Home Latest News
Category:

Latest News

Sports

UCL Round of 32 – Second Leg: Pressure, Pride and No More Second Chances

by Zephany Warui Waweru
written by Zephany Warui Waweru

The UEFA Champions League returns tonight, and this is where narratives either collapse or are reborn. Four ties. Four different scorelines. One unforgiving truth! Someone’s European dream ends.

At 8:45pm, Atlético Madrid host Club Brugge with the tie delicately poised at 3-3.

This one is psychological warfare. Atlético thrive in chaos. Structured chaos. Diego Simeone’s side will believe the Wanda Metropolitano atmosphere can tilt the balance. But Brugge have already proven they can hurt them. Three goals in the first leg is not luck. It is belief. The question is simple: can Brugge survive the suffocating pressure of a Spanish knockout night?

At 11pm, Bayer 04 Leverkusen carry a 2-0 advantage into their clash with Olympiacos FC.

Leverkusen have been one of Europe’s most tactically refined sides this season. Fluid in possession, ruthless in transitions. Olympiacos now need more than energy. They need efficiency. An early goal changes the temperature. Without it, this could become a controlled German procession into the next round.

But the tie that truly smells of drama?
Inter Milan vs FK Bodø/Glimt.

Inter trail 3-1.

Let that sink in.

The Italian giants, European pedigree woven into their history, are staring at elimination against Norwegian resistance. Bodø/Glimt have built a reputation in recent years for being fearless. Combined with high-intensity football, especially on European nights. Now the challenge is different. Can they manage a lead away from home!? Against a side that understands knockout football like few others?

This is where experience battles momentum. Inter need composure, not panic. One early goal and suddenly the San Siro becomes a furnace.

Finally, Newcastle United welcome Qarabağ FK with a commanding 6-1 advantage.

On paper, this is done. In reality, professionalism demands focus. Newcastle’s resurgence in Europe has been built on intensity and structure. Qarabag would need a miracle. And football rarely offers miracles at this stage without defensive collapses.

So who goes through?

Newcastle look home and dry.
Leverkusen hold the upper hand.
Atlético vs Brugge is balanced on emotion.
Inter vs Bodø/Glimt could become the story of the night.

And that is the beauty of knockout football. Reputation means nothing once the whistle blows.

Tonight, Europe chooses its survivors.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Business

One accident shouldn’t wipe out a lifetime of your hard work; Insure your progress

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

At the start of every year, many of us map out what we want to achieve: school fees, bills, savings, business goals, or even that long-awaited family purchase. We think about how to raise income, how to cut costs, and how to grow our finances. Yet one important piece of planning is often missing; Insurance! 

For many households, insurance feels distant or unnecessary. It is seen as something you think about later. But the truth is that life doesn’t wait. 

Take a farmer who depends on livestock for daily income. Suddenly, a prolonged drought, flash floods, or a disease outbreak wipes out this key source of income, leaving the family financially vulnerable.

Or think of the small shop owner who has worked for years to stock their shelves and build a steady clientele. One night, a short circuit causes a fire that destroys part of the store and stock. Recovery means expensive replacement costs and days without income.

A break in leaves a family without critical household items necessary for their day-to- day use. These are not distant possibilities; they happen every year; they are not just interruptions. They can derail the best laid financial plans and push families into debt or hardship. Laid financial plans and push families into debt or hardship.laid financial plans and push families into debt or hardship.

This year, as you set your financial goals, it’s worth asking: What would happen to my plan if the unexpected struck today?

Equity makes insurance accessible and relevant for everyday Kenyans by integrating insurance solutions into everyday banking. Make insurance part of your overall financial plan and protect yourself against common risks that can wipe out progress.

General insurance covers assets and risks many of us face daily; from motor vehicles and household items to fire, drought, flash floods, theft, burglary, and public liability.

With the right cover, the farmer can be compensated for livestock lost to drought, floods, or disease outbreak. The shop owner can recover lost stock without losing months of hard work. Families can replace essential household items lost to burglary without diverting money from school fees or other planned expenses.

Equity’s branch network and Relationship Managers are on hand to guide you through understanding what cover you need, how it works, and how it aligns with your financial goals. They help you choose protection that fits your needs and your budget, so you are prepared before risks turn into losses.

Including insurance in your financial plan does not mean expecting the worst. It means being prepared and protecting the progress you have worked hard to achieve. It means knowing that a single accident, fire, theft, or damage will not erase months or years of effort.

This year, consider Equity Insurance as part of your financial plan. Protect what you have and protect what you are building for the future.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Sports

Will Collins Sichenje Get the Nod Again Against West Brom?

by Zephany Warui Waweru
written by Zephany Warui Waweru

There is a quiet but growing question around The Hawthorns tonight. Will Kenya’s own Collins Sichenje make it back-to-back appearances for Charlton Athletic against West Bromwich Albion?

Over the weekend, in a tightly contested 1-1 draw against Southampton FC, Sichenje did not just make his debut. He announced himself. And he did it out of position.

Naturally a centre-back, the Kenyan defender was deployed as a right wing-back. A role demanding stamina, discipline, and tactical intelligence. Instead of looking uncomfortable, he looked reborn. He tracked runners, overlapped with intent, defended with authority. He even walked away with the Man of the Match award.

That detail matters.

Because when a defender adapts and thrives in a wide system role, it tells you something about his football IQ. It tells you about trust from the coaching staff. It tells you about versatility. And versatility wins minutes.

Now comes the next test: consistency.

West Brom present a different challenge. More physical duels. More aerial pressure. More direct transitions. If Sichenje starts again, the spotlight will not be about surprise. It will be about expectation. Can he replicate the intensity? Can he balance defensive solidity with attacking width once more?

For Kenyan fans watching from home, this is bigger than a lineup decision. It is about representation. It is about growth. It is about a defender redefining his identity on English soil.

The weekend was a statement.
Tonight could be confirmation.

Will he get the nod?

That answer will say a lot. Not just about Sichenje, but about how much trust he has already earned.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Sports

The Rematch We Never Thought We’d See: Mayweather vs Pacquiao (II) Is Official

by Zephany Warui Waweru
written by Zephany Warui Waweru

Eleven years after boxing’s most anticipated crossover clash. Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. and Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao are set to rewrite history once again.

On September 19, 2026. The two legends will step back into the ring for a professional rematch at the futuristic Sphere in Las Vegas. An event confirmed by promoters and streaming partner Netflix. They will broadcast the fight globally to its hundreds of millions of subscribers.

Their first encounter in May 2015 was billed as the “Fight of the Century”. Smashing pay-per-view and live gate records. Becoming one of the richest bouts in boxing history after Mayweather claimed a clear unanimous decision.

Now, more than a decade later, the narrative is dramatically different. Both fighters are well past their primes. Mayweather will be 49 and Pacquiao 47. The global appetite for this rivalry remains enormous. What was once a competitive showdown has now evolved into a legacy event. One that blends nostalgia with the enduring pull of two of the sport’s greatest stars.

Mayweather, is undefeated in his professional career with a flawless 50-0 record. He is ending a nine-year retirement and returning to the professional stage following a high-profile exhibition schedule. Pacquiao. He is a former eight-division world champion. With 62 wins, eight losses and three draws to his name, has likewise resumed competition after a spell away.

Both men have spoken publicly about the stakes. Their contrasting motivations reflect their careers. Mayweather has hinted he expects a similar result to their first fight. He is confident his defensive mastery and tactical precision will once again prevail. Pacquiao, meanwhile, has openly stated his desire to hand Mayweather his first professional loss. To give his Filipino nation something to celebrate while settling an old score.

This rematch. The first professional boxing event ever held at the Sphere. It will likely be remembered less for belts and rankings and more for legacy, spectacle, and the sheer weight of history. For fans. It’s a rare collision of past giants. A chance to revisit one of the sport’s most enduring rivalries on the grandest possible stage.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
EACC
Crime & Investigations

Garissa MCA Arrested as EACC Uncovers Ksh51M Fraud

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested a serving Garissa Member of County Assembly (MCA) and two former senior county officials over the alleged fraudulent payment of Ksh51,495,516 to a private company for goods and services that were never delivered.

The suspects are set to be arraigned before the Garissa Law Courts for plea taking.

The Arrests

Those arrested include:

  • Abdi Ibrahim Daar, MCA for Balambala Ward and sole director of Qorjarey Enterprise & General Supplies Limited.
  • Mohamud Dubow Korane, former Director of Accounting Services, County Government of Garissa.
  • Yussuf Bethe Ali, former Senior Principal Economist at the county.

According to EACC, investigations established that the County Government of Garissa irregularly paid Ksh51,495,516 to Qorjarey Enterprise & General Supplies Limited between August 2021 and September 2022. The payments were purportedly for the supply of emergency relief food items and water trucking services during the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 financial years.

However, investigators found that the goods and services were never delivered.

Alleged Irregularities

The anti-graft agency revealed several irregularities in the transactions, including:

  • Lack of budgetary provision and absence of an approved procurement plan for the alleged emergency supplies.
  • The company not being among pre-qualified suppliers for the relevant financial years.
  • Forged documents allegedly used to facilitate the payments.
  • Approval and processing of payments without any procurement process.

Investigations further established that Daar, who served as a Social Development Officer at the County Government of Garissa between 2018 and 2022, was the sole director and bank signatory of the company that received the funds.

The EACC alleges that Korane and Ali processed and approved the payments in favour of the company despite the absence of supporting procurement documentation or evidence of service delivery.

Charges and Prosecution

Upon conclusion of investigations, the Commission forwarded the file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), which concurred with the recommendation to charge the suspects.

They are expected to face charges including:

  • Conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption contrary to Section 47A (3) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act.
  • Abuse of office contrary to Section 46 of the Act.
  • Forgery contrary to Section 345 of the Penal Code.
  • Fraudulent acquisition of public property contrary to Section 45 (1) of the Act.

The three suspects were arrested on Sunday, February 22, 2026, and are scheduled to appear in court on Monday, February 23, 2026.

Civil Recovery

In addition to the criminal proceedings, the EACC said it will institute civil proceedings to recover the allegedly unlawful payments.

The Commission reiterated its commitment to safeguarding public resources and urged public officers to uphold integrity and accountability in the management of public funds.

The case adds to a growing list of corruption prosecutions targeting county governments over alleged misuse of public funds earmarked for essential services.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Jonathan Ngenga (Standing) and Peter Kamau appear before Milimani Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina on Friday, February 20, 2026.
Latest News

Director, Accountant Face Ksh106M Fraud Charges as Case Adjourned

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

The Milimani Law Courts on Friday adjourned the hearing of a Ksh106.8 million fraud case involving businessman Jonathan Ngenga Ndisya and his co-accused, accountant Peter Kamau, after the defence sought more time due to the absence of counsel.

Ngenga, a director of Joncil Enterprises, appeared before Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina alongside Kamau. The matter had been scheduled for a hearing, but did not proceed after Ngenga informed the court that his advocate, Joe Mwangi, was unable to attend.

“Your Honour, my advocate has not been able to attend today’s court after he got an emergency from his upcountry and had to rush home to attend to it. It is my prayer we postpone the hearing to another date,” Ngenga told the court.

The prosecution did not oppose the request. Magistrate Onyina allowed the application and directed that the matter be mentioned virtually on March 2, 2026.

Alleged Ksh106.8 Million Scheme

The two accused persons face multiple charges linked to an alleged scheme to defraud Agro Irrigation and Pump Services Limited of Ksh106,822,690 between July 1, 2018 and March 31, 2020.

According to prosecutors, Ngenga and Kamau conspired to defraud the company contrary to Section 317 of the Penal Code. They allegedly pretended that Joncil Enterprises had deposited the funds into the firm’s bank account as payment for goods supplied.

Ngenga faces an additional count of obtaining money by false pretences contrary to Section 313 of the Penal Code. The charge sheet states that he misled Agro Irrigation and Pump Services Limited by claiming the funds had been credited to the company’s account between July 1, 2018 and March 12, 2020.

Additional Charges Against Accountant

Kamau, who previously worked as an accountant at Agro Irrigation and Pump Services Limited, faces further charges of stealing by agent. Prosecutors allege that between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019, he fraudulently transferred Ksh4,777,094 from the company to his personal account.

In a separate count, Kamau is accused of stealing Ksh3,500,000 from Desire Flora (K) Limited, where he also served as an accountant, by transferring the money to his personal account without authority.

He is also charged with fraudulent false accounting for allegedly preparing financial records indicating that Joncil Enterprises had paid Ksh106,822,690 to Agro Irrigation and Pump Services Limited.

Evidence and Next Steps

The prosecution is expected to rely on bank statements, transaction records, forensic audit reports, and testimony from company officials as well as financial experts to prove its case.

Both accused persons remain out on bail. The matter will be mentioned virtually on March 2, 2026, when further directions on the hearing are expected to be issued.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
PS Patrick Mariru
Crime & Investigations

Bomas Scandal: PS Mariru Approved Sh41.9B Deal Without Budget Authority, Audit Reveals

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

A bombshell audit report tabled in Parliament has revealed that Defence Principal Secretary Patrick Mariru approved procurement proceedings for the Sh41.9 billion renovation of Bomas of Kenya without budgetary authority, in what the Auditor-General describes as a breach of Kenya’s public finance and procurement laws.

The scathing findings by Nancy Gathungu, contained in the Ministry of Defence’s latest audited accounts, expose what could become one of the most explosive accountability battles in recent government history.

Backdated Approval Raises Legal Red Flag

At the centre of the controversy is a critical discrepancy in the timeline. According to the audit, PS Mariru signed a request for direct procurement authorisation on February 17, 2025, four days after tender invitation documents and a site visit certificate had already been issued on February 13 and 14, 2025.

Under Section 69(2) of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015, procurement approvals cannot operate retrospectively except in cases of urgent need. No emergency was declared, and no exemption was sought.

The Auditor-General concluded that the Ministry of Defence acted in contravention of procurement law and warned that the government risks incurring penalties and additional charges if payments are delayed.

No Budget Allocation

Perhaps more troubling is the audit’s finding that the Bomas renovation — now rebranded as the Bomas International Convention Centre (BICC) — was not included in the approved 2024/25 development budget of the State Department for Culture, Arts and Heritage, the entity originally mandated to oversee the project.

Sections 68 and 149 of the Public Finance Management Act require accounting officers to ensure that expenditure falls within an approved budget. Any procurement without authorised funding is classified as financial misconduct and may attract personal liability for the responsible officer.

This raises the prospect that PS Mariru could be held personally accountable for losses arising from the irregular procurement.

Legal Battles and the Turkish Tender

The Sh41.9 billion Phase II project follows an earlier tender worth Sh31.6 billion awarded in November 2023 to Turkish construction firm Summa Turizm Yatirimciligi Anonim Sirketi.

The Ministry of Defence later terminated the award without signing a formal contract, citing lack of funds and changes in scope. The Public Procurement Administrative Review Board ruled in December 2024 that a tender cannot be cancelled after award.

Subsequent attempts by the ministry to overturn the decision in the High Court and later at the Court of Appeal failed, with judges upholding the firm’s rights.

Despite these losses, the ministry initiated a fresh procurement process for Phase II — the same process now flagged by the Auditor-General as unlawful.

Funding Secrecy Unravels

For months, the source of financing for the Bomas project remained unclear, with officials citing national security grounds due to the involvement of the Kenya Defence Forces.

However, outgoing Tourism Fund Board Chair Samson Some recently confirmed that the Tourism Fund was financing Phase II through a Public-Private Partnership model. The arrangement involves committing a portion of annual levy collections toward repaying private investors.

The audit report also flagged contradictions in the repayment structure: while the contract agreement provided for nine instalments payable within 24 months, the National Treasury approved a deferred payment plan stretched over 10 years — a discrepancy auditors described as a significant red flag.

Mounting Pressure

The findings come as PS Mariru faces other legal challenges, including contempt proceedings over delayed compensation payments to former soldiers.

Meanwhile, Parliament’s Public Investments Committee has called for a forensic audit of Sh500 million spent on feasibility studies for the renovation, intensifying scrutiny of the project.

What began as an ambitious plan to transform Bomas into a world-class convention centre has now spiralled into a procurement and finance controversy with far-reaching implications.

With the Auditor-General’s findings now before Parliament, lawmakers are expected to summon key officials to explain how a Sh41.9 billion project proceeded without clear budget authority — and whether personal accountability will follow.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Crime & Investigations

Sharon Otieno Murder: DPP Urges Court to Convict And Jail Former Migori Governor Okoth Obado as Chilling Details Emerge

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

The the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has today urged a Milimani court to Jail and convict former Migori Governor Zachary Okoth Obado and his co-accused over the brutal killing of university student Sharon Otieno.

Appearing before the Milimani High Court, Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Gikui Gichuhi painted what she described as a chilling and meticulously coordinated assassination plot designed to eliminate Otieno and silence a key witness to avert political scandal and reputational ruin.

“The evidence paints a coherent picture of the accused acting in concert, with a shared intention to eliminate Sharon Otieno and silence witness (XYZ) to avoid political fallout, reputational harm and embarrassment,” Gichuhi told a packed courtroom.

According to the prosecution, the murder was not spontaneous but a carefully orchestrated joint criminal enterprise executed through trusted insiders. Co-accused Michael Juma Oyamo and Casper Ojwang Obiero were allegedly central operatives in the deadly plan.

The court heard that the pair were present at Graca Hotel on the night of September 3, 2018 — the last confirmed location where the deceased and a surviving witness were seen before their alleged abduction. Prosecutors said the vehicle used in the operation, registration number KCL 418K, was linked directly to Obiero’s household and driven by a longtime associate, tightening what they termed an “unbroken chain of evidence.”

In gripping submissions, the prosecution walked the court through what it described as overwhelming proof — including witness testimonies, cyber-forensic reports, phone data analysis and investigative findings — all allegedly converging on the accused.

“From the start, we committed to showing the court that the evidence, like pieces of a puzzle, forms a complete picture of the events that led to Sharon’s tragic death,” Gichuhi said.

The State further tore into the defence strategy, dismissing it as inconsistent, contradictory and crafted as an afterthought meant to muddy the waters.

“There is no reasonable doubt,” the prosecution insisted, maintaining that the accused must be held fully accountable.

Obado, Oyamo and Obiero face charges of murdering Otieno, whose death in 2018 sparked national grief and renewed debate about power, gender violence and political impunity.

The court has already ruled that the trio have a case to answer, setting the stage for a dramatic conclusion to the years-long legal battle. Judges will reconvene on March 18, 2026, when the date for the long-awaited judgment is expected to be announced.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Safaricom
Crime & Investigations

Acquitted Student Vows Massive Lawsuit Against Safaricom After Teleco Admits Handing DCI His Private Data Without Court Order

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

The acquittal of Moi University student David Mokaya by the Milimani Law Courts has opened a legal Pandora’s box that threatens to embarrass both Kenya’s dominant telecommunications company and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in equal measure, as the young man’s lawyers announced plans to pursue the State for malicious prosecution while the court itself placed Safaricom on notice over what it described as a blatant and illegal breach of a subscriber’s constitutional rights.

Magistrate Caroyne Mugo, in a ruling delivered on February 19, 2026, did not merely acquit Mokaya of charges that he published false information about President William Ruto.

She went further, pointedly flagging Safaricom as a company with serious questions to answer after it emerged during trial that the telecommunications giant had surrendered Mokaya’s private subscriber data to police investigators without any court order authorising the disclosure.

The magistrate’s remarks were not obiter.

They were deliberate, targeted and carry the weight of judicial censure that Safaricom’s legal and regulatory affairs teams will find impossible to ignore.

David Mokaya outside Milimani Courts after being acquitted.

The facts of the case, as they emerged during weeks of testimony, paint a disturbing picture of a security apparatus that moved with remarkable speed and remarkable disregard for constitutional safeguards once a social media post touching on the President’s name entered the system.

On November 13, 2024, a post appeared on platform X under the username “Landlord @bozgabi” depicting a funeral procession with a military escort carrying a casket draped in the Kenyan flag, accompanied by a caption that investigators said referenced President Ruto.

Within twenty-four hours, a senior police officer identified in court as Michael K. Sang had written directly to Safaricom demanding the subscriber details behind the account.

By November 15, a team of detectives from the Serious Crimes Unit had descended on Eldoret, tracked Mokaya to an area opposite Moi University’s Annex, and arrested him.

A Samsung phone, a laptop and his identity card were seized before anyone had troubled themselves to obtain a search warrant.

It was Chief Inspector Bosco Kisau who delivered the most damaging admissions from the prosecution’s own witness stand.

Under cross-examination by defence lawyers Danstan Omari, Ian Mutiso and Shadrack Wambui, Kisau conceded that he had not been served with a court order authorising the investigation of Mokaya’s devices. He admitted he was unaware of a High Court ruling requiring law enforcement to obtain judicial authority before compelling mobile service providers to release subscriber details.

He further admitted that he could not confirm the origin, source or geographic location of the disputed post.

He could not confirm whether the SIM card linked to the account had been properly registered. He had not recorded a statement from the complainant, President Ruto.

And crucially, when pressed directly, he conceded that the post in question did not actually contain a photograph of the President.

Safaricom employee Daniel Hamisi, who also took the stand, confirmed that he had released Mokaya’s details upon a written request from a senior police officer, without any court order having been presented or demanded.

His testimony crystallised what civil liberties advocates have long argued: that Kenya’s Data Protection Act of 2019 and the constitutional right to privacy exist on paper in a manner that is, in practice, subordinate to a phone call or a letter bearing a senior officer’s signature when matters touching on political figures are involved.

The magistrate was unsparing.

She found that police had failed miserably in their duty, that the accused had been framed, and that no direct evidence linked Mokaya to the alleged offence.

She noted that Mokaya’s social media account was shared with three other individuals who were never traced or called as witnesses, creating reasonable doubt that could not be resolved by the prosecution’s threadbare evidence.

She noted that the alleged offence was said to have been committed in Nairobi while Mokaya was physically in Eldoret.

She noted the complete absence of forensic or digital evidence tying him to the post. She observed that the court could not rule out the possibility that the post itself had been fabricated and planted on an account associated with his name.

She also noted something that ought to concern the leadership of the Safaricom corporation and its board.

The company’s compliance with an unlawful police request, without demanding judicial authorisation, may constitute a violation of the Data Protection Act.

That legislation imposes clear obligations on data controllers and processors regarding the circumstances under which personal data may be disclosed to third parties, including law enforcement.

Disclosure without a court order, in circumstances where one is legally required, is not a procedural technicality.

It is a substantive breach carrying potential regulatory consequences from the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner and civil liability in the courts.

Omari and Mutiso, who led Mokaya’s defence and who are no strangers to high-profile constitutional litigation, wasted no time in signalling what comes next.

They told the court after the ruling that they intend to sue the State for malicious prosecution. Legal analysts familiar with their track record consider this not an idle threat but a certainty.

A malicious prosecution claim would require establishing that the prosecution was initiated without reasonable and probable cause, that it was actuated by malice, and that it terminated in the accused’s favour. On the facts as found by the magistrate, all three elements appear to be richly available.

The civil suit, when filed, will almost certainly name Safaricom as a defendant or at minimum as a party from whom discovery is sought.

The company will need to account for its internal processes around law enforcement data requests. It will need to explain why its compliance team released subscriber data without demanding what the law requires.

It will need to address whether this was an isolated incident or systemic practice. These are questions that Safaricom’s corporate communications machinery cannot deflect with a press statement.

For Mokaya himself, the personal cost of this ordeal is not easily quantified.

He was charged on November 13, 2024, and the case dragged through a full trial over a period of roughly three months.

His lawyer told the court that the student could not even speak in the immediate aftermath of the ruling due to mental trauma and shock that had gripped him since his arrest.

He spent the duration of the case on a bond of one hundred thousand shillings or a cash bail of fifty thousand shillings, money that a finance student at a public university would not easily produce. His devices were confiscated. His movements were constrained. His studies were disrupted.

The broader significance of this case extends well beyond one young man’s acquittal.

It arrives at a moment when the relationship between digital speech, state power and telecommunications infrastructure is under intense scrutiny across Africa.

Kenya’s Data Protection Act was celebrated when it passed as a significant step toward aligning the country with international data protection standards.

The Mokaya case suggests that the legislation’s practical force remains weak in the face of political pressure and institutional habit.

When a senior police officer can write a letter to a telecommunications company on a Tuesday and have subscriber location data by Wednesday morning without a magistrate or judge having been involved at any point, the statute’s protections are nominal at best.

The Law Society of Kenya, through Mutiso’s involvement in the case, has effectively placed its institutional weight behind the argument that telecom companies must resist unlawful data requests regardless of who is making them and regardless of whose name appears in the underlying social media post.

That argument will now be tested in the civil courts, where Mokaya’s lawyers say they will press it with full force.

Safaricom has not issued a public statement on the matter at the time of publication.

The company, which controls the overwhelming majority of Kenya’s mobile subscriber market and whose M-Pesa platform is embedded in the economic life of tens of millions of Kenyans, has significant reputational exposure if the civil litigation proceeds and produces further uncomfortable disclosures about the ease with which law enforcement has historically been able to extract personal data from its systems.

The magistrate reminded police, in terms that deserve to be read widely, that the duty to observe the law does not diminish because the name of the President or any other powerful figure appears in a social media post.

She reminded them that cases of this nature must be handled with caution and free from public or political pressure.

She reminded them that the criminal procedure code and the Constitution are not suspended when someone posts something uncomfortable about a head of state.

For a twenty-four-year-old finance student from Moi University who spent months answering charges that a court ultimately found may have been built on a fabricated foundation, those reminders came at significant personal cost.

The question that will now occupy Kenya’s legal community is whether the institutions that failed him will be made to pay one.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Kaplan and Stratton’s Peter Gachuhi
Crime & Investigations

Nairobi Baptist Church Elder’s Law Firm, Kaplan & Stratton, Faces Reputation Meltdown in Shocking James Boro Karugu Will Saga as AG Backs DCI

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

A legal storm of historic proportions is gathering around Senior Counsel Fred Ojiambo and Paul Gachuhi senior partners at Kaplan &Stratton as explosive allegations of forgery and deception threaten to unravel reputations built over decades.

Eighty-year-old Senior Counsel Fred Ojiambo, a revered church elder at Nairobi Baptist Church and long celebrated as one of Kenya’s most formidable legal minds, is now staring down a stunning credibility crisis that threatens to shake his law firm’s legacy.

The veteran advocate ‘s partner has been dragged into a storm of controversy after being implicated in an alleged cover-up involving a sensational forgery claim at the prestigious law firm Kaplan & Stratton.

At the heart of the scandal is an accusation that his partner Gachuhi forged the will of former Attorney General James Karugu.

Kaplan &Stratton now finds it’s legacy under intense scrutiny, as questions mount over what it knew, when it knew it, and whether one of the country’s most respected legal institutions was used to mask an alleged fraud at the highest level.

This comes a day after Ojiambo was reported to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations(DCI), by Raphael Tuju over claims that he facilitated the filing of a false affidavit in a dispute pitting himmthe East African Development bank,(EADB).

While addressing the press on Monday, Tuju accused Ojiambo of putting his family at risk yet he claims to be a Christian.

“While Kaplan and Stratton over the years have managed to cultivate an image of a respected international law firm complete with a British sounding name stemming from the original owners, the firm has been in the news lately with senior partner Mr. Peter Gachuhi being investigated and prosecuted in respect of the forgery of the will of the late former AG Karugu. Fred Ojiambo operates behind a facade of being an upright born-again Christian lawyer who is a Church Elder carrying Bibles in the right hand. In reality, with the left hand he is filing documents filled with lies in court in support of a scheme to wrongfully deprive my family and I of properties acquired through decades of hard work”,he said

In a dramatic twist, six suspects who include a pastor from Nyandarua , are accused of forging the will of former Ag Karugu have appointed Ojiambo , the senior partner at Kaplan & Stratton to argue their case, despite mounting allegations of conflict of interest and claims that the firm has been entangled in what critics call a two-year cover-up.

At the center of the scandal is Ojiambo’s partner, Gachuhi, and six others accused by Victoria Nyambura Karugu ,the late AG’s daughter of orchestrating what she describes as an “elaborate cut-and-paste forgery” of her father’s will.

Nyambura has alleged that the contested document is riddled with “poor grammatical mistakes” inconsistent with her father’s writing style and worse, bears forged initials. Forensic examination, she claims, revealed it was a crude “cut and paste job.”

The AG Dorcas Oduor ,has now thrown the full weight of the State behind the prosecution, declaring that forgery is a criminal offence that must be investigated and prosecuted.

In court filings, the AG backed both the Director of Public Prosecutions and the DCI, terming attempts by Gachuhi and other suspects to halt investigations an “abuse of court process.”

Courtroom drama escalated when Ojiambo allegedly refused to hand over the disputed will to investigators, claiming he had a court order barring the DCI from accessing it.

That claim, according to filings, turned out to be false. Gachuhi was ultimately compelled to surrender the document for forensic examination.

Further controversy erupted when Ojiambo allegedly sought to have the DPP unlawfully interfere in the succession dispute ,a request that was flatly denied, leaving the senior counsel politically and professionally exposed.

Meanwhile, Nyambura has moved to formally join the case at the High Court, describing her earlier exclusion as “mischievous and calculated.”

She has filed hundreds of pages of evidence, including what she says are DCI findings that were withheld from Justice Mwamuye when the suspects secured ex parte orders halting their arraignment before the Chief Magistrate on charges of forgery and conspiracy to defraud

He is also facing a fresh call for investigation by former Cabinet Minister Raphael Tuju, who has accused him of fabricating evidence in a commercial dispute linked to the East African Development Bank.

If found culpable, both Ojiambo and Gachuhi risk professional ejection from Kaplan & Stratton for gross misconduct and potentially lengthy prison terms.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Latest News

Experts Raise Concern Over Nairobi’s Transfer of County Functions to National Government

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

A fresh governance storm is brewing over the apparent transfer of key Nairobi City County functions to the National Government, raising constitutional, legal and political questions about the future of devolution in the capital.

Reports indicate that garbage collection, public works and water services are currently being managed by the National Government.

However, no publicly gazetted Deed of Transfer has been presented, as required under Article 187 of the Constitution of Kenya.

Under the Constitution, transfer of functions between levels of government must be formalized through a written agreement detailing the scope of responsibilities, duration, financing arrangements, asset management, personnel deployment and accountability mechanisms. The process must also uphold public participation under Article 10.

In March 2020, former Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko signed a Deed of Transfer with then Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, leading to the formation of the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS). Four functions—Health, Transport, County Planning and Development, and Public Works—were formally handed over and gazetted.

Although NMS oversaw notable infrastructure improvements, its exit left unresolved bills estimated at Sh16 billion, gaps in asset inventories and unsettled human resource matters. The functions were later reverted to the County Government through a structured process spearheaded by the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC), which has since developed a procedural manual to guide lawful transfers.

Governance expert John Burugu says the current situation appears procedurally deficient.

“Transfers of functions are not political favors; they are constitutional processes anchored in Article 187,” said John Burugu.

“Without a gazetted Deed of Transfer clearly outlining financing, accountability and asset management, the arrangement risks legal uncertainty and administrative confusion.”

He questioned whether the County Assembly and Nairobi residents have been adequately consulted.

“Public participation is not optional. Article 10 makes it a binding national value. Nairobi residents deserve to know who is responsible for essential services and under what legal framework,” John Burugu stated.

Burugu further warned that failure to comply with statutory provisions, including those under the Urban Areas and Cities Act, could undermine institutional accountability.

“Nairobi is the capital city of the Republic. Governance decisions made here set precedent for the entire country. Transparency, legality and clarity must guide any transfer of devolved functions,” said John Burugu.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Crime & Investigations

You are Overdoing! Dermatologists Warn Kenyans over Skincare Routines

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

As Kenya’s beauty industry expands and social media fuels increasingly complex skincare routines, dermatologists in the country are now urging Kenyans to rethink what healthy skin really means.

Speaking during the official launch of Pierre Fabre’s dermo-cosmeceutical portfolio in Kenya, Dr. Roop Saini, a committee member of the Kenya Association of Dermatologists (KAD), delivered a clear message: more products do not equal better skin. She emphasized that skincare is fundamentally a medical issue, not just a cosmetic one.

“Effective skincare is not defined by the number of products we use, but by how well those products respect skin biology and support long-term skin health,” Dr. Saini said.

Kenya’s skincare market is rapidly expanding, with the sector projected to reach about USD 125 million (roughly KSh 16 billion) by December 2026, driven by rising demand for dermo-cosmetics and increased consumer awareness.

Yet this growth has coincided with a surge in complex and often counterproductive routines. According to local healthcare reports, conditions such as acne, eczema, dry skin and hyperpigmentation now account for roughly 10-30 percent of all outpatient dermatology visits nationwide.

According to her, whereas skincare should be simple and rewarding, most Kenyans are doing too much and too often and this she says, is the cause of most skin problems in the country.

This overuse, she warned, often leads to barrier damage, chronic irritation and inflammation, particularly problematic in a country where hyperpigmentation is a common concern.

“Many patients today are using multiple active ingredients at the same time, harsh exfoliants and inappropriate viral or TikTok trends from social media,” she warns.

Healthcare reports tracking dermatological trends in Kenya indicate that conditions such as acne, eczema, hyperpigmentation, and dry skin make up roughly 10–30 percent of all outpatient dermatology visits nationwide, a notable proportion that highlights a broad public health concern rather than a niche issue.
To effectively tackle this, Dr. Saini advocates for a straightforward approach.

“The honest truth is, a simple skincare routine. Simple routines are sustainable, and sustainable routines are effective. Consistency for us is far more important than the number of products that are used on the skin,” she advises.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Mohammed Noor Muhyadhin Mohammed
Crime & Investigations

Second Suspect, Mohammed Noor Muhyadhin Mohammed, Arrested in Sh28M Fake Gold Scam as DCI Intensifies Crackdown

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

Detectives from the Operation Support Unit (OSU) have arrested a second suspect in connection with the Sh28 million fake gold scam that defrauded an American national of USD 217,900 in a botched 495-kilogram gold deal.

The suspect, Mohammed Noor Muhyadhin Mohammed, was apprehended in Nairobi as investigators widened the probe into what authorities describe as a well-coordinated money laundering network.

Funds Traced to Business Account

Investigations revealed that on February 3, 2026, Mohammed allegedly received USD 217,900 through his company, Mohazcom Trading, into an account held at the National Bank of Kenya.

The funds had reportedly been debited from accounts belonging to MOAC Advocates at the same bank and were purportedly payment for 495 kilograms of gold that was never delivered to the victim.

Detectives say that shortly after the funds were credited, Mohammed wired the entire amount to accounts held by Tecno Mobile Limited at Citibank in Hong Kong. The transfer was allegedly meant to facilitate a new shipment of mobile phones, which investigators say has yet to arrive in Kenya.

Alleged Forex Bureau Link

Further inquiries established that Mohammed has maintained a business relationship spanning more than a decade with a forex bureau located along Standard Street in Nairobi.

Investigators believe the forex bureau may have played a key role in facilitating substantial cross-border transfers, including the transaction now under investigation.

Authorities are examining whether the transfers exhibit classic indicators of money laundering, including layering and rapid offshore movement of funds.

Connection to Earlier Arrest

Mohammed’s arrest follows the earlier arraignment of Willis Onyango Wasonga, also known as “Marcus,” who was presented before the Milimani Law Courts on February 16, 2026.

Wasonga was charged with conspiracy to defraud, obtaining money by false pretences, and multiple offences under the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act (POCAMLA). He pleaded not guilty and was granted a bond of Sh1 million with two contact persons or an alternative cash bail of Sh350,000.

Alleged Cover-Up Attempts

In what detectives describe as an attempt to legitimise the transfer of USD 217,900, MOAC Advocates reportedly presented a debt settlement agreement allegedly signed by Mohammed and another suspect still at large.

However, investigators have since determined that the document was allegedly designed to create the appearance of a legitimate transaction and conceal fraudulent activity.

More Suspects Pursued

Mohammed remains in custody undergoing processing pending arraignment, while detectives pursue three additional suspects believed to be linked to the scheme.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) says the case underscores its ongoing commitment to dismantling gold scam syndicates and combating money laundering networks that exploit international investors and damage Kenya’s commercial reputation.

Authorities have urged members of the public to report suspicious gold transactions and financial crimes through anonymous reporting channels as investigations continue.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Latest News

Kenya, Jamaica Partner to Strengthen Tourism Resilience with AI and Innovation

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

The government of Kenya has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Jamaica that will help the two nations work towards leveraging on technology and innovation for a sustainable and a more resilient tourism sector.

Speaking during the ongoing 4th Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference and Expo at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano called for a resilience fund and structured financing frameworks to support African countries withstand shocks, particularly in more vulnerable destinations heavily reliant on tourism.

“Africa cannot afford to build tourism growth on foundations of hope and reactive responses. We must embed resilience into our policy architecture, infrastructure investments, workforce training and community protection systems,’ she said.

According to Miano part of the agreement was also the establishment of the Global Tourism Resilience Centre at the Kenyatta University.

“ One of the outcomes of signing the MOU with Jamaica is receiving assistance in developing an AI tool for tourism in Kenya,” she said.

Miano further highlighted tourism’s role in job creation and revenue generator hence the need for systematic protection from external shocks.

“When tourism collapses under crisis, it is not just visitor numbers that fall. It is workers’ salaries, families’ and small businesses’ survival, and entire communities’ dignity,” she added. “Our responsibility as leaders is to ensure these vulnerabilities are addressed before disasters strike, not after.”

On his part, Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett who is the champion of the UN resolution establishing Global Tourism Resilience Day said the conference was founded on a transformative realization that tourism needed more than promotion and needed protection.

He noted that global consultations had revealed a shared vulnerability across destinations worldwide, underscoring that resilience is now the new currency for tourism destinations seeking stability and competitiveness.

Addressing emerging threats, he emphasized that the tourism sector must urgently confront risks such as cyberattacks, misinformation and disinformation, which can destabilize destinations within hours.

According to UN Tourism’s latest World Tourism Barometer, the world recorded an estimated 1.52 billion international tourist arrivals in 2025 alone, almost 60 million more than the previous year.

The three-day conference brings together over 400 delegates and 40 expert speakers from across the world to advance practical solutions for crisis-proof tourism system.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Willis Onyango Wasonga
Crime & Investigations

DCI Arraigns Willis Onyango Wasonga in Sh28M International Fake Gold Scam

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

A Kenyan man, Willis Onyango Wasonga, has been arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi over an alleged Sh28 million international fake gold scam that targeted an American investor in a botched 495-kilogram gold deal destined for Dubai.

Wasonga, who detectives say also used the alias “Marcus,” was presented in court after investigations linked him to a sophisticated scheme that reportedly defrauded a U.S. national of USD 217,900 (approximately Sh28 million).

The Complaint

The case was reported at Capitol Hill Police Station by Gershonov Oleg on behalf of his American business partner, John Sodipo. According to investigators, Oleg first travelled to Kenya in September 2025 to pursue a gold transaction that ultimately failed to materialize.

During his visit, he allegedly established contact with individuals posing as gold dealers, among them Wasonga, who would later become the main suspect in the probe.

The 495kg Gold Deal

Detectives say negotiations between Sodipo and Wasonga led to an agreement for the purchase and chartering of 495 kilograms of gold to Dubai.

Following the agreement, Sodipo is said to have deposited the agreed chartering fees into what was presented as an escrow account under advocate Michael Otieno Owano of MOAC Advocates. Oleg later travelled back to Kenya to oversee the shipment process.

However, the gold consignment allegedly failed to ship within the agreed timelines. As pressure mounted for delivery, investigators say it became clear that the deal was fictitious.

Alleged Web of Deception

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspects’ modus operandi involved an elaborate network designed to give the transaction a veneer of legitimacy.

Detectives allege that SRK Logistics Limited misrepresented its capacity to supply gold, while fictitious legal representation agreements were generated to portray MOAC Advocate LLP as handling a legitimate commercial transaction.

Further investigations revealed that funds were allegedly moved swiftly between company accounts before being transferred overseas — a pattern investigators say bears the hallmarks of money laundering, including layering and concealment of proceeds of crime.

Arrest and Court Proceedings

With investigations closing in, Wasonga secured anticipatory bail at the High Court before presenting himself at DCI Headquarters on February 13, 2026, for statement recording.

He was later arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts where he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court granted him a bond of Sh1 million with two contact persons or, in the alternative, a cash bail of Sh350,000.

Investigations Ongoing

Detectives say investigations remain ongoing as authorities pursue additional suspects believed to be connected to the alleged scam.

The case is scheduled for mention on March 3, 2026, as the prosecution continues to piece together what investigators describe as a calculated and sophisticated international gold fraud scheme.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Latest News

PS Ronoh Linked To Alleged Miwani Sugar Land Fraud

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

A scandal that has festered for three decades in the sugarcane heartlands of Kisumu County has exploded into the national spotlight, with Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr Kipronoh Ronoh facing explosive accusations that he used the weight of a Cabinet decision to hand over Kenya’s most contested public land to a private company whose claim to ownership rests on a fabricated court order, a phantom creditor and an unverified auction.

The allegations are contained in a formal petition tabled before the National Assembly by Suba South Member of Parliament Caroli Omondi, acting on behalf of petitioner Charles Osewe. The petition demands that Parliament investigate what the legislator calls a brazen conspiracy to defraud the Kenyan public of a 10,000-acre prime nucleus estate that communities in Kano and Nandi donated generations ago to support the establishment of Kenya’s oldest sugar factory, Miwani Sugar Company.

At the heart of the controversy is a letter dated April 11, 2025, signed by Dr Ronoh and addressed to the Kenya Sugar Board (KSB). In that letter, the PS directs the KSB to instruct its advocates to sign a consent recognising Crossley Holdings Limited as the lawful owner of the land, identified as LR No. 7545/3 (IR. 21038). What makes the directive extraordinary, according to the petition, is that the PS claims to be acting on a Cabinet decision of December 17, 2024, meaning the country’s highest executive decision-making body allegedly sanctioned the transfer of disputed public land to a private entity, even as the matter remains actively before the courts.

The Ghost Who Started It All

The origins of the land dispute read like a thriller. In 1993, a man named Nagendra Saxena filed a suit at Kisumu High Court against Miwani Sugar Company, claiming the firm owed him Sh114 million for consultancy services. Saxena never appeared in court in person. He was never seen anywhere in Kenya. According to documents filed in Parliament, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Department of Immigration separately launched efforts to trace Saxena both in Kenya and in India. All three agencies came up empty. The man, in the blunt assessment of Omondi and fellow ODM legislator Onyango Koyoo of Muhoroni, simply does not exist.

“Saxena has never been seen in court or anywhere. Both the EACC and DCI have tried and failed to trace him in Kenya or in India,” Omondi told journalists at Parliament Buildings in April 2025. The MP alleges that Saxena was a front for Bire, associated with Kibos Sugar and Allied Industries, a company that would later lease the state-owned Chemelil Sugar Factory from the government.

Despite the suit’s dubious foundations, it dragged on for over a decade. With interest accumulating at 20 percent annually, what started as a Sh40 million claim reportedly ballooned to over Sh1 billion by 2007. Miwani Sugar Company, already crippled and under receivership since 2001, failed to mount a proper defence, and the High Court authorised an auction of the company’s assets to recover the claimed debt.

A Christmas Eve Auction No One Can Explain

On December 24, 2007, Christmas Eve, a public auction was conducted and Crossley Holdings Limited emerged as the winning bidder for the 9,394-acre nucleus estate at Sh752 million. The purchase price was remarkable on two counts: the land had been valued at Sh696 million, meaning Crossley ostensibly bid above valuation, yet not a single shilling of that Sh752 million has ever been produced in evidence, according to both the DCI and parliamentary documents.

“No evidence has ever been produced as to if and to whom the Sh752 million was paid,” the petition states. Former Agriculture PS Hamadi Boga confirmed to Parliament in October 2020 that Crossley not only failed to pay the Sh742 million auction amount but also did not pay the Sh1.5 million bidding deposit. The state launched formal proceedings to repossess the land, with Boga telling legislators at the time that plans to cancel Crossley’s provisional title were at an advanced stage.

The auction’s legitimacy was further destroyed in the Court of Appeal. Justice Olga Sewe, then heading the Judiciary in Kisumu, testified that the original court order on which the auction was based was a forgery. The case file itself had vanished from court records. On July 29, 2011, the Court of Appeal nullified the entire transaction and reaffirmed that the land belonged to Miwani Sugar Company. The deputy court registrar believed to have orchestrated the forged order was removed from the Judiciary and charged with conspiracy to defraud alongside Crossley Holdings, its directors and employees, in a Kisumu Magistrates Court.

The Acquittals, The Appeals, The Contradictions

The criminal proceedings that followed proved long and torturous. In 2019, a Kisumu magistrates court acquitted Crossley Holdings and several co-accused, including Sukhwinder Singh Chatte, the chairman of Kibos Sugar and Allied Industries, finding that the EACC investigation had been shoddy. Two co-accused, former magistrate Abdulkadir Elkindy and revenue officer Moses Osewe, were found to have a case to answer. Elkindy stood accused of using his position as deputy registrar of Kisumu High Court to fraudulently order the transfer of the land, while Osewe faced charges of improperly clearing land rates.

The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the acquittals to the High Court, which in 2019 reversed the magistrate’s decision and directed that all accused be placed on their defence. The accused then escalated the fight to the Court of Appeal, which ultimately restored the original acquittals in 2021, ruling that the evidence left too much doubt.

Emboldened, Crossley returned to civil court. In October 2021, Justice Anthony Ombwayo of the Environment and Land Court in Kisumu ruled in Crossley’s favour, declaring the company the valid landowner and ordering Miwani Sugar to vacate within 60 days. The government and Miwani appealed, creating two directly conflicting court judgements: the Court of Appeal’s 2011 ruling affirming public ownership versus Ombwayo’s 2021 ruling in favour of Crossley. It was this legal limbo that Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe acknowledged before Parliament in late 2025 as making the matter “legally complex.”

Cabinet’s Invisible Hand

It is against this turbulent legal backdrop that PS Ronoh’s April 2025 letter carries its most explosive charge. By invoking a purported Cabinet decision of December 17, 2024, and directing the Kenya Sugar Board to facilitate the signing of a court consent recognising Crossley as owner, Ronoh effectively inserted the country’s Cabinet into an active judicial dispute. Legal experts and opposition legislators have questioned whether the Cabinet has the constitutional authority to override pending court proceedings.

“The Cabinet’s involvement in a matter that is actively before the courts is troubling and unacceptable,” Omondi told journalists. The MP argued that the Cabinet’s alleged decision went against the spirit of judicial independence and defied existing court orders still in force from the Court of Appeal.

The petition further reveals that the Office of the Attorney-General, led by Dorcas Oduor, had forwarded a draft consent to be filed in court for approval by all parties. But on May 6, 2025, the law firm of Owiti, Otieno and Ragot, acting for Miwani Sugar, refused to sign the consent, citing legal and ethical reasons. In a letter to the Receiver Manager of Miwani Sugar, lawyer David Otieno said the firm had consistently held the position that the 2007 transaction was marred by fraud.

Communities Left to Burn

The human cost of the dispute has already been written in blood. In February 2022, an auctioneer hired by Crossley Holdings attempted to execute a court order evicting workers and occupants from the land, triggering a violent confrontation that left two people dead, several others injured, two vehicles torched and more than 2,000 acres of sugar cane reduced to ash. The upheaval shocked the nation and underscored the extent to which local communities regard the land as theirs by right of historical contribution.

“This land was donated by the Kano and Nandi communities as a nucleus estate for the Miwani Sugar factory. It was never sold to anyone,” Omondi told a press conference at Parliament in April 2025. “They want to take the only economic lifeline remaining for these people. The land that would transform the lives of Western Kenya is being handed to private interests through fraud.”

Kisumu Governor Professor Anyang Nyong’o has also expressed alarm, noting that the transfer of the nucleus land was happening through “opaque arrangements” even as litigation continued. He pointedly flagged the fact that Kibos Sugar, whose chairman Sukhwinder Singh Chatte was among those prosecuted in the criminal case, had been awarded the lease for Chemelil Sugar Factory by the same government. The petition before Parliament makes no formal allegation of a connection between the government’s leasing decisions and the Crossley land controversy, but the proximity of the two transactions has drawn intense scrutiny.

What Parliament Is Being Asked to Do

The petition before the National Assembly is sweeping in its demands. MP Omondi is asking the relevant parliamentary committee to direct the Registrar of Persons and the Department of Immigration to formally investigate and report on whether Nagendra Saxena exists at all. The committee is also being asked to compel Attorney-General Dorcas Oduor to submit a full written legal opinion on all court cases related to the land, and to investigate in collaboration with the Business Registration Service the full ownership history of Crossley Holdings Limited and its sister company Allied Industries Limited.

Further, Omondi wants the National Assembly to formally investigate the official conduct of both current and former public servants in the National Treasury, Ministry of Agriculture and the State Law Office in connection with the case. The Cabinet Secretaries for National Treasury and Agriculture, and the Attorney-General, are specifically named in the call to protect and preserve the land as a public asset.

The petition does not stop there. It also requests a complete accounting of the outcome of all criminal investigations into the suspected forgery and fraud connected to the auction, including the fate of the prosecution of the former deputy court registrar.

The Questions PS Ronoh Must Answer

Dr Ronoh’s letter to the Kenya Sugar Board represents the most direct link between the state apparatus and the alleged attempt to settle the land controversy in Crossley’s favour. For critics, a senior government official directing a state institution to facilitate the transfer of contested public land to a company with a criminal prosecution history and no proven payment record crosses a line that demands explanation.

“The petition is anchored on court orders up to the Court of Appeal and asks why, despite those orders, the PS would write to the Sugar Board asking it to recognise Crossley Holdings,” the petition reads. The petitioner’s position is blunt: the Cabinet decision, if it exists as described by Ronoh, is ultra vires and cannot override standing judicial pronouncements.

As of the time of going to press, PS Ronoh and the Ministry of Agriculture had not publicly responded to the specific allegations raised in the parliamentary petition. The Star sought comment from the ministry but had not received a response by the time of publication.

What is clear is that Kenya’s oldest sugar factory, established in 1922 on land that Luo and Kalenjin communities contributed in good faith, now sits at the centre of a legal, political and criminal controversy that has defeated three decades of investigation, multiple court decisions and now threatens to consume an Agriculture PS and question the integrity of Cabinet itself.

Parliament, for now, holds the last card.

TIMELINE OF THE MIWANI LAND SAGA

1922 Miwani Sugar Mills established on Kano-Nandi community land

1988 Miwani placed under receivership after owners flee Kenya

1993 Phantom creditor Nagendra Saxena sues Miwani for Sh114m; never traced in Kenya or India

December 24, 2007 Christmas Eve auction; Crossley Holdings claims to pay Sh752m. No payment evidence produced

2010 Former deputy registrar, Crossley directors charged with conspiracy to defraud

July 29, 2011 Court of Appeal nullifies auction, reaffirms Miwani Sugar public ownership

October 2021 Kisumu Environment Court reverses course, declares Crossley valid owner

February 2022 Crossley attempts eviction; two killed, sugar fields torched by community

December 17, 2024 Cabinet allegedly decides to transfer land to Crossley (details not publicly released)

April 11, 2025 PS Ronoh’s letter directs KSB to sign consent recognising Crossley

May 6, 2025 Miwani Sugar’s lawyers refuse to sign, citing fraud and legal ethics

February 2026 Parliamentary petition formally tabled; Cabinet and PS Ronoh put on the spot

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Load More Posts