EAC Principal Secretary Caroline Karugu says Tanzania’s move risks “undermining regional economic integration efforts. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard] Kenya has formally complained to Tanzania over orders restricting foreigners from engaging in 15 categories of small-scale business activities. In a statement, East African Community Principal Secretary Caroline Karugu warned Tanzania’s move risked “undermining regional economic integration efforts under the East African Community (EAC).” The targeted businesses, whose licences the President Samia Suluhu’s government directed licensing authorities against renewing, include mobile money transfers, tour guiding, small-scale mining, on-farm crop buying, beauty salons, curio shops and establishing radio and TV operations. Follow The Standard…
Author: By Brian Otieno
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s commitment to support President Wiliam Ruto until 2027 has widened cracks in ODM. [File, Standard] Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is facing a rebellion within his Orange Democratic Movement party over his association with President William Ruto. Raila risks defections from his party, driven by lawmakers who oppose a memorandum of understanding between ODM and Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance. /* Container styling */ .fade-out-overlay { position: absolute; top: -80px; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 60px; z-index: 1; background: linear-gradient(to bottom, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0), rgba(255, 255, 255, 1)); } .paywall-container { position: relative; max-width: 100%;…
Belgut MP Nelson Koech has urged police officers to use maximum force against individuals involved in violent street demonstrations and acts of vandalism. [File, Standard] Had Belgut Member of Parliament Nelson Koech shouted louder as he wished death on a section of Kenyans this past Thursday, he would have torn whatever is left of his vocal cords. Some of those watching him yell first-hand must have suffered damage to their eardrums. That is how loud he was, courtesy of a fear-induced anger that made his eyes pop. /* Container styling */ .fade-out-overlay { position: absolute; top: -80px; left: 0; width:…
Police officers on horseback engaged with demonstrators at the Free Area in Nakuru City during the Saba Saba protests on July 7, 2025. One officer was thrown off his horse. [Joseph Kipsang, Standard] Police officers used everything they could find — razor wire, spike strips, boulders and crime scene tape — to block access to Nairobi’s Central Business District, effectively paralysing movement across the capital. Motorists headed to the city centre were turned back at roadblocks, along with pedestrians. Distance travellers from all corners of Kenya were held outside the city and subjected to unwarranted searches. Many others, such as…
Police officers on horseback engaged with demonstrators at the Free Area in Nakuru City during the Saba Saba protests on July 7, 2025. One officer was thrown off his horse. [Joseph Kipsang/Standard] Police officers used everything they could find — razor wire, spike strips, boulders and crime scene tape — to block access to Nairobi’s Central Business District, effectively paralysing movement across the capital. Motorists headed to the city centre were turned back at roadblocks — pedestrians, too. Distance travellers from all of Kenya’s corners were held outside the city and forced into unwarranted searches. Many others, such as some…
Rev Timothy Njoya during an interview at his home in Ngong, Kajiado County, on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. [Walter Owino, Standard] A newspaper cutting hangs on the wall of a cluttered office that Reverend Timothy Njoya insists all guests must visit to sign a guest book. “HORROR OF SABA SABA,” screams the framed front page of the July 8, 1997, issue of The East African Standard, hanging above a picture of Njoya with former Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. Unlock the Full Story — Join Thousands of Informed Kenyans Today Subscribe Today & Save! Unlock Now Unlimited access to all premium…
Tiaty Mp William Kamket escorted by DCI officers at Rift Valley Regional Criminal Investigations offices in Nakuru on February 8,2024. [Kipsang Joseph,Standard] Whatever it is they smoke in some corners of Mulembe seems to have drifted into the deep ravines of the North Rift—into Tiaty, to be precise. And it appears to be giving the area’s Member of Parliament, William Kamket strange ideas. In case you missed it, Kamket recently made a vain attempt at becoming the latest Jesus. /* Container styling */ .fade-out-overlay { position: absolute; top: -80px; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 60px; z-index: 1; background: linear-gradient(to bottom,…
When President William Ruto inspected government projects during a tour of Garissa on February 07, 2025. [PCS, Standard] Remarks and actions by top government officials condemning last Wednesday’s protests and threatening consequences that could further suppress dissent have raised concerns that Kenya may be sliding into dictatorship. The signs, observers warn, are all too glaring. These include the State’s refusal to allow peaceful protests, attacks on the media, and the withdrawal of security for former senior officials. /* Container styling */ .fade-out-overlay { position: absolute; top: -80px; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 60px; z-index: 1; background: linear-gradient(to bottom, rgba(255, 255,…
Police use water cannons to disperse protestors in Nairobi, on June 25, 2025. [Collins Oduor, Standard] Police officers on Wednesday bombarded protesters in Nairobi with countless tear gas canisters and bullets, in a day that saw the government’s fear of dissent reach hysterical levels. It was a day the government’s horror crystalised into a nightmare in the face of the citizen’s fury. /* Container styling */ .fade-out-overlay { position: absolute; top: -80px; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 60px; z-index: 1; background: linear-gradient(to bottom, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0), rgba(255, 255, 255, 1)); } .paywall-container { position: relative; max-width: 100%; margin: 0…
Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Published Date: 2025-06-23 00:00:00 Author: By Brian Otieno Source: The Standard
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja at Parliament Buildings, Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina, Standard] Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja swears by the mantra of restoring order to Kenya’s capital, lavishing slogans like ‘Let’s make Nairobi Work’ and ‘Lazima Iwork’, which he has plastered on county government establishments. His tenure, barely two-and-a-half years old, has contradicted everything he claimed to stand for. It has been underlined by pettiness, which has sparked constant fights. /* Container styling */ .fade-out-overlay { position: absolute; top: -80px; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 60px; z-index: 1; background: linear-gradient(to bottom, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0), rgba(255, 255, 255, 1)); } .paywall-container {…
The Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja briefing the press following Albert Omondi Ojwang’s death in police custody at Central Police station, Nairobi. June 9, 2025. [Jonah Onyango,Standard] Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has been faulted over a wave of brutality committed by police officers, raising concerns about his leadership of the National Police Service. Yesterday, across social media platforms, calls for IG Kanja to resign, which have echoed since news broke of the brutal killing of Albert Ojwang’, a 31-year-old teacher, in police custody, grew louder. /* Container styling */ .fade-out-overlay { position: absolute; top: -80px; left: 0;…
Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu at Parliament on February 24, 2025 [Boniface Okendo, Standard] Karen Nyamu squeezed her eyelids harder than a baby clenches their fist, hoping that a teardrop would fall down her cheek. With that, she could successfully pretend to care about Albert Ojwang’, a school teacher who was brutally killed in police custody, where he was because some big police officer didn’t like what he (Ojwang’) had, allegedly, said about him. /* Container styling */ .fade-out-overlay { position: absolute; top: -80px; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 60px; z-index: 1; background: linear-gradient(to bottom, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0), rgba(255, 255,…
Treasury CS Ukur Yatani holds up the briefcase containing the Budget for the 2020/22 financial year in Parliament in Nairobi on Thursday, June 10, 2021. [David Njaaga, Standard] In January, I argued in these pages that the nation’s policy maturity hinges on its capacity to confront its past mistakes and learn from them. I challenged policymakers to view public discontent, economic missteps, and institutional failures not as nuisances, but as opportunities for reform. That challenge remains. But in the heat of the Finance Bill 2025 and by extension the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2025 debates, it is time we turn the…
Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Published Date: 2025-06-09 06:00:00 Author: By Brian Otieno Source: The Standard
President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi, hosted leaders and businessmen from Siaya County and appraised them of the government’s projects in the region. [PCS] Amid backlash over his shareholding remarks, which equated the government to a corporation that would prioritise communities that voted for it, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua fought back. The people from the Mt Kenya region had voted President William Ruto into office, and so they deserved the significant share allocated to the region in Dr Ruto’s government. Get Trusted News for Only Ksh99 a Week Subscribe Today & Save! Get Started Unlimited access to…
President William Ruto, Siaya Governor James Orengo and Senator Oburu Oginga during a meeting at State House, Nairobi. [PCS] A meeting between President William Ruto and Siaya Governor James Orengo yielded pledges for multi-billion-shilling investments, bringing to the fore Kenya’s brand of politics, which has historically pegged development on political patronage. It is a cancer that devolution, designed to decentralise power to Kenya’s 47 counties, was aimed to cure. Many regions, whose leaders differed with the occupant of the State House, have faced marginalisation, with those led by the master’s friend enjoying what has now come to be known as…
President William Ruto, Siaya Governor James Orengo and Senator Oburu Oginga during a meeting at State House, Nairobi. [PCS] A meeting between President William Ruto and Siaya Governor James Orengo yielded pledges for multi-billion-shilling investments, bringing to the fore Kenya’s brand of politics, which has historically pegged development on political patronage. It is a cancer that devolution, designed to decentralise power to Kenya’s 47 counties, was aimed to cure. Many regions, whose leaders differed with the occupant of the State House, have faced marginalisation, with those led by the master’s friend enjoying what has now come to be known as…
President William Ruto, Siaya Governor James Orengo and Senator Oburu Oginga during a meeting at State House, Nairobi. [PCS] A meeting between President William Ruto and Siaya Governor James Orengo yielded pledges for multi-billion-shilling investments, bringing to the fore Kenya’s brand of politics, which has historically pegged development on political patronage. It is a cancer that devolution, designed to decentralise power to Kenya’s 47 counties, was aimed to cure. Many regions, whose leaders differed with the occupant of the State House, have faced marginalisation, with those led by the master’s friend enjoying what has now come to be known as…
President William Ruto, Siaya Governor James Orengo and Senator Oburu Oginga during a meeting at State House, Nairobi. [PCS] A meeting between President William Ruto and Siaya Governor James Orengo yielded pledges for multi-billion-shilling investments, bringing to the fore Kenya’s brand of politics, which has historically pegged development on political patronage. It is a cancer that devolution, designed to decentralise power to Kenya’s 47 counties, was aimed to cure. Many regions, whose leaders differed with the occupant of the State House, have faced marginalisation, with those led by the master’s friend enjoying what has now come to be known as…
Minig CS Hassan Joho/FileMining and Blue Economy CS Hassan Joho has hinted at plans to privatise the Liwatoni Fisheries Complex in Mombasa. This comes after the government invested Sh1.49 billion in the construction of the complex, which was meant to enhance fish processing and value addition.“We have made a decision that it will happen this year. And by the way, the decision is that the government shouldn’t run business. The government is a facilitator. So we will enable other players to come in and run that facility,” Joho said. He spoke at Ummu Kulthum Mosque in Mombasa, where he made his Eid-ul-Adha…
President William Ruto (right) and SomalilandAbdirahman Mohamed (left) meet at State House, Nairobi. [Sourced, X] President William Ruto’s Thursday meeting with Somaliland President Abdirahman Irro has once again raised questions about Kenya’s foreign policy and the diplomatic advice the Head of State gets. The meeting, which analysts argue is a diplomatic blunder, risks straining the already fragile relationship between Kenya and Somalia, from which Somaliland hopes to break away. Get Trusted News for Only Ksh99 a Week Subscribe Today & Save! Get Started Unlimited access to all premium content Uninterrupted ad-free browsing experience Mobile-optimized reading experience Weekly Newsletters Already a…
President William Ruto at Ngarachi Comprehensive School in Laikipia west during his tour of the Mt. Kenya region on April 1 2025. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard] When his allies impeached former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, President William Ruto knew the kind of foe that single move would earn him. He had witnessed firsthand how bare-knuckled Gachagua went against those he did not like. Indeed, the former DP had publicly berated former President Uhuru Kenyatta, a man who gave him a job as his personal assistant. Get Trusted News for Only Ksh99 a Week Subscribe Today & Save! Get Started Unlimited access…
Mugithi music artist Samidoh performing at Mugithi Night live at Royal Bentely Lounge, Muchai Drive, Nairobi on 16th July 2022. [File, Standard] He has a voice that can lure nyoka out of pangoni. But his voice is, perhaps, not what his bosses had in mind when they moved Samuel Muchoki, alias Samidoh, to the Anti-Stock Theft Unit. Samidoh, a police officer who prefers the guitar to the gun, will be serenading bandits in the troubled North Rift for the foreseeable future. If you bought advance tickets to his Mugiithi shows, count your money as a donation to Bwana Maji Marefu…
Defence, Intelligence & Foreign Relations committee Chair Nelson Koech at the Mini Chambers, County Hall, Nairobi. January 10, 2025. [Elvis Ogina, Standard] Belgut lawmaker Nelson Koech has moved to assure the United States that Kenya is not switching allegiance to China, clarifying that Nairobi only sought a more significant say on the world stage. In a letter to Jim Risch, a US senator from Idaho who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, Koech said President William Ruto’s reference to China as “co-architects of a new world order” was taken out of context. Koech, who chairs the National Assembly’s Defence and Foreign…
President William Ruto and his Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb at State House, Nairobi. President Stubb is accompanied by First Lady Suzanne Innes-Stubb and a business delegation are on the first visit by a Finnish Head of State to Kenya. [PCS] President William Ruto is a lesson in contradiction. Occasionally, he makes a diplomatic gaffe that paints him as aloof. Then he pulls off moves that show him to be quite the charmer. On Monday, the President rolled out the red carpet for Finland President Alexander Stubb, who departed Kenya yesterday after a three-day state visit. .fade-out-overlay{position:absolute;top:-80px;left:0;width:100%;height:60px;z-index:1;background:linear-gradient(to bottom,rgba(255,255,255,0),rgba(255,255,255,1))}.paywall-container{position:relative;max-width:100%;margin:0 auto;padding:25px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;border-radius:8px;box-shadow:0…
Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma arrive to slain MP Ongondo Were’s home in Kachien village in Kasipul constituency on May 3,2025. [James Omoro, Standard] Gladys Nyasuna Wanga, the governor of Homa Bay, has not been her bubbly self. She recently lost one of her fiercest defenders, Kasipul Mheshimiwa Charles Ong’ondo Were, felled by an assassin’s bullets. Her eyes no longer carry joy, but tears that would fill several jerrycans. Wanga is convinced Were’s killing was related to her county’s succession politics. She speaks as though she knows the people behind the assassination but…
ODM leader Raila Odinga at a funeral in Homa Bay county. [File, Standard] If he is not keeping his allies happy, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is keeping them hopeful. He has mastered this art, critical in the game of politics, which the former premier knows like the back of his hand. Since he shook President William Ruto’s hand last July, Raila has been playing the very game with his long-time and newfound allies. He was at it again during the burial of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were on Friday. Get Trusted News for Only Ksh99 a Week…
Slain Kasipul MP Ong’ondo Were addressing journalists in his home at Kachien Village. (James Omoro, Standard). The swift arrest of suspects linked to the brutal murder of Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were has demonstrated the capabilities of security agencies in cracking serious crimes, exposing previous inaction that has led to many murder cases going cold. As of yesterday, 10 persons had been arrested in connection with Were’s killing on April 30. Were was gunned down at the City Mortuary roundabout on Ngong Road, Nairobi. Get Trusted News for Only Ksh400 Ksh299 a month Subscribe Today & Save! Get Started Unlimited…
President William Ruto, Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo arrive for the funeral service of Mr Odinga’s body guard George Oduor at Ramba High of in Siaya County. [PCS] President William Ruto returns to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s Nyanza backyard today, the fourth official trip in the region since 2022. Dr Ruto will make a three-day visit to Migori, one of the Nyanza counties that the President hopes to inherit from Raila, in case the latter calls it a day in politics. He was last in the county last August, when he made a four-day…
Labour CS Alfred Mutua addressing the media at KICC, Nairobi on May 2, 2025 ahead of job recruits travel to there different destinies, some going to Iraq and some to Germany. [Boniface Okendo, Standard] Labour Day has always felt like a bother for the government. Yes, State officials could use the holiday, but they would rather spend it in some other place and not in the company of mostly minimum wage earners who hope to get a hike in their pay, however slight it may be. It is no wonder that Labour waziri Alfred Mutua’s written speech sounded like it…
Wiper Democratic Movement Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Fred Matiang’i, Martha Karua, Rigathi Gachagua,Eugene Wamalwa,Mukhisa Kituyi, Justine Muturi, Mithika Linturi during a meeting in Nairobi today 29th April 2025. [Denish Ochieng] The 2027 General Election is not around the corner, but politicians are itching to form coalitions. President William Ruto has courted former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, but he is struggling to keep him locked in, as evidenced by the growing dissent from within Raila’s ranks. On the other hand, a team of opposition politicians is regrouping into a formation that they say will “liberate Kenya.” This team comprises former Deputy…
Wiper Democratic Movement Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Fred Matiang’i, Martha Karua, Rigathi Gachagua, Eugene Wamalwa,Mukhisa Kituyi, Justine Muturi, Mithika Linturi during a meeting in Nairobi today 29th April 2025. [Courtesy, Denish Ochieng] A host of opposition politicians on Tuesday met in Nairobi, signalling the formation of a new coalition to challenge President William Ruto in 2027. The meeting at a Karen hotel saw the entry of new faces to an alliance led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, People Liberation Party’s Martha Karua and Democratic Action Party-Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa. The Standard has established that the…
Former UDA Secretary general Cleophas Malala addresses the Press at party headquarters on February 17, 2024. [File, Standard] Former United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General Cleophas Malala has sensationally placed President William Ruto’s party at the centre of a multi-million-shilling tax evasion scandal involving unremitted taxes. Speaking exclusively to The Standard, Malala accused UDA of ignoring tax obligations, a claim which highlights alleged impunity and double standards by Ruto’s administration, which has essentially forced heavy taxes down the throats of Kenyans. Among the unremitted dues, which Malala said had not been deducted from the salaries of UDA employees, include the…
Former UDA Secretary general Cleophas Malala addresses the Press at party headquarters on February 17, 2024. [File, Standard] Former United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General Cleophas Malala has sensationally placed President William Ruto’s party at the centre of a multi-million-shilling tax evasion scandal involving unremitted taxes. Speaking exclusively to The Standard, Malala accused UDA of ignoring tax obligations, a claim which highlights alleged impunity and double standards by Ruto’s administration, which has essentially forced heavy taxes down the throats of Kenyans. Among the unremitted dues, which Malala said had not been deducted from the salaries of UDA employees, include the…
President William Ruto and Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga at State House in Mombasa county. [PCS] Sometime last July, just days after former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and President William Ruto shook hands at the stoop of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Siaya Governor James Orengo raised an alarm that refuses to be silenced. Uniting with Ruto, a passionate Orengo argued, was a bad idea. “I want to speak to those rushing to join President Ruto. He is a passing cloud, and I say this without any fear of contradiction,” the Siaya governor asserted, adding that the President had run…
President William Ruto and Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga at State House in Mombasa county. [PCS] Sometime last July, just days after former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and President William Ruto shook hands at the stoop of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Siaya Governor James Orengo raised an alarm that refuses to be silenced. Uniting with Ruto, a passionate Orengo argued, was a bad idea. “I want to speak to those rushing to join President Ruto. He is a passing cloud, and I say this without any fear of contradiction,” the Siaya governor asserted, adding that the President had run…
Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku when he donates food staff,mattress and house hold item to victims floods in Mathere Area 4,on 23rd April 2025. [Edward Kiplimo,Standard] Growing up, Geoffrey Ruku, the brand-new secondhand Waziri for Public Service, must have ventured into the bushes to fetch a log of firewood big enough to make a favourite delicacy in the region—githeri. Only then would he have lived up to his second name, Ruku, which translates to the largest and driest piece of firewood, used to make food that needed temperatures hotter than hell to cook. With greater power, quite literally, comes greater…
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen arrives for a security meeting at Kenya Maritime Authority in Mombasa, on April 7, 2025. [Omondi Onyango,Standard] Retreating to the Kenyan coast, which boasts several of the world’s finest beaches, should have bought Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen peace and quiet. The ambient murmurs of the ocean and a calming breeze would make for a perfect walk along the white sandy beaches of Diani, Mombasa and Watamu, and wherever else Bwana Waziri spent the past week. Miles away from the noisy capital, Murkomen would have shut the world out. Perhaps his only worry would have…
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua,during an interview with KTN at his Karen Residence on April 7,2025. [Benard Orwongo,Standard] A nursery school rhyme goes: There once were two cats from Kilkenny. Each thought that was one cat too many, So they started to fight And to scratch and to bite- Now, instead of two cats, there aren’t any. This Irish poem aptly captures the circus that is President William Ruto and his former deputy Rigathi Gachagua. Dr Ruto and Gachagua are rolling in the mud, each trying as hard as possible to get the other dirtier. In recent weeks, they have traded accusations over who was more corrupt…
President William Ruto in Lari, Kiambu County, inspected the Mau Mau Road Lot 1A and Lot 1B that will ease transport of people and goods, and connect Kiambu to other counties. [PCS] When he said Kenyans were judging him rather harshly during a televised interview last Monday, President William Ruto must have had the ‘Ruto must go’ chants at the back of his mind. Dr Ruto was the portrait of an optimist who believed he would achieve the lofty promises he made to Kenyans as he campaigned to be president. In the interim, things were mostly working fine. The Head of…