After a fire destroyed more than 150 families’ homes in Athi River, Machakos County, they were forced to spend the night night in the cold.

The event happened in Mavoko at the Slota estate in the Athi River Township.

Women, children, and the elderly were among those impacted.

When the fire started in their homes, the residents were either fast asleep or getting ready for bed.

Anderson Mbae, the commander of Athi River East Subcounty Police, reported that Saturday’s twilight fire destroyed property of unknown value.

Early on Sunday, at around 12.15 am, local assistant chief Martin Ngomo reported the incident as a fire incident to the Athi River Police Station.

According to Mbae, the administrator called the station to report the occurrence, which prompted police to hurry to the scene.

“He reported that there was a fire outbreak at Slota area. The OCS and his team together with DCI personnel rushed to the scene where it was established that the fire started from a single-roomed iron sheet–structured house and spread to adjacent households razing several iron sheets units,” Mbae said on Sunday.

Approximately 150 families were impacted by the destruction of properties of uncertain value. However, no injuries were reported, according to Mbae.

He claimed that the fire was confined by the Mavoko Subcounty fire brigade of the Machakos County Government, preventing it from spreading to other homes.

According to the police chief, the fire’s cause has not yet been determined.

the information available to him, the scene has been guarded while the crime scene detectives process the evidence.

Mbae stated that detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, based in Athi River police station, were already investigating into the event.

A 16-year-old teenager is being held at the Mbita Police Station on suspicion of killing his mother in Kitare Village, Homa Bay County.

The 39-year-old mother, known as Nelis Ogutu, was allegedly fatally hacked by the suspect, a form four student at Nyatoto Mixed Secondary School, with a machete.

Assistant Chief Moses Sirawa of Kayanja Sub Location reports that the suspect attacked his mother shortly after dinner on Thursday night after coming home from school.

According to Sirawa, police believe the youngster may have had mental health issues when he performed the horrific act.

For some reason, he killed the deceased by strangling her first, and then hacked her with a machete.

When neighbors heard disturbances at the widow’s house, they hurried to the scene and apprehended the offender.

The deceased’s body was brought to the mortuary in Kirindo.

At a time when his administration is on the verge of the first fallout, President William Ruto has called a crisis meeting of the Parliamentary Group.

Sources state that the meeting, scheduled for Monday, will tackle the complex matter of the Finance Bill, 2024, which has sparked intense discussion across the nation.

An invite sent to coalition members by Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro, read “Good evening colleagues, H E the President Dr WSR invites you all to a joint PG meeting to be held at State House, Nairobi, on Monday, 10th June, at exactly 7am. Kindly keep time.” 

The UDA National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting will take place in State House on Saturday, ahead of the PG.

MP Vincent Musyoka of Mwala stated that several topics will be discussed. A few will roll up to the meeting on Monday.

Tomorrow, the NEC will convene. Because we value consultations, as a coalition we have decided to meet frequently Musyoka informed the Star.

“There are a number of things to be discussed on that day, I’m sure you know some of them and that will also be furthered during the PG, among other things. I would suggest that we hold the cats.”

Kenyans, who see the Bill outlining government tax policies as an unnecessary burden, have opposed it.

The majority of Kenyans, according to a recent Infotrak opinion poll, are against the tax ideas in the Bill.

The goal of the Monday assembling, which will include all Kenya Kwanza affiliate parties, is to mobilize lawmakers who support the government in favor of the bill.

Ruto’s supporters contend that the Bill is not as bad as the public is being led to believe.

Even Ruto MPs have expressed opposition to the Bill, which Parliament will discuss next week.

However, certain members of the ruling coalition have openly demanded that some of the provisions that are detrimental to ordinary citizen be reviewed.

Costs for necessities like bread and cooking oil, which are used by many households, will go up in some of the disputed areas.

The Bill also levies fees on necessary services, such as VAT on banking services and an excise tax on mobile money.

A yearly tax equal to 2.5 percent of the vehicle’s worth would be required on vehicle owners.

The majority of Ruto’s allies have said nothing about the bill, but the men of DP have vowed to reject the Finance Bill, 2024 because they believe it contains harsh provisions.

The PG, which sets Ruto and his deputy against one another, was released just after rumors of a rift within the governing party surfaced.

Leader of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party, Raila Odinga, has criticized the government for its concepts in the Finance Bill, 2024.

Mr. Odinga attacked the Kenya Kwanza regime in a statement released on Friday, calling the Bill retrogressive and oblivious to the distress of the nation’s underprivileged. He also reiterated that the Bill’s effects would be more severe than those of the Finance Bill, 2023.

The head of the opposition identified the economic sectors that the planned tax rise and Value Added Tax (VAT) would impact, claiming that common Kenyans would face harsher challenges than in the previous fiscal year.

Mr. Odinga emphasized the additional taxes levied on necessities like bread, edible oil, mobile banking transactions, and sugarcane manufacturers, noting that these measures will exacerbate the financial hardships currently experienced by Kenyans.

He also discussed the detrimental effects of the new taxes on insurance and reinsurance services, the 2.5 percent motor vehicle tax, and the eco levy that is planned to be applied to manufactured goods like diapers.

The head of Azimio claims that the administration of President William Ruto should take a lesson from the Finance Bill, 2023, pointing out that even after taxing Kenyans more in an attempt to increase national revenue, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) was unable to meet its objectives.

He contends that since the majority of firms were compelled to close as a result of high operating costs brought on by high fuel prices, revenues have decreased.

Thus, Mr. Odinga cautioned the current administration to reevaluate its tax measures, stating that the Finance Bill, 2024, would cause the nation’s economy to implode.

In an effort to rescue Kenyans, he thus pleaded with Parliamentarians to reject the Bill when it is brought before the House.

An accident on Thursday along Mandera’s Banisa-Guba route injured five police officers and four teachers.

According to authorities, this occurred after the group’s Toyota Landcruiser’s tires burst during the 4 p.m. clash.

Two tires were damaged when the police car’s driver struck a pothole in the Armano area.

The car got tossed off the road by the accident, according to the driver, and landed in a ditch.

Among the victims were teachers from Choroqo Primary School, Qotqot Primary School, and Guba Primary School, as well as five police officers from the Choroqo Border Patrol Unit camp.

When the incident occurred, the teachers had hiked a lift on the police vehicle, according to the police.

The accident left them with multiple injuries.