Kenya Power Announces Areas to Experience Electricity Interruption on Friday, February 13

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February 12, 2026

Kenya Power has announced scheduled power interruptions set to affect parts of Nairobi, Kisii, Migori, and Nyeri counties on Friday, February 13.

In a notice on Thursday, February 12, the company said the planned outages will run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in all the listed areas as it undertakes maintenance works.

In the Nairobi Region, the outage will affect parts of the Langata Road Area, including Part of Wilson Airport, Skyward Airlines, Langata Rd, Part of Dam Estate, Rubis Petrol Station, Uhuru Gardens, Deliverance, Maasai Estate, Jonathan Ngeno Estate, Breeze Estate and adjacent customers.

The whole of Kibiku, Mihango and Utawala will also experience power interruption.

Areas listed include LMCP Twiga Kayole, Royal Court, Mihango Primary School, Kenya Builders Quarry, PEFA Comboni, Mihango SDA Church, Mihango City Water Tank, Deliverance Church Petunia, Quickmart Mihango, Borehole Water-Kiguatha and Gesora Rd.

Others are Empire Court, Roseville Mihango, CDF Bridge Shamy Quarry, Mama Teresia Court Immaculate Primary, Kujani Court, Rockside Academy, Brown Sugar, St. Lukes Ruai West, St. Comboni Gate Rophine, Field Junior School Ltd, Vision Rd, Penda Place, Sunny Side Karagita Rd, Mihango Assumption School and Hurlingham Rd.

Nyoro Construction, Neema Rd Utawala, Victoria Court, Kangaroo Court, Redeemed Church, Boston High School, V Mall, Riverside, Royal Ambassadors, Maono Prayer Centre, Santos, Corradin Road D, Mihango Estate, Mihango Dispensary, Sunnyside Mihango, Saints Revival Church, Texas Gardens and adjacent customers will also be affected.

In Kisii County, the outage will affect Nyamache, Nyoera and Igare areas.

Locations scheduled for interruption include Nyamache Tea Factory, Borangi, Kegochi, Matierio, Nyamache Hospital, Mochengo, Nyoera, Tukiamwana, Igare, Emenwa, Nyamagwa Boys, Boitangare, Kiobegi, Nyabite, Nyamache Market and adjacent customers.

In Migori County, areas to be affected include Osiri, Macalder and Muhuru.

Kenya Power listed Gogo Power Station, Macalder Mines, Osiri Market, Muhuru Bay, Nyakweri Market, Sori, Lwanda and adjacent customers as part of the scheduled outage.

Meanwhile, in Nyeri County under the Mt. Kenya Region, the interruption will affect Kiawaithanji and Mutathini areas.

The listed locations are Gachima, Kiawaithanji Market and School, Mutathini Market and School, Tetu Coffee Factory, parts of Mugwathi Village, Kiriti Village and adjacent customers.

Embu high court dismisses petition challenging Mbeere North MP Leo Wamuthende’s win

By

John Mutiso

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February 12, 2026

The Embu High Court has dismissed the Mbeere election petition challenging the election of Leonard Wamuthende Njeru as the Mbeere North MP.

This was after the Mbeere North parliamentary by-election held on November 27, 2025, was marred by widespread violence, bloodshed and widespread election irregularities.

According to the petitioners, Julieta Karigi Nkubu and Patrick Gitonga Gishoni, they argue that Wa Muthende used inconsistent names throughout the election process.

He changed his name from Leonard Muriuki Njeru to Leo Wa Muthende Njeru via a deed poll on September 3, 2024. This new identity was disputed as it did not reflect the registration by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Additionally, the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) kits, ballot papers, and nomination documents reportedly still bore his former name, Leonard Muriuki Njeru, creating what the petitioners described as a grave and unconstitutional irregularity.

The challengers also questioned whether Wa Muthende was a duly registered voter in Mbeere North at the time of the by-election.

They alleged that his absence from the updated voter roll rendered him ineligible to contest and accused the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of negligence for failing to reconcile the name change with its official records.

His opponent, Newton Kariuki (Karish), claimed that the poll involved rigging and voter bribery and argued that Wa Muthende’s name change may have been intended to mislead voters or obscure his past, interfering with the legitimacy of the election outcome.

In the elections, Wamuthende was announced the winner with approximately 494 votes, a win that was opposed by his opponent, Newton Karish.

In its ruling, the court found that the petitioners, Julieta Karigi Nkubu and Patrick Gitonga Gishoni, failed to deposit the required Ksh500,000 security for costs within 10 days of filing the petition, as stipulated under electoral law.

Additionally, the court requested that the petitioners pay the responding party’s costs not exceeding Ksh 800,000, which will be subject to taxation by the Deputy Registrar in charge of court taxes.

All other pending applications were also dismissed on the basis that their implementations depended on the continuation of the case.

Polls close in first election since Gen Z protests ousted Bangladesh leader

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Editor

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February 12, 2026

Votes are being counted in Bangladesh after its first election since student-led protests ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024.

More than 2,000 candidates are vying for 350 seats in parliament, though none from the banned Awami League of Hasina, who fled after 15 years in power after a brutal security crackdown in which hundreds of protesters were killed.

The election pits the centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) against a coalition led by the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, which joined forces with a party born out of the student uprising.

Results are expected on Friday and there’s widespread hope among voters of a return to democracy.

For the first time since 2008, the outcome of an election in Bangladesh cannot be predicted with certainty. The past few elections were widely condemned as systematically rigged in favour of Sheikh Hasina.

By Anthony Solly

High Court Strikes Down Penal Code Provision on ‘Creating Disturbance’ as Unconstitutional

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Editor

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February 12, 2026

By Andrew Kariuki

The High Court has declared Section 95(1)(b) of the Penal Code unconstitutional, effectively invalidating the offence of “creating disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace.”

In a judgment delivered by Justice Bahati Mwamuye, the court found that the provision is inconsistent with the Constitution, terming it overly broad, vague and incapable of precise interpretation.

The judge held that the section failed to meet constitutional standards of clarity and legality required in criminal law.

“A declaration be and is hereby issued that Section 95(1)(b) of the Penal Code is inconsistent with the Constitution and is therefore unconstitutional, null and void,” the court ruled.

Justice Mwamuye further directed law enforcement agencies to immediately cease enforcing the impugned provision.

Before it was struck down, the offence was classified as a misdemeanor and carried a penalty of up to six months’ imprisonment.

The petition challenging the section was filed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), which argued that the offence was a colonial-era relic that had been used to curtail the constitutional right to freedom of expression.

The society contended that the vague wording of the law left room for arbitrary arrests and prosecutions.

In the same decision, the court quashed criminal proceedings that had been instituted against activist Morara Kebaso.

Kebaso had been arrested on October 8 last year and booked at Lang’ata Police Station after monitoring government projects.

He was informed that he would be charged under the now-invalidated provision.

By striking down the section, the court reaffirmed constitutional protections on freedom of expression and underscored the requirement that criminal laws must be clear, specific and consistent with the Bill of Rights.

NTSA suspends matatu driver for 90 days after viral video shows him driving on pedestrian walkway

By

John Mutiso

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February 12, 2026

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has suspended the license of the driver captured on camera driving on the pedestrian pathway for 90 days.

In a post published on Thursday, February 12, NTSA explained that the driver did not meet the threshold required for drivers of public service vehicles.

The driver was presented to the Authorities by his Sacco, Neema Travellers Agency Ltd.

NTSA confirmed that the matatu driver will also be subjected to medical tests before being allowed back on the road.

“The driver underwent the required test and did not meet the set standards. As a result, his driving license has been suspended for a period of ninety (90) days. Additionally, he will be required to undergo a medical assessment before undertaking a subsequent retest,” the Authority declared.

PHOTO | COURTESY The driver of the matatu caught driving on the pedestrian walkway along Thika Road at the NTSA offices.

NTSA urged all PSv drivers to adhere to traffic rules and regulations and exercise responsibility while on the road.

It maintained that the pedestrian walks are exclusively for road users who are on foot and not for motor vehicles.

Motorists were warned that driving on pedestrian walkways not only endangers the lives of pedestrians but also damages road infrastructure.

The NTSA commended the public for their commitment to road safety, reporting incidents of reckless driving, and reassured their commitment to the implementation of road rules.c

Meanwhile, Kenyans have commended the man for standing his ground and not ceding to the rogue matatu driver despite facing intimidation from other matatu crews.

They further castigated a conductor who made threats to the manalong the lines ofavailable spaces in the cemetery.

Matatu drivers have been in the spotlight over their blatant violations of traffic rules and harassment of other road users.

They have become notorious for overlapping, driving on the wrong side of the road, picking and dropping off passengers at non-designated spots and pushing passengers out of moving vehicles.

Tottenham are ‘not a big club’ – Postecoglou

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Editor

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February 12, 2026

Ange Postecoglou has criticised Tottenham’s transfer strategy while claiming his former side are “not a big club” in the wake of Thomas Frank’s sacking.

Frank, who replaced Postecoglou as head coach last summer, was sacked on Wednesday with Spurs five points above the Premier League relegation zone.

Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football, external podcast, the Australian praised the club’s “unbelievable” facilities but said financial limitations meant they could not sign his main targets, such as Pedro Neto, Bryan Mbeumo, Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi, in 2024.

“When you look at their expenditure and particularly their wages structure, they’re not a big club,” he said.

“I saw that because, when we were trying to sign players, we weren’t in the market for those players.”

Portuguese forward Neto joined Chelsea in a £54m deal in 2024, Mbeumo moved to Manchester United for £65m last summer, while Semenyo and Guehi moved to Manchester City for a combined £85m last month.

By Anthony Solly

CS Murkomen Gives Update on Action Taken for Police Boss Who Attended Meeting While Drunk

By

John Mutiso

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February 12, 2026

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has instructed the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, to develop a framework to deal with officers who report to work drunk.

Murkomen, who addressed questions by Members of Parliament on Thursday, February 12, admitted that drug and alcohol abuse were rampant among police officers.

He related an incident where an OCS attended a security meeting when drunk and declared that two measures had been proposed to deal with such officers.

First, all officers suffering from alcoholism will be taken for rehabilitation.

“In my Jukwaa la Usalama forum, there was a drunk officer. After asking the officers why they would not discourage him from attending the meeting, they said he was the OCS.

PHOTO | COURTESY Interior Cabinet Secretary Kiphumba Murkomen arrives in Parliament on February 12, 2026.

“Out of compassion, those who are addicted to alcohol are meant to be taken to rehabilitation centres. What we agreed is that the IG will develop a framework to ensure that no officer will be deployed when drunk,” Murkomen stated.

However, the CS disclosed that the officers who undergo rehabilitation will be discharged from the service.

“If you are within the disciplined forces, you must accept that we will take you for rehabilitation, give you your dues, and discharge you,” he reiterated.

Murkomen announced that the OCSs will be held responsible for anything that happens if they deploy officers who are under the influence.

He mentioned the case in Karatina, where a police officer shot dead a businessman, and stated that it would have been avoided.

“It is not enough that the officer was charged and arrested; the OCS must be held accountable.

Murkomen further cautioned against the deployment of mental health issues, such as marriage problems and family issues.

CS Davis Chirchir Gives Update on Rironi-Mau Summit Road Construction

By

John Mutiso

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February 12, 2026

Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir has revealed that Kenyans the stretch between Rironi and Naivasha will be accessible to motorists by August this year.

Chirchir made the declaration on Thursday, February 12, when appearing before the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Energy.

The CS explained that the government had approved 12 contractors who will start the work in March.

“Rironi to Naivasha will be opened for traffic in August. We will have finished that section. We will then do the Rironi-Mai Mahiu- Naivasha, and by June 2027, the whole corridor will be done,” Chirchir told the Committee.

The Ministry of Sports has further directed the China Roads and Bridges Corporation to have 12 sub-contractors to expedite the construction process.

PHOTO | COURTESY A file image of President Ruto flagging off a construction truck used in the Rironi-Mau Summit Road.

“We will be deploying 12 subcontractors to each contractor, so you will be seeing 12 teams. You will see 12 sites between Rironi and Gilgil where another contractor will take over,” the CS stated.

He confirmed that Kenyans will pay to use the super highway earmarked as a toll road. The cost will be Ksh8 per kilometre.

However, the government was rehabilitating roads, which will serve as alternative routes for those who cannot afford to pay.

These include the Ngong-Suswa route and the Kijabe-Mau Mau 1A road.

The RironI-Mau Summit road is meant to ease traffic congestion on the road that leads to Western Kenya.

Kenyans have been caught up in traffic snarl-ups on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway that have lasted as long as 12 hours, prompting a response by the government.

Punches in Parliament after a brawl erupted in Turkey

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Editor

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February 12, 2026

Opposition lawmakers from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) attempted to block the swearing-in of Akın Gürlek, the newly appointed Justice Minister.

Gürlek, a former Istanbul Chief Prosecutor, is a highly controversial figure. The opposition accuses him of being a “judicial hitman” for President Erdoğan, citing his role in presiding over high-profile trials against opposition members and the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

As Gürlek approached the podium to take his oath, CHP legislators rushed forward to block him. Lawmakers from the ruling AK Party moved in to shield him, leading to a melee.

Reports indicate that punches were thrown, shoes were removed to be used as weapons, and CHP lawmaker Mahmut Tanal reportedly suffered a broken nose.

The speaker suspended the session for 15 minutes. Once order was restored, Gürlek was eventually sworn in while surrounded by a human shield of ruling party members

By Anthony Solly

Section of nurses’ demand Seth Panyako resignation

By

Editor

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February 12, 2026

A section of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) has continued to press the Secretary General, Seth Panyako, to resign amid an ongoing court case that suspended the February 6, 2026, elections.

Speaking in Uasin Gishu County on Thursday, February 12, 2026, the union members claim the secretary general has failed to represent the interests of nurses and midwives in the country during his tenure, and his removal is long overdue.

“We’ve come here today to explain to the country why we decided to challenge the legality of the KNUN constitution in court. This action was taken by our responsibility to protect democracy, fairness and accountability within our union,” Simon Kibii, a KNUN member, stated.

The Employment and Labour Relations Court in Eldoret issued an injunction halting elections scheduled for February 6, 2026, following a petition by disgruntled union members.

The petitioners have challenged the legality of the current constitution, which they describe as discriminatory and designed to entrench the leadership of the current secretary general.

“Certain provisions in the constitution are crafted in a way that concentrates power in one office, weakens checks and balances and undermines internal democracy,” added Kibii.

According to James Murimi, a union member, the current constitution was not ratified by all members; therefore, it cannot be used to conduct a credible election.

Further, his sentiments were echoed by former KNUN national chairperson John Bii, who blamed Panyako for allegedly undermining the union while prioritising his political ambitions at the expense of members.

“We have three CBAs that have failed to be implemented under the leadership of Seth Panyako. I call upon all union members to join us in making sure we send him back home in Kaburengu,” said Bii.

The members denied allegations that they were being used by the government to fight Panyako, who has emerged as a fierce critic of President William Ruto’s administration after his loss during the Malava constituency by-elections last year.

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