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The case involving Meru senator Mithika Linturi and his estranged wife Merriane Kitany has taken a new twist after Kitany’s mother’s latest confession.

In her confession, Kitany’s mother has dragged in Kapsaret MP Oscar Sudi whom she alleges knelt down before her daughter to propose on behalf of Linturi.

She says Sudi got down on one knee and asked for her daughter’s hand in marriage on behalf of Linturi during a church fundraiser.

“Oscar Sudi even knelt down at the same function and asked for Kitany’s hand in marriage on behalf of Linturi. It was the biggest function. Almost six choppers came for the fundraiser,” she was quoted by a local daily.

on Tuesday narrated how she invited Linturi for a church fundraiser in which he contributed Sh1 million out of the Sh4.2 million raised.

“I thank my son-in-law for coming for a fundraiser before the ceremony in my church,” she said.

Among those present at the fundraiser were Sudi, Elgeyo Marakwet Senaotr Kipchumba Murkomen, Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu, Deputy Preident William Ruto’s aide, Farouk Kibet, Energy CS Charles Keter and Nandi Governor Stephen Sang.

Rhoda said Kitany informed her in 2014 that she, Linturi and their children were going to Australia to get to know each other.

In 2016, Kitany told her mother that she and Linturi wanted to visit her home for an introduction and she prepared for the function.

Rhoda said she invited all her friends and family for the occasion.

She said before the wedding, the fundraiser was the first time Linturi went to visit.

During the introduction, Rhoda said Linturi visited accompanied by 19 people and had a pick-up full of food.

Throughout the cross-examination, Rhoda referred to Linturi as ‘mheshimiwa’, saying her culture does not allow her to say the name of her son-in-law.

She said at the traditional wedding, Linturi was asked if he loved her daughter and he told them he did.

Rhoda said Linturi was asked if he was married and he said he was divorced.

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Raila Odinga-led Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has defended the late Ken Okoth’s move to appoint his brother Bernard Imran Okoth to be in charge of National Government Constituency Development Fund ( NG-CDF).

The party’s communication director Philip Etale says those decampaigning against Imran using his appointment to head NG-CDF are doing so because they are scared of Imran’s record.

He says the success of the late Ken in Kibra was as a result of Imran’s determination to have his brother achieve his election pledges to the people of Kibra.

Etale further urges those campaigning on the basis of that account to quote any report by the Auditor General that states financial misappropriation by the Kibra NG-CDF.

He notes that the late MP’s projects did not stall when he was incapacitated because of his ailment and had to seek treatment abroad.

Through a long social media post, Etale notes that Imran is the leader Kibra people deserve.

I have seen some people posting on social media that the late Hon. Ken Okoth appointed his relative (Imran) to be in-charge of NG-CDF. Yes, it is a fact. No one is denying this.When Ken was incapacitated because of his ailment and had to seek treatment abroad, did his projects stall? No.Again, I want to ask those campaigning on the basis of that account to quote any report by the Auditor General that states financial misappropriation by the Kibra NG-CDF. Post it here.Imran’s opponents are just scared because of his good record.The success of Ken’s projects was as a result of Imran’s determination to have his brother achieve his election pledges to the people of Kibra.He is definitely the leader Kibra people deserve,” reads the post.

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Just a few days ago, Jubilee party nominated MP Maina Kamanda threw his weight behind ODM candidate Bernard Imran Okoth in the forthcoming Kibra mini polls, hinting that more other Jubilee MPs were silently supporting ODM.

Well, they are now seemingly coming out to publicly dismiss Jubilee’s candidate McDonald Mariga.

Nairobi County Speaker Beatrice Elachi who is also a member of the ruling party has opposed Mariga’s candidature in the November 7 Kibra by-election.

According to Elachi, Mariga cannot fit into the shoes of the late MP Ken Okoth.

“For anyone going to Kibra, they must set the bar high just like Ken Okoth…Mariga cannot continue Okoth’s legacy,” Elachi told Citizen TV on Tuesday morning.

She said Mariga just woke up one morning to claim that he can govern the people of Kibra.

“I am sorry to say that..this is why I feel sad. When I wanted to vie in Dagoretti North, I did not just wake up and go there to vie,” Elachi retorted.

“I went there two years before the election and that is what leaders must do.. Understand the magnitude of what you are going into and how the people of Nairobi live.”

Elachi claimed that Mariga cannot just go to Kibra and yet he has never voted anyone in that area.

“You want to go to Kibra for its people to vote for you and yet you have never voted anyone?” she posed.

“Okoth has been sick for two years you should have gone and said you are a part of Kibra.. and say you have projects..”

Elachi said Mariga should have built a football academy in Kibra before claiming to want to govern its people.

“You are not campaigning..I can go to any county and you start a project. You are not de-campaigning the leader .. he is a good footballer. I would want to know how many academies are there,” she said.

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A cybersecurity specialist from India has claimed that the Sh6 billion Huduma Namba system acquired by Kenya is archaic and will fail.

Anand Venkatanarayanan who has 21 years’ experience in the field was testifying in the case where Nubians have challenged the implementation of NIIMS.

Anand told a three-judge bench that the system has so many loopholes that can facilitate duplication, hence, the data is not secure.

“NIIMS thus is an archaic design compared to modern-day systems architecture and can be rightly thought of as a horse-bungee drawn by a lame horse on a digital highway. That it would fail and fall behind is a foregone conclusion,” he said.

He further argued that data leaks by centralisation and that this is not a perception but an outcome that can neither be avoided nor mitigated.

He said that in computer security, nothing is truly secure and there are only costs of benefits of hoarding data.

“Centralised databases such as Aadhaar and NIIMs, however, hoard so much data that the cost of benefit ration tilts definitely in favour of the attackers,” he added.

Anand claims that every study done in India of the Aadhaar Project which is very similar to NIIMS indicated that the costs are too high compared to the benefits it offered.

He claimed that the NIIMS project is functionally, architecturally and technologically very similar to Aadhaar project and suffers from the same flaws.

“While the Kenyan government may promise that it will not repeat the same mistakes as Aadhaar project, it has not provided evidence of technological capabilities to honour the promise,” Anand said.

He said his assessment was based on the government’s gross misreading of how NIIMS is not very different from Aadhaar

Justices Pauline Nyamweya, Mumbi Ngugi and Weldon Korir also heard that the Biometrics authentication is defined as a comparison between the biometric parameters IRIS or fingerprint versus what was stored during enrollment, it would be hence right to call is as a biometric comparison across time.

According to Anand, a central database will inevitably leak and compromise the personal data of the residents. 

“For instance, the number of times the Aadhaar database has leaked is beyond counting as even simple google searches reveal,” the court heard.

While harmonising the various databases that contain resident’s data is a laudable goal, the Kenyan government has not done a detailed cost-benefit analysis of such an approach and other alternatives.

Earlier in the day another witness Grace Bomu an expert in Digital data said there was no law to protect children’s digital data rights.

Bomu said that the way NIIMS is currently designed will not protect the information of the children. 

Anand who was stood down yesterday will take the stand again this morning to continue with his testimony.

In the case, the three-judge bench had ruled that Kenyans should not be compelled or threatened to give their personal information to the state.

The court also barred the state from sharing or disseminating the information collected with any organisations whether international or otherwise.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, Kenya Human Rights Commission and Nubian Rights Forum had moved to court seeking the suspension of the collection of data from Kenyans under NIIMS.

The lobby groups argued the process interfered with an individual’s right to privacy.

CREDITS: The Star

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Controversial exiled lawyer Dr Miguna Miguna has taken a swipe at Siaya Senator James for telling what Miguna claims to be lies during a live TV interview on Sunday night.

Orengo on Sunday evening had a live interview with K24’s Anne Kiguta on a show dubbed punchline.

During the interview, Anne Kiguta asked the senior counsel the reason as to why Raila Odinga-led ODM party had abandoned the exiled lawyer.

Orengo in his response affirmed that the opposition party had not abandoned Miguna Miguna.

The senior counsel said that NASA lawyers went all the way to Court of Appeal over Miguna’s deportation to Canada.

He further insisted that Miguna was not the first Kenyan to go into exile, citing that him alongside Meru governor Kiraitu Murungi, Koigi wa Wamwere and Makau Mutua have been through the same.

“That is not the case. Nasa lawyers went all the way to Court of Appeal. Many of us have been in exile: Kiraitu Murungi, Koigi wa Wamwere, Makau Mutua…. ” he said.

However, Miguna Miguna did not read from the same script as Orengo. He told him to stop peddling lies on a live TV, arguing that Kiraitu Murungi, Raila Odinga, Makau Mutua, Koigi Wamwere and Orengo never had their houses destroyed, holes punched into their passports, never detained without trial, sedated and forced out of Kenya then denied re-entry.

“Mr. @orengo_james: Stop your lies. @makaumutua, Kiraitu Murungi, @RailaOdinga, Koigi Wamwere and you never, ever had your houses destroyed, holes punched into your passports, you were never detained without trial, sedated and FORCED out of Kenya then denied re-entry,” he tweeted.

Miguna was deported after commissioning Raila Odinga’s mockery swearing-in ceremony at Uhuru park.

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Jubilee party candidate in the forthcoming Kibra by-elections McDonald Mariga and Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC party candidate Eliud Owalo on Sunday camped in Kibra to woo voters.

During their campaigns, the two attacked Raila Odinga-led Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

The two attended a church service at Lindi Central PAG church.

Mariga told reporters outside the church that the residents are still grappling with poor sanitation, lack of water and lack of jobs because they have not been in government for decade.

The constituency has been under the leadership of the opposition since the early 1990s. ODM leader Raila Odinga served as MP for the larger Kibra and Lang’ata for more than 20 years. 

MP Ken Okoth took over from him in 2013 when the new Constitution barred Raila from contesting the seat as he was vying for President. 

Okoth, who was elected on ODM ticket, died on July 26 of cancer, triggering the by-election scheduled on  November 7.

On Sunday, Owalo was at Lindi PAG church where he promoted his manifesto. In a direct attack on ODM candidate Bernard Imran Okoth, Owalo, a former Raila campaign manager, promised to reconstitute the Kibra CDF board to mirror all communities living in Kibra.

Imran was the CDF manager during his brother’s tenure as an MP.

“Why should you bring in your wife and brother? It is the people of Kibra who should sit on the board, not relatives,” he said. 

“We will establish employment centres, seek partnerships to bring in fire engines and fix drainage that has been a perennial problem.” 



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Jubilee party candidate in the upcoming Kibra parliamentary by-elections McDonald Mariga on Thursday met a section of Kibra residents at Nyayo stadium, Nairobi.

In a tweet on Thursday night, the governing Jubilee Party candidate said that the residents were from Makina, Laini Saba, Sarangombe, Lindi and Woodley wards.

Development issues and how the footballer can work with the residents going forward prominently featured in the meeting according to the tweet.

The finer details of the meeting had not yet been made public at the time of publishing.

“Earlier this evening at Nyayo Stadium, I met the residents of Makina, Laini Saba,Sarangombe,Lindi and Woodley wards.The agenda was development matters and how we will work together for the betterment of Kibra residents #TukoPamoja, ” the tweet read.

Mariga will battle it out against ODM candidate Imran Okoth, Amani National Congress (ANC) candidate Eliud Owalo and Ford-Kenya’s Ramadhan Butichi among other candidates.

The seat was declared vacant after the late former MP Ken Okoth succumbed to colorectal cancer at a Nairobi hospital.

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Jubilee nominated MP Maina Kamanda has said many more MPs from the ruling party are willing to support Raila Odinga-led ODM party candidate in forthcoming Kibra mini polls Bernard Imran Okoth.

Kamanda said this is in the spirit of Uhuru and Raila’s handshake, suggesting the divisions in the ruling party over the by-election were far from over.

Kamanda on Thursday joined Raila at a meeting to endorse the candidature of Okoth – a day after the Jubilee candidate, McDonald Mariga, was endorsed by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“You will see other MPs come out to support Imran because of the peace we have witnessed as a country. I am here as a person, not representing anybody,” said Kamanda.

He stressed that his support was a show of appreciation for the easing of tensions due to the truce between Uhuru and Raila.

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Jubilee party’s nominated MP Maina Kamanda has opposed President Uhuru Kenyatta-led party’s candidate, McDonald Mariga in the forthcoming Kibra by election.

Mr Kamanda on Thursday declared his support for Raila Odinga-led ODM party candidate Bernard Imran Okoth.

According to Kamanda, the Handshake between president Kenyatta and Raila brought people harmony and peace.

He says despite Jubilee having a candidate, he will support Imran as a person and not his party.

Kamanda says he considers Imran as a Jubilee candidate and as the handshake candidate. He is set to campaign for ODM’s Imran Okoth in the November 7 Kibra by-election.

On Wednesday, President Kenyatta endorsed Mariga, assuring him of his support in the upcoming mini polls.

Mariga’s endorsement at State House jointly by Uhuru and Dr Ruto, who are Jubilee Party leader and deputy party leader respectively, ensures the Jubilee candidate now heads into the campaign projecting the ruling party is solidly behind his candidature.

Uhuru’s move now complicates campaigns in the constituency, as Jubilee and ODM will have to face off in a major battle that will test the March 9, 2018 truce between the two leaders that saw the ruling party skip subsequent by-elections to avoid a confrontation with their newfound partners.

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After coming under immense criticism early this week when he went ballistic against DP William Ruto who he accused of undermining opposition leader Raila Odinga, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has revealed where he learnt the politics of hurling insults.

Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) boss Ezekiel Mutua is among those who have castigated Babu for using filthy language to refer to the DP. 

He said that such language is not acceptable at all.

“When national leaders use the vulgar language on each other like Hon. Babu Owino did on the DP yesterday, why are we blaming that young boy for doing a vulgar video, using unpalatable language?

“When preachers like Pastor Ng’ang’ a do the crazy things he’s doing for “trending” and controversy, why are we shocked when our kids copy him?” he said.

But in what seems to be a quick response to this criticism, Babu Owino says he learnt politics of hurling insults from his political elders.

The youthful MP says he listened when ODM leader Raila Odinga was called Mganga consistently in the past political events by his opponents.

According to him, since they are elders, he thought that whatever they were doing was right.

” I learnt this politics of hurling insults from my political elders,I listened when Baba was called Mganga consistently(imagine how a mganga’s shrine looks like)when he was called a mad man,conman,when he was called a lord of poverty,when he was called Kipii(uncircumcised),even Trump taught me some,then I devised my own coz I knew that was the right direction given from the politically experienced.Let the old teach us the young the right way and morals of life.No apologies still,Raila must be respected,” reads his post.

Here is Babu Owino’s video hurling insults at DP Ruto.

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Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo has revealed deputy president Dr William Ruto’s master plan to assert authority and his presence in Nairobi ahead of 2022 presidential race.

Speaking during Citizen TV’s JKLIVE show on Wednesday night, Millie said that Ruto is trying to use the forthcoming Kibra by-elections to stamp his authority on Nairobi.

She maintained that the Jubilee party’s entry into Kibra politics is not about ODM party leader Raila Odinga, citing that Ruto’s URP party is only trying to spread its roots in Nairobi.

She cited that Kalenjin community has been missing on the list of communities that have authority over Nairobi, and Ruto is now trying to bring it in ahead of 2022.

She says Luhyia, Luo, Kamba and Kikuyu communities have been believed to be popular communities in Nairobi over a long period of time.

According to her, the DP managed to take over Lang’ata constituency in he past 2017 polls with the win of Nixon Korir, and is now trying to spread his roots in Kibra before shifting to Roysambu and other places in Nairobi.

The vocal MP believes that McDonald Mariga is only being used by Ruto to help him stamp his authority on Nairobi to make things easier for him in 2022.

Watch the video below:

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Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has penned down an emotional message to ODM party leader Raila Odinga moments after President Uhuru Kenyatta met Jubilee party’s candidate in Kibra by-elections McDonald Mariga.

President Kenyatta on Wednesday met Mariga and assured him support in the forthcoming mini polls, a move Babu Owino sees as betrayal.

In a message that seems to be addressing Raila, Babu Owino says the AU envoy must be careful with his handshake with president Kenyatta, arguing that there has been no any fruits so far.

The youthful MP goes on urging President Kenyatta to be genuine with the handshake, citing that Raila’s camp must walk out of the marriage if it proves to be void.

He argues that one party in the marriage is incompetent, arguing that the opposition cannot be duped twice.

“Baba must be very careful with this thing called *HANDSHAKE* No fruits so far.We can’t be duped twice.President Uhuru must be genuine with this handshake.Baba we must be very careful and if the *marriage*is void coz one party is incompetent for being in a subsisting marriage or voidable coz it’s not consummated then we must be out very fast.We need not lie to each other and in return their intention is to embarrass you.Jubilee must never and will never win kibra.I’m ready to go back to the bush,” reads Babu Owino’s post on facebook.

Raila’s camp feels President Kenyatta would not have supported any other candidate in the Kibra mini polls or the sake of the handshake.

During former Kibra MP Ken Okoth’s memorial service, Nairobi County Senator Johnson Sakaja had said that he would talk to his bosses in Jubilee not to field a candidate in the by-elections, which is now not the case.

Do you think Raila has been betrayed as being argued by Babu Owino?

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DNA results proving nominated MCA Anne Thumbi’s son was indeed fathered by demised Kibra MP Ken Okoth have been challenged by widow Monica Okoth.

The widow on Wednesday indicated that she has in her possession results proving otherwise.

A court has therefore ordered Monica to present the said results within 15 days.

Okoth’s mother on the hand accepted the results and asked the court to terminate Thumbi’s case.

On September 3 however, DNA results showed that the late lawmaker was a 99.9 percent a match to the minor.

Samples for the test were collected from Okoth’s body before it was cremated last month following family wrangles.

Following his death, Thumbi sued Okoth’s mother Angeline and Monica along with Lee funeral home.

Through her lawyer Elkana Mogaka, Thumbi in her petition stated: “The mother and wife have deliberately and unfortunately excluded me from the funeral and burial arrangements of Okoth.”

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Political parties’ tribunal court chairperson, Kyalo Mbobu has dismissed an application by Morris Peter Kinyanjui seeking to stop Jubilee candidate McDonald Mariga from flying the ruling party’s flag in the upcoming Kibra mini-poll.

Kinyanjui lost the Jubilee Party ticket to Mariga, a move which left him accusing the ruling party of rigging him out of the race.

Kinyanjui, thereafter, filed a petition in court on Tuesday, September 17, seeking to block Mariga from representing Jubilee in the Kibra race.

But now, the political parties’ tribunal court chairperson, Kyalo Mbobu, says the avenue in which Kinyanjui filed his petition was wrong.  Mbobu says the court has no jurisdiction, whatsoever, to hear the matter.

The court said that the Jubilee Party candidate’s nomination certificate has already been accepted by the electoral board, IEBC.

The court, therefore, advised Kinyanjui to look for remedy elsewhere.

In an application filed by the complainant at the political parties tribunal on September 17, Kinyanjui said Jubilee failed to conduct party nominations as required by law and their Party’s Constitution

The complainant argued that Mariga’s nomination as the Jubilee Party candidate was illegal and constitutes violation of his rights.

He said he was invited through a text message for an interview at the Jubilee Party headquarters in Pangani, Nairobi, an interview, he claims, was used to check the suitability and qualifications of candidates.

The Kibra by-election is scheduled for November 7.

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Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has blasted Jubilee candidate in the November 7 slated Kibra by-elections McDonald Mariga for allegedly taking late Ken Okoth’s wife.

Through a tweet posted on Wednesday morning, Babu Owino asked Mariga to choose between late Ken Okoth’s wife and his Kibra parliamentary seat.

The youthful MP argued that Mariga was showing a sign of disrespect to the late by hanging around with the woman who had a baby with Ken Okoth.

“This is the lady who had a baby with the late Hon.Ken Okoth.Mariga must choose between the lady or the seat,hauwezi dharau the late Ken by taking both his seat and his wife.Choose one Omwami,” posted Babu Owino.

He was responding to a photo of Mariga while appearing at IEBC offices for clearance before he was barred after his name failed to appear in the voters register.

Anne Thumbi, who is the mother of the late Kibra MP Ken Okoth’s son, was seen sitting next to Mariga during the verification which ended in Mariga being blocked from vying.

However, speaking to a local media last week, Ms Thumbi defended her support for Mariga saying she was nominated to the Nairobi County Assembly by the Jubilee party, hence, her loyalty.

“I was nominated to the Nairobi County Assembly under the Jubilee Party. I, therefore, am obligated to stick with the party’s choice in the race for Kibra parliamentary seat. Jubilee’s choice, as of today, is Mariga, and I needed to show him my support,” said Ms Thumbi.

She, however, declined to give a comment on how well she relates with Imran.

Babu Owino on Wednesday led a team of ODM party in a door to door campaign in Kibra for their candidate Bernard Imran Okoth, who is late Ken Okoth’s brother.

Watch Babu Owino’s video via this tweet
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With Kibra by-election campaigns getting intense, Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino on Wednesday morning led a team of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party in carrying out a door to door campaigns.

The youthful MP woke up early in the morning together with the orange party team in search for votes ahead of the upcoming November 7 Kibra mini polls.

The ODM team is in search of votes for their candidate Bernard Imran Okoth who is set to face off with 23 other candidates drawn from rival parties and some who are independent candidates.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) last week cleared twenty-three candidates to participate in the Kibra Parliamentary by election slated for November 7.

Out of those who have been cleared, 16 candidates are sponsored by political parties while 7 are running as independent candidates.

Jubilee Party’s flag-bearer, footballer McDonald Mariga, who was disqualified on Tuesday last week, with the Returning Officer saying his name was not in the voters’ roll appealed and was given a nod to vie, but still faces more huddles after another aspirant filed a petition to bar him, citing that his picking by Jubilee was unfair.

Mariga also faces other challenges including his questionable age.

If he wins this latest petition, he will make a total number of candidates in Kibra mini poll 24, which ODM will have to share votes with in Raila Odinga’s turf.

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