Why Sonko unceremoniously sacked DP Ruto’s appointee

He was seen as the most powerful in Governor Mike Sonko’s cabinet, at one time managing three dockets at ago, then in one fell swoop, he was out, unceremoniously axed in reactionary response to the murder of school children at Precious Talent Academy.

That’s what has befallen Charles Kerich, a former newspaper editor with the Star Newspaper whose appointment in Mike Sonko’s cabinet had been successfully lobbied by Deputy President William Ruto. At the time of his suspension, he was, perhaps, the longest serving Sonko cabinet member, serving as the CEC of Finance and Economic Planning.

Previously, he had served as CEC Lands and Physical Planning.

Sonko’s leadership style, erratic as it is, has seen improvements in service delivery at city hall, one of the most corrupt public sector offices in the country, with a history of official sleaze and malfeasance that dates back to the very beginning of time.

He has also managed to dismantle one group of cartels, if only to create another in his own image and likeness.

The suspensions, sometimes, are just for public gimmick, as Sonko re-hires the same people he has suspended, regardless of the recommendations of the investigations he institutes against them.

Kerich had surprisingly risen in Sonko’s officialdom, at one time seen as the “acting governor” as Sonko increasingly battled political ghosts, real and imagined,  many in the national government. Nairobi County has ‘functioned’ without a Deputy Governor for over a year now.

Sonko accused Kerich and those directly under him of approving substandard buildings after bribery by private developers. Others he suspended were:

Mohammed Dagane – CECM Health (responsible for general public health and safety);

Justus Kathenge, suspended County Chief Officer for Urban Planning (to continue in suspension);

Jusper Ndeke, Director Planning Compliance and Enforcement;

Dominic Mutegi, Development Management Director;

Ochanda Ondari Fredrick, Assistant Director Enforcement;

Ruth Waruguru, Director Urban Planning;

Thomas Dudi, Assistant Director Planning;

Simon Onyango, Development Officer (regularization of buildings/approval of architectural plans);

Alex Mucheru, Development Control (overseeing approvals of buildings and schools on behalf of public safety and health);

Mackline Saitera, Development Control (approval of building plans and school inspection)

Edna Guantai, In-charge of approval of public buildings and schools on behalf of public health

Joyce Kyengo, Dagoretti South Sub-County Administrator

Lucy Wairimu Munyika, Dagoretti South Sub-County Commander.

Sylivia Mwikali Nthinga, Dagoretti South Sub-County Planning Officer

Okal Kennedy, Ngando Ward Administrator.

Sonko meanwhile appointed Pauline Kahiga as the acting CEC for Finance and Economic Planning and Veska Kangogo as the acting CEC for Health.

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Exposed: Meru FM presenters on the spot over unprofessional conduct

Just a day after a letter went viral over plans by Mediamax Ltd to retrench some of it’s top employees and also render some positions redundant, presenters from an affiliate radio station Meru FM have been trolled in Meru by irate fans.

The drama unfolded when a vernacular TV station aired a controversial story of Mike Makarina, the Chairman of People With Disabilities in Meru County.

According to the story, the Meru County PWDs Chair who was recently appointed by Governor Kiraitu Murungi has been swindling unsuspecting members of the public off their hard earned cash. The story brought forth many more victims accusing the said suspect of conning them money. The victims are said to be both to the disabled and the abled members of the public.

Makarina is thereafter said to have reached out to Meru FM drive presenters to sanitize his name. The radio presenters, Mwenda Saba and Mbaka Muriuki who was fired from SK Macharia’s owned Muuga FM for similar accusations, hosted Makarina and defended him live on air against the accusations.

During the radio show, not a single SMS that was read by the duo was negative other than the ones they made up to sanitize Mr Makarina who at some point admitted that Mwenda Saba was his advisor.

The controversial issue has sharply divided Meru FM presenters with majority of them accusing their two colleagues of unprofessional conduct and subjecting the station to unnecessary criticism. Barely two weeks ago the station was criticized for sidelining Meru region musicians by holding an event in Maua only to tag along musicians from Central Kenya. We observe the as the drama unfolds.

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INSIDER ACCOUNT: How Aisha Jumwa smuggled Raila in her office

The meeting between Hon. Aisha Jumwa and ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga has left tongues wagging on both sides of the political divide.

ODM held their Parliamentary caucus at County Hall, one of the many parliament buildings where the offices of MPs who are Parliamentary Service Commissioners are situated.

Hon. Aisha’s office is on the same floor as the plenary where ODM held its PG meeting. Aisha inherited the office from Homa Bay Women Representative Hon. Gladys Wanga who served as a commissioner in the last parliament between 2013 and 2017.

Sources privy to the intrigues behind the rare meeting told this writer that Hon. Aisha texted PM Odinga to “pass by” after the meeting.

Hon. Odinga then informed ODM Chair Hon. Mbadi and Hon. Junet Mohammed. After the meeting, the three headed directly to Hon. Aisha’s office, together with ODM Kibra candidate Imran Okoth, who had just been introduced to the caucus.

She was waiting with her arms open. Eyewitnesses say she kissed and hugged Mr. Odinga, and proceeded to have a photo session, setting online political forums on fire.

Then she spent the next half an hour with Mr. Odinga and Hon. Junet. We may never know what the three discussed. But when they came out, it was clear Mr. Odinga’s magic wand had softened the Coast renegade.

Sources reveal that Hon. Aisha Jumwa has been in good moods the whole day, even buying lunch for several ODM hangers-on around parliament.

As the impact of the meeting cascaded down to the critical cogs of the various political machines, denials followed, as was expected. Feeling stung, the tanga tanga crew led by Elgeyo Marakwet  Senator Kipchumba Murkomen have come out guns blazing to dismiss the meeting.

Hon. Aisha’s Tangatanga machinery wants the meeting to be viewed as coincidental. It doesn’t really matter. In politics, nothing happens by chance. Even chance itself is planned, meticulously!

Hon. Aisha Jumwa is still an ODM elected member of parliament. And she is not just a mere member of parliament with no portfolio.

The ODM Party had two slots for Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) which the party gifted to Hon. Aisha Jumwa and Hon. George Khaniri.

Save for leadership offices which includes the office of the speaker and his deputy, the leaders of majority and minority parties currently held by Hon. Aden Duale and Hon. John Mbadi, their deputies  and the whips, being appointed to the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) is one of the most lucrative postings an MP can get because it is the Parliamentary Service Commission that determines the budgets of parliament.

And this parliament has a huge budget, from where millions are made in illicit contracts and tenders. The PSC also allows one to recruit as many supporters as he/she can lobby to enlist as permanent parliamentary staff. MPs who are commissioners drive “GK” inscribed vehicles, with free fuel, enhanced security and an extra escort car.

So the position Aisha Jumwa holds is as powerful as it gets. Which is why ODM feels slighted that despite the appointment, Hon. Aisha is a rebel, and one who is backing the party’s arch enemy in the person of the Deputy President, William Ruto.

Will today’s thaw in relations last?

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Hon Aisha Jumwa dumps DP Ruto, endorses Raila’s Kibra candidate Imran Okoth

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Director of Communication Philip Etale has revealed that Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa has officially ditched William Ruto’s Tanga-tanga team to support ODM candidate Imran Okoth in Kibra by-election.

Through his tweet, Etale alleged that Aisha had promised to vigorously campaign for ODM candidate Bernard Okoth Imran for the Kibra parliamentary seat against Jubilee’s Macdonald Mariga.

According to Etale, Aisha had made the decision after attending an ODM meeting on Tuesday at the County Hall in Nairobi.

In the photos shared by the ODM party, the MP who has been so vocal against the orange party since declaring her allegiance to William Ruto was spotted attending a meeting of the party’s Parliamentary Group which was chaired by Raila Odinga.

According to ODM, the meeting was meant to brainstorm and to foster the unity in the party at the legislative level. It was reported that the meeting was also used to introduce ODM’s candidate in Kibra, Imran Okoth to Members.

In March 2018, Aisha declared her support for Ruto saying she had taken the position in alignment with the historic handshake between their opposition leader Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta.

ODM later through the party’s Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna responded to Aisha’s behaviour saying every member supporting a rival party will be deemed to have resigned and will be expelled.

The committee later expelled her from the party but the decision was later reversed by the court through a petition filed by Aisha’s lawyer who is also Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen.

However, up to the time of going to print, the vocal MP was not yet available for any comments concerning the same since all her calls went unanswered.

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Breaking sad: 8 dead in inter-clan clash, Mandera county

At least eight people were killed on Tuesday and several others injured in retaliatory inter-clan clashes in Banisa Constituency, Mandera County.

According to the North Eastern Mohamed Regional Commissioner Mohmmed Birik, the attack was a retaliation of another one that had happened in Ethiopia where two people were killed and 100 camels stolen.

He said armed militia from one clan attacked raided Doomal village at dawn killing the victims on the spot.

Additional police officers have been deployed in the area and security teams were engaging village elders to diffuse tension.

The attack comes just a few days after leaders led by Governor Ali Roba on Sunday called for peace among the local communities.

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Photos: ODM boss Raila Odinga conducts P.G meeting in parliament

ODM party leadership led by Party leader Raila Odinga has conducted a parliamentary group of its own in the parliament premises today.
The party reached this decision due to ongoing works at the newly acquired party headquarters in Lavington Nairobi.

This was lat years resolution:

During today’s meeting, a raft of resolutions were made which included the following;

Members supported the initiative of revamping and revitalizing the Party as resolved at the meeting of the National Governing Council (NGC) held here at Orange House on 23rd February 2018.
They welcomed the establishment of the Task Force to review the Party’s performance in the recent and preceding general elections with a view of coming up with findings and resolutions on how best we can improve going forward.
That the Party will do everything possible and within its means to recapture all the seats that may have been lost through petitions.
The members committed to faithfully contribute to the development and growth of the Party and furthering its programmes, including making regular financial contributions as required.
The members received the report from H.E. the Party Leader on his recent engagement with H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta and welcomed the initiative. They congratulated the two leaders for the courage, statesmanship and boldness that saw them put aside what looked like irreconcilable differences and meet for the sake of the nation.
The PG encouraged the Party Leader to stay focused on the big picture and the struggle for a better, just, inclusive and fair Kenya and refuse to be destructed by those positioning themselves for 2022.
The Members encouraged the Party Leader to use this engagement to seek Justice for the victims of Post-Election Violence as way to finding the lasting reconciliation and unit of the nation.

Signed at Orange House

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Details of Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru death revealed

An official at the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has come to reveal intricate details surrounding the death of Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru.

Gakuru died after a guardrail penetrated the vehicle was being driven in, tearing into his side and dragging on for more than 60 metres.

Speaking after assessing the wreckage at Makuyu Police station, NTSA inspector Dennis Ireri said the governor’s driver did not slam on the brakes even after the car veered to the side of the road.

In an earlier account, the driver, Mr Samuel Kinyanjui told the court that rammed into the guardrail after avoiding a head-on collision with an oncoming lorry.

Karanja would also say that the driver’s airbags deployed immediately, leaving his legs stuck on the gas pedal.

Interestingly, early reports indicated that Governor Gakuru’s airbags failed to deploy.

Inspector Ireri revealed that there were no skid marks on the road after the accident, showing the driver made no efforts to break even after hitting the guardrails.

“The road was wet and if the brakes were applied before ramming into the rails, there would have been skid marks on the road,” he said.

The vehicle is said to have flattened five concrete posts and bent three more during the accident that claimed the life of Governor Gakuru.

In the aftermath, the left tyres were shredded, with the rims having being totally shattered.

While the governor’s personal aide stated that their chase car was doing 130Km/hr during the November 7, 2017 accident, Kinyanjui said he was only doing 100Km/hr on Thika superhighway.

Ireri told the inquest that the vehicle had no previous defaults and that the crime scene may have been interfered with by rescuers who pulled Governor Gakuru from the Mercedes E 250 wreck.

The Governor’s driver who now works at a health facility told the inquest that his life was in danger after he a man accosted him at a shopping mall.

The man, he told the inquest, had alleged he was paid to finish Governor Gakuru.

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