Stephen Mwiti lost all six of his children in Shakahola Forest. As cult leader Paul Mackenzie faces sentencing on Friday for the murders of 190 children and an adult, Mwiti says even a hanging would not bring them back.
Stephen Mwiti, 48, says all six of his children died in Shakahola Forest. His wife took them there in 2022. Cult leader Paul Mackenzie is due to be sentenced on Friday for the murders of 190 children and an adult, the Daily Nation reported. Mwiti and other relatives of the victims fear Mackenzie could keep spreading his deadly message. "Even if he were to be hanged, I will never see my children again," Mwiti told Reuters this week. He spoke while visiting the grave of his son Samuel in the coastal city of Malindi. Samuel was about seven years old when the family entered the forest. He is the only one of Mwiti's children whose remains could be identified. Many of the bodies were badly decomposed. Officials could confirm the identities of only 26 of the more than 400 bodies recovered from the forest. Prosecutors said Mackenzie ordered his followers to starve themselves and their children to death so they could go to heaven before the world ended. Mackenzie and 28 co-defendants were convicted of murder last month. Mwiti's wife is one of them. They could…
Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba wants repeat sexual offenders blacklisted from jobs near children and vulnerable people. She made the call on Wednesday as MPs debated changes to the Sexual Offences Act.
Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba has urged Parliament to ban repeat sexual offenders from jobs involving children and other vulnerable people. She spoke in the National Assembly on Wednesday, November 4, during debate on the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Nairobi Wire reported. Garissa Woman Representative Amina Udgoon Siyad sponsors the bill. It aims to strengthen the prosecution of sexual crimes and outlaw informal community settlements of such cases. Wamuchomba backed the bill. She urged Siyad to add blacklisting rules for repeat offenders as it moves forward. "Repeat offenders must be blacklisted; they should not be allowed to drive school buses, they should not be allowed to be healthcare providers in hospitals, and they should not be allowed to even come close to any vulnerable member of society," Wamuchomba told the House. She said positions of trust in schools, hospitals and religious institutions give repeat offenders openings when workplace screening fails. Unrestricted access, she said, lets convicts keep targeting vulnerable people in both the public and private sectors. Wamuchomba said this is not her first attempt. She…
Dr Ben Kajwang, head of Kenya's College of Insurance, has received the seventh Global Change Makers Award from Project 100. Pulse Live Kenya reports that he is the first Kenyan CEO to win it, weeks after he was named a National Hero.
Dr Ben Kajwang, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the College of Insurance, has won the seventh Global Change Makers Award. Pulse Live Kenya, citing the award announcement, reports that he is the first Kenyan chief executive to receive the honour. Mpasho also reported the win and called it a historic first. The award is organised by Project 100. It recognises leadership in corporate governance, education and social impact. The sources do not say when or where it was presented. The award caps a busy year of honours for Kajwang. On October 20, during the 63rd Mashujaa Day celebrations, President William Ruto named him a National Hero at Uasin Gishu State Lodge. According to Pulse Live Kenya, he was listed as Hero No. 186 of 264 honourees in the Scholarship, Professionalism and Research category. The citation recognised his work developing the insurance sector in Kenya and across Africa. In July, he also received the Bobea Leadership Award for his work in governance and leadership. Kajwang has held several top roles in the insurance industry. He served as president of the African Insurance Organisation (AIO)…
The electoral commission found Omar breached the Electoral Code of Conduct with remarks at a Mombasa rally on September 11. He received a formal and strict warning, and IEBC says a repeat offence will bring tougher sanctions.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has issued Hassan Omar with a formal and strict warning and severe caution. The Star describes him as a senator, while The Eastleigh Voice identifies him as UDA secretary-general. The case concerns remarks suggesting that a dead person's biometric details could be used to vote in their name. The IEBC's Electoral Code of Conduct Enforcement Committee (ECCEC) released its determination on Wednesday. The commission said Omar breached paragraphs 6(k)(i) and 6(l) of the Code. The complaint covered remarks he made at a public rally in Mombasa on September 11. The sanction falls under paragraph 7(a)(i) of the Code. Omar was summoned before the committee on October 21. He appeared in person with his lawyer and presented his defence. He said the words were meant figuratively, to encourage people to register and vote. The committee said it weighed that explanation and his later clarification. It also noted the lack of evidence that the remarks caused any real electoral incident. The committee still ruled against him. It said the words, read in their original Kiswahili form, ordinary meaning and context, invoked using a dead person's biometric identifier to vote in their name. The committee said that language clashed with the Code's duty to reassure voters…
Kalonzo Musyoka was jeered in Nairobi on October 30 after saying Edwin Sifuna is "still just a party leader". Sifuna calmed his supporters, and Kalonzo later pledged to back him if he becomes the opposition flag bearer.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka struggled to finish his speech at Edwin Sifuna's party launch in Nairobi on October 30. Supporters chanted "Sifuna, Sifuna" and booed him after he questioned Sifuna's status as a presidential candidate, Pulse Live Kenya reported. At the event, Sifuna rebranded The Equitable Party as the Linda Mwananchi Party Movement and unveiled his team. Citizen Digital reported that Osotsi was named party chair. The Star reported that the party opened offices in Lavington, Nairobi. DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua and DAP-Kenya's Eugene Wamalwa also attended. Trouble started when Kalonzo said Wamalwa had "jumped the gun" by declaring Sifuna a presidential candidate. According to Pulse Live Kenya, he said Sifuna had to wait until November 13 for endorsement by party delegates. He added that "the man you see here is still just a party leader". The crowd began jeering. Kalonzo asked whether they wanted him to speak or stop. Sifuna stepped in to calm his supporters. He told them it was wrong to…
Kenya Railways has told train passengers to stand behind the yellow line, board one at a time and put phones away on platforms. The advisory comes as passenger numbers are expected to rise over the holidays, Pulse Live Kenya reported.
Kenya Railways has issued a safety advisory with six rules for train passengers ahead of the festive season, Pulse Live Kenya reported. The outlet said the move follows growing concern over railway accidents that have killed and injured people. The rules aim to prevent congestion, accidents and injuries at stations and on platforms. The corporation expects passenger numbers to climb during the holidays as Kenyans travel to see family and friends. It urged passengers to follow the guidelines to protect themselves, "particularly in busy railway stations". According to Pulse Live Kenya, rail has recently grown more popular as a cheaper, more convenient alternative to road travel for long journeys. The first rule is to always stand behind the yellow line painted on the platform. The line keeps people a safe distance from the tracks as trains arrive and leave. Passengers must also board or get off only once the train has come to a complete stop.…
The five, facing robbery with violence charges, broke out at about 11pm on Wednesday while 10 detainees were being moved. DCI detectives from Nairobi have joined the manhunt in Kiambu County.
Five suspects charged with robbery with violence escaped from Limuru Police Station in Kiambu County on Wednesday night after overpowering officers on duty, Pulse Live Kenya reported. Kenyans.co.ke also reported the escape. Security agencies have launched a manhunt. The escape happened at about 11pm on November 4, according to a police report cited by Pulse Live Kenya. Duty officers had opened the main male holding cells to move 10 detainees to an inner holding room. Moments after leaving the cell, the suspects turned on the officers and fought their way out. Losing control, the officers raised the alarm and called for backup. The suspects attacked several of the officers who came to help. They then broke out of the station compound and vanished into the night. The report does not say how many officers were hurt or how badly. A team of Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers from headquarters in Nairobi went to Limuru to work with local police. Investigators are reviewing the sequence of events, following leads and searching nearby…
The European Union handed non-lethal military equipment to the Kenya Navy in Mombasa on Tuesday under the European Peace Facility. It will go to the Navy's Special Operations Squadron, and an EU official said more packages will follow.
The European Union has donated non-lethal military equipment to the Kenya Navy, the Daily Nation reported. The handover took place on Tuesday at Kenya Navy Headquarters in Mombasa. The donation was made under the European Peace Facility (EPF). The government-run Kenya News Agency put the value of the equipment at KSh 3 billion. Kenya Navy Commander Major General Paul Otieno received the equipment from Maciej Stadejek. Stadejek is Director for Peace, Security and Defence Policy at the European External Action Service. EU Ambassador to Kenya Andreas Peschke accompanied him. The equipment will go to the Kenya Navy Special Operations Squadron, a unit that handles complex maritime security threats. Otieno said it will make the unit's personnel safer, more ready and more effective. Otieno called the handover an important milestone in Kenya-EU defence cooperation. He said it was more than a transfer of equipment. He described it as "a tangible expression of confidence in Kenya as a reliable security partner." He said the two sides share a commitment to international law, especially the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and…
Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata says Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna appeals beyond his region and could lead the opposition ticket. He also argues the government cannot drop DP Kithure Kindiki without paying a political price.
Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata has backed Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna as the United Opposition's strongest candidate to beat President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election. He made the remarks in an interview on Citizen TV, Pulse Live Kenya reported. "The greatest engine of opposition from where I sit is Sifuna," Kang'ata said. Sifuna leads the Linda Mwananchi Movement party. He is one of several opposition leaders chasing the presidential ticket. According to Pulse Live Kenya, the others are Wiper Patriotic Movement leader Kalonzo Musyoka, DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua, Jubilee's Fred Matiang'i and Eugene Wamalwa of DAP-Kenya. Kang'ata said the opposition has the numbers to win. He argued that Sifuna is the right choice because circumstances have made him appealing beyond his region. Asked which pairing could beat Ruto, Kang'ata picked a ticket with Sifuna as flagbearer. Either Gachagua or Kalonzo would be his running mate. Kang'ata left UDA for Gachagua's DCP this year. He noted that his party leader has said he can do it, and so might Kalonzo, but said the matter is still…
Health CS Aden Duale has presented the Public Health (Ebola Disease) Rules, 2026, to MPs. The rules would ban bringing home the bodies of people who die of Ebola outside Kenya and require burial within 24 hours.
Families could soon lose the right to bring home the body of a relative who dies of Ebola outside Kenya. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale presented the proposed Public Health (Ebola Disease) Rules, 2026, to the National Assembly Committee on Delegated Legislation, The Eastleigh Voice reported. According to the Daily Nation, the rules are now before the House. Part 21 (2) of the draft is blunt. "A person shall not transfer or repatriate the body of a person who has died of Ebola disease outside Kenya," the provision reads. Inside Kenya, a medical officer of health would have to organise the burial within 24 hours. The burial would take place at a site judged suitable on public health grounds. Only trained staff in protective equipment would be allowed to handle bodies. Bodies would go into sealed, leak-resistant bags with identification references. Washing, embalming or dressing a body for a funeral would be banned. A sealed body could be opened only for an examination or specimen collection allowed by law. Medical officers would also have to decontaminate premises and equipment, dispose of contaminated waste safely and monitor staff exposed during handling or burial. Duale told MPs that the rules aim to control the spread of…
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka starts a two-day "Ukombozi Tour" in Migori on Thursday and moves to Homa Bay on Friday. The Star reports he will lean on his past ties with the late Raila Odinga to win over the region.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka is taking his 2027 presidential bid to Migori and Homa Bay counties, The Star reported. The two-day trip targets voters in long-time ODM strongholds. His party calls it the Ukombozi Tour. The Migori leg starts at noon on Thursday at Ntimaru in Kuria. Kalonzo then moves to Kehancha at 2 pm. The day's main rally is at Posta Grounds in Migori town at 4 pm. On Friday he will visit the Tom Mboya Mausoleum at 9.30 am. He will then hold meetings in Oyugis town at 1 pm and Kendu Bay at 4 pm. "Migori and Homa Bay, are you ready? The Ukombozi Tour is coming! Let's meet on the ground," Kalonzo posted ahead of the trip. Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi said the tour is part of Kalonzo's countrywide activities before next year's polls. He said Kalonzo would keep championing constitutionalism, the rule of law and the quest for votes. Mwangangi said the opposition must focus on ending bad leadership. He called for a country anchored on accountability, economic opportunities and…
The outage began at 3am on Thursday and runs until 8am on Friday while the Karimenu Transmission Pipeline is shut. Kenyatta University and Kahawa Barracks are among the places affected.
Taps are dry across large parts of eastern and northern Nairobi. Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company has shut off supply for 29 hours. The cut began at 3am on Thursday and is due to end at 8am on Friday, November 6. The company announced the outage in a public notice on Wednesday, November 4. The shutdown allows the Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA) to carry out what the notice called "critical tie-in works" on the Karimenu Transmission Pipeline. Pulse Live Kenya reported that the work involves connecting new pipeline sections to the existing distribution network. The pipeline must be closed so the work can be done safely. The notice lists three groups of affected areas. The first is Kasarani, Mwiki, Clay City, Ruai, Njiru and surrounding areas. The second is Roysambu, Zimmerman, Kahawa Barracks, Kenyatta University and nearby neighbourhoods. The third covers all of Kayole, Komarock, Soweto and Matopeni. Pulse Live Kenya put the total at 14 estates. It noted that Kenyatta University serves thousands of students and staff. The utility told residents to store water before the shutdown and to use it sparingly. According to Pulse Live Kenya, customers should…
The Media Council of Kenya recorded 13 press freedom violations in Nairobi between July and September. Homa Bay had eight and Meru seven, while goons were the biggest threat to journalists with 17 cases.
Nairobi recorded more press freedom violations than any other county in the first quarter of the 2026/2027 financial year, The Star reported. The capital logged 13 cases between July and September. The figures come from the Media Council of Kenya's Press Freedom Violations Situation Report. Homa Bay came second with eight cases, and Meru third with seven. Bungoma…
Public Service Commission chair Francis Meja says more disciplinary appeals are reaching the commission because agencies ignore HR rules. He spoke on Monday at a Mombasa workshop for heads of state corporations and public universities.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) has told heads of state agencies to follow the laws and guidelines on human resource management and discipline. PSC Chairperson Francis Meja said the number of disciplinary appeals reaching the commission keeps rising. The trend, he said, shows that public institutions are not following set procedures, The Star and KBC Digital reported. Meja spoke on Monday at the Kenya School of Government in Mombasa. He was opening a PSC capacity-building workshop on HR matters arising from disciplinary control. The workshop brought together chairpersons and chief executive officers of state corporations. Council members and vice-chancellors of public universities also took part. "When technical officers and Boards or Councils exercise due diligence on disciplinary matters, fewer appeals and court cases follow. It is also a win-win scenario for the government and individual officers," Meja said. He warned that institutions that ignore the rules, especially after an officer wins an appeal, face avoidable financial costs. According to KBC…
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said on Wednesday he will set up political bases in Nakuru and Meru. He called Nakuru, with 1.3 million votes, a key battleground in the 2027 election, The Star reported.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua plans to open two new Wamunyoro annexes, in Nakuru and Meru counties. The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader said both counties matter to his 2027 plans because of their large voter populations. The Star and Nairobi Wire both reported the plan. Gachagua spoke on Wednesday at his Wamunyoro home in Nyeri County. He was hosting a delegation from Gilgil Constituency in Nakuru. He said Nakuru now has 1.3 million votes. That could reach 1.5 million when mass voter registration closes in January. By his count, it ranks third by votes, behind Nairobi and Kiambu. He said he would spend a lot of time in Nakuru to stay close to the votes. The Meru annex would extend his networks beyond his traditional Mt Kenya strongholds, according to The Star. "Politics is a game of numbers. You go to where numbers…
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said he flew back from the US on October 20 without telling anyone, not even his guards. He skipped his convoy and took a Probox straight to Wamunyoro in Nyeri, The Star reported.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said he slipped back into Kenya quietly after nearly two months in the United States. He told a vernacular television station that he feared for his life. The Star and Nairobi Wire both reported the interview. Gachagua landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on October 20 at about 9pm. He did not spend the night at his Karen home in Nairobi. Instead, he got into a Probox and headed for Wamunyoro, Nyeri, arriving by midnight. "I returned silently. I made sure there were no photos," he said. The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader said he left his usual convoy behind on purpose. He claimed security agencies and his political rivals would have spotted it and tracked him. He said he told no one about his travel plans, not even his drivers and security guards. He feared the details would leak. The quiet arrival was a sharp contrast…
Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen told the National Assembly on Wednesday that kidnappings and abductions had dropped sharply since 2022. He cited a dedicated Anti-Abduction Investigations Unit as proof of the government's commitment.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has defended the Kenya Kwanza administration's record on abductions. He said it had done more to curb them than any previous government, The Star reported. Murkomen spoke during a National Assembly plenary session on Wednesday while answering questions from MPs. He said reported kidnappings and abductions had declined sharply since 2022. According to The Star's report, he gave no figures. He added that security agencies were investigating reported incidents, including cases that turned out to be self-abductions. The CS said the government had set up a specialised Anti-Abduction Investigations Unit. He called it evidence of the administration's commitment to tackling the problem. He also said ending extrajudicial killings had been a policy pledge since the 2022 campaign. "You have not seen cases of bodies floating in rivers as it happened in the last government," he said. Murkomen admitted that security challenges remain. He urged Kenyans to judge…
NTSA and other agencies arrested 21 drivers on the Kakamega-Mumias Road for drunk driving, missing licences and expired PSV badges. The authority also ordered long-distance PSV operators to put two drivers on every trip this festive season.
Twenty-one drivers were arrested in a joint inter-agency night operation on the Kakamega-Mumias Road, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) said. The Star reported that officers caught motorists driving drunk, driving without valid licences and using expired Public Service Vehicle (PSV) badges. Kenyans.co.ke reported that the arrests took place on Tuesday night and that the offences also included overspeeding. Officers also found faults with the vehicles themselves. According to NTSA, these included cracked windscreens, worn-out tyres and expired inspection certificates. Some vehicles had invalid insurance, and others carried unprescribed number plates, The Eastleigh Voice reported. The operation is part of NTSA's festive season campaign, Msimu Bila Ajali, Usalama Barabarani. The campaign pairs awareness drives for drivers and passengers with day and night checks on major roads. NTSA said it is prioritising night operations because evening and late-night hours are among the deadliest times on Kenyan roads. "By allocating additional resources during these high-risk hours, we can maximise efforts to disrupt the critical risk factors that cause…
Geoffrey Ruku told South B residents on Tuesday that he wants to lead Nairobi after the 2027 election. He joins a crowded race against Governor Johnson Sakaja, who has just moved from UDA to ODM.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku wants to be Nairobi's next governor. He announced his plans on Tuesday while addressing residents of South B, The Star reported. His bid could set up a contest against Governor Johnson Sakaja in the 2027 General Election. Ruku said Nairobi needs a leader with integrity, vision and the drive to fix the county's longstanding problems. He described the city as a national asset, not just a county. "Nairobi is for all Kenyans, is the capital city of our country, and must be led as such," he said, calling it the hub of East Africa. The CS said the next governor must show honesty, commitment and a clear development agenda to unlock Nairobi's economic potential. He also pointed to his record as an elected leader. "Is there any problem if I vie and get elected here in Nairobi? Am I not able to lead…
One person has been killed and several injured in two weeks of attacks by armed gangs in Kisumu, Citizen Digital reported. The county commissioner says security raids will run from next week until December.
Residents of Kisumu say fear has become part of daily life after two weeks of violent robberies, Citizen Digital reported. A video that went viral on Wednesday shows armed men trying to vandalise a lorry. They fled after the person inside screamed for help. The screams brought neighbours out, and some filmed the attack. The gang threatened those recording before retreating, according to Citizen Digital. The violence has been escalating. On Saturday, armed robbers attacked and killed a middle-aged man in Ahero. By Tuesday, two more people had been injured in a machete attack in Migosi Estate. Several shops have also been broken into, and business owners are counting their losses. Two days before the lorry incident, residents made a citizen's arrest…
The Communications Authority wants polling stations outside 3G and 4G coverage connected before the 2027 General Election. Deputy Director Paul Kiage told senators in Naivasha that all mobile operators have been directed to upgrade their networks.
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has asked the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to identify polling stations outside 3G and 4G coverage, The Star reported. The goal is to connect them before the 2027 General Election. CA says reliable internet will help the IEBC transmit results and help officials find polling centres. CA Deputy Director Paul Kiage spoke before the Senate Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration in Naivasha. He said CA is rolling out services in unserved and underserved areas through the Universal Service Fund. CA expects the programme to improve connectivity during the election. Kiage said all mobile network operators have been directed to upgrade their networks. The election will need stable connectivity for results transmission and for communication by officials and voters, he said. "The 2027 General Election will require mobile network operators to provide high-quality communication services to support a credible election and electioneering-related activities," he said. According to Kiage, CA technical staff will monitor Quality of Service in sub-locations that host polling stations. They will fix network problems quickly and identify areas that need alternatives such as satellite…
The lecturers' union UASU and the government agreed a KSh 20 billion deal on October 28 to end the university lecturers' strike. The Standard reported that the deal gives lecturers a 3.5 percent salary increase.
Detectives seized 170.8 kg of cannabis from a Mazda CX-5 that crashed into a motorcycle on the Malaba-Webuye road, The Star reported. The rider died and the driver fled the scene.
The government will hire more assistant county commissioners after Public Service Commission clearance, The Star reported. Internal Security PS Raymond Omollo said the jobs would be advertised soon and urged qualified chiefs and assistant chiefs to apply.
A Kapenguria court released Trans Nzoia Deputy Speaker Obed Mwale unconditionally on Wednesday, The Star and the Kenya News Agency reported. Police had held the Linda Mwananchi Senate aspirant since Monday over claims he funded goons.
Kenya Power has lost its legal fight against a KSh 16 million award to a man who lost an arm in an electrocution. Business Daily reported the outcome on Wednesday.
PSC chair Francis Meja told State agencies to declare vacancies now, as government internships grow from about 8,000 to 50,000 in January 2027. He also warned bosses against sending interns to buy lunch or make photocopies, the Nation reported.
Detectives arrested Muia Mutune, also known as Fredrick Mbuta, in Embakasi Village, the DCI said. He is accused of posing as a traffic police officer to rob people just after they withdrew cash from banks.
The Kenya Meteorological Service expects rain across dozens of counties, including Nairobi, from November 3 to 10. It warned that the rain could bring floods, damage roads and spread malaria, cholera and typhoid.
Directors of Realta Investment Limited say they found serious environmental damage from 'famas' mining in Mai Mahiu, Naivasha North. They came across it on October 11 while inspecting a five-acre plot, Business Today Kenya reported.
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