Sunday, May 25News That Matters

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Uhuru, Ruto mourn ex-Kwale Woman Rep Zainab Chidzuga’s death
local news

Uhuru, Ruto mourn ex-Kwale Woman Rep Zainab Chidzuga’s death

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto have mourned the death of former Kwale County Woman Representative Zainab Chidzuga. Zainab, 65, had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Nairobi's South C after suffering Covid-19 complications, according to a close family member. In his message of condolence, Uhuru described Chidzuga as a steadfast leader and astute grassroots mobiliser who helped uplift the welfare of women in Kwale and across the country. "Mama Zainab Chidzuga was a passionate advocate of women empowerment whose many achievements as an activist, legislator and mentor will continue shaping the gender agenda in our country for generations," he said. The Head of State remembered Chidzuga as a role model to many women across the country. Uhuru pra...
Magoha orders fees refund for secondary school parents
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Magoha orders fees refund for secondary school parents

The Education Ministry has ordered public secondary schools to refund parents fees charged besides that which the government has recommended. The Education Ministry in a circular further outlawed schools from sending students home for failing to clear any extra arrears that exceed the set fees. The recommended fees for national schools is set at Sh45,054, county schools at Sh35,035 while day schools are free. “Any fees collected above the revised guidelines be refunded or treated as prepayment of fees for continuing students… No child will be sent away for non-payment of such fees,” the circular dated August 9 reads. The circular notes that the ministry had received complaints on schools are charging illegal levies outside the guidelines. The PS said any fees collected ...
Chebukati dismisses claims of postponing 2022 polls
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Chebukati dismisses claims of postponing 2022 polls

IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati has dismissed reports on the possibility to postpone the 2022 general elections. Chebukati said elections will be conducted next year as stipulated in the Constitution. "I have seen reports of plans to delay the general elections. IEBC for a fact does not react to opinions from organizations or individuals," he noted. The commission's chairman noted that IEBC is guided by the law which highlights that the next general elections will be held on August 9, 2022. However, Chebukati added that in case of any variation of the law, IEBC will abide by it. Chebukati spoke on Monday at a media stakeholders' workshop with the IEBC in Mombasa. In terms of budget, the chairman said IEBC requires Sh40.19 billion for the general elections but Treasury...
Matatus to carry full capacity from Monday .
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Matatus to carry full capacity from Monday .

The Ministry of Transport said although Covid-19 cases are rising, there was a need to stop business loss in the transport sector. One ministry official said Matatus had stopped observing the 60 per cent rule, and the police were only using the rule to collect bribes. “We will allow full capacity from Monday next week and any Sacco which will be found violating the protocol will have its license revoked,” Transport CAS Chris Obure said Friday afternoon after meeting matatu operators. Health CS Mutahi Kagwe introduced the 60 per cent rule on March 20 last year when there were only seven Covid-19 cases in the country. By Friday, Kenya had registered 208,262 Covid-19 cases and 4,057 people dead. Obure said President Uhuru had on March 12 this year directed that the old pro...
Ipoa sent to Embu to probe deaths of two brothers who had been arrested for breaking Covid Rules.
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Ipoa sent to Embu to probe deaths of two brothers who had been arrested for breaking Covid Rules.

The Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai has sent a team of detectives from the Internal Affairs Unit to investigate an incident in which two brothers were Wednesday found dead at the Embu Level Five hospital mortuary. The bodies were discovered three days after they were arrested for allegedly breaking Covid-19 rules. The two brothers, Benson Njiru, 22, and Emmanuel Mutura, 19, were last seen alive in Kianjokoma town on Sunday night as police arrested them for being outside during curfew hours. Njiru was a student at Kabarak University. His brother Mutura studied at Don Bosco Technology Training Institute in Karen, Nairobi. They were out on long holidays and were making some money in the meantime. Independent Policing Oversight Authority chairperson Anne Makor...
Kiambu man impotent but never told wife, furious at her pregnancy and pulled his gun
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Kiambu man impotent but never told wife, furious at her pregnancy and pulled his gun

For five years, married life had seemed full of contentment for a couple who were found shot dead in their house in Kiambu.  There was one problem: Johnathan Mukindi, 42, didn't want children and Philomena Njeri, 30, became desperate for a family. He never told her he was impotent. They even tried IVF. He knew it wouldn't work. When she became pregnant, he knew she had a secret lover and he couldn't live with the knowledge of betrayal. Friends and neighbours were shocked on Tuesday when police discovered the two. They had been married for six years. Mukundi worked with insurance companies and bought vehicles that had been written off. He sold the spare parts, a friend said. The spare parts business was doing very well. It was being run by his wife Njeri. He had ...
Businessman shoots wife dead and commits suicide in Kiambu town
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Businessman shoots wife dead and commits suicide in Kiambu town

A couple was found dead in their house in Kiambu Town after an apparent murder and suicide. The body of 42-year-old businessman in spare parts Jonathan Mukundi Gachunga was found alongside that of his wife Philomena Njeri, 30 hours after the incident had happened. The motive of the incident is yet to be known. Friends who had seen Gachunga hours earlier said he looked jovial. Gachunga was a licensed gun holder and operated his spare parts shop in Industrial Area, Nairobi. His wife worked at the shop. He is said to have shot his wife three times on Tuesday evening before turning the gun to himself. The lifeless bodies of the two were found inside their bedroom which had been locked from inside. They were later moved to the mortuary. Police said they recovered his m...
KCPE, KCSE candidates listing Extended by two weeks
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KCPE, KCSE candidates listing Extended by two weeks

The Government has extended the registration of KCPE, KCSE candidates by two weeks. "This is to give an opportunity to schools to ensure all candidates are registered, in the spirit of leaving no child behind in the education sector," Magoha said in a statement on Monday. The final registration deadline is August 14, 2021. The registration exercise was scheduled to close on July 31, 2021.  Magoha said headteachers and principals should ensure that all bona fide candidates are registered for the examination within the final two weeks. "Any candidate who fails to register for the 2021 examination to be sat in March 2022 will only be allowed to sit the examination in December 2022," he said. But he noted that late registration shall not be allowed. The registration...
Curfew in 13 lake region counties revised from 7pm to 10pm
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Curfew in 13 lake region counties revised from 7pm to 10pm

The government has revised curfew hours for the 13 lake region counties that were designated  Covid-19 hotspots. In a new directive by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe, on Friday, curfew in the counties will now begin at 10 pm from 7 pm and end at 4am like the rest of the country. "The hours of the ongoing national curfew to continue across the country from 10 pm to 4 am across the country. This applies now to the counties in the lake region as well," Kagwe said. In June, the government revised curfew hours for  13 counties in the Western region from 10pm to 7pm. The counties are; Busia, Vihiga, Kisii, Nyamira, Kakamega, Kericho, Bomet, Bungoma, Trans Nzoia, Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori. In the new Covid-19 containment guidelines issued, all public gatherings...
Cop Caroline Kangogo’s burial underway
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Cop Caroline Kangogo’s burial underway

The body of police constable Caroline Kangogo arrived at her parents' Nyawa village home in Elgeyo Marakwet county on Thursday for burial. The body was fitted with a wedding dress as per Kangogo's request in a draft text message found after her death. Her father Barnabas and mother Leah Kangogo led mourners in collecting the body from Iten County Refferal Hospital morgue. Officers from Nakuru where Kangogo served were present at the burial, as well as hundreds of residents. Kangogo's former husband Ngeno and family members from Bomet also attended the burial. The body was ferried in a hearse and police were not involved in transporting it to the home. Kangogo's brother Mark said the family will give Caroline a decent burial. Chief government pathologist Johansen O...