A pair of gold wedding rings, a judge’s hammer. [Courtesy/GettyImages] Supposing the President’s wife sought to divorce him in Kenyan courts, will the judges decline jurisdiction and chain her to a broken marriage until he leaves office? An alternative question: Can a child sired by Muslim man out of wedlock inherit his estate both questions or their permutations have been litigated in Kenya’s Supreme Court before. /* 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;…
Author: By David Ochami
The senate session during Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza’s Impeachment hearing at the Senate ,Parliament buildings,Nairobi. November 8th,2023. [Elvis Ogina,Standard] Despite its past demonstrable disdain for the Senate, the National Assembly now seeks the support of the Senate to amend Article 204 of the Constitution to entrench three Funds. The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2025 seeks to validate the National Constituencies Fund, Senate Oversight Fund and National Government Affirmative Action Fund. The Bill’s promoters are two distinguished lawyers, including Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo, who chaired the Committee of Experts CoE that superintended the constitution-making process leading to promulgation of the 2010 charter. Dr Amolo understands…
Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Communications and Digital Economy William Kabogo,arrives at the Annual Media Summit at The Edge Nairobi,he is welcomed by Media Council CEO David Omwoyo.[Benard Orwongo, Standard] The true ill intentions of the framers of the revised Code of Conduct for Media Practice 2025 lie in the Objects of the Code. It matters not that the Code was arrived at through a “multisectoral” forum that included many stakeholders, because the outcome of all the workshops and lobbying is a poisonous outcome. These regulations were inspired by ideologues from a bygone era and orchestrated by the State and “stakeholders”, carefully, assembled…
The damaged Supreme Court gate during the Anti-Finance Bill 2024 protest on June 25, 2024. [Boniface Okendo, Standard] On June 30, the Supreme Court of Kenya sparked frustration among many Muslims when it ruled that a child born out of wedlock to a Muslim man can inherit his estate, contrary to the position under Islamic law. Aggrieved Muslims argue that the judgment subjugates Islamic law to secular doctrine and undermines their right to practise their faith under Article 32 of the Constitution and Section 2(3) of the Law of Succession Act, which codifies Muslim personal law in Kenya. Some see a troubling pattern…
Director of Public Prosecution Renson Mulele Ingonga, delivering his speech on 2nd November 2023 at Sarova Stanly Hotel in Nairobi, during International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against journalists. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard] As the superintendent of all prosecutorial authority in Kenya, the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) wields constitutional power over the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). The DPP, as the bearer of the prosecution burden can, lawfully, order these institutions to investigate any crime and supervise them to ensure professionalism. /* Container styling */ .fade-out-overlay {…
How The Standard Media Group PLC has maintained accountability coverage of the murder of teacher Albert Ojwang. [File, Standard] As the superintendent of all prosecutorial authority in Kenya, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution ODPP wields constitutional power over the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, the Directorate of Criminal Investigation DCI and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission EACC. The DPP, as the bearer of the prosecution burden, can, lawfully, order these institutions to investigate any crime and supervise them to ensure professionalism. Kenyans are, justifiably, frustrated when their sovereign power (in the ODPP’s office) to order investigations and prosecute…
If adopted by the National Assembly and signed into law, the proposed amendment to the Kenya Information and Communication Act will be the most draconian and intrusive laws against freedom of speech, expression, dissemination through electronic means and right to privacy yet, under the 2010 Constitution. .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 2px 10px rgba(0,0,0,.1);background-color:#fff}.paywall-container h2{text-align:center}.paywall-container a{text-decoration:none!important}.paywall-header{font-size:24px;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:15px;color:#333;text-align:center}.price-highlight{font-size:20px;font-weight:bold;color:#d40511;margin:15px 0;text-align:center}.price-highlight .original-price{text-decoration:line-through;color:#777;margin-right:0}.divider{border-top:1px solid #e0e0e0;margin:20px 0}.subscribe-button{display:block;width:100%;padding:12px;background-color:#d40511;color:#fff;border:none;border-radius:4px;font-size:25px;font-weight:bold;cursor:pointer;margin-bottom:20px;transition:background-color .3s;text-decoration:none}.subscribe-button:hover{background-color:#b0030e;text-decoration:none}.features-list{margin:20px 0;padding-left:20px;list-style:none}.features-list li{margin-bottom:10px;list-style-type:none;position:relative;padding-left:25px;list-style-type:none!important}.features-list li:before{content:”✓”;color:#d40511;position:absolute;left:0;font-weight:bold}.existing-subscriber{text-align:center;color:#555;font-size:14px}.existing-subscriber a{color:#d40511;text-decoration:none}.existing-subscriber a:hover{text-decoration:underline} 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 subscriber? Log…
In a serious country, police and prosecutors would be poring over the BBC’s ‘Blood Parliament’ documentary, to appreciate how modern technology can assist solve complex crimes. Digital forensics, such as that used in the documentary, social media tips, artificial intelligence, machine learning and forensic anthropology can unlock and solve cold cases, but not so in Kenya. Bloggers who believe the documentary breaks no new ground lack forensic knowledge and understanding of the legal jeopardy the Ruto administration has been placed by BBC. The Isaak Hassan-led Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) belongs in this category of incompetents for publishing a scandalous…