As mourners gathered at the family home in Tala on Saturday, February 14, 2026, to lay Moses to rest, Muthama issued a clear and emotional directive: the “WANTAM” and “TUTAM” slogans that have turned Kenya’s public spaces into political battlegrounds would not be tolerated at his son’s funeral.

“Today, we are not here as politicians. We are here as parents burying our child,” Muthama told the solemn gathering.

“Let us honor Moses with dignity, not drama.”

“By God’s plans, the mother of Moses and I may follow different political paths. But if you want to respect our peace in this home, do not bring ‘WANTAM’ or ‘TUTAM’ issues here, just forget them. When you speak, speak with gratitude for the opportunity, and nothing else. I will be holding the remote control to the microphone, and if you divert to politics, I will switch it off. That’s how you take charge of your home,” Muthama warned.

Muthama further stated that his son’s burial should serve as a model for funerals across the country.

“Is it right to bring politics into a family that is mourning and see people start fighting?” he asked.

“If you want to promote UDA’s agenda, there will be other platforms for that, not at a burial event.”

The 26-year-old Moses tragically passed away on February 4 after collapsing at home and developing breathing complications, leaving his parents and the entire community in deep mourning.

Friday’s pre-burial gathering painted a rare picture of political unity. Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, and ODM leader Oburu Oginga, figures often at opposite ends of Kenya’s political spectrum, sat side by side at the Muthama residence, their differences temporarily shelved in the face of shared human sorrow.

Kalonzo, visibly moved, described Moses as “a young man full of promise, purpose and dreams for the future,” calling the loss “a moment of profound sorrow” for the entire Ukambani community.

Senator Agnes Kavindu, Moses’s mother and Muthama’s wife, received the condolences with quiet grace, surrounded by family and close friends.

Muthama’s stand has resonated nationwide. Across social media platforms, thousands of Kenyans have praised the grieving father for drawing a firm line between political theater and personal tragedy.

“Finally, someone said it. Funerals are sacred spaces, not campaign rallies,” one supporter wrote.

The ban has ignited broader debate about the boundaries of political expression in Kenya.

While WANTAM and TUTAM slogans have become fixtures at public gatherings, many now question whether every space, including final farewells, must become a political arena.

As Moses was laid to rest on Saturday afternoon, the ceremony remained peaceful and centered on remembrance, exactly as his grieving parents had requested.

Pole sana to Commissioner Muthama, Senator Kavindu, and the entire family. May Moses rest in eternal peace.

The post Former Senator Muthama Bans Political “WANTAM” & “TUTAM” Chants at Son’s Burial appeared first on Insider Bits News.

Pathologists Grace Midigo and Simon Omuok, who conducted the examination, determined that the bullet entered through the left side of Adhiambo’s head and exited from the back, rupturing the cerebral cavity.

The medical experts stated unequivocally that the injuries were fatal and incompatible with survival.

The findings have intensified demands for accountability from activists and political leaders, who are calling for justice following allegations that Adhiambo was shot by police during an operation targeting suspected robbers.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority has deployed a Rapid Response Team to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.

The team is currently gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and analyzing exhibits related to the incident.

According to the National Police Service, the operation began after a complainant reported being robbed of a silver chain and 1,800 shillings by five young men.

Officers arrested two suspects initially, then moved to arrest two additional suspects that evening.

Police say that during the second arrest, one suspect raised an alarm, prompting nearby youths to stone officers.

The NPS maintains that officers fired warning shots into the air to disperse the crowd, during which Adhiambo was fatally shot.

The incident has sparked unrest in Huruma, with authorities urging residents to allow the investigation to proceed and refrain from further violence as tensions remain high.

The post Autopsy Confirms KMTC Student Sheryl Adhiambo Died from Single Gunshot to Head appeared first on Insider Bits News.

The Commission on Administrative Justice (Office of the Ombudsman) has recommended that the Director of Public Prosecutions initiate legal proceedings against five county officials, including former County Executive Committee Member Stephen Mwangi, for approving unlawful development in contravention of the Physical and Land Use Planning Act, 2019.

The investigation centered on a dispute between Coldstone Investment Limited and Khaleej Towers Limited over a development in Eastleigh that allegedly violated planning, zoning, and building regulations.

In a decision announced Friday, the Ombudsman ordered Nairobi City County Government and Khaleej Towers Limited to jointly pay Kshs 22,533,379 in damages to Coldstone Investment Limited within one month, including Kshs 20 million in general damages and Kshs 2,533,379 in special damages.

The special damages cover quantifiable losses including reconstruction of a demolished boundary wall (Kshs 1,886,711), roof and gutter repairs (Kshs 220,165), and structural engineer fees (Kshs 141,503).

The investigation revealed what the Commission described as a pattern of regulatory failures that not only infringed on the rights of neighboring property owners but also eroded public confidence in the credibility of Nairobi City County’s development control processes.

According to the report, the approvals were marred by multiple violations. One key issue was premature approval: the approval letter was issued on August 30, 2023, even before formal deliberations on August 31 and the final ratification on September 14, 2023.

The report also highlighted non-compliance with setback requirements. Bedroom windows failed to meet the mandated 2.4-meter setback, while sitting rooms and balconies did not adhere to the required 6-meter setback.

Weak enforcement further compounded the problem, as construction continued unabated despite the issuance of an enforcement notice, plan revocation, and a stop order.

Finally, the report pointed to systemic failures within the Nairobi Planning and Development Management System, which allowed applications to progress even when technical objections remained unresolved.

The DPP has been urged to initiate legal proceedings against several officials involved in the matter. The individuals named include Mr. Stephen Mwangi, former CECM for Built Environment and Urban Planning; Mr. Patrick Analo, Chief Officer, Urban Planning; Mr. Fredrick Ochanda, Assistant Director, Development Control; Mr. Simon Omondi, Development Control Officer; and Mr. Tom Achar, Director of Planning, Compliance, and Enforcement

The County Assembly has also been directed to initiate removal proceedings against Mr. Mwangi for “gross misconduct, dereliction of duty, and breach of public trust.”

The investigation uncovered deep-seated problems in Nairobi’s development control system.

The Commission found that development control officers self-assign applications without oversight, reducing accountability, and that applications can advance despite unresolved technical objections, allowing incomplete or non-compliant submissions to progress.

Perhaps most troubling, the report revealed that multi-disciplinary technical review is often circumvented, with critical departments such as Roads, Survey, Public Health, and Fire Safety not consulted.

Site inspections also identified multiple nearby properties in violation of planning regulations, including exceeding permitted building heights, ignoring mandatory setbacks, installing windows and balconies that compromise privacy, and constructing directly to plot boundaries.

A key issue in the dispute was Khaleej Towers Limited’s claim of a public sewer wayleave running between the properties.

However, the investigation definitively established that the sewer line runs exclusively within Coldstone’s property and that a sewer wayleave does not convert private land into public land, nor create a development buffer.

The Commission found that the presumed existence of a public wayleave could not lawfully justify construction by Khaleej Towers Limited up to the boundary line, the omission of prescribed setbacks, or the installation of windows opening directly onto the adjoining property.

The Ombudsman has also recommended that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission investigate “the circumstances surrounding the premature issuance of the approval letter (DC8) dated 30 August 2023 for PLUPA-BPM-022413-Q, which was issued before formal deliberation by the UPTC on 31 August 2023 and final ratification by the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) on 14 September 2023, with a view to establishing whether the officers involved engaged in corrupt conduct.”

Beyond punitive measures, the Commission has called for comprehensive institutional reforms.

These include the reconstitution of the Urban Planning Technical Committee to ensure balanced representation, and the reconfiguration of the Nairobi Planning and Development Management System to prevent self-assignment and block approvals with unresolved objections.

The Commission also recommends mandatory multi-disciplinary technical reviews before granting approvals, activation of the enforcement module for effective post-approval monitoring, and the tracking and restriction of repeat offenders among architects and engineers.

The County Assembly has been directed to fast-track development of the Nairobi City County Development Control Policy “ensuring alignment with the Physical and Land Use Planning Act, 2019.”

Professional regulatory bodies BORAQS and EBK have been directed to investigate and discipline professionals submitting non-compliant plans, with specific action recommended against Rayplan Architects for “misrepresentation of infrastructure information.”

All named entities have been given one month to report progress on implementation of the recommendations to the Commission.

The Governor Johnson Sakaja has been specifically directed to ensure the Khaleej Towers building complies with statutory setback requirements, including blocking windows and balconies that overlook Coldstone’s property.

Commission Chairperson Charles Dulo, EBS, signed the report, which represents one of the most comprehensive indictments of Nairobi’s planning and development approval system in recent years.

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The first-year Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) student, who had just completed her examinations and was home to assist her mother, Caroline Akinyi, at their small business, became the latest victim in what human rights activists are calling a troubling pattern of police use of lethal force.

According to the National Police Service, the tragic chain of events began earlier that day when a member of the public reported at Huruma Police Station that five young men had attacked him, robbed him of a silver chain and Sh1,800 in cash.

Police arrested two suspects in the morning and apprehended two more around 7:30 PM.

The situation escalated during the second arrest when one of the suspects raised an alarm and incited other youths nearby, who responded by throwing stones and other projectiles at the police.

Officers reportedly fired warning shots into the air to disperse the crowd, one of those bullets struck Sheryl as she stood in her mother’s kiosk.

Caroline Akinyi received a phone call while visiting her younger child at school, informing her that her daughter was dead.

When journalists approached the grieving mother, she could barely speak before breaking down in tears.

Sheryl’s body now lies at the City Mortuary, awaiting post-mortem examination.

She was scheduled to complete her final exams on Monday, a day she will never see.

The shooting plunged Huruma into chaos that lasted through Saturday night into Sunday afternoon.

Youths threw stones at police officers, who responded with tear gas and live rounds fired into the air.

 The violence resulted in at least two public service vehicles being torched, another vehicle damaged, and the local police station vandalized.

Furniture lining Mathare Road was set ablaze and used as bonfire barricades while wholesale shops were raided for food and clothes.

Traders hurriedly closed their shops as the situation spiraled out of control.

Edwin Masibo, who was heading home along Kangundo Road around 8 PM, described the scene: “We stumbled on hundreds of youth looting and assaulting people.

They were taking away phones, wallets and IDs as shops were vandalized. It was complete chaos.”

Human rights activist Hussein Khalid of VOCAL Africa has alleged that officers initially resisted recording the incident in the Occurrence Book before yielding following public pressure.

The family’s first attempt to record a statement at Huruma Police Station on Sunday morning was reportedly thwarted, though they were eventually allowed entry around noon.

“We have spoken with the mother. The family has tried to access Huruma Police Station to record a statement and up to this point, the police have not allowed us in,” Khalid said, calling for immediate accountability and condemning police violence against innocent citizens.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority deployed a Rapid Response Team from its Nairobi Regional Office on Sunday to commence investigations into the fatal shooting.

In a statement released Monday morning, IPOA Vice Chairperson Ann Wanjiku Mwangi confirmed that investigators are actively gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and analyzing available samples and exhibits.

“IPOA extends its condolences to the family of Ms. Sheril Adhiambo, calls for calm, and assures the public and the bereaved family of its commitment to conducting independent, impartial, and thorough investigations to establish culpability and ensure accountability,” the statement read.

The National Police Service has urged residents to allow investigations to proceed peacefully.

Spokesperson Michael Muchiri acknowledged the tragic death while calling for de-escalation.

“The public is asked to allow the processes of transparency and accountability to take place and to desist from further acts of lawlessness.”

However, VOCAL Africa and other human rights organizations are demanding swift action.

The organization has pledged to support the Adhiambo family in seeking justice and is calling for the immediate arrest of the officer responsible for the shooting.

This incident has reignited the national conversation about police accountability and the use of lethal force in Kenya, particularly in informal settlements where similar tragedies have occurred with alarming frequency.

As investigations continue, one question haunts Huruma: How many more innocent lives must be lost before meaningful police reforms take hold?

The deceased’s body is at City Mortuary pending autopsy.

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Speaking during the official opening of the Africa Inland Church (AIC) Pipeline in Embakasi, Nairobi County, where he also attended a prayer service, the President painted an optimistic picture of Kenya’s economic trajectory.

“For the first time in a long while, Kenya is not guessing. We are not drifting. We are not gambling,” Ruto told congregants.

“We have set our targets. We have begun the journey.”

The President’s remarks come as his administration faces mounting pressure to deliver on campaign promises to reduce the financial burden on ordinary Kenyans.

Recent economic indicators suggest some progress, with inflation dropping from a high of 9.6% in October 2022 to 4.5% by the end of 2025.

Ruto emphasized that difficult decisions made early in his tenure, including fiscal consolidation measures and subsidy reforms, were necessary to stabilize the economy and create conditions for sustainable growth.

“The decisive measures we took in 2023 and 2024 were aimed at stabilizing and turning around the economy,” the President said in his recent New Year address.

“Looking back, 2025 was the year when those deliberate, often demanding choices began to pay off.”

In a significant move to ease household budgets, Ruto recently announced that Kenyans earning Sh30,000 and below will be exempt from Pay As You Earn (PAYE) taxes, up from the current threshold of Sh24,000.

“We are now saying that any Kenyan who earns less than Sh30,000 will not pay any taxes,” Ruto stated.

“One and a half million working Kenyans will not pay any taxes, and another 500,000 will have their taxes reduced to 25 per cent.”

The President framed these measures as part of his “Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda,” designed to put more money directly into the pockets of low and middle-income earners.

“This is how, progressively, we will manage the cost of living,” he added. “Bottom Up was not just a slogan.”

While the President expressed confidence in Kenya’s economic direction, opposition voices remain skeptical.

Critics point to continued struggles with unemployment, rising debt levels, and delayed implementation of key programs.

However, government data shows some positive trends: nearly a million Kenyans have accessed jobs through housing initiatives, labor mobility programs, and the digital economy.

The Central Bank of Kenya has also cut the base lending rate multiple times, from 13% to 9.25%, making credit more accessible.

Ruto has declared 2026 a “watershed year” for Kenya, promising accelerated infrastructure development, expanded digital employment opportunities, and continued health and education reforms.

“2026 will be a turning point in our march from promise to prosperity,” the President said.

“A year that future generations will look back on and say Kenya changed course.”

As Kenyans navigate ongoing economic challenges, the President’s message from the pulpit at AIC Pipeline was clear: patience with tough reforms will yield dividends, and relief is on the horizon.

Whether voters agree when they head to the polls in 2027 remains to be seen.

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Former President William Ruto’s advisers suffered a major setback after the High Court rejected their second attempt to stay in office for six months to allow handovers.

Justice Bahati Mwamuye on Wednesday dismissed the January 27 application by 21 Presidential Advisors, ruling that their request was illegal and lacked constitutional backing.

“The court finds the application misconceived and outside the law. It cannot be entertained,” Justice Mwamuye said, emphasizing that public offices must operate within the limits of the Constitution.

The advisors had sought to challenge their sacking from the Presidency, arguing that their removal was unlawful.

However, the court found that their positions were not constitutionally or statutorily guaranteed, making their claim unsustainable.

The advisers including David Ndii, Monica Juma, Jaoko Oburu, and Harriet Chigai, argued that a stay would allow them to comply with the court’s orders, facilitate proper handover, and support their planned appeal.

The Attorney General and the Public Service Commission backed them, but the Katiba Institute opposed the application, citing res judicata.

Justice Mwamuye rejected their claims of “new arguments”:

“The same arguments canvassing appeal, structural interdict, prejudice, support for the President, handover, irreparable harm and prejudice, and the others are a rehash of what was covered extensively on 22/01/2026,” he ruled.

He warned against repeated applications to bypass unfavorable rulings.

“While the Party making an Application may change, if the substance of what is being sought and the grounds or arguments in the support of the same are identical, then the doctrine of res judicata bars that second attempt.”

The ruling emphasized finality in court proceedings:”Res Judicata is an important aspect of our legal order. It preserves scarce judicial time, promotes certainty and uniformity, and prevents a matter being caught up in an unending cycle of litigation.”

In a related ruling, the court dismissed contempt charges against Ndii and Chigai over social media posts after the January 22 judgment.

Justice Mwamuye said Ndii’s posts were “a mixture of his expression of dissatisfaction with the outcome… and a comment that, while somewhat distasteful, was an expression of his personal experience with respect to an incident that occurred in the year 2017.”

Chigai’s actions, the court found, had “two equally persuasive interpretations” and did not show she was continuing in a quashed role.

“Social media comments can have real-life negative consequences… Such comments must strike the balance between our constitutionally protected freedom to express our views… and the need to protect and promote the proper administration of justice,” the judge cautioned.

The dispute stems from a case filed by the Katiba Institute challenging the constitutionality of the Presidential Advisor offices.

The January 22 judgment quashed the positions, with advisers’ immediate oral stay applications rejected.

The new written application has now also been dismissed, leaving the judgment fully in force.

Advisers retain the right to appeal the substantive judgment to the Court of Appeal.

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Senior Principal Magistrate Boaz Ombewa on Monday January 26,2026 delivered the ruling, imposing varying penalties on the officers based on their level of involvement in the escape of three dangerous inmates who had been convicted over the 2015 Garissa University attack.

Robert Kipkirui Soi and Kaikai Talengo Moses each received six-month jail terms or fines of Sh100,000 for neglect of official duty.

Willy Wambua faced a stiffer penalty of three years imprisonment or Sh1 million in fines for aiding the prisoners’ escape and facilitating terror meetings within the prison.

“The escape of convicted terrorists from Kamiti Maximum Security Prison was a deliberate breach of duty that endangered national security and public trust,” Magistrate Ombewa stated in his judgment.

The magistrate emphasized the serious nature of the officers’ positions, noting they were responsible for some of the country’s most dangerous criminals.

The incident occurred between the night of November 14 and morning of November 15, 2021, when three convicted terrorists Musharaf Abdala alias Shukri, Mohamed Ali Abikar, and Joseph Juma Odhiambo broke out of the maximum security facility in Kasarani Sub-County.

The trio were serving sentences of 42, 22, and 15 years respectively for terrorism offences connected to the Garissa University massacre that killed 148 people, predominantly students.

According to court records, the Director of Public Prosecutions presented 14 witnesses and proved the officers aided the escape through negligence and deliberate actions.

Several other officers initially arrested, including suspended Kamiti Prison boss Charles Mutembei Gerrard, were either turned into state witnesses or freed due to insufficient evidence.

State Counsel James Machirah argued for maximum sentences, pointing to the abuse of trust involved in the crimes.

“The acts that the accused persons were convicted over indicates that the integrity of our constitutional offices and systems, in this case, I mean the prison facilities, were abused,” Machirah told the court.

His colleague Kennedy Amwayi invoked Kenya’s painful terrorism history, reminding the magistrate of attacks including the 1998 US Embassy bombings that killed 213 people, the Westgate Mall attack with 71 deaths, and the Dusit D2 attack that claimed 21 lives.

“Your honor, these are not distant memories. They are scars on our nation,” Amwayi said.

The prosecution revealed that warders had smuggled blankets, metal bars, wooden sticks, nails, razor blades and a chisel into the condemned block to facilitate the escape. Evidence also showed Wambua had organized unauthorized meetings between terror convicts before the breakout.

“Instead of safeguarding them, the convicts sabotaged their duty, turning, your honor, a fortress of security into a hub of facilitation,” Amwayi argued.

The escaped inmates were recaptured in Kitui County two days after their escape.

Defense lawyer Vincent Lempaa Suyianka urged the court to focus on the legal definition of the offences rather than emotions surrounding terrorism.

Kipkirui, who told the court he is the sole provider for 18 children, expressed deep regret for his actions.

“Mr. Kipkirui has served over 25 years in the Prisons Service with commitment, discipline, and loyalty. This offense was an isolated incident, and he has no prior convictions,” Lempaa said.

Talengo cited health challenges at the time of the incident and pleaded for consideration of his family responsibilities, stating: “I am truly remorseful. I was battling serious health challenges at the time and plead for a sentence that does not disrupt my dependents’ lives.”

Wambua, 53, with over 30 years of service, asked for leniency based on his clean record and age.

“I take full responsibility for my actions. Having served over 30 years with a clean record, I ask for a reduced sentence given my age and that this is my first offence,” he told the magistrate.

In delivering sentence, Magistrate Ombewa acknowledged the officers’ remorse and personal circumstances but emphasized the gravity of their actions.

“The meticulous planning and execution of this escape demonstrates a deliberate and sustained breach of security. This was not a momentary lapse but a calculated act that endangered national security and undermined public trust in our prison system,” he stated.

The three officers have been granted 14 days to appeal the decision.

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The ruling comes after the school’s Board of Management sought a temporary injunction to halt the development of a multi‑storey apartment complex on Sixth Avenue while the ownership dispute is fully determined by the court.

In her ruling, Justice Christine Ochieng explained that the school had not met the legal threshold for interim relief.

“Looking at the documents the plaintiffs have presented, I note they provided a history of the disputed land but failed to file any documents to support their claim on the suit land,” Justice Ochieng said.

She added that:“Allegations of forgery and illegality in the governor’s title could only be properly examined during a full trial, not through an interim injunction.”

The judge noted that relevant government authorities, including the National Construction Authority (NCA), had confirmed compliance with development regulations.

“Since the first defendant (Mohamed Adan Khalif) was granted development permission for his land, with the relevant government entities acknowledging this position, I am unable to restrain him from his property,” the judge held.

The contested project is a 10‑storey residential development planned to deliver 160 housing units on a parcel the school insists forms part of its original compound. 

According to the school’s petition, the land was part of its 2.2‑hectare plot set aside for educational purposes but was “systematically reduced through irregular surveys, excisions and re‑registrations.”

School officials allege that the property’s title was eventually re‑registered to the governor, whom they claim lawfully acquired the parcel in 2021 for about Sh140 million.

The Board also raised concerns about the impact of the construction on the learning environment, highlighting that:“Classrooms now sit only metres from the rising structure,” and parents have argued that the development poses safety risks and worsened congestion at a school hosting classes from ECDE to secondary level. 

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