As we bid farewell to 2023, it’s time to reflect on the whirlwind of events that shaped the country’s news, sending waves of shock, joy and a whole range of emotions not only to Kenyans but also to global citizens at large.
2023 has been a year of big news, with stories both big and small weaving into each other creating an interconnected woven fabric that is a testament to the Kenyan experience.
Notably, the top stories have been both sides of the coin of good and bad, a prime show of the general human experience.
Here is a compilation of some of the top stories from 2023 that shook the country and put Kenya on the global map.
The Shakahola Massacre
In March 2023, a gruesome discovery was made in the Shakahola Forest. The forest, located in the coastal town of Malindi had been subject to a lot of controversy amongst residents of the area.
This was after the controversial televangelist and alleged cult leader; Paul Mackenzie was arraigned in court after being linked to the disappearances and murder of two children in Shakahola village.
However, he was granted a Kshs10,000 police bond, securing freedom which was short-lived.
The investigations into the deaths sent alarm bells ringing leading to quiet investigations on the dealings of Paul Mackenzie.
Concurrently, tensions had been rising in the Shakahola village and ten people suspected to be part of the Shakahola cult were attacked and seriously injured by villagers.
How the Shakahola Cult was Unmasked
This led the authorities into the Shakahola forest where, on April 14th, they discovered four bodies of people who were believed to have died of starvation.
Upon further digging, over the course of months, more than 400 bodies were found in shallow graves at different rates of decomposition.
Also Read: Court Rules on Pastor Paul Mackenzie’s Fate
This story sent shockwaves through Kenyans, especially since Kenya is a predominantly Christian country.
On his teachings, Paul Mackenzie had predicted that the world would end in June, leading to a flurry of mindless starvation deaths before the authorities finally caught up with him.
Currently, he is serving one year in prison. This was after a ruling delivered on Friday, December 1, by Malindi Senior Magistrate Olga Onalo.
On this, the controversial religious leader was sentenced for using video content without the approval of the Kenya Film and Classification Board (KFCB).
Investigations into the mass deaths case and suspected cult is still ongoing with the prosecution side requesting time to finalize the probe.
The Finance Bill, 2023
Never before in the history of Kenya has a finance bill been the subject of interest as the in famous Finance Bill 2023.
On 4th May 2023, the bill was tabled to the National Assembly for the first reading. However, the contents of the proposed bill caught the eyes of many.
The content of the bill sought to amend various laws relating to taxes and duties to increase government revenues from taxes collected.
As such, some of the more controversial and notable ones was the housing levy that proposed the introduction of 3 percent taxes on salaried Kenyans.
This monies were to be used to fund the affordable housing scheme.
Also Read; Court Declares Housing Levy Unconstitutional
However, after amendments, the housing levy stood at 1.5 percent of monthly salary, provided that the combined contribution does not exceed Kshs. 5,000/ per month.
Due to the controversial nature of this particular levy, it is being contested in court after Buisia Senator Okiya Omtatah alongside other petitioners noted that the Finance bill contained amendments to several laws that had nothing to do with raising revenue.
This led to High Court ruling that the housing levy is unconstitutional.
Other proposals by the Finance Act included an increment of the VAT on petroleum products to 16% up from the previous 8%.
This saw a spike in prices of petroleum mark with the prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene crossing the Kshs200 mark for the first time in history.
Wells Fargo heist
The case of the Wells Fargo heist was a real-life case of a shepherd who turns into the very wolf he once protected the flock from
On November 6, 2023, a bizarre case occurred at Quickmart branch in South C after two watchmen disappeared with Ksh.94,918,750.
In a Hollywood-esque scene, the two who were on board the Wells Fargo armored vehicle, left without police escort, as is the norm, getting away with Quickmart Supermarkets weekend sales in cash.
Also Read: Quickmart Breaks Silence on Losing Ksh94M to Wells Fargo Guards
Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) sleuths trailed the suspects and about a month later, on November 25, four Wells Fargo employees were apprehended in relation to the case.
“Detectives pursuing suspects in the November 6 thievery of over Ksh.94.9 million while on transit by Wells Fargo staffers have today arrested four more suspected accomplices, all employees of the courier and security company,” the DCI statement.
The Curious Case of Anne Njeri Njoroge
Picture this. A mysterious woman who is at the very center of a Kshs17 billion oil scandal goes missing after meeting DCI officials.
After resurfacing, she narrates the incident, painting a picture of what could have been easily dismissed as a well-scripted movie scene.
This was the case of Anne Njeri Njoroge, a billionaire who was the face of multiple headlines in November 2023.
According to her narrations, her woes began when she visited the office of Cabinet secretary for Petroleum and Energy, Davis Chirchir.
“I went to see CS Chirchir and he said that the oil was no longer mine and that it belonged to Galana. But I told him that I had not sold the oil or signed any agreement,” she narrated.
Further, Anne Njoroge narrated that she was asked to record another statement in another office shortly after the first one.
However, she was not taken to an office as earlier informed and instead met two individuals.
After an introduction, the two individuals asked whether Njoroge was using any medication at the time.
Details of Ann Njoroge’s Abduction
“They then whisked me away and asked to surrender my phone and passport at night and isolated me from the rest who were lawyers. We left the DCI headquarters and started moving towards Kiambu,” she added.
Later, according to her narration, the unidentified persons took a rough road. They then asked her to blindfold herself with a scarf she was carrying, failure to which they would use a jacket to cover her eyes.
On arriving at an undisclosed destination, she was questioned about her claims of importing the Ksh17 billion.
This was just a snippet of her nightmarish alleged five-day kidnap ordeal.
Also Read; Why Ann Njoroge Failed to Show up for Grilling; Lawyer
However, this abduction story was not all Ann Njoroge had to tell the world. In her narrations, she roped in powerful government officials including Oscar Sudi in the saga, catching Kenyans’ interest.
The fact that she had little to no digital footprint adds layers to this case.
As the story unraveled, Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah alleged that the government financed Njeri’s import after conducting an analysis of the case.
Omtatah accounted that Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u funded the businesswoman in June to import the fuel and that she is only being used as collateral.
Azimio Anti-government Protests
Maandamano, which is a Swahili word for protests was a trending topic earlier this year after Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition held nationwide demos over the high cost of living among other issues.
The demos, which were first hoped to be a peaceful exercise of the right to protest to be peaceful turned deadly after about 50 people were reported dead following back and forths with police officers.
Notably according to Article 37 of the constitution, every person has the right, peaceably and unarmed, to assemble, to demonstrate, to picket, and to present petitions to public authorities.
Here is how it all started.
Also Read: ODM Clarifies Leaving Azimio After Dialogue Report Fallout
The Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition claimed that the government was not listening to Kenyans’ grievances, leading to an unfair leadership.
At the heart of these protests was the high cost of living, which the coalition accused President William Ruto of refusing to address.
Additionally, Azimio pointed out that the August 9, 2022, presidential election was marred with irregularities that led to President Ruto’s victory.
As a result, the first major demos were held on March 20, 2023.
Therefore, there were clamors that the Azimio coalition be granted access to the data that was sent to the electronic voter system, hence the common term emerged, ‘fungua server.’
Bipartisan Talks that Ended the Nationwide Protests
However, clamors for a ceasefire slowly emerged from the din of protests and by late July, Azimio leaders agreed on bipartisan talks with President William Ruto.
On October 13th, results from these long running talks emerged.
Some of the agreeing points from the bipartisan talks included agreements on two-thirds gender rule, and the establishment of Prime CS and office of leader of the Opposition.
Additionally, the two parties agreed on the fidelity of political parties.
However, on October 30th, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) launched a scathing critique against the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, attributing their influence on the current high costs of living.
Further, the bipartisan report released by the National Dialogue Committee revealed some issues in the bipartisan talks that uncovered cracks in the perceived camaraderie between the two parties.
