This archive report was first published on 3 July 2021.
Uhuru Allies Disown Jubilee-ODM Coalition Talks ¶
President Uhuru Kenyatta's allies have dealt a blow to planned talks between the ruling Jubilee Party and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), citing ill-timed negotiations that could lead to the defeat of Jubilee's candidates in Kiambaa parliamentary and Muguga Ward by-elections in Kiambu County.
According to Jubilee Deputy Secretary-General Joshua Kutuny, the negotiations were not approved by the party and could lead to the defeat of Jubilee's candidates in the upcoming by-elections.
ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna and Jubilee counterpart Raphael Tuju had earlier announced that the talks had the blessings of President Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Meanwhile, ODM leader Raila Odinga has denied that he will harm the people of Mt Kenya region if elected President, saying he would not have worked with retired President Mwai Kibaki in 2002 if he had any grudges against the region.
Raila's remarks were backed by Kieni MP Kanini Kega, who said the mountain region should stop being misadvised by people who do not have its interests at heart.
It has also emerged that the recent meeting between ODM leader Raila Odinga and Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i was not a mere lunch as had been reported, but a meeting where the leaders made peace after falling out over the Bonchari by-election.
Raila and Matiang'i also discussed how to lock Deputy President William Ruto out of Gusii region.
The Court of Appeal has set August 20 as the date when the ruling on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) appeal against a High Court decision will be delivered, sending promoters of the BBI back to the drawing board.
Civil society groups and private citizens against the BBI have asked the Court of Appeal to order President Uhuru Kenyatta to refund the money spent on the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2020.
The electoral commission has vowed to regulate the amount of money the aspirants for various positions should spend in the 2022 General Election, with the Campaign Financing Act providing that a presidential candidate cannot use more than Ksh5.25 billion.
The Treasury has finally released the final amount of the equitable share funds to the counties for the 2020/2021 financial year, with Ksh289.6 billion being disbursed after a meeting between Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani and the leadership of the Council of Governors.
Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has been dealt a big blow after the Employment and Labour Relations Court trashed a case in which it wanted the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) chairperson and the Chief Executive jailed for allegedly disobeying a court order that has suspended the promotion of teachers through the Career Progression Guidelines (CPG).
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has revealed that the country has registered cases of fully vaccinated people contracting Covid-19 virus, saying the only sure way of not getting the virus was strict adherence of the preventive measures.
