Trans Nzoia County, Kenya – Seventy-one KCSE candidates from Soymining Secondary School are receiving emergency support and temporary shelter after flash floods swept through their village, destroying homes and cutting off access to their school in the middle of the national exams.

The floods, triggered by days of heavy rainfall, submerged more than 3,100 acres of farmland in Soymining, displacing dozens of families and disrupting the education of candidates who were due to sit their final Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams.

Emergency Relocation to Kobos Schools

To ensure exams continue uninterrupted, county authorities in collaboration with well-wishers and the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) relocated the affected students to AIC Kobos Secondary School.

The 33 male candidates were moved to Kobos Boys’ Secondary School, while 38 female candidates were accommodated at Kobos Girls’ Secondary School, where they are expected to stay for about two weeks.

Trans Nzoia County’s Gender, Youth, Sports, Culture and Tourism Executive Eliud Tormoi, who led the rescue and relief mission, assured the students of continued government support.

“We are committed to ensuring the candidates finish their exams smoothly,” said Tormoi.
“The floods have traumatised many learners who fled their homes with nothing but their school uniforms. We appeal to well-wishers to continue donating food, sanitary products, and personal items.”

County and Community Support

The county government has partnered with local NGOs, churches, and community groups to provide food, bedding, and other essential supplies to the affected learners.

Soymining Secondary School Principal Pamela Lumadede praised the county’s quick response but noted that more help was urgently needed.

“Our students were displaced and some came with nothing. Additional assistance will help them remain comfortable and focused on their exams,” Lumadede said.

At Kobos Girls’ Secondary School, Principal Selina Kirui said the sudden arrival of the 38 female students had stretched their limited resources.

“They came empty-handed because they are day scholars,” Kirui said.
“We urgently need bedding, toiletries, sanitary pads, and soap. These children have been through a crisis, and our duty is to protect their education and dignity.”

Relief Efforts Ongoing

County officials confirmed that displaced families have been relocated to safer grounds as rescue and relief operations continue in affected areas.

The Kenya Meteorological Department has warned that more heavy rainfall is expected in the Rift Valley region, urging residents in flood-prone zones to remain vigilant and move to higher ground.

Education officials have assured parents that all affected candidates will be able to complete their KCSE exams without interruption under close supervision and security.

Impact on Learning and Mental Health

Experts have raised concerns about the psychological impact of the floods on students sitting for national exams.
According to local counsellors, many learners are struggling with anxiety, trauma, and uncertainty after losing their homes and belongings.

“Disasters like this can greatly affect students’ performance,” said Mary Wekesa, a school counsellor in Trans Nzoia.
“We are providing psychological support to help them stay focused and emotionally stable.”

Homa Bay County, Kenya – Tension gripped Kasipul Constituency on Thursday afternoon after a violent confrontation between supporters of two parliamentary by-election candidates left two people dead and several others injured.

According to police, the clashes broke out at Opondo area in Central Kasipul Ward when rival supporters of Independent candidate Phillip Aroko and ODM’s Boyd Were engaged in running battles during campaign rallies ahead of the upcoming Kasipul by-election.

Chaos Erupts After Gunfire Incident

Confirming the incident, Homa Bay County Police Commander Lawrance Koilem said the violence began when Aroko and his supporters allegedly stormed Were’s campaign venue and fired shots into the air, triggering panic and retaliation from the opposing camp.

“We have established that there were gunshots fired, and this sparked chaos between the two groups,” said Koilem.

Moments later, as Boyd Were went to report the incident at Oyugis Police Station, his supporters are said to have retaliated against Aroko’s team, leading to the fatal hacking of two youths, both aged 26 and reported to be Aroko’s supporters.

Police Launch Investigations

Koilem confirmed that investigations are underway, with officers already deployed to restore calm and trace those responsible for the violence.

“No one will be spared. We will arrest and prosecute everyone involved in this barbaric act,” he said.

He added that the police had intensified patrols across Kasipul Constituency to prevent further confrontations ahead of the election.

Political Leaders Condemn Violence

Homa Bay Governor and ODM Chairperson Gladys Wanga condemned the incident, calling for swift action by both the police and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to maintain peace during the campaign period.

“We cannot allow political competition to turn deadly. I urge all candidates and their supporters to respect the law and allow the people of Kasipul to exercise their democratic rights peacefully,” said Wanga.

Background of the By-Election

The Kasipul parliamentary seat fell vacant following the tragic murder of former MP Charles Ong’ondo Were, who was shot dead by unknown assailants in Nairobi earlier this year.

The by-election is scheduled for November 27, 2025, and has attracted several candidates, with campaigns intensifying across the constituency.

Authorities have urged all political players to conduct peaceful campaigns, warning that security agencies will take firm action against incitement and election-related violence.

Mombasa, Kenya – Shocking new revelations emerged at the Mombasa High Court on Thursday as witnesses continued to testify in the ongoing murder trial of Pastor Paul Mackenzie and his 30 co-accused over the Shakahola massacre, where hundreds died following the preacher’s alleged cult teachings.

Parents Reveal How Loved Ones Were Lured to Shakahola

The court heard heartbreaking accounts from relatives who lost family members to what has been described as one of Kenya’s darkest religious tragedies.

Mr. Benson Mutimba, a resident of Webuye and the 57th prosecution witness, told the court that Pastor Mackenzie promised to buy him a helicopter if he remained loyal to his teachings. Mutimba said two of his children, aged 27 and 16, dropped out of school after being convinced that education was evil.

“He told me Pastor Mackenzie had even promised him a helicopter if he continued following his teachings,”
Mutimba testified before Justice Mugure Thande.

Mutimba said his eldest son, a student at Kibabii University, had called Mackenzie a “true man of God” and persuaded him to sell all his property and relocate to Shakahola, believing they would become rich.

After his children disappeared, Mutimba filed a report with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). Investigations traced one of their mobile phones to Malindi, near Mackenzie’s base of operations.
Safaricom records later revealed that his son had sent Ksh 200 to Mackenzie’s number after arriving in Ukunda, Mombasa County.

Families Still Searching for Missing Loved Ones

Another witness, Jesca Safari Kone, the 58th witness, recounted losing contact with her sisters after they travelled to Shakahola. She later learned that three of her sisters and five of their children had died in the forest.

Similarly, Esther Anyango, the 59th witness, said her daughter and son-in-law moved from Likoni to Shakahola, where she was later informed that her daughter died during childbirth. She has since lost contact with her son-in-law and two grandchildren, who remain missing.

Witnesses Describe Families Torn Apart

The 60th witness, Roseline Anivisa Asena from Embakasi South, testified that her brother had joined Mackenzie’s church and started enforcing its extreme doctrines. He burned his children’s school report cards and birth certificates, claiming education and medicine were sinful.

“My brother became harsh and burned his children’s school documents,” she said.
“I only realized he had gone to Shakahola after seeing him on TV.”

Roseline said her brother’s wife was later rescued from the forest malnourished and weak, while three of his children died and were buried secretly in Shakahola. One surviving child was found alive but unable to speak or walk due to trauma.

In another account, Florence Mwahita Mwaigo, the 61st witness, testified that her son Alfonce Chomba, one of the accused persons, had lost his wife, Gloria Riziki, and their child Nathan Chomba in the Shakahola tragedy. She said her son had become a devout follower of Mackenzie, rejecting education and medical care as “sinful”.

Prosecution Builds Case Against Mackenzie

The prosecution continues to build its case against Pastor Mackenzie, leader of the controversial Good News International Church, and his co-accused.
They face multiple counts of murder, manslaughter, terrorism, and radicalization, all linked to the deaths of 191 people — many of them children — in Shakahola Forest, Kilifi County.

The case, which has gripped the nation since the mass graves were discovered in early 2023, resumes on Friday as more witnesses take the stand.