It has been almost two decades since former Environment Minister the late John Michuki initiated a process to clean the Nairobi River. Then he had just been moved from the security docket, and many thought his wish of swimming and fishing in the filthy river was unrealistic. For long the depository of city effluent, the once cool waters of Nairobi had turned into an oily and toxic goo, with the river’s banks jammed with all manner of detritus and polythene waste. While in other modern cities the river’s banks would have been prime land offering river frontage for posh homes,…
Author: Pkemoi Ng'enoh
Various matatu Saccos operating within Nairobi have attributed the worsening disorder on Kenyan roads to widespread corruption, allegedly facilitated by traffic police officers and county traffic marshals. Saccos also report being compelled to pay daily and monthly fees to ensure smooth operation, amounts they say are extorted under the guise of “protection.” County traffic marshals, commonly referred to as kanjos, have also joined in the racket and are strategically positioned in the city demanding pay from operators. Interviews with officials from several Saccos reveal the enormous sums of money collected from them, allegedly lining the pockets of both police officers…
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja appears before a Senate committee [Elvis Ogina/Standard] Decades of disruption, billions in public funds, and countless political promises have failed to resolve a crisis that is as visible as it is volatile: street hawking in Nairobi’s Central Business District. The capital’s commercial heart remains mired in congestion, conflict and clutter, as successive city administrations struggle — and stumble — in efforts to relocate thousands of informal traders who dominate its streets, lanes and walkways. Hawking in the CBD has long been a stubborn headache whose remedy remains elusive. For decades, Nairobi’s leadership has attempted various solutions…
In Kenya, few names spark as much speculation and whispered curiosity as the Freemasons. Mention being part of this centuries-old fraternity in public and watch the room shift, eyes narrow, conversations stall, and discomfort creeps in. Notable former (some deceased) and current masons include former Attorney General Charles Njonjo, former Vice President Moody Awori and retired Court of Appeal Judge AB Shah. The secretive organisation has been cloaked in mystery, rumour and myth for decades. From alleged occult practices to whispers of underground influence, the Freemasons have long captured the public imagination. Their meetings, held behind the high, tree-lined walls…
Jane Muthoni at Langata Women’s Maximum Prison, Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina, Standard] When Kiru Boys High School Principal Solomon Mwangi disappeared, no one would have known that his wife Jane Muthoni was the planner and executor of his death. The secret was revealed through the confession of one of the accused persons, Joseph Kariuki. In his ten-page confession read in court, Kariuki admitted that he participated in the murder of Mwangi on November 6, 2016. Jane Muthoni had promised to pay him Sh400,000. He stated that he met Muthoni who informed him and another killer, Isaac Ng’ang’a, that she wanted to…