National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula.[FILE/Standard] National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula wears controversy like his Sunday best suit. He has faced a barrage of accusations over the manner he has conducted himself by locking out voices critical of the government during debates and engaging in party politics at the behest of the ruling coalition, Kenya Kwanza. His critics accuse him of abandoning his role of an independent arbiter and compromising the independence of Parliament to becoming the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party mouthpiece. His partiality and involvement in campaigning for President William Ruto’s re-election has attracted the wrath of some…
Author: By Ndungu Gachane
President William Ruto and former President Uhuru Kenyatta after the joint EAC-SADC meeting on the restoration of peace and stability in the DRC, at State House, Nairobi, on August 2, 2025. [PCS] Former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s decision to resume leadership roles in the Jubilee Party could significantly alter Kenya’s political landscape, and pose a challenge to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s quest to be the Mt Kenya region’s kingpin and affect President William Ruto’s re-election strategy. On Wednesday, Uhuru issued a 21-day notice for a Special National Delegates Conference (NDC), scheduled for the end of this month, aimed at reviewing…
Alleged goons masquerading as protestors arrested by the police in Nairobi’s Central Business District during the recent anti tax protests, on June 27,2024. [Robert Tomno,Standard} A wave of terror is sweeping across the country. Ordinary citizens are looking over their shoulders or mumbling in whispers when discussing sensitive matters in public. Government critics live in constant fear, unsure when masked men in unregistered vehicles will pounce on them. Clerics, too, are fearful when they shepherd their flock from the pulpit. Among journalists, cartoonists, Opposition leaders, judges, magistrates, and human rights defenders, fear and anxiety have become the new norm following the…
Alleged goons masquerading as protestors arrested by the police in Nairobi’s Central Business District during the recent anti tax protests, on June 27,2024. [Robert Tomno,Standard} A wave of terror is sweeping across the country. Ordinary citizens are looking over their shoulders or mumbling in whispers when discussing sensitive matters in public. Government critics live in constant fear, unsure when masked men in unregistered vehicles will pounce on them. Clerics, too, are fearful when they shepherd their flock from the pulpit. Among journalists, cartoonists, Opposition leaders, judges, magistrates, and human rights defenders, fear and anxiety have become the new norm following the…
Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri. [File, Standard] Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri exchanged sharp words over the future of the Mt Kenya region. Gachagua, currently in the United States, accused Kiunjuri and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwa of collaborating with President William Ruto to undermine the Mt Kenya community. The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) accused Kiunjuri and other regional leaders of orchestrating business looting and youth arrests, urging Kenyans in the diaspora to influence locals not to reelect these leaders. Follow the The Standard channel on WhatsApp “The MPs for Kikuyu and…
Gen-Z protesters along Kenyatta Avenue as they remembered 60 young people who died in last year’s finance bill demonstrations on June 25, 2025. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard] Kenyans are angry. This anger has been demonstrated by the wave of attacks on police stations. On Thursday, thousands of angry villagers descended on Mawego Police Station in Homa Bay, which they razed to the ground. They were angry because this was the police station where teacher Albert Ojwang was first locked up after being arrested, before being transferred to Nairobi, where he was killed in a cell. /* Container styling */ .fade-out-overlay { position: absolute;…
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka flanked by Kitui Senator Enock Wambua,DAP-K Party leader Eugene Wamalwa , Lawyer Njiru Ndegwa lead relatives’ victims in laying wreath along Parliament road, Nairobi ahead of the Gen Zs 1st anniversary demonstration . June 25th,2025. [Elvis Ogina, Standard] One year ago, the sound of gunfire echoed across Kenya as desperate parents mourned sons and daughters killed by police during protests. Chants of “Ruto must go” and “One term” unified angry Kenyans demanding an end to government excesses. And as the youth poured onto roads, streets and highways yesterday to demand justice for the 60 young people…
Deputy president Prof Kithure Kindiki in Kiambaa constituency on April 13, 2025. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard] Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki has unwittingly fallen into the trap that ensnared his predecessor, confined him to the Mt Kenya region, and earned him a tag for concentrating most of his energies seeking validation in his home turf. 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 Deputy president Prof Kithure Kindiki in Kiambaa constituency on April 13, 2025.…
Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign and Diaspora Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi during a past interview. [File, Standard] Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s take on the plight of Kenya’s human rights activists in Tanzania has exposed the country’s inconsistency in standing with its citizens. His comments have further raised concerns over the balance between trade relations and the protection of citizens’ human rights. .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!…
Former Deputy Rigathi Gachagua(Right),receive Compliance certificate from former UDA Secretary general Cleophas Malala.[Edward Kiplimo,Standard] Despite the array of laws meant to instill political party discipline in place, the country’s politicians have continued to compromise political hygiene and good order. The recent move by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to form his political party, the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), and the ongoing political alignments will yet again usher in protracted legal battles between parties and the elected leaders over their fleeting allegiances. 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…
Activist Boniface Mwangi being hurled into a police vehicle by plain cloth police officers along Koinange Street during a protest in memory of lives lost during the Gen-Z demonstrations on July 25, 2024. [Kanyiri Wahito/Standard] A magistrate has triggered a heated debate following his remarks directed at Boniface Mwangi, an activist, that police are trained to “kill people”. The remarks have been viewed by some court users and human rights lobby groups as distasteful. .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…
President William Ruto and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua receives the report of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) from the Co-Chairs Kalonzo Musyoka and Kimani Ichung’wah at State House Nairobi. [PCS] The decision by President William Ruto to nominate chairperson and commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission without consulting a section of Azimio La Umoja leaders has raised a fresh political storm. Even before the ink on the on the President’s nomination letter has dried, opposition leaders are up in arms against the Head of State for allegedly breaching the recommendations of the National Dialogue Committee (Nadco) that the…
Then Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua chats with Interior CS Kithure Kindiki at the Kenya School of Government on November 9, 2024. [File, Standard] The ongoing political alignments in the country pitting former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and a host of other Opposition leaders against President William Ruto place Deputy President Kithure Kindiki in a precarious position. Some analysts argue that Gachagua’s move to galvanize Mt Kenya region and remove it from President Ruto’s grip will force President Ruto to look to other regions for a running mate in the hope of replacing the over three million votes he received from…
Former Interior CS Fred Matiangi (center) is welcomed by Senator Richard Onyonka (left) of ODM and Secretary General Jubilee Party Jeremiah Kioni (in red), friends, relatives and supporters at JKIA on arrival from abroad. [Jonah Onyango, Standard] After a 14-month hiatus, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, who left the country under a cloud of controversy after his home was raided by police, is back in the public sphere. And the man who has mastered the art of scarcity by saying little is now being associated with the race to the State House. .fade-out-container{position:relative;background:none;top:-95px;padding:4rem 0 2rem;text-align:center}.fade-out-overlay{position:absolute;top:-40px;left:0;width:100%;height:60px;z-index:1;background:linear-gradient(to bottom,rgba(255,255,255,0),rgba(255,255,255,1))}.subscribe-content{position:relative;z-index:2;padding:20px;background:#fff;top:-55px}.subscribe-content h1{font-size:2rem;margin:2rem 0;font-weight:bold;color:#ed1a3b}.subscribe-content h2{margin-bottom:2rem}.subscribe-content button{background-color:#ed1a3b;color:#fff;font-size:1.25rem;padding:.75rem 2rem;border:none;border-radius:0;cursor:pointer;margin-top:1rem;min-width:200px}.subscribe-content…
President William Ruto and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki at AIPCA Kithaku in Meru today for the consecration of the holy oil ceremony presided by Archbishop Samson Muthuri. [Phares Mutembei, Standard] Critics have accused President William Ruto’s administration of using extensive refurbishments of government facilities such as State Houses and Lodges as a pretext to misappropriate billions of taxpayers’ money. Since assuming office two-and-a-half years ago, Ruto has faced allegations of spending vast sums on upgrading his official residences and offices, as well as those of his deputy, at costs that could fund the construction of entirely new complexes. In January,…
President William Ruto and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki at AIPCA Kithaku in Meru today for the consecration of the holy oil ceremony presided by Archbishop Samson Muthuri. [Phares Mutembei, Standard] Critics have accused President William Ruto’s administration of using extensive refurbishments of government facilities such as State Houses and Lodges as a pretext to misappropriate billions of taxpayers’ money. Since assuming office two-and-a-half years ago, Ruto has faced allegations of spending vast sums on upgrading his official residences and offices, as well as those of his deputy, at costs that could fund the construction of entirely new complexes. In January,…