Gachagua Wrestles Ruto, Uhuru Makes Comeback & Manager Brutally Murdered

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to another exciting edition of The Kenya Times weekly roundup! This week has been a whirlwind of news, filled with significant developments that have kept us all on our toes.

From courtroom dramas to political appearances, we’ve got the top stories that made headlines. Let’s jump right in and catch up on what you may have missed!

Blow to Gachagua as Judges Decline to Recuse Themselves

Starting our weekly roundup is the news on impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua who suffered a blow after three judges presiding over the case challenging his ouster as Deputy President refused to recuse themselves from the proceedings.

The bench comprised Justices Eric Ogola, Anthony Mrima, and Freda Mugambi.

Justice Eric Ogola ruled that the applicant’s request for the judges to recuse themselves has been disallowed.

The petitioners were however granted leave to file and serve an amended petition, if need be, within five days of this order.

Ogola, in view of the nature of the pending applications for conservatory orders and those seeking to discharge the orders, said that the applications seeking to discharge, view and set aside the orders shall be deemed as responses to the applications for conservatory orders.

“Parties are at liberty to file and serve any responses and all further responses to either of the applications together with skeleton submissions within two days of this court. Leave for appeal is hereby granted,” Ogola ruled.

The applications are set for hearing on Tuesday, October 29, at 10:00am at the Milimani Law Courts.

Gachagua’s legal team had requested the bench, which was handling an application filed by Solicitor General Shadrack Mose, seeking to set aside orders blocking DP-designate Prof. Kithure Kindiki from assuming office, to disqualify itself.

They accused the bench, led by Judge Eric Ogola, of bias and prejudice, questioning its ability to deliver a fair judgment.

Uhuru Kenyatta Resurfaces

Also big in our weekly roundup, former President Uhuru Kenyatta resurfaced after a month of speculations on his health.

Uhuru was seen in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, ahead of the 15th High-Level Retreat on the Promotion of Peace, Security, and Stability in Africa on October 24.

“His Excellency President (Rtd) Uhuru Kenyatta arrives in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, ahead of the 15th High-Level Retreat on the Promotion of Peace, Security, and Stability in Africa,” read a statement by the Office of the Fourth President.

“The retreat convened by the African Union (AU) Commission will focus on the Impact and Sustainability of AU Preventive Diplomacy and Mediation in addressing conflicts across the continent.”

Kenyatta has not been in the public eye for a while, with concerns around his health becoming a topic of discussion after reports emerged that he was critically ill.

Reports had been circulated online by social media influencers claiming that Uhuru was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the United Kingdom and was in a very critical condition.

The last statement Uhuru had shared was a condolence message on the death of students at Hillside Endarasha Academy.

Later on, September 30, he retweeted a post from Huang Xia which read, “In preparation for my upcoming briefing to the UN Security Council on the Great Lakes region, I had a virtual meeting today with H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, former President of Kenya and Facilitator of the EAC-led Nairobi Peace Process.”

The last time the former president was seen in public was in June.

Wells Fargo manager found dead & why trends in murder cases are worrying

Our weekly roundup features a spike in murder cases reported in the country over the last two months and this year in general.

Among the recent murder cases is that of a senior manager who worked for the Wells Fargo security company whose body was found abandoned near a stream in Nyamninia sub-location in Gem, Siaya County.

Willis Ayieko, the Wells Fargo Human Resource (HR) Manager who went missing on Friday, October 18, was found dead five days after he was reported as missing.

Ayieko’s colleagues and family said he went missing after attending a burial in North Gem location.

Family members reported that he was expected to attend a family event the following day but never arrived. Concern grew when they realized he was out of contact for an extended period.

After Police launched investigations, Ayieko’s vehicle, an orange double-cabin Ford pick-up truck, was found abandoned in Sabatia, near a petrol station. He was, however, missing.

Speaking to the press, Gem Yala Sub-County Police Commander Charles Wafula confirmed that the body of the Wells Fargo employee was found near a stream.

Police IG speaks

The Inspector General of Police (IG) Douglas Kanja has addressed the spike in murder cases and assured the public of the police’s commitment to investigating what he described as “an increase in acts of crime to their logical conclusion” and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

IG Kanja highlighted that there has been a slight increase in murder cases reported from August to October for the years 2022 to 2024.

According to the NPS, a total of 339 murder cases have so far been recorded in 2024. This is as compared to 336 cases in 2023 and 341 cases in 2022 respectively.

Court Orders Fresh IEBC Selection Panel Elections

The appointment of the Independent and Electoral Board Commission (IEBC) selection panel took a fresh twist following a court ruling in a case filed which challenged a Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) judgment.

This judgment had declared National Liberal Party leader Dr. Augustus Kyalo Muli as the legitimate representative of small parties on the IEBC selection panel.

Ambassador Koki Muli and the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition went on to appeal against the tribunal’s ruling that named Muli as the nominee.

Following the appeal, Lady Justice Janet Mulwa of the High Court on Tuesday, October 22, set aside and vacated the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal judgment.

The Court in the ruling directed fresh elections be conducted in regard to a representative of the Minority Coalition Political Parties pursuant to Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the IEBC (Amendment) Act, 2024.

In addition, the elections are to be conducted within 48 hours and not later than 3:00 p.m. on October 24, 2024. This follows the Court’s declaration that Dr. Augustus Muli was not validly nominated and elected in the Cluster of Minority political party/coalition of parties under the IEBC Amendment Act.

According to the court, the Political Party that nominated Kyalo Muli is not a Parliamentary party within the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition.

This is for the simple reason that it does not have representation in Parliament.

Weekly roundup jobs- KNEC Announces vacancies

The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) is on the lookout for fresh talent, announcing 39 job vacancies across various grades and positions.

In a recent advertisement, KNEC invited “competent, self-motivated, and qualified applicants” for roles including Deputy Director for Planning and Strategy, and multiple Assistant Director positions in fields like Mathematics and Languages.

With Grade 3 positions on five-year contracts, the roles also offer opportunities for Principal Examinations Officers and Research and Quality Assurance Officers among others.

Additionally, 17 vacancies exist for various roles in Grade 9, while two Driver positions are available under Grade 11.

This recruitment drive aims to enhance KNEC’s capabilities as it continues to oversee examinations and assessments across the country.

EPRA Reveals Top OMCs

Still in the weekly roundup, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) unveiled its rankings of the top ten oil marketing companies (OMCs) in Kenya, based on local sales volumes for the financial year ending June 30, 2024.

With 140 OMCs operating in the country, EPRA’s statistics revealed that Vivo Energy Kenya Limited is the leading company boasting a 22.24% market share with 1.2 million cubic meters in sales.

Rubis Energy Kenya Plc and Total Energies Marketing Kenya Plc took second and third places respectively, with market shares of 15.56% and 15.06%, respectively.

Other notable players include Ola Energy, Be Energy, and Galana Energies, each making significant contributions to the local petroleum landscape.

EPRA emphasized that fuel prices are influenced by a range of factors, including landed costs, taxes, and distribution expenses.

Building Collapses in Nairobi

And some sad news now; a harrowing scene unfolded in Kahawa West, Nairobi, where an 8-storey building collapsed on Sunday, October 20, 2024.

The Kenya Red Cross confirmed that multiple individuals were feared trapped beneath the rubble, prompting a swift multi-agency emergency response team to the site.

Nairobi County officials had previously identified the building as dangerous and ordered evacuations.

Despite these warnings, many occupants remained until it was too late. 

Also Big This Week

• The US Embassy flagged a joint statement by ambassadors and high commissioners to Kenya that supported the impeachment of ousted Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua
• The case of Wajir Member of County Assembly (MCA) and Minority Leader Yusuf Ahmed, whose death was confirmed after he was reported missing on September 13, 2024, took a fresh twist days after two DNA tests conducted by a private pathologist revealed that a body that had been recovered is not that of Yusuf.
• Brother to Willis Ayieko, who until his death was working as a Senior Human Resource Manager at Wells Fargo, revealed fresh details into what is turning out to be a gruesome encounter that led to his death.
• The government of Kenya granted The Gates Foundation a special status that gives a green light of special diplomatic privileges and immunity to the Foundation’s expatriates in the country.
• Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi revealed two mistakes made by President Ruto that might help impeached Deputy President (DP) Rigathi Gachagua in the court cases challenging his ouster.

• The Kenya Times compiled a list of Senior Counsels in Kenya, qualifications and the privileges they enjoy.

• A former Standard Media Group employee died on Sunday, October 20, months after he was declared redundant by the company.

Thank you for reading this week’s roundup! Stay tuned for more updates and keep engaging with us for the latest developments. Until next time, stay informed and stay inspired!

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Weekly roundup photo of the week