Category Archives: Local News

Roots Party presidential running mate, Justina Wamae, and political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi engaged in a heated exchange following her claims that her boss, George Luchiri Wajackoyah, was indirectly campaigning for Raila Odinga and the Azimio La Umoja.

Wamae clapped back at Ngunyi who poked holes at her statement where she allegedly confirmed allegations that Wajackoyah was an Azimio mole.

The outspoken running mate could, however, not hold back after the pro-Azimio analyst suggested that she made the claims to appease Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

“From where I sit, you cannot purport to speak for me or Roots Party. Eat Azimio’s money in silence, once you have your fill, keep mum (Ukishiba funika tumbo),”
Wamae told off Ngunyi.

Wamae – in a bare knuckle attack on the self proclaimed political scientist – asked Ngunyi to use his media company, the Fifth Estate, to break down to the public the meaning of a mole.

The political pundit questioned the feasibility of Wajackoyah being Raila’s mole in the Roots Party – which he termed as a junior party compared to the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya.

“So what if Wajakoyah is a Baba mole? Is he for Baba at the Roots Party, which he owns? Do not insult his intelligence. This Justina Wamae is not making sense. Or is she making an argument to be moled by UDA?”
Ngunyi posed.

Wamae renounced herself from any political project ahead of the August 9 polls and stood by her affirmation that no leader should be imposed on the Kenyan electorate.

“I cannot say that youth and women are not pageboys and flower girls respectively then cow when needed to be independent minded,”
she reiterated.

The storm in the Roots Party tea cup began after a video of Wajackoyah allegedly endorsing the former Prime Minister at a recreation joint went viral.

Through spokesperson Wilson Muirani, Wajackoyah dismissed the claims that he was backing Raila’s presidential bid.

“We would like to categorically state that we have a presidential candidate who is on the ballot and will win this election. We have not and will not endorse any other candidate,”
Muirani noted.

However, while being interviewed by Citizen TV, Wamae confirmed the allegations but noted that she and her party boss had not discussed the decision at length.

Local News

VIDEO: Mzungu manhandled after a racial slur on guard at a Nairobi mall

August 3, 2022 Ian Amulega

Social media was on Wednesday morning, August 3, awash with a video of a foreigner in a violent altercation with security guards at AdLife Plaza in Kilimani, Nairobi county.

In a video shared by journalist Saddique Shaban, the foreigner hurled insults at two security guards before reinforcement arrived to intervene and restrain him.
The foreigner was knocked down but kept fighting back attempting to kick the security guards in a bid to break free.

An unknown female friend rushed to the foreigner’s aid, pushing the guards away and trying to get him out of the scuffle.

“I want you one-on-one,” the foreigner is heard telling the guards after getting on his feet.
The lady stepped in front of the guard to hold them back and stop them from reigning more blows on him to no avail.

A police officer in uniform rushed to the scene and began restraining the foreigner. At the time, passersby who had gathered at the scene expressed their disapproval of the foreigner’s insults and wanted to assault him.

Calm was restored after the foreigner was put in handcuffs and taken into custody.

According to Shaban, the couple had just left a club at the plaza after a night of merrymaking. They broke a glass of sauce and made a fuss when asked to pay for the item.

“The couple had just left a club, located in the property. They broke a glass of sauce but didn’t like being asked to pay for it. They started assaulting the guards and the employees,”
he stated.

Efforts by Kenyans.co.ke to reach Kilimani OCPD were futile as he was unreachable for a comment.
The journalist also decried being assaulted by an officer in plain clothes attire.

“Quick police action saved the couple from further wrath of the public. The intoxicated duo were taken away by plainclothes officers who assaulted me in the process of filming this and confiscated my identity card shortly after the last frame. You can see the cop approaching me,”
he stated.

Watch Video below!

Local News

Rigathi Gachagua takes new move after losing Ksh. 200m to State

August 3, 2022 Ian Amulega

The Kenya Kwanza running mate and Mathira Member of Parliament Rigathi Gachagua moved to Court on Tuesday, August 2, to challenge a verdict ordering him to forfeit Ksh202 million.

Through his lawyer Kioko Kilukumi, Gachagua filed a petition at the Court of Appeal to block the Asset and Recovery Agency (ARA) from reclaiming the funds.

The money is said to be in his two bank accounts which he argued were acquired legally and not via corruption means as earlier ruled by the High Court.

The first time-MP argued the court did not give him enough time to explain source of his funds, a decision he described as a blatant attempt to curtail Kenya Kwanza’s bid to ascend to the presidency in the upcoming August 9 poll.

Gachagua was ordered to forfeit the funds by Justice Esther Maina of Anti-Corruption division of the High Court on July 28.

This was after ARA convinced the court that he acquired the money from government agencies without supplying any goods or services and therefore was a beneficiary of proceeds of corruption.

“The court finds that the funds are liable to forfeiture as the Assets Recovery Authority (ARA) has discharged its burden of proof that the funds were received by Gachagua,”
Justice Maina ruled.

Justice Maina ruled that ARA had proven beyond doubt that Gachagua and his associates engaged in corrupt practices and acquired the millions, which they could not explain.

The vocal lawmaker previously claimed that the decision was political witch hunt after he outsmarted his Azimio presidential running mate, Martha Karua in the deputy presidential debate held on July 19.

“Mr Gachagua being dissatisfied with the decision of High Court Judge Esther Maina delivered on Thursday last week intends to appeal to the Court of Appeal against the whole decision,”
said Kilukumi.

“The judgment was hastily rushed ten days before the elections in a futile attempt to undermine my candidature in the coming elections and dent my sterling performance in the running mates debate last week,”
the Mathira MP stated.

Gachagua’s appeal comes against the backdrop of an intensified political rallies from both coalitions, Kenya Kwanza and Azimio La Umoja as the campaign period hits fever pitch ahead of the August 9 poll.

Local News

Beijing reacts after DP Ruto expressed plans to deport Chinese

August 3, 2022 Ian Amulega

China is said to be closely following Kenya’s election, considering that its bilateral ties with the country are at stake.

One of the issues that saw Beijing shift its focus to the August 9 polls is the controversial statement made by Deputy President William Ruto who threatened to deport Chinese nationals in retail trade.

Despite refraining from stating its position on the matter, reports indicate that the sentiments caused jitters in Beijing.

“A senior aide to Ruto, who has been in contact with Chinese officials, admitted that the comments went down badly in Beijing,”
UK-based Financial Times reported.

Kenya’s ambassador to Kenya, Zhou Pingjian, is also yet to speak on the August 9 general election which has focused more on economic recovery. Offsetting China’s loans is one of the measures all four presidential candidates are exploring.

DP Ruto in different sets of interviews and rallies spoke against China’s influence on Kenya, from job creation to loans.

“These are Kenyan businesses and for those engaged in them, we have enough aeroplanes to deport them back to where they came from,”
Ruto said.

“That Chinese nationals are roasting maize and selling mobile phones! All those businesses are for Kenyans,”
he added.

His allies also vowed to hold Beijing accountable for what they argued were poorly disbursed loans that were embezzled rather than developing the nation.

“We know the owners of the newly constructed Nairobi Expressway. We are telling the Chinese government that we will hold you and your companies to account. Any government that gives loans and debts in the next two months, you are violating the constitution,”
Garissa Town MP Aden Duale stated during a rally in Kamukunji, Nairobi County on Saturday, June 4.

In an interview on KTN News on Thursday, July 7, the DP was as well drawn to the debate on the Nairobi Expressway, pledging to remove charges for motorists using the road.
He, however, assured that he would pay Kenya’s debt to China through avocado exportation. Ruto is seeking the presidency for the first time in his political career, running on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket.

Other than the DP, Roots Party presidential candidate, George Wajackoyah also promised to deport idle foreigners in the city and repay Kenya’s debt to China through bhang farming, snake rearing and exporting hyena testicles.

Azimio La Umoja flagbearer, Raila Odinga, however, promised to improve diplomatic relations with all foreign superpowers.

“China came in as a result of many African nations’ failure to raise capital for infrastructure development. Working with China is not to the exclusion of the rest. We want to work with everyone else. We want Europeans to come & invest in Africa,”
he stated in May 2022.

A July 2022 report released by the development firm, Inter Region Economic Network (IREN), revealed that Kenya and other African countries prefer taking loans from China as the Asian nation is quick on decision-making and completes projects on time.

Beijing was also credited with minimal interference in host nation politics.

In the same month, the Chinese ambassador to Kenya, Zhou Pingjian, refuted reports that China has overburdened Kenya with loans. Kenya, he said, owes China only 10 per cent of its total debt.

Among the key projects built by the Chinese in Kenya are the Nairobi Expressway, the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and the Thika Superhighway.