“Opposition leaders deserve adequate security” Former Police Spokesperson Charles Owino states after Nairobi CBD teargas incident.

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February 17, 2026

Former police spokesperson Charles Owino has said opposition leaders are entitled to adequate security, following a teargas incident involving former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Kalonzo in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).

Speaking at a local TV station on February 16, 2026, Owino emphasised that police officers must use reasonable force, when necessary, particularly when handling large crowds and protecting high-profile individuals.

“The police are not supposed to use force; they are supposed to use reasonable force when necessary,” he said.

Further, he noted that political events in crowded urban areas often require significant deployment of officers to maintain order and ensure safety.

Owino noted that senior politicians, including Gachagua, require adequate protection given their status and the nature of the public gatherings they attract.

“Rigathi Gachagua is not an ordinary man; even as a deputy president, he retains his honours and deserves protection. It is to the interest of the head of state, from where I sit, that opposition members are given reasonable security, to ensure that they are secured and taken care of,” Owino said.

This comes shortly after Gachagua slammed President William Ruto, accusing him of steadily taking the steps of a few African dictators in power after an encounter with teargas at the Nairobi Central Business District.

In a statement on his official X account on Monday, February 16, 2026, Gachagua accused Ruto of spearheading the tear gas attack by the United Opposition leaders.

“Teargas, Bullets, and all weapons that exist cannot extinguish the will of the people of Kenya. A government scared of its people has no legitimacy; Mr William Ruto, you have chosen a path travelled by a few African dictators, and you know what befell them when their time came,” Gachagua stated.

Additionally, Gachagua accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of using live ammunition on peaceful citizens in Nairobi’s CBD demanding their rights.

“Using live ammunition on peaceful citizens in Nairobi’s CBD demanding for their rights is cowardly and a dangerous path to anarchy. We shall not be cowed!” he added.

Sheria Mtaani Demand Urgent Action Over Accessibility Barriers at Milimani Law Courts

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February 16, 2026

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has been formally urged to address critical accessibility and infrastructure challenges at Milimani Law Courts, following concerns raised by Sheria Mtaani na Shadrack Wambui, Danstan Omari & Associates Advocates along with Advocate Cliff Ombeta over barriers affecting persons with disabilities.

In a demand letter dated December 18, 2025, Danstan Omari & Associates Advocates called on the Commission to take immediate remedial action, warning that the current state of the courts undermines access to justice and violates constitutional guarantees to persons living with disabilities, wheelchair bound individuals, the elderly among other vulnerable groups.

The advocates highlighted that several sections of the Milimani Law Courts, including the Magistrates’ Criminal Division and courts located on upper floors, lack functional ramps and lifts, effectively locking out persons who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids.

They further raised concerns over the absence of handrails and tactile guiding systems for persons with visual impairments, noting that the situation poses significant safety risks and has already led to incidents of falls and injuries within the court premises.

According to the lawyers, these deficiencies not only discriminate against persons with disabilities but also affect judicial officers, advocates, litigants, arrested persons, witnesses and members of the public, thereby undermining the constitutional right to access justice.

In a move to demonstrate the extent of the problem, advocates Danstan Omari, Cliff Ombeta and their team conducted a comprehensive walkthrough of the Milimani Law Courts across multiple divisions in the presence of members of the media, documenting what they described as widespread inaccessibility for persons with disabilities.

During the exercise, the lawyers pointed out that several courtrooms, offices and essential facilities remain inaccessible, particularly for wheelchair users, raising serious concerns about exclusion from the justice system.

“All those courts have no washrooms for the disabled. We have just been told that the people who come to this place when they want their short and long call have to go to the NSSF building. Is that fair?” Omari emphasised that such conditions undermine dignity, equality and the constitutional right of every person to access justice without discrimination.

The advocates urged the JSC to prioritise infrastructure upgrades across all divisions of the Milimani Law Courts, including the Criminal, Commercial, Anti Corruption and the Family divisions, to ensure compliance with accessibility standards and principles of inclusivity and dignity.

They also called on the Commission to utilise the judicial recess period to implement the necessary improvements without disrupting court operations.

The advocates stressed that the matter requires urgent attention, urging the Commission to act swiftly to safeguard the rights, safety and dignity of all court users.

Court Grants 14 Day Detention Request in U.S. Cybercrime Extradition Case Implicating Three Kenyans

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February 16, 2026

Three Kenyan nationals wanted by authorities in the United States over alleged cybercrime offences have opposed an application seeking to detain them in custody as authorities move to initiate extradition proceedings.

Peter Omari, Francis Osanyo and one other before the court are the subjects of an indictment issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, where they face charges of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, alongside related offences under U.S. law.

Court filings indicate that the indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in Richmond, Virginia, in November 2023 and a warrant of arrest was subsequently issued in Case No. 3:23-cr-153.

Before the Milimani Magistrates court, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had applied for orders to detain the three suspects at different Police Station for 14 days, arguing that the period is necessary to complete investigations and allow U.S. authorities to transmit a formal extradition request through diplomatic channels.

The prosecution further told the court that an INTERPOL Red Notice had already been issued and that the alleged offences correspond to crimes under Sections 28, 29 and 30 of Kenya’s Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act.

The application was, however, strongly opposed by the three respondents through their team of advocates; Cliff Ombeta, Ishmael Nyaribo, Stanley Kinyanjui, Danstan Omari among others who argued that the request for further detention lacks legal basis and even went as far as calling it unconstitutional for various reasons.

Ombeta submitted that the matter before the court does not amount to an extradition proceeding but is simply an application to hold the suspects in custody and as such, the State must demonstrate compelling reasons to justify denying them bail as required under Article 49 of the Constitution.

The defence also argued that their clients are unwell and that their rights and dignity have already been infringed, maintaining that holding them for 14 days without the option of bond or cash bail would be unlawful and punitive, especially in the absence of a formal extradition request.

They urged the court to decline the prosecution’s application.

The prosecution, on the other hand, maintained that the custodial orders are necessary to facilitate ongoing investigations, including securing electronic and financial evidence and to allow time for the formal extradition process to be initiated by U.S. authorities.

The court granted the 14 day detention orders but however denied the prosecution’s request to have them held in custody in separate police stations directing that they all be held at Kilimani Police Station.

Mention date on March 27, 2026.

Ukraine’s ex-energy minister detained while attempting to leave country

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February 16, 2026

BBC -A former energy minister in Ukraine has been detained while attempting to leave the country, authorities have said.

German Galushchenko, who was forced out of his government role last year after being among officials named in a corruption scandal, was reportedly apprehended while on a train leaving Ukraine. It is unclear where he intended to travel to.

He was one of several government figures implicated in an alleged $100m (£75m) embezzlement scheme in November.

The scandal threatened to engulf Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration, which swept to power before Russia’s full-scale invasion on the promise to root out corruption.

Zelensky’s chief-of-staff Andriy Yermak – his closest adviser throughout the war – resigned after his home was searched. Neither the president nor Yermak have been accused of any wrongdoing.

The scandal has, however, increased pressure from the US to hold elections, which have been suspended since the start of the war in 2022 due to provisions in Ukraine’s constitution.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (Nabu) said in a statement on Sunday that its detectives had detained the former energy minister “while crossing the state border”, as part of the Midas case.

It did not name Galushchenko explicitly, but he has been named by several prominent Ukrainian media organisations.

Galushchenko was briefly justice minister, a post he held when he was told by Zelensky to resign in November, having served as energy minister for three years prior to that. His successor, Svitlana Hrynchuk, also resigned after being implicated in the scandal.

Nabu gave no further details on Galuschenko’s detention, but said it would provide updates in due course.

Radio Free Europe reports that he was being transported to Kyiv for further questioning, after border guards were told to alert the authorities if he attempted to flee.

A massive anti-corruption probe, dubbed Operation Midas, was the culmination of 15 months of investigating, Nabu and Ukraine’s other anti-corruption body, the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (Sap), said.

They accused several people of orchestrating a scheme to embezzle money in Ukraine’s energy sector, including at the national nuclear opertor Energoatom.

Galuschenko was among those alleged to have systematically collected kickbacks from Enerhoatom contractors worth between 10% and 15% of contract values.

The anti-corruption bodies also said the huge sums had been laundered in the scheme and published photographs of bags full of cash. The funds were then transferred outside Ukraine, including to Russia, Nabu said.

Galushchenko previously said he would defend himself against the accusations.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov was arrested in November on suspicion of “illicit enrichment”, having already been charged with abuse of office.

Timur Mindich, a businessman and a co-owner of Zelensky’s former TV studio Kvartal95, reportedly fled the country after he was flagged as a suspect.

That the figures were accused of enriching themselves from Ukraine’s energy sector caused particular outrage domestically, as the scandal broke as Russia stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of a bitterly cold winter.

The former Soviet Union member has long been plagued by issues of corruption, which have continued despite Nabu and Sap operating for a decade.

Cracking down on corruption is seen as a key requirement for Ukraine joining the EU.

Obama clarifies views on aliens after saying ‘they’re real’ on podcast

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February 16, 2026

BBC -Former US President Barack Obama has clarified that the chances Earth has been visited by aliens is “low” after comments he made about extra-terrestrial species caught attention online.

“They’re real but I haven’t seen them,” he told American podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen during an interview published on Saturday.

“They’re not being kept in Area 51. There’s no underground facility unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States,” he added.

Obama has since said his comments were made in line with “the spirit of the speed round” of questions, adding that statistically the chances are that life is out there but he saw “no evidence” while president.

Obama’s initial comments were made during a quickfire “lightning” round of questions.

“Are aliens real?” Cohen had asked as his first question of the round for the former president.

Obama’s answer was subsequently run in different media outlets and attracted attention online – prompting him to publish a clarifying statement on his official Instagram account on Sunday.

“I was trying to stick with the spirit of the speed round, but since it’s gotten attention let me clarify,” he wrote in a caption that accompanied the video clip from the podcast.

“Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there. But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we’ve been visited by aliens is low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!”

Obama, who served as president of the United States between 2009 and 2017, has previously made comments about aliens and UFOs – telling late night TV host James Corden in 2021 that on coming into office he asked whether there was a lab “where we’re keeping the alien specimens and space ship”.

“They did a little bit of research and the answer was no,” he said – but also pointed to records and footage of objects in the sky that had not been explained at the time.

President Ruto To Fly Man United’s Kelvin Masanga & Arsenal’s Useful Idioty to England to Watch Live Matches.

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February 16, 2026

President William Ruto has pledged to sponsor Business Class air tickets and full accommodation for Manchester United supporter Kevin Masagara and Arsenal fan Usefulidioty to travel to England and visit Old Trafford and the Emirates Stadium, respectively.

On Monday, February 16, the president, in a video shared on his social media handles, pledged to fund trips to the UK for the two football fans so they can watch their favourite clubs live at the Emirates Stadium in London and Old Trafford in Manchester.

Speaking during an interaction with Lang’ata Member of Parliament (MP) Phelix Odiwuor, President Ruto indicated that Manchester United supporter Masagara would be facilitated to travel to Old Trafford in the near future.

The discussion emerged after Jalang’o weighed in on the progress of Talanta Stadium, which is nearing completion ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027. In response, Ruto expressed confidence that the Ngong Road-based facility would be transformative, before the exchange shifted to comparisons with the iconic venues.

During the conversation, the MP challenged the President to sponsor Masagara’s trip to watch his beloved Manchester United in action. Ruto, who supports Arsenal, initially appeared hesitant but later agreed—on the condition that an Arsenal fan would also benefit from a similar opportunity.

The President ultimately confirmed he would sponsor both Masagara and Arsenal content creator Useful Idioty to travel to the UK and attend matches involving their respective teams.

“If you accept that I buy Usefulidioty a ticket since he is an Arsenal fan, I will also sponsor Masagara,” the President stated, adding, “I will buy business class tickets, and they will also get accommodation. Once they get experience, they will know what goes down at Talanta.”

X Outage Hits Thousands of Social Media Platform Users.

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February 16, 2026

X, the social media platform formerly called Twitter, crashed on Monday hitting thousands of users.

The platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk was hit by a global outage early in the afternoon but was restored after around two hours.

The issue prevented users from accessing the platform on web browsers, through its app or completing searches on the site.

Monitoring website DownDetector showed that more than 11,000 people reported an outage on X shortly after 1pm.

It is unclear what has caused the issue.

The majority of UK users said the issue related to their apps, with it displaying a black page with X’s logo instead of a home page.

Anyone attempting to access the main homepage would see a page with the message “Something went wrong. Try reloading”.

It comes after tens of thousands of users were hit by a similar problem last month.

‘We Will Come for You!’ Opposition Tells IG Kanja, Threatens Mass Protest on Friday

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February 16, 2026

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has criticized the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, for failing to arrest police officers who attacked him at ACK Witima Church, Nyeri on Sunday, January 25, 2026.

Gachagua was accompanied by Kalonzo, Wamalwa and other opposition leaders had gone to Kanja’s office to follow up with the police on the issue, where they alleged that the Inspector General went into hiding to avoid meeting with them.

⁠“Tumefika pale akatorokea mlango ya nyuma. Anaogopa kukutana na sisi,” said Gachagua on Monday. (We got there and he left through the back door, afraid of meeting with us.)

The opposition team then held an impromptu political rally in Nyamakima, downtown Nairobi, where he told the police chief that he would be back on Friday, February 20, for another meeting.

However, Mr Gachagua, the leader of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), promised to marshal 100,000 Kenyans on Friday to march to IG Kanja’s office, saying he would bring the nation’s capital to a standstill.

“Tumemwambia siku ya ijumaa, saa tatu, tutakuja kwako na watu elfu mia moja kutoka jijini Nairobi,” said Gachagua.

Mr Gachagua is seeking justice over a January 25, 2026, incident at the ACK Witima Church, where police lobbed tear gas canisters into the church compound and inside the building during the service, which he was in attendance.

He labelled the attack as an assassination attempt on his life, sanctioned by President William Ruto and demanded that IG Kanja arrest the officers involved in the attack.

“This was an assassination attack targeted towards Rigathi Gachagua… a special squad of police officers called Nairobi Sierra of 12 officers, was dispatched to eliminate us in church,” Mr Gachagua said after the incident, giving the IG until February 15 to meet his demands.

On February 16, as promised, Rigathi and the United Opposition team marched to Harambee House to meet with the IG, who was nowhere to be found.

“Despite scheduling an appointment with leaders of the United Opposition to review and track progress on critical issues such as police brutality, church attacks, and violence against women and children, he chose instead the convenience of a hide-and-seek game, subjecting us to interactions with junior police officers,” an angry Gachagua said.

“His continued refusal to act on the violent attack at ACK Witima Church, coupled with the escalating attacks across our nation, confirms a deliberate strategy to shield perpetrators and normalise impunity.”

Health CS Aden Duale hold high-level talks with Global Fund Executive Director Peter Sands.

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February 16, 2026

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale today held high-level talks with Global Fund Executive Director Peter Sands to strengthen strategic collaboration aimed at accelerating Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda.

During the meeting, Hon. Duale underscored the significant gains realised through Kenya’s longstanding partnership with the Global Fund, particularly in combating HIV, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria. He noted that 1,359,781 Kenyans are currently on lifelong antiretroviral therapy, while AIDS-related deaths have declined by 43 per cent and TB-related deaths by 59 per cent, reflecting sustained investments in prevention, treatment, diagnostics and community-based interventions.

Anchored on Sustainable Development Goal 17 on Partnerships, the CS called for enhanced collaboration in priority areas, including strengthening local pharmaceutical manufacturing to reduce reliance on imports and boost regional production of essential medicines, vaccines and health technologies.

Within the framework of Kenya’s Taifa Care Model for UHC, Hon. Duale proposed aligning Global Fund support with ongoing health system digitisation and the new financing architecture under the Social Health Authority (SHA) to improve efficiency, accountability and equitable access to quality healthcare services.

The discussions further examined innovative financing mechanisms and sustainability pathways tailored to Kenya’s fiscal context, taking into account debt pressures, climate shocks, inflation and competing national priorities. The CS emphasised that sustainability is a continuous journey anchored on strong domestic resource mobilisation.

The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Ms. Mary Muthoni, Principal Secretary for the National Treasury Dr. Chris Kiptoo, Director-General for Health Dr. Patrick Amoth, and other senior government officials.

Maurice Mwongela, Father to Bishop Joseph Mwongela, Laid to Rest in Kitui.

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February 16, 2026

The late Maurice Mwongela, father to Bishop Joseph Mwongela, has been laid to rest at his home in Kakumi Village.

Maurice passed away on 8th February 2026 while receiving treatment at The Mater Hospital in Nairobi at the age of 97.

He has been eulogized as a man of strong faith, generosity, humility, integrity and dedication to his family and the Church.

The Funeral Mass was presided over by Archbishop Philip Anyolo, while the homily was delivered by Archbishop Anthony Muheria.

In his homily, Archbishop Muheria reminded the faithful that they had gathered as pilgrims of hope to celebrate the faith of Maurice. He noted that faith is tested through hardships, sickness and even being misunderstood by others, but such trials purify and strengthen authentic Christian faith. He emphasized that love has no limits and calls for total self-giving. Through Baptism, Christians are united with the sufferings of Christ, and suffering in Christian life carries deep meaning when embraced in faith.

Reflecting on the Beatitudes, he described them as the “heavenly identity card” of every believer: “I was hungry and you gave me food.” He urged the faithful to practice works of mercy beginning at home, stressing that true identity is love not love expressed merely in words, but love lived from the heart and spirit.

Bishops present were Archbishop Philip Anyolo; Archbishop Anthony Muheria; Bishop Joseph Mwongela; Bishop Jackson Murugara, IMC; Bishop Wallace Ng’ang’a; Bishop Peter Makau Munguti; Bishop Simon Peter Kamomoe; Bishop David Kamau; Bishop Willybard Kitogho Lagho; Bishop Peter Kimani Ndung’u; and Bishop Norman King’oo Wambua. The office of the Nuncio was represented by monisgro Luciano Lubance.

The burial was also attended by clergy, religious, faithful from within and outside the Diocese, national CWA and CMA officials, Governor Julius Malombe, senator Enoch Kiio, Kitui County assembly speaker Kevin Katisya, among other dignitaries.

May his soul rest in eternal peace.

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