The Kenyan government has broken its silence on the case of a 40-year-old Kenyan domestic worker sentenced to 100 lashes in Saudi Arabia for giving birth outside marriage, expressing dismay at a punishment it says would be unconstitutional at home while acknowledging Riyadh’s right to enforce its own laws. Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei said in a statement Wednesday that Nairobi was “saddened by what would constitute ‘cruel and inhuman’ punishment under our jurisdiction, but respectful of the sovereignty of Saudi legal system,” adding that Kenya would “continue to work with our counterparts on these complex arenas of judicial…
Author: Amani Kuria
KPMG East Africa has moved to strengthen its Tax and Regulatory Services practice, announcing the appointment of two new partners and an associate director, effective November 11, 2026. The appointments bring a blend of regulatory insight and Big Four experience to the firm’s regional leadership. The firm confirmed that Fred Omondi and Fredrick Kimotho have joined as Partners, while Kennedy Okoyo has been named Associate Director. According to the firm, the appointments are designed to deepen its capabilities in handling complex cross-border engagements and expand its footprint across the region. “These appointments bring extensive regional experience across international tax, transfer…
Naivas Supermarket has reported a 41.7 percent surge in net profit for the financial year ended June 2026, cementing its position as Kenya’s dominant retailer and defying a tough consumer environment that has claimed several of its former rivals. The homegrown chain, majority-owned by Mauritius’s IBL Group, posted a net profit of Ksh3.37 billion (1.22 billion Mauritian rupees), up from Ksh2.38 billion the previous year. Sales grew 11 percent to Ksh123.66 billion, according to disclosures by its parent company. The performance marks the second consecutive year of double-digit bottom-line growth for Naivas, following a 43.4 percent profit jump in the…
Senate has summoned Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to explain a surge in abductions and organized hooliganism that lawmakers warn is creating public panic and damaging the country’s international reputation ahead of the 2027 general elections. The Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations, chaired by Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo, directed the two officials to appear before the panel on Thursday, November 19, 2026, to account for the government’s response to a string of high-profile disappearances and violent incidents. The summons followed a committee session on Tuesday in which senators raised…
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has announced 7,720 teaching vacancies across primary, junior, and secondary schools, offering successful candidates permanent and pensionable terms as the government intensifies efforts to address the country’s chronic teacher shortage. In a notice issued Tuesday, November 10, 2026, the Commission said the recruitment exercise targets positions left vacant through natural attrition during the 2026/2027 financial year. The vacancies comprise 5,609 posts in primary schools, 25 in junior schools, and 2,086 in secondary schools. “The Teachers Service Commission invites applications for 7,720 teaching vacancies to replace teachers exiting service through natural attrition,” the notice read. Applications…
President William Ruto has nominated Lydia Sitienei Chelagat to serve as Kenya’s next Data Commissioner, setting in motion a parliamentary approval process that will determine who leads the country’s privacy regulator for the next six years. The nomination was announced on Monday, November 9, in a statement issued by Government Spokesperson Charles Owino. According to the statement, Ruto acted on the recommendation of the Public Service Commission and in exercise of constitutional powers vested in the Head of State. Chelagat’s name has been forwarded to the National Assembly for consideration in line with the Data Protection Act, Cap 411C. “The…
President William Ruto launched a scathing attack on his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, on Monday, branding him a “chief extortionist” and alleging that the former deputy president has been demanding millions of shillings from businesspeople and political aspirants seeking his support. Speaking at a roadside rally in Nyangori, Kitutu Masaba Constituency, Nyamira County, Ruto accused Gachagua of turning his new political vehicle, the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), into a money-making enterprise. The president alleged that aspirants seeking DCP tickets were being charged exorbitant fees, including a claim that even securing an opportunity to address a rally required a…
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has ruled out contesting the Kiambu gubernatorial seat in the 2027 General Election, declaring that he will instead seek re-election as Kikuyu Member of Parliament on the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket. Speaking during an interview with a local television station on Sunday, November 8, 2026, Ichung’wah dismissed speculation that he intended to challenge incumbent Governor Kimani Wamatangi for the county’s top seat, using a humorous analogy to emphasise his lack of interest in the position. “I do not need to run for the governor’s seat, and there is no time I will be…
When Betty Wamaitha joined Quickmart in October 2015 as a marketing consultant, the supermarket chain was a modest operation with just four branches and roughly one hundred employees. Its name, as she later quipped, “traveled about as far as our hometown”. Nearly eleven years later, when she stepped down as Chief Marketing Officer in August 2026, Quickmart had grown into Kenya’s second-largest retailer by footprint and turnover, with 72 branches, over 8,000 employees, more than 600 suppliers, and annual revenues exceeding Ksh50 billion. Wamaitha’s journey – from a media sales executive to the marketing helm of a retail powerhouse -…
Former ruling Jubilee Party has lodged a formal complaint with the Registrar of Political Parties, seeking to bar President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) from using the phrase “Mbele Pamoja” as part of its newly unveiled political slogan, arguing that the expression is its legally registered identity. The dispute erupted just one day after UDA officially retired its 2022 campaign slogan ‘Kazi ni Kazi’ and replaced it with ‘Usawa ni Sawa – Mbele Pamoja’ in a notice dated Thursday, November 5, 2026. Jubilee’s Secretary General, Moitalel Ole Kenta, responded the same day with a letter to the Registrar, asserting…
