KTDA CEO Wilson Muthaura

The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) has reinstated Albert Otochi as managing director of Kenya Tea Packers (Ketepa) in compliance with the court directive, business Daily Africa reports

In a letter dated December 28, 2022, KTDA chief executive Wilson Muthaura informed Mr Otochi, who had been suspended on September 28, 2022, and his salary slashed by half that he had been reinstated.

Mr Muthaura also informed Mr Otochi that his salary had been fully restored as ordered by the court.

The KTDA boss had been found in contempt of court after declining to reinstate Mr Otochi.

However, the judge did not sentence him but instead directed the CEO to reinstate the official to avoid a jail term.

“In compliance with the ruling dated December 15, 2022, please be advised your suspension in a letter dated September 28, 2022, has been lifted and subsequently your full salary has been paid,” he said in a letter addressed to Mr Otochi.

Puzzle of Used Condoms In KTDA Garbage Bins

In a letter dated September 22, 2022, KTDA suspended Mr Otochi and another official, placing them on half salary, however, the court restrained the agency from effecting the directive.

The two officials rushed to court in September after they were served with a show cause notice, for allegedly interacting with some directors of KTDA, with the court ruling in their favour.

“I will, therefore, require the respondents to purge the contempt by paying the claimant his full salary pending further orders of the court. I will also require the respondents to cease the disciplinary process in terms of the court orders of September 29 by setting aside the suspension of the claimant pending further direction by the court,” the court said.

According to Mr Otochi, Mr Muthaura misrepresented himself as the group chief executive, yet he is the general manager of human resources and administration and hence not his supervisor.

He argued the issuance of the letter, when he was not his supervisor, was unlawful.

He further said Mr Muthaura commenced the disciplinary process against him and the human resource policy says suspension should only be issued where there are pending investigations.

Mr Otochi said he was suspended yet there were no pending investigations.

Mr Muthaura was appointed as KTDA CEO following the suspension of the former head Lerionka Tiampati, who later resigned from the position.

Director General National Transport and Safety Authority Act (NTSA) Mr George Njao

The era of mediocrity at the National Transport and Safety Authority-NTSA- under George Njao has been wiped out.

Today, Justice Byrum Ongaya of the High Court directed the NTSA to recruit a new director general in line with the law of the land.

The employment and labour court’s Justice Byrum Ongaya issued the orders after a petitioner moved to court seeking orders to block the renewal of  George Njao’s contract.

The incompetent George Njao has been the Director General of the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) was planning to extend his incompetence for another three years.

“As it is alleged that the interested party’s contract of service has since lapsed, pending the inter-party hearing or further orders by the court, the respondent is at liberty to recruit a qualified person to fill the accruing vacancy in strict compliance with chapter 6 of the constitution of Kenya,” reads court order.

Edwin Oduor Were, the plaintiff in the lawsuit, was requesting that the court compel the NTSA to competitively select qualified applicants for the position of Director General.

Road users along Mbagathi Way, Nairobi, witnessed a dreadful scene on Monday after a dangling power line electrocuted a billboard worker.

The incident took place just outside Medina Mosque.

Good Samaritans at the scene rushed the man to Mbagathi Hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment.

By the publishing of this post, the level of injuries he incurred was yet to be ascertained.

Below are some photos and a video from the incident.

Francis Kiambi, the late

Francis Kiambi, the proprietor of Terra Craft Limited has died.

The late Kiambi was found dead in his bedroom after a slight disagreement with his wife Mary Waigwe Muthoni over a Sh2 billion loan that he wanted the wife to guarantee.

Ms Waigwe Muthini told police that they returned home together with her husband at around midnight after spending some time at an entertainment joint.

The couple then reportedly got into some domestic differences after the wife allegedly declined to be her husband’s guarantor in securing a Sh2 billion loan he was seeking to open a business.

After the disagreement, the two reportedly went ahead to sleep in different rooms, only for the 50-year-old businessman-cum-politician to be found dead with vomit on his bedside.

“They each spent the night in different rooms and the deceased never woke up since then, but could be heard snoring throughout the day and night and had vomited in his bedroom. It was until today at around 0600hrs when she went to check on the deceased and she found him lying dead on his bed with some vomits beside the bed,” reads the police report.

“They called a doctor from the Karen hospital who confirmed the death at around 0902 hrs.”

IAAF Scandal

In 2017, Kiambi unsuccessfully run for Senator Tharaka Nithi County.

Before then, Terra Craft Limited was said to be involved in runaway tenderpreneurship.

Terra Craft Limited was involved in the massive International Amateur Athletic Federation  (IAAF)-scam, where money meant to help the youth of this country, was syphoned by briefcase companies and tenderpreneurs.

According to the Auditor General’s Report, Terra Craft did not deliver any goods or services but yet was still paid a whopping Sh78 Million for doing literally nothing.

The money was paid by the Ministry of Sports and the current PS expressly authorized these dubious payments. Although he dismissed the Auditor General’s report as “fake” the PS might find himself in the same position as his former colleague Lillian Omollo.

MORE : Tax-Payers Money Paid Via The IAAF-Scam Used For Tharaka Nithi Senatorial Campaigns

Twitter Swindler Emmanuel Gift Masinde

In March last year, Emmanuel Gift Masinde made the headlines after he appeared on the cover page of a local daily on allegations of defrauding at least 7 women a total of Sh3.5 million.

Across the blogosphere, the story earned him the tag ‘Twitter Swindler’ even as he appeared to distance himself from the allegations, claiming the publication was after tarnishing his name.

Numerous publications described the 27-year-old as a sharply dressed man who rode through life in the fast lane thanks to his intricate connections.

His mother is a former official of the National Lands Commission (NLC) and his dad a CEO at an energy corporation.

Masinde was quick at getting finer details of career women, most of whom appeared desperate for a man to settle down with.

All he did was start a conversation on social media, which ended up in private chats.

From there, matters got intimate, and before they knew it, he cast them under his spell.

He packaged himself as a man of means and showered the ladies with promises they could only dream about.

Despite the extensive media coverage, the story slowly died down after a few weeks and it appeared as if the “Twitter Swindler” was back to living his best life.

Things, however, took a turn in early November 2022, when a city advocate, Francis Wanjiku, acting on behalf of one of the defrauded victims, declared Masinde a wanted man.

A warrant of arrest was issued and a bounty of Sh100,000 was placed on his head.

“The man pictured above is Gift Emanuel Masinde who is reported to have defrauded a number of people in Nairobi. Anyone who has information leading to his arrest can claim 100,000,” the lawyer tweeted.

This seems to have bore fruit as today, Masinde is reportedly cooling his heels at the Industrial Area Remand Prison in Nairobi, as his case proceeds in court.

Speaking out on the matter, the victim’s lawyer informed the public that Masinde was arrested on 23^rd December 2022.

“Masinde has been in remand at Industrial Area since his arrest on 23rd December 2022. He never intends to pay money that he borrows from the girls he dates,” he tweeted.

One female victim who opened up disclosed how she allegedly lost over Ksh1.2 million to Masinde after he duped her into believing that his family runs a lucrative chopper business that hires out helicopters to prominent persons.

He claimed that he had been left the responsibility to manage his family’s vast business empire which also included construction companies.

At one time, Masinde asked her for funds to ensure a chopper.

Masinde alleged that his mother’s bank account had been frozen due to corruption allegations at NLC.

He assured her that their family lawyer would get everything under control.

Armed with fake documents and bank cheques, Masinde managed to obtain the said funds from the female lawyer.

Another lady identified as Nicole who works as a tax director is said to have lost over Ksh1 million to Masinde.

According to the lady, they first interacted on Twitter where Masinde had posed as a potential client seeking her services.

It took Masinde a few months to strike up a romantic affair with the lady.

On claims that he had imported a BMW X-5 but had been held up at the port due to various charges, Masinde asked the lady to send him some money to which they agreed he would sell the car to her at a good price.

She took a Ksh936,000 loan and sent the money to Masinde.

She also sent a total of Ksh65,000 a few days later to cater for paperwork and waivers.

Little did she know that the car never existed and all the documents held by Masinde were fake.

Masinde’s side of the story

Masinde’s Twitter bio reads “pick your struggle; something MUST kill a man.”

Through the account, Masinde rubbished the claims, saying that Nation Media journalist Leon Lidigu was ‘clout chasing’ and mudslinging him.

He went further to expose screenshots of romantic private conversations he had with one of the ladies who allegedly seduced him.

Additionally, Masinde claimed he never had an interview with Leon Lidigu as published and revealed a conversation in which he appeared to turn down the invitation.

Masinde also shared a copy of a demand letter addressed to his mother written by Rene and Hans Advocates which indicated he received Ksh1.2 million that went to servicing a family loan.

Twitter Swindler Emmanuel Gift Masinde Caught Up In Another Sh100k Scam

Absa Bank Kenya CEO Yusuf Omari

A court has ordered Absa Bank Kenya to compensate a couple over Sh234 million over the fraudulent sale of their shares in various companies.

In his judgement, Justice Alfred Mabeya noted that a valuation report showed that as per the Nairobi Securities Exchange data, the current market value of the couple’s shares is Sh231,188,156.

The plaintiffs were also awarded interest and costs of the suit.

Justice Mabeya further observed that when the couple—Stanley Mwangi Gachungu and Bilha Waruguru Mwangi—bought the shares, they expected to benefit from accompanying goodies, like dividends, bonuses and interest.

“The value given to shares is not only in the number of shares alone, but the whole intrinsic value carried by that one share. When the plaintiff came to court to seek justice for their shares, they did not only look at recovering the actual number of shares lost but those shares together with all the benefits that had been lost,” he stated.

In 1991, Mwangi and his wife used the shares’ certificates in more than 10 firms to obtain loans from the lender with which they operated a current business account.

They signed blank transfer forms that they left under the custody of Absa Bank.

Upon fully repaying the loan, the couple did not request the release of the share certificates as they had hoped to use the shares to secure more loans with the bank.

In court papers, they disclosed that they used to run a meat-roasting joint and purchased the shares as a plan for their retirement.

However, in 1998, they discovered that they no longer received dividends from their shares.

They later rudely found out that Absa had sold their shares to companies including East African Breweries Plc (EABL) and BAT Kenya.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg.

In the last year, endless scandals coupled with a sharp deterioration of services have marred the reputation of Absa Bank Kenya.

Leaking of client’s sensitive information

In November 2022, we informed our esteemed readers that a Mombasa High Court ordered the financial institution to pay a transport firm Sh1.5 billion as compensation for leaking its confidential information to third parties; an act of financial sabotage.

New Mega Africa Ltd filed the case, in which it claimed billions for suffering losses due to blatant negligence.

The company transports clinker from Kenya to Tororo, Uganda for the manufacture and processing of cement and other related products within the East African region.

Its director David Abai argued that the leaking of the firm’s financial statement scared its lenders, who refused to lend the firm money on an account that it had gone broke and lacked the financial capability to service loans.

Following the leakage, the firm’s creditors and other suppliers descended upon it, seriously interrupting the business operations to the extent of almost grounding it.

This unfortunate incident occurred simply because Absa failed to maintain the secrecy of the client’s account by printing its financial statements without authority or consent and sharing the same with strangers without its express consent.

A month after we extensively covered this grave injustice, more of the bank’s hidden skeletons were unearthed.

Copyright infringement

This time around, Absa’s legal saga with a local trader over possible infringements of user rights found its way to the floor of the National Assembly through Sabaoti MP Caleb Amisi.

Mr. Amisi noted that Barclays changed its name to “Absa Bank Kenya” despite the previous registration of a similar title “Absa Kenya Limited” and the issuance of a certificate of incorporation.

The Absa name was registered in 2007 for a period of ten years and was renewed in 2017 for another ten years.

According to records from Registration of Business Services at the State Law Office, Absa Kenya Limited was registered on November 17, 2006, and the company is active to date.

Further, the website absa.co.ke was registered on September 13, 2005, and has been active ever since.

After announcing the decision to change its holding company name from Barclays Africa Group Limited to Absa Group Limited, Kenyan entrepreneur Edward James Njoroge Njuguna went to court, alleging infringement of the trademark.

In his submissions, Njoroge said that his firm, Absa Kenya Limited, had suffered greatly because of the alleged infringement and its trading partners had canceled various transactions.

Poor servcies

Aside from the endless legal troubles, customers have also been criticizing Absa’s deteriorating services.

During a spot check on social media, this blog discovered a wave of complaints directed towards their technical team, which is blamed for gross incompetence.

The myriad of inconveniences range from a malfunctioning USSD system, issues with internet banking and extremely slow services accompanied by poor communication.

Simple tasks like asset finance and card applications can take up to four weeks to be done.

As noted in a previous protest letter which we highlighted on this blog, customers have to bribe corrupt officials at the financial institution to fast-track their requests.

“ABSA Bank should stop selling customer information and bank statements, they should stop asking for kickbacks and bribes from small businesses to get loans,” the letter dated Friday, 11th November 2022, reads in part.

Adding: “The likes of Sophie Omondi, Wycliff Makori and senior bank staff should be sent home. Oath to secrecy especially to banking staff should be paramount.”

The bank’s CEO Yusuf Omari has been on a massive PR drive, paying off local media outlets to sing his praises and shift attention away from the glaring ills at the company.

Before his promotion to the top spot, Mr Omari previously served as the COO, and oversaw some of the worst scandals at the bank during his tenure.

Acting alongside the then-CEO Jeremy Awori, they facilitated Dr Fred Matiang’i’s money laundering project for the Ruaraka Land scam, where up to Sh2bn was deposited to the bank and withdrawn into various accounts within hours.

The duo also helped criminals to hide Sh17bn in fake currency, which was nabbed by Flying Squad officers at the bank’s Queen’s Way Branch in 2019.

A year later, the bank was suspended from forex trading by the Central Bank for engaging in money laundering.

In a statement, CBK said Absa bank had flouted anti-money laundering rules after its management failed to provide information about some specific foreign exchange trades that it conducted in March 2020.

During the suspension period, the financial regulator said, Absa Kenya could not transact in the interbank foreign exchange market.

The bank was also ordered to reverse the market positions that were created as a result of the flagged transactions.

During Awori’s tenure, Absa Kenya was linked to various sexual scandals, tribalism, and underpayment of employees.

His successor, Mr Omari, seems to be happily extending this toxic culture, on top of monumental fraud which goes on unchecked by the toothless CBK.

How long will this keep happening? How much is enough?

We vow to keep highlighting these matters until those responsible are finally held accountable.

Unhappy Customers Decry Absa Bank’s Deteriorating Services

A widow has been left with double tragedy after her son’s lifeless body was retrieved from the swimming pool at Nyanza Club in Kisumu.

According to the family, the police are not helping and the Nyanza Club management has refused to help her bury her son.

According to the post-mortem results, Felix Otiende died of drowning at the club’s swimming pool.

“Hello Nyakundi.

There’s a young man by the name Felix Otiende aged 20 from Riat hills near sos children’s home Kisumu who died in Nyanza club swimming pool on 01/01/2023.

The mother of the deceased is a widow and has made several appeals to Nyanza club to help cater for the part funeral expenses ie coffin, mortuary bill or anything but the management through the manager has flatly refused to help.

The name of the manager is Jacqueline Odero.

Attached are photos of the deceased and the postmortem report.

According to the family, the Nyanza Club could have pocketed the police to frustrate her from getting any form of help from the club’s management.

Image of a pool [p/Courtesy]

Initial reports show that Master Ivan Apiyo was in the company of other children at a tuition exchange programme held at one of the homes in the estate.

On that fateful day, they decided to jump into a pool for afternoon escapades after morning studies.

His body was later found motionless by other pupils who alerted the homeowners.

By the time they retrieved him from the pool, he was already unconscious.

A team of medical personnel was called to the scene and confirmed him dead.

Witnesses say that the parents of the deceased were later called to the scene and were heartbroken, witnesses said.

Police investigating the incident say there was no attendant at the pool at the time of the incident on Monday, January 9 afternoon.

LEFT: KTDA CEO Wilson Muthaura CENTRE: KTDA Group Finance and Strategy Director Simeon Rugutt RIGHT: KTDA Board Chairman David Ichoho

The Ministry of Agriculture has heightened its investigations into the circumstances under which politically motivated Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) officials borrowed a Sh18.2 billion loan to pay an early bonus to farmers ahead of last year’s general election in August.

On Tuesday, January 10, 2023, the besieged directors led by CEO Wilson Muthaura alongside Board Chairperson David Ichoho honoured summons to appear before an inquiry committee at Kilimo House.

The executives who were part of the previous Peter Munya-led puppet populist administration are faulted for acting against farmers’ best interests and taking the multi-billion loan in an attempt to swing votes in favour of Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga.

According to trusted insiders, the visibly shaken directors who could soon face prosecution arrived to answer the scathing allegations in a fiery grilling session that began at 7 am.

Records show that KTDA mortgaged its shares worth Sh18.2 billion to pay an early bonus to farmers ahead of the polls.

The loan was guaranteed by the KTDA Management Service, a subsidiary of KTDA Holdings.

Some of its directors include Wilson Muthaura, Dorcas Mugure Mwangi, Julius Misuko Onguso, Mathews Ouma Odero and Simeon Kiprotich Rugutt.

KTDA normally closes its books on June 30 with the bonus payment to farmers approved in September ahead of disbursement in October, but the 2021/2022 bonus was paid at the beginning of July.

The books had not been closed and audited by the time the company paid the bonus.

They borrowed the money from multiple banks that included NCBA and Standard Chartered Bank Kenya.

The disclosure on the debenture was recorded on September 2, 2022, by the registrar of companies after the company had paid the bonus.

The irregularly approved loan has subjected farmers to extra costs as they are paying interest on the borrowed amount through their respective factories.

For instance, farmers in Chinga tea factory in Nyeri had to pay close to Sh3 million in interest from the Sh200 million that they had received to pay an early bonus, according to the management.

Reacting to the heavily publicized reports, KTDA bosses on Friday issued a panic statement in a desperate attempt to distance themselves from the litany of scandals surrounding the company.

In its shallow communiqué, KTDA failed to address the elephant in the room.

The CEO Wilson Muthaura and Board Chairman David Ichoho failed to explain their politically motivated decision to borrow the illegal tea bonus loans and those responsible for the heinous crime.

They also steered clear of the controversial subject of mistreatment and sexual harassment of staff at the company.

Instead, they threatened to sue media houses that unearthed the massive rot at KTDA.

Various local media had reported that upon his rise to the position, Muthaura embarked on a serious witch-hunt at the headquarters by ruthlessly sending senior staff home and replacing them with his incompetent acquaintances.

This was against due process and only inspired by greed, nepotism and tribalism.

At the time, he also faced accusations of sexual escapades together with a section of KTDA’s top administration.

Insiders described their boss as a “loose zip” and “serial womanizer” with an appalling level of arrogance.

Most recently, he was found in contempt of court after failing to act on orders issued on reinstating the Managing Director of the Kenya Tea Packers (Ketepa) Albert Otochi and the General Manager of KTDA Power Company Japheth Sayi.

In a letter dated September 22, KTDA suspended Mr Otochi and another company official and placed them on half salary, however, the court restrained the authority from effecting the directive.

The two officials went to court in September after they were served a show-cause notice for allegedly interacting with some directors of KTDA.

According to Mr Otochi, Mr Muthaura misrepresented himself as the group chief executive officer, yet he is the general manager of human resources and administration and hence not his supervisor.

He said issuing the letter when he is not his supervisor was unlawful.

He also noted the CEO started the disciplinary process against him, while the human resource policy says suspension should only be issued where there are pending investigations.

Mr Otochi argued that he was suspended, yet there are no pending investigations.

Further, he says the group HR policy also allows him to interact with directors, and the purported charges for gross misconduct for interacting with directors are illegal.

Mr Muthaura was appointed as KTDA’s chief executive following the suspension of the former head, Lerionka Tiampati.

Muthaura brought on his side acting company secretary Mathews Odero.

Odero, according to an insider source, is being used to pay suspicious legal fees running to millions of shillings to several law firms.

To frustrate those senior managers said to be sympathetic to former directors, they have employed the services of one Grace Korit alias “GK”, as General Manager, Human Resource and Administration who took over from Muthaura.

GK, like Kennedy Ochwando, the KTDA Group Head of Procurement and Logistics, takes instructions from Muthaura.

At KTDA, the “mean-looking” Muthaura is referred to as Bwana Rungu by the staff.

GK is a frequent visitor to Bwana Rugu’s office, where they spend time plotting schemes on who to be axed or kept at work based on their loyalty to him.

Senior managers in good books with the cartel are Esther Mburu, Manager of Audit and the stout roundhead “Francis Muthamia” the General Manager of Sales and Marketing and Kanja Thuku, the acting Manager of Operations.

Insiders say millions cannot be accounted for with Muthaura and cronies hiring choppers to crisscross the country visiting factories and flying their slay queens to Mombasa whenever on tour.

The cartel controls the finance, human resources, procurement, operations, sales and audit departments.

Tea Board of Kenya Ag. CEO Peris Mudida Dragged Into KTDA’s Scandals

Would you like to get published on this Popular Blog? You can now email Cyprian Nyakundi any breaking news, Exposes, story ideas, human interest articles or interesting videos on: hello@cnyakundi.com. Videos and pictures can be sent to +254 710 280 973 on WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram.

Rogue telco Safaricom Plc is once again in the limelight for all the wrong reasons.

Under the ‘Safaricom Ideas Theft’ trending key word on Twitter, one can read how a Kenyan, floated the idea of enabling under 18 year olds Kenyans use MPESA.

M-Teen Kenya shared their idea with Safaricom as usual, but Safaricom rebranded it to MPESA – Go and launched it without their input.

If you’ve been following; this is not the first time.

Safaricom Plc has shown that they can steal intellectual property, even if it is registered and known, and get away with it.

Examples

In 2020, Safaricom launched the Tuwaanike to stem identity theft on MPESA. Eight months earlier, innovator Obutu Anyona had shared with them though their Zindua Portal (now deleted due to court cases)

Unrelenting Obutu is then threatened with a ‘Wanted By DCI’ poster circulating on social media.

January 2021, Safaricom Plc copies the entire Intellectually registered Kibo Capital Group Limited’s PaymentGateLLP e-Receipt and rebrands it to MPESA Bill manager.

Court cases stagnate as judges are compromised.

In 2017, Safaricom launches the MPESA – 1 Tap where one can pay for their purchase on the supermarket through a wrist band.

Safaricom wins the case on technicalities. Evidence shows the judges were arm-twisted.

In 2022, Information reaching Cnyakundi.com shows Safaricom Plc stole a Kenya Copyright Board registered proposal by Transcend Media Group Limited to launch Blaze BYOB.

A question raised in Parliament over Safaricom’s monopolistic behavior and theft of intellectual property by then nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi, but up to now, Safaricom has not responded.

Read more.

Good afternoon KOT, today's let's get #FactsOnMPesaGo straight. This was an idea of @mteen_ke but as usual Safaricom Ideas Theft did the thing and went ahead with the product without any compensation. @CJMarthaKoome @PeterNdegwa_ pic.twitter.com/zRJuVmrJfV

— 𝙾𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚔𝚒 𝙶𝚎𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚢 (@Ondieki_001) January 10, 2023

.@PeterNdegwa_ as the CEO of @SafaricomPLC you should understand that it was not right to allow Mpesa Go to be launched because the idea was stolen@citizentvkenya @ntvkenya @K24Tv @Statehousekenya @WilliamsRuto#FactsOnMPesaGo
Safaricom Ideas Theft pic.twitter.com/BicIwcjToy

— KAIRETU (@KairetuMartha__) January 10, 2023

M-Teen was the initial product but unfortunately the big Telco found a way of stealing the idea and named it Mpesa Go. #FactsOnMPesaGo
Safaricom Ideas Theft pic.twitter.com/QFeg3aRRxd

— 𝙾𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚔𝚒 𝙶𝚎𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚢 (@Ondieki_001) January 10, 2023

Safaricom should start acknowledging people like these ones in their ideas. Safaricom Ideas Theft #FactsOnMPesaGo pic.twitter.com/DErIKmXGeS

— Queen Of The South (@___Achieng) January 10, 2023

Intellectual property theft in Kenya

Nyali MP Mohammed Ali

Nyali Member of Parliament (MP) Mohammed Ali “Jicho Pevu” has weighed into the ongoing national discussion concerning the LGBTQ community in Kenya.

The conversation was triggered by the controversial death of prominent Kenyan LGBTQ rights campaigner Edwin Kiprotich Kiptoo alias Chiloba, who was reportedly killed by his roommate Jacktone Odhiambo, with whom he is believed to have been in an intimate relationship.

Odhiambo confessed to killing the model over allegations that he cheated on him.

Police revealed that he executed the murder with the help of his two friends.

Reacting to the shocking incident, MP Mohammed Ali expressed strong sentiments against the queer community.

Invoking religion, the former journalist labelled the discussion a “waste of time” and termed the group as “illegal”.

According to the Kenya Kwanza politician, all members of the contentious community should be jailed.

“God doesn’t like it and we should not entertain it,” he noted in part of his tweet.

Adding “On this one, democracy my foot! Jail them.”

Chiloba was on Friday, 6 January 2022, found murdered and his body stuffed in a metal box that was dumped at Kipkaren on the outskirts of Eldoret Town, Uasin Gishu County.

Chiloba’s caretaker Alex Nyamweya said that Odhiambo called him using Chiloba’s phone informing him that he was vacating the house they lived in.

Police officers indicated that the suspect vacated the house with immediate effect.

Odhiambo is a Nairobi-based freelance photographer and had joined the deceased for New Year celebrations.

Police disclosed Odhiambo told curious neighbours who had smelt a bad smell from a house Chiloba stayed with him and two others that it was a dead rat that had died therein, and he was making efforts to remove it.

The neighbours had seen him with the metal box a day earlier.

On Monday, an Eldoret court ruled that five suspects linked to the murder will remain in police custody for 21 more days as police complete investigations.

Jackton Odhiambo: Why I Murdered Edwin Chiloba

The late Francis Kiambi Matanka and his wife Mary Waigwe Muthoni when they appeared in court for allegedly selling liquor using fake KRA stamps

Francis Kiambi Kiriiro, who died suddenly on Monday morning, was a businessman whose life was riddled with controversy.

Sources have revealed that the ongoing probe into the death of the prominent figure in Tharaka Nithi County will focus on poisoning, among other theories.

His wife, Mary Waigwe Muthoni, had refused to guarantee a Sh2 billion loan so he could start a new business.

She said they arrived home ten minutes past midnight on Sunday and Mr Kiambi could be heard snoring throughout Sunday night before he was discovered dead on Monday.

A doctor from Karen Hospital confirmed that he was dead at around 9 am and police visited the scene for assessment before the body was moved to Lee Funeral Home awaiting autopsy.

According to police, the body had no physical injuries, but the deceased had vomited beside the bed.

Police believe he developed heart-related complications contributing to his death.

They, however, want to establish what triggered the attack.

Philanthropist

Kiambi built a massive family business empire trading as Patiala Distillers Limited, yet despite being a multimillionaire, he lived a down-to-earth life.

He earned community affection by sponsoring initiatives in Tharaka and organizing major get-togethers and tournaments for residents and paying for feasts and entertainment.

With his background in agronomy, Matanka, as he was popularly known uplifted the economic status of the Tharaka community by introducing watermelon and gadam sorghum farming which earned the locals a lot of money with many people able to pay school fees for their children and many people moved from grass thatched houses and built iron sheet roofed homes.

What villagers did not know is that Matanka was only using a small percentage of his massive wealth accumulated from his vast liquor manufacturing estate.

The company located along Airport Road, Nairobi, processes some of the country’s most popular vodka brands, including Konyagi, Best Brandy, Diamond Ice, Gold Medal and Blue Ice.

Tax evasion

However, since 2021, the liquor tycoon was on the radar of the Kenya Revenue Authority over alleged tax evasion.

On August 27, 2021, KRA arraigned Matanka and his wife at the Milimani Law Courts on charges of selling alcoholic beverages affixed with counterfeit excise stamps to distributors.

KRA enforcement officers while conducting compliance checks on different shops within Nairobi found dozens of bottles of vodka affixed with counterfeit excise stamps at a shop in Mwiki.

The raid followed efforts by fraudulent manufacturers using counterfeit excise stamps on excisable goods such as bottled drinking water, alcoholic beverages and cigarettes to evade excise duty.

The couple is out on a cash bail of Sh500,000.

Safeways taxis

Aside from the liquor business, Matanka had enormous interests in the real estate and taxi business, investments that made him one of the richest people from Tharaka Nithi.

The businessman was the owner of Safeways Taxi which operates in Nairobi as well as towns around Mt Kenya such as Meru, Isiolo, Nanyuki, Embu, Nyeri, Ol Kalou, Kirinyaga and Murang’a.

The taxis focus on high-end clients in the corporate sector and are one of the most prestigious companies preferred by clients in the banking and hotel industries.

Land grabbing

Apart from the tax evasion case, the tycoon also had run-ins with the government over land in Embakasi, Nairobi County.

The court had dismissed his application to have a piece of land he was fighting for against a group of squatters.

This is after the Lands Department of the Nairobi City County Government wrote to him, indicating that they did not recognize the allotment because the suit property was not given by the county government to squatters of Dafur Dupoto Settlement Scheme.

He moved to court seeking a declaration that he is the absolute and beneficial owner of the suit property known as Plot Number C3 Embakasi Township (2935/R) by virtue of a lease granted by the Nairobi City Council.

He also wanted a permanent injunction restraining the defendants either by themselves, their servants, employees or agents from disposing, transferring, alienating, occupying or otherwise dealing with the property.

He sought a mandatory injunction compelling the defendant to show the plaintiff the beacons setting out the subject land boundaries and to issue the plaintiff with the title documents.

Justice BM Eboso dismissed the application, on the basis that the request lacked merit, principally because the supporting affidavit was bare and did not contain proper evidence to support the allegations made in the notice of motion.

Looting of public funds

Matanka was also the proprietor of Terra Craft Limited.

Terra Craft Limited was said to be involved in the massive International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF)-scam, where money meant to help the youth of this country, was syphoned by briefcase companies and tenderpreneurs.

According to the Auditor General’s Report, the company did not deliver any goods or services but yet was still paid a whopping Sh78 million for doing literally nothing.

The money was paid by the Ministry of Sports and the current PS expressly authorized these dubious payments. Although he dismissed the Auditor General’s report as “fake” the PS might find himself in the same position as his former colleague Lillian Omollo.

Tax-Payers Money Paid Via The IAAF-Scam Used For Tharaka Nithi Senatorial Campaigns

Matanka’s death was reported by his wife Mary Waigwe Muthoni who told police they returned home together at around midnight Sunday after spending some time at an entertainment joint at Karen shopping centre.

The deceased held a meeting with his wife, his relative and a family lawyer at Big Smoke Bar and Restaurant located in Karen where they also took some drinks.

Other family friends said Matanka looked disturbed of late.

They however did not know what was bothering him.

Failed political career

Matanka had tried to plunge into politics twice in 2007 and 2017.

The deceased ran for the Tharaka Member of Parliament seat in 2007 and lost to Mburi Muiru and in 2017 he contested against Interior and Coordination of National Government Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki for the senatorial seat, but he also lost.

Matanka did not run for any seat during the recent polls and kept off politics as he concentrated on expanding his business.

Interior CS Prof Kithure Kindiki, Governor Muthomi Njuki and Woman Rep Susan Ngugi mourned Matanka as an astute businessman who was an asset to the county and country at large.

Prof Kindiki said Matanka was an iconic entrepreneur who not only built an impeccable business empire but also helped inspire a generation of businesspeople from the Ameru region and nation at large.

He said he will be remembered as an astute business leader whose acumen saw him establish one of the largest manufacturing industries in Kenya, employing hundreds of people directly and impacting thousands of lives.

The leaders have appealed for thorough investigations of the death even as they condoled his immediate family.

Roseta Flower Farm in Nakuru

Police in Nakuru are looking into an incident where the bodies of two flower farm workers were found floating in their employer’s dam at Roseta Flower Farm in Rongai Sub-County.

The bodies were discovered 3 days after the two went missing.

The naked bodies of the two men, who were partially submerged in water, could be spotted at different ends of the dam with their faces down attracting attention of the residents.

Initial investigations show deaths happened while they were swimming, the Kenya Plantation and Agriculture Workers Union (KPWU) claims that farm has not been reporting previous deaths.

In previous months another employee drowned at a dam owned by Roseta in Solai.

On those two occasions, Roseta did not notify the union of the employees’ deaths.

The union officials now want all dams in flower farms audited for safety.

Wreckage from Wednesday’s terror attack reported in Bura East, Garissa County

A convoy of three vehicles ferrying Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) engineers was on Wednesday attacked by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Bura East, Garissa County.

The group of engineers was on a routine assessment of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor project.

According to a police report seen by cnyakundi.com, an IED placed on the old LAPSSET road exploded and completely destroyed the first vehicle, a Toyota Hilux Double Cabin (KBV 520S).

The team was travelling from Garissa to Hailey Chinese Camp and then proceed to Bura East.

Following the incident, the rest of the vehicles turned back to Hailey Camp.

Three bodies were recovered from the scene, with the fourth person’s body believed to have been annihilated in the wreckage.

This is a developing news story; we expect the police to issue a follow-up statement in the coming hours.

Narok Senator Ledama Olekina has chided plans to move police insurance benefits from National Hospital Insurance Fund to CIC, star reports

Ledama claimed that it was a wrong move saying it will also reduce police benefits.

“Police insurance benefits must be fixed! You can’t take it away from NHIF to CIC and reduce their benefits,” he said.

He urged former Chief Justice David Maraga who chairs the police and prison reforms taskforce to oversee to look into the matter.

“This is wrong, Maraga as you look into the police reforms don’t overlook this new development! We must take care of our police welfare,” he said.

On November 31, 2022, there were concerns within the National Police Service and Kenya Prisons Service after the state medical insurer lost a bid to renew the contract to provide comprehensive medical cover.

NHIF was on December 16 informed it had lost the tender to a consortium of private insurance firms.

The firms are led by CIC General Insurance Led (Leader of the Consortium), Old Mutual General Insurance Kenya Limited and Britam General Insurance Company (K) Limited.

The move was seen as a big loss for NHIF given the two agencies were seen as some of the biggest clients.

NPS Principal Administrative Secretary Bernice Lemedeket said NHIF quoted Sh9.3 billion whereas the winners quoted Sh8.6 billion.

“We regret to inform you that your bid was unsuccessful for the reasons that it was not the lowest technically responsive bid in the financial evaluation,” she said.

NHIF has been offering the cover for almost eight years and insiders said it was fairly better.

Japan-based motor vehicle dealer JPC Trade Limited

A Kenyan vehicle importer is counting losses after a botched deal involving a Japanese motor company.

Writing to this blog on Wednesday, January 11, 2022, the victim faulted JPC Trade Limited for shipping him a car with major mechanical problems.

When the said vehicle, a Toyota Fielder Hybrid, arrived at the port of Mombasa, his clearing agent discovered the engine could not start.

A mechanic later performed a diagnosis and confirmed that its hybrid batteries were dead.

The businessman says that his efforts to reach out to JPC Trade Limited have proved futile, adding that its representatives in Japan are uncooperative on the matter.

This unfortunate situation has left him between a rock and a hard place, as the vehicle’s buyer back in Kenya is constantly on his neck.

The customer who completed full payment is quickly growing impatient.

“Hi Cyprian Nyakundi,

This is Hezbon Makori.

I have an issue with a Japanese Auto company called JPC TRADE where I imported a Toyota Corolla Fielder Hybrid for a client.

The vehicle arrived at the port of Mombasa last year in November.

Once I paid all the clearance costs (duty + port charges), my clearing agent went to pick up the vehicle from the CFS and found out that the car engine could not start.

I looked for a mechanic who diagnosed the car and found out that its hybrid batteries were dead.

They even towed the vehicle from the ship to the CFS because the engine could not start for it to be driven.

I have tried to reach the JPC TRADE office in Japan and Nairobi and the guys there are very uncooperative.

In just a few days, the vehicle will start incurring demurrage charges.

To make matters worse, I imported this car for a client who has been on my neck every day since she completed making payment.

This is the bank transfer to JPC Trade Limited.

Please highlight my issue so that I can get help.

Thanks for the great job you’re doing,” the victim wrote.

PHOTO CAPTION: Celebrated rally driver Maxine Wahome has always been a darling of the Kenyan people; she seemed to always do everything right and elevated the country’s flag higher each time she held the steering wheel until things took an ugly, unexpected turn in December 2022, following the controversial death of her lover, Asad Khan.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is set to prefer murder charges against Safaricom-sponsored rally champion Maxine Wahome.

State prosecutor James Gachoka told Milimani senior principal magistrate Bernard Ochoi that circumstances in the matter have changed following the death of Assad Khan.

“The circumstances in this investigation have changed following the death of Assad last December. Maxine is now being investigated for murder and grievous harm I request the matter to be mentioned in 14 days,” Gachoka said.

The family of Assad has engaged lawyer Cliff Ombeta to appear for it in the matter.

Maxine was last month arraigned over the alleged assault of her boyfriend, top rally driver Asad Khan.

A court report stated that police had visited the scene and found blood and household goods littered on the floor and staircase.

She was released on a Sh100,000 cash bail after spending two nights in custody.

Days later, Khan was pronounced dead at Avenue hospital where he was receiving treatment following the incident.

He had initially been admitted to the Nairobi Hospital’s High Dependency Unit (HDU) with serious deep cuts on the right ankle.

His death prompted police to summon six key witnesses, including Maxine, for interrogation and recording of statements.

She was presented at Kilimani Police Station for a three-hour grilling session.

Her saliva samples were taken for DNA profiling at the Government Chemist.

Asad, 50, was described as humble, generous and kind-hearted.

Alongside his brother, they headed a team of mechanics as members of the Service Crew for the Young FIA Team that participated in several events across the continent.

Woke culture ideally comes from rabid feminism, which ultimately destroys the world by giving mean people a shield to be mean and cruel, armoured in false virtue.

The company’s hypocrisy stood out in this saga.

Safaricom’s glaring hypocrisy in the Maxine Wahome saga

It would not be shocking to learn that Safaricom paid Maxine Wahome’s cash bail.

Up to this day, the rogue Telco is yet to issue any statement condemning the Gender-Based Violence meted upon another by their champion and image carrier.

Their PR firm, Oxygene, has a lot to answer, with some bosses previously accused of sexual immorality within it.

But they are still serving. We can deduce why the statement has been delayed.

Their silence is deafening.

Safaricom PR collapses in Maxine Wahome Saga

Kenya Utalii College

Kenya Utalii College is at it once again, this time around they have decided to defraud parents and guardians of students that are on attachment.

According to a concerned parent that contacted this site, Kenya Utalii college is charging them full fees even if Students are not in the facility.

Good evening Nyakundi,

Am a parent at Utalii. There is a problem in Utalii because every time students are going for an attachment we are forced to pay the full fee.

We have tried to complain since when the students go for an attachment they don’t stay, eat or use facilities in the college.

Now almost half of the college is going for attachment for the whole semester.

Meaning no eating at the college no sleeping there and if your child happens to be posted far from home you have to rent a house for your child.

Why is Utalii college charging us back in college full fees including the hostel and food?

The funny and corrupt thing Utalii is doing to us is forcing us to pay full fees.

And if you don’t pay the full amount your child can not be given an attachment letter.

Kindly assist us in airing this we see our daughters and sons will be allowed to go for attachment. 

18th September 2019 URGENT

Chief Executive officer

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission

Integrity Centre

Nairobi

RE: CORRUPTION BY LAPFUND CEO – DAVID KOROSS & COHOOTS

Local Authorities Provident Fund (LAPFUND) is a state corporation located on 9th Floor, JKUAT Towers, Kenyatta Avenue Nairobi. The corporation manages pension funds for employees of County Governments and other bodies like water companies etc. 

The Chief Executive Officer (MR. David Koross) in cahoots with Head of Finance (Mr. Mbogo) and Head of Procurement (Mr. Kibet) are involved in massive plunder of the corporation resources. Below see list of areas to be investigated among others:

a) Development and Construction of Mavoko Gardens Estate in Syokimau. The construction was estimated to cost 700 million but to date we have sunk 1.2 Billion shillings. The CEO pocketed 60 million in kickbacks.

b) The Development, Construction and renovation of Golf View Apartments has cost the fund over 1.5 billion. Currently the Building is closed for renovation at an estimated cost of 133 million shillings. The same contractor was involved in both Mavoko Gardens and Golf View Apartments.

c) The CEO and his cahoots have engaged in purchase of properties at exaggerated prices and others with fake titles. The 30 acres in Kitengela was bought at exorbitant price of 10 million per acre from a broker, while the market price at the time was 5 million per acre. The land is disputed by the owners and they have taken LAPFUND to court. The land in Bellevue South C was purchased at 500 million per acre. A suspicious payment of an extra over 300 million was paid in early 2019 one year after the transfer was done.

d) The CEO has been sending select members of staff for suspicious international training, seminars and trips that are not beneficial to the organization. Some of these have love relationship with CEO. Next week the CEO and more than nine members of staff are going on a tour of America which is against the treasury recommendation of a maximum of four staff at a time.

e) Procurement of Architectural/property development consultants amounting to over Ksh 150 million was done through restricted tender against the PPAD Act regulations in June/July 2019. LAPFUND is not a security body thus should float tenders publicly. Many other tenders amounting to millions of shillings are procured through quotation i.e. Valuation of properties at Ksh 32 million was done in July/August 2019

f) Illegal recruitment of staff without approval by the National Treasury or the board.

g) The property portfolio is over 10% threshold recommended by Retirements Benefits Authority.

h) Funds amounting to over Ksh 11 million stolen from Golf View apartments has been written off in as Bad Debts

i) A property agent selling Mavoko Gardens was allowed to retain 8 million money received on behalf of LAPFUND for over two years

j) Contributors funds are not properly reconciled and statements not issued due to plunder of the resources.

k)  

We request for a forensic audit of the fund by RBA to establish the lot and misuse of pensioners funds.

The CEO survives by bribing and compromising anybody who tries to raise a finger and if the trend continues the fund will be depleted of pensioners’ benefits. Politicians and other cartels collect money at will from the fund. He has protection from political players and other business cartels.

We request EACC and DCI to move with speed to investigate, arrest the culprits and secure the files before they tamper with the records.

Regards

Concerned Staff

Umoja 2 MCA Shadrack Machanje

Just days after Nairobi Governor Johnston Sakaja announced that he will issue bursary forms to the 85 wards in the city, complaints have emerged in Umoja 2 Ward that the forms are being auctioned to the highest bidders.

In a Facebook post seen in Embakasi West Celebrities group, area residents have accused MCA Shadrack Machanje’s cronies of hawking the bursary cheques and asking for money in return.

A woman named Franciine Kansime claimed that the forms were being sold in a very chaotic exercise.

The residents want the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) and the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to probe how the Kshs 6 million bursaries were issued.

A source who did not want to be named claimed that the MCA’s wife Purity Cheno was dishing out the bursary cheques from her house.

His barely literate Personal Assistant and fellow tribesman Jackline Nangami is also said to be insulting benefactors who sponsored the MCA during his numerous court battles by claiming; “Sasa tuko kwa Serikali wafanye vile wanataka”.

Machanje, a former tout, came to the limelight after being engaged in a protracted Court battle with the former Joseph Ndonji.

His win captured the imagination of many as he rose from a garbage collector to MCA in an exercise where he was supported by ‘mama mbogas’.

However, his aides denied that they were selling the forms.

In 2020 detectives from DCI shone the spotlight on 20 ward representatives from Nairobi County, who are said to have used their positions to siphon millions of shillings meant for bursaries for needy students.

The governor said the bursary checks at the ward level will be issued to the MCAs at the start of every school term.

Sakaja said he will follow up to have the amount disbursed in form of bursaries enhanced to help the students better because there are more children per capita in Nairobi that in other counties.