CJ Koome Appointed National Police Service Spokesperson, Resila Onyango To NCAJ

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August 12, 2023

Resila Onyango, National Police Service Spokesperson, has been appointed as a member of Kenya’s National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) by Chief Justice Martha Koome.

Resila will serve on the Committee on Review of Laws and Policies Relating to Sexual Offences and Gender-Based Violence, according to a Gazette Notice dated Friday, August 11.

Resila was appointed alongside Alice Macharia from the Judiciary, Rose Wafula, and Judith Awinja from the Ministry of Health.

Bildad Keke, on the other hand, was appointed to represent the Victim Protection Board, while Waturi Esiera is a joint secretary at the NCAJ secretariat.

Koome explained that the spokesperson and her colleagues will be vital in reviewing the corresponding laws and making appropriate recommendations to the Judiciary, Executive, and Parliament.

“Under the provisions of the Constitution of Kenya and Sections 5, 34, and 35 of the Judicial Service Act, 2011, the Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya and the Chairperson of the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) appoints them to the NCAJ Committee on Review of Laws and Policies relating to Sexual Offences and Gender-Based Violence in Kenya, for the remaining period of Committee’s term,” Koome stated.

Resila who currently serves as Assistant Inspector General (AIG) and the NPS Spokesperson, is the first female police officer in Kenya to earn a doctorate.

She attended Moi University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Education degree in 2002. After teaching for a few years, she decided to pursue a career in law enforcement.

She joined the National Police Service in 2003 and was quickly promoted through the ranks.

In 2010, Resila was awarded a scholarship to study for a Master of Science degree in Criminology at the University of Pennsylvania.

The police boss began her Ph.D. studies in Criminal Justice in 2013 at the City University of New York. She graduated in 2018.

Resila is a highly decorated police officer. She has received numerous awards for her outstanding service, including the Kenya Police Service Medal of Honor and the United Nations Medal of Honor.

She is also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the African Policing Organisation.

In addition to her work as a police officer, Resila is also a respected academician. She has taught Criminal Justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City and USIU-Africa in Nairobi.

Catholic Bishops Present 5 New Demands in Ruto, Raila Bipartisan Talks

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Cyrus Kimanga

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August 12, 2023

The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), the National Council of Churches of Kenya, and the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims have issued new demands to be discussed in the bipartisan talks scheduled for Monday, August 14.

On Friday, August 11, the leaders requested that representatives of President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga include national unity, cohesion, poverty, unemployment, and graft.

They contended that the five contentious issues were among the deeply ingrained traditional factors affecting Kenya’s peace and tranquillity.

In addition to outlining their demands, religious leaders urged the bipartisan talks to include experts and neutral entities such as religious organizations rather than focusing solely on politicians and legal experts.

While urging the Kenya Kwanza and Azimio la Umoja coalitions to include national unity as one of the topics to be discussed during the Bipartisan talks, religious leaders stated that while there have been some positive developments in terms of national unity in recent years, much more work remains to be done.

“This will ensure that there is no political bickering during the talks, giving citizens the opportunity to build their lives while leaders work to restore peace in the country,” Bishop Martin Kivuva read on the religious leaders’ behalf.

The leaders claimed in their statement that the lack of national cohesion can be attributed to several factors, including inequality because there is a significant gap in Kenya between communities and between the rich and the poor.

Bishop Kivuva raised concern over the state of poverty in the country, noting that it was concerning that several Kenyans still live below the poverty line.

On the issue of unemployment, the religious leaders stated that the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) indicated that the unemployment rate in Kenya stood at 5.5 percent in 2022.

KWS Locks Out A Lady Attacked By Hyenas From Government Compensation

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Cyrus Kimanga

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August 12, 2023

A woman who lost limbs and an eye after being attacked by hyenas at Tsavo National Park on the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway is pleading for justice after the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rejected her application.

On Saturday, August 12, the middle-aged lady from Makueni County urged President William Ruto to intervene after the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) failed to include her among the victims lined up for compensation.

In 2018, the lady applied to Kenya Wildlife Service for compensation for the hyena attack injuries she sustained, and she has since been following up on the matter in the hopes of being rewarded.

According to the woman, KWS rejected her application without providing any explanation.

On August 17, 2018, she was allegedly thrown out of a lorry by a driver who had given her a ride in the middle of the night.

The two allegedly disagreed about something, which resulted in a heated exchange of words and her eventual ejection from the moving lorry.

The lady was left at the mercy of marauding hungry hyenas, who descended on her immediately.

As a result, she lost her left eyeball and had deep scratch marks on her chest, as well as a severe traumatic amputation of her left hand above the elbow joints.

She was taken to the Makindu Sub-District Hospital after the attack, where she received first aid before being transferred to the Machakos Level 5 Hospital, Kijabe Hospital, and Lions Sightfirst Eye Hospital.

According to John Mutunga, the medical officer at Machakos Level 5 Hospital, the lady suffered severe bodily injuries that left permanent scars all over her body.

The lady stated that her application was fully compliant with the Kenya Wildlife Management and Compensation Act of 2013, which requires KWS to compensate victims of wildlife attacks.

The amount of compensation payable is determined by the seriousness of the loss or injury. Normally, the death compensation is Ksh5 million, while the permanent disability compensation is Ksh3 million.

State House Denies Excluding Nyanza From Subsidized Fertilizer Program

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Cyrus Kimanga

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August 12, 2023

Gerald Bitok, State House’s director of public communication, has denied that the government barred the Nyanza region from receiving subsidized fertilizer, as claimed by National Assembly minority leader Opiyo Wandayi.

On Friday, August 11, the communication expert shared a list outlining how farm inputs were distributed throughout the Western region, which included Homa Bay, Kisumu, Migori, and Siaya counties.

For instance, in Homa Bay Phase 1, only 1,317 farmers redeemed their vouchers out of 105,156 registered for the project.

Bitok urged farmers to collect and redeem their vouchers at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) after the list showed the number of vouchers sent to the regions.

“MP Opiyo Wandayi, a wise man, once said numbers never lie. Seems you are spending little time with your constituent,” Bitok criticized Wandayi.

“The President just launched the short rains’ distribution, and a bag will cost you only Ksh2,500, down from Ksh3,500. Visit your nearest NCPB,” he added.

Wandayi had accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of delaying notifications to registered farmers informing them to collect subsidized fertilizers from NCPB depots.

He also claimed that there was a delay in activating vouchers, preventing farmers from accessing fertilizers at a subsidized rate of Ksh2,500.

The delays, according to the opposition politician, were caused by a political scheme allegedly orchestrated by the national government to force farmers to rely on relief food distribution.

KEBS Defends CEO Ngari’s Admission On Not Testing Supermarket Products

By

Cyrus Kimanga

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August 12, 2023

The Kenya Bureau of Statistics (KEBS) has confirmed that Acting Managing Director Esther Ngari’s statement that some locally manufactured and sold in supermarkets were not tested was taken out of context.

The agency revealed in a statement issued on Friday, August 11, that for products to be placed on the shelves, they must have a diamond mark of quality – a superior mark issued only after the product has undergone extensive testing.

The issue of fake products entering the market arose after Ngari admitted on Thursday, August 10, that the agency trusts certified manufacturers to protect consumers by selling high-quality goods.

“Issuance of the standardization mark attests to an assessed capability to manufacture compliant products, but it does not transfer responsibility for ensuring compliance of the specific products being manufactured in the assessed factory to the government or the regulator,” Ngari stated before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

As a result, KEBS argued that products go through a five-step process to ensure compliance with market standards.

The first step is to vet the manufacturer to ensure that they are a registered legal entity. KEBS then inspects the manufacturing facilities to determine the manufacturing process’s ability to ensure that the products are safe for human use or consumption.

“This entails controls to ensure that the raw materials used are of the right quality, production is managed within specified conditions, and final products are properly packaged and labeled per the required standards.

“Further, the manufacturer is required to test or make arrangements for testing their products regularly. Records of these quality measures must be maintained and produced to KEBS for verification during surveillance inspections,” KEBS statement read in part.

The agency also stated that before issuing a certification mark, it samples and tests the product.

The manufacturer must sign a certification contract with KEBS, which is a systematic guide that ensures the manufacturer will carry out the agreed-upon quality assurance activities throughout the validity period.

According to KEBS, it continuously monitors the products after they are released to the public during the validity period of the certification.

In addition, the agency conducts surveillance inspections, which include sampling at the factory or market.

Large Scale Fraud At The Kenya National Museum Cost Taxpayers Sh 500M

By

Cyrus Kimanga

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August 12, 2023

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has released the findings of an investigation into the fraudulent acquisition of public funds by officials of Kenya’s National Museums via salaries and gratuities paid to ghost workers.

EACC revealed in a Gazette Notice dated Friday, August 11, that they began investigations after Kenyans of Goodwill reported that officers at the organization had added ghost workers to the payroll.

According to the whistleblowers, between May 2016 and April 2022, several ghost workers were included in the salary payment system, earning nearly Ksh100,000 each.

“Investigations established that the NMK payroll had 105 ghost workers included between the years 2016 and 2022. The ghost workers were paid a gross salary ranging between Ksh88,000 and Ksh95,000 and gratuity at the rate of 31 percent of the annual basic pay.

“Investigations further established that the ghost workers would retain a percentage of the salaries received and remit the balance to officers at the National Museums of Kenya,” reads the EACC report.

Investigators established that the rogue managers had added 105 ghost workers who were paid cumulative totals of Ksh491,405,413 as salaries for that period.

“The ghost workers would be given a token of appreciation of between Ksh100,000.00 and Ksh200,000.00 from the loan money,” read the report.

EACC also revealed that the managers obtained loans from a local bank while posing as ghost workers, prompting the financial institution to raise the alarm.

The report, which was sent to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on May 5, suggested that the suspects be charged with six counts of unlawful acquisition of public property under Section 48 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act.

HIV On The Rise In Kenya Over Lack Of Test Kids And Condoms

By

Cyrus Kimanga

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August 12, 2023

Experts confirm that the lack of HIV testing kits and free condoms, as well as an increase in gender-based violence and stigma, are some of the obstacles threatening to reverse the gains made in the fight against HIV and AIDS

On Friday, Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Country Director Samuel Kinyanjui expressed concern, despite evidence of an increase in positivity among men.

He stated that the testing kits are being kept for targeted testing only, a move that risks watering down the progress made.

Further, Kinyanjui said Kenya has the seventh highest number of those infected with HIV in Africa at 1.4 million people.

“Men have many sexual partners both girlfriends and boyfriends,” Kinyanjui said.

He also affirmed anal sex has contributed to the high positivity rates among men.

He decried the ongoing bad blood between the state and donors over the state’s bid to tax condoms coming into the country.

“Why tax something coming to help the population?” Kinyanjui posed.

According to Kinyanjui, between Sh25,000 and Sh30,000 is needed to take care of an infected person every year but interventions such as condoms can help the state to save the amount.

He said in 2020, the positivity rate of men was slightly above 1.8 percent but hit 3.1 percent in 2022.

In 2021, women had a positivity rate of about 2.5 percent, and 2.7 percent in 2022.

Kinyanjui said in 2020, the HIV positivity ratio for those less than 10 years of age was 1.6 percent, 2.7 percent (2021), 2.4 percent (2022), and 2.9 percent in the first and second quarters of 2023.

The positivity ratio for those aged 10 to 14 years was 1.1 percent in 2020, 1.6 percent in 2021, 2.2 percent (2022), and 2.1 percent in the first and second quarters of 2023.

Kinyanjui said high HIV positivity rates in the first and second quarter of 2023 were found between HIV-positive partners (17%), those who use injectable drugs (6.7%), and non-consensual sex and rape (4%).

He said 96,601 patients are covered by care as of the first and second quarter of 2023.

Kinyanjui said 65,336 were females while 31,265 are males.

He said the viral load coverage in 2019 was 54 percent, 82 percent in 2020, and 65 percent in 2021.

In 2021, viral load suppression stood at 87 percent.

Centre for Disease Control and Prevention says if taken as prescribed, HIV medicine reduces the amount of HIV in the body (viral load) to a very low level, which keeps the immune system working and prevents illness.

Hon.Alai: 2023 Kenya Devolution Conference Is Meaningless Without Raila

By

Cyrus Kimanga

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August 12, 2023

Kileleshwa Ward representative Robert Alai has stated that he will not attend the devolution conference scheduled for next week unless Raila is invited.

According to Alai, the conference will be incomplete without Opposition leader Raila Odinga.

He insisted that Raila is the “father of devolution” and that he will only attend if Raila is invited.

Alai stated that Raila should be allowed to express his thoughts on devolution since its implementation. This will be the eighth conference since the devolved units took effect in 2013.

“Baba Raila Odinga is the father of Devolution. You might not support him but there is no proper Devolution Conference without Baba Raila Odinga. Omiyo, I am not attending DevolutionConference 2023 unless we are honest and invite Raila to also share with us his thoughts on devolution 13 years later,” Alai said.

The conference will be held at the Eldoret Sports Club, between August 15 and 19.

Migori: Police Officer Found Guilty Of Defiling A Teenager

By

Cyrus Kimanga

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August 11, 2023

A police found guilty in a defilement case where a 16-year-old girls was in 2021 defiled went to the gender desk in a police station at Uriri seeking justice.

Migori Resident Magistrate Hon. A. C. Munyuny convicted the former police officer for the offence of defiling a 16-year-old girl on diverse dates between March and April 2021.

The convict, Howard Omwoha, a police officer who at the time was attached to the gender desk at Uriri Police Station, is alleged to have repeatedly violated the innocent girl who had trusted her last hope in search of Justice to the said police only to take sexual advantage against the minor.

The learned Magistrate ruled that the prosecution through Maureen Tanui proved their case beyond reasonable doubt through the testimonies of nine prosecution witnesses.

The case will be mentioned before Hon. A. Munyuny on August 29,2023 for mitigation and sentencing.

EACC Freezes 21 Million Belonging To Junior KeRRA Employee

By

Cyrus Kimanga

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August 11, 2023

The High Court has ordered the freezing of Ksh21.2 million belonging to a junior officer at the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) due to accusations that the funds were obtained unlawfully.

The court approved the preservation orders following a complaint filed by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) investigating Daniel Munywoki Wambua’s source of income.

Wambua, who works as an accountant at KeRRA, collected the millions in question in four months while earning a monthly salary of Ksh55,607.

“Wambua is reasonably suspected of acquiring and accumulating illicit wealth far in excess of his known legitimate sources of income through embezzlement of public funds, conflict of interest, bribery, and abuse of office,” the EACC stated.

EACC filed a motion in court to prevent the funds from being dispersed, transferred, or withdrawn until the outcome of the complaint seeking forfeiture of the funds to the state.

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