John-Allan Namu, the founder of Africa Uncensored and an investigative journalist, has addressed criticism he has received online over foreign sponsorship for his media organization and speculation that he was going to have a town hall-style media debate with President William Ruto.

On Thursday, July 18, Namu, a well-bred journalist who gained notoriety for his investigative work at the Kenya Television Network (KTN), was the target of online criticism following the disclosure by a popular blogger that his media organization continued to receive funding from the Ford Foundation.

The X exposé disclosed that in August 2023, Namu’s Africa Uncensored was awarded a grant of approximately $250,000 (Ksh. 33 million).

Many Kenyans scoured the internet for information about Namu’s connection to the Ford Foundation, which had made headlines a few days prior when President William Ruto accused it of “funding” the anti-government protests across the country.

Under pressure, Namu acknowledged that he had in fact acknowledged financing from the aforementioned American organization, claiming that it was essential for him to do his work independently. He urged Kenyans to evaluate him based on the quality of his job.

“This is true. We have never denied or hidden our sources of funding or partnerships. I have always said that the proof of our intentions is the work we do. I’m ready to defend all the work we have put in,” he wrote.

The questions persisted despite the explanation, which prompted the journalist to issue a comprehensive statement defending not only his own organization but also a number of other significant Kenyan media organizations.

A part of the statement said:  “Today, I want to express my gratitude for the many messages I’ve received, which indicate that a large number of you recognize the vile attempt to discredit the work of Africa Uncensored. Thank you all. You have upheld our work as a beacon, corrected us when we were wrong, and now you stand with us. However, this fight is about more than just our credibility; it is about everyone’s voices.”

“We are also facing nefarious onslaughts in the courts via SLAPP suits i.e legal action filed by an individual or organization primarily to intimidate, silence, or censor critics by burdening them with the cost and effort of a legal defence. The situation has now escalated to include the abductions of journalists. Media freedom is the lifeblood through which journalism flourishes, but it is not a privilege only for journalists. If you have ever wondered what it would be like to live in a time when your freedoms were at stake, wonder no more. We at Africa Uncensored stand by our and our professional colleagues’ right to report and enjoy the freedoms guaranteed by our constitution to the fullest extent, in line with our code of ethics. We stand by your right to use your voices in the same way,” said Namu.

However, the majority of Kenyans showed their support for Namu and his journalism, much outnumbering the insults. Many even advised him to keep going and disregard the sideshows.

“You’re a good man Allan,” Popular activist Hanifa Adan  wrote. Your entire body of work will always be remembered. I appreciate you listening, and I will always be a fan.”

Namu has not yet provided an explanation for her plans to invite President William Ruto at a town hall discussion to address the impasse in Kenyan politics, despite rumors to the contrary. She has merely tweeted, “Guys, I hear you.”

Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) clergy have encouraged Kenya’s youth anti-government demonstrators to immediately call off their demonstrations so that President William Ruto has time to address their concerns.

The clergy, led by ACK Archbishop Joseph Ole Sapit, applauded the demonstrators and emphasized the cascading impact their cause had on the Kenya Kwanza administration, which resulted in the dismissal of the Cabinet and the subsequent appointment of former Police Inspector General Japhet Koome.

However, the Archbishop made clear that Ruto needs more time to address the other issues brought up during the demonstrations.

“We appeal to protesters to suspend protests and give the government time to attend to the raft of demands, some of which the President has begun to address including firing most of his Cabinet Secretaries, signing of the IEBC Amendment Bill 2024 into law and the resignation of the IG of Police among others. Please desist from actions that will jeopardise the very future that we are all fighting for. We as a church will monitor and report any progress that is made and also demand that whatever has been committed should be implemented,” said Ole Sapit at the All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi.

Ole Sapit also urged Ruto to act quickly and carry out the other demands made by the public, which include, among other things, freezing the local and foreign accounts of all corruption suspects, cutting back on government spending and the wage bill, shrinking the size of the government, and giving priority to essential services.

“In view of these measures the government must come up with, in the next one week, an implementation matrix of these demands and make it available for public scrutiny and monitoring. There is much talk about creating employment for the youth, let this be backed by a genuine action. We demand that the government must stop further imposition of taxes and levies especially the recently introduced housing levy and the unjust increased fuel levy must be withdrawn. Taxpaying Kenyans do not see value for the money of these schemes,” he said.

Ole Sapit also encouraged Ruto to drop the present university funding scheme, claiming it has prevented many worthy and underprivileged students from accessing higher education.

He also begged Ruto to make sure that the people he nominates for the Cabinet in the future are honorable and worthy.

Tana River residents have been advised to report any instances of early marriages so that those responsible can face consequences for diminishing the lives and health of young girls.

This comes after Tana River County has seen a rise in early marriages, which has resulted in a high number of dropout scenarios.

Tana River Woman Representative Amina Dika stated on Thursday that while some parents are taking advantage of their daughters, others are illegally “selling off” their girls due to extreme poverty.

She spoke at a delivery of 100,000 sanitary pads to adolescent girls in 178 primary schools.

Period poverty has also been a big problem, with girls being tricked into joining illicit unions in exchange for food and a few sanitary towels.

Teenage females were advised against getting married or having sex since it would prevent them from attending school.

“Locals shouldn’t trick our girls into getting married young; instead, they should concentrate on their education,” Dika stated.

A pupil at Minjila Primary School named Lawreen Mwende expressed her gratitude to the Women’s Representative for providing sanitary towels to the school and for assuring her that there would be no more absenteeism, which would improve their performance.

Following a bloody shootout with gang members who had controlled the vital seaport since March 6, 2024, a team of Kenyan and Haitian police officers successfully retook the vital Port-au-Prince port on Wednesday.

The Auorite Portuaire Nationale (APN) port is a vital entry point for United Nations aid deliveries to the gang-ridden Caribbean nation. The officers, drawn from the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to Haiti, effectively liberated the port.

Due to the gangs’ occupation of the port, food and medical supplies could not be delivered, which made the humanitarian situation in Haiti worse.

After sending the initial 200 policemen to Port-au-Prince in late June, this was the first time Kenyan police had engaged the gang members in combat.

“The gangs that had begun firing at them were repelled by the Kenyan contingent and the Haitian police officers. The port, which was governed by the gangs, was later taken over by the officers “The Nation quotes MSS Mission Commander Godfrey Otunge as saying.

“Both Kenyan and Haitian agents took up positions at several points in the city as the shooting continued and managed to gain access to the port, which has been a no-go zone since March.”

Prior to the security operation, 14 communities controlled by gangs were placed under state of emergency, as announced by Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille.

Conille then firmly declared that he would not engage in negotiations with the criminal gangs. “I authorise the Haitian National Police, with the support of the Haitian Armed Forces and the MS, to gradually deploy and launch operations in the affected areas,” Conille said.

It’s still unknown if any Kenyan officers lost their lives or suffered injuries during the operation.

This came about just one day after 200 additional Kenyan police officers departed for Haiti in an attempt to stem the tide of gang violence that was rife in the Caribbean country.

Kenya is in charge of a force that should total about 2,500 soldiers.

Candidates for the positions of Deputy Inspector General, Kenya Police Service (DIG-KPS) and Deputy Inspector General, Administration Police Service (DIG-APS) have been shortlisted by the National Police Service Commission (NPSC).

The candidates shortlisted for the DIG-KPS post are George Adero Sedah, Eliud Kipkoech Lagat, Tom Mboya Odero, and Dr. Vincent Kinas Makokha, according to NPSC Chief Executive Officer Peter Leley.

Gilbert Masengeli, Margaret Nyambura Karanja, James Mukuha Kamau, and Dr. Masoud Mwinyi were also shortlisted by the Commission at the same time for the position of DIG-APS.

The individuals who made the short list will be interviewed starting at 9:30 am on Monday, July 22, 2024.

The exercise, which is scheduled to last till 12:15 pm, will begin with those who have been shortlisted for the position of DIG-KPS.

The screening of DIG-APS nominees will take place from 2:00 pm until 4:15 pm. The Kenya School of Government’s Lowe Kabete Campus in Nairobi will host the interviews.

Following the Commission’s advertisement, a total of 38 people applied for the jobs of Deputy Inspector General, Kenya Police Service, and Deputy Inspector General, Administration Police Service.

Of these, 13 applied for the position of the Deputy Inspector General of the Administration Police Service and 21 applied to be the Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service.

However, some candidates ignored to indicate which roles they were applying for. They are Nicholas Mwiti, Abdirashid Bilali, Brian Wekesa Wanyonyi, and Paul Omondi Okinyi.

The public has been asked to provide whatever information they may have about the candidates online or in written memos to the chairperson of the Commission by Monday of the next week at the latest.

In an effort to put an end to the statewide protests, the National Police Service has reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the sanctity of human life. However, on Thursday, it forbade any protests within the Nairobi CBD and its environs.

In a statement issued Wednesday evening, Acting Police Inspector General Douglas Kanja expressed remorse that what began as peaceful demonstrations has resulted in the loss of lives and property destruction when criminals entered the protest.

“While the constitution under Article 37, provides for the right to assemble and picket to present petitions to public authorities, the constitution equally provides for the critical role the NPS plays in the national security of our country,” Kanja’s statement says.

Kanja continued by saying that the National Police Service has been informed with great confidence that certain organized crime groups intend to use Thursday, July 18, 2024,’s protests as a springboard for carrying out violence and even stealing.

“The lack of designated leadership in previous demonstrations has made it difficult to ensure safety protocols. As a result, no demonstrations will be permitted in the Nairob Central Bussiness District and its surroundings until further notice to ensure public safety,” the statement reads in part.

Kanja also urged the public to work with the police on Thursday to maintain peace in the Nairobi Central Business District.

“We therefore appeal to members of the public to remain vigilant in crowded areas and to support our collective safety and security by sharing any information that may aid the police in crime detection and prevention,” he stated.

The announcement follows the tumultuous turn that Tuesday’s rallies in various parts of the nation took, with sporadic incidents of injury stemming from altercations between demonstrators and security personnel.

Three individuals, one of whom was a journalist, were reportedly shot during the anti-government demonstrations in Nakuru.

A number of initiatives have been put into place by President William Ruto in response to protests from Generation Z.

Kenyan Gen Zs have been protesting the Finance Bill 2024 in the streets for the past three weeks.

Kenyans demanded that the President listen to their requests during the protests, which were held in major cities throughout the nation.

Protesters stormed the Parliament during the demonstrations, leaving many people with lifelong injuries and others dead.

In response to pressure, Ruto declined to endorse the Finance Bill 2024, sending it back to Parliament to be completely rewritten.

The Gen Zs, however, were unaffected by the change and instead made greater demands of the President.

The President unveiled fresh austerity measures on June 26. These would have an impact on important governmental ministries, including his own office.

After pulling the contentious Finance Bill, 2024, Ruto stated that he needed to figure out how to manage the affairs by cutting back on spending.

Among his suggestions was setting a target operational expense for the entire presidency, which included the Deputy President’s office.

The Head of State announced that the confidential vote will no longer be used, and that spending for travel, hospitality, buying cars, and renovations will be cut.

In order to guarantee that “We live within our means respecting the loud message that is coming from the people of Kenya,” he also gave the Parliament, the Judiciary, and the counties instructions to collaborate with the Treasury and implement budget cuts and austerity.

In addition, he disbanded at least 47 state corporations that performed similar tasks.

Chief Administrative Secretaries (CAS) recruiting has been suspended by the President.

Additionally, he gave the order to immediately cut at least 50% of the government’s adviser staff.

Ruto declared that the First Lady’s, Second Lady’s, and the Prime Cabinet Secretary’s spouses would no longer have budgets.

He added that the executive offices’ private budgets had been eliminated.

The head of state announced a 50% reduction in the government’s renovation budget.

He also gave the order that civil servants who turn 60 years old must retire right away; there would be no exceptions.

In addition, the President issued an executive order prohibiting the government from purchasing new cars for a period of one year, with the exception of security agencies.

Among other things, state officers’ non-essential travel has been suspended.

For a year, he prohibited government entities from purchasing cars.

Ruto also dismissed his whole cabinet last Monday, sending the Attorney General and all CSs home.

The only person to survive the e-purge was Prime Cabinet Secretary Mudavadi, who also serves as the CS for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.

The new cabinet will be named following comprehensive talks with all relevant stakeholders, according to the Head of State.

As stated by President Ruto, there will be wide sectoral consultations prior to naming the new cabinet.

Musalia Mudavadi, the prime cabinet secretary, has been gazetted as the acting CS for all ministries by President William Ruto.

The notification in the gazette is dated July 12. The President disbanded his Cabinet last Monday, sending the Attorney General and 21 Cabinet members home.

Mudavadi, the CS for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, was the only one to make it through the purge.

Protests against the government put pressure on the authorities to fire the CSs.

Ruto had stated that the purpose of sending the CSs home was to facilitate the establishment of an opposition-led “broad-based government.”

“That in accordance with Article 152 (5) (b) of the constitution, the Cabinet secretaries listed below have been dismissed from office as stated, namely […]” the notice reads, before listing all the former CSs starting with Kithure Kindiki (Interior).

From now on, Mudavadi will supervise all ministries, while principal secretaries handle the majority of the duties at hand.

The notice stated, “That Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi is assigned as the acting Cabinet Secretary in all vacant ministerial portfolios pursuant to Article 152 (5) (a) of the Constitution.”

Additionally, the notice upholds the Attorney General’s dismissal.

“That in accordance with Section 12 (1) of the Office of the Attorney General Act (Chapter 6A, Laws of Kenya), the appointment of Hon. Justin B N Muturi, EGH as the AttorneyGeneral is rescinded,” it said.

Ruto claimed to have taken action following a thorough evaluation of the Cabinet’s performance when he announced the dismissal of the CSs.

He declared that in order to find people who can help him hasten Kenya’s change, he will confer with representatives of all political parties and sectors.

According to Ruto, he is eager to put radical programs into place to address issues with jobs, domestic resources, corruption, debt, and waste in government.

Additionally, he allayed concerns that the government’s operations would be disrupted by stating that the PSs, or principal accounting officers for ministries, would continue to be in charge.

Major ministerial decisions will now proceed without hindrance, with Mudavadi serving as the CS.

“Principal secretaries and other pertinent officials will oversee the government’s operations throughout this process,” he declared.

“I understand that the Kenyan people have high expectations of me and that this administration can carry out the most significant transformation in our country’s history, even with the progress we have made.”

According to Ruto, the government has significantly increased food production by bringing down the price of farm inputs, which has decreased the cost of both food and life.

Governor George Natembeya of Trans Nzoia has placed his county executives under performance contracts and pledged to uphold effective management practices and zero tolerance for corruption.

In addition to threatening to bear his own cross if any officers are found to have misused public cash or resources, Natembeya declared that he would not consider cases of graft inside his administration.

Natembeya declared, “It will not be business as usual and you are on your own if you are found messing up with public resources.”

The county executive’s signing of performance contracts took place in Kitale on Tuesday, when the county chief spoke.

Natembeya emphasized that he wanted Trans Nzoia to serve as an example of service delivery for other Kenyan counties.

“We have to aim high and achieve high, I want other counties to come and benchmark how we deliver services,” he stated.

He outlined the difficulties the county faces, such as payment processing delays and anomalies in the procurement procedure.

The county executive demanded stringent screening protocols in response to worries about unskilled workers submitting bids.

“Some individuals who have no capacity at all are applying for tenders just to mess up what we want to do and we will not allow that,” Natembeya stated.

Nonetheless, he declared that the county would endeavor to enhance the youth’s ability in the area so that they may gain from the contracts and jobs in the county as well.

The governor gave the county finance department instructions to establish a cashless system in order to reduce problems associated with handling cash.

“I direct the finance department to ensure that there is no cash handling in any of our processes because it is outdated to have officers handling cash,” he stated.

Natembeya has set an ambitious goal of generating more than Sh1 billion in own source revenue this fiscal year.

The governor also spoke about the pending bills, stressing how critical it is to finish projects quickly.

“Every payment we get, including those revenues, will enable us to promptly reimburse our contractors. There won’t be any outstanding bills for us,” he declared.

Prioritizing social issues in the upcoming fiscal year will be made possible by the completion of flagship projects like the county hospital and stadium during the current calendar year.

Natembeya urged county officials to work together successfully and stated that he will continue to offer his full assistance.

“Let us stop the issue of passing the buck and blame games, let us deliver as one government,” he concluded.

EACC Deputy CEO Abdi Mohamud indicated that the Commission was a “total stranger” to the contents of the invitation letter to the purported summit in a letter dated July 17, 2024, addressed to the Solicitor General.

“Kindly note that the Commission is a total stranger to the averments made by this Citizen and takes great exception to the same,” Mohamud continued.

“In particular, the Commission is not a party to the said Forum and neither has it advised or asked him to take any of the actions discussed in his letter, including organizing the purported event.”

Whistleblower Lawrence Bosire Miruka invited the Solicitor General and seventeen other state institutions involved in governance to an event he called an Economic Forum in the aforementioned letter.

On July 22, 2024, Miruka stated he organized the forum at a hotel in Naivasha, allegedly at the EACC’s suggestion or request.

Miruka extended an invitation to eighteen state institutions, which included the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the AG’s Office, and EACC.

In the letter, Miruka informed the invitees that he was acting at the EACC’s recommendation.

“Having a dialogue on the economic issues by all stakeholders herein and coming up with a lasting solution is a new dawn and a game changer for the country’s peace, prosperity and tranquillity,” the letter written by Miruka to state agencies stated.

“Allow me with pleasure of inviting you to the Economic Forum Meeting on 22nd July 2024.”

In response to a query from the Star, Miruka insisted that the Forum will go forward despite acknowledging that he did not have the necessary finances to cover the costs associated with the event.

He affirmed that no plans had been made to reserve the meeting location, but he insisted that the forum would still take place, whichever that might be.

“The meeting will have to happen even if it means changing the date to allow funds to be raised to facilitate it,” Miruka said.

State agencies and Kenyans in general have been advised by the EACC, however, that the organization has never been and will never be a party to the forum.