit, he inspected Mr Putin’s own Aurus Senat limousine and was invited to sit in the back seat. They also swapped guns as gifts.

Mr Putin has invited Mr Kim to Moscow for their next meeting.

France aim to continue recent superiority over Dutch, with or without Mbappe

By

John Mutiso

-

June 19, 2024

France may need to plan for the absence of Kylian Mbappe in the game against the Netherlands on Friday which will likely decide who will top Group D, after their captain suffered a broken nose in the opener, while the Dutch are up against recent history.

Mbappe went off injured in Monday’s 1-0 win over Austria and will need a protective mask when he does return to action. If he sits out Friday’s game, the Netherlands will be relieved not to have to face the French forward again.

In the Euro qualifying phase, the two nations were also drawn in the same group, with the French coming out on top in both meetings, in which Mbappe scored four goals.

The Dutch are, in fact, his favourite opponent, having netted five times in six games against them, and the first of his 47 international goals also came against the Netherlands back in 2017.

“Obviously, the French team with or without him, this is not the same thing. I hope he can be there,” Deschamps said after the Austria game.

For Mbappe, the setback is yet more Euro heartbreak. He has never scored at a Euro finals tournament, and in 2021, Mbappe’s penalty was saved in the shootout with Switzerland which saw France exit at the last 16 stage.

Mbappe may yet get the chance to put things right in Germany, but for now, if France manager Didier Deschamps does need to do without his most creative and dangerous player, he may turn to a man with plenty of tournament experience.

Olivier Giroud replaced Mbappe on Monday, as he did in their last friendly game against Canada, but the striker is struggling with an adductor injury which kept him out of training on Tuesday.

“I’m not thinking about myself in that moment. I’m thinking of Kylian, of the team,” Giroud said after the Austria game.

“In any case, we don’t know what will happen for the next match.”

This is Giroud’s seventh major tournament with France, and the team’s all-time leading scorer would dearly love to go out on a high having said that this would be his last.

The Netherlands are well aware of the strength of this French squad – with or without Mbappe – but given his record against them, his probable absence would only be seen as a positive.

Ronald Koeman’s side also won their opening game, but had to come from behind to defeat Poland 2-1. and were guilty of missing an array of chances. They will need be more clinical in front of goal when they get the opportunity against France.

The Dutch will try to ignore recent history and instead look to the spirit of 1988, when the Netherlands won the Euros in West Germany, their only major title.

Lyles, Richardson headline US Olympic trials

By

John Mutiso

-

June 19, 2024

Noah Lyles headlines crowded men’s 100m and 200m fields while Sha’Carri Richardson stars on the women’s side as the United States track and field team trials for the Paris Olympics kick off in Eugene, Oregon on Friday.

World champion Lyles will have his work cut out in the 100m, with 2019 world champion Christian Coleman expected to compete alongside teen phenom Christian Miller.

But Lyles, who ran 9.85 seconds in Kingston earlier this month, predicted he would be the one breaking the tape.

“Whoever’s going out there, if you have any type of different mentality of not trying to win, I don’t think this is the right sport for you,” he told reporters in New York this month.

He won his season opener in the longer sprint at the NYC Grand Prix in 19.77 and faces his biggest challenge in that event from world leader Kenny Bednarek, who won the Diamond League meets in Doha and Eugene last month.

“I have the power for sure. I need to find the rhythm again,” said 200m Tokyo bronze medallist Lyles.

Richardson hopes to reignite her Olympic dream in Eugene after a positive test for cannabis saw her miss out on competing in Tokyo.

She has few peers in the 100m after picking up gold in Budapest but will have a tougher road in the 200m against Tokyo bronze medallist Gabby Thomas and McKenzie Long, who won the collegiate championship in a world-leading 21.83 this month.

World record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will defend her 400m hurdles Olympic title, sticking to her signature event despite successful forays into the 200m and 400m flat.

“Just kind of fine-tuning things,” McLaughlin-Levrone said on Tuesday at an event to launch the new Grand Slam Track circuit. “The hardest team to make so obviously you’ve got to go out there put a performance on.”

Olympic champion Athing Mu has only competed once since her bronze finish at the World Championships last year but is expected to make her season debut in the 800m.

Michael Norman, the 2022 world champion in the 400m, will continue his comeback tour in his signature event after taking time away last year due to injuries.

Men’s shot put world record holder Ryan Crouser will duel again with rival Joe Kovacs, while back-to-back world champion in the women’s event Chase Jackson hopes to punch her ticket to Paris after disappointing fifth at the trials in 2021.

The trials run from June 21-30.

Defending champion Thompson-Herah to miss 200m at Paris Olympics

By

John Mutiso

-

June 19, 2024

Elaine Thompson-Herah will not attempt a triple Olympic sprint double at next month’s Paris Games after not registering for the 200m at the Jamaican national championships.

The 31-year-old won both 100m and 200m golds at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the Covid-delayed 2021 Tokyo Games.

Registration for the June 27-30 national trials in Kingston closed on Monday, with entries listed on the Jamaican federation’s website, and Thompson-Herah is only competing in the 100m.

In her most recent outing earlier this month, in New York, Thompson-Herah trailed home last and was later carried away from the track with what reports in Jamaican media said was an Achilles injury.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, however, is registered for both sprints.

Fraser-Pryce, 37, won Olympic 100m golds in 2008 and 2012 and has also bagged five world titles in the blue riband event as part of her 16-medal haul at championships since Berlin in 2009.

Kitui South MP Nyamai Faces Backlash After Claiming Anti-Finance Bill Protesters Were There For TikTok Videos

By

John Mutiso

-

June 19, 2024

Kitui South Member of Parliament Rachel Nyamai is on the spot after she slammed a girl she is educating for participating in the anti-finance bill protests without a substantive motive.

Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly on Wednesday, June 19, Nyamai said the girl had texted her expressing concern on the Finance Bill 2024.

The Jubilee Party MP noted that the girl had expressed concerns about the motor vehicle tax and VAT on bread which however have been dropped by the government.

According to Nyamai, she asked the girl why she had gone for the protests despite the taxes being dropped and she told her she was creating content in order to get TikTok views.

“I watched one of the girls I pay school fees for and she was in the streets. She had written a message to me the previous day, and I asked her, you told me that it was about taxation on motor vehicles and bread, why are you in the street?

“I have just shared the video with CPA Mbadi, the girl told me that she was not in the street concerning the bill, she was doing TikTok. And she was swinging very nicely. She told me that she wanted to get views for TikTok,” said Nyamai.

The Kitui South MP’s remarks angered netizens who slammed her for insinuating that the Kenyans were protesting without legitimate intentions while others suggested contributing to the girl being educated by Nyamai.

President Ruto: Those who want to demonstrate can demonstrate

By

John Mutiso

-

June 19, 2024

President William Ruto on Wednesday, June 19 said Kenyans who want to demonstrate can demonstrate but decisions have to be made by institutions.

Speaking on Wednesday during a meeting with Amani National Congress (ANC) leaders at State House, the president said Kenya was a democratic country and civil society could do what it wanted.

The Head of State however said decisions have to be made by government institutions.

“I will make sure that as a democratic country, all institutions work for the people of Kenya. It is the way we are going to take Kenya into the future. And there’s no conflict every arm of government is doing their assignment and I will make sure as President I respect institutions so that we can make right decisions so that we centralise the place of people of Kenya,” Ruto said.

“We are a democratic country. Those who want to demonstrate it is their right, no problem. But decisions have to be made by institutions. We will make decisions as an executive, take it to the legislature, people of Kenya will speak to it through public participation, others will subject it to court processes and that is how democracy works and I am a great believer in democracy,” he added.

The President affirmed that he will make sure Kenya continues to be a robust democracy where people engage constructively.

He noted that while the Executive proposes where it wants the country to go, the people of Kenya have the ultimate say through public participation.

He said as Kenya transitions from debt to a self-reliant country, it has to be done in a way that institutions play a part in the reform.

His remarks come after a number of Kenyan youths led the ‘occupy parliament’ protests in Nairobi CBD on Tuesday.

The protests were held to compel MPs to reject the controversial Finance Bill 2024, which had proposals for increasing taxation.

The youthful protestors engaged the anti-riot police officers in running battles with over 100 of them being arrested and taken to different police stations across Nairobi.

Despite being arrested the protestors took photos and recorded videos even inside police cells.

Gov’t Issues Warning After MPs’ Phone Numbers Were Leaked Online

By

John Mutiso

-

June 19, 2024

The government, through the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, has warned the public against victimising people by revealing personal information on social media.

This follows a new trend in which sections of online users have mobilised targeted attacks on people perceived to have done wrong by requesting that their names, phone numbers, locations, and family member information be shared online so that the individuals can be mocked and insulted.

The trend appears to have gained traction after Members of Parliament’s phone numbers were leaked on social media last week in a nationwide effort to have the leaders withdraw controversial tax proposals included in the Finance Bill 2024.

The MPs appeared to feel the heat, with some publicly lamenting the avalanche of strange text messages and phone calls they had received.

The tendency continued this week, with personal information on officers who were seen repelling protesters during Tuesday’s Finance Bill protests being released online.

In a statement made on Wednesday, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) stated that such actions are illegal and that the culprits may face legal consequences.

“The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) has established that there has been a recent trend of consolidating and sharing of personal information (names, telephone numbers, location and details of family members) of a certain category of citizens through social media platforms.”

“This practice has been happening without the affected citizens’ consent contrary to the provisions of Article 31 of the Constitution of Kenya, the Data Protection Act, 2019 and its attendant regulations.”

“In view of the foregoing, the Office wishes to advise members of public to refrain from further sharing of personal information which infringes on individuals’ rights to privacy,” said the ODPC in a statement.

The Data Protection Commissioner has consequently urged any member of the public whose privacy has been violated to file a complaint with the commission.

Tanzania Launches Twin Towers’ Construction in Nairobi

By

John Mutiso

-

June 19, 2024

The government of Tanzania has listed one more property in its real estate investment across the world after the country’s foreign affairs minister, January Makamba, launched the construction of the Twin Towers in Upper Hill, Nairobi on Tuesday.

The construction will be undertaken as a joint effort between Tanzania’s foreign affairs ministry and the country’s National Social Security Fund (NSSF), hoping to strengthen diplomatic presence in Nairobi.

The twin towers, rising 22 floors each, will host offices that are projected to earn the government of Tanzania its needed forex, totalling to TSh 36 billion every year, while also cutting the ministry’s costs in housing its staff.

The launch was attended by Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Musalia Mudavadi, Cabinet Secretary for EAC Peninah Malonza, and a delegation from the Tanzanian embassy.

“The government of Tanzania owns about 101 buildings and plots around the world, most of them in prime areas in major capitals (in Lusaka alone, we own 11 buildings and plots),” said January Makamba.

According to Tanzania’s foreign ministry, the country spends about 29 billion shillings (about Ksh.1.4 billion) a year to rent embassy offices and embassy staff housing.

The country plans to replicate the construction of real estate investments in other cities including Kigali, Kinshasa, New York, London, and Lusaka.

“In the new strategy, which the government approved recently, we seek to use professional and world-class real estate entities to develop these assets to earn income for the government and uplift the quality of our embassies and embassy staff housing,” Makamba said.

The foreign affairs ministry has set aside TSh 127 billion to invest in Kenya, according to the ministry’s budget announcement last week. Most of these projects will be undertaken in partnership with private sectors within the countries of investment.

(Ksh.1 = 20.23 Tanzania shillings)