One employee of Smart Life Microfinance company has been taken into custody by Migori County police after some locals who were purportedly saving with the organization claimed to have been scammed.

Francis Nguli, the commander of Migori County police, claimed that after receiving complaints from locals who were supposedly saving money with the microfinance, they arrested a person they believed to be the branch manager.

According to Nguli, the suspect was charged with fraud and forgery when he was arraigned in court on Wednesday evening.

He noted that the individual is being held while police have time to finish their investigations, as granted by the Migori Law Court.

According to the police commander, initial findings suggest that more than 3,000 individuals are requesting Ksh.10 million from the microfinance company that operates in Migori.

He stated that in order to assist with the investigations, they are still pursuing the company’s directors.

The United States of America has pledged to keep supporting Kenya in expanding access to quality healthcare.

According to US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman, the US embassy is pleased to collaborate with Kenyan officials who are placing a high priority on health issues because having access to high-quality healthcare is the cornerstone of a robust and vibrant community.

She said that the US government has been fostering intergovernmental ties just as much as private US persons and groups have with their Kenyan counterparts.

“The US Embassy is proud to work with Kenyan leaders prioritising the health of Kenyans. These partnerships between private US citizens and organisations and their Kenyan counterparts are the foundation of our two countries’ strong relationship,” said Amb. Whitman. 

Speaking in Siaya during the opening of an intensive care unit and an operating theater at Matibabu, which was made possible by a collaboration between US private citizens and the Tiba Foundation in the Ugenya sub-county, the US Envoy remarked that the project exemplified the value of teamwork.

Amb. Whitman noted that the new building will contribute to providing the residents of Siaya County and the surrounding Lake region with high-quality medical services.

Governor James Orengo of Siaya praised the US government’s commitment, pointing out that this kind of cooperation will be very beneficial.

He said that some non-communicable and communicable diseases that continue to be a problem in Siaya County will be effectively addressed through such partnerships.

Tuesday night, a middle-aged guy who had apparently escaped arrest drowned in Kambala village in Kericho County after falling into a river.

The man tried to steal his mother’s cow in order to sell it for his own purposes, according to the police.

When his siblings saw the family cow was missing from the shed, they set out to get it right away.

After a while, they learned that the man had driven the cow in a certain direction. They tracked him down right away, forcing him to give the cow back to its rightful owner.

When the assistant chief of the area and the assistant county commissioner happened to walk by when they were returning the cow, they noticed the man being frog-matched and stopped to find out more.

The man thought the assistant chief and the assistant county commissioner were going to arrest him when he saw that they had stopped. He immediately ran to the swollen river and tried to swim to the other side in an attempt to escape, but the waters overtook him and carried him away.

The chief was injured when the enraged locals turned on him and attacked him, accusing him of being the cause of the man’s drowning.

The deceased person’s body is still being sought after.

Eight Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) employees are under arrest in connection with a purported Ksh. 62 million tender fraud.

Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in Mombasa apprehended the accused.

The following eight officials are scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday:

1. Yobesh Oyaro – Former Head of Procurement and Supplies, KPA

2. David Angwenyi – Member of the Evaluation Committee, KPA

3. Norah Mugambi – Member of the Evaluation Committee, KPA

4. Athanase Wambari – Member of the Evaluation Committee, KPA

5. Robert Bosuben – Senior Clerical Officer at the Civil Engineering Department, KPA

6. Azenath Kwamboka Mageto – Agent of Chemiso East Africa

7. Rose Cherotich – Account signatory of Chemiso East Africa.

8. Idd Arube Nanyang – Agent of Chemiso East Africa

Documents state that the officials are expected to be charged with multiple offenses, such as money laundering, forgery, fraudulent acquisition of public property, and conflict of interest.

Additional charges include uttering a fake document, lying to get a contract from a public institution, and willfully breaking procurement laws.

The national government has reaffirmed its pledge to give the counties the remaining devolved responsibilities within the deadlines specified.

By the end of February, the functions will be moved, with the understanding that resources—a source of conflict—will follow.

In a meeting with the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) on Tuesday, Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui, who oversees the development of cooperatives and SMEs, expressed optimism that the transfer exercise will be finished in less than a month.

In order to prevent service delivery from being impacted, Chelugui claims that the government will provide a smooth transition of responsibilities.

He declared that as part of strengthening devolution, the national government is dedicated to the process as it is outlined in the constitution.

Speaking to the media subsequent to the meeting, Chelugui stated that the Commission of Revenue Allocation (CRA) is in charge of handling the resource issue for the outstanding functions.

According to Chelugui, all cooperative resources and operations would be transferred as part of the ongoing procedure, which is anticipated to be completed by February.

He added that farmer-owned co-operative societies are the reason the dairy industry has prospered and that this will strengthen the co-operative movement.

As part of unbundling functions, IGRTC Chairman Kithinji Kiragu committed to assist counties in developing their ability.

He praised the cooperation between the federal and local governments, pointing out that it has aided in the process of transfer.

In Mwania village, Kithayoni, Kathonzweni Subcounty, a crocodile attacked and killed a Makueni man who was attempting to cross the Athi River.

According to Area Red Cross Cordinator Evans Peter, the organization responded to a distress call on Tuesday and discovered that the victim’s remains had already been recovered by locals when they got at the area.

The remains were taken by police to the mortuary at Makueni Referral Hospital.

The victim’s identification has not yet been made public.

To stop more tragedies, locals have pleaded with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to step in and relocate the crocodile.

Only a few weeks had passed since a crocodile in the same location had attacked a teenager.

Despite being rescued, he had injuries to his leg and hand.

The three journalists who got into a fight on Sunday during an event in Siaya County that resulted in one of them getting hurt has been denounced by the Media Council of Kenya (MCK).

The fight between journalists from The Star newspaper, K24 television, and Royal Media Services, according to a statement released by MCK Chief Executive Officer David Omwoyo on Tuesday, puts their credibility as professionals in jeopardy.

“The Council unequivocally condemns all forms of violence, including those perpetrated by members of the press against their own or on members of the public. Journalists resorting to physical fights and engaging in slander not only jeopardizes their professional credibility but also undermines the principles of responsible journalism,” he said.

After The Star published an article about the event, the Council issued additional warnings to media outlets cautioning them against running biased reports on the subject.

“The Council is ready to offer its support and assistance to the journalists involved in this incident. We encourage them to seek mediation or other forms of conflict resolution to address the underlying issues and prevent future violence. Further, we urge media houses to stop publishing one-sided stories written by the respective employees as this causes more confusion and veils facts during a conflict,” said Omwoyo.

MCK stated that it has looked into the situation and advised the parties concerned to face consequences.

The event has already been looked into by the Council, which encourages the relevant media outlets to look into it thoroughly and take the necessary disciplinary action.

“The Council has already investigated the incident and urges the relevant media organizations to equally undertake a comprehensive investigation and take appropriate disciplinary action against those invoked. Any accredited journalists engaged in such altercations risk losing their registration with the Council, Journalists have a responsibility to conduct themselves with integrity and decorum, even in the face of aggression.” noted the MCK chair.

Redeploying teachers to Kakamega County’s St. Gabriel Isongo Secondary School has been approved by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

The decision to transfer all teachers from the school was made by TSC following a meeting between the teachers’ employer and Western Kenyan Members of Parliament, who expressed their sincere regret for the violent dismissal of the school principal.

At the TSC’s offices in Upper Hill, Nairobi, on Tuesday, legislators from the area were led by Mumias East MP Peter Salasya in a mission to seek a truce.

“The entire leadership of Kakamega County including the area MP Salasya have unreservedly tendered their apology to the Principal and all teachers in the Republic, the TSC and the people of Kenya over the unfortunate incident that occurred at St. Gabriel Isongo Secondary School,” said Emmanuel Wangwe, MP for Navakholo.

According to TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia, the commission would return teachers to the school, provided that the school agrees to provide a secure and tranquil working environment for the teachers.

“We are, therefore, happy that the local leaders considered it wise to come and meet with us today with as solution. As a result of our deliberations, I wish to announce that the commission will post 17 trained and registered teachers to the school to ensure that normal teaching and learning activities resume with immediate effect,” she said.

In sharp contrast, Soy MP David Kiplagat has had to hire 10 teachers at St. Martin Secondary School after the TSC removed 7 instructors due to a similar situation in which the principal was forcibly removed by the parents due to subpar KCSE exam results from the previous year.

“As leaders from this region we can make sure our school is operational, with or without mambo ya TSC. But also the action that TSC took to recall all the teachers from this school, I think whoever took that action was not in the best interests of the child,” he said.

The lawmaker argues that parents have the right to expect their children to perform well, and TSC is tasked with making sure students receive the best quality of education