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Charles Ong'ondo Were

Detectives have recovered two pistols, including one believed to have been used in the murder of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were.

The murder pistol will undergo ballistic analysis to determine its ownership and usage.

The weapons were found in a house in the Chokaa area of Kayole on Tuesday night after a daylong search, police said.

Detectives also recovered a bag and shoes worn by a prime suspect on the day of the murder.

Police termed the recoveries a breakthrough in the ongoing investigation.

“This is a breakthrough because the recoveries are key in the case,” said an officer involved in the probe.

Earlier ballistic tests on recovered bullets revealed that the murder weapon had been used in at least three other crimes in Komarock and Kayole in Nairobi, and Ndumberi, Kiambu County.

This conclusion followed an analysis of spent bullets recovered from the crime scene and the MP’s body.

Were, who was serving his second term in Parliament, was shot and killed on April 30 along Valley Road near the City Mortuary.

His driver and bodyguard, who was seated in the back seat, escaped unhurt.

The bodyguard jumped out of the car as the gunman fled on a getaway motorcycle. Witnesses said he gave a brief chase before returning to the car and rushing the bleeding MP to nearby Nairobi Hospital.

Detectives have since been retracing the MP’s movements and reconstructing scenes with the help of the bodyguard and driver.

Four suspects are in custody over the killing.

One of the suspects was found with Sh615,000 in his Nairobi home, believed to have been payment for the mission. Detectives are working to establish the source of the money and the motive.

Police also recovered several police uniforms and multiple mobile phones, which are under forensic examination.  

The suspects William Imoli Shighali alias Omar Shakur, Juma Ali Haikal, Douglas Muchiri Wambugu, and David Mihigo Kagame will remain in custody for 30 calendar days pending investigations.

Shighali, was arrested in the lounge in Roysambu alongside Wambugu and Kagame.

Police say suspects later led detectives to the Pangani home of police officer Juma Ali Hikal, where a vehicle alleged to have been used in the murder was found.

Court documents show the suspects communicated before and after the assassination.

CCTV footage described by investigators as pivotal showed the suspect, believed to be Shighali, trailing MP Were along Wabera Street in Nairobi.

He was allegedly seen carrying a bag believed to have concealed the murder weapon and wearing police boots later found at Hikal’s residence.

A search at Hikal’s home, according to police, uncovered ammunition, teargas canisters, and other paraphernalia currently under analysis.

At Shighali’s residence, officers allegedly found police uniforms, over USD 4,800 in cash, and multiple mobile phones also being examined.

“Thousands of minutes of CCTV footage have been reviewed to reconstruct the final moments of the late MP,” the prosecution told the court.

“Nine live rounds of ammunition and teargas canisters were also found at the second respondent’s home.”

Investigators believe the murder may have been carried out by an organized criminal network with significant financial backing.

Police are pursuing more suspects, including another officer suspected of playing a central role in orchestrating the assassination.

The officer is alleged to have used a newly registered mobile number, now deactivated and registered under a false identity, to coordinate the operation.

A JKIA Chief Magistrate’s Court has granted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) permission to detain the four suspects for 30 days pending further investigations.

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Charles Ong'ondo Were

A suspect linked to the macabre murder of Kasipul Member of Parliament was arrested on Sunday morning in Nairobi.

Detectives handling the probe said they also recovered a car that the suspect and his accomplices were using in their mission.

The car was used in escaping from the scene after the shooting near City Mortuary along Valley Road, detectives said.

The same car has been captured on security cameras near Parliament Building, City Hall Way, Wabera Street, Kenyatta Avenue, Jakaya Kikwete Road, Argwings Kodhek Road and Valley Road.

These are the same roads the MP used from Parliament before he was shot and killed at point-blank range.

Director of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Mohamed Amin, confirmed they have what he termed a breakthrough in the probe with the arrest of the suspect.

“We have one key suspect and we are looking for more,” he said.

He said detectives are pursuing a murder.

The team handling the case was talking to the suspect to surrender the killer weapon, state the motive, his accomplices and the motorcycle they used at some point.

The suspect has also been placed at all the routes that the MP used before he was shot on April 30, 2025.

The murder has caused tension in ODM, with some leaders there demanding the arrest of the killers.

The gunman who pulled the trigger killing, Were at a traffic jam in Nairobi wore a hood to hide his identity. 

The killer was captured near where Were stopped to make financial transactions on his way from the Parliament Building. 

The man had a rider riding him from Parliament Building to City Hall Way, Wabera Street, Kenyatta Avenue, Jakaya Kikwete Road and later to Valley Road where the shooting happened on Wednesday, April 30 at about 7.30 pm. 

They also had a car that they used in escaping, detectives have revealed.

Detectives who visited the last places where the MP spent his final day are now relying on CCTV footage and witness accounts from his driver and bodyguard in pursuit of more accomplices. 

On Thursday, detectives extended their probe to the National Assembly, where Were had spent most of his day attending to parliamentary duties. 

According to reports, the MP left Parliament about 6.15 p.m., accompanied by his driver and bodyguard. 

The vehicle was seen heading towards City Hall Way before taking a turn onto Wabera Street. 

It was along this street that the MP’s car stopped. 

His bodyguard briefly stepped out, walking into an M-Pesa shop where he reportedly deposited Sh20,000 into the MP’s phone.

CCTV footage in the area captured a man wearing a hood and carrying a bag who was monitoring the car. 

The cameras also captured the MP and his team leaving the area at 7:19 p.m. and joining Kenyatta Avenue. 

The driver changed route and joined Jakaya Kikwete Road to evade traffic before joining Argwings Kodhek Road. 

Unaware they were being followed, they joined Valley Road, where there was traffic.

The same man who was monitoring the car along Wabera Street was reportedly seen on top of a sports bike following the vehicle closely. 

When the vehicle stopped after the traffic lights at 7:40 p.m., he (suspect) disembarked, went around the vehicle and went straight to his target.

He fired four shots at close range, shattering the window and hitting the MP on the chest and hand. 

The killer ran towards the sports bike and the rider took off, heading towards Nairobi CBD.

The bodyguard, who was sitting behind the MP, reportedly told investigators that the shooting caught him unawares and he had to take cover before disembarking from the car to pursue the attackers, who were long gone. 

He ran after the killers in vain, witnesses said. 

He then swiftly ran to help the MP, who was bleeding profusely and pleading for help.

They rushed him to Nairobi Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. 

The driver and the bodyguard escaped unhurt in an attack that took less than a minute on a busy road.

Homicide detectives who visited the scene on Thursday morning to reconstruct the events, recovered three spent cartridges, which will be subjected to ballistic examination.

Later, detectives camped along Wabera Street where the MP was last spotted before his assailants shot him dead. 

The same gunman and his rider are also said to have had lunch at a restaurant along Kimathi Street in Nairobi. 

Police have collected CCTV footage from several shops in the area, which captured the suspect as he monitored the vehicle that was parked next to an M-Pesa shop.

In their pursuit of the killer, the detectives have questioned several people, including the MP’s driver, bodyguard, and the M-Pesa attendant.

The probe has also been extended to Kasipul in Homabay as police investigate whether his murder is politically motivated.

Police say the killing was targeted and premeditated. 

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Charles Ong'ondo Were was shot dead on Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Slain Kaspul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were had passed through a popular joint along Jakaya Kikwete Road before he met his death.

He had left Parliament at about 6 pm after a long day of activities there.

He apparently had an instinct that his life was in danger.

He abandoned his usual car and jumped into another one – a Toyota Camry that he thought would be discreet.

After having a light meal, he, his driver and bodyguard hit Valley Road headed for Langata.

They, however, did not know there were people trailing them.

On reaching at the City Mortuary roundabout, the car slowed down and stopped because of the traffic lights and jam that was being experienced then.

It was at the jam that a gunman who was a pillion passenger stepped out of a motorcycle and pulled the trigger.

Police who visited the scene said they recovered three spent cartridges.

The gunman pumped at least five bullets into Were before he jumped back on the motorcycle and sped off with his rider.

The MP’s driver and bodyguard say they froze in the drama. The driver made a U-turn after the killers had escaped and raced to the nearby Nairobi Hospital.

The MP was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

Police say they are yet to establish the motive of the murder.

Police believe the murder was targeted and premeditated. Were was shot at least five times and died on the spot. He was shot in the chest as he sat in a co-driver’s seat in his car in a traffic jam near the City Mortuary roundabout in Nairobi.

His bodyguard and driver were not harmed. Gunmen who had trailed him from Parliament to the hotel while on a motorcycle struck as he waited for the traffic flow to move on Wednesday, April 30, in the evening.

National Police Service (NPS) spokesman Michael Muchiri Nyaga said they regretted to confirm the tragic and senseless shooting of Were.

“According to reports confirmed by the Nairobi Regional Police Commander, at around 7:30 pm this evening, a white Toyota Crown vehicle came to a stop at a red traffic light on Ngong Road, near the City Mortuary roundabout.”

“Eyewitnesses have indicated that a motoreycle carrying a rider and a pillion passenger stopped alongside the car. The pillion passenger approached the vehicle and fired shots at the passenger side before jumping back onto the motorcycle and speeding away,” Muchiri said.

The driver of the car and a male passenger, both unhurt, managed to rush the injured man to Nairobi Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, he added.

“The nature of this crime appears to be both targeted and premeditated.”

“At this stage, it is too early to provide further details. Senior police commanders and detectives are at the scene, piecing together the circumstances surrounding the death,” Muchiri said.

He condemned what he called the heinous and senseless crime and will spare no effort in investigating the matter.

Homicide detectives visited the scene on Thursday as part of the probe.

They were accompanied by the driver and bodyguard, who narrated what happened.

Inspector General of police Douglas Kanja, Director DCI Mohamed Amin, Nairobi police boss George Seda and PS interior Raymond Omollo were among those at the hospital.

“As the ministry responsible for security, I want to assure everyone that our multi-agency teams are actively pursuing the criminals and are diligently following all leads to apprehend those responsible,” Omollo said.

No arrest has been made so far.

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Crime Scene tape

Two police officers were arrested for confiscating and hiding two kilos of bhang at a police station in Nyeri.

Police authorities said there were also claims of bribery that led to the April 24 arrest.

The arrest was made after a woman claimed the two cops had confiscated the drugs and demanded a bribe for her release on April 15.

She told police she had to part with Sh100,000 for her freedom. But the officers did not release her narcotics.

They also did not book the case at the local police station as required to indicate they had recovered the two kilos of narcotics, police said.

Further, they did not book for safekeeping the seized bhang at the station.

The motive was not immediately established, officials said.

Out of anger and frustration, the woman informed a local politician of the incident.

The politician organised a protest to denounce the incident.

Police in the area demanded to establish the reasons for the planned protests, and when they were informed, they staged a search on the houses of the two officers who had been adversely mentioned.

The commanders from Tetu staged the search at Muthinga police post officers’ houses, whom the demonstrators had mentioned.

The woman claimed a female and male officer went to her house and picked up a bag that had the drugs.

They also detained her briefly before a bribe of Sh100,000 was successfully demanded for her release.

Police said a bag with a substance believed to be bhang, approximately two kilos, was found in the police woman’s house.

The second male officer was arrested after it emerged he was the one who picked up the bribe for the suspect’s release.

No report was recorded in the Occurrence book, and the station commander was also not informed, officials said, terming the development illegal.

Police termed the incident isolated, adding that a probe is ongoing to get more information. Cases where police are involved in crime have been on the rise. Police authorities say they have mechanisms for dealing with such cases.

Security agencies have in the past months mounted operations targeting drug traffickers and consumers.

Dozens of kilos of the drugs were seized in the operations. Some of the drugs are imported from neighbouring countries.

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Crime Scene tape

Detectives are camping at a church in Rongo, Migori County, after two congregants died while 57 were rescued from the compound.

Police said the 57 people who were rescued refused to be treated at a local hospital where they had been taken for attention.

They are being detained at a local police station while weak as police consult on the way forward.

Police were on Monday, April 21 2025, informed there was a body lying at the Church in Kanyadiedo sub-location, East Kamagambo location, before rushing there.

The team found the body lying on the floor of a prayer room within the church compound.

According to police, the body was fully covered in a white robe and wrapped in a grey sheet at that time.

Police said the body had some injuries on the face, and foam was oozing from the mouth.

Earlier in the day, another body was recovered from the same place, police said.

The bodies were moved to the local morgue pending autopsy and other procedures.

The police conducted a search in the church and managed to rescue 57 people residing there.

Police said some of them were looking weak, and the group was then escorted to Rongo Sub-County hospital for medical attention, but all of them refused to be examined by medical officers.

They began to make noises and singing religious songs.

When they persisted, the medical officers advised that the group be removed from the hospital since they were disturbing the other patients at the facility.

Police said they were taken to the station to await further directives.

This is the second such incident to happen in the area amid a probe into claims of occultism. 

A police officer believed to have been radicalised was buried at a church compound in Kamagambo, Migori county, prompting police investigations.

Police have blamed occultism for the incident and declared the teachings at the church in Opapo village in Kamagambo are misleading.

The officer died on March 27, 2025, following a sickness, before his body was interred at the church the following day.

Obura was a police officer based at the General Service Unit headquarters in Nairobi.

His wife told police he fell sick as they were at home and decided to take him to the church in Opapo village in Kamagambo for prayers.

He, however, died on the way, and they arrived at the church in the night on March 27 at about 8 pm.

The following day, the woman obtained a burial permit from a local assistant chief.

The chief did not know where the body was to be interred, he said.

Armed with the permit, the woman and a few church members buried the body within the compound.

Some family members told police they had complained about the church in the past, arguing their son had been radicalised by the teachings.

The father of Obura had reported the issue to the police, who visited the church at one time.

It is not clear what action was taken then.

Police said they are investigating the incidents.

There was no immediate comment from the church leadership over the incident.

Cases of occultism have been on the rise.

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PSC offices

The Public Service Commission (PSC) has announced 256 job opportunities in various departments.

In a notice published in Tuesday’s edition of My Gov, the commission advertised different job vacancies that are available for qualified candidates to apply.

In the department of national treasury,  the commission is seeking to recruit two senior deputy directors, 8 deputy directors and 5 assistant directors in macro and fiscal policy.

The  State Department of Economic Planning is looking for a Director General in economic planning, a secretary for economic planning, monitoring evaluation and partnerships and a secretary for economic planning development, planning & policy.

The Immigration Services is seeking to recruit a secretary integrated population registration services and a secretary, civil registration services.

PSC jobs application process

Interested applicants are required to make their applications online through the commission website, www.publicservice.go.ke or the jobs portal www.psckjobs.go.ke

More positions are available in the department of Correctional Services, including 8 directors-probation, 3 deputy directors and 13 assistant directors in the same field.

The commission is also seeking to recruit a director-general in foreign affairs- political and diplomatic affairs, a secretary of foreign service management and 20 deputy director generals of foreign service management in the department of foreign ministry.

PSC Broadcast and Telecommunication jobs

In Broadcast and Telecommunication, three positions are available, including that of a secretary in information and broadcasting, a secretary in public communication and a secretary in telecommunication and postal services.

Applicants are advised to obtain more information of the posts and mode of applications in the commission website.

In the wildlife department, there are opportunities for 1 director & 4 assistant directors in wildlife policy and strategy and 2 assistant directors in wildlife services.

The commission also announced 2 posts for secretary fisheries and blue economy in the Blue Economy and Fisheries State Department and 2 more for a director government clearing services in Shipping & Maritime Affairs.

Meanwhile, gender and Affirmative Action is seeking to recruit two deputy directors, gender,  while Technical Vocational Education & Training (TVET) is looking for two secretaries in technical and vocational education.

Two other positions are up for grabs in the state department of Public Works, including that of a chief architect and a secretary- national building inspectorate.

“In the department of Housing and Urban Development, vacancies available are of director- housing infrastructure (1), director-urban governance, management and resilience (1), deputy director in housing infrastructure (3), civil servant housing scheme (5) & estate management (3),” the notice said.

More available positions are chief superintending building surveyor (9), architect (3), quantity surveyor (2), engineers- structural (2) in electrical (1) & mechanical (1), deputy director- urban governance, management & resilience (2), metropolitan planning & environment (2), urban development (1) and land surveys (1).

The commission via the notice further announced jobs for a senior superintending engineer (civil& structural), a senior principal superintending quantity surveyor, 7 assistant directors slum upgrading, 7 in civil servants housing scheme, 6 in housing infrastructure and 9 in estate management.

“We are looking for senior principal superintending architect (2), assistant director- urban governance, management and resilience (4) & urban development (8), Metropolitan planning and environment (8) and an assistant- director land surveys (1),” said the notice.

A position of deputy director is available in air transport. Two other positions of deputy director for parliamentary affairs are also available.

In the irrigation department, 12 vacancies are available for deputy director irrigation development coordination, quality assurance and licensing, climate resilience for water & food security and superintendent engineer.

Applications should be received on or before April 22, 2025 5 pm latest.

Qualified candidates can apply for 23 positions of senior deputy director physical planning, deputy chief land registrar, assistant directors in physical planning, land valuation and cartography.

In the state department of energy, opportunities are available for a secretary- electrical power development & one in geo exploration, a chief engineer- electrical, principal superintending engineer- electrical & one in mechanical.

Six positions are available for deputy director renewable energy with others including superintending electrical and mechanical engineer, deputy director – renewable energy, senior principal superintending geologist, chief principal geophysicist & geo chemist, assistant director- renewable energy and principal geo-chemist.

Other positions to apply for are chief superintending geologist (3), electrical engineers (4) and mechanical engineers(1).

The commission further warned of fraudsters soliciting bribes from the public while masquerading as staff.

“Public Service Commission does not charge any fees for job application, shortlisting, interviews or appointments,” the notice stated.

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Naivasha-Mai Mahiu Accident

At least seven family members lost their lives on Sunday night in a tragic accident along the Naivasha-Mai Mahiu road.

According to police, the victims were returning from a memorial service when their vehicle crashed into a lorry.

The collision claimed the lives of four children and three adults, leaving a devastating loss for their loved ones.

The bodies were taken to the Naivasha mortuary as authorities launched investigations into the incident.

Police confirmed that they are looking into the circumstances surrounding the crash to determine its cause.

Meanwhile, there was drama when a swarm of bees on Sunday, March 30 disrupted rescue efforts by Good Samaritans and firefighters at an accident scene along the Kathiani-Machakos road.

Witnesses said the bees ran riot indiscriminately attacking residents who had rushed to the scene to rescue passengers after a 14-seater-van overturned at the Kwa Kakonzi corner, near Iveti hills, in Machakos.

Firefighters from Machakos County called to the scene had to use hose pipe water to spray and scatter the insects and allow rescuers to access the wreckage.

Witnesses said rescue efforts were temporarily hampered by the bees, but no serious injuries were reported.

This is after the vehicle veered off the road at a sharp corner section, then hit a tree and overturned trapping passengers on board.

The passengers sustained only minor injuries and were taken to hospital, police said.

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A collage photo of Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya and Farouk Kibet

Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has publicly clashed with President William Ruto’s long-time aide, Farouk Kibet, over development in Western Kenya.

Natembeya, who has been a strong critic of Ruto’s administration, told Farouk to face him if he has any misgivings about his leadership.

“Do not think that because you are close to the President, you can lecture us. I do not fear you; come and face me. Do not speak from the periphery. It is as simple as that,” the governor told a public meeting over the weekend.

Natembeya told Kenyans to respect those in leadership positions but not to fear them.

“I was taught by my mother to respect people and leaders, for that matter. And I respect President Wiliam Ruto, but I do not fear him because he is also a human being,” he stated.

“When we start fearing the leadership, we are bringing dictatorship to our country.”

The governor emphasised that the country belongs to all Kenyans and not a group of people.

“The President eats ugali and sour milk just like me, he sleeps just like me, he has bad and good dreams just like me, and he was born by a woman just like me. Why the should we fear each other yet Kenya belongs to all of us,” he posed.

Speaking in Malava in Kakamega County earlier, Farouk accused Natembeya of being a stumbling block to development in Western Kenya.

“I heard a complaint, and I want to ask you something. Natembeya is saying I should not visit Malava; is that possible?” he said.

Natembeya has strongly criticised Ruto’s recent tour of Western Kenya, arguing that the region has been neglected in terms of development.

Natembeya further called out Ruto’s handlers, accusing them of misleading the president on the needs and priorities of the people of Western Kenya.

He urged Ruto to reconsider his close circle of advisors, arguing that they deceive him rather than relay the true needs of the people on the ground.

Natembeya expressed disappointment over Western Kenya’s lack of development and emphasised that the region deserves equal infrastructure projects like other parts of the country.

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Foreign Affairs PS Macharia Kamau, who tested positive for Covid-19 last week has taken on government over billions meant to fight the pandemic.

PS Kamau was forced to hand over his duties to political and diplomatic secretary Ambassador Tom Amollo as he went into isolation.

According to a report by The Star on Thursday July 30, 2020, PS Macharia regretted that the government’s contact tracing has collapsed.

The local daily reported that there is no access to proper care and even more tragic is that there is no medical insurance cover for the virus, as per PS Macharia’s observation.

The PS has questioned the country’s management of the pandemic and wondered what the billions spent so far have achieved.

“For all the billions that have been spent on this campaign, it’s hard to imagine that at the point of contact where the disease actually happens, there is no system to make sure that we have access to proper care and the proper contact tracing is actually done to keep track of those who are not well or maybe infecting others,” Macharia is quoted to have said in a WhatsApp group of top government officials.

Macharia said after he tested positive, he quickly informed his contacts about his condition, but to his surprise, none of them have been contacted by the government. 

The PS said no one has been in touch with him about contact tracing.

He said he has had malaria-like symptoms – hot and cold flushes and intense dizziness as well as disorientation, although he is yet to go to hospital.

Days before the virus arrived in Kenya, Macharia termed as “short-sighted, careless and xenophobic” Kenyans who raised the red flag about the government’s handling of the pandemic.

He hit out at critics saying coronavirus is “not the first global epidemic and is not the most deadly”. 

This was after a Southern China Airline arrived with 239 passengers in Nairobi from Guangzhou – the then second-most affected region in China – triggering an immediate uproar from Kenyans. 

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Three people died on the spot while twenty others suffered serious injuries after they were involved in a road accident at Mida area along the Malindi-Mombasa Highway on Saturday night.

The accident involved a matatu and a private Toyota Wish car.

Confirming the accident, Malindi Traffic Police Commander George Naybei said the matatu, which was carrying 14 passengers, was heading to Mombasa from Malindi and collided head-on with the saloon car heading in the opposite direction.

The traffic police boss said the driver of the saloon car was trying to overtake another vehicle at high speed before colliding with the matatu.

Naybei said the driver died on the spot and confirmed the injured were rushed to Malindi subcounty hospital.

The hospital’s Medical Superintendent Doctor Evans Ogato said the 22 had serious injuries including broken limbs, arms and ribs.

He said the bodies of the deceased were taken to the hospital’s mortuary.

Naybei urged drivers to be cautious while driving on the road to avoid such accidents

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It is a well-organised and complicated syndicate of cartels involving both senior and junior officers.

Top officers at the registration bureau have devised deliberate ways to delay or deny issuance of birth certificates.   

As a result, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i says an ICT problem had been deliberately created to slow down or jam processes, creating an artificial backlog so that anyone who wants to be fast racked has to pay a bribe in order to jump the queue.

He said those who don’t, remain a frustrated lot, suffering the consequences of endless excuses and months of waiting for their documents.

To add an insult to the injury, the cartels conspire with various hospitals where corruption starts at birth.

In this regard, parents are lured into paying hospital administrators an exorbitant fee so that birth certificates are processed and distributed without scrutiny or authentication.

Dr Matiang’i, who, and his PS Karanja Kibicho, has been camping at the bureau for a week, on Friday said it was embarrassing to discover that a large number of Kenyans have had to encounter indignity in the hands of public servants.

“This racket primarily targets illegal immigrants seeking Kenyan citizenship through the backdoor,” Matiang’i said.

He said though these are two documents are critical documents in the life of citizens, the officers had conspired with IT staff to tamper with the ICT system.

As a result, some 24 senior officers have been arrested and will be arraigned in court on Monday.

Matiang’i said out of the 24 suspects, 20 are from various departments within the bureau while four are hospital staff from St. Francis Hospital.

This comes after two top officers from the department were last week interdicted over the same claims.

“We are here to demonstrate our commitment to ensuring that Kenyans get the service they deserve and shall not allow Kenyans to be preyed upon by corrupt individuals fleecing them at the most vulnerable moment of their lives,” he said.

Matiang’i was flanked by Kibicho, ICT CS Joe Mucheru, PS Jerome Ochieng’ and Inspector General of police Hillary Mutyambai.

“Government is about service delivery. We are to serve and not to humiliate and frustrate Kenyans. People cannot be lining here from 5 am and leave at 6 pm without being served,” he said.

Matiang’i said the cleanup will entail total a total overhaul of the system, which includes people, processes, procedures, hardware and software to improve accountability and efficiency of service.

He said amid efforts to clear backlog at the bureau, all Huduma Centre branches in Nairobi, now have the capacity to print Birth Certificates.

This means Citizens will no longer have to come to the Bishop house to receive follow up or receive their Birth Certificates.

Mucheru in his remarks said some 17 staff from the ICT ministry will be camping at the bureau throughout the weekend to ensure all services are digitised.

So far, Mucheru said since last week they have managed to digitise 32 million files.

He said they expect to clear the entire backlog before December 1.

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Nairobi County Government intends to convert the Dandora dumpsite into a recreational park after it is decommissioned.

This is one of the highlights of the County Annual Development Plan 2020-2021. Previously the authorities intended to relocate the dumpsite.

CADP says methane will be generated from the residual waste at the dumpsite for power generation.

In July last year, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko said an energy recycling plant will cost the county Sh28 billion.

Sonko had at the time said the county was in the final stages of awarding a contract for the construction of the plant. There is no contract one and a quarter years later.

There will be no need to relocate the dumpsite since the recycling plant will convert the waste into 160MW clean and renewable energy per day.

However, in August this year, there were reports that the waste-to-energy recycling plant could take longer to be set up.

The county government was said to be scouting for technology specifically designed for the circular model of waste management proposed by authorities.

Yesterday, County Executive for Environment Vesca Kangogo said, “The Dandora dumpsite will still be operational but the dumpsite will be eventually decommissioned in an environmentally sound manner and eventually turned into a park.”

The county plans to have two landfills at Kamukunji and Lang’ata fore waste that cannot be recycled after the phase-out of the Dandora dumpsite.

Before then, a feasibility study will be done to come up with recommendations for a Resettlement Action Plan for households likely to be affected since the sites will be near human settlements, Kangogo said.

Kangogo told the Star that consultations were ongoing with the national government and the Public-Private Partnership Unit on the best way to get an investor to do the project.

Dandora dumpsite holds over 1.8 million tons of solid waste against 500,000 tons capacity.

More than 2,500 tonnes of waste is deposited at the site daily.

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A woman allegedly presented herself as a State House employee able to provide a tender for a military surveillance system, complete with all equipment and logistics — and a mandatory non-disclosure clause.

Another time, she allegedly presented herself as an employee of Deputy President William Ruto, able to provide tenders for 2,800 HP laptops valued at Sh180 million; one tender was for 120 laptops.

In both cases, the complainants were taken in by utterly convincing Wangari Kamau, alias Patricia Mareka. 

She allegedly was part of a ring of fraudsters. 

Kamau,  according to prosecution and victims, uses fake names and masquerades as a project manager or procurement officer at either State House or Harambee House Annex.

She also allegedly was part of a team of people masquerading as intelligence and military officers.

On Tuesday the woman who had been on the run for a year stood before a Kiambu magistrate and faced multiple fraud charges involving fake procurement deals linked to State House and the Department of Defence.

Kiambu senior principal magistrate Stellah Atambo ordered Kamau to be remanded at Lang’ata Women’s Prison until November 5, pending a bond hearing.

She is accused of defrauding Charles Ng’ang’a of Sh40 million and another Sh96 million by claiming that she was in a position to award him a tender to supply a military surveillance system, including 120 HP laptops for Sh96 million.

Kamau allegedly claimed the surveillance system was complete with equipment and logistical support and said a non-disclosure agreement was required.

There were various other tenders besides those for military surveillance and laptops, and a number of complainants.

Kamau faces other counts of falsely presenting herself as a State House employee.

Her lawyer Njau Kayai appealed for bail, saying his client is mentally ill and will not jump bail.

However, the prosecution objected, saying she had been on the run for a year after jumping bail in another similar case before a Milimani court, that one involving laptops and the DP’s office.

Kayai told the court his client hadn’t appeared because she suffers from a mental condition and therefore could not fully understand the conditions attached to her bail terms.

He also said that she had been admitted to Mathari Mental Hospital because of her condition, hence, the reason for her non-appearance. Kayai tabled a medical report indicating that Kamau she suffers from aggression.

The prosecution disputed the report, saying anyone could obtain documents from a doctor to support their claims. The prosecution said the investigating officer verified from Mathare that Kamau had been an outpatient only.

She is also accused of forging tender documents purporting them to be genuine, signed by Maj Gen Fatuma Ahmed Gaiti.

It is alleged that the accused introduced herself as ‘Ms Muhoro’, allegedly dropping government officials’ names and departments to lure victims with fake tenders.

In the case at the Milimani law courts, she is charged together with Alan Chesang and Augustine Matata.

Matata is in custody after a warrant for his arrest was issued for skipping court.

It is alleged that between May 30, 2018, and August 12, 2018, jointly with others not in court, the accused conspired to offer a fraudulent tender, in the name of Deputy President William Ruto for the supply of 2,800 laptops valued at Sh180 million.

The court heard that they obtained the laptops by false pretences from Makindu Motors Limited along Mombasa Road jointly with others who have not been arrested.

They allegedly presented fake local purchasing orders from the Deputy President’s office to defraud the complainants by claiming that the office was procuring the laptops.

The matter has been adjourned several times for several reasons, including the suspects’ absence.

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A flamboyant city lawyer has revealed for the first time how he almost died at the hands of Americans who wanted to arrest and extradite the Akasha brothers for drug trafficking. 

Cliff Ombeta told the Star how he thwarted attempts by the Americans to record his conversations and twice rejected hefty bribes. 

All these were part of efforts to force him to abandon his clients Baktash and his brother Ibrahim Akasha so that they could be extradited to the US. 

In a wide-ranging interview Ombeta laid bare the manoeuvres by the American investigators saying the US detectives threatened him with death after he refused to lead them to the Akashas’ hideout.

“They would trail us all the time. At one time I took a laptop that they were using to record us at Whitesands Hotel, smashed it on the floor and threw the fragments into the ocean.

“They said I had destroyed American property and insisted that they were not recording us. They said they were just testing their equipment. I dared them to do their worst,” Ombeta said.

Ombeta said the Americans monitored all his movements during the case and they often booked themselves in luxurious hotels where he was putting up.

“They knew which rooms we were staying. If we took room 113 they took 114,” Ombeta said. 

The city lawyer said that he was aware that Americans did not want him and had ‘cooked’ all sorts of stories to malign his name.  

“We had bodyguards at that time. That’s why they have bile with me. I even had to tell the court in one of the many hearings that there were intruders when I saw them sitting in court. I fought them in each and every yard,” the city lawyer said.

A U.S. judge sentenced Baktash to 25 years in prison in August after he pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to import heroin and methamphetamine and other crimes

The prosecutors described Akasha as the leader of a crime family called the Akasha organisation. 

The organisation, they said, was a major smuggling operation connecting the poppy fields of Afghanistan to European and U.S. cities.

In his guilty plea, Baktash Akasha also admitted to bribing officials in Kenya.

His brother, Ibrahim Akasha, has also pleaded guilty in the case and is scheduled to be sentenced by the same judge in November.

But Ombeta maintains that the Akashas were not subjected to a fair trial in Kenya.

“They even offered me $250,000 (25 million) cash in City Mall telling me,  ‘Tomorrow don’t come to court’. But I refused. They tried every trick,” Ombeta told the Star.  

Ombeta denied claims that he was the conduit of hefty bribes that were allegedly offered to the country’s criminal justice system by the Akasha brothers.  

“Who took the money and for what? When they (Akasha brothers) were being kidnapped I fought with them (Americans) at City Mall. They even offered me the same amount of cash to tell them where Bhaktash was and I refused,” Ombeta said.

Baktash Akasha Abdalla, Vijaygiri Anandgiri, Gulam Hussein and Ibrahim Akasha Abdalla at the Mombasa High Court on February 9. Photo Mkamburi Mwawasi.

The case stemmed from a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration probe into the Akasha organisation. 

It led to the extradition of the brothers to the United States from Kenya in January 2017 along with Gulam Hussein, a Pakistani national. 

Hussein was charged with heading a drug transportation network. 

Another person extradited was Vijaygiri Goswami, an Indian businessman accused of managing the organisation’s drug business.

Ombeta said that, at some point, the Americans nearly shot him so as to have their way in extraditing the two brothers to the US to face drug-trafficking charges.

“At Akasha’s house they even put guns to my head,” Ombeta said.  He maintains that he has no apologies for offering legal counsel to the Akasha brothers.

The two Akasha brothers were accused of successfully managing to stall their own extradition cases by first obtaining bail, repeated adjournments and slowing the wheels of justice.

The lawyer denied claims that he was at the heart of the elaborate web of people including security officials, the judiciary and top government officials that shielded the Akasha family drug empire from prosecution.

He said that it was the Americans who branded the Kenyan justice system corrupt and connived to airlift his clients after the prosecution sensed defeat in court.

“Then they started calling us bad names, saying that we were corrupt and were delaying the case. Truth is we never delayed the case but it was the prosecution that did,” he said. 

They never brought witnesses, just affidavits and when they realised that the court might rule against them they decided to kidnap them, Ombeta said.

“All this talk that people were given money is rubbish. Most of those mentioned never handled the matter and some of the ones who handled the case have not been named,” he said. 

Ombeta said drama started when the Akashas were first arrested. 

He immediately set in motion a legal challenge after realising the government’s intentions were to extradite them to the US the same day.

“We managed to block it after I told the court there was nothing like that in law and we have an extradition treaty with the US. They had sneaked them into court at 3pm to get orders,” he said.

He went on: “After the court declined, the state prepared charge sheets in court and charged them with drug trafficking. That is when the drama started.”

The lawyer said he came to know the Akashas during his pupilage when they used to go to court for their father’s cases. 

He became close with them when he appeared for murder suspects who had been charged with the killing of their dad.

“When I reached there I met Bhaktash Akasha and his brother who asked why I was representing people who killed their dad, yet  we were friends.

“Because I had already been paid I went for the first two to three sessions and handed it over to someone else because of conflict [of interest],” he said.

The Akasha brothers reportedly confessed to the US authorities of bribing officials in Kenya, Tanzania and other countries to ensure their drugs moved across borders without scrutiny.

During court proceedings in the US, Baktash and Ibrahim are said to have named persons in the judiciary and government as part of the Akasha’s drug empire. 

Among them were a prominent city lawyer, a former senior official in the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, some judges and government officials.  

It was also claimed that the US government had already made their Kenyan counterparts aware of its intention to charge the suspects in US courts.

But Ombeta said that the US authorities had resorted to mudslinging and blackmail after failing to sustain the prosecution in Kenya.

He said his clients never influenced the court system.

“Let them not call judges bad names, even the ones who were never interested in the cases. The blame is squarely on them. I think the courts were against us. From the lower court all the way to the Court of Appeal, they did not favour us,” Ombeta said.

The lawyer said that while the defence counsel was busy researching and preparing for a final push towards an end to the extradition matter, the prosecutors were “gift wrapping four nice bundles to hand over to the Americans. The DPP was preaching the law while breaking it”. 

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Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa and her bodyguard, Okuto Otieno, have been granted Sh1 million bond and a surety of a similar amount with the alternative of Sh500,000  bail.

“The two shall be released but they must present themselves to DCIO in Malindi on October 22… any further summons shall be issued,” Mombasa Senior Resident Magistrate Vincent Adet said on Thursday.

Adet said that the police shall have the liberty to charge them if they have the evidence.

“It’s illegal for the police to have someone they don’t have evidence against to be held without a charge. Police must only arrest when they have evidence against suspects. The Constitution disallows this,” he said.

Jumwa and her bodyguard, Okuto Otieno, spent the night in the cells as they awaited arraignment on Thursday morning.

The two were held at the court police station.

The prosecution sought to have them detained for 21 days pending investigations.

Jumwa was arrested alongside Otieno, her gardener and domestic worker after one person was shot dead on Tuesday.

The man was shot dead during a fracas that erupted at the home of ODM candidate Reuben Katana in Ganda ward.

Trouble started after Jumwa stormed the home to disrupt the meeting between Katana and ODM agents for the Thursday’s by elections, saying the campaign period was over.

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Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa spent the night in police custody over the violence that broke out at Ganda ward in Malindi on Tuesday evening.

A man was shot in the shoulder and killed during the chaos and several other people, including police officers, were injured. Jumwa had stormed a meeting organised by Reuben Katana, an ODM candidate in Thursday’s by-election.

Gumbao Jola, 48, died upon arrival at Malindi General Hospital. He was Katana’s uncle.

The MP arrived at the meeting in a convoy of three vehicles. Thereafter, chaos erupted and police officers were forced to shoot in the air several times. The lawmaker is the chief campaigner for independent candidate Abdulrahman Omar, according to her lawyer Jared Magolo.

The MP, whom the police described as confrontational and fond of making inciteful statements in public, accused Katana of campaigning long after the campaign window period had been closed.

Katana was hosting more than 500 people at his home. Jumwa and her bodyguard, Geoffrey Otieno, are suspects in Jola’s murder.

The two were arrested on Wednesday at 1.50am, taken to Port police station in Mombasa before they were arraigned at 2.30pm, her lawyer said. Initially, there were reports that four people had been arrested, but only two were arraigned.

Jumwa and her bodyguard were, however, not charged as assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Alloys Kemo applied to have them detained for 21 more days, pending investigations.

In a sworn affidavit, Kemo said the police want to hold the MP and her bodyguard as they investigate four charges — murder, incitement to violence, breach of Election Offences Act and breach of electoral code of conduct.

“Police have intelligence that the first respondent’s (Jumwa’s) agents are planning to disrupt the Ganda by-election tomorrow. They are regrouping at Takaungu,” Kemo said.

He added that security agents at the coast cannot guarantee the security of Jumwa and her bodyguard because the Malindi residents are baying for their blood.

“A large crowd gathered at Malindi police station on Tuesday night chanting that they want to avenge the death of Gumbao Jola. The two should be detained because the situation in Malindi is tense and volatile,” Kemo said.

He added the police need enough time to conduct an autopsy on the body and carry out a ballistic investigation on the firearm used to kill Jola.

“Police also need to find out if the second respondent (Jumwa’s body guard) is a licensed gun holder. A ballistic investigation will be conducted on the gun and the bullet cartridges that were recovered today at 2am,” he said.

However, Jumwa’s lawyer Magolo described the DPP’s application as “hopeless.”

“The application is actually crying for dismissal.  This court should not agree to be allowed to take sides in an election contest.

“We know there are people who want to take away Jumwa from Malindi because she is the chief agent of a candidate in Ganda’s by-election,” Magolo said, adding the DPP is dishonest in his submission.

“They have admitted that was an illegal gathering. It was taking place after the official closure of campaign period. Jumwa is an MP and a chief agent of a candidate in that election and had gone to seek answers, but she was then attacked,” Magolo said.

Jumwa is represented by four lawyers in the case. Her second lawyer, Gikandi Ngubuini said the are no records to show that Jumwa is confrontational.

“No records have been produced to show the first respondent has ever been found guilty of incitement. No evidence has been filed in this court from any person to show that once the MP is released there would be violence in Ganda,” Ngubuini said.

On Wednesday evening, Mombasa senior resident magistrate Vincent Andet said he would make a ruling on whether to release Jumwa on bail or continue holding her as requested by the DPP today.

“It’s already late in the evening and I’ve not been able to go through all the submissions. I would request that I deliver a ruling tomorrow (Thursday) at 8.30am,” Andet said.

According to Jumwa, the meeting was aimed at planning violence against her supporters with a view to ensure her candidate loses.

`The embattled legislator has been branded a rebel and ousted out of Raila Odinga’s party for supporting Deputy President William Ruto’s 2022 presidential bid. 

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